Filter Content
- Principal's Report
- Deputy Principal's Report
- From the DSM Desk
- Then and Now
- Colour Run
- Year 2 Aqua Safe Program
- Term 3 Sporting Schools Programs
- NFL Flag Football
- Year 3 and 4 Girls Represent Campbell at the Northside Sue Geh Cup
- New bus timetable commencing 9 October 2023
- ACT P&C and Education Directorate - Transition to school online parent webinar
- Triple P - Positive Parenting Program - Supporting children through big milestones
- Stranger awareness safety message
- Mobile phones in ACT public schools engagement
Parent/Carer Consultative Group- Invigorating Campbell Primary School’s Mission and Vision Statements
Over Term 4, the leadership team is working with our staff and students to update/invigorate the school’s current Mission and Vision Statements. The purpose of the statement is to clearly articulate what being a member of the CPS community looks, feels and sounds like.
The current Mission and Vision Statements was written in 2016 and I think we can all acknowledge that a lot has evolved and changed at CPS in those seven years. To find the full document please click on the link below:
https://www.campbellps.act.edu.au/our_school/our_philosophy
I am calling for a parent/carer consultative group to work alongside our staff and students to assist in creating a new set of Mission and Vision Statements ready for an official launch in 2024. It is very important that we hear from a cross section of our community, so that moving forward our statements are inspirational and include many voices/perspectives.
I expect that the parent/carer consultative group will need to meet twice over Term 4 and I am very happy to run meetings before or after school.
An official invitation will be sent out early next term.
Official Opening of the Basketball Court
On Monday 9 October, (Week 1 Term 4) at 1:00pm we will be officially opening our brand-new basketball court. Canberra Capital representatives will help to cut the ribbon and to celebrate this exciting new space, will verse the students in a shoot off.
As of next term, we will host our Yumas (Monday and Friday’s morning assemblies) on our new courts.
Thank you!
I just wanted to say a very big thank you to all our staff, students, and community to an incredible term. Term 3 is usually referred to as the ‘quiet’ term, but I don’t think we could have packed more in. I hope everyone has a very restful two weeks and return to school in Term 4 ready to make more memories.
Erin Minehan
Term Highlights
What an incredible term it has been! The last ten weeks have been absolutely jam-packed with enriching activities that have enhanced student learning and brought about a lovely buzz in the Campbell community.
We kicked the term off with a special ‘100 Days of Kindergarten’ celebration, which was a very exciting day that always serves as a reminder that we are well and truly into the second half of the year.
Kindergarten to Year 2 have enjoyed weekly Footsteps dance lessons, which set the tone for an amazing term of performance in our school. Limelight was a big highlight for many students, whom under the lead of Mr Lawson showcased visual arts, singing and dancing. Big thank you to Mr Lawson for his commitment here, it was an incredible experience for all involved! Years 4-6 visited ADFA to watch the Freaky Friday performance, which from all reports was a fantastic show.
Kindergarten students had some scaly, slithery visitors from the Reptile Zoo, and Year 1/2 went back in time at Blundell’s Cottage, and again at an old-fashioned school day. We also had visits from Kenny Koala and ACT Fire and Rescue, as well as pyjama day, Book Week and Book Fair! A group of Year 6’s demonstrated altruism and environmental stewardship, volunteering to plant natives on Mt Ainslie in an effort to regenerate the old tip site.
A huge feature of this term was the STEM night, which was a huge success. Our ongoing partnership with the Academy of Future Skills is a wonderful resource, which we are hugely grateful for. Big thank you to Mrs Nguyen and all other staff and student volunteers who made the night one to remember!
Sports are always a key part of our calendar, and this term has been no exception. Year 2 have been to swim school, where they learned all about keeping safe in the water and many students made us all very proud by showing off their teamwork and prowess in basketball and NFL. We also celebrated the huge success of the Matildas with a ‘green and gold day’ and participated in many sports clinics that Mrs Penney organised, from tennis to rugby.
We can’t possibly reflect on the highlights of this term without giving ‘Camo for a Cause’ day a mention. The ebullient Mrs Penney outdid herself with this fantastic day filled with music, demos, games and of course, lots of camo - all to raise money for a very worthy cause, Legacy. Thank you Mrs Penney!
The P&C have hosted many wonderful events this term, with a uniform-free day, father’s day stall and brekkie, and of course, the colour run! Big thank you to the P&C for supporting our school and providing these fun community opportunities.
I’d like to express a sincere thanks to all of the staff and community members who contribute to making Campbell Primary such a fantastic place to be. Wishing everyone a safe and happy break!
