26 October 2021

Newsletter Articles

Important dates

Friday 29 October – World Teachers Day
Thursday 4 November – Alice Beat Festival – Araluen Theatre
Wednesday 10 November - Clontarf Central Region Award Night
Thursday 11 November – Interschool Netball Carnival
Monday 15 to Friday 19 November – Vet Week - Year 9
Friday 19 November – Year 6 Orientation Day
Wednesday 17 November – School Council Meeting
Monday 22 to Friday 26 November – Clontarf end of year camp
Wednesday 24 November – Stars Awards Night
Friday 26 November – Swimming Carnival

From the Principal

Werte! Hello!

We have had a flying start to Term 4! I was up in Darwin last week for the annual School Leadership Summit. I was excited to see the launch of the Engagement Strategy after significant consultations with our community. Our executive is interested to listen to the voices of our students and families to ensure that our education system is responsive and culturally inclusive. We have an action-packed Term 4 to look forward to with lots of events including our Swimming Carnival, Year 6 Orientation Day and celebrating our students’ achievements.

World Teachers Day

On Friday of this week, we celebrate our amazing teachers! Encourage your young person to appreciate a teacher this week – it could be in the form of just saying thanks! We also recognise individual excellence in the Teaching in the Territory Excellence Awards. This year Centralian Middle School has two finalists- Ms. Cassandra Wallace for the Secondary Teacher of the year category and Ms. Laryssa Montgomery for Leadership in schools.

Read Write Inc- Fresh Start

Staff this week are learning more about the Read Write Inc –Fresh Start program. Fresh Start gives older students, who have not yet cracked the 'code of reading', the chance to catch up and become confident, fluent readers and writers. Ms Killingbeck is currently delivering the program across the school, and we are very excited to see our student’s progression.

Halloween Dance

I am getting very excited for our Halloween Dance being organised by our Student Leadership group and Ms. Emma Forrester. There is a cost for entry on the door on Thursday evening – which includes food and prizes. We encourage safety on the evening- students must be dropped off and picked up by an adult- they are not to walk home. Students will need to be signed in and out at the door.

Code of Conduct for parents, visitors, volunteers, and service providers

Our School Council signed off on the code of conduct for parents, visitors, volunteers, and service providers. The Code of Conduct outlines ways in which we will work together to help us provide a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning and working environment. It also outlines unacceptable and offensive behaviours that are not accepted in our school. When we work together, we provide the best opportunity to support children’s academic learning, social and emotional development, and wellbeing. The Code of Conduct will be published on our school website and copies will be visible and available in the front office.

Parent Survey

Thanks to families/caregivers who completed the 2021 school survey. Feedback is very important to us. Our families/caregivers would like us to focus on improving the following:

The management of student behaviour – ‘well managed’
Students being able to regulate emotions
Sharing learning data about student progress

We will work with you to further unpack what this feedback means- what does well-managed mean to you? What kind of social and emotional learning is important to you? What kind of learning data would you want to see and how often?

Warm regards
Cassie O’Bree
Principal

School news and updates

In preparation for the 2022 school year our principal, Cassie O’Bree, is extending an invitation to parents/carers for one on one tours.

Please contact the Front office on 8955 2333 for bookings

Tutor Position

Swimming Program

All students will participate in a swimming program as part of Health and P.E. The program will run in every Home Group and Lesson 5, for a week for each year level. Please make sure your young person comes to school with swimming gear and a towel in the following weeks:

Week 3 – Year 8
Week 4 – Year 9
Week 5 – Year 7

It is really important that permission forms are returned to school as soon as possible. Forms are available from the front office.

Year 7

In Science, Year 7 students have been learning about how forces affect motion. They used paper streamers to measure the distance of a person walking at a constant speed to the beat of a metronome and also from rolling a ball down a slight incline.

In Humanities, Year 7 students are studying Ancient China this term in History and have already dived into research on the dynasties which ruled during the ancient empire. Students have been working in small group or individually to develop posters around achievements and significance, as well as fun facts about Ancient China. A study on the Great Wall of China and The Silk Road is coming up.

We are also analysing and writing some poetry. It was fun to go outside, choose a piece of nature and then write it into a poem. If you notice people wandering around speaking in rhyming couplets, you’ll understand why.

Year 8

Safety was a priority in the kitchen as our Year 8 students learnt to deep fry food. The result was no injuries and delicious spring rolls.

Year 9

Year 9 students are busy preparing themselves for the transition to CSC next year. Careers coordinator Jodie visited us to talk students through their many options for electives and VET courses in Year 10. All students should have an enrolment pack, and VET/Electives selection forms. Please work with your young person to complete and sign these forms and return them to the CMS front office.

Utnenge

In Utnenge we have tried a range of different art activities.

We glazed the ceramics we made last term and have started on scary halloween creations.

Ruby has continued to develop her digital art and work on her cosplay passion project.

Stars Foundation

The start of Term 4 has been tremendous! We would like to thank all of our Stars students for making such a great start to the term.

This term we welcome our new staff member Lara Harding to the team. Lara is a local to Alice Springs and has worked at Sadadeen Primary School for the last 4 years. She is very excited to get to know all of our Stars students.

This term Stars will be focusing on Education Training and Employment as well as Healthy lifestyles and Wellbeing for the Year 9’s. Year 8 students and Year 7’s will also be participating in community activities and learnings focused on Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyles.

So far this term we have had David Thomas from the Central Australian Football League in to run some games and AFL drills with the Year 7 students. We are so proud of all our girls who participated despite the heat and had a great time.

We also have had a few cook ups in the room and lunchtime activities. We would love to thank all students who come and participate in our lunchtime activities as it has been great fun and a nice way to escape the outside heat.

Please remember that Stars can provide pick up’s and drop offs before and after school. Come and talk to Staci, Sam or Lara if you need a lift as we love having you all at school and keeping that attendance high.

We are looking forward to a full term of activities, fun and laughs for the rest of Term 4.

Stars Team :)

Clontarf Corner

Last Friday, 21 of our students from Clontarf woke up early for a healthy walk up Anzac Hill, with our fellow students from CSC Clontarf Academy.

The sheer sense of achievement for one of our students was truly heart-warming, who mentioned;

"Wow, I haven't been up here in years, it's so beautiful!"

Beauty - it's certainly in the eye of the beholder!

Community Announcements

Free Autism Workshop & Autism Social Group for Parents / Carers

A free workshop for parents / carers supporting a young person on the autism spectrum and will be held at Alice Springs Convention Centre on 26 / 27 October. It will be co-facilitated by Department of Education staff.

Please find more details and online registrations at the link below:

Alice Beat Festival

Alice beat festival is fast approaching! Performance at Araluen Arts Centre Thursday 4th November, 7:00pm - 8:30pm.

NT Music School 2022 Enrolment

Is your child interested in learning a musical instrument or singing?

Enrolment applications are now open for new and continuing students in the NT Music School’s 2022 Instrumental and Choir Program. Instrumental lessons are offered during school hours for students in flute, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, trumpet, trombone and percussion. Lessons are free with a $50 contribution requested on placement and instruments can be hired through Musicorp Australia. Choir is by audition and rehearsals happen after school.

Mental Health Association Central Australia

If you're needing some strategies to support parenting teenagers in your care or want to learn about supports in our local community come to the Parenting Teens Workshop - 5.30pm Wednesday 10 November at the Andy McNeill Room Alice Springs Town Council.

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