Dear Parents and Carers

Semester 1 Reports to Parents
Students’ reports are now available in the Sentral Parent Portal. Please take the time to read your child’s report and celebrate their effort and gains. As always, if you wish to meet to discuss your child’s progress now or any time during the year, please email the teacher or call the office to arrange a mutually suitable time.

Make the Change from Sentral to School Bytes
Reports: As the school migrates to School Bytes over the holidays, please make it a priority to login to Sentral and download and save all of your child’s reports.
Attendance: From next term, you can provide explanations of absence in the School Bytes Parent Portal or via SMS reply. The absence forms in Sentral and SchoolZine will no longer be available.

School Holidays
Time flies when you’re having fun! The last day of term is this Friday 4th July and students return to school on Tuesday 22nd July. 

What a Term!
This term was characterised by a happy and vibrant atmosphere where curiosity flourished, achievements were celebrated, and relationships were strengthened. Thank you to our wonderful hardworking staff for providing a term’s worth of inspiring immersive learning experiences for every student inside and outside the classroom, and to our P&C and families for your unwavering support. Wishing everyone a safe and happy break from the school routine. May you find quality time to make memories with your favourite people.

Tracy Considine
Principal

Last week, four students represented our school at The Arts Unit’s Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking final at Lewisham Public School. They spoke on topics as broad as technology, leadership, peace and trust and what makes us Australian. Not only did our finalists deliver a prepared speech, working hard this term at school and at home to write and rehearse, but on the day they also had to give an impromptu speech on a topic they received five minutes before they delivered it. 

For Stage 2 the topic was Dreams and for Stage 3 it was Getting Better. Stage 2, represented by Nora G and Inika E, were up against some very stiff competition indeed and both students did an outstanding job on the day and should be very proud of themselves. In Stage 3 special mention has to go to Emilia E who had to make a very tough choice between attending the PSSA Zone Girls soccer final or the public speaking competition. Emilia chose soccer but at the last minute a place was found for her to give her speech at the final held at Balmain Public School and she did an amazing job there. Billy P gave his speech on Technology and Multiculturalism and so impressed the adjudicator that he was awarded Highly Commended! Well done to all our public speakers! We are very proud of you all!

Gaby Aitkin
Public Speaking club coordinator 

This week support classes are exploring the Yellow Zone Tools - ways and techniques to help us calm down from the yellow zone and avoid the red zone. Strategies suggested included asking for a break, asking for help or using a preferred breathing exercise. Ask your child what helps them calm and share what helps you. It helps children to know that we all experience feelings and we use strategies to return to the green zone.

This week, Early Stage 1 students have been identifying that our behaviors have an affect on others. There are expected and unexpected behaviours that we show when we feel different emotions. When individuals do the expected behaviours in a specific situation or setting (e.g. reading quietly in the library), the people around us tend to feel comfortable and safe. When individuals do unexpected behaviours in that situation (e.g. doing cartwheels in the library), those around us tend to feel more uncomfortable or unsafe. At home, when unexpected behaviours occur, take the opportunity to discuss the feelings that may have led to the behaviour.

In Stages 1-3 this week, we have been focussing on tools we can use to get us back into the green zone. We explored breathing techniques to calm us, in particular Lazy 8 breathing and 6-sided breathing. Ask your child about these techniques and share some breathing strategies that work for you. Not all strategies work for everyone, but the more tools we have at our disposal, the more chances we can find ways to calm.

Last week, all students across the school reviewed the expected behaviours in the playground around safety, learning and respect. We are planning for signage in different parts of the school to show our collective agreement on behaviours in these spaces. This week's classes brainstormed ideas for the playground in general, as well as specifically on the asphalt, grass and equipment, junior playground and soccer fields. The SRC will bring together all the ideas and make decisions on what our new signs will say. 

