22 February 2021

Newsletter Articles

Important dates

Thursday 25 February 4.30 – 6pm – Meet the Teacher’s event
Wednesday 3 March 5pm – AGM Meeting – NEW DATE!
Monday 1 March – Year 7 – School Vaccination
Wednesday 3 March 8.00am – Friday 5 March 4.00pm – Clontarf Year 7 & 8 Camp – Alice Springs
Thursday 4 March – Stars – Year 8 Sleepover
Wednesday 17 March to Friday 19 March – Clontarf Year 9 Camp
Thursday 25 March – Battle of the School Bands

From the Principal

Dear families

Warm regards
Cassie O’Bree
Principal

Welcome to Week 4! I am really looking forward to meeting you all at our Open Night event on Thursday of this week from 5pm to 6pm. It will be a chance for us to get to know each other and have some fun. There will be lots of activities on offer – hacky sack, card tricks, lolly station, 3 on 3 basketball comp, live music, science mind tricks, maths challenges and family activities. Our Clontarf fellas will be putting on a BBQ and the women and girls in our STARS Foundation will be making curries. Our VET students will be making coffee and dessert. It would be great to meet you all- so come on down and support us.

Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting of the Centralian Middle School Council will be held in Week 5 – Wednesday 3 March at 5pm in the staff room. If you are interested in joining the council please call the school on 89552333.

Ms Cassie O’Bree

School news and updates

Year 7

In Week 1, Year 7 students completed their first prac in Science. Students had to identify equipment, and carefully and safely follow instructions to end up with a rainbow!

Year 9

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

• used a round robin to review our knowledge from last year
• been the parts of a waterfall system – there was lots of coordinate and communication involved in maintaining the water levels
• dissected the boss controller of the nervous system – the brain! (It was a sheep’s brain)

Utnenge

This week in class we did all kinds of things like drumming, Chinese New Year, and most importantly sustainability.

In drumming we did some rhythm drumming with Ed.

When learning about Chinese New Year, we learnt that the elderly would give children and young unmarried people red pouches with 9 gold coins inside. We also learnt that all different animals mean different things. This year 2021, is the year of the ox, which is known for honesty, diligence, strength and dependability.

We are learning how to be more sustainable and doing more sustainable projects. For example, my project in sustainability is to make a cosplay outfit out of recycled materials. Currently I am making a prop out recycled cardboard. We also learnt what is more sustainable for the environment to let wood decompose over time instead of burning it.

VET Conservation & Ecosystem Management

This week, CMS’s new VET Conservation and Ecosystem Management program was launched.

The new CAEM group headed out to the Arid Zone Research Institute’s horticulture block. We…

• explored our new work place, picking some grapes straight from the vine.
• spent time in the nursery and planted some seeds – hopefully we’ll have some fresh vegetables soon for the hospitality class.
• learnt how to use a whipper snipper safely and practiced starting them
• visited an environmental business (Stanley Chasm)

If your young person would like to join us, we’re having ‘come and try’ days every Tuesday until Week 4 – a signed excursion form will let them come along.

For more information on the program, either contact Jacelyn Anderson at jacelyn.anderson@education.nt.gov.au / (08) 8955 2333 or click here for a flyer.

VET Hospitality

Our first hospitality classes have gone extremely well, and we look forward to what this semester is going to bring. Here are photos of the two groups of students for this semester.

Stars Foundation

Stars Foundation would like to introduce our staff at Centralian Middle School. Staci Trindle is the Program Co-ordinator, Samantha Hoogeveen-Hill and Chealcee Fitz-Taylor are both Program Mentors. We would like to thank the students, staff and families for making us feel so welcome. We look forward to getting to meet more families at the CMS ‘Meet & Greet’, Thursday 25th of February where our students will be cooking up a big feast.

From left to right: Sam Hoogeveen-Hill (Program Mentor), Staci Trindle (Program Coordinator) & Chealcee Fitz-Taylor (Program Mentor).

So far this term we have had students participate in three weeks of contact time in our new Stars space. We have done a mix of activities including, Masterchef; where the students learnt how to make healthy meals, bacon & egg breakfasts with CMS staff, a volleyball competition, games in the room and wellbeing activities.

Over the next few weeks we will be starting our afternoon activities as well as a Year 8 sleepover. We look forward to getting to know all the students and families more and having a fun time throughout 2021.

CMS Stars Team

Clontarf Corner

Welcome to Term 1 – Week 1, 2 & 3

Welcome to the first edition of the 2021 Clontarf Corner, we welcome some new faces both staff and students. The year has been kicked off with a tonne of engaging activities ranging from sports, leadership health and employment.

