Dear Parents and Carers

Meet the Teachers Afternoon (3:30pm today)
We are looking forward to a large turn-out this afternoon and the students are very excited to show parents around their new classroom. Specialist teachers will supervise Kindergarten in the junior playground and Years 1 to 6 on the asphalt playground while parents and carers attend the presentation in the hall. All Meet the Teachers program details were emailed last week. 

Time is not available for one-to-one parent-teacher conversations about students, however Growth Goal interviews are taking place in a few weeks so be sure to book time with your child’s teacher when bookings open and are emailed to you.

Carnival and Zone
Good luck to all Canterbury representatives competing in the Zone Swimming Carnival on the 3rd March. A big thank you to Ms Murray and the Stage 2 team for organising the fabulous school carnival and Mr Healey for coordinating the Zone arrangements. Gold stars also go to all of the wonderful parent helper time-keepers. Thanks to all the staff, parents and grandparents who supported the event.

Friendships
The beginning of a new school year brings both social opportunities and challenges. Please remind your child that friendships and new relationships take time to cultivate, especially those worth building! Acknowledge that making new friends can be hard at times and it is important to be patient while actively seeking positive friendships. 

Role play simple greetings e.g., “Hi, my name is Tracy. What’s your name? (Listen for answer) Could I please join in your game?”

Knowing the rules of, and developing the skills for common playground games is also helpful. For example, buy a ball from a bargain shop and practise playing handball together on the weekends. Bring the ball (or other inexpensive game equipment) to school to attract the interest of like-minded peers.

Conversations at home about what qualities make a good friend (kind words, take turns, listen, care, something in common, etc.) are also important. Children who know what they want in a friend (and don’t want) are empowered to make positive friendship choices and avoid relationships with a power imbalance. Avoid asking the same question every afternoon e.g., “Who did you play with today? Did you play with anyone?” This may inadvertently add undue pressure.

If your child ever has difficulties navigating new social situations at school, please speak with their teacher. Call or email the office to make a telephone appointment. We want every child to feel happy at school and we are here to help.

Class Connect groups are happening again this year to help nurture new friendships and social opportunities outside of school. Find out more at Meet the Teacher afternoon.

Student Absence
Thank you to parents who reply to SMS messages from the school each day that your child is absent. Your reply to the message enables us to provide the right support and make sure absences are recorded correctly. Explanations of absence via SMS are automatically recorded in the system, saving teachers and Office staff a significant amount of time chasing up families for information. 

It is the parent’s responsibility to communicate with the school about planned and unplanned absences. 

We are committed to working with you to offer support and remove any barriers that may be preventing your child from regularly attending school so they can grow to be successful in all aspects of life. Please contact us if you have any concerns.

Did you know…?
If students attend school 100% of the time from Kindergarten to Year 12, they still only spend 14% of their childhood at school? That’s why attendance and an active home-school partnership are so important for a child’s education and future. At Canterbury, we want every child to reach their full potential in every aspect of their education and development which is why we value our partnership with you above all collaborations. 

You will hear me repeat this over and over: Parents are encouraged to remain in regular contact with teachers throughout the school year whether through face to face meetings, phone or video calls, email or a combination of these modes of communication. 

What the research tells us:

• The most significant impact on a child’s education and wellbeing is the home environment
• When children see that their family values their education, they value it too
• Feeling connected to school and a sense of belonging grows when family are engaged in school
• A strong home-school partnership is one of the most significant indicators of achievement and success. It improves a child’s motivation to learn, engagement and learning outcomes.
• Parent/Carer engagement takes many forms and communication and cooperation are vital elements

Thank you!
Sadly, the Welcome Picnic was cancelled due to forecast rain but I want to thank the P&C for all their work and preparation behind the scenes with the purpose of bringing our wonderful community together for the evening. 

Thanks also to everyone who attended the first P&C meeting for the year. It was great to see some new faces too! 

The P&C team has fabulous plans for the year ahead. You can find out more below.

Tracy Considine
Principal

In recent professional learning sessions during School Development Days and after school workshops, teachers have been diving into the transformative world of dialogic practices. These sessions have equipped Canterbury teachers with the skills and knowledge to foster rich, collaborative conversations in the classroom, enhancing teaching and learning experiences.

What are Dialogic Practices?

