SCHOOL NEWS - SPRING 2026

Inspiring Every Student, Every Day
Gulgong Public School (GPS) is a well-established and highly regarded school that has proudly served the Gulgong community for many years. We are committed to ensuring every child receives a high-quality education and offers a wide range of academic, sporting and extracurricular programs to support students in achieving their full potential.
Public Education Week – Open Classrooms: As part of Public Education Week, we welcomed families into our classrooms on Monday 3 August for a wonderful morning of coffee, conversation and learning. Families joined their children in classroom activities and experienced the creativity and opportunities happening at GPS each day. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped celebrate the strong partnership between our school, students, families and
wider community.
GPS Choir – A Wonderful Success: Our GPS Choir has enjoyed an outstanding few weeks, taking out 1st Place at the Wellington Eisteddfod. This fantastic achievement reflects the students’ dedication, teamwork and commitment to their rehearsals. The choir also travelled to Sydney to participate in the Festival of Choral Music, performing alongside public school students from across NSW at the Sydney Opera House.
Congratulations to our talented students, Ms Jones and their families on this wonderful achievement.
At GPS, we pride ourselves on building strong relationships, having a deep understanding of our rural community and providing engaging, real-life learning experiences.
Our dedicated staff work closely with families to ensure every child feels a true sense of belonging. Give your child the best start to their learning journey — enrol now and become part of our welcoming school community.

Public Education - Inspiring Excellence.
At Ilford Public School, we take great pride in celebrating achievements and milestones regularly through our weekly assemblies, social media highlights, and our engaging newsletter. However, Public Education Week offers us a special opportunity to shine a spotlight on the excellence demonstrated across all public schools in NSW.
This year, our students demonstrated compassion and community spirit by raising funds for Jeans for Genes Day, supporting the vital work of the Children’s Medical Research Institute. Thanks to the generosity of our school community and the dollar matching contribution from Lowes, we raised an impressive $667.00 to help children facing health challenges.
Our annual Open Day was another wonderful occasion to celebrate student success. We proudly opened our classrooms to families and friends, showcasing exceptional artworks, diligent bookwork, and innovative STEM projects. The event was further enriched by sharing morning tea in the sun together, demonstrating a strong sense of community. This year, our newly renovated multi-purpose court was alive with excitement as students challenged their parents to games of tennis, highlighting both our facilities and school spirit.
At Ilford PS, students are inspired to pursue excellence in every endeavour, driven by passionate teachers and the continued support of our dedicated parents. Though we are a small school, our achievements are truly significant—we are a community that is accomplishing big things together!

Celebrating Success: Rylstone Public School Education Week Open Day
On Tuesday, August 4th, Rylstone Public School proudly continued its long-standing tradition of open classrooms and welcoming back old alumni during a vibrant Open Day, the highlight of Education Week 2026. Parents, families, friends, and local residents came together to experience our modern and dynamic learning environment, making this one of the best attended Open Days we have ever had!
Visitors explored interactive classrooms showcasing student lessons in Key Learning Areas and a student Art Show was displayed in the library and corridor which showcased our students’ creative arts talents. Students enthusiastically discussed their areas of growth, development, and learning goals with families, offering valuable insight into their educational journeys. Guided tours allowed guests to witness innovative teaching and hands-on activities across the school.
Parents, families, and friends were delighted to look into our classrooms and listen to the innovative teaching and learning happening every day. Families were then invited to enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch in our spacious, green playgrounds, fostering connection and community spirit. The atmosphere was filled with excitement, pride, and togetherness.
We are proudly public and a great example of “Inspiring Excellence” in our area. We extend heartfelt thanks to our dedicated students, staff, volunteers, and families for their active participation in making Open Day such a remarkable success. Education Week celebrates the joy of learning, and Rylstone Public School remains committed to nurturing every child’s potential.

