Lincoln Ashmore is excited for his first day at Kindergarten. Photo: Melissa Stevens.
With the summer school holidays coming to an end, many children are getting ready to head to school for the very first time.
Whether it's feeling proud or a little scared, dropping your child off at school for the first time is guaranteed to bring on a mixed-bag of emotions for every parent.
For Toongabbie local parents Blake and Leanne Ashmore, sending their eldest child Lincoln to kindergarten at St Anthony's Primary Girraween will definitely result in a few tears.
"It's exciting and it's emotional, it definitely went really quick but also slow at the same time," Leanne said.
We're excited for [Lincoln], just the opportunity to make new friends.
It's a full circle moment for the Ashmore's, with both parents having attended St Anthony's Primary Girraween when they were children themselves.
Now, Blake and Leanne are looking forward to Lincoln making new memories at the school they both loved going to.
"We love that it's a family school and they've been very welcoming from the start, you just feel the warmth when you're there. We didn't really think of going anywhere else," she said.
"I felt like it was a really good school, there's teachers that were there that really impacted my life to this day," Blake added.
Although the Ashmore's know the school well, it still feels daunting getting Lincoln ready to send him off to 'big kids school' for the first time.
Fortunately, knowing who his teachers will be has helped to ease some of the stress.
"We've already been for some orientation sessions, where we've met [Lincoln's] teachers, and it's just put him at ease knowing that he's going with people that he knows now and that he's familiar with," Leanne said.
But children and their parents aren't the only ones full of nervous excitement for the first day back, with St Anthony's Primary Girraween Principal Patricia Reilly saying teachers are also looking forward to welcoming students back.
"We're a bit like the kids, teachers have started to get butterflies in their tummy with the excitement for the first day," she said.
Reilly acknowledges the first day at school for new students is always the "most difficult" moment for parents, but promises them their children will be okay.
She advises parents to look at the resources their children's school has given them to help make the first day a bit easier. "Teachers are there to teach your children whatever they need to know, so don't be anxious about what [children] do or don't know, that's our job," Reilly said.
Parramatta News
An independent news service covering the Parramatta and Cumberland Local Government Areas.
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05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Today, some of our Faith in Action students put Scripture into practice by welcoming Christ through welcoming others. They spent time with the St Anthony of Padua Craft Group, sharing stories, laughter, and skills across generations. It was a wonderful opportunity to build connections and experience the joy of community. We look forward to continuing to share Christ’s peace and hospitality with others throughout the term.
05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🐼🐧🐆 Year 1 Scientists at Work! 🐆🐧🐼 Our Year 1 students have been busy exploring the Living World strand of Science, investigating the features and needs of living things. As part of their learning, they researched fascinating animals including cheetahs, penguins and pandas, gathering facts about their habitats, diets, behaviours and unique characteristics. Students then applied their learning by creating detailed information reports and labelled diagrams, helping them communicate scientific information clearly and accurately. This allowed them to demonstrate their understanding of how living things grow, survive and interact with their environments. To celebrate their learning, our Year 1 students shared their work with their Year 6 buddies. The older students provided thoughtful peer feedback, highlighting strengths and offering helpful suggestions to make the reports even better. It was wonderful to see students learning together, supporting one another and growing in confidence as communicators. A fantastic example of how literacy, science and collaboration come together to deepen learning! 🌟📚🔬 #LearningUpliftsIn2026 #Year1Science #LivingWorld #PeerFeedback #BuddyLearning #StAnthonysGirraween #LearnTogether
Latest News More news
05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Today, some of our Faith in Action students put Scripture into practice by welcoming Christ through welcoming others. They spent time with the St Anthony of Padua Craft Group, sharing stories, laughter, and skills across generations. It was a wonderful opportunity to build connections and experience the joy of community. We look forward to continuing to share Christ’s peace and hospitality with others throughout the term.
