Filter Content
- Principal's Report
- Semester 1 - Academic Reports
- Parent Teacher Interviews
- Deputy Principal's Report
- From the Year 6 Executive Teacher
- Defence Student Mentor's report
- Year 1 Excursion to the Arboretum
- ICAS Assessments
- The Parent Portal and Payments
- Permission Notes
- Defence Member and Family Support
- Protecting ourselves from illness over winter
- CASAC - July Vacation Care Programme
- Cyber security tips for parents
- Knowing your emojis to keep kids safe
Family Communication Survey
An email was sent out on Monday asking families to complete a communication survey. The survey closes on 30 June and aims at streamlining our current communication processes.
Thank you to those families who have already completed the survey. I’d like to capture the perspective of as many families as possible, so please click on the link below and complete the survey:
https://forms.gle/8dwg3D4P2f3496CEA
Over the holidays, I will work with the leadership team to review the feedback and share the findings with families in Term 3.
Celebrating our Students
STEAM Enrichment Project
Ms Nguyen has worked with our STEAM enrichment junior and senior students to create a submission for the Hermitage Schools Plant Science Competition (see link for more information):
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/news-media/campaigns/schools-competition
Over the term, the students have created an incredibly detailed portfolio explaining their experiment, measuring the impact of using a sustainable process, such as utilising the worm casings from our worm farm to improve soil quality. Using two different planter boxes, the students planted turnips, and over six weeks tracked the quality of the soil using our recently purchased PH testing kits and microscopes. Box 1 was regularly fertilised with worm casings while Box 2 was just regularly watered.
At the end of the six weeks, the students harvested the crops from both planter boxes. To measure the impact on the crops, the students weighed the turnips from each planter box. Box 1 weighed in at 2.4kgs and the second planter box, the one being regularly fertilised weighed in at 2.6kg. The students observed that not only was there an increase in produce but also an improvement in Box 1’s soil PH levels.
Once the turnips were harvested, Ms Nguyen made a radish and chicken stock. The stock was served with wonton and vermicelli noodles to make a soup and enjoyed by the students.
I wish our students the best of luck with the competition but regardless of the results, I am sure they have thoroughly enjoyed this highly engaging experience and have heard the students already applying this knowledge to a range of other sustainably focused initiatives.
Primary Concert Band
Lina M and Anjali S are our Primary Concert Band representatives. They recently performed at the National Eisteddfod and received a gold certificate for their performance. Incredibly they were the only primary school band in their category with all the others being junior high school bands. I am extremely proud of Lina and Anjali’s dedication to their craft and am excited that all their efforts have paid off!
Staffing shortages
As we move into the colder months of the year, we’ll likely experience staffing shortages due to ill health, as many schools across the ACT do. Continuity of learning is a priority for your children and with this in mind, we are making plans so that we are prepared for any potential and upcoming staffing pressures.
In the first instance of staff absence, our preference is to cover the educator with relief teachers and/or additional Learning Support Assistants. In circumstances where relief cover cannot be provided for a class, we have options for class cover depending on the age and development stage of the cohort. This includes classes being combined across their year level with extra adult support, classes being shared into other class groups with pre-prepared learning materials, as well as the use of specialist and executive staff to cover classes.
In situations where all of these options have been exhausted, students will be supervised in larger groups in shared learning spaces.
I appreciate any feedback from families, so if your child/ren comes home with questions and possible concerns please contact me.
Well, it is Week 8!! I am not sure how we have landed here, the term is flying.
Take care,
Erin Minehan
Later this term, Kindergarten to Year 6 families will receive a summative report on your child/ren’s academic performance throughout Semester 1. Reports will be sent via email on Tuesday 2 July (Week 10).
K-6 reports are graded against the Australian Curriculum and will include a general comment. Comments contain information on work and social habits, strengths and areas of focus for English and mathematics.
Families will be sent a test email on Tuesday 25 June (Week 9), to ensure we have the correct contact details.
