Curtin Primary School Newsletter

We at Curtin Primary acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, past, present and future.

We would like to thank the traditional custodians for nurturing this precious land where we live, learn and play.

We promise to protect plants, animals, earth, water and sky and care for everyone in our community.

Yesterday we welcomed parent helpers and volunteers to our thank you morning tea. It is amazing how many Curtin parents, carers and volunteers enrich the lives of our students. We really appreciate all that you do! Each one of you helps to make Curtin Primary a thriving learning and social community! Tutoring extension maths students, sharing professional expertise during inquiries, accompanying classes on excursions, assisting in classrooms, helping in the Library, involvement in Passion Projects, helping out at the Twilight Fair, reading with students, sorting and organising lost property, helping out in the Canteen, assisting Mrs Beresford at sporting events, joining the P & C or Board, working the barbecues at the Welcome Barbecue in February and Father’s Day breakfast, are just some of the activities that our community gets involved in each year. We are very lucky and deeply grateful to have such a committed and generous family community. Thank you!

Recently, with several staff members, I had the opportunity to attend two outstanding professional workshops run by the ACT Education Directorate. The first led by NaturePlayCBR provided a framework for learning that uses the child’s own environment to enable them to construct their learning. Cath Dray, Tessa Mues and I donned our outdoor gear for a day of research based on indoor and outdoor learning activities. We left with an action plan for investigating ways that we can include aspects of Nature Play and Loose Parts practices into our playground activities.

Following this, Ibu Karen, Fiona Hale, Kelsey Corcoran and I attended Building Cultural Capability professional learning. Cultural Capability refers to the skills, knowledge and behaviours that are required to plan, support, improve and deliver curriculum and pedagogy in a culturally respectful and appropriate manner. The first project we undertook with our student team, was to develop the Curtin Primary Acknowledgement of Country which is currently on display at the front office.

Have a great week, Deborah Fitzgerald.

Every year the Patterson Award for Citizenship is awarded to one student at each year level across the school.

These students consistently demonstrate outstanding behaviour, citizenship and community mindedness in all settings.

The Shane Egan Award is for a junior and senior school student who has overcome personal challenges or adversity to achieve their learning goals for the year.

The Patterson and Shane Egan Awards assembly  will be held in the main hall on Friday 13 December, commencing at 9:15am.

Next Thursday, 5 December at 2.15pm in the main hall.

All students who entered the AMT maths competition, maths challenges, maths Olympiad and ICAS will receive their certificates.

Our high achievers will be celebrated at this assembly.

Parents are welcome to attend.

Emails will be sent out today with details on how to order your book packs for next year. If you do not receive an email, please contact the front office.

Events may be viewed and added to your personal calendar on the Skoolbag app

We are looking for donations of any secondhand kitchen items suitable for our outdoor mud kitchen and water play areas.

For example, unbroken pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, plastic bowls, colanders, cups.

Please deliver to Mrs Fitzgerald’s classroom.

The canteen is open from 8.45am until 1.45pm. If you have any canteen queries, Lizzy can be contacted on 6142 2581 during these hours.

The Curtin P&C meets in Week 3 and 7 each term. The next P&C meeting will be held on Thursday 28th November in the staff room. Light refreshments from 6.30pm, meeting start from 7pm. This meeting we will be doing a wrap up of the Twilight Fair and some preliminary planning for next year’s welcome BBQ. All parents and carers are welcome to attend!

The uniform shop is located opposite the canteen and is open from 8.30am until 9.30am each Wednesday. 

WAREHOUSE CIRCUS (FREE)

All-ages drop-in workshop, exploring circus activities

12 - 2 pm

Run away with the circus and immerse yourself in colourful activities like juggling, hula hoops, spinning plates and more! Warehouse Circus will be hosting an open workshop for people of all ages and abilities, so make sure to check it out and learn some cool tricks!

LEFT LANE OUTREACH THEATRE (FREE)

Theatre workshop for kids aged 3 – 8

11:30 - 12:30

Our Village is Left Lane Outreach Theatre's original story-telling experience where you get to make your own costume and become a character in our black and white newspaper village! Come along on an adventure to bring back the colour to our village as we discover the beauty of difference.

Please note, this isn’t a drop in workshop, so kids will have to arrive at 11:30 to join the fun!

CO.LABORATORY (FREE)

Drop in 10-minute relief printmaking workshop

Anytime between 11 - 2pm

Guests at the fair are invited to print from these blocks with the assistance of Co.laboratory artists to try their hand in printmaking and take home their own ten-minute artwork. As Co.laboratory aims to support Canberra makers, they will be offering locally made iced tea from Tea Garden Co.

NATURE ART LAB (FREE)

Art-science workshops for kids, focusing on native bees

11.00 – 12 am and 1 - 2.00 pm

Learn all about Pollination and the amazing insects, birds and mammals that help make the food we eat with NatureArt Lab! Our tutor will talk through the process of pollination, why it is important and the relationship between flora and fauna, with a focus on our Australian native species.

Children will learn:

- how to draw a Native Bee

- about insect and flower anatomy

- to explore the colours, patterns and characteristics of native flowers and bees by looking at photographs and scientific illustrations

- how to use graphite, coloured pencils and marker pens.

Booking required, please visit: https://natureartlab.com.au/collections/kidsworkshops

Highly-qualified, experienced and fun local music teacher (and former CPS parent) Kate Murphy A.Mus.A, B.Mus (hons ed) has some vacancies for new after-school students in 2020. Kate’s studio is just a few hundred metres walk across the park from CPS. To enquire, please email flute.kate@bigpond.com or phone 0422 353 455.