05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🐼🐧🐆 Year 1 Scientists at Work! 🐆🐧🐼 Our Year 1 students have been busy exploring the Living World strand of Science, investigating the features and needs of living things. As part of their learning, they researched fascinating animals including cheetahs, penguins and pandas, gathering facts about their habitats, diets, behaviours and unique characteristics. Students then applied their learning by creating detailed information reports and labelled diagrams, helping them communicate scientific information clearly and accurately. This allowed them to demonstrate their understanding of how living things grow, survive and interact with their environments. To celebrate their learning, our Year 1 students shared their work with their Year 6 buddies. The older students provided thoughtful peer feedback, highlighting strengths and offering helpful suggestions to make the reports even better. It was wonderful to see students learning together, supporting one another and growing in confidence as communicators. A fantastic example of how literacy, science and collaboration come together to deepen learning! 🌟📚🔬 #LearningUpliftsIn2026 #Year1Science #LivingWorld #PeerFeedback #BuddyLearning #StAnthonysGirraween #LearnTogether
04 Jun 2026
What Your Child Really Learns in the First 100 Days of School
One moment your child is holding your hand at the school gate and before you know it, they're walking in confidently, greeting friends by name, carrying their own bag, and coming home full of stories about 'assembly' and 'sport'. Here’s what to expect in their first 100 days of Kindergarten.
26 May 2026
From Facebook
St Anthony’s Primary is proud to be ranked 23rd in NSW for outstanding student learning growth in Maths and Literacy Growth by the Sydney Morning Herald. 🎉 This achievement reflects the dedication, hard work and commitment to learning shown by our students, staff and wider school community every day. We are incredibly proud of all that we continue to achieve together.
26 May 2026
From Facebook
The chess team represented St Anthony's proudly in another interschool heat competition organised by the Sydney Academy of Chess. ♟️ We faced some tough competition and learnt from our experiences. Congratulations to the team! 👏🏼 A special mention to Dharshan and Alan who came in the top 10 in the individual competition. Well done boys!
22 May 2026
From Facebook
⛹️EXTRA PLAY🛝 This afternoon all House Teams were awarded 15minutes of extra play for reaching the target 🎯 of 200 tokens!
15 May 2026
From Facebook
Mark Taylor Shield - Round 2 Round 2 of the Mark Taylor Shield saw the boys produce a spirited performance despite falling short on the scoreboard. The team bowled really well with great discipline and effort, while the positive attitude and strong team spirit on display throughout the match was outstanding.
14 May 2026
Music, art, movement: why creativity matters more than you think
Did you know creativity is one of the biggest predictors of how well children do in school and in life?
13 May 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our St Anthony’s students who represented our school at the Diocesan Cross Country Carnival. 🏃♀️🏃♂️ We are proud of all students who participated and showed determination, resilience and excellent sportsmanship throughout the day. Well done to all students 👏🏼
08 May 2026
From Facebook
This morning, we came together as a community for a beautiful Mother’s Day Liturgy as we celebrated and gave thanks for the mothers, grandmothers, carers, and special women in our lives. 💐 Through prayer, song, and reflection, we were reminded of the love, strength, kindness, and care that mothers share so generously each day. As we sang You Raise Me Up, we reflected on the many ways our mothers and loved ones lift us up with their encouragement, support, and unconditional love, helping us grow with confidence, courage, and faith. Thank you to everyone who helped make our liturgy so meaningful and special. We wish all the wonderful women in our community a very happy and blessed Mother’s Day 🩷
08 May 2026
From Facebook
This morning, we were delighted to celebrate the wonderful mothers and special people in our St Anthony’s community at our Mother’s Day Breakfast. 💐 It was a beautiful morning filled with smiles, connection, and gratitude as we came together to celebrate the love and care our mums and families give each and every day. A special thank you to the SCG for organising such a wonderful morning and helping make the event so memorable for our community.
25 Apr 2026
From Facebook
Today, we pause to remember and honour the courage, sacrifice, and spirit of the men and women who have served our country. On ANZAC Day, we reflect on the values of bravery, mateship, and resilience that continue to shape our nation and inspire future generations. As a school community, we take this moment to acknowledge the importance of remembering our history and showing gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy today. Lest we forget. 🌺