Dialogic practices involve engaging students in meaningful dialogue, encouraging them to express their thoughts, ask questions, and build upon each other’s ideas. This approach shifts the focus from traditional teacher-led instruction to a more participatory learning environment where students become active contributors to their education.

Why Are Dialogic Practices Good for Classrooms?

1. Better Thinking Skills: Students develop critical thinking by sharing and discussing ideas.
2. More Engagement: Interactive conversations make learning enjoyable and help students feel involved.
3. Improved Communication: Regular discussions enhance students' speaking and listening skills.
4. Stronger Community: Dialogic practices foster a sense of belonging and appreciation for different viewpoints.
5. Better Academic Results: Engaged students often achieve higher academic success.

At home, you can support your child by asking questions that promote rich talk about books and other texts. For example, when discussing a fictional text you could ask:

• Can you tell me more about that?
• How do you know?
• What’s important about this story?
• Is this story more about the plot or the characters?
• What does this story tell us about human beings?
• Why do you think that?
• When have you felt like that?
• What does it remind you of?
• What do you notice? 
• What do you wonder?
• What can you picture in your mind?
• What character evokes strong feelings and why?
• Which character do you relate to and why?

Karla Sevenoaks
Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction

On Friday February 7, our delightful new kindy 2025 cohort had their very special first day of big school! Families came together in our playground with their children who seemed very at home already thanks to our transition program, supported by our fantastic staff and parents. 

While some teary mums and dads headed to our staffroom for ‘tea and tissues’, our Kindergarten students bounded up the steps to class with bearly a tear in sight, and spent a fun-filled day with our wonderful teachers and support staff. Students listened to a first day of school story, learned important ‘listening rules’ and created a first day of Kindergarten crown. They engaged in activities to practise how to share, and take turns. At the end of the day there were big smiles as all received their first day certificate and special Canterbury Public School compostable balloon! 

Kindergarten classes have been decided, and learning has begun! I have been extremely impressed with the way our new little ones have adjusted to school life which can be very exciting but also exhausting at first. Don’t be at all surprised if your child experiences some big emotions in these initial weeks, especially once they are home and are tired, still getting used to learning so much each day. During our ‘Meet the Teachers’ event this afternoon I will talk about how you can further support your child’s learning, and positive learning attitude at home. 

What a wonderful start to the year. Thank you to our experienced, patient, caring and energised Kindergarten teachers as well as our exceptional support and executive staff for helping our precious little people transition so well to our beautiful school. 

Ms Grimes, Ms Tsodouris and myself are looking forward to working with our Kindergarten community of families this year and we look forward to catching up with you this afternoon… great things lie ahead!

Gerard Searle
Assistant Principal Early Stage 1

Congratulations to the 70 swimmers who attended the carnival on 12th February. We had such an incredible day that was due to the positive participation of students in races, their effort to achieve their best and their support of their peers. Our brave parents and teachers competed against Year 6 student racers in an exciting relay race. 

Students have said their favourite things were seeing their friends swim and racing. 

Thanks to all the teachers at school and at the pool for picking up extra supervision duties and working so hard to make this day a safe and successful one. Huge shout out to Ms Aelien and Lagi and their intrepid parent volunteers on the stopwatches. Parent support at school events is so important. 

Anna Murray
Stage 2 Assistant Principal

In the role of Sports House Leader, students lead and encourage their teams by modelling sportsmanship, determination and teamwork at our swimming, athletics and cross country carnivals. 

Sports House Leaders also demonstrate leadership skills and responsibility every single day by organising and distributing sports equipment to students at lunch and recess. This is a task that requires dedicating a lot of their own break time to serve the school community. This year’s House Leaders will be selected this Friday. Watch this space!

Mr Mark Healey
Sport Coordinator 

The Scripture and Ethics programs will begin in Week 5, Thursday, February 27th. If you believe your child has been placed in the wrong Scripture group or would like to request a change, please contact the office via email.

Unfortunately, we no longer have a volunteer available to run the Greek Orthodox Scripture program. Families affected by this will have received an email seeking your preferences for this year’s Scripture selection.

Additionally, we have two Ethics volunteers available for Years 3 and 4. If you would like your child to participate in the Ethics program, please respond with your preference to the email previously sent.

