Dear Parents and Carers

Signage
Thanks P&C for the purchase of inclusive playground signage for the junior playground and sensory garden. These signs were designed by teachers of support classes based on common help-seeking and emotional vocabulary needs. 

Father’s Day
We are looking forward to celebrating Father’s Day with our wonderful Canterbury community this Thursday morning from 8am. This special event is courtesy of the P&C who go out of their way to bring the community together.

Zone Athletics Carnival
Good luck to the 45 talented athletes who will be representing our school at the Zone Athletics Carnival tomorrow and Thursday. The forecast is for NO RAIN! 

Visual Art Exhibition
The annual art show is next week, with huge thanks to our talented Visual Art specialist teacher, Ms Felicity Williams. See details below.

Stage 3 Camp
Year 5 and 6 are off to the overnight Stage 3 camp later next week. Camp provides opportunities for students to interact with peers in a different setting, promoting teamwork, communication, and friendship building. It is a chance for students to challenge themselves and try new activities which boost self-esteem, independence and confidence. I am excited for those attending as I know they will have a terrific time and make lifelong positive memories.

Happy SASS Recognition Week!
Our incredible School Administrative and Support Staff (SASS) are simply the best! The dedication and support they provide to the students, staff and community of Canterbury Public School is worth celebrating every day. Last week our 'SASSies' were treated by the whole teaching team to breakfast off-site, morning duties were covered and each received a personalised letter of appreciation. Thank you for all you do!

Tracy Considine
Principal

Last week students celebrated Wear it Purple Day which celebrates the diversity of our families and community, and supports inclusion. Canterbury Public School strives to foster environments where everyone is safe, empowered and respected.

At Canterbury, we are proud of the diversity and inclusivity of our school because both are critical to the success and wellbeing of our students. We all have a part to play in calling out and preventing bullying and discrimination in our schools and communities.

Early Stage 1 and Support Class students focused on how to include and care for others through words and actions. Stage 1 students focused on respect and inclusion for all students from diverse family structures. Stage 2 students explored empathy, respect and inclusion to help others be who they are, and Stage 3 students practised appropriate ways to resolve conflict and deal with bullying and discrimination in regard to gender identity and stereotypes.

Back in Week 5 we focused on the topic, Words have Consequences. Words are powerful; they can uplift or they can destroy so we need to use respectful words. Students explored different scenarios where words hurt others. They were asked to identify when hurtful words were used and offer respectful alternatives. 

Meghan Ryan
PBL Committee Member

The rain just kept on coming but it could not dampen our enthusiasm for Book Week! We kicked off in the library with our book fair, which was an absolute hit this year. Thank you to all parents and students who came along in support of our fundraiser. You bought more than $4,000 worth of books! This means the library was left with $1,350 to spend on new titles. It is wonderful to have a school community that is so dedicated to developing a love for reading in every child. It really makes such a huge difference.

But that was not all! We also welcomed the fabulous author and illustrator, Sami Bayly to CPS on Wednesday. Sami delivered an immersive and fascinating presentation all about her encyclopedias of weird, wonderful, ugly and extinct animals. Everyone had a chance to draw along with Sami before she concluded the session by signing books for some lucky students. Stage 2 was so inspired that we have begun our own encyclopedia of AWESOME animals - stay tuned for its release!

The book character parade did not go ahead due to torrential rain. But we have another crack at it coming up! Hold on to your hats and keep that glue gun warm, we are going to try again on Thursday, Week 9. We warmly welcome all families to join us at 9:30 am on Thursday, 18th September for what I believe is the best event of the Canterbury calendar. Please feel free to dress up any younger siblings as well, they are more than welcome to get involved and parade if they are feeling confident enough. 

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Jenny Parkes
Teacher Librarian

Families of students in Years 3-6 received notification via School Bytes about these assessments. Please check the school calendar for when each class is sitting the assessment. Students need to bring their own headphones (see note for more information). 

Anna Murray
Check In Coordinator

Come and help.
Meet your community.
Get some dopamine and vitamin D.
Join the garden working bee!

Saturday 6 September 2:00-4:00pm. 

Enter via Church Street gate. 

Jobs to tackle:

• Plant natives around the edge of the carpark as an important habitat for birds and insects. This can only be done on the weekend when it is car free
• Weed and mulch in the Aboriginal Garden
• Weed maintenance in the Green Thumbs Garden

Date for your diary:

• Saturday 1 November 2:00-4:00pm
• Saturday 6 December 2:00-4:00pm working bee and harvest celebration

Our garden is looking great and winter seedlings are growing strong. Hopefully we will be able to hold some stalls soon so please start collecting your gold coins for purchases. 

Anna Murray
Green Thumbs Coordinator

You’re invited to celebrate creativity at our whole-school art exhibition! Join us on Monday Sept 8 (afternoon to early evening) or Tuesday Sept 9 (morning, afternoon and early evening) to experience the amazing artworks our young artists have been making this year. Every student from Kindergarten to Year 6 will have their work proudly on display.

See the invitation below for full details—we can’t wait to share this special event with you!

Felicity Williams
Visual Arts Teacher

Adonica and Milly represented Canterbury at the Premier's Spelling Bee Regional Final. Both students competed against more than 30 schools in the Sydney region. As it was the Regional Final, they were asked to spell more difficult words, such as stifling, deciduous and pinnacle. Congratulations and thank you to Adonica and Milly for their efforts in the Regional Final!

Bjorn Wallin
Spelling Bee Coordinator

The term is flying by - we are already in Week 6. Here are some updates from the P&C:

Playground
The P&C and the school have worked together to enhance inclusivity in our playgrounds. Thanks to funding from the P&C, new sensory signage has been installed in both the Junior Playground and the Sensory Garden. The school team completed the installation, and the signs are already making a positive impact by supporting communication for all students and contributing to a more inclusive environment. Be sure to have a look!

Uniforms
If you are interested in helping out once a term around second hand uniforms or if you (or your child) have ideas for a school sports shirt please get in touch via our email. We are looking for a parent/s to be involved in the sports shirt aspect of the uniforms.

SASS Appreciation
Last week was SASS (School Administration and Support Staff) Appreciation Day at CPS. The P&C would like to take this opportunity to thank all SASS staff at the school for their amazing work and commitment to the school and the students. Staff received a surprise from the P&C on Tuesday 26th in recognition of their dedication to the students of Canterbury PS.

Save the Date
Father's Day - Thursday 4th September 8:00am-9:15am in the  school courtyard near the hall.

Walkathon - Term 4 - keep an eye out for the date.

If you are willing to be involved in either of these events, please email the P&C.

Garden
The next school garden bee is on Saturday 6th September from 2-4pm. Please come in the Church St gate near the staffroom. No experience is necessary, and it is a great way to get to know some other families at the school.

Support our school community
Do you (or the business you work for) want to give back locally? Partnering with our P&C means supporting the very place your child learns, plays, and grows. We’re always excited to team up with businesses and families who can help bring our school events and projects to life. Whether it’s sponsorship, donations, or simply connecting us with someone who can help, every contribution makes a big difference for our kids. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to the P&C.

P&C contributions
We will be sending out a letter about annual P&C contributions soon, as the method for collecting this has changed from this year.

P&C meeting
Our next P&C meeting will take place on Wednesday of  Week 8, September 10th, 7.15pm in the staff room of the school or via Zoom. Everyone is welcome to attend, whether or not you are a member. We will send an invite out soon.

P&C membership
To become a member renew your membership, please  fill in a membership form online here. It costs just $2 for this calendar year.

For any questions or comments, email us on canterburypublicschool.pandc@gmail.com