Term 1 Week 2 Newsletter

From the Principal

Dear Families,

What a fantastic start to the year we have had! Children have settled into their new classes and have enjoyed reconnecting with each other and welcoming new students across the school. This week classes have been focusing on getting to know each other, setting classroom expectations and routines and exploring their environments. We look forward to welcoming families into classrooms on Monday 12 February when we host our welcome BBQ. From 3 – 3:30pm families can wander in and out of classrooms before joining us for a BBQ.

This year is shaping up to be a busy year with lots of things planned including drumming workshops for students in years 3 – 6, a long day camp at Birrigai, excursions, carnivals and more. Teachers are also dipping their toes into version 9 of the Australian curriculum and exploring different ways of planning. We have started the year with a strong focus on social emotional learning which includes a daily circle time in each class. This is a structured opportunity for children and staff to talk as a class and unpack relevant topics, issues or concerns. This structure allows all children within the class to have a voice and for children to mix with others in the class. We look forward to sharing more about this as we progress through the year.

There are many ways parents and carers can be actively involved in the school including nominating for the school board, being an active member of the Community Association, supporting our breakfast club, helping in classrooms, on excursions or with special events. Please chat to your child’s teacher or a member of the leadership team if you have some time and would like to take up a regular volunteering role.

We are excited to be introducing Stay ‘N’ Play sessions every second Wednesday for families with younger children. Drop your older children to school and wander down to preschool for a coffee while your little ones have a play in the indoor and outdoor spaces. This is a great way to connect with some other families and have a chat to our preschool staff and Yvonne our social worker. Sessions will run from 845 – 10 every second Wednesday starting tomorrow.

Next week we will be offering Getting to know you interviews for any interested Kindergarten to year 6 families. These short interviews allow you to meet your child/ren’s teacher and share any relevant information with them. Interviews are scheduled for 10 minutes. If you would like to sign up for an interview please do so via this link https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/8gux5

I look forward to seeing you around the school this week.

Kind Regards

Ben Roberts - Principal                            
Katie Brown - Deputy Principal

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. 

- Stay 'N' Play Wednesday 7th February

- Friday 9th February Frozen Friday

- Welcome BBQ Monday 12th February 

- Book Club due Friday 16th February 

- Friday 16th February Frozen Friday

- Getting to Know You interviews Week 3 

Mobile Phone Policy

New mobile phone policy for all ACT public schools starts this term

We would like to remind you that the new Personal Use of Communication Devices in ACT Public Schools Policy will commence from the beginning of term 1, 2024.

For students at Calwell Primary School this means:

• Students in years P-10 at ACT public schools may not use or access personal communications devices at school, including recess and lunch, or during school authorised events.
• Students at Calwell Primary School are expected to hand their phone to the front office on arrival at school where it ill be stored safely until the student leaves for the day.

Special considerations and exemptions
Exemptions can be requested if a student needs their device/assistive technology:

• to manage or monitor a medical condition
• to help meet caring or family responsibilities
• to support adjustments for students with disability as part of an agreed individual learning plan.

If you would like to apply for an exemption please speak with our front office. A transition period up to the end of term 1, 2024 is in place for families working through the exemption process.

You can read more about the policy including frequently asked questions on the Education Directorate website. 

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or Katie Brown (Deputy) if you have any questions about your child’s learning at Calwell Primary School.

Stay N Play

PBL Spotlight

School wide expectations are taught and reinforced regularly. Each fortnight students at Calwell Primary learn about the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) expectations for specific areas of our school. For weeks 1 and 2 this term, students will learn about how they can be successful in 'All Settings' and 'Lines'. Students have been working hard on what the Classroom Expectations will look like for each of the K-6 classrooms – keep an eye out for these coming home with your child/ren!

2024 student-free days

Get planning for 2024 with upcoming student-free days

From 2024, there will be 4 student-free days for ACT public schools. These are the first day of each school term:

• Term 1, Monday 29 January 2024
• Term 2, Monday 29 April 2024
• Term 3, Monday 22 July 2024
• Term 4, Monday 14 October 2024.

We use student-free days for staff development, enabling us to plan in a student-free environment. Student-free planning days have been expanded from 1 to 4 days from 2024 as part of our new Teaching Staff Enterprise Agreement which prioritises better teacher workloads for educational leadership, teaching and learning.

For all school term dates, visit the Term Dates page: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/term_dates_and_public_holidays

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