Northside Newsletter

Week 1, Term 4 2026

Friday 16 October 2026

"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." Dr Maria Montessori

It is lovely to see all our families return for Term 4, the final term for 2026. During this term there are a multitude of event across the whole school as we finish of the year and celebrate the year that has passed. During this time, we are also in the midst of preparing for another exciting year ahead. We are looking forward to a wonderful 2027 with all our Northside Community.

During the holiday period, work commenced on the redevelopment of the pre-primary playground area. It was great that our builders had two weeks of fine weather to remove the old equipment as well as commence construction on new retaining walls and some preparation for the new equipment, which will arrive towards the end of November. Once complete, this will be a wonderful new area for our students to enjoy.

There are a large number of events this term, so please take the time to look at the Diary Dates section of this Newsletter and the calendar in Audiri so that you are aware of these and perhaps able to attend those specific to your child.

Here are some of the key dates for you:

• Tuesday 27 October at 3.15pm: MMUN 2027 Bangkok Information Session; for those interested in attending. This activity is for students in Year 4 – Year 9 in 2027.
• Friday 6 November from 9.30am: Grandparents and Special Friends celebration day. The event will commence at 9.30am with open classrooms until 10.30am. This will then be followed by a light morning tea for our visitors.
• Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November: Northside Creative Arts Exhibition 'The Wonder of Nature' in J1 & J 2. Please encourage your child to contribute an artwork for our exhibition.
• Wednesday 25 November: our Garden Party, which will be held a little earlier this year. Week 7 rather than Week 9. From 3.15pm – 4.30pm
• Wednesday 2 December: Music Soiree – our last Soiree for the year; commencing at 5pm
• Thursday 3 December: Year 10 End of Year Celebration. This is for our Year 10 students and their families.
• Friday 4 December: Year 6 Celebration Assembly and Afternoon Tea. This is for Year 6 students and their families.
• Wednesday 9 December: Beach Day for Primary and Secondary School students.
• Thursday 10 December: Last day of the school year and our P&C Picnic.

Again, we welcome everyone back for Term 4 and look forward to sharing the many celebrations and events that will occur in the life of our school in the next nine weeks.

Adam Scotney
Principal

As always, we want to encourage parents to please follow the car park rules:

• Maximum of 5 minutes in the drop-off spaces in the mornings and afternoons.
• Only allow your child to enter and exit the car when it is parked in an allocated spot.
• Give way to all other traffic when exiting the car park - including that which is exiting Selwyn Street (directly opposite the car park exit).

School Hours

• Pre-Primary: Sign in between 8.30am - 8.45am and collected and signed out at 11.45am or at 2.45pm if they are staying for Montessori Home Environment. Please book for Home Environment using the form from Audiri or the Office if you plan to stay. This will assist us in our planning for activities and staffing.
• Primary: 8.30am to 2.55pm each day.

• Secondary: 8:30am – 3pm each day. (longer days for Year 10 & 11 students). The classroom is available to students from 8am – 4pm each school day

Playground Supervision

Playground supervision is available from 8am for Primary and Secondary children, including Extended Day children. Please do not drop students off prior to 8.00am.

Late Arrivals

Children of pre-school age (3 and 4-year-olds) children who arrive late need to go directly to the classroom with the parent or carer to sign their child in. All other late students (Extended Day, Primary and Secondary) need to get a late slip from the office and then go directly to their classes.

Early Departures

Students being collected early need to be signed out from the school office.

Allergies

Please be reminded that we have children who have allergies to nuts. We therefore ask that students do not bring products to school where nuts are listed as an ingredient.

Life Education and Healthy Harold

Every year, Life Education and Healthy Harold come to Northside to deliver fun, factual, interactive sessions to our students on a range of health, wellbeing, and safety topics. This year, the program will run over 4 days – Monday 19 to Thursday 23 October. You won’t miss the big Healthy Harold bus parked in the school grounds!

As part of this program, we will hold a parent information session to share information about the program and answer your questions. The parent session will be on Monday 19 October at 8.30am. We invite you all to attend this session, which will be held in the Healthy Harold bus.

For further information about the Life Education program, please click here.

Janene Johnson
Deputy Principal

The school holidays may have been a break from the classroom, but there was certainly no shortage of learning, creativity and fun to be had here on campus!

Our Vacation Care program offered students a huge array of activities and experiences, from bike riding and road safety days to cooking, tie-dye, gardening, disco parties and plenty more. It was wonderful to see students getting active, trying something new, building practical skills and, most importantly, enjoying time together with friends.

Our holiday art workshops provided another opportunity for students to explore their creativity. In one session, students embraced the vibrant world of K-pop-inspired art while in another, they turned their attention to the natural world, creating artworks for our inaugural school art exhibition, The Wonder of Nature. We’re looking forward to showcasing these wonderful pieces alongside other student artworks when The Wonder of Nature comes to life on campus on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 November (Week 5).

