Student opportunities and activities

Dance Groups

Quakers Hill East Public School offers a Dance Group program that promotes creativity, discipline, and collaboration. Students participate in regular rehearsals to develop strong technical and performance skills across a range of dance styles. The program encourages physical strength, coordination, and resilience, while also fostering teamwork and responsibility. Performances at school and community events provide valuable opportunities for students to demonstrate their growth and commitment.

Who Can Join
Stage 1, 2 & 3 Students

Selection Process
Audition sessions are held in Term 4 for Stage 2, Stage 3 Dance Groups and Boys Hip Hop. Stage 1 Dance auditions are held during Term 1. Approximately 16 - 28 students are chosen for each group based on their demonstration of dance ability and technique, ability to follow instructions and pick up choreography, passion, and commitment.

What does each session look like?
Rehearsals are held each week during recess or lunch time with students in Years 3-6 required to attend an additional weekly rehearsal held before school. During rehearsal, dancers will learn and polish a set choreographed routine.

Aims of the Group
Dance groups aim to

• technical and performance skills in dance
• creativity, self-expression and confidence
• teamwork and cooperation
• physical strength, coordination, and resilience

Benefits & Opportunities of the Program
Dancers build strong performance skills, confidence, and teamwork while improving fitness, coordination, and resilience. It also encourages creativity and self-expression, giving students a sense of pride and achievement both on and off the stage.

Through the Dance Group program, students have the chance to perform at community events, and performing arts festivals, proudly representing Quakers Hill East Public School. They also gain valuable experiences working with peers across grades, taking part in collaborative projects, and showcasing their growth as performers to the wider community.

Quakers Hill East Dance Groups have participated in the Synergy Dance Festival, Hills Performing Arts Festival, Blacktown Festival of Performing Arts, Quakers Hill High CAPA Showcase, NSW State Dance Festival and the Schools Spectacular. These events will vary depending on individual dance groups.

Choir Group

Singing is an ability that we are all born with, but to sing well - in tune and in time - is a skill we can further develop. Many of the students at QHEPS enjoy singing and, the choir program helps to develop their skills and enjoyment of their voices as instructions.

Who can join
Stage 2 & 3 Students

Selection Process
Audition sessions are held at the beginning of each school year during lunchtime. Up to 25 students are selected each year based on their demonstration of singing skills and their ability to follow instructions, work collaboratively, display self-discipline, passion, and commitment.

What does each session look like?
Rehearsals are held once a week at lunchtime. During rehearsals, students learn to sing melodies and call-and-response patterns. They also learn how to blend individual voices into a single, unified sound. The repertoire for our students is based on the BFOPA, which incorporates a variety of vocal ranges. Sessions begin with a vocal warm-up before moving on to learning repertoire, with a focus on vocal training, music skills, and confidence-building through performance.

Aims of the Group
Choir aims to

• Develop students' singing skills
• Provide the opportunity for students to learn how to sing in a choral group
• Provide performance opportunities

Benefits & Opportunities of the Program
Choir is non-competitive and fun. Students learn to watch a conductor, control their breathing, hold a tune, and memorise songs. They have opportunities to perform at school assemblies and special events throughout the year. Occasionally, choirs are invited to perform at local retirement villages or shopping centres. Each year, the Stage 2 and 3 choirs perform as part of the Blacktown Festival of Performing Arts at Wyndham College.

Gardening Club

About:
Gardening Club is a group that meets to tend our school vegetable patch and gardens. Student have the opportunity to learn about gardening practices, sustainability and plants.

Who can join
Open to any interested students from K-6.

Selection process
Any students are welcome to join. They can attend weekly or on a casual basis.

What does each session look like?
The group meets once a week, on Wednesdays after eating time at lunch. Our meeting place is by the vegetable plot, near the MP courts. From there, we sometimes move to other garden areas in the school.

Students are involved in planting, weeding, watering, harvesting from and maintaining our school gardens. They work cooperatively as a group, often stopping to observe the features of plants, phases of their growth and seasonal changes. Safe handling of garden tools, and precautions to take when gardening, are also reinforced in our sessions.

Aims of the Group

• Care- to care for our school environment, instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in our students.
• Belonging- to work as part of a group, cooperatively taking on projects and specific roles.
• Education- to educate students about environmental issues and improved practices.
• Mindfulness- use the calming nature of gardening to provide students with a healthy outlet for relaxation

Benefits and opportunities of the program:
Gardening Club meets weekly to care for our school’s vegetable patch and gardens, offering students from Kindergarten to Year 6 a chance to learn about gardening, sustainability, and plants. Sessions are held on Wednesdays at lunchtime near the vegetable plot. Students participate in planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting while working cooperatively and learning safe gardening practices.

The club aims to build care for the environment, teamwork, environmental education, and mindfulness through gardening. Benefits include increased environmental awareness, collaboration, emotional regulation, and development of fine and gross motor skills. Gardening also stimulates curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, providing a hands-on learning experience for students.

Chess Club

About
In Chess Club, students are exposed to continuous learning and improvement of their skills. They exchange strategies and techniques which enhance critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills. These skills and attributes are transferable to other areas of life, leading to overall personal growth.

Who Can Join
Stage 1, 2 & 3 Students

Selection Process
We do not have a selection process, all students who know how to play chess can join.

What does each session look like?
Each lunchtime session is supervised by a teacher, where students pair up to play and enjoy friendly matches.