Linda Askin and Yiana Boufeas 
Scripture and Ethics Coordinators

If you would like your child to join either the Band or Strings program this year - IT IS NOT TOO LATE!. Please follow instructions on the School Bands Australia website https://www.schoolbands.com.au/). To enrol in the Strings program visit https://cpsclubs.info/registration-form/ to express your interest in joining Strings in 2025.

Meghan Ryan
Music Coordinator

Student Use of Third Party Software 

Our school is committed to providing a technology-rich environment for our students. Our school community considers the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is fundamental in assisting teaching and learning in all areas of the school curriculum. 

The school uses third-party providers offering web-based educational resources and cloud-based storage to support our administrative functions and enhance student learning outcomes. The department has a service agreement with some providers it has assessed as meeting privacy and security standards required of the department. The school offers students access to a number of services in addition to these. 

In most instances, students are required to register before accessing an online service. Registration involves either a staff member or student entering identifying information such as name, grade, and email address onto the provider's platform. This and any other data entered in the course of accessing the application may be stored on servers located in Australia or off-shore in a country not subject to NSW privacy laws. 

Your consent is required for your child's information to be provided to these third-party providers. Before giving your consent, it is important you understand what student information is collected, how it will be used and who may have access to it. 

A form was emailed to you yesterday to provide permission for your child to use specific software applications. Please complete the form at your earliest convenience.

Janet Stefanis
School Administrative Manager

Our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) lessons are off and running with students and teachers working together in classes to craft expectations for how everyone should behave (be safe, be respectful, be a learner). Each class created a display that serves as a useful prompt through the year to revisit and reteach expectations. Jointly constructing the expectations around what we all want our learning environment to be gives students more agency, and builds their understanding about the purpose of PBL expectations. 

This week students have been revising what being safe looks like at school and how to stay safe. Staying safe means that we look after ourselves and each other. We do this in the way we move (e.g. walking on the stairs), the way we use equipment (e.g. wearing a hat when outside, carrying scissors safely), when we are online (e.g. protecting our passwords), and the way we speak and interact with others to promote mental and emotional safety (e.g. use kind words, listen to others). 

You can support your child at home by asking what being safe looks like at school and compare what being safe might look like at home. What is the same? Are there any differences?

Congratulations to all of our students (and parents and teachers and staff) for a successful transition from holidays to school. Our first PBL awards of the year recognised students who demonstrated being safe, respectful learners. 

Anna Murray
PBL Coordinator

On Tuesday our classes from 1-6 took part in workshops run by Variety, the national not-for-profit organisation committed to empowering Australian children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs. These workshops, titled Just Like You, aim to develop understanding, acceptance and inclusion of people with a disability, with students learning that people with a disability really are Just Like You! The program addresses both visible and hidden disabilities, ensuring that students grasp the full spectrum of diversity and embrace inclusivity. In a school context such as ours, these workshops play an important role in supporting all our students to celebrate differences, develop empathy and create inclusion. At the conclusion of the day the trainer sent some lovely feedback about her experience to her supervisor which I have permission to share: “Just letting you know that today’s school was rather lovely and welcoming from students and teachers alike! Really strong sense of empathy and the willingness of students to share their own experiences with disability is honestly so commendable.” We are clearly on the right track at Canterbury and workshops like this help keep us there.

Gaby Aitkin
Learning and Support Teacher

We are excited to share that students in our Support Unit have had a great start to the year. The transition back to school has been smooth due to the dedication of our staff and the enthusiasm of our students. It has been wonderful to see the connections forming and the learning spaces becoming vibrant hubs of engagement and growth.

Through targeted professional learning on the precursors to the literacy and numeracy progression, our teachers have been exploring the essential building blocks for our students to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Thank you to our dedicated teachers for their commitment to continuous learning and to our community for your ongoing support.

Anaita Talati
Assistant Principal, Special Education

A very big welcome to 2025, we hope you all had a wonderful break and are refreshed as the kids have started their 2025 school year.

We were disappointed to have to cancel the Welcome Picnic, however we look forward to bringing the community together soon at the trivia night on March 29th—we hope to see you there for a fun-filled evening!

We will have a table at meet the teacher tonight, so please drop by and say a quick hello. We have a short survey we'd appreciate parents completing on P&C events for 2025.

Keep in contact: via email canterburypublicschool.pandc@gmail.com or follow us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/CanterburyPublicSchoolPandC/. 

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