Keep up to date with all our news and updates
Head on over to ‘like’ our Facebook page to keep in touch with school news, highlights and achievements of our wonderful students. We encourage people to like and share our posts.
Please read the terms of engagement before posting comments.
Community Announcements
Topics covered: • Eligibility • Council’s priority areas • Key dates • Overview of funding • Preparing your application • Assessments and scoring • Budget and expenditure • Acquittals
Date: July 16th 2024, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Andy McNeil Room, Alice Springs Town Council Civic Centre
School news and updates
Sports Voucher
Semester 2 2024 Sports Vouchers are now available. Parents and carers will need to apply each semester at the following website.
Please note if the details of the young person are already on the system, a voucher will be available to print or save straight away, if the details are not found by the system a voucher will be sent to the email address you have provided within 7 days. Applications Close 24th May.
More information is available at the link below, alternatively you can also contact the Sport Voucher team by phone on 1800 817 860 or by email sport.voucher@nt.gov.au .
Phone Lockers at CMS in Semester 2
The Department of Education policy banning student mobile phones in all NT schools during the school day was introduced at the start of 2023. The policy includes mobile phones, smart watches and air pods.
It came about because schools received feedback from families that at times, they feel powerless in managing the impacts of mobile phones on young people. Schools are also experiencing a rise in cyberbullying and social harm. Research shows the use of mobile phones in schools can negatively impact students’ capacity to concentrate, think and learn.
CMS has implemented the mobile phone policy, but staff need to continually remind some students. Providing a mobile-free zone in classrooms and on school grounds will help our teachers and school staff provide a focused and productive learning environment where young people can feel safe and connect with each other.
In Semester 2, CMS will introduce phone lockers, pictured below. These lockers are being used effectively in many other schools.
Students who bring their mobile phone to school will be required to hand it in at the start of the day in their year level. There will be a process for students to place their phone in a plastic pouch with their name on it. Phones will then be stored in allocated slots in phone lockers and given back just before 3:00 pm. If a student is seen with their mobile phone out between 8:30 – 3:00, the student will be required to hand it to a staff member for safe keeping in a phone locker or at the front office. If a student refuses to hand over their phone, students will be sent home and parents or carers will need to collect their young person. All reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety of phones, but CMS does not accept responsibility for devices that students bring to school.
Debit cards at the canteen
If your young person has been using their phone to pay for food at the canteen, please arrange for them to have a debit card or cash.
Exemptions
Students can still access their mobile phones to monitor a health condition as part of a school approved, documented health plan
Contacting your child in an emergency or generally
If you need to contact your child during school hours, families are to contact the school on 89552333.
Thank you in advance for supporting our introduction of phone lockers for the benefit of wellbeing and learning.
NAIDOC at CMS
CMS will be celebrating NAIDOC during week 10. This years NAIDOC week theme is "Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud". NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and an opportunity to expand our knowledge of the oldest. continuous living cultures on Earth.
We look forward to seeing all the poster competiton entries and celebrating with our school community.
See the image below for our program of events.
School Improvement Updates
This year CMS is supported by additional funding from the Australian Government (also referred to as OCLM or ‘On Country Learning Measures’). Some of the ways we have used this funding include:
- New student laptops, working towards one laptop per student by the end of this year
- New Ipads and equipment in music
- More support for students needing reading and literacy support with two additional staff
- New reading comprehension resources
- Additional classroom support staff
- Increased employment of local Aboriginal staff
- LEaD Committee (Local Engagement and Decision-making) Committee meeting for families of Aboriginal students. A small but promising start on 9th We aim to increase to 2 meetings per term and build a core group.
- Flexible Learning program up and running again for students who have been disengaged from school
- Cultural presenters to support two-way learning and integration of Aboriginal perspectives in the curriculum
- Breakfast program for all students
- Improving focus on School Wide Positive Behaviour with the appointment of Associate Principal Dan Lewinski
Interschool Athletics
Congratulations to all the CMS students who participated in the Interschool Athletics competition in week 7. Students modelled the CMS values of Respect, Responsibility and Fairness throughout their engagement. A special mention to Olive Barwick who collaborated with students from other schools to field a combined relay team. A big thank you to our staff - Sarah, Gordon and Riley for supporting our young athletes to attend this event.
Year 8 Chemical Reactions
This term year 8 students have been having fun learning all about chemical reactions, making elephant toothpaste (the foam pictured) and producing hydrogen and making it explode with a big POP sound!
