20 February 2015

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Blog:

Hello to all our families,

Our term is now well underway with staff and students settling into new classes and routines. There is generally a very positive feeling despite the ongoing hot weather. We are constantly amazed that students have so much energy no matter how hot it is. We are well into our swimming program preparing for the school and inter-school swimming carnivals. We would love to see families supporting their children on Thursday 5th of March.

I’m looking forward to seeing many of our families come along and join us at the first ‘Chalk and Talk Café” for 2015, this Saturday from 9am. We are aiming to outdo last year’s numbers, with more student performances, and a continued high standard of food and service

Your children might have been talking about doing tests already. All students have been participating in our first round of PAT testing. The data we are collecting will allow us to target our teaching more appropriately to individuals, and to measure student’s progress.

As you read through our newsletter you will see that we have a wide range of programs catering for our diverse student group. Each of these programs is designed to improve the outcomes our students in all areas as they progress through CMS.

I’d like to thank Kate Axten for taking on the role of Student Representative Council (SRC) Co-ordinator for this semester, while Kate Fisher is on leave. Kate is passionate about the lifelong benefits of developing student leadership. Another opportunity for leadership are the roles of house captains. Any interested year nines should see Miss Thompson first thing Monday morning, and be ready to speak in front of their house about why they would make a great leader.

A reminder to all students that the homework centre and the Polly Farmer Program are operating again every Monday and Wednesday after school until 4:30pm. Students will be provided with afternoon tea and a lift home.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you on Saturday at the café and would be happy to chat about any ideas you have about the school,

Donna O’Brien
Acting Principal

WHAT’S ON:

Chalk ‘n’ Talk Community Cafe:

Is back for 2015:

Thank you to all the CMS Staff who make the café a success by donating their time on the weekend, baking and preparing the wonderful items on the menu.

CMS Council AGM:

Our School Council AGM is being held on 4th March at 5pm in the staffroom
If you are interested in being a part of our school council,
please come along and register your interest.
We only meet 8 times a year for approx. 1.5 hours on a Thursday evening
(or other day if this doesn’t suit our 2015 members)
We would love to see you there!

Swimming Carnival:

Thursday, 4 March 2015

• Students need to attend school in the morning. We will be walking to the pool.
• Student Council will be busy fundraising with a BBQ lunch.
• Don’t forget your swimmers, drink bottle, lunch money and BE SUNSMART
• FAMILIES WELCOME
• More information will be sent home in Week 5

Pink Stumps Day:

This year CMS is participating in PINK STUMPS DAY, in order to raise much needed money for the McGrath Foundation.

CMS has a fundraising page at http://pinkstumpsday2015.gofundraise.com.au/page/CMS15

Please go there and DONATE! We are looking to raise over $1000.00. We will also be having a PINK STUMPS DAY on the last day of term - possibly staff v students!

GET AMONGST IT

Vacancy:

School Gardener

Around the School:

Cooking Up a Storm:

Year 7’s Fruit Salad

Ms Connelly shares her Granny’s recipe with her Year 8 class.

Ms Hunter’s Class in 3D

Here are a few snaps from some activities we have been doing in class.

Art Electives:

Music Electives:

Eels Visit

The Parramatta Eels visited CMS in Week 3.

Flexible Learning

Well the year has got off to a smooth start at the Flexible Learning Centre, with students getting to know each other and good progress being made.

We have some students who are returning from last year and new students from Alice Springs, Beswick, Katherine and Darwin. The students from other areas will be with us for up to four months as part of the BushMob Program, All have been working on academic subjects, life skills and personal development which will assist in the future successes in life.

This year we are working with two specialist teachers from CMS ; Stone Lee in Art projects and Peter McMeel in the Music field. Both these teachers are already bringing their passion for their fields to the students. We are also working with Glenn Warrior and Alphonsus Shields (Police) and also Cathy Farrer (RecLink) which will share a variety of teaching and activities with students.

We look forward to continuing to give all students the best opportunity for success.

