Dear families,

Thank you for attending our first Learning Showcase held this week.  It was so wonderful to see families able to come back into the school and share exciting learning experiences with their children.  We have been overwhelmed with the positive feedback we have received from our community and request that you share this through our School Satisfaction Survey.  The survey has been extended to stay open a little longer in the hope that more parents will respond. 

It is beginning to feel like we are getting back to normal with recent excursions, Health and P.E Day and R U ok activities.  However, some changes to reporting will continue to be implemented for 2022.  Please read the ACT Education Directorates decision regarding end of term reports.  As a result, staff will be meeting to discuss our approach to provide on-going information on student progress and learning.

Student academic reports - Semester 2 2022

ACT public schools have commenced preparing student reports for Semester 2 2022.

The Education Directorate has again made the decision that student academic reports will be provided with an overall A-E grade, and an assessment of achievement standard statements on a 5-point scale. Reports will not include detailed teacher comments.

This strategy supports schools to prioritise teaching and learning as we continue to manage workload pressures due to COVID-19 and other illness.

Our teachers will continue communicating directly with families about student learning and you are encouraged to speak with your child’s teacher if you have any questions about their progress.

Year 1 inquiry….is it natural, managed or constructed?

Students from Year 1 set out last week on an adventure through one section of the Mount Pleasant Nature Reserve, near Campbell Primary School. This was part of our inquiry into ‘What Makes a Place Special?’ We had been inquiring into the different features of places and at Mount Pleasant Reserve we were able to observe natural features, managed features and constructed features.

We trekked up to the ‘Water Tank’ and had a glorious view over one part of Canberra. While walking past a particularly gorgeous home in Campbell near the water tank, one budding real estate entrepreneur was heard to comment….”Look at that place…it must have cost at least $400!” 

We listened for a ‘soundscape’ and could hear birds chirping, insects cricking and some cars passing on roads nearby. It was definitely different to the ‘city soundscape’ we heard during music that included car noise, honking, people talking and sirens or the  ‘classroom soundscape’  we heard with students and teachers talking, singing, pencils clacking etc.

Then we carefully made our way to another place on the Reserve where the Mount Pleasant ParkCare group of volunteers had been doing some planting and weeding to regenerate the area. While we were there, we saw the damage that rabbits can do to our natural environment and especially to the habitat of other animals. We were able to get a sense of how people, like the ParkCare group, take time out to care for places in our local area.

All the while we were scouting for a view of an endangered species, the Little Eagle. We saw and heard a number of birds but the only ‘eagle’ we saw was the Australian-American Memorial - the stylised American eagle sculpture constructed in 1953-54 as a memorial to the sacrifices made by Australian and American service personnel in defending Australia during World War II.

We then walked down the managed walkway and had a wonderful view of the city - an area full of constructed features, including our beautiful water fountain, Telstra Tower and city buildings. We were also lucky to spot a beautiful nest in one of the gum trees above. Then on to Elliot Place Park, a lovely ‘managed space’ for a play. “Are we lost?” asked one of our students while we were playing at Elliot Place Park? “No, just having fun in our local environment!”

Our Year 1 students really demonstrated that they are Safe, Respectful Learners when it comes to leaving the school boundaries and going on an excursion. We all had a wonderful time and cannot wait for our next ‘local adventure’.

Special thanks to Mrs Penney, Ms Reiby, Kristina and Wayne for assisting us on our walk.

Wednesday was Campbell Primary’s second annual celebration of National HPE Day (after a brief hiatus last year thanks to lockdown). Health & Physical Education (HPE) Day is a nationwide initiative that highlights the importance of HPE in the Australian Curriculum, and its influence on the learning and development of children. We were delighted to get out in the good weather and celebrate the benefits of physical education and healthy living in fun and innovative ways.

It was great to see so many students in their running shoes and sports gear or favourite team colours for the day. Different classes then had the opportunity to try different activities including dance, soccer, NRL, tennis, volleyball and a very special buddy sport session. We loved seeing everyone have a go at something new with such enthusiasm and CPS spirit.

We wanted to extend our thanks to our special guest coaches, all of whom donated their time and expertise to help us make the occasion special. Eric from Football Star Academy, Dan from Tennis 360, the crew from Volleyball ACT, the fabulous team from Footsteps Dance, and Shane from NRL NSW/ACT. We are so fortunate to have these great community partnerships and look forward to seeing them all back again soon. Please check the community events attachment with this newsletter for some great holiday and Term 4 sports opportunities.

