Local news for local people
It's time for schooling again
June 19, 2025
Black Springs Public School
Excellence Through Explicit Teaching
At Black Springs Public School, we know what we stand for - academic excellence, inclusivity, high educational standards and social development, every day, every lesson. At the heart of our approach is explicit teaching, a structured and evidence-based method that ensures students receive clear explanations, guided practice, and scaffolded support to master their learning.
What is Explicit Teaching? Explicit teaching focuses on clear instruction, teacher modelling, guided practice, and immediate feedback to ensure every student understands and applies their learning effectively. It eliminates guesswork, providing a structured pathway to success instead of leaving students to figure things out on their own.
At Black Springs Public School, great teaching makes the difference. The formula is simple: the better the teacher teaches, the better our students learn. We prioritise proven methods that deliver outstanding results, setting our students up for success - academically and beyond.
Working together for student attendance and to maximise learning
It's always wonderful to have our students in classrooms, ready
to engage and learn. Our teachers and school staff are committed to
fostering growth and opportunity, and we are here to work with you
to support your child to reach their full potential.
Consistently going to school has countless benefits - from learning, to creating social connections and improving wellbeing through access to support and quality education.
Students are required to attend school every day, whether it's the first or last day of the term, Mondays, Fridays or days dedicated to sports carnivals, school excursions and incursions.
As we look ahead to the remainder of the school year, we'd like to remind our school community that we are here to work with you to support your child to thrive. We know that families experience a variety of challenging circumstances, and we are committed to working with you to address any barriers to regular attendance.
If your child is absent from school, please let us know why as soon as possible, even if it's just a few minutes at the start or end of the school day. Of course, there will be times when your child is unable to be at school, like when they are unwell. Medical appointments should take place outside school hours where possible, and family holidays should be taken in term breaks.
If your child is feeling anxious about coming to school and you need support, please reach out to your child's teacher directly. There are also helpful resources for parents and carers on the NSW Department of Education web site.
Thank you for being a part of our school community and for partnering with us to ensure students access the endless benefits of regular school attendance.
Oberon Public School
NSW PSSA Under 12s Rugby League State Championships
Good luck to Tye Newstead who is representing Western Region at the NSW PSSA Under 12s Rugby League State Championships in Liverpool. We wish him the best of luck and know that he will represent both Oberon Public School and Western Region proudly. Good luck Tye!
Danni-Lee Thompson | Assistant Principal
Photo supplied
Toys to Treasures
On Friday, a selection of our talented students took creativity to the next level by transforming donated toys into stunning works of art. Through recycling, repurposing and reusing, they showcased their artistic skills while spreading awareness about sustainability and the importance of giving new life to old items. We celebrated their incredible efforts to make a positive impact on our environment while expressing their unique creativity. Their amazing artworks will be displayed at the local Waste 2 Art exhibition where they'll inspire others to think creatively about recycling.
Kelly Sheppard | Coordinator
Click to see 13 photos (1:05). Photos supplied
Homework Raffle
Congratulations to Jarrod Bartkowiak and Emilie Gilmore who won the raffle for handing in their homework. Jarrod picked marbles and Emilie selected a sticky croc. Well done, students!
Jo'elle Frampton | Principal
Photo supplied
Getting creative with quadrilaterals
5/6MK has been learning to identify and describe a range of quadrilaterals. They used their creative flair to make miniature creations made entirely of quadrilaterals. We had a wide range of designs, including eskies, Ned Kelly, Peppa Pig and TV remotes!
Chloe Killen | Classroom Teacher
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Click to see 14 photos (1:10). Photos supplied
Writing Rewards
The clever students in KM have been learning all about narratives. Together they have looked at text features and how illustrations support a story. They have been practising using their letter and sound knowledge to write short sentences that reflect their illustrations.
Nicola McMahon | Classroom Teacher
Photos supplied
Bowling Boccia!
Last week, five students travelled to Bathurst to compete in the Statewide Boccia Inclusive Sports Competition. All team members played their best and demonstrated great sportsmanship. Overall, Oberon Public School placed 11th in our region.