It has been wonderful to see our students make the most of the holidays – creating, exploring, connecting and having fun along the way. We can’t wait to share their creativity with our community at the exhibition!

The Kingdom of Plants

The Cooinda class has been exploring the fascinating Kingdom of Plants, investigating the structures that make up the plant world and discovering how each plays an important role in helping plants grow, survive and reproduce.

Their studies have taken them beyond simply identifying plants to exploring their internal and external structures, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Students have been learning how roots anchor plants and absorb water and nutrients, how stems provide support and transport water and sugars, and how leaves capture sunlight for photosynthesis. They have also been exploring how flowers contribute to reproduction and how fruits and seeds help plants produce new generations.

The class has also been investigating patterns in plant growth, including dichotomous branching, where a stem or branch divides into two, creating distinctive patterns found in some plants. Through these observations, students are developing a deeper understanding of the diversity, complexity and interconnectedness of the natural world.

A highlight of their learning has been connecting these discoveries to their own environment, particularly the (fairly!) newly installed garden beds. These provide a wonderful, hands-on opportunity to observe plant structures up close, apply their classroom knowledge and watch the processes of growth unfold.

And don't the garden beds look fantastic! As the plants grow and flourish, they will continue to provide a living extension of the classroom, inspiring further questions, careful observation and new discoveries.

On Tuesday, our Secondary School students had the privilege of welcoming Maithri Panagoda AM, one of Australia’s leading compensation lawyers, for an engaging insight into his remarkable career and lifelong commitment to justice.

With more than 48 years of experience in litigation and dispute resolution, Maithri has built a distinguished career advocating for individuals and communities whose voices might otherwise go unheard. A partner at Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers, he is particularly recognised for his groundbreaking work representing survivors of historical abuse and members of the Stolen Generations, as well as his longstanding commitment to supporting Aboriginal people.

Maithri shared insights from a career shaped by a strong sense of social responsibility, the importance of building meaningful relationships and a determination to pursue justice, even when the path forward is challenging. His work demonstrates how the law can be used not only to resolve disputes, but also to make a meaningful difference in people's lives and contribute to broader social change.

For our students, Maithri's visit offered a valuable opportunity to learn from someone whose professional journey reflects the importance of integrity, empathy, perseverance and using one's skills to serve others. His experiences provided a powerful reminder that a career can be about much more than professional achievement — it can also be a vehicle for positive change.

We thank Maithri for sharing his time, experience and insights with our Secondary School community.

As part of their Participating with Safety unit in PASS (Physical Activity and Sports Studies), our Year 9 and 10 students have been developing essential practical skills in injury management, including learning how to immobilise joints to support recovery.

Next week, students will put their learning to the test with an excursion to Shelly Beach. Before heading into the water for a snorkelling adventure, they’ll work together to identify potential risks and hazards, assess conditions and apply their safety knowledge in a real-world setting.

It’s a great opportunity to build confidence, develop practical skills and understand the importance of making informed decisions to keep themselves and others safe — both in and out of the water!

What started as a passion for geography and the world around him has become an impressive educational family travel and geography brand for Year 10 student Aydan, aka Geo from The Geo Kid.

The Geo Kid sees Geo and his family travel the world and, through a collection of videos and blog articles, investigate and share the wonder of geographic and cultural phenomena. From fascinating places and landscapes to the people, cultures and stories that make them unique, Geo brings curiosity to life through engaging storytelling and research.

Geo encourages you to watch the video together with your child and then dive into the linked Travel Journal article to keep the conversation going, turning each story into a wonderful at-home learning opportunity.

We love seeing our students pursue their interests beyond the classroom and find creative ways to

share their learning with others, and we're pleased to share fresh stories from The Geo Kid with you, our readers, each week. Over to you, Geo!

Week 1: The Arctic Tern

Sometimes the best discoveries begin by simply looking around you.

Geo took a special pair of binoculars down to the Sydney coast to see what seabirds he could spot. They once belonged to his Opa and have now been passed down to him. He’s talking about one of the world’s most impressive migratory birds. Arctic Terns travel enormous distances between their northern breeding grounds and waters towards Antarctica and back again.

Click on the ‘Read Here’ link to discover the Arctic Tern in our Nature’s Navigators series in the Travel Journal at TheGeoKid.com.”

Our Term 4 Working Bee will be held on Sunday 25 October from 9am - 12pm, followed by a BBQ. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet other parents and help make the school beautiful for our children. Families can sign up using the Audiri form or by emailing supporthours@northsidemontessori.nsw.edu.au

Childminding is available!

We look forward to seeing you there!

From Koding Klub to Choir there is something for everyone in this term's extra-curricular offering.