HPE Update
Our students had a blast while learning teamwork, coordination, and fair play through multi-sport which incorporates skills from AFL, Rugby, Basketball & Soccer. Recently students got together for a Just Dance Nintendo event, where they picked up teamwork skills by dancing in sync. They also enjoyed ball sports like basketball and soccer, which boosted their coordination and strategic thinking.
In selected PE lessons Reclink Australia came down to host some sports and health workshops for the students. Their team worked alongside CMS students to build their self-esteem, confidence, and appreciation of others through fun and interactive sports games.
By focusing on fair play and inclusivity in all we do in HPE, students learned to respect rules and value sportsmanship, making for positive interactions and mutual respect. These activities helped our students develop essential life skills, and we're super proud of their progress both on and off the field!
Kind Regards
Rebecca Stephens
Werte, Hello!
Hello, Werte!
It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself as the new Associate Principal to our CMS community. I previously worked at CMS between 2011 – 2015 in a variety of roles ranging from classroom teacher to Assistant Principal. Since 2015 I have worked in many schools and communities around Australia in both educational leadership roles and for the Clontarf Foundation. Like many people, we were drawn back to Alice Springs by the magic of the community and fond memories of my time at CMS. In my opinion CMS is the most important school in Alice Springs. We bring together a range of students from our amazing primary schools and provide a holistic education at what is such an impressionable age. Part of my role will be to continue the work around our ‘School Wide Positive Behaviour Support’ (SWPBS) framework which fosters a safe, positive and supportive learning environment and is based on research that positive behaviour can be taught and learned. With consistent implementation of SWPBS across the school we create conditions for a calm, orderly learning environment allowing our students to achieve success.
As the holidays approach I would like to wish our students and staff a safe and happy break. Holidays are a time to connect with family, explore and recharge our batteries. With another exciting semester on the horizon I am looking forward to seeing everyone come back fresh and ready to learn!
Regards,
Daniel Lewinski
Associate Principal
Important dates
| Friday 21 June | Last Day of Term 2 |
| Monday 24 June - Friday 12 July | Semester 1 School Holidays |
| Friday 5 July | Alice Springs Show Day |
| Sunday 7 July - Sunday 14 July | NAIDOC Week |
| Monday 15 July | Staff Professional Development Day |
| Tuesday 16 July | First Day of Term 3 |
Keep up to date with all our news and updates
Head on over to ‘like’ our Facebook page to keep in touch with school news, highlights and achievements of our wonderful students. We encourage people to like and share our posts.
Please read the terms of engagement before posting comments.
Community Announcements
Topics covered: • Eligibility • Council’s priority areas • Key dates • Overview of funding • Preparing your application • Assessments and scoring • Budget and expenditure • Acquittals
Date: July 16th 2024, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Andy McNeil Room, Alice Springs Town Council Civic Centre
School news and updates
Sports Voucher
Semester 2 2024 Sports Vouchers are now available. Parents and carers will need to apply each semester at the following website.
Please note if the details of the young person are already on the system, a voucher will be available to print or save straight away, if the details are not found by the system a voucher will be sent to the email address you have provided within 7 days. Applications Close 24th May.
More information is available at the link below, alternatively you can also contact the Sport Voucher team by phone on 1800 817 860 or by email sport.voucher@nt.gov.au .
Phone Lockers at CMS in Semester 2
The Department of Education policy banning student mobile phones in all NT schools during the school day was introduced at the start of 2023. The policy includes mobile phones, smart watches and air pods.
It came about because schools received feedback from families that at times, they feel powerless in managing the impacts of mobile phones on young people. Schools are also experiencing a rise in cyberbullying and social harm. Research shows the use of mobile phones in schools can negatively impact students’ capacity to concentrate, think and learn.
CMS has implemented the mobile phone policy, but staff need to continually remind some students. Providing a mobile-free zone in classrooms and on school grounds will help our teachers and school staff provide a focused and productive learning environment where young people can feel safe and connect with each other.
In Semester 2, CMS will introduce phone lockers, pictured below. These lockers are being used effectively in many other schools.
Students who bring their mobile phone to school will be required to hand it in at the start of the day in their year level. There will be a process for students to place their phone in a plastic pouch with their name on it. Phones will then be stored in allocated slots in phone lockers and given back just before 3:00 pm. If a student is seen with their mobile phone out between 8:30 – 3:00, the student will be required to hand it to a staff member for safe keeping in a phone locker or at the front office. If a student refuses to hand over their phone, students will be sent home and parents or carers will need to collect their young person. All reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety of phones, but CMS does not accept responsibility for devices that students bring to school.