Preschool families will receive their Semester 1 reports home on Tuesday 2 July (hard copies). Preschool reports are aligned with the National Early Years Learning Framework, outlining each child’s observable skills and goals for Semester 2.
In Week 2 next term, we will be hosting parent teacher interviews. This will be an opportunity to discuss your child/ren’s progress and goals for the remainder of the year.
Further information about interviews, including the process for booking with your child/ren’s teacher, will be provided early in Term 3.
Year 2 Excursion - National Gallery of Australia
I had the pleasure of attending an excursion to the National Gallery of Australia with Year 2 today. It was wonderful to see the learning that Year 2 have been doing on the concept of ‘Country’ being enriched through observing art.
“To understand the richness, diversity and depth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture would take many generations, many lifetimes, but to appreciate it only takes a moment” (Tina Baum)
As always, our students are to be commended for their engagement and enthusiasm whilst we were out and about. It was wonderful to hear their reflections and wonderings on the artworks they saw.
A big thank you to Mrs Dee and Mrs Wilson for organising, and also to the many family volunteers who came along. Excursions require a lot of organisation and support, so the extra hands are always appreciated!
Preschool Outdoor Environment
Works that were expected to start this month on the preschool outdoor environment have been delayed. We will keep families posted as updates come.
Have you heard about the Year 6 student leaders initiative to foster a sense of connection and community?Every Friday morning, 8:30am - 9am you can call by the canteen for a Nespresso coffee and a sweet treat to start your day.
There is even hot chocolate for the children!
At this stage it is cash only but goodies are keenly priced, so scratch up the loose change lying around the house and call by for a warm drink and a smiling hello.
We would love to see you there!
If you would like to support our fantastic students but don’t happen to be at school, donations of coffee and chocolate pods (the cheaper Woolworths Nespresso compatible brand are perfect), tea or sugar would be gratefully appreciated. We are also looking for a second coffee machine, if you have a superseded model that needs a new home please consider this great work of the students.
Do you love to sew?Do you enjoy the challenge of creating?
Do you have some spare time to assist with costumes for the musical?
We are fortunate to have secured an extensive wardrobe of costumes for our upcoming musical.
We need some support to tweak, add or adjust what we already have.
Please contact Kerry - Kerry.johnstone@ed.act.edu.au to discuss possibilities!
The musical is at the end of next term so there is plenty of time to do as little or as much as you are able.
In addition to sewing support, if it is time to clean out your sewing stash, big and small donations of fabric, pins, buttons, zips and thread are welcome not only for the musical team but for our lunchtime sewing club. So far we have made some simple soft toys and are venturing into some more complex projects like bags and clothing.
So much fun!
Hi Campbell Primary School,
Taite here, your Defence School Mentor.
As part of the Defence School Mentoring program, we hold Defence Club every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in the CASAC building. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the children to spend some time doing activities that support friendship building. If your little person sometimes finds themselves alone in the playground and a bit lost, Defence Club is a great place to meet new friends and a place to feel like you belong!
Also, don’t forget, defence children can bring a friend along. (Even if they are not from a defence family.)
If you have any questions or would like to let me know about postings, or an updated family arrangement, please contact me at the front office on 02 6142 3580 or email me at taite.gregg@ed.act.edu.au. You will find me on the playground most mornings!
Kind regards,
Taite
Optional Extension Opportunity: ICAS Assessments
Years 2 - 6
International Competitions and Assessments for Schools
Developed by the University of NSW, ICAS is designed to target students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in Writing, English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling and Digital Technologies, through participation in an academic competition.
The assessments are optional and suitable for students wishing to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment. Your child will be presented with high-quality, expert-developed questions, allowing them to apply their learning without the need for prior study or revision.
ICAS Assessments are online. Please access the link below to register and pay: https://shop.icasassessments.com//pages/pps
You can choose any combination of assessments.
Campbell Primary School's unique access code is: TJH967
The assessments will be carried out at Campbell Primary School during the assigned windows.