We use positive language to act as a prompt to reinforce the expected behaviours. For example wear a sun safe hat; use equipment for its purpose and sit to eat your food.  Ask your child how many positive expectations they discussed in different areas of the playground.

Meghan Ryan
PBL Committee Member

Stages 2 and 3 held class spelling bees this term, with the winner from each class competing in the school final. The winners from each class were: 5/6M - Peter; 5/6H - Asher; 5/6A - Billy; 5/6BA - Emilia; 3/4M - Grace; 3/4P - Adonica; 3/4R - Harriet.

Mrs Matar hosted the school final, and it was a tough competition. Mila and Louisa stood in for Harriet and Billy who were absent. The Stage 2 winner was Adonica and the Stage 3 winner was Emilia. These two outstanding spellers will go on to represent CPS at the Regional Final in Term 3. Warm congratulations to all participants, and especially to our class and stage winners!

Bjorn Wallin & Rana Matar
Spelling Bee Coordinators

Stage 3 students joined the rush to learn about striking it lucky in the 1850s. With help from the State Library, they unearthed primary sources and inspiring stories from the goldfields to build their knowledge and understanding related to the inquiry questions: 

• What do we know about the lives of people in Australia’s colonial past, and how do we know? 
• What were the significant events, and who were the significant people who shaped Australian colonies? 

A big thank you to Ms Akiki who coordinated this informative online event for our students to take part in. 

A huge thank you to all students (and staff!) who enthusiastically participated and generously donated to our Year 6 students for Crazy Hair Day! Your creativity and spirit truly made the day a memorable one. We raised $476 which goes towards reducing the cost of the end of year activities for Year 6 students, including the graduation dinner, fun day out and a gift to the school. 

Carmel Aiello
Assistant Principal Stage 3 

Stage 1 students recently enjoyed a creative and inspiring excursion to both the new and old sections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Students participated in three engaging workshops that brought the world of art to life. In one session, they used long paint brushes to design and paint imaginative creatures, working together to create a large collaborative artwork. Another exciting activity involved making costumes and transforming into fantastical creatures that were digitally placed into artworks using green screen technology! The final workshop was a scavenger hunt through the old gallery, where students explored and observed a variety of artworks up close. We returned to school with just as much excitement as when we left, brimming with inspiration and a deeper appreciation for art.

Linda Askin
Assistant Principal Stage 1 

The final Kids Who Read, Succeed draw for Term 2 has taken place. Congratulations to all our winners! Please continue to encourage your child to read at home and log each day in their reading journal. Placing tokens of achievement in the library boxes, having their name drawn out in assembly and coming to the library to choose a brand new book to take home as a prize is a big deal! 

Ms Parkes
Teacher Librarian

Just after releasing our previous newsletter, 40 talented Concert Band members returned from the Band Together Competition at Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. This annual fundraiser is convened by School Bands Australia to give over 800 children from primary and high schools all over Sydney the chance to perform on a professional stage and receive feedback from a professional in the music industry. Our students were very excited to be there and received both constructive and complimentary feedback, as well as large applause. It is a wonderful experience to be in a real theatre, under stage lights and our musicians did us very proud. They had the opportunity to see other groups perform too. It was indeed an enriching experience from both sides of the curtain. Thanks to Ms Pam for helping to contain the excitement!

On Wednesday June 25 our Senior Strings players rehearsed for their September concert at the Sydney Opera House. We were very lucky to have parents available to take us to the rehearsal space at Meadowbank PS, allowing families to save time and money. The ensemble is sounding amazing as we saw at today’s Captain Canterbury assembly. I look forward to taking the ensemble to the Sydney Opera House on September 8th for their final rehearsal and performance. 

Last Monday I escorted 20 of our senior choir members to the Festival of Choral Music concert rehearsal held at the Salvation Army Congress Hall. As we all know, whilst the Metro is under construction, city travel can be a challenge with a large group, but I managed to snag our own rail bus to Sydenham Station, so we had a pretty relaxed ride into town. The students worked hard to become more comfortable with our repertoire and we have a very keen and excited group looking forward to their concert at the Sydney Opera House on August 4th.