Debit cards at the canteen
If your young person has been using their phone to pay for food at the canteen, please arrange for them to have a debit card or cash.
Exemptions
Students can still access their mobile phones to monitor a health condition as part of a school approved, documented health plan
Contacting your child in an emergency or generally
If you need to contact your child during school hours, families are to contact the school on 89552333.
Thank you in advance for supporting our introduction of phone lockers for the benefit of wellbeing and learning.
NAIDOC at CMS
CMS will be celebrating NAIDOC during week 10. This years NAIDOC week theme is "Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud". NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and an opportunity to expand our knowledge of the oldest. continuous living cultures on Earth.
We look forward to seeing all the poster competiton entries and celebrating with our school community.
See the image below for our program of events.
School Improvement Updates
This year CMS is supported by additional funding from the Australian Government (also referred to as OCLM or ‘On Country Learning Measures’). Some of the ways we have used this funding include:
- New student laptops, working towards one laptop per student by the end of this year
- New Ipads and equipment in music
- More support for students needing reading and literacy support with two additional staff
- New reading comprehension resources
- Additional classroom support staff
- Increased employment of local Aboriginal staff
- LEaD Committee (Local Engagement and Decision-making) Committee meeting for families of Aboriginal students. A small but promising start on 9th We aim to increase to 2 meetings per term and build a core group.
- Flexible Learning program up and running again for students who have been disengaged from school
- Cultural presenters to support two-way learning and integration of Aboriginal perspectives in the curriculum
- Breakfast program for all students
- Improving focus on School Wide Positive Behaviour with the appointment of Associate Principal Dan Lewinski
Interschool Athletics
Congratulations to all the CMS students who participated in the Interschool Athletics competition in week 7. Students modelled the CMS values of Respect, Responsibility and Fairness throughout their engagement. A special mention to Olive Barwick who collaborated with students from other schools to field a combined relay team. A big thank you to our staff - Sarah, Gordon and Riley for supporting our young athletes to attend this event.
Year 8 Chemical Reactions
This term year 8 students have been having fun learning all about chemical reactions, making elephant toothpaste (the foam pictured) and producing hydrogen and making it explode with a big POP sound!
HPE Update
Our students had a blast while learning teamwork, coordination, and fair play through multi-sport which incorporates skills from AFL, Rugby, Basketball & Soccer. Recently students got together for a Just Dance Nintendo event, where they picked up teamwork skills by dancing in sync. They also enjoyed ball sports like basketball and soccer, which boosted their coordination and strategic thinking.
In selected PE lessons Reclink Australia came down to host some sports and health workshops for the students. Their team worked alongside CMS students to build their self-esteem, confidence, and appreciation of others through fun and interactive sports games.
By focusing on fair play and inclusivity in all we do in HPE, students learned to respect rules and value sportsmanship, making for positive interactions and mutual respect. These activities helped our students develop essential life skills, and we're super proud of their progress both on and off the field!
Kind Regards
Rebecca Stephens
Werte, Hello!
Hello, Werte!
It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself as the new Associate Principal to our CMS community. I previously worked at CMS between 2011 – 2015 in a variety of roles ranging from classroom teacher to Assistant Principal. Since 2015 I have worked in many schools and communities around Australia in both educational leadership roles and for the Clontarf Foundation. Like many people, we were drawn back to Alice Springs by the magic of the community and fond memories of my time at CMS. In my opinion CMS is the most important school in Alice Springs. We bring together a range of students from our amazing primary schools and provide a holistic education at what is such an impressionable age. Part of my role will be to continue the work around our ‘School Wide Positive Behaviour Support’ (SWPBS) framework which fosters a safe, positive and supportive learning environment and is based on research that positive behaviour can be taught and learned. With consistent implementation of SWPBS across the school we create conditions for a calm, orderly learning environment allowing our students to achieve success.
As the holidays approach I would like to wish our students and staff a safe and happy break. Holidays are a time to connect with family, explore and recharge our batteries. With another exciting semester on the horizon I am looking forward to seeing everyone come back fresh and ready to learn!
