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- Principal's Report
- Deputy Principal's Report
- Legacy Week and Camo for a Cause Day
- Campbell Primary School Regional Athletics Team
- Year 6 Tree Planting excursion
- Campbell NFL Flag Football
- National Health and Physical Education Week
- P&C Fathers' Day event
- P&C Colour Run - 19th September
- Housekeeping
- Hats on Again
- Mobile phones in ACT public schools engagement
- Car Park Safety
- ACT Children and Young People Commissioner Rights in ACTion! August newsletter
Basketball court and Futsal court
This week the landscaper has been out and sprayed the area around the basketball with grass seeds. The seeded area will need to be flagged off for the next 12 weeks with the students accessing the court Week 1, next term.
In other exciting news, our P&C and School Board recently received notification that the ACT Education Directorate has committed to part fund our Futsal court. The tender for the court has just finished and we are expecting that work on the court will begin part way through Term 4. The court will run along the school’s boundary, closest to the oval. We are so excited for this last piece of the building modernisation puzzle to be completed. If your child/ren are old enough, you might remember how much the old Futsal court was loved. I am sure Mr Lawson can’t want to start the dodge ball lunchtime competition up and running again.
The community, led by our P&C, have done an amazing job to raise money for the court. A very special thank you to Melinda Evans, Carina Kemp and Robyn Briese who have advocated for our school community, making sure that our students have access to a much-needed facility.
Erin Minehan
Limelight
Last night Ms Minehan, Ms Johnstone and myself had the pleasure of attending Limelight, an annual arts showcase held at Llewellyn Hall at the ANU. Limelight is a wonderful celebration of performing arts in ACT public schools. Participants benefit from collaboration with students from other schools to rehearse and produce high-quality performances in a professional theatre environment.
We had several students from Years 3, 4, and 5 representing Campbell Primary School in the choir and dance performances. Ms Minehan, Ms Johnstone and myself were bursting with pride at seeing CPS students singing and dancing, and it was clear that they all had a wonderful time participating in such a large-scale, quality event.
Special thanks to Mr Lawson for organising the Campbell contingent, which involved many rehearsals. The opportunity to experience Limelight will be a memory these students cherish for years to come!
Whole-School Floriade Excursion - Save the Date
On Wednesday 11 October (Week 1, Term 4) we are off to Floriade for our annual whole-school excursion. We will be there to support the Years 5 and 6 Bands, as well as the Junior Choir, who will be performing on Stage 88 from 11:10 am - 11:50 am. This whole-school event will provide us with the opportunity to celebrate as a Campbell Primary School community and explore some of the wonderful things Floriade has to offer. Please save the date on your calendars and look out for permission notes, which will come home with students next week.
Kate Herrington
Legacy Week and Camo for a Cause Day
From the DSM Desk
Last week was Legacy Week, with Legacy celebrating it’s 100th year. The week commenced here at Campbell with a brief morning Yuma visit by none other than Legacy Bear to help us promote our Camo 4 A Cause Day and educate the school on the role of Legacy. Kindergarten got to enjoy some question time and a few very special cuddles with Legacy Bear!
We were also very lucky on Monday to be on the route of the Legacy torch relay as it moved between the Australian War Memorial (AWM) and Russell offices, with 2 very lucky senior students invited to escort the torch bearer as they moved past the school. Most classes were able to make it out after recess to watch the procession go past - a very special moment in history. Congratulations Lincoln and Claire on being selected to escort the torch. One of our amazing new Campbell Primary School families also delivered the starting address, laid a wreath at the AWM, and lit the cauldron at the Governor Generals house at the conclusion of the relay. We were so proud of the girls and the incredible way they represented themselves, Campbell Primary and Legacy on the day.
Then it was time for Camo Day and what an AMAZING day we had! The call went out, and as always, the Campbell Primary community responded in terrific fashion. It was so fantastic to see students in a wonderful array of camo clothing, accessories and face paint to fit the theme.