Growing Confident Learners in Hargraves
Hargraves Public School is a small school fostering a love of learning while providing a safe nurturing environment for the children of the Hargraves community. We strive to prepare all students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens ready to meet the challenges of the future.
Compass Festival: At Hargraves Public School we understand that quality instruction and lessons in music and other creative programs leads to improvements in memory retention, information recall, concentration, and perseverance that help students achieve greater success in a broad range of subjects.
As part of weekly music lessons, our students, K-6 all learn the recorder. Each year students in the senior recorder ensemble participate in the Festival of Instrumental Music at the Sydney Opera House. In addition, this year our senior recorder ensemble attended the Compass Festival in Orange on
June 25th.
Congratulations to all five of our Compass superstars … they shone bright in what was a fabulous concert, showcasing and highlighting the talent fostered and supported in Regional Public Schools.
Special congratulations to Beau Colley and Ewan Mattick for their outstanding Descant 1 recorder duo. The boys did not know that they would be the only Descant 1 musicians when they arrived at rehearsal for the concert but they rose to the challenge and gave incredible performances. They were
truly magnificent!
Special mention to first time performers Sage Booth, Lochlan Honeysett and Jack Primmer… nerves tuned and turned into confidence after their performances.
Broken Hill : Our major school excursion in 2026 was a week long visit to the Broken Hill area. Staff and students spent the week exploring the area, taking time to enjoy actvities such as camel rides in the outback, visits to mining museums, a visit to Silverton and fun at the Pro Hart gallery.

The Bird Trio Have Landed at Kandos
Public School!
Our 2026 Kandos Public School Playground Beautification Project has taken flight with a beautiful trio of bird murals now adorning a wall in the main playground!
We were thrilled to collaborate with Jessica Leffley from Bird Girl Creations, who created three stunning murals of birds. Jess worked closely with our school to develop resources and learning experiences that will allow our students to connect with and enjoy these artworks throughout their schooling journey.
First, Jess designed and painted two murals featuring native birds important to our town and the local Aboriginal community: the Wedge-tailed Eagle and the Black Cockatoo.
Then, students and staff took part in a whole-school voting process to choose the third mural—a Kookaburra.
The unveiling of the three murals took place during the NSW Public Education Week Open Day Assembly, with students, staff, families, and community members all in attendance.
Our Kandos Public School students also participated in a school drawing competition. Congratulations to our winning artists, who were lucky to attend an engaging art workshop with Jess!
Jessica read her book, Curious Cockatoo, to all students from Kindergarten through to Year 6.
We thank Jess for sharing her creativity, knowledge, and passion for birds with our school community. We can’t wait to see our students continue to learn from, interact with, and enjoy our beautiful new bird murals for years to come!

Revolting Children, Remarkable Talent: A Look Back at St Matthews Matilda Jr.
This past May, the stage at St Matthews Catholic School’s Secondary Campus was transformed into a world of magic, mischief, and empowerment as our talented students presented Matilda Jr. on May 8th and 9th. Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved book and the smash-hit Broadway musical, the production proved that even the smallest voices can make the
biggest impact.
The show followed the journey of Matilda Wormwood, brilliantly portrayed by Natalie, an extraordinarily gifted young girl who uses her sharp intellect and telekinetic powers to take a stand against injustice. Navigating the neglect of her comical parents and the terrifying tyranny of headmistress Miss Trunchbull—brought to life with formidable energy by Grace—Matilda found warmth and encouragement in the gentle Miss Honey, also played with incredible grace and heart by Grace.
Months of relentless rehearsal paid off as the cast tackled the show’s quick-witted dialogue, intricate harmonies, and high-energy choreography. From the rebellious excitement of “Revolting Children” to the heartwarming hope of “When I Grow Up,” the performers captivated audiences at every turn. Beyond the spotlight, an equally dedicated student crew worked seamlessly behind the scenes, managing inventive sets and lighting to create a truly immersive experience.
Dramatic Director Kirsty Skinner praised the extraordinary effort of everyone involved: “Watching our dedicated cast and crew bring the world of Matilda to life has been a privilege. The sheer scale of the production, from the inventive sets to the exhilarating numbers, showcases our extraordinary talent and reminds us all that even the smallest voices can create the biggest change.”
The unforgettable two-night run was a triumph for St Matthews, leaving the community inspired, entertained, and immensely proud of our bright young stars.

