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