Natalie Beattie | Coordinator
Oberon High School
At Oberon High School, Benny jumps for joy at Respectful, Safe and Engaged learners!
At the end of last year, we introduced SWE (School Wide Expectations) to students. SWE will embrace and replace our existing PBL structures with an initiative that aligns with the NSW Behaviour Code for Students and our School Behaviour Management and Support Plan including our Real Schools initiatives. It is about acknowledging and rewarding students for the extraordinary things they do around our school. So, watch this space for our revamped Benny's Bucks and other acknowledgements.
SWE Team
Affective Language
Part of our Real Schools and SWE initiatives has been about using affective language with our students. Affective words express how a person feels and are designed to assist students in thinking about the impact of their actions. An affective word statement can be: "I'm impressed with your start on the assessment task." For the last three weeks staff have been using an affective word students have had to guess. Each week we've had a number of students guess correctly, but Emma Perry has discovered the word of the week every week! Congratulations, Emma for guessing bemused, concerned and fascinated!
Amber Hibbert | Head Teacher English/HSIE/PA/Careers
Photo supplied
University Connections
Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from Charles Sturt University Bathurst campus to our school! Students from Years 11 and 12 had the fantastic opportunity to ask questions about applying to university, explore accommodation options and learn about available scholarships. A huge thank you to Ms Lily O'Toole from CSU, Mr Mitton and our Year 12 Adviser, Mr Inwood, for facilitating this valuable experience. We truly appreciate the chance to connect directly with the university and support our students in their future endeavours!
Susan Koeford | Careers Advisor
Photos supplied
Off to State!
Last Wednesday, nine students represented Oberon High School in Orange at the Western Cross Country. On all accounts, our students represented the school beautifully and all ran a tough, competitive race. A special mention goes to Rose Christie-Johnston, Codie Keelty and Sam Shaw who are now off to represent Western at the State level. We are super proud of all our students and can't wait to see how they progress.
Tristan Goodwin | Principal
Art Workshop
Claire Ryan - Visual Arts Subject Coordinator Rural Learning Exchange came to our school to conduct an HSC Visual Arts Workshop. The aim of this workshop was to help students gain a better understanding of what is expected in their HSC Visual Arts course and how they can best work towards achieving their full potential . It was an extremely valuable day for both students and teachers.
Deidre Adams | Visual Arts Teacher
Photos supplied
Skill Development
In the TAS faculty's metal work room, our students are making great strides in their learning. They are focusing on the importance of accuracy in marking out and are developing their skills in cutting and shaping materials. Recently, they have been introduced to plasma cutting equipment and are also working on improving their welding techniques.
Rob Sinclair | TAS Head Teacher
Photos supplied
Hampton Public School
Students of the Week: Hampton school students have been enhancing their resilience and coping skills to effectively cope with challenges when they arise. Jackson and Luca have demonstrated not only these skills but also ways they can support fellow classmates.
Photo supplied
This week we celebrated our students excellent attendance for the 1st half of Term 2. Some of our students even achieved 100% attendance! Well done.
Photo supplied
St Joseph's Catholic School
Take a video tour of the school.
Around the Rooms - Year 4
As we near the end of another productive term, students have continued to show great determination in their learning and have worked hard to build positive connections with others.
This term's novel study, Tom Appleby, Convict Boy by Jackie French, offered a fascinating glimpse into life in the 1780s. The story follows young Tom, an orphan who is sentenced to transportation and becomes part of the early Australian colony. The class has been thoroughly engaged with the novel, always looking forward to the next chapter and the discussions that follow.
This ties in with our History unit, where we've been exploring what life was like in Australia during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Students are now researching a significant historical Australian from that period. As a class, we are learning more about Bennelong and his role in early contact between Aboriginal people and British settlers.
In Sport, students have been enthusiastically practising their soccer skills in preparation for the upcoming Soccer Gala Day as well taking part in fitness at the gym.
Meanwhile, in Creative Arts, we are busily preparing our Waste 2 Art entry based on the theme of toys. We are using jigsaw pieces as the central material, creatively transforming them into an imaginative and meaningful artwork.
We look forward to more exciting learning opportunities and experiences in the weeks to come!
Photos supplied