Looking forward into Term 4 - Important Dates
Week 1
Monday 9/10 - Basketball Court Official Opening, 1:00 pm
Wednesday 11/10 - Whole School Floriade excursion
Week 2
Monday 16/10 - Year 3 MOAD Excursion
Week 3
Wednesday 25/10 - Kindergarten Assembly
Thursday 26/10 - Year 6 Japanese Tanken Centre excursion
Week 4
Friday 3/11 - Market Day
Week 5
Wednesday 8/11 - 1/2L & 1/2D Assembly
Friday 10/11 - Remembrance Assembly, 10:30 am
Week 6
Monday 13/11 - Preschool 2024 Come & Play, 4:30-5:30 pm
Week 7
Monday 20/11 - Kindergarten 2024 Information Session, 4:30-5:00 pm
Wednesday 22/11 - 1/2DK & 1/2W Assembly
Week 8
Tuesday 5/12 - Preschool ‘Let’s Play’ excursion
Wednesday 6/12 - Preschool Graduation, 3:15-4:00 pm; Year 4 Assembly
Thursday 7/12 - Year 6 Graduation and Dinner/Disco
Week 10
Tuesday 12/12 - End of year Concert, 4:30-5:30 pm; P&C Picnic, 5:30-6:30 pm
Thursday 14/12 - Year 5/6 Fun Day
Friday 15/12 - Last day of term
Kate Herrington
Are you posting?
Please let us know! Campbell Primary has an incredibly high ADF population and hand in hand with that is an always large number of students transitioning out due to a parent or parents posting at the end of each year. All students in Years K-6 moving away throughout the year are offered the opportunity to participate in a transition program in preparation for the move. During Term 4, these are small group sessions of 2-6 students spread across the term (usually 4-6 sessions depending on the timetable and academic needs). These sessions cover strategies for saying goodbye, staying in contact, making new friends, and managing emotions. In addition, we also research gaining locations, schools, parks, clubs and other things that interest the student and help make all the change less daunting.
Families who have already received notification of your posting order will receive a letter and form home this week. If you have not yet had the opportunity to advise of your impending move, or if the note doesn’t make it home, please find the letter and form here. It’s ok if you don’t yet have all the details - locking in new housing is always a challenge! But returning the note with the basics enables us to plan the groups and prepare resources early and is greatly appreciated. These sessions are not mandatory. Unfortunately, they are also not available for local moves or graduation. If you have a student struggling with local transitions, please contact me to discuss support options.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to make contact via email at any time: Karyn.heitmann@ed.act.edu.au
Happy Spring holidays! Please also see the information below from our local DMFS team for an exciting opportunity.
Karyn Penney
Defence School Mentor
Dear ADF Families,
The DMFS Canberra Child of the ADF medallion Event is now LIVE on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dmfs-canberra-child-of-the-adf-medallion-tickets-715144054117
Child of the ADF Medallion (CotADFM) is a national DMFS initiative. Participation in this program is open to all children of current serving permanent ADF members who are listed as recognised dependants.
Each eligible participant may only receive one CotADFM. Medallions are presented to children (under 18 years of age) who have shown resilience and growth in managing the challenges of the ADF lifestyle, in particular:
- Relocations
- Connecting in new schools, sport, people and/or social groups
- Absence of a family member for service reasons
- Support of ADF capability requirements where there has been additional work tasking requested of the serving member that were unforeseen.
The eligibility of the child to receive a medallion is at the discretion of the serving member. DMFS will not be undertaking eligibility checks aside from confirming that the child is a recognised dependant of a SERCAT 6/7 or SERVOP C member.
The Canberra region will be holding two CotADFM event days.
- Monday 30 October from 1300 – 1515hrs at Duntroon Community Centre. This will be a much smaller version of the Saturday event and is aimed at families with non-school age children.
- Saturday 4 November from 0830 – 1600hrs at Duntroon Community Centre.
Please select one timeslot to attend, remembering to add one ticket per child who is to receive a medallion. One ticket = one medallion. Please also ensure that each child’s name is spelled correctly on the ticket as this will be transcribed onto the certificate that will accompany the medallion.
With an expected high demand, places will fill up fast and numbers will be capped at 40 for each session for logistical reasons. CotADFM will be held annually moving forward, so there will be other opportunities to receive the CotADFM in the future.
We look forward to sharing this special event with you.
DMFS Canberra Team.
On Thursday 22 September, all students in Year 1 and 2 participated in an ‘olden-time school day’.
Students had fun playing some games from the past such as fly, elastics, hopscotch, horseshoe throw and a traditional circle game. They enjoyed testing their fine motor skills playing marbles and jacks! They also got to practise what it was like to do their handwriting with chalk on little blackboards and with ink pens and quills.