Malcolm Solomano
Flexible Learning

Girls Academy News:

We’ve had a great start to the year.

The girls are participating really well within the program, which is what we love to see. One of our highlights so far is we (Girls Academy) were invited to participate in Clontarf’s first Morning Training Session. We had 10 girls, which is very positive and they all had a blast. The Clontarf students ensured our girls felt comfortable and included in every way. We went on to share in their big breakfast, which was very yummy. We thank Clontarf (staff and students) for giving us the opportunity and we look forward to our next session.

We’ve also had a lot of numbers coming along to our ‘After School Activities’, with an average of 22 girls coming along to each session. Activities so far; Wheelchair Basketball, Gymnastics, and coming up we have Cooking and Rock Wall. This has been fantastic, and we would like to encourage our girls to keep this effort up. Coming up is our ‘Reward Sleep over’ on Friday in Week 6 and we are hoping to have 20-25 girls, which will be fun.

For our girls, keep up the great effort, for our parents feel free to come in and check out our new room.

Samarra Schwarz
Girls Academy Program Manager

CLONTARF:

Wheelchair Basketball

First Training

Bluearth:

Greetings from Bluearth

Your child/children may have mentioned Bluearth or you may have seen the Bluearth Coach out in the playground over the past few weeks and wondered what it was all about.

Bluearth is a movement and activity based program that uses the joy of movement to help children better understand themselves, peers, teachers and the important relationships that exist between them. In an inclusive and fun environment students experience a range of individual, partner and group activities to improve posture, function, self awareness and mindfulness. This helps build lifelong habits in physical activity and movement that is so important for children’s development, health and wellbeing. With skilful guidance and reflection, amazing results have been achieved.

Bluearth provides on the job training for teachers so that the program can be sustained long term within the school. The Bluearth Coach will be working with teachers and their classes on a regular basis – please feel free to speak with them if you would like to know more about the program – or join in.

You might also like to visit the Bluearth website www.bluearth.org and look at our parents section for more information and activities for the whole family. We also encourage you to read some latest research in how mindfulness improved children’s learning: http://time.com/3682311/mindfulness-math

School Immunisation Program 2015:

Immunisation consent forms have been handed out to ALL Year 7 & Year 8 students on Friday 13/02/15. If your child is in Year 7 or Year 8 and did not give you the form/forms to sign, please call Barbara Glover on 89502504 and I will send them to you. ALL forms need to be signed even if they are not getting the immunisation and returned please

Year 7

Immunisation for Year 7 students is HPV (Human Papillomavirus) which is a safe and effective vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of HPV, two of which cause cancers. The vaccination will help to protect your child before they become sexually active. The course requires a total of 3 immunisations with 1st in Term 1, 2nd in Term 2 and the 3rd in Term 3. I f absent on the day of immunisations we will catch them up in the following Term. Please read the information provided on the consent form.

Year 8

Immunisations for Year 8 students are Varicella, Boostrix and for those born overseas Mantoux. Please read the information provided on the consent forms

Varicella (Chickenpox) is safe and 95-98% effective in preventing severe chickenpox disease. It is still recommended that children who have had the disease (chickenpox) to have the vaccine and can safely receive the vaccine.

Boostrix is a booster that contains vaccine for Diphtheria, Tetanus and Whooping Cough in the one injection.

• Diphtheria causes respiratory problems of obstructions to breathing and damage to the heart and nervous system and sometimes death.
• Tetanus (lock jaw) causes painful muscle spasms the interrupt breathing and can cause death
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is highly contagious and passed by coughing or sneezing. The infection causes severe bouts of coughing that leads to retching and vomiting, pneumonia, seizures and brain infections and causes death in young infants

Immunisation dates for CMS are;

10th and 11th March
19th and 20th May
11th and 12th August

Barbara Glover
School Nurse

Photo Gallery:

Welcome Barbecue

Thanks to all the families who attended our Welcome Barbecue. Our very talented, Jess Gatt, was our photographer for the night.