Inspiring Excellence at Cudgegong Valley
Public School
There is plenty to celebrate at Cudgegong Valley Public School, where students are encouraged to discover their strengths, embrace new challenges and strive for their personal best.
Inspiring Excellence is more than a motto at CVPS.
It reflects a school-wide commitment to recognising potential, creating opportunities and encouraging every student to achieve success.
Recently, two students have earned outstanding recognition for their writing. One of our youngest high achievers, Imogen Priest, received a Stage 1 Bronze Award in WriteOn 2026, the annual writing competition for students in Years 1 to 6. Imogen will be recognised at the WriteOn Awards Ceremony at the State Library of NSW in September, where her work will also be published in The Best of WriteOn 2026.
Fellow student Rafa Rangel-Allport has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Whitlam Institute What Matters? Writing Competition, selected from thousands of entries submitted by students across Australia. The competition celebrates young voices, recognising creativity, originality and thoughtful perspectives on the issues that matter most. Rafa’s achievement is a wonderful reflection of those qualities.
These successes highlight Cudgegong Valley Public School’s commitment to High Potential and Gifted Education, where every child’s unique strengths are recognised and nurtured. Potential is celebrated across academic learning, creative arts, sport, leadership and critical thinking, ensuring every student has the opportunity to flourish.
At CVPS, inspiring excellence is about much more than awards and achievements. It begins when a student auditions for the first time, enters a competition, discovers a new passion or simply has the confidence to step outside their comfort zone. Every opportunity helps build resilience, perseverance and a lifelong love of learning.
That is the culture Cudgegong Valley Public School continues to build—one where strengths are recognised, opportunities are created and students are encouraged to aim high. Because perhaps the most exciting part of inspiring excellence isn’t knowing what our students can achieve, it’s discovering what they will achieve next.
Through innovative learning opportunities, dedicated teachers and a strong partnership with families, CVPS continues to foster a school community where every child is supported to grow, succeed and reach their full potential.

Proud Moments at Mudgee Public School
Celebrating NSW Public Education Week: Mudgee Public School proudly celebrated NSW Public Education Week and our 2026 Open Day, showcasing the wonderful students, staff, families and community that make MPS such a special place. As part of our celebrations, we were delighted to welcome back eight MPS alumni students as members of a special guest panel. Our alumni shared fond memories of their time at Mudgee Public School and reflected on the important role a public education played in shaping their career journeys and the people they are today. It was a wonderful opportunity for our current students to hear firsthand where an education at MPS can lead and to celebrate the strong connections between our school’s past, present and future.
Western Champions: What an incredible achievement for our Mudgee Public School Rugby League Team, who have officially been crowned Western Champions! In a mammoth effort, our students demonstrated outstanding talent, determination, sportsmanship and, most importantly, teamwork. Their success is a wonderful reflection of the way they represented MPS both on and off the field, and we could not be prouder. The journey isn’t over yet, with our Western Champions now progressing to the State Finals later this term. We wish the team the very best as they continue this exciting journey, MPS is behind you all
the way!
Making Memories in Canberra: In a term already filled with sporting victories, academic growth and student success, we also celebrate the lifelong memories created beyond the classroom through our school excursions. To kick off the term, our Year 6 students travelled to Canberra for an action-packed adventure, with a jam-packed itinerary including Telstra Tower, the Australian War Memorial, Questacon, Parliament House, the Australian Institute of Sport and, of course, a brilliant day in the snow! These experiences become some of the most treasured memories of primary school, and they would not be possible without our beautiful, dedicated teachers who give their time away from their own families and homes to ensure our students have the most positive, memorable and exciting experiences possible. These are the moments our students will talk about for many years to come and what primary school memories are all about.