Teachers dressed up in old fashioned clothes, which the students found quiet amusing, reinforcing the strict demeanour of teachers back in past!
A great day was had by all.
It was incredible to see so many smiling, colourful faces during the Colour Run on Tuesday. On behalf of the Campbell Primary School staff and students, I would like to acknowledge the amazing work of the P&C in organising the Colour Run.
I would also like to congratulate all the students for their enthusiastic participation in the Colour Run and thank the community for their generous support of our fundraising efforts.
We have raised almost $7000 towards new musical equipment. If your child/ren are a few dollars short of a particular prize (or haven’t created a profile) it is not too late to do additional fundraising.
At Yuma in Week 2, we will hand out certificates acknowledging the top 10 fundraisers.
Families can start ordering prizes from this Friday (22 September). Prize ordering is open until Friday 13 October (end of Week 1).
We eagerly await the next whole school event.
Al Scherer
Sports Coordinator
Campbell Primary School Year 2 students were very excited last week for the chance to return to CISAC pools, this time for the Aqua Safe program. Aqua Safe Water Safety and Awareness Program is designed specifically for Year 2 students as a joint initiative between Royal Life Saving ACT (RLSSACT) and the ACT Government, through the Education Directorate. Aqua Safe is different from traditional learn to swim programs in that it focuses specifically on water safety and survival skills and knowledge that can be applied to a range of aquatic environments. The Swim and Survive program aims to improve student's abilities to be safe in and around water and make smart decisions.
Our Year 2 students had a fantastic time learning a range of skills including safe entry into water, flood water safety, what to do when you can’t see underwater hazards, boat safety, correct lifejacket technique, water and pool signs and their meaning, safe rescue and what to do if you fall in fully clothed. All this while having amazing fun with their engaging and very knowledgeable RLSSACT instructors! CPS would like to extend our thanks to RLSSACT for this valuable learning opportunity. Credit also to our parents who diligently washed, dried and packed each day (including extra snacks for our hungry swimmers) and our tremendous Year 2 students and teachers who showed great adaptability and resilience across what was a very valuable (but exhausting) week.
While the Year 2s were away at the pool, the Year 1s were also busy inquiring into staying safe around water. We investigated a number of water safety warning and information signs and what they mean for us when we are around water. We discussed what we could do if someone was in trouble in the water. Finally, we made an artwork containing some of our water safety messages.
Term 3 Sporting Schools Programs
Tennis, Volleyball AND Rugby Union!
Sporting Schools is an Australian Government initiative designed to help schools increase children's participation in sport and connect them with community sport. Campbell Primary School were very privileged to receive funding again this term, to provide additional HPE opportunities delivered by amazing specialist coaches from three different sports.
We were excited to invite Volleyball ACT back to Campbell to deliver the Oz Spike program with our Year 5 and 6 team. Always a popular one, our seniors had a great time learning the fundamentals of the game of volleyball, and especially meeting and learning from Olympian, Rachel Uren. It was an inspiring program and it was fantastic to see maximum participation and lots of enjoyment from the students.
Dan from Tennis 360 is part of the fabric of the Campbell community with many students making the most of his outside of school coaching and development programs right next door at the Campbell tennis courts. This term our Year 3 and 4 students got to take the worlds shortest walking excursion over to the courts to have a go at the sport of tennis together. Our classes had an amazing time developing their racquet skills and learning about the sport of tennis. We fully expect the next Leyton Hewitt or Ash Barty to come from Campbell!
Visiting us for the first time was the ACT Brumbies with the “Get Into Rugby” program for our Year 1 and 2 students. What a fantastic program and delivered with incredible enthusiasm! Coaches led the classes through lots of fun games and activities designed to develop the skills of rugby union as well as foster teamwork, communication and coordination. We might all be Brumbies fans now!
Over the last couple of months a very dedicated and committed team of Year 6 students have been training extremely hard for one very exciting and special day. On Wednesday 13 September our Campbell Primary School NFL Flag team went and participated in the NFL Flag Football ACT State Championship at Deakin Oval.
What an amazing day it was!! The energy, effort and support amongst our team was amazing to witness. Our team trained incredibly hard for this moment and remained undefeated for their first 4 games, making their way into the GRAND FINAL! The team did a fantastic job and placed 2nd in the ACT State Championship, with Oliver L being named MVP for the team. The friendship, team spirit, support and commitment to their training was evident on the day. Showcasing the range of new skills and knowledge that they have learnt over the last couple of months.
The team made both Coach Thane and Coach Abby extremely proud of them.
Congratulations to our team of students who did an amazing job of representing Campbell Primary School; Xavier B, George S, Ruben F, Oliver L, Cameron F, Kai J, Jiyan A, Joshua W, Samara W and Ashley C.