Aims of the Group

• Decision making skills
• Critical thinking
• Concentration & focus
• Strategic thinking
• Problem solving skills
• Patience & resilience

Benefits & Opportunities of the Program
Opportunities are created for students to succeed in non-competitive thus boosting their confidence. Students gain higher-order thinking skills and establish long-term relationships through deepening collaborative learning.

Public Speaking

About
The Public Speaking program at QHEPS guides students in developing their oral communication skills. All students in K-6 have opportunities to work on their public speaking abilities during class literacy sessions. In Years 3-6, students can compete two external public speaking competitions such as the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition and the Blacktown Learning Public Speaking Competition throughout the year.

Who can Join
Stage 2 & 3 Students

Selection Process
Each year, students in Stages 2 and 3 will have an opportunity to participate in a school public speaking competition. Finalists will then be chosen to represent QHEPS in the local finals, with winners going on to represent the school in the Multicultural Public Speaking Competition and/or the Blacktown Learning Community Public Speaking Competition.

Aims of the Group

• Oral communication skills, including tone, fluency, articulation, expression, and volume
• Appropriate body language such as gesture, eye contact, posture, and stance
• Competence in speechwriting and text organisation

Benefits & Opportunities of the Program
Public speaking benefits children by equipping them with the skills necessary to become effective, confident, and competent communicators. It fosters understanding and awareness of local, national, and world affairs. Students may be selected to represent QHEPS in various public speaking competitions throughout the year.

Needlework Club

About

At Quakers Hill East Public School, we facilitate a lunchtime needlework club. Students learn basic needlework stitches, develop fine motor skills, and gain practical experience, which encourages patience and perseverance through simple project completion.

Who Can Join
Stage 2 & 3 students

Selection Process
All students in Years 3 to 6 who have an interest in textiles, creativity, and learning a new hobby are welcome to join.

What does each session look like?
The Needlework Club meets once a week at lunchtime, with students working independently on a small project. They experiment with techniques such as running stitch, cross stitch, blanket stitch, back stitch and chain stitch on a variety of bases. Teachers model the different stitches and support students with their creative pieces.

Aims of the Group

• Foster creativity and imagination
• Develop fine motor control, hand-eye coordination and attention to detail
• Encourage patience and perseverance
• Enhance technical sewing skills and challenge students to learn new stitches
• Provide an opportunity for individual expression through textiles

Benefits and opportunities of the program

The program offers many benefits and opportunities for students. It helps promote friendships across different grades in upper primary and provides a mindful, purposeful activity for lunchtime. Students gain self-confidence and pride through their achievements while learning to work as a team, sharing ideas, and supporting each other.

PSSA Sport

About

PSSA stands for the Primary Schools Sports Association.

Schools across Sydney and NSW are organised into zone groups. Quakers Hill East Public School is part of the Ridges Zone PSSA competition group.

The competition offers primary school students the chance to play different sports and compete with other schools within North West Sydney. It helps students learn how to work as a team, play fair, and stay healthy.

Who can Join

Students from years 3 to 6 can trial to represent QHEPS in PSSA sport in summer and winter programs.

Selection Process
A minimum of two trial sessions are held for the selection for each PSSA sport team for students who indicate an interest in a team where there are more students than positions.

The selection process for PSSA teams is taken seriously and great effort is made to make the process as fair and equitable as possible. The coach's (Supervising Teacher) responsibility is to give every student a chance to demonstrate their skills and sporting knowledge, allowing each student a fair chance to be selected.

What does each Session look like?

_{Summer PSSA Sport - Terms 1 and 4}

_{Senior Softball / Junior T-Ball (Girls Only)
Junior and Senior Cricket (Boys Only)
Junior and Senior NRL Tag (mixed boys and girls)}

_{Winter PSSA Sports - Terms 2 and 3}

_{Junior and Senior Boys Soccer
Juniors and Senior Girls Soccer
Junior and Senior Netball (mixed boys and girls}

Costs
All students will pay a PSSA fee to cover the cost of buses, uniforms, equipment and membership levies.

Information about Ridges Zone Trials and Sydney West Area Trials

There are a number of zone and area trials held throughout the year for many sports such as netball, AFL, Rugby League/Union, basketball, softball, cricket, tennis, touch football, etc.

Students with highly developed skills in these sports may trial against other students in our zone and/or area for a position in a team which will represent Ridges Zone at a Sydney West Area carnival, or Sydney West at a NSW PSSA carnival.

Only a limited number of students from each school can trial for these teams. If there are many students who demonstrate the necessary skills in the chosen sport/s, school-based trials are held to select the most talented students. Usually, students are in Year 5 and 6 as these teams are open age. The majority of Zone and Area teams are selected in Term 1; however, some trials are held later in the year. The school sports co-ordinator will make regular announcements to students when trials are approaching. Students must have a signed permission note from the school sports co-ordinator to attend Zone and/or Area trials

For the latest news and competition details visit Ridges PSSA

Trips and excursions

Our students enjoy getting out of the classroom to explore, learn and try new things. These experiences help them grow, build confidence and see how their learning connects to the world.

Some of the excursion we attend are:

• Stage 3 Camp - Canberra / Great Aussie Bush Camp
• Longneck Lagoon
• Calmsley Hill City Farm
• Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre

About
Students can join for a calming and fun lunchtime break!
Learn simple yoga postures, breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques to help feel relaxed, happy and focused for the rest of the school day.

Who can Join?
All stages are welcome

Aims of the Group
Gentle Yoga stretches (easy asanas for all levels)
Pranayama & mindful breathing
Calm meditation and relaxation
Gratitude and positivity activities
Peaceful stories and guided visualisations

Each session is run on Thursday's during Lunchtime