Click here to download the schedule!

Save the date for the next Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) Information Session on Tuesday 27 October at 3.15 pm in A7 (upstairs common room).

During the session, we will share details about the upcoming MMUN Conference to be held in Bangkok in 2027. Details shared will include dates, cost etc.

MMUN is open to all current Year 3 - Year 9 students, although we welcome everyone to come along and learn more about the program.

We look forward to seeing you there!

My name is Kash and this term I will be hosting Kash's Kitchen - my MMUN fundraiser.

Throughout the term, I'll cook and serve warm meals from the Primary Kitchen every Tuesday and Thursday to help raise funds to represent Northside Montessori and attend the MMUN Conference in Bangkok next year. You can read all about the program here.

The menu for the term is as follows:

Tuesday

Mac & Cheese: $7

Garlic Bread: $3

Thursday

Spaghetti Bolognese: $7

Garlic Bread: $3

There will also be other healthy snacks available to purchase, such as Berry Chia: $3 and

Greek Yoghurt and Berries: $3.

Items can be purchased with cash on the day, or via pre-order with PayID to Ruth (0415 122 450)

Can you help our Secondary School students with their Production Exchange requirements?

Ku-ring-gai Council is excited to launch the very first ‘Made in Ku-ring-gai’ at the Ku-ring-gai Art Centre, and they would love you to be part of it.

Join the events team for a day of performances, workshops and market stalls! Council will be offering free opportunities to connect with local artists, performers and makers on Sunday 15 November from 10am - 3pm.

Local artists of all ages will showcase their creativity through live performances, hands-on workshops, demonstrations and market stalls. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, discover unique handmade products and support local creatives by purchasing their work directly from the makers. Come along, explore, get creative and support the talented artists and makers who help make Ku-ring-gai such a vibrant community.

Calling all local performers, artists and creatives to submit their work and express their interest in performing and/ or showcasing their talents on the day!

Local makers (under 25s) - register your Expression of Interest

Closes 1 November.

Apply now

Performers - register your Expression of Interest

Expressions of Interest will be assessed based on the suitability of the proposed product, the alignment with the purpose of Made in Ku-ring-gai, and its contribution to a diverse event program. Submitting an Expression of Interest does not guarantee selection to participate in the event.

Closes 1 November.

Apply now

Youth Art Prize

Are you aged 15–25? Enter the Youth Art Prize and showcase your creativity at Ku-ring-gai Art Centre. Win prizes, gain exhibition experience and share your work with the community. Plus, every entry is eligible for the People’s Choice Award!

Create. Exhibit. Celebrate.

Made in Ku-ring-gai Art Prize application Ku-ring-gai

Ku-ring-gai Council has launched a new education campaign encouraging e-bike riders to slow down, ring their bell and share the path.
The Ride Safe Ku-ring-gai campaign includes advertising and signage across the local area, reminding riders of their responsibilities.
The campaign reminds riders of three simple rules:

✅ Slow down to walking pace when others are on the path.
✅ Ring your bell to let people know you're approaching.
✅ Share the path and stay alert for sudden movement from people, pets, or prams.

Check Transport for NSW for E-bike rules: www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/bicycle-riders/ebikes

Bicycle NSW also has a Student Bicycle Education Program, which is a free online program designed to help students learn safe cycling skills. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Bicycle NSW team at info@bicyclensw.org.au or 02 9704 0800.

Ku-ring-gai Council is holding a free online workshop sharing practical advice on how supervisors of learner drivers can help learners become safe drivers.

A range of topics are discussed, including:

• Understanding the current laws for learner and provisional licence holders
• How to correctly complete the learner driver logbook
• Techniques in supervising learner drivers
• Understanding the benefits of receiving supervised on-road driving experience

Students across NSW are invited to take part in the RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition, an annual initiative celebrating young Australians’ creativity and reflections on service, sacrifice and remembrance.

This year’s theme is The Power of Mateship, with students encouraged to express their interpretation of the theme through an original artwork. Finalist works will be exhibited at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park in April 2027, with two outstanding artworks selected to feature on the cover of the official Order of Service for the annual commemoration.

Entries are now open and close on 30 October 2026. All entries must be submitted through the school.

The RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemoration Service will be held at the Anzac Memorial on 1 April 2027. The service is uniquely delivered by students and includes readings, musical performances and traditional ANZAC elements.

Find out more about the Art Competition and Commemoration Service.

• Wednesday 2 December: Music Soiree, 5pm
• Thursday 3 November: Year 10 ROSA Celebration
• Friday 4 December: Year 6 Celebration Tea

• Wednesday 9 December: Whole School Beach Day
• Thursday 10 December: Last Day and P&C Last Day Picnic
  

Christmas/Summer Holiday Vacation Care

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