But that’s not it…
One week before the big day, Campbell Primary School was offered the opportunity to send ANOTHER team. Ten amazing Year 5/6 students came together at the last minute to form our second NFL Flag Football team. They did a fantastic job, their energy and commitment to the day was admirable. This team was an incredible support system for our other players, cheering them on through the grand finale. The team placed 5th overall, with Charlotte B being named MVP for their team.
Congratulations to our second team; Bach H, Robin S, Lachlan B, Nikolas K, Lincoln K, Charlotte B, Ella M, Carla S, Isobel d’E T and Georgia B.
Year 3 and 4 Girls Represent Campbell at the Northside Sue Geh Cup
On Thursday 14 September, a very spirited group of twelve Campbell Primary School students made their way to Belconnen Basketball Stadium to compete for the first time in the Sue Geh Cup. With no basketballers in the team, and no proper court to teach them on, the girls faced an uphill battle to prepare for the carnival. Not the types to focus on the challenge, and drawing on skills honed at netball and AFL, the girls came together as a team exceptionally well. They practiced hard both at school and at home and it was evident in the development of their skills from try outs to game day. The girls came away with 2 wins from 4 starts in a very tough pool, and conducted themselves with the respect and enthusiasm we expect from Campbell students. We are incredibly proud of the team!
Campbell Primary School would like to acknowledge not just the team who travelled for the carnival, but each and every student who signed up and participated in the try outs. They made the selection process very difficult in the best way and we wish we could have taken all of them! A huge shout out to “Coach” Jones for taking the team for this exciting day out. As always these things don’t happen without our community and we would like to thank the parents who helped out on the day, and all the parents who came along to support.
These events, besides just making memories, have a flow on effect here at school. We know that basketball is just going to grow in popularity with the imminent opening of our new court! Sport has a well-known physical and health benefit but can also promote teamwork, communication, leadership, connection and positive mental health. If your student has been inspired you can find details of community competitions and holiday clinics at the Basketball ACT website.
New bus timetable commencing 9 October 2023
A new bus timetable will begin from Monday 9 October 2023 to align with the start of Term 4.
The changes include updated bell times and some refinements to 14 school services based on school and community feedback. There are no changes to the light rail timetable.
The upcoming school holidays is the perfect time to ensure you’re ready for the term ahead. For more information on school route changes, updated school packs and to view regular bus timetables visit the Transport Canberra - School service changes for term 4.
ACT P&C and Education Directorate - Transition to school online parent webinar
ACTP&C and Education Directorate - Transition to school online parent webinar Due 14 September 2023
The ACT Council of Parents & Citizens Associations and ACT Education Directorate are hosting an online parent webinar about transitions to school on Thursday 14 September 2023 at 7:30pm.The webinar is designed to support parents with children who are starting preschool or kindergarten in 2024 by providing supportive tips, strategies and resources for successful early education transitions.To register for this webinar click this link or use the QR code on the attachment.
Triple P - Positive Parenting Program - Supporting children through big milestones
The three Ps in ‘Triple P’ stand for ‘Positive Parenting Program’. Triple P is designed to give anyone taking on a parenting role (including step-parents, foster parents, and grandparents) useful knowledge and skills to help with raising children.
Visit the Triple P website which offers a range of free online courses and resources to support parents in managing everyday challenges. Read their latest article on supporting children through big milestones may support your child with big transitions.
Stranger awareness safety message
This is a reminder to please ensure your young person understands the importance of stranger awareness these school holidays.
Please support us to keep our children safe by having conversations about moving safely around the community. You may wish to visit the Australian Federal Police website section on Child Safety for tips. In addition, the Safety4Kids is a non-government website that has useful information and links. The Constable Kenny website also has a number of tips for parents for younger children.
If you become aware of an incident or notice anyone acting suspiciously around a school or student, contact police immediately on 131 444 or in the case of an emergency call 000. If you witness an incident or if you have any information that could assist police, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information can be provided anonymously. We would also ask that you notify the school so we can also support the wider school community to be aware of incidents.
Mobile phones in ACT public schools engagement
Have Your Say: mobile phones in ACT public schools
The Education Directorate is reviewing policies related to student use of mobile phones and similar devices in all ACT public schools.
A new Personal Use of Communication Devices in ACT public schools’ policy will be created to ensure that ACT public schools and classrooms are safe places that provide an effective and accessible learning environment for all students. It will outline the appropriate use of mobile phones and other communication devices by students.
By providing feedback, you can help make sure the policy meets the needs and expectations of parents and carers.
You can provide your feedback by visiting yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/mobile-phones-in-schools before 8 October 2023.