Glenorie Public School brought Education Week, Grandparents’ Day, Book Week and the annual Book Fair together in one assembly this month, filling the hall with hundreds of grandparents, parents and community members.
The gathering took its cue from this year’s NSW Education Week theme, “Inspiring Excellence,” with the school using the day to recognise the effort and achievement of its students. Across every year group, staff pointed to creativity, resilience and determination as the qualities they most wanted the community to see, crediting the teaching staff for backing each child toward their own potential.
Grandparents held the day’s spotlight. Speakers touched on the part grandparents play in a child’s schooling — the stories they tell, the encouragement they give, the patience they bring — and tied it back to the school’s own motto, “Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding.” Every year group took a turn presenting at the assembly, and the school band, dance groups and choir performed to a crowd that, thanks to a newly installed sound system, could actually hear them from the back rows.
Four awards marked Grandparents’ Day: one each for the oldest grandparent and oldest ex-student in the crowd, and one for grandparents attending their last Grandparents’ Day at the school. A new prize joined the list this year — the “Grand Champion of the Canteen” — going to Bruce Newey and Debbie Davis for their long-running work behind the counter.
Once the assembly wrapped, families spilled onto the playground for a picnic lunch, with a sausage sizzle and a P&C bake sale doing steady business nearby. Classrooms opened their doors so grandparents could watch lessons in progress and look over their grandchildren’s work firsthand. The Book Fair drew a strong crowd, with plenty of families buying books and putting money toward the library. The day closed with the Book Parade, as preschool and primary students walked through in costume as their favourite characters.
Staff summed the day up simply: many hearts make a school. Glenorie Public School is now taking enrolments for 2027, with guided tours available by calling 02 9652 1237.