Never ones to simply dress up, we went all out with military themed experiences for the students. Activities included the incredible Dr Silly and Medic Friend First Aid interactive show, tug of war, obstacle courses, military dress up relays, cam crème application, an historic display of memorabilia from the Australian War Memorial, a howitzer with a team from the Australian Federation Guard, and the incredible musical stylings of the Royal Military College pep band. For the whole middle session students danced, painted, leopard crawled, ran, jumped and learned about our incredible military community and culture, while also having a lot of fun!
While the day was amazing fun the cause we were supporting is very serious and sad. The recent helicopter tragedy during Ex Talisman Sabre brings to light just how important the work of Legacy remains in supporting the widows and children of veterans who pass away during service or any time after. This is their hundredth year and they still have 43,000 partners and children they support every day. Many of us will know someone whose family has benefited from the support of Legacy without even realising. Between the generous gold coin donation and the bear and badge sales Campbell Primary School has raised an incredible amount of over $800.00 to support Legacy in their important work.
A day this big doesn’t happen without a great deal of help and support. Campbell Primary School would like to thank all of our staff, families, P&C, canteen and students who embraced the day and contributed so much to the fundraising efforts. We would especially like to extend our appreciation to the 5 incredible Campbell Primary School ADF parents (and the members of their working teams) who gave up their time and knowledge to run our activities. We genuinely could not have done it without you. Finally to the amazing teams from Fed Guard and RMC Band who contributed with such energy and passion, we are so grateful. We hope that this may become an annual event and that it will be bigger and better next year! Anyone have a contact for a helicopter?
Karyn Penney
Defence School Mentor
Campbell Primary School Regional Athletics Team
On Thursday 31 August a small but determined group of Campbell Primary athletes travelled to the Australian Institute of Sport to compete against other schools from the North Gungahlin region. We were very lucky with the weather, and it was a fantastic day of running, jumping and throwing. All students gave it their all and are to be commended on their efforts on the day.
A couple of students managed to finish in the top places of their events and may be invited to compete again soon; this time against the best from the other ACT regions. Congratulations to all students on their outstanding efforts and on being selected for this representative team.
Year 6 Tree Planting excursion
Last Friday, Ms. Deady led us, a bunch of super excited Year 6 students, on an amazing adventure to plant trees in an effort to conserve and regenerate our local reserve on Mount Ainslie. We geared up with hats and water bottles and hopped on a bus and headed over to our site selected by the local Rangers.
When we arrived, Janette from the Mount Ainslie Weeders - a local Landcare group - welcomed us with open arms and guided us up to our site. The Mount Ainslie Weeders and the Rangers gave us a detailed induction to the area and talked us through the tools we would be using. They also taught us the right way to plant seedlings, and shared with us the backstory about the site.
We learned that Mt Ainslie is of great significance to the local Indigenous people. For them, Mount Ainslie has been a sacred women's site for a long time. We also learned that in the 1970’s the site that we would be regenerating was used to be a garbage dump for local Canberrans. It was eventually capped with clay which made it particularly difficult to regenerate. Over the last few decades the Mt Ainslie Weeders have been working hard to establish native plants and trees that attract pollinators and preserve the natural beauty of our local reserve.
Our job was to plant three different types of native shrubs. We formed small groups, each working together to dig, plant, mulch and protect the natives.
We also had morning tea with the Weeders and Rangers, which was a great opportunity to connect with the Weeders and Rangers and chat about what we had achieved. When we returned to school, we were treated to some delicious hot chocolate and biscuits. We can't thank the rangers, and the Mount Ainslie Weeders and Ms. Deady, enough for making this unforgettable trip possible!
By Xavier, Josh, Tilly, and Ella
As you may have heard,a team of grade 6’s are competing in the NFL Flag Football program. On the 13th of September, this team will be competing against 5 other ACT schools. The team that wins the most rounds will play at the Gold Coast, representing the ACT. Now, if we win that competition, we get to go to Las Vegas in the USA, and we will be representing Australia against other countries.
