Issue 29
September 15 2016
Theodore St Curtin ACT 2605
www.curtinps.act.edu.au
Tel (02)62055622 Fax (02)62055597
General enquires: curtinps@ed.act.edu.au
We seek to inspire
We gather to support
We strive to succeed
Student-Absence No: 0437 787 824
A message from our Principal
Diary Dates
September 16
CANCELLED
ASSEMBLY
September 22
Walkathon
September23
Assembly KCR 2:00pm
September 23
Last day Term 3
October 10
First day Term 4
November 11
Twilight Fair
Principal
Kerri Clark
Deputy Principal
Maryanne Hayes
Contact Ph: 6205 5622
Board Chair:
Anne Twyman
Ph: 0414 278 663
P&C President:
Judy Schneider
0478 673 242
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
6285 4444
Bookings
6282 2644
STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS!
This week’s Kindergarten assembly has been postponed until Friday Week 10. KCR have
been practising their assembly with their teacher, to refine their performances. However,
practice has been unable to take place this week due to teacher illness. We apologise for any
inconvenience this may cause; however we value the hard work of the students and wish to
provide them the opportunity to host and perform.
Dear parents and carers,
It is hard to believe that term three is almost at an end; it has been such a busy and rewarding term
for all! In the last few weeks’ newsletters, in reflecting on some of our key events this term, I have
had the opportunity to thank our wonderfully supportive parent community. The parent
involvement and participation in our school activities is highly valued. What is even more significant
is the parental engagement of our parents and carers. This refers to the broader role parents play in
supporting their child’s learning, as highlighted in the Directorate’s publication, Education Capital:
Progressing Parental Engagement.
The impact parents can have:
Parents and families are children’s first teachers and they continue to help their children to learn and
thrive throughout the school years. Parents, as partners with school in supporting children’s
learning, can have a significant and long lasting positive impact.
Parental engagement is most effective when it is focused on developing positive attitudes towards
learning and education for children, building their motivation and confidence as learners and
fostering their enjoyment of learning. When parents support their children’s learning at home and
encourage their learning and wellbeing, in partnership with the expertise of teachers, the benefits
and impacts on our students include:
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They are more likely to enjoy learning and be motivated to do well
They are more likely to have better relationships, improved behaviour and greater
confidence
They are more likely to attend school.
They can do better at school and are more likely to go onto further study such as college,
TAFE or university
What parents can do:
There are simple things that you can do at home and with school to help your child do their best. At
home, parents have the biggest impact on learning when they help their children to believe in
themselves and to enjoy learning new things. At school teachers are experts in learning and can
provide you with strategies that can help your child best achieve. By ensuring open and clear
communication between home and school we can work together in a positive partnership.
There is a range of activities and behaviours that appear to have a bigger impact. Ways to support learning include:
Parental participation AND engagement combined at Curtin.
Belief in the child’s
potential
Parents’ belief in their child’s ability to succeed at school, and their aspirations for their
child’s future, positively influences children’s own confidence and aspirations.
Shared reading
Parent-child reading is strongly supported by evidence. It is particularly effective for younger
children developing literacy skills, but continues to have an impact. The impact of shared
reading is enhanced when parents receive guidance from the school about strategies and
approaches that develop age-appropriate literacy skills. Importantly, shared reading doesn’t
have to be in English to have an impact.
Conversations are an important contributor to children’s learning and development. In
addition to general discussion about everyday experiences, it is beneficial for parents to talk
about topics children are learning at school, big ideas and social issues, as well as stories
about family history and events.
Recent research suggests that only some forms of parental engagement in homework have
benefits. These include: providing a dedicated space for homework, having the same rules as
the school around homework (combined with invitations for parents to ask questions and
provide feedback on homework), positive parent-child interactions about homework, and
supporting children’s development as autonomous learners.
Parent-child
conversation
Positive environment
for homework
Support for social and
emotional wellbeing
Parents play an important role in helping children to manage their social and emotional wellbeing, including negotiating peer relationships, helping them respond to negative
experiences like bullying, and supporting them to build and maintain a positive relationship
with their teacher.
Learning about the
world
A stimulating and learning –rich home environment provides children with the opportunity to
be exposed to new things, explore new areas of passion or interest, and participate in family,
community and cultural activities. This can include everyday activities like cooking or grocery
shopping, or going to events, museums or art galleries.
