8 March 2022

Newsletter Articles

Important dates

Tuesday 8 March – International Women’s Day 2022

5.00pm Thursday 10th March – AGM Meeting

Friday 25 March – Battle of the School Bands

From the Principal

Werte!

I want to start by acknowledging the incredible staff and students in our community who have come back to school in less-than-ideal circumstances! It has been quite a unique start to the school year, and we have all had to quickly adapt to living with COVID. Our case numbers have been steadily decreasing. The Chief Minister has announced that the mandatory indoor mask mandate will be lifted as of Monday, 7 March.

While the mandate will be lifted, the wearing of masks is still strongly encouraged in the Northern Territory. Wearing masks continues to be strongly encouraged in schools, early childhood education and care services and across our department workplaces. We acknowledge and support staff and students who wish to continue to wear masks.

Excursions- we are now able to go on local area excursions and teachers are super keen to get out and about with students and engage in learning within our community. Please make sure that you have completed the local area excursion form for the year.

Our values are respectful, responsible, and fair. We acknowledge students who demonstrate our school values. Our values are taught to our students, and these values underpin our expectations for behaviour and apply in the classroom, online, on the bus or out in the community whilst representing CMS. Unsafe behaviour is not tolerated or accepted at Centralian Middle School.

Some reminders about school policy-

• Uniforms – Back to school vouchers can be used to purchase new uniform. We also have a limited range of uniform that can be borrowed out in uniform emergencies. Please make sure that the appropriate footwear is being worn to school – thongs, slides and socks are not appropriate for school.
• Energy drinks –Energy drinks are not to be consumed at school.
• Mobile phones- Students will be given one reminder before being asked to hand in their phones to the front office for the day. Phones should be out of sight unless the classroom teacher instructs otherwise.

We have a great team of teachers and support staff at CMS. I encourage you to get in contact with the relevant leader if you have any concerns. We have a range of people at school who are here to support.

Assistant Principal-

Wellington Pasi – wellington.pasi@education.nt.gov.au

Team Leaders-

Year 7: Emma Forrester – emma.forrester@education.nt.gov.au
Year 8: Clarence Jeanny – clarence.jeanny@education.nt.gov.au
Year 9: Emily Webster – emily.webster@education.nt.gov.au
AEO: Jamahl Hayes – jamahl.hayes@education.nt.gov.au
HLO: Denise Casey – denise.casey@education.nt.gov.au

Cassie O’Bree
Principal

Ms Cassie O’Bree

School news and updates

Annual General Meeting

Come and join us! Make a difference - have your say in shaping our school and join our school council in 2022. This Thursday at 5pm in the Library.

Year 7

The fellas ruled in the kitchen when we made cookies this week, well done the year 7's

We have been busy in the CMS kitchen with the year 7's nailing pancakes and muffins, great work!!

Year 8

A couple of students were practicing their soccer skills, being respectful to each other and fair by teaching each other technique.

Year 9

Year 9 Science has been focusing on the importance of teamwork, not only within our classes but within our bodies to coordinate our biological systems. We have…

• Used a round robin to review our knowledge of Biology from the last few years
• Taken part in the waterfall challenge, to be the components of a waterfall system. There was lots of coordinate and communication involved in a) creating a flow between three different water levels and b) maintaining the middle water level, with water coming in from the top level and leaving from the lower level.
• Explored our body's speedy reactions; comparing touch sensitivity around our bodies, exploring eye reactions to light and blinking reflex, balance, registering changes to temperature and conscious reaction responses.

VET - Conservation and Ecosystem Management

This year Centralian Middle School is giving Year 9 students the opportunity to achieve a nationally recognised Certificate I in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This program will be run over the year as an elective, with students being trained in 3 units each semester.

Semester 1 units are

• Work safely
• Support nursery work
• Support ecological restoration

Every unit gained will also give students points they can use towards their Northern Territory Certificate of Education.

Our training days run on Tuesdays, both in and - now with restrictions being lifted - outside of the school grounds. On-site we are establishing a nursery, training room and workshop. The program has a focus on industry environments, with students being able to meet with people working in industries associated with conservation, horticulture and land management, and experience industrial settings such as the Arid Zone Research Institute, local National Parks, nurseries, gardens, and businesses around central Australia. We have already visited the Westside Community Gardens and been introduced to the revamped space by Kaz, the Community Garden Network Coordinator for the Arid Land Environment Centre.

This week we completed our first project. The students had noticed that the prickly weed caltrop was growing thickly along the path to the bus interchange. When dry the prickles are sharp enough to stab through thin shoe rubber and hook onto people to be carried elsewhere. We decided to remove it, pulling out wheelbarrows-full in hot weather, to create a path and before the plants could set seed.

Student outcomes involve…

• using materials, tools and equipment for nursery and conservation/land management work
• taking part in conservation and restoration work
• growing and planting seedlings in a nursery
• learning how workplaces and people get work done safely

Students who have elected to join this program have been given enrolment and USI creation forms - can these please be returned to either Jacelyn Anderson or the Front Office as soon as possible.