So, in case you didn’t know, NFL Flag is a version of the American sport NFL. The game is played with 5 people on the offensive and 5 on the defensive. The offence has to score the ball over the touchdown line. They have four downs and if they pass halfway they get another set of four downs. The defensive has to pull tags to get a down. They can also intercept the ball to try to get a touchdown themselves. The game is played for 20 minutes.
So, you’re probably wondering who makes up this amazing team. We can tell you that the captain is Campbell's school captain, Xavier B. The co-captains are George S and Ruben F. The quarterback is George and the reserve quarterback is Jiyan A. Kai J, Josh W, Ashley C, Cameron F, Oliver L and Samara W make up the rest of the team. Our 2 reserve players are Charlotte B and Lincoln K.
We have also done tons of training. We train 3 times a week and then use what we have learned when we play at recess and lunch. At training, we work on throwing and catching in different ways, and we also learn routes. Routes are what you are meant to run when the quarterback has the ball. The basic ones are a fade, slant and hook, but we are also learning how to do a jerk and a chair. These routes are meant to confuse the defence.
Finally, we have to give a big thank you to our coaches, Miss Thane and Miss Abby. The pair have been working very hard to bring us great information and facts to help us out. They also went to a training day themselves. They learnt how to play the game and the basic skills they need to teach us. Both of them have done an amazing job and we would like to thank them for their hard work and support.
By Samara and Josh
Year 6 NFL Flag Football Team Members
National Health and Physical Education Week
Wednesday was Campbell Primary’s third annual celebration of National HPE Day. Health & Physical Education (HPE) Week is a nationwide initiative that highlights the importance of HPE in the Australian Curriculum, and its influence on the learning and development of children. We were delighted to get out in the good weather and celebrate the benefits of physical education and healthy living in fun and innovative ways.
It was great to see so many students in their running shoes and sports gear giving lots of different activities a go across the week. Different classes then had the opportunity to try different activities including volleyball, tennis, rugby union, soccer, softball, cricket, teeball, ninja warrior obstacle course and some special buddy PE . We loved seeing everyone have a go at something new with such enthusiasm and CPS spirit.
We wanted to extend our thanks to our special guest coaches, all of whom donated their time and expertise to help us broaden our PE experience. A very special thanks to Karthik from Softball ACT who returned to give our senior crew a taste of full softball. Thanks also to our Sporting Schools partners for the term - Dan from Tennis 360, Rachel Uren (an Olympian!) from Volleyball ACT, and Josh, Ronnie and Maggie from the Brumbies. We have also been hosting the fabulous team from Footsteps Dance for the term, so no shortage of amazing specialised physical education! We are so fortunate to have these great community partnerships and look forward to seeing them all back again soon. Please check the community events attachment with this newsletter for some great holiday and Term 4 sports opportunities.
Great job to all our budding sports stars on showing our visitors that you are safe, respectful, learners! Feedback from coaches, teachers and students was incredibly positive and all involved should be congratulated. With next week featuring Year 2 Aquasafe swim lessons, Year 3/4 girls basketball AND Year 5/6 NFL flag football representative carnivals we know that sport, health and physical education will continue to be a wonderful part of CPS culture.
A Father’s Day to Remember!
Did you receive a 'World’s Best Dad' mug or a brightly coloured key ring? Chances are it was purchased from the Campbell P&C Fathers' Day stall!
The Campbell Primary P&C recently hosted the Fathers' Day breakfast, stall and lucky door prize event. It was wonderful to see the school community out in force for both the Fathers' Day and Camo 4 A Cause Day events. The egg and bacon rolls were a particular favourite…and we apologise to those who missed out. The P&C were very grateful for the extra assistance provided by staff and students who stepped up and helped on the day.
A big shout out to local businesses Scott Leggo Gallery who donated puzzles for the lucky door prizes and The Bloom Cafe who provided 60 free coffee vouchers in support of the Campbell Primary P&C stall fundraising event.
Scott Leggo puzzles
Scott Leggo is a leading Australian landscape photographer and multi-award winning artist – he is also a veteran and a member of our school community.
