Calwell Primary School eNewsletter

From the Principal

Dear Calwell Families,

It’s hard to believe that the end of the school year is fast approaching. We are looking forward to the usual end of year activities and a community celebration on 1^st December.

End of Year Reports

Staff will soon be preparing End of Year Reports. In keeping with the Directorate’s work reduction strategy currently in place, reports will not include individual comments. An A to E achievement grade will be provided for Year 1-6 in the curriculum areas covered this semester, together with your child’s achievement against the curriculum outcomes. Please contact your child’s teacher through the front office on 61421900 or via email if you would like to arrange a phone call or meeting regarding your child’s progress before the end of the year.

2023 Classes

This week students will asked to list the names of students who they would like to have in their class next year, as teachers will be getting together in the coming weeks to develop class groups. Classes are formed based on a number of criteria, including a balance of academic needs, grouping students so that each student is able to work to the best of their ability and has at least one student of their choice in the class, a gender balance and the correct number of students in each class based on the staff to student ratio on which the school is funded.

Any final requests from parents/carers in regard to class placement should be logged https://forms.gle/n7W6xaStF3TJPKd37 by the end of this week. Please note that once classes are formed changes cannot be made due to the complexity of balancing the criteria outlined, as moving one student has a domino effect on the whole group. If your child/ren will not be returning to Calwell Primary next year and you have not already let us know, we would appreciate you contacting the front office on 61421900 or emailing contact@calwellps.act.edu.au as soon as possible.

Wacky Wednesdays / STEAM Fridays

Our last Wacky Wednesday for this term is next Wednesday 23 November. So far we have enjoyed seeing the crazy socks and fluro outfits worn by students. The old favourite Crazy Hair is returning next week.

Next Friday is also our last STEAM rotation for the year. Feedback from parents/carers, students and staff is that students have enjoyed the multi-aged groups and engaging in the variety of activities prepared by staff.

Calwell Community Association

As you may be aware, a small group of interested parents have been working for some time to
re-establish a parent body for Calwell Primary. The paperwork required to form the group has been completed and submitted and the Calwell Primary Community Association has been registered and incorporated. The current organising committee consists of President: Rebecca Nuddleman, Secretary: Daniel Hoffman, Treasurer: Megan Fox and a number of committee members. They are continuing to put in place the administrative processes required ready for an AGM to be held early next year. Parents/carers interested in the group are encouraged to make contact by emailing Calwellpca@gmail.com

Kind regards

Linda Neeson

Principal

CARES Awards

PBL Awards

Notes Home/Due & Dates to Remember

A reminder for parent's to please download the SZapp to view our Newsletters and upcoming events. If you access the calendar and click on the date on an excursion/incursion permission notes are attached to re-print if needed.

- Preschool 2023 orinetation Wednesday 16th November

- Indonesian & Year 4 assembly Friday 18th November

- Christian Education in schools Tuesday 22nd November

- Preschool to Kindergaten transition visit Tuesday 22nd November

- Wacky Wednesday Wednesday 23rd November

- Year 5 & 6 Band Performance Wednesday 23rd November

- Preschool to Kindergarten transtion visit Thursday 24th November

- Kindergarten 2023 information session Thursday 24th November

- STEAM rotations Friday 25th November

- Team Calwell shirt day Friday 25th November

- Pupil free day Monday 28th November

It’s not too late to enrol for 2023

If you forgot to enrol your child or young person in an ACT public school for next year, don’t panic. Enrolments remain open throughout the year. You can find out more information and apply online. Support is also available from this school or by calling the Enrolments Telephone Service weekdays on 6205 5429

Assembly

Due to the ongoing covid risk we will continue to have assemblies in junior and senior groups. We are required to continue to have assemblies as ticked events. Outlined below is the schedule of hosting classes. We encourage families only to attend when your child/ren’s class is hosting. To register your attendance please book in using this link https://forms.gle/ghsgsxQPrku8WFod9

Assemblies start at 2:15pm.

Scrivener

During our Inquiry Unit Kindergarten students have been exploring ‘Technology’ and looking closely at robots. We looked at different types of robots, why we use robots, how they help us in our daily lives and how robots have developed over time (students couldn’t believe that Mrs Player and Miss Hardy didn’t have a SMART board in their classrooms when they were in Kindy!). Throughout this unit, students participated in a ‘design, make and appraise’ activity where they designed their very own robot that was to complete one job. Students used many different materials such as; boxes, pipe cleaners, bottle lids, patty papers, pom poms, straws to build their robots.

Corin

Year One and Two have been enjoying exploring location through our mini-unit Treasure Island. We have been playing location games such as Find the Treasure and Captain’s Orders, using the language of left, right, clockwise, anticlockwise, forward, straight, etc. Students designed a map for their island, including elements on the left, right, under, behind and in other features. They added a key and then used teabags to make the map look ancient! We then created big versions of the island, so we can use them to direct people and beebots to the treasure!

Googong

Students have been learning about different types of poems and the device used to create them. We have looked at acrostic poems and haikus so far. Each class created a class poem and then the students created their own. The students had to learn about syllables as they are part of the structure of a haiku. A Japanese haiku poem is made up of three lines. It contains 5 syllables on the first line, 7 syllables on the second line and 5 syllables on the third line. Here are some the children wrote.

Bendora

Year 5 students have been investigating patterns in maths. They were given two popsticks and asked, ‘what is the maximum number of right angles you can make?’. After a quick play, they realised by crossing them in the middle they could make 4 right angles. They then continued adding 1 popstick each time and seeing if the maximum number changed. After much exploration and careful recording, they discovered the rule to be: if the number of popsticks is even, square it to find the maximum. If the number of popsticks is odd, square it and subtract 1.

Year 6 have been looking at electrical circuits and had to make an electric motor turn on with the use of batteries and wires. In sport, year 6 have been playing a variety of gross motor games.

A reminder to stay COVID Smart at school

As we experience new waves of the virus in our community, we need to remember to stay COVID Smart not only in the community but also at school. For the latest advice, watch the ACT COVID-19 update (November 2022) from Chief Health Officer, Kerryn Coleman. https://www.facebook.com/ACTHealthDirectorate/videos/1055248215170927/

If your child has COVID-19, you must keep them at home and let the school know. Telling us when your child has COVID-19 will also help us track if there is an increase in COVID-19 transmission at school and manage any high-risk exposures for our more vulnerable school community members.

Being COVID Smart is easy

· Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters.

· Stay away from schools if you are unwell.

· Wash your hands regularly.

· Wear a mask in public indoor places if you can (12 years and over).

· Keep a distance from others when indoors, if possible.

And don’t forget – if you have COVID-19 symptoms, make sure you get tested. You can access a free rapid antigen test from the school’s front office. Keep up to date at COVID-19 (act.gov.au).