MORNING TRAININGS

Our first training saw our last year’s group come out and set the standard, 18 members waking up bright and early and that was without our year 7 group, what an amazing start for the year! The following session jumped with 10 new members braving the early start to get an enjoyable training session and a nice healthy breakfast. Our new members have shown that they really want to be a part of the program with the way they have held themselves to the Clontarf way, with help from the year 8-9 leaders taking on the responsibility of showing the way.

Trainer of the week’s so far:

• Waikean Kelly
• Decklan Dempsey
• Ricky Mentha
• Malakai LeRossignol

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

After school activities are a great way of getting to know the fellas as well as having a bit of fun. The activities we plan are mainly based on what is going on around the school, the Clontarf Pillars or any team sports, the activities we ran this week were:

• BackBoard Footy
• Oz Tag
• Bike Mechanics
• KFC employment visit
• Kmart training session

YEAR 7 INDUCTION

The year 7 induction included activities that would help them understand why and how Clontarf can help with improving their education, discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects, which then will equip them to participate more meaningfully in society.

IMPARJA CUP SCHOOLS CRICKET CARNIVAL

With missing out on last year’s competition due to COVID, both staff and members were keen to come out and have an all-mighty crack at this year’s Carnival. The competition saw two teams from Centralian Middle Academy, one from both Yirara Brumbies and the Tennant Creek Blazers. Hosted by the Yirara Brumbies the day was well organized an entertaining. The matches all were competitive with a lot of Clontarf spirit going around, as well as a lot of first-time players finding a hidden talent which shinned on the field.

At the end of the day, it was one of the two teams we took, who came home with the shield lead by Liam Turner. Liam showed great leadership all day helping when needed, without asking and setting a great example to his younger academy members. He also helped the other teams by filling in for the other teams and encouraging his opponents.

MVP’s were:

• Kallum Forrester
• Lazarus Gallagher

Clontarf Spirit Winners:

• Kevin Tiltsen-Collins
• Liam Turner

CONTACT TIMES

Year 7 – The first few Sessions have been around what a Clontarf member looks like, as well as what is available for them this term.
Year 8 – For the existing members we have been running sessions on re-engagement with the program talking about leadership, employment, and upcoming events.
Year 9 – Re-engagement, Employment prospects and a leadership session ran by the Right Tracks Program.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Training with Centralian Senior Academy
• Football vs Yirara Brumbies
• Year 8 Movie Madness
• Bike Mechanics
• Clontarf “Meat & Greet” BBQ

Polly Farmer

The Polly Farmer Follow the Dream Program began this week with a bang – literally.

Students spent the week getting to know each other, developing their team work and communication skills and setting goals for the term ahead. If your child is interested in joining us, enrolment forms are available from the library and the front office.

Auditions for upcoming musical

We held auditions today for roles in our upcoming musical with Centralian Senior College... Watch this space! There was some serious talent in the dance studio today.

School Vaccination

On the 21st of March Year 7’s student will be offered free vaccinations recommended by the National Immunisation Program as part of a school-based vaccination program. Students meeting certain criteria will also receive a Mantoux test which will be read on the 4th March. Please note, no vaccines or Mantoux test will be given without parental/guardians consent. Consent forms will be sent home with students and need to be returned as soon as possible, this also includes parents who are declining the vaccinations.

Community Announcements

2021 National NAIDOC Poster Competition

Calling all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists! You are invited to submit your artwork for the 2021 National NAIDOC Poster Competition.

The winning artwork will collect a $10,000 cash prize and be used as the 2021 National NAIDOC poster.

The competition is a chance for talented artists aged 13+ to be recognised and have their artwork seen and celebrated across Australia as the centrepiece to NAIDOC Week 2021.

Your artwork must reflect this year’s theme ‘Heal Country!’ You can find more information on the theme here.

View the Terms and Conditions here. Submit your entry here. Entries close 3.30pm, Monday 8 March 2021.

The Youth Recycled Art Prize 2021 is here!

Submissions OPEN – Register TODAY

If you’re aged 11-25yo, then submit your best ‘waste’ artwork, creating a sculpture or artwork out of reused or recycled materials.

Entries close 1st April 2021!

Opening exhibition on 9th April 2021! Details to come

FREE Community workshop hosted by Alice Springs Public Library – details to come!

Register your interest with Zak Tilley by emailing ztilley@astc.nt.gov.au

$700 worth of prizes to be won!

See poster for more details!

Sports voucher

Sports Vouchers are available now!

Apply for yours online,

*** Children living in an urban area are eligible to receive two $100 sport vouchers each year - one in January and one in July - for sport, recreation and cultural activities.

Parents or carers need to apply for vouchers online each semester.

All vouchers expire on 31 May each year.

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