I thoroughly enjoy being able to give our students the chance to perform at professional venues and all of our students are beautifully behaved and make Canterbury PS proud. They are a credit to themselves for their discipline to practice. A huge thank you must also go to all of their families for their support and guidance. I can’t wait to show you all our talented musicians at the Sydney Opera House next term and our Creative Arts Night in Term 4.

Mrs Ryan
Music Program Coordinator

The evidence is clear that consistent attendance is the essential first step for your child to have a positive experience at school.

Every day matters for your child’s learning. In recent years, as a system and school, we have seen too many students miss a day of school here and there. Missing school for students means missing learning activities, time with friends, an important maths lesson or getting picked for a sports team. With days missed, years are lost.

Students are required to attend school every day, whether it is the first or last day of the term, Mondays, Fridays or days dedicated to whole school events, school excursions and incursions.

Help us make sure your child is achieving their best and stays ahead in their learning with regular school attendance. The more time your child attends school, the greater their opportunity to learn, make new friends and improve their wellbeing. Together, let’s build positive attendance habits for a lifetime.

If your child is absent from school, please let us know why as soon as possible, even if it is just a few minutes at the start or end of the school day. Of course, there will be times when your child is unable to be at school (like when they are unwell). Medical appointments should take place outside school hours where possible and family holidays should be taken in term breaks.

If your child is feeling anxious about coming to school and you need support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or me directly. Our staff are here to work with you and your child to help them attend school each and every day. There are also helpful resources for parents and carers on the Every Day Matters site.

The overwhelming majority of Canterbury parents and carers make a determined effort to ensure their child is in a great bedtime and morning routine so they are ready to learn, and arrive on time, at school every day.

Thank you again for working with our teachers and support staff to make sure your child is at school on time, every day. We all want to see our students learn, grow and belong in our equitable and outstanding education system.

Event: Walkathon

Walkathon 2025 is back due to popular demand. To run the event we need parent helpers to be involved. So if you are able to:

•     help with planning and coordination tasks prior to the day, or
•     help out on the day,

please email the P&C (canterburypublicschool.pandc@gmail.com). 

This event was a lot of fun last year. The volunteer guidelines are very straight-forward and easy to follow. The school staff are heavily involved, which makes everything a lot easier.

Fundraising: Grants

A big thank you to the P&C grants team who, with support from the school, has written and submitted applications to local organisations and the council in an effort to secure funding that will help us to:

•     upgrade the AV system in the hall,
•     add new playground markings,
•     install new seating in the playground,
•     buy new sports equipment and
•     update the war memorial.

Let's hope for a good outcome.

Voluntary parent contribution to P&C

Prior to 2025, the school included the Voluntary Contribution to the P&C, with the suggested value of $50, in the schedule of fees issued for each student. This process gave parents and carers a simple way to make an annual contribution to the P&C budget. The department has recently advised schools not to collect contributions on behalf of third parties including the P&C.

The P&C generally received between $5,000 and $10,000 a year from these voluntary contributions when they were included in the fee schedule. These funds allowed for improvements to the school including upgrades and playground projects. It allowed the P&C to fund a range of community events such as the Welcome Picnic, breakfasts for Mother's and Father's Day and the recent National Reconciliation Week afternoon tea. 

After careful consideration, the P&C has decided to send a yearly message to the school community seeking a one-off voluntary contribution. While we understand that not all of our families are in a position to make such a contribution, we believe that some of our community members will appreciate the opportunity to support the P&C and school in this way. You will receive an email from us in the next couple of weeks detailing the process if you’d like to  make a contribution.

P&C meeting

Our next meeting will be in  Week 3 of Term 3, Wednesday 6th August 7:15pm in the staffroom at the school or online. You can join us through zoom here. Everyone is welcome.

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.