26 July 2019

Newsletter Articles

Important date

• Monday 29th July – Alice Can Dance rehearsals commence
• Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st July – Science and Engineering Challenge and Discovery Day
• 4-7pm Wednesday 31st July – Learning Conferences
• 5pm Thursday 1st August – information session for 2020 language study tours
• Friday 2nd August – Cross Country
• Monday 5th August – Picnic Day Public Holiday
• Tuesday 6th - Friday 9th August – CMS celebrates NAIDOC Week
• Monday 19th August – Student free staff learning day

From the Principal

Dear families

The term has started off with a flourish with students and staff getting straight into their learning.

We have welcomed a few new staff to the school this semester. Welcome to Mr Simon Rowlands as our Assistant Principal, Ms Shirlee Webb as our 7.1 teacher, Ms Pav Pathik as our 8.1 teacher, Leon Weston as our Maintenance Officer and Cheyne Miles in Clontarf.

Next Wednesday evening we have our Learning Conferences. This is a really important opportunity for students to come together with their family and teachers to review progress and set goals. The conferences are the conversation that complement the reports that were mailed home at the end of last term.

I am excited by the array of classroom and extracurricular learning opportunities that we provide to our students. This week, for instance, we had the ABC work with a group of students to help them understand, recognize and respond to ‘fake news’. Next week rehearsals for Alice Can Dance commence. Next week we are also hosting the Science and Engineering Challenge, which our Year 9 students will participate in, as well as the Science and Engineering Discovery Day for students in Years 5 and 6. Next Friday we have our Cross Country Carnival (families are invited! Telegraph Station from 9.30am), and then we celebrate NAIDOC the following week. For a small school there are plenty of opportunities for students to become involved and challenge themselves to try different experiences.

Finally, I want to again stress the importance of attending school every day. Learning is a process that builds upon what has been learnt previously; if students are missing as little as one day per week, gaps can open up in their learning which can make it very difficult for them to understand the next concepts. Students need to attend every day to have the maximum chance of progressing with their learning.

Warm regards
Paul van Holsteyn
Principal

School news and updates

Welcome to new staff

We have a few new staff join us this semester.

Mr Simon Rowlands has joined the school as our Assistant Principal, taking over from Ms Kristi Beynon who has commenced her new role in Darwin. Mr Rowlands joins us from Bradshaw Primary School.

Ms Shirlee Webb joins us as a teacher in the 7.1 class, taking over from Ms Loveena Guilford who has commenced maternity leave.

Ms Pav Pathik joins us as a teacher in the 8.1 class, taking over from Mr Hans Westermann who for family reasons had to leave the school unexpectedly.

We also welcome back two staff members. Leon Weston has returned to the school for Semester 2 as our Maintenance Officer and Cheyne Miles has returned to the school in the Clontarf program.

Learning Conferences

We are holding our Learning Conferences from 4-7pm on Wednesday 31st July in the school library.

Learning Conferences are an important opportunity for a student to come together with their family members and teachers to discuss the student’s learning growth and achievement and to set goals for the remainder of the year. It complements the reports and learning plans that were distributed at the end of Term 2. (Reports were mailed to postal addresses at the end of last term – if you have not received, please contact the school so that we can check your address details.)

There is the opportunity to book an appointment time for Wednesday. Use the link below to identify your preferred time and staff will confirm with you. You can also just show up without an appointment time.

In the link button below:

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

If you are unable to attend, please contact the school so that we can set up an alternative time to meet to talk about the learning. (We welcome the opportunity to do this at any time of the year.)

Alice Springs Language Centre Study Tours information session

Each year, CMS Year 9 students have the opportunity to travel overseas to continue developing their language skills. Planning is underway for two trips in 2020 – one to Spain and one to Japan.

The Language Centre is holding an information session at 5pm on Thursday 1st August about these trips. Interested Spanish and Japanese students and their parents should attend.

NAIDOC Week celebrations

CMS is celebrating NAIDOC in Week 3 (6th – 9th August). The theme for NAIDOC this week is Voice, Treaty, Truth, which are key themes of the Uluru Statement of the Heart. To commemorate NAIDOC there will be a number of events happening across the school community. These include Flag Raising and Smoking Ceremony, Panel Forums with significant local Indigenous people and celebration of the work of Yothu Yindi. We are hoping that our family community will take opportunities to be engaged, come and speak with our students and celebrate this important week.

ANZAC Spirit Study Tour

A few of our Year 9 students are submitting applications for the ANZAC Spirit Study Tour. The prize is participating in a trip to see battlefields of significance to Australia and the ANZACs, and participating in the 2020 ANZAC Day commemorations in Villers-Bretonneux in France.

One of our applicants was Danae Moore. She has painted an incredible representation of her interpretation of the Spirit of ANZAC.

Thanks to Mr Pasi for working with these students.

Clontarf Corner

Clontarf had a very successful camp late in Term 2. Take a look below at what they got up to.

Community Announcements

Sport Vouchers

Each semester students are eligible for a $100 sport voucher to go towards the cost of sport and cultural activities. In previous years, vouchers have been delivered to the school for all students.

This year, families have to apply for their vouchers.

Please use the link below to apply for sport vouchers for your young person.

Skills, Employment and Careers Expo

There is a careers expo in Alice Springs from 4pm-7.30pm on Monday 12th August and 8.30am-12.30pm on Tuesday 13th August. Check out the flyer below.

Invitation for a dental check-up for your child/teenager

Children/teenagers in the Northern Territory (NT) who are attending school are entitled to free public dental services until they are 18 years old. We encourage parents to have regular dental checks for their children/teenagers to promote good dental habits and avoid the need for management of dental pain.

These services are delivered through school-based clinics, community clinics, remote health centres and mobile services.

Treatment is usually provided by dental therapists and oral health therapists. In some cases, your child/teenager may be referred to a dentist or specialist if more complex/specialised treatment or advice is needed.

You are invited to make an appointment for you child/teen, and other siblings (if applicable) by calling Oral Health Services on:

(08) 8951 6713

Squash

All Abilities Netball

Addressing ‘Gaming Addiction’ – Invitation for all Alice Springs Parents

Jocelyn Brewer, a Sydney based psychologist and former teacher, is doing a 1 ½ hour parent presentation on Tuesday 13th August in The Minnamurra Hall, St Philip’s College at 6:30 pm.

She will address the new diagnosis of “Gaming Addiction” of adolescents. She will discuss how to avoid the trap of ‘internet addiction’ and how to develop healthy life choices around our consumption of technology-enabled media content. The presentation is free for all parents/guardians.

Please RSVP to Jennifer.robinson@stphilips.nt.edu.au

Below is more information regarding Jocelyn.

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