Great job to all our budding sports stars on showing our visitors that you are safe, respectful, learners! Feedback from coaches, teachers and students was incredibly positive and all involved should be congratulated. We can’t WAIT to do it all again next year.

On Thursday 25 August, a small but determined group of Campbell Primary athletes travelled to the Australian Institute of Sport to compete against other schools from the inner North region. We were very lucky with the weather, and it was a fantastic day of running, jumping and throwing. All students gave it their all and are to be commended on their efforts on the day.

Several students managed to finish in the top places of their events and also met the qualifying times/distances to be invited to compete again this week; this time against the best from the other ACT regions. Congratulations to Caityln B, Emma H, Adeline M, Pippa S, Oliver L and Jet M on their selection to compete for a place in the ACT team.

The canteen are offering a Special End of Term lunch order on Friday, 23 September 2022

Orders via Flexischools only!

You will notice 23rd September does not appear as available.  Instead, select ANY day between now and Friday 16 and the Special Lunch order for Friday 23 September will be the first option on the Menu. 

Orders MUST be in before 9:15am Friday 16 September.

Please note no orders will be accepted after this time.

Specials include:

• Hot dog with choice of sauce/s, a drink and an ice cream sundae (students will choose the topping upon collection)
• Please note this option is not gluten free or dairy free
• This can be made dairy free upon request - but please only choose dairy free if your child has a dairy allergy as this option is difficult to source.
• Vegetarian nachos with option to add cheese and or lite sour cream, a drink and ice cream sundae (students will choose the topping upon collection)
  • Please note this option is vegetarian and gluten free. It also can be made dairy free/ vegan upon request. 
  • This can be made dairy free upon request - but please only choose dairy free if your child has a dairy allergy as this option is difficult to source.

Both lunch options are $10.

Other important information:

• this is a Red food day
• this is an order for lunch only - you will need to provide recess for your child
• Flexischools will be closed on 23 September for all other recess/lunch orders for this day
• The canteen will be open at recess for counter sales only, and at lunch time only for distribution of ice cream sundaes ordered through the lunch special.
• There will be no late lunch order requests accepted. Friday, 16 September 9:15am via Flexischools is the cut off.

Any questions regarding the lunch special please feel free to email the canteen at canteen@campbellpandc.com.

Kind regards,
Campbell P&C - Canteen

The school is currently in the process of reviewing class numbers for 2023.  This information also guides our staffing profile and the need to recruit and/or transfer staff. 

To date, there has been a very supportive response so far, with nearly 90% of our families already returning this vital information in their Enrolment Intentions for 2023 forms.

With the current teacher shortage, it is critical that the school has clarity around our projected student numbers to secure enough teachers for the commencement of the 2023 school year.

We understand that some families may be waiting on additional information, but we do request that you indicate at least one of the three options below:

1. Returning
2. Not returning
3. Undecided

The form is available from the school website in the CPS Dropbox.  Please visit the Front Office if you require an additional paper copy.

Please assist us gathering this critical information by responding as soon as possible.

Thank you.

As you will all be well aware, the Covid-19 safety considerations mean that no excursions are guaranteed to be able to go ahead, and contingency planning is occuring up until the last minute.  This puts additional pressure on the management of any excursion we attempt to hold for our little people.

We ask that you kindly support us by honouring the due-by date on all excursion forms sent home.

We want for all of our students be able to participate in every extra curricular activity organised by the school, but this is only possible with your support.

Please be reminded, as of Week 5, any excursion permission forms that are not handed in by the due date, will no longer be able to be accepted.

When notes are lost or damaged in school bags, you can download additional copies from the Campbell Primary School website Dropbox in the 'Notes sent home' folder.  

Thank you all for your continued understanding.  We are so grateful to have the support of our families to be able to continue to provide the very best learning experiences possible for our little people.

Hello everyone

We are looking at starting a couple of clubs again in Term 4. In order for us to plan accordingly, we are looking for expressions of interest for children who would be interested in attending a Dungeons and Dragons club (DND) and a soccer club.

If this is something your child would be interested in attending, please email us at contact@campbellpandc.com so we can start planning accordingly ahead of Term 4.

Kind regards,
Daniel Rolfe
Executive Officer - Campbell P&C

Nominations for the 2022 ACT Public Education Awards are now open.