For more information click the link to a flyer below, or contact Jacelyn Anderson, jacelyn.anderson@education.nt.gov.au, or the school on 089552333

Clontarf

Term 1 (Week 1 to 4)

What a great start to the 2022 year it has been for our boys with all the challenges being faced early on in the New Year. The fellas have taken it on like young men and we are looking forward to having huge momentum to finish off the last half of the term. With no out-of-school activities and camps due to the restrictions, we have put all of our Clontarf energy into fun and engaging activities not only with the students, but also with the staff!

Mexican Monday

There is no better way to start the week thanks to Mexican Mondays! The Mexican vibes are a great insight for the lads to try foods from different cultures. Tacos, burritos and nachos we have it all! We also extend a special welcome to our staff to come and join us for Mexican Monday. Guac and roll!

Olympic Games Staff Vs Students - Football Match

Our boys enrolled in the Clontarf program played against our staff yesterday in an AFL match after school. The 37-degree heat didn't discourage 22 boys and 15 staff from getting amongst the action, with plenty of skills on display and an abundance of smiles.

We've had plenty of positive feedback from both students and staff, with a strong focus on staff/student relationships. We look forward to the upcoming hit-out of the Olympic Games held on Thursdays after school.

Training With The Mayor

It didn't take long for the fellas to get around the Mayor and introduce themselves. All throughout training the fellas were quick to test and show what they can do, the skills and ball work were great however, what was truly amazing was to see how well the fellas have gotten into the Clontarf Spirit. From Year 7 to Year 9 all the fellas were sharing the ball, encouraging each other, laying some hard tackles and picking each other up after. Before heading back to the academy room for a delicious cooked breakfast, the Mayor was presented with a Clontarf t-shirt by one of our Year 8 leaders.

Contact Times

Clontarf Values – The fresh new year 7’s have started the year full of energy entering the Clontarf academy. The boy's willingness to learn about the values and standards within the Clontarf program has been incredible. We are looking forward to an exciting year with the lads, the leadership and growth are already playing a part within the boy's schooling year.

Stars Foundation

Week 3 in Stars we focused on one of our four key pillars, Healthy Lifestyles, where each year group showed off their cooking skills in a MasterChef competition! The girls worked in groups to create a pasta dish of their choice, where the dish was then taste-tested and scored by our mentor judges Lara and Tiara. We were extremely impressed with the girls, not only because of their delicious meals but also their great teamwork!

In celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8th), our girls have been lucky enough to assist community artist Tamara with her new mural piece at Flynn Drive Oval of this year’s theme #BreakTheBias. We can’t wait to keep you all updated with the process!

Polly Farmer Foundation

Follow the Dream kicked-off the year with plenty of fun at our Program introduction and team building session. During the session, students set rules and expectations, and brainstormed ideas for the program for 2022.

This year each session a student attends they will go into the draw to win weekly and term rewards.

25 students are enrolled in Follow the Dream but it’s not too late for any of the Indigenous students at CMS to join. Please email hamish.mcloughlin@ntschools.net or see the Front office for a permission form.

This year the Polly Farmer Foundation will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary and to help commemorate this special milestone we will be rewarding FTD students with a special 25th Anniversary hoodie!

To receive a Follow the Dream hoodie students must, 1) Be enrolled in FTD by March 11th, 2) Have +80% FTD attendance for Term 1 and 2 from start of enrolment, 3) Display excellent effort and behaviour during FTD, 4) Contribute a photo, video, drawings, painting, stories etc. that celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Polly Farmer Foundation (entries must be completed by March 31st)

Lastly, the Polly Farmer Foundation has tutor vacancies. Sessions are Tuesday and Thursday afternoon 3-5pm. Please email Hamish to express your interest.

Community Announcements

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge 2022

Youth Recycled Art Prize 2022 – Call Out

As part of the annual NT Youth Week activities, Council’s Youth Recycled Art Prize offers young people in Alice Springs aged 12 – 25 years the opportunity to develop their creative talents, have their work exhibited, and win great prizes

International Women’s Day 2022

Join Council in celebrating International Women's Day 2022 with a program of FREE events and activities! For more info call 8950 0500 or go to astc@nt.gov.au

Multicultural Fitness Month!

Experience the joy of multiple cultures through the sensation of movement and dance in a choice of TWO one-hour facilitated outdoor sessions, held on a Saturday morning in celebration of Multicultural Fitness Month! For more info call 8950 0500 or go to astc@nt.gov.au

Friends of Lee Point & Planning Action Network Art Competition.

Free competition, open to anyone 18 years or younger in the territory. The artwork needs to be visual and can be painting, drawing, prints, photos, sculpture or short video. The artwork will be judged on its message, uniqueness and art characteristics.

Closing date for entries is April 8th click on the link below to register:

Sports voucher

Semester 1 2022 Sports vouchers are now available. Parents and carers will need to apply online each semester by going to 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.

More information is available at the link below, alternatively you can also contact our Sports Voucher team by phone on 1800 817 860 or by email sport.voucher@nt.gov.au.

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