Thank you to all who attended our BYOC information session this evening. As Curtin Primary introduces this valuable
program for students of 5/6 in 2017, we will see the benefits to learning that a 1:1 Chromebook application can provide. It
is important that we redefine the way students learn within a digital landscape; technology is the tool that supports the
learning. The opportunity through Chromebooks and GAfE also paves the way for increased family-fed learning , as
students and parents are able to share the learning that students are doing in the classroom at home and have
conversation around this. It also provides opportunity for increased communication between parents and teachers too.
Thank you to our expert Curtin team: Maryanne Hayes, Hugh Peoples, Colleen Myburgh, Tanya Devenish and Rebecca
Doldissen. Thank you to our guest panel: Belinda Bartlett (Principal, Alfred Deakin High School), and Michael McDonald
and Joanne Smith, (teachers from from Hughes Primary School) for their wonderful insights and reflection sharing on their
journeys. The contributions of our expert panel have provided a comprehensive information session on the significance
and benefits of our move to BYOC. For those who may have missed our session the following links are provided. These
links are also available on our school website and Facebook page.
 https://www.wevideo.com/view/734845767 to access a short video on how the BYOC implementation will
enhance learning at Curtin Primary, and
 https://sites.google.com/schoolsnet.act.edu.au/curtingafe to access the Curtin Primary GAfE hub.
Curtin BYOC Presentation
 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11MT51gxssK7i5-xcKXpedXfJyAsd1muvS8Tv4yIaORM/edit?usp=sharing
Hughes BYOC Presentation
 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UIKYxGmcToBAFDhByO1-HF3-twDwJXWEjgyInLH_xQ/edit?usp=sharing
FAQ
 https://docs.google.com/document/d/10yxk_hAWKPBjUy_JEZlqJkfmIRuBTnzbfZWGHJ7I-U8/edit?usp=sharing
Feedback
 https://goo.gl/forms/3ZWXE5233nZ0CIbo1
Kind regards,
Kerri Clark
AWARDS
Congratulations to the following students
who will receive an award at assembly this week:
Kinder
KCR
Molly M
Dihain A
Kinder
KCS
Nicholas L
Maya J
1 /2CC
Bronte H
1/2 DF
Whole Class 1 /2 NM
Elana S
1/2KO
Jordy S
Alexander R
1 /2 KZ
Parker H
Oliver B
3/4 FB
Kobe S
Olivia S
3/4JC
Filip M
3/4 JW
Liam H
Thomas D
3/4KS
Dominic M
Evie Mc
3/4RT
Max D
Frank C
5/6HHP
Ruben E
Peter I
Zoe R
5/6TD
Charlie K
Luke B
Brodie K-A
3/4 LR
Matthew B
Aszlo Mc
Kinder
KK
Lua M
5/6 LS
Marlo C
Ryley B
5/6TM
Peter R
Morgan C
5/6RD
Capri A
Joel P
Yalguun K.
Emma M.
Assessment Days Alfred Deakin High School 2017
Monday September 19 and Tuesday 20 September
If you are enrolled at Alfred Deakin High School for 2017 you should have received an email or letter with details
about testing days on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 September. Assessments completed on these days provide the
school with information to begin organising classes for the new year.
If you have enrolled at Alfred Deakin High School and have NOT received the information about the Assessment Days
please contact the school on PH: 6142 3888
Hazel Hoskisson
Executive Teacher
Senior Team
The walkathon has been postponed to next Thursday, Week 10.
Date:
Venue:
Classes:
Time:
What to bring:
Thursday 22 September, 2016
Surrounds of Curtin Primary School
Whole school programme
9.30am
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water bottle
hat
mufti clothing and suitable walking shoes
sun cream
recess/lunch (if not having a sausage
sizzle)
sponsorship form (if you have not
returned it yet)
To assist us on the day, we are seeking parent helpers at checkpoints
along the route of the track as well as cooking the BBQ. If you

available to assist on the new day please indicate on the form below
and return to the Front Office.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I will be able to assist on the day of the Walkathon:
Please print parent/carer’s name ________________________________
Parent’s preferred contact number______________________________
Child’s name and class ________________________________________
SPORT NEWS
amanda.beresford@ed.act.edu.au
Friday 21st October (weather permitting)
9am-3pm
Term 4, Week 2
Save the date!
