For Hurstville Public School, there’s been around 7,800 ‘education weeks’ in its storied history.

The school turns 150 on Saturday and will mark the occasion with a big community celebration with two stages for dance and music and the main hall turned into a museum of school history, photos and artefacts.

Even before the big day the school has already had a standout moment with 106-year-old former student, Florence McIlhagger, recently sitting down for a video Q&A with current students.

Underpinning it all is the story of a community that shifted from largely Anglo in the school's early decades, to a hub for Eastern European then Chinese migrants, and today one of Sydney's most multicultural pockets.

Elsewhere in the St George area, schools are marking Public Education Week with their own celebrations.

Hurstville Grove Infants School has a whole-school Proud Learning Museum, Mortdale Public School is hosting a Robotics Parent Workshop, Penshurst West Public School is running an Amazing Race-style event through the school grounds and Georges River College Hurstville Campus has everything from Year 7 robotics and creative writing to Year 9 Shark Tank pitches and photography judging.

Mortlake Public School's video celebration

Mortlake Public School celebrated Public Education week with a video all about Inspiring Excellence.

It was a truly collaborative effort.

The script was written by the school’s executive team; the filming was completed by staff and student leaders; the narration is shared by students from Kindergarten to Year 6; and the original music was composed and performed by one of the school’s incredibly talented SLSOs.

This project truly reflects the collective effort and spirit of Mortlake’s school community.

Ngarala Public School K-pop tribute to Education Week

Ngarala Public School at Epping created its own K-pop style song to celebrate Public Education Week.

Principal Bek Zadow said the 424 strong whole school choir were proud to perform for parents and the community during Public Education Week.

"Every year for Education Week we do a whole school performance," she said.

"Last year we did Katy Perry's Firework. This year we wanted to highlight the theme Inspiring Excellence and allow the students to express how they feel about the school - the excellence in the classroom and also on the stage and on the field - so we integrated all of that into the song we came up with, which is called Shining at Ngarala.

"There is a lot of school spirit here at Ngarala and the students performed with a lot of pride and the parents absolutely loved the song."

Beauty Point Public School's dual celebration

Beauty Point Public School celebrated Public Education Week with a special milestone this week; its 75th anniversary.

Principal Trent Gardiner said the focal point of the big week was a whole school performing arts showcase, open classrooms, display of school archives and assembly on Wednesday.

"For the past 75 years, Beauty Point Public School has provided generations of students with a high-quality public education in a caring, inclusive and supportive environment.

"As we celebrate this significant anniversary, we honour the rich history of our school and the students, staff, families and community members who have helped shape its legacy.

"We were especially honoured to welcome James Barkell, our school’s very first School Captain from 1951.

"James shared wonderful memories of his time at Beauty Point Public School, spoke with our students, and generously answered their thoughtful questions. His genuine affection for our school and his reflections on how education has evolved over the past 75 years were both inspiring and deeply moving."

Burwood Girls celebrates Education Week with anti-racism message

During Public Education week, Burwood Girls High School proudly celebrated the leadership of its Anti-Racism Committee, which presented to a delegation of high school students from Tokyo.

Year 11 student, Eloise Nugan, shared a powerful message that deeply resonated with the audience:

“Celebrating diversity doesn’t necessarily mean we are actively challenging racism; they are two distinct concept,” she said.

Books, dance and all things fun at Collaroy Plateau Public School's Education Week celebrations

Collaroy Plateau Public School wrapped up the week, welcoming book lovers into its library for a bustling book fair, fostering a love of reading and bringing families together through stories.

Parents and guests joyfully gathered at Collaroy Plateau Public School's Public Education Week Open Day, where every student shone with energised performances, a Young Archie's trail wound through the school, and vibrant dance and band showcases energised the day.

Families nurtured their child's love of reading at the lively Scholastic Book Fair. Every aspect of student learning was celebrated in this unforgettable event!

Pittwater schools Inspire Excellence during Education Week

Classrooms came alive across the Pittwater peninsula this week as schools opened their doors to celebrate Public Education Week, welcoming families and the wider community to experience the many ways our local schools inspire excellence every day.

From science experiments and student-led workshops to live music, history displays and community celebrations, each school showcased the unique learning experiences that help students thrive.

On Monday, Pittwater High School kicked off the week with a Commendation Assembly, where students were recognised for outstanding achievement, effort and positive citizenship.

The recipients included Georgia (Year 9) who received First Prize in the Berkelouw Books Balgowlah Young Writers Competition in the 13-18 category. This year’s theme, Out of this World, encouraged young writers to push the boundaries of their imagination.

Over at Mona Vale Public School, students became the teachers, leading interactive workshops that showcased their learning and confidence.

Visitors also stepped back in time thanks to the school's Historian in Residence, whose fascinating display transformed the hall into a nostalgic old-school house museum.

At Cromer Public School, curiosity took centre stage as students and teachers embraced the wonders of science.

Classrooms buzzed with discovery as parents, grandparents and carers joined students for hands-on learning, sharing in the excitement of experiments and exploration.

Newport Public School feast of festivities to celebrate Education Week

On Wednesday, Newport Public School came alive with music, colour and creativity. Buskers, dancers, choirs, bands, orchestras and talented violin, drum and keyboard students entertained crowds throughout the day.

St Johns Park High School Public Education Week video campaign

St Johns Park High School will celebrate 2026 Public Education Week with an inspiring Excellence Video Campaign

The school's Student Public Relations Team has created the video campaign to showcase the many ways our school empowers students to learn, grow, and achieve their personal best.

The campaign features a series of eight short videos, each highlighting a different aspect of school life and illustrating how we inspire excellence every day. The videos cover the following themes:

• Future Pathways
• Innovation & STEAM
• Learning Beyond the Classroom
• Wellbeing & Belonging
• Student Leadership & Service:
• Culture, Inclusion & Reconciliation
• Celebrating Creativity & Expression
• Sport & Achievement

Through student voices, interviews, photographs, and footage from school programs and events, this campaign celebrates student success, showcases learning opportunities, and highlights the positive culture of the school community.

The videos will be shared across assemblies, school communication platforms, and social media throughout Education Week, providing an authentic and engaging promotion of our school.

This project also offers valuable opportunities for our Student Public Relations Team members to develop leadership, communication, collaboration, digital media, and storytelling skills while creating meaningful content celebrating our school community.

Teachers Inspire Excellence Tree Collage

Additionally, as part of Education Week 2026, members of the House and Public Relations Teams will create an "Our Teachers Inspire Excellence" Tree to celebrate the positive impact of our teachers and staff on student learning, growth, and success.

Students are invited to respond to the question:
“Name a teacher or staff member who has inspired you to achieve excellence and explain how they have made a difference.”

Their responses will form the leaves of the tree, creating a visual display of appreciation and gratitude. The collage was collaboratively assembled on Monday, 3 August, and will serve as a meaningful tribute to the dedication and influence of our staff.

The completed display was showcased in the Staff Common Room during Education Week, and a video presentation was shared with all staff and our wider community via our communication channels.