Regards,
Daniel Lewinski
Associate Principal
Important dates
| Friday 21 June | Last Day of Term 2 |
| Monday 24 June - Friday 12 July | Semester 1 School Holidays |
| Friday 5 July | Alice Springs Show Day |
| Sunday 7 July - Sunday 14 July | NAIDOC Week |
| Monday 15 July | Staff Professional Development Day |
| Tuesday 16 July | First Day of Term 3 |
LEaD Committee
Our first LEaD (Local Engagement and Decision-making) committee was held at 5:00 pm on 9th May. Rachel Abbott, Gordon Mallard and Leigh Stanton did a great job bringing together Aboriginal families in a promising start that we hope to build on. As just a few examples, families expressed appreciation for breakfast and other food programs. They asked for more communication from school, especially by text message, and more opportunities for their children to have role models, learn goal setting, and hear messages about being proud of identity.
Keep up to date with all our news and updates
Head on over to ‘like’ our Facebook page to keep in touch with school news, highlights and achievements of our wonderful students. We encourage people to like and share our posts.
Please read the terms of engagement before posting comments.
Community Announcements
School news and updates
Sports Voucher
Semester 1 and 2 2024 Sports Vouchers are now available. Parents and carers will need to apply each semester at the following website.
Please note if the details of the young person are already on the system, a voucher will be available to print or save straight away, if the details are not found by the system a voucher will be sent to the email address you have provided within 7 days. Applications Close 24th May.
More information is available at the link below, alternatively you can also contact the Sport Voucher team by phone on 1800 817 860 or by email sport.voucher@nt.gov.au .
Athletics Carnival
A day of great fun and friendly competion this years Athletics Carnival, held at Head Street Oval, was another great event that brought the whole school together. Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed competing alongside their peers in a range of events such as high-jump, shotput, longjump and various running races. It was wonderful to see so many representing their teams by dressing in the team colours and cheering along. A big thank you to all who helped make the day possible and to everyone who helped with the yummy bbq lunch!
HPE Update
Students started this term with a BANG celebrating their cross country and sports carnival off campus. On camps Health classes have been busy looking to growth, mental health and making safe and responsible choices. These classes have at times happened within the classroom but also at times outside in the fresh air. Some of the fun activities the year 7 ladies had the opportunity to do was some team building games and decorating cookies for their mental health boosting experience.
Outside of the classroom students have been enjoying having access to John McConville oval just next to the school. Classes have had regular opportunities to engage in field based sports that they know such as rugby and AFL but also get to know some lesser familiar sports such as baseball, golf and scoop ball. Along with all these fitness options a new developing program of Nintendo Sports has also been developing within the HPE space with classes utilizing Just Dance and Nintendo sports to improve their fine HPE literacy, teamwork and both fine and gross motor skills.
Kind Regards
Rebecca Stephens
Year 7.5 7.6 8.4 8.6 HPE Teacher
8.2 Volcanologists !
This term the 8.2 class embarked on an exciting adventure into the world of volcanoes! Through hands-on activities, engaging lessons, and creative projects, students have delved deep into the science and mystery of these powerful natural phenomena.
Our young volcanologists crafted detailed volcano models, showcasing their understanding of these magnificent landmarks. These projects allowed students to apply their knowledge creatively and gain a deeper understanding of the structure and formation of volcanos.
Later in the term students will have the opportunity to create their own volcanic eruptions using baking soda and vinegar. This fun experiment will help illustrate the chemical reactions that can occur during a volcanic eruption, making the science behind it both understandable and memorable.
We look Forward to our next adventure.
Regards
Matthew Stephens
Year 8.2 Small group Teacher
CSC "Vroom" Course
CMS is preparing our young people for senior school and the many opportunities which will open doors to the world of work. On Wednesday 155th of May, Mr Rupert Croutz from CSC visited CMS. In the photos, he is making a presentation to the Year 9 students about the ‘VROOM’ Course, an introduction to the world of cars and automotive industry. What an amazing experience!
Mother's Day Stall
The students of 8.7 had a Mother’s Day stall at lunch time on Friday May 10th . . The students worked with Arrernte cultural presenter Mali Cavenagh to learn craft skills and make bush medicine. Miss Angela and Miss Nola then supported the girls to create posters and a business plan that culminated in their Mother’s Day stall. Many staff and students bought gifts and the students raised over $400 that they will use for a class outing. Outstanding work!
8.2 Building Designs
As part of their lesson a week with Ms Catherine student's in 8.2 have been designing buildings that would fit in the landscapes from a cartoon movie. Student's had to create three different designs on paper. They then chose their favourite to carve into florist foam.
Prize for Most Improved Attendance
Regular school attendance and high school completion are foundations for a healthy, happy life. This term, we encourage all students to IMPROVE their ATTENDANCE. Students with significantly improved attendance will go in a raffle to win this electric scooter, which was kindly donated by our friends at the Able Hub and assembled by Aaron Kopp.