All children K-6 will be participating in a rotation of
athletic events throughout the day. A note will be
coming home today indicating which group your
child/ren is in and a program of events.
If you are available to help out with ribbons on the day
(even for 1 hour) it would be greatly appreciated. Please
complete the reply slip on the bottom of the information
note (coming home thursday), or email me.
________________________________________________
______________________________________
SWIMMING PROGRAM 2016
Expressions of interest are due by the end of this
term.
Early next term I will send home enrolment and
payment information.
Please see attached expression of interest notes.
CULTURAL CORNER
DID YOU KNOW…? There are 45 languages that are spoken
at home by the families of our students!
During Children’s Week 22-30 October (Term 4, Week 3), our
school’s Bilingual Committee is planning a series of activities
to celebrate this language diversity at Curtin Primary.
Calling all parents! Can you help?
We are looking for parent volunteers to read books from
other countries (in languages other than English) to classes
during Children’s Week.
If you have a picture book at home written in another
language that you would be prepared to read to your child’s
class, please email Anna Todosijevic (from our school’s
Bilingual Committee) on a_todosijevic@hotmail.com before
Wed 21 September (Week 10).
On another note…
We are keen to build our collection of children’s books in
languages other than English and are still seeking book
donations for our school library. If you are able to donate any
books, please leave them in the EALD room (room 24 next to
Kinder Possums) or give them to Fiona Hale.
Curtin Primary School’s Twilight Fair Film
Festival, Twifest, is on again for its 5th
Year!
Students from preschool to year 6 are encouraged to
create their own short film with family or friends.
Students need to create the storyline of the short film,
but may be supported from family, friends and
teachers with the production, including filming and
editing. Filming must occur in the students’ own time
(weekends, afterschool, holidays, lunch times). School
Ipads may be borrowed at lunchtimes with the
permission from the students’ class teacher.
Some things to remember when creating your film…
There are three categories the students may enter
their film into; family, junior school (preschool to year
2) and senior school (year 3 to 6).
Films must be no more than three minutes long and
the credits and ‘bloopers’ must be no longer than 20
seconds, inclusive of the three minutes.
In past years the filmmakers had to include a
particular object (banana, balloon) or a concept (50,
100). This year each film submitted must include
three different languages. It could be as simple as
three people saying hello in three different languages
(ciao, selamat pagi, hej-hej), an actor passing a sign in
three different languages, someone singing a song in
German, a fellow actor saying "Saya tidak mengerti"
and a third actor using Australian sign language saying
"I don't understand either."
Films are screened at the school’s Twilight Fair in
Term 4 as well as at a lunchtime screening.
Films need to be completed and submitted on a
labelled USB drive by Friday 28th October, week 3 of
Term 4.
The story and genre of the film is up to the
filmmakers.
So, with the holidays coming up, start creating young
filmmakers!
Kym Le Riche
P & C NEWS
CANTEEN NEWS
2016 TWILIGHT FAIR
Friday 11 November
Put it in your diary!
5 Cent Drive
is about to begin so start saving up
We are coming to the end of term, so just a
few reminders:
Due to the walkathon being postponed till
next week, sausage sizzle notes can be
dropped off by this Friday, please drop them
off to the canteen.
As per usual the canteen will be closed on
the Last Friday of term due to stocktake and
cleaning.
Thank you
Cheers Lizzy
“Coins over here
Coins over there
Maybe even in your dad’s underwear” 9 year old
author
Prizes for the winning classes
1st – Pizza Party
2nd – Ice-creams
3rd – Cupcakes
Ideas? Suggestions? Feedback? Keen to be
involved in our biggest event of the year?
We’d love to hear about your ideas for the
Twilight Fair
Contact Georgie Kelley georgie.kelley@gmail.com
ACT Election Day Sausage Sizzle
and Cake Stall
The ACT Government Election is on
Saturday 15 October 2016 (the first
Saturday in Term 4). The P&C is
planning to run a BBQ and cake stall
to feed hungry voters and we are
looking for volunteers to help.
If you will be able to spare an hour
or two on the day or to help set up
and collect cakes the day before
please email Ken Mansell
(ken@taxrambling.com) and Laura
Boyer (blboyer@bigpond.net.au).
We will also be looking for any
bakers out there to help out by
making a cake or something equally
delicious for the cake stall. These
will be able to be delivered to
school the Friday before or at the
stall on the Saturday morning.
COMMUNITY NEWS