The annual awards are an opportunity to recognise our exceptional colleagues in schools and the Education Support Office, and to acknowledge their work and dedication.

We all know of the incredible work done by our colleagues – so nominate an inspiring individual or team for an award today.

For more information and to nominate, visit ACT Public Education Awards - Education.

Nominations close on 10 October 2022.

ACT Council of Parents & Citizens Associations Transition to School Forum for Parents and Carers – 15 September

The ACT Council of Parents & Citizens Associations Transition to School Forum for Parents and Carers is for parents and carers of children starting preschool or Kindergarten in 2023.

This live webinar provides information about early education transitions – what the research tells us, important ways to prepare and support children, and understanding the school-family partnership.

The forum is on Thursday 15 September from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Register now.

Due 13 October 2022

Parents and carers can learn more about how to support their child with disability as they transition into adulthood in the Supported Decision Making Seminar on 13 October from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Black Mountain School, O’Connor.

Representatives from the Public Trustee, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service will help increase understanding of guardianship and powers of attorney. NDIS Staff will share information about supported decision making and how their service is able to help parents and carers navigate services and organisations. Read the attached flyer for more information. RSVP to Stephanie Nott at stephanie.nott@ed.act.edu.au.

2022 Climate Choices Schools Awards – nominate today

Due 31 October 2022

The annual Climate Choices Schools Awards (previously known as the Actsmart Schools Sustainability Awards) is hosted by the Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate’s Sustainable Schools Program. Schools play an important role in teaching sustainability practices and concepts, and the impact of this teaching spreads beyond the classroom walls to the broader community.

The Climate Choices Schools Awards recognises the people, projects and schools that are making a difference. If this sounds like you or someone you know – a teacher, student, group or school-community member – nominate them for an award. Learn more about the award categories on the Everyday Climate Choices website. Nominate online by 11.59 pm, Monday 31 October 2022.

Contact Madeleine Gisz on 02 620 52538 or madeleine.gisz@act.gov.au.

Register for Mix 106.3 Pack the Bus – Christmas fundraising activity by 31 October

Due 31 October 2022

Transport Canberra and Mix 106.3 invite schools to participate in the Christmas community activity: Pack the Bus. Schools can host donation collection points for new toys and non-perishable food items. At a prearranged date between 28 November and 18 December, Santa will drive a bus to each school and children and parents will help Pack the Bus.

This year’s event is collecting for Communities at Work, an organisation that distributes food parcels and toys to Canberra families in need. For more information or to register your school, email promotions@canberrafm.com.au. Registrations close on 31 October 2022.

Applications are now open for Future of Education Equity Fund – Round 2, 2022.

The ACT Government's expanded Future of Education Equity Fund provides financial assistance to low-income families (and independent students) with students in years P-12 to meet the costs of education expenses, such as school uniforms, school excursions, sport equipment and activities and music lessons through a one-off payment.

The Future of Education Student Equity Fund Round 1 opened in late 2021 for families with students in years 7-10. Round 2 is only open to families who have NOT already applied for and/or or received payment to support their students in the 2022 school year using a paper based form.

The following payments are available to those who meet the eligibility criteria:

• $400 for preschool students
• $500 for primary school students
• $750 for high-school and college students

2022 applications close 30 September 2022. Only applications received by this date will be processed. There is no limit on the number of students for whom each applicant can apply, providing they meet all conditions.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Reside in the ACT
• Have sole or shared parental responsibility for a dependent student(s) in grades P-12; or be an independent student
• Be financially responsible for the student(s)
• Demonstrate low-income status through:
• a current means-tested Health Care Card or Centrelink card, which must list the student(s) as dependents; or
• alternative forms of evidence proving low-income status or equivalent financial stress.

Students must be:

• Enrolled full-time in a public or non-government school in the ACT in years P-12.
  NOTE: For the purposes of the Equity Fund, a preschool is defined as a preschool that is attached to an ACT school and led by a Principal. When applying online, only eligible preschools will appear in a drop-down list.
• Enrolled in an approved form of education other than a school and of an equivalent age to a student in years K-12 E.g. attending the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), or registered for home-schooling in the ACT.
• Residing with the applicant in the ACT, or in special government care that is paid for by the applicant, or be independent.

Visit the Education Directorate, Support for our students, financial and resource assistance for families webpage more information and to apply.