Student and Family Engagement
Role models and engagement programs so far this year include GUTS dance working with our fellas, Red Desert Warriors, Wellness and Wheels doing mountain biking with girls, and Dan the Underdog helping various students create and record their own rap songs. This year we are lucky to have 9 additional Aboriginal staff members, bringing in more local knowledge, cultural connections, and their own unique skills to enhance our CMS team.
Gordon Mallard has started Friday lunchtime activities for all students. In this picture, students are balancing a biscuit on the forehead for as long as possible before catching and eating it! He has also started a wellbeing group with a small number of students to support communication skills.
Our Year 8 Assistant Principal, Ben Forbes, continues to share the good news stories of CMS via our Facebook page. It’s wonderful to see families and staff like, love and comment on our young people’s success in learning. If you have not done so already, please follow and share 😊
Werte, Hello!
Hello, Werte!
It is always a pleasure to touch base with the CMS family as we share what has and what is going on within our school.
As we have gone past the hallway mark of Term 2 and getting closer to mid-year, I have the pleasure of sharing news about events that have happened so far. On the 26th of April and 3rd of May, we had a successful Cross Country and an Athletics Carnival at Telegraph Station and Head Street Oval respectively. This was a great opportunity for students to show their athletics skills. More to this, relationships were strengthened through social interactions outside of the classroom between students, staff, and families. It was heartwarming to see students encourage each other, families giving their young persons a pat on the back. Thank you to families who turned up to support the students and engaged in chats with our staff.
As the reporting period draws close, teachers have started writing comments which will provide essential feedback to families about students’ progress in their learning. These comments will be based on academic work done in Term 1 and Term 2 as well as approach to learning, attendance, and other general capabilities. Students are finishing off Term 2 assignments which will help build progress overview for Semester 1. We are encouraging our students to give every assignment the best effort. I am confident our families will be supporting our young people to complete all assessments. The support could be a as simple as checking in with your young person how they are going with their schoolwork and if they need any extra support.
Together as one, we will be successful.
Wellington Pasi
Assistant Principal
Important dates
| Tuesday 28 May | Year 9 Immunisations |
| Thursday 22 August | School Photo Day |
| Monday 10 June | Kings Birthday Public Holiday |
STARS Update
The start of term 2 has been super busy with all types of activities! Week 1 kicked off with a welcome back pancake breakfast for our Stars students.
On Anzac Day, a dedicated group of students woke up early to partake in the local march. They demonstrated their pride by marching together from the Todd Mall to Anzac Hill, showcasing their respect for the significant occasion.
In week 3, during contact times, the Year 9 students showcased their creativity in a fruit-themed cake decorating competition, while our artistic Year 8 students created some wonderful looking signs for their house teams for the upcoming 2024 Athletics Carnival.
AFL trainings on Thursdays at lunchtime have commenced to gear up for some thrilling matches against St Phillips College which will be held most Friday afternoons starting from next week.
Stay tuned for more exciting events this term!
-STARS
LEaD Committee Invitation
CMS hopes to start a LEaD Committee (Local Engagement and Decision-making), similar to the old ASSPA committee. This will be another way for Aboriginal families to have a voice and suggest ways we can work together for better educational outcomes for all our young people.
CMS LEaD Committee Meeting
- Thursday 9th May, 5-6 pm
- CMS Library
- Supper provided
- Please RSVP to Leigh Stanton, Rachel Abbott or Gordon Mallard (89552333) or just come!
Glenda McCarthy - Principal
Term 2 Assesment Schedules
School Expectations
A reminder about our school expectations :
Textas, sharpies and markers only in classrooms and school bags
Part of our School Wide Positive Behaviour expectations include students respecting each other and school property. Cleaners and maintenance staff have had a lot of graffiti to clean and repaint recently. For this reason, we will now ask students to use textas, sharpies and markers in the classroom only or keep them in their bags. Students with these objects in their hand outside the classroom are expected to hand them over to a staff member.
Phone policy
The NT Department of Education phone policy is that student phones must be away and silent between 8:30 and 3:00.
CMS will be introducing phone lockers this term. Students will be able to give their phone to a school leader in the year level for the day so it can be safe, on charge and out of reach.
If staff have evidence that students are using their phones for antisocial activity (bullying etc.), we will ask for family support to ensure that their phone is not brought to school, or at least not used at all during the school day. This will help create a safe school where students can focus on learning.
Most students who have a phone follow school expectations for this policy. We are grateful for all those who follow CMS school values of being respectful, responsible and fair.
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