Please see below a list for the details of the assessments:
|
Type of assessment |
Cost |
Availability |
Date of assessment |
|
ICAS Writing |
$23.95 |
Years 3-6 |
5 – 9 August 2024 |
|
ICAS Digital Technologies |
$19.95 |
Years 3-6 |
5 – 9 August 2024 |
|
ICAS English |
$19.95 |
Years 2-6 |
12 – 16 August 2024 |
|
ICAS Science |
$19.95 |
Years 2-6 |
19 – 23 August 2024 |
|
ICAS Spelling Bee |
$19.95 |
Years 2-6 |
19 – 23 August 2024 |
|
ICAS Mathematics |
$19.95 |
Years 2-6 |
26 – 30 August 2024 |
Please register and pay via ICAS by Friday 26 July 2024 in order to secure your child’s spot in ICAS this year.
If you have any further enquiries, please contact:
Kerry Johnstone (kerry.johnstone@ed.act.edu.au) or Sarah Ebbage (sarah.ebbage@ed.act.edu.au)
Families' usage of the Parent Portal is steadily increasing and we appreciate your support while we navigate the most effective procedures to suit our community's needs.
While we are endeavouring to keep all platforms of communication as up to date as possible with school advice, excursion information and payment requests and appreciate your patience during periods of staff shortages and time constraints. Please remember, additional copies of notes sent home can still be found on the CPS website in the CPS Dropbox tab within the 'Notes sent home' folder. They can also be found on the Parent Portal in your news feed.
With regard to payment options, we have heard from many families, for them, the Portal is the easiest method of payment. We do however, have some restrictions in the way we can create payment requests for whole school or cohort activities.
Going forward, for payment requests with a variable payment amount, the school will generate an invoice run with a nominal amount and advise to "AMEND PAYMENT TO MATCH YOUR ORDER". Payments can be adjusted to any amount lower than the invoice request, however for amounts above the invoice request, you will need to make and additional/separate payment on one of the other payment methods (Quickweb, EFTPOS over the phone or at the front office, Cash at the front office).
If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to contact the school on 6142 3580.
| Upcoming events | Date of Excursion | Permission note due |
| No excursions till Term 3 | ||
Additional copies of all permission notes, can be found in:
- in the CPS Dropbox tab on the school website (campbellps.act.edu.au); and
- in the Documents tab in the Parent Portal.
The cooler weather is well and truly here. We have already seen an increase in COVID-19 and other seasonal illness at school, and across the community. It is important we keep everyone healthy by making sure we take simple steps to protect one another. As parents and carers, one of the simplest ways to do this is to keep your child at home when they are unwell.
If your child has COVID-19 you must let us know by contacting the Front Office.
Your child should only return to school once they are well, and their symptoms have cleared.
Get vaccinated
You are reminded that vaccination is one of the best ways to keep everyone safe. I encourage everyone who can, to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and the seasonal flu. To find out more visit the ACT Health website.
COVID Smart ACT public schools
ACT public schools have a range of strategies in place to keep everyone safe over winter. This includes cleaning of high touch points in schools, as well as strategies to ensure we balance ventilation and thermal comfort in classrooms to help prevent the spread of illness.
You can read more on the ACT Education Directorate website.
Keeping our students safe online is a top priority. The Australian Cyber Security Centre provides resources to help parents protect their children from cyber threats. We encourage all parents to review the following guides:
Protect your children online: A guide to cyber security for parents and carers covers key tips including:
- Using antivirus software and backing up data regularly
- Staying informed on the latest cyber threats
- Teaching kids to recognise online scams and how to report them.
Security tips for online gaming has helpful tips to protect against security risks such as viruses and account takeovers:
- Importance of Multi Factor authentication
- Password protection
- Use of legitimate software.
Online shopping shows you and your children how to safely shop online.
Do you know that a chili emoji 
can have multiple meanings? Or what the acronym PIR or the number 9 stands for?
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is urging the community to understand the double meaning of emojis and acronyms, to keep kids safe. They offer some top tips for parents, and recent examples of emoji use and acronyms popping up with youth online.
For more information, read the online article Knowing your emojis to keep your kids safe or visit www.afp.gov.au and search ‘emojis’.