Cheeky customers enjoying The Bloom
The Bloom cafe is conveniently located at Campbell Shops with not only great coffee and food but also plants that would be the envy of any green thumb. Bloom Café offers 10% discount for BYO cups and to any service person in uniform.
School hours and Front Office hours
School hours of operation are from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
We have teaching staff on playground duty from 8:45am for supervision.
The front office hours of operation are 8:30am till 3:30pm. Front office doors are locked until 8:30am.
Please consider booking your child/ren into CASAC if you need to have your children at school befor 8:30am. Students brought to school before 8:30am cannot access the front foyer and need to be dropped at school from the Vasey Street carparks. Please do not leave your child unattended in the front of the school.
Spring season allergies
With Spring upon us, many of our children will be affected by pollen and air born allergens. If your child is asthmatic or sensitive to seasonal changes, please ensure you provide the front office with the antihistamines required to provide relief.
This is an opportunity for you to advise the front office of any changes to your child's medical conditions so we can amend our records accordingly.
If your child tests positive to COVID-19
You must tell the school if your child is diagnosed with COVID-19. This is a requirement under the ACT Education Directorate procedures for management of infectious diseases. Telling us when your child has COVID-19 will also help us track if there is an increase in COVID-19 transmission at your school and manage any high-risk exposures for more vulnerable school community members.
Students with COVID-19 symptoms should get tested and must not attend school while they are unwell.
We strongly recommend parents and carers keep their child home for at least five days if they have COVID-19.
Parents and carers are strongly encouraged to report a positive RAT to ACT Health and follow their advice about isolation arrangements.
If your child is a household contact
If your child is a household contact, they may still attend school.
You are at higher risk of getting COVID-19 if you live with someone who has COVID-19. ACT Health recommends some simple steps you can take to reduce the risk to others, including monitoring for symptoms, wearing a mask indoors and regular testing.
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) continue to be available from schools and will be provided to staff and students as needed. Please visit the Front Office if you require some RATs.
In Canberra sun protection is required for part or most of each day between August and May. The end of May is ‘Hats Off Day’ whilst the beginning of August is ‘Hats On Again’ for all of us.
Students with no hat will be required to play in a well shaded area. This is informally known as ‘No Hat Play in the Shade’.
Families, please ensure your child comes to school wearing a sun safe hat.
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.
In recent weeks there have been incidents of near misses in our main car park.
We cannot stress how important it is for our adults to demonstrate safe behaviour in and around our schools.
Please park only in parking bays. There are adequate car bays to legally park in without any infringements taking place. It is worth noting that parking inspectors are often seen around our car park, and those who are parked illegally can be fined.
Please do not leave your car unattended - even 'for a minute', unless it is parked in one of the parking bays. This includes the no stopping zones.
Please do not stop the car in the thoroughfair, or directly in front of the foyer doors. This area has been clearly marked as a no stopping zone. We have witnessed many cars interferring with the flow of traffic by stopping here illegally, as well as frequent near misses as those cars pull out to enter the oncoming traffic.
Importantly, we ask you to please treat staff respectfully if approached about parking safely on school grounds. We have unfortunately had instances of staff members being sworn at when they have been given instruction to park legally and safely.
Thank you to all our families who are safe and respectful in our car parks. Thank you for keeping our little ones safe and for providing good role models.
ACT Children and Young People Commissioner Rights in ACTion! August newsletter
The August 2023 Rights in ACTion edition explores the beautiful lands and waterways we live, work and play on. This month’s edition looks at sustainability and children’s right to a healthy environment, focusing on the new United Nations guidelines and what is being recognised internationally and in the ACT.
Please share the newsletter with children and young people you know and encourage them to contribute to future editions. Children and young people can send contributions in any format they like about anything they want. They can also send messages to the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner on Instagram @actkids_CYPC, call on 02 6205 2222, send an email to actkids@act.gov.au or go to Young Thinker Forum to upload files.