Dear Duffy Primary School Community,

Welcome to Week 10. It's hard to believe that we are at now half way through the 2023 school year.  The staff wish to thank each and every one of you for your connection to our school and for the commitment and hard work you show every day in supporting your children to be ready for learning.

As Term 2 draws to an end, we can only reflect on how lucky we have been to undertake most of this term without major disruptions and challenges. 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Thank you for your participation in our parent teacher interviews throughout Week 9 (preschool) and this week.   This is a vital conversation and an important element of connecting and continuing our professional and warm relationships with our community. As we know parent involvement makes a huge difference to a child’s learning.  Research tells us that simple things such as reading with your child, talking about school at home, having high expectations and helping you child develop a positive attitude and good work habits all impact on student achievement. 

We look forward to continuing to build on the established home-school partnership as we move into the second half of the school year.

Re-Opening Duffy Primary School Pumptrack: An Exciting Opportunity for Students and the Community

Athletics Carnival Results

Top 3 places for 8 years and over events at the Athletics Carnival can be found here.

Ribbons will be presented at Monday morning WoW in Week 2 of Term 2 (24 July). Parents and carers are welcome to attend.

Wishing you a restful and safe school break. We look forward to welcoming all our students back on Monday 17th July. 

Regards,

Katie, Arilia, Sarah and Katie

Year 3/4 Camp

The 2023 3/4 camp was a new experience for a large portion of our two classes. 8 Griffin students braved wild winds and freezing rain and were able to have a really positive experience. The boys went on a bushwalk and learnt about lots of native plants and animals and got to sit inside a rock shelter that had been used by the Ngunnawal people for thousands of years. 

Our students also worked in groups with their peers to find and build awesome camp fires that was then used to cook damper smothered with yummy golden syrup.

Writing

Griffin students have been working hard to develop their writing skills, using both Chromebooks and handwriting. In GBP, students have been increasing their stamina, writing for up to 10minutes about a given topic. Students in GHB have been using fine motor activities to develop their finger strength which is helping them to write as neat as possible. 

NAIDOC Week

Week 10 has been about celebrating NAIDOC Week in Griffin. Each day we have come together to learn about the importance of NAIDOC Week and explain why we celebrate it. We have had discussions about who the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Peoples are, how long they have lived in Australia and how they lived without modern day conveniences such as shops and computers. We created a collaborative artwork that is hanging outside the canteen, be sure to have a look if you wander past!   

Digital Technologies

In GBP we have been working collaboratively to complete design challenges set on Minecraft Education Edition. So far we've re-designed the Griffin Unit, created amazing tree houses and designed the satellites of tomorrow. 

We have also recently tried our hand at some coding using Scratch where the students far outshone the teachers in their knowledge and ability.

These will be presented at Monday Morning WOW.

Merit Awards

Silver and Bronze Awards will be handed out by Exec staff during the week.

Bronze Spirit Awards

Additional Koori Preschool sessions from 2024

Additional Koori Preschool sessions will be available at the start of the 2024 school year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the ACT. Extra sessions of 15 hours a week will be offered at three of the ACT’s five Koori Preschools: Narrabundah Early Childhood School, Ngunnawal Primary School and Wanniassa School.

Koori Preschool provides children aged 3 to 5 years with a play-based, culturally safe learning program. Families attending  Koori Preschool can also attend universal preschool. Children attending Koori Preschool do not need to live in the Priority Enrolment Area. Enrol now at education.act.gov.au

Find out more about Koori Preschool by contacting the Early Childhood Education Officer by email EDUKooriPre@act.gov.au or calling 620 71106.

Big skills for small bikes – Register for the July and September course now!

Families can now register for the big skills for small bikes course run by Pedal Power ACT. Big skills for small bikes is a learn to ride course for younger children aged 3-8, which focuses on teaching parents and carers how to get their kids riding confidently and safely. This is a beginner course best suited to kids who are not yet riding on their own unaided.

The course includes 5 separate 45-minute sessions delivered each morning from Monday to Friday. Courses in the July and September school holidays are currently open for registration. More information on the course including dates, registration and pricing is available on the Pedal Power Website.

Improving child, youth and family services

Due 5 July 2023

The ACT Government is looking at how the future design of its Child, Youth and Family Services program can best support ACT children, young people and families.

To help do this, we want to hear directly from the community about what is working and what could be improved. Three simple and quick surveys are open now to capture the views of young people, parents and carers and frontline workers.

If you, or someone you know can help us, please head to our Improving child, youth and family services YourSay conversation page and complete one of the surveys. You can also contact us at cyfsp@act.gov.au.

Surveys close on the 5 July 2023.

Expressions of Interest - ACT Public School Board Member

Do you know someone who would be a great addition to our school board or another school board in the ACT?

The Education Directorate is seeking expressions of interest from people to fill the position of “Appointed Member” on ACT public school boards. Expressions of interest will be used to fill vacant positions in schools across the ACT.

All ACT public schools are required to have a school board. The school board is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and priorities of the school within the framework set by the Education Directorate. Generally, school boards consist of:

• the school’s principal

• three parents and citizens members

• two staff members

• two student members (at high schools and colleges)

• one Appointed Member, and

• up to two Board Appointed Members (if any).

The appointed member is usually someone from outside the immediate school community who is interested in and committed to public education. They bring an independent voice to board decisions. Appointments extend for a period of up to two years and an appointed member may be re-appointed at the conclusion of their term.

People interested in becoming an appointed member on a school board should complete the expression of interest form online and return it to the School Boards Team in the Education Directorate via email: EDUSchoolBoards@act.gov.au

Expressions of interest for this recruitment round will be open until COB Monday 10 July 2023.

Winter in the City - 30 June to 16 July

The Canberra City Centre will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland from 30 June to 16 July.

The festival will feature snow play, toboggan rides and ice-skating, as well as delicious winter treats, live entertainment, and cosy spaces for all ages.

Book your tickets now and find more information on the Winter in the city event webpage.

Help fight the spread of illness this winter

One of the best ways to help protect you and your family this winter is to get the flu vaccine. It’s important to vaccinate your child as they’re at a higher risk of serious complications if they get sick and are more likely to spread it to others.

Help fight the spread of illness this winter by staying home if you’re sick and wash your hands regularly. Please visit the ACT Health Influenza (Flu) page for more information.

Learning for Life

The Learning for Life program helps children by supporting their education from primary through to post-school studies, like TAFE or University.

Learning for Life provides:

To be eligible for Learning for Life, you need to:

• Have a child or children in Primary School, at one of the schools The Smith Family work with

• Have a Health Care or Pension Concession Card

• Have a strong commitment to your child/ren’s education and make sure they attend school regularly

To register your interest in Learning for Life, you need to:

1. Click this link https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/campaigns/learning-for-life-expression-of-interest

2. Fill out the relevant details (your name, phone number, child/ren’s details and School Information)

3. You will then receive an email from The Smith Family with information about next steps

If you have any questions about Learning for Life, or need help to apply, you can call The Smith Family on 0481 464 065 or 1800 280 223.

Home Learning Hub

Home Learning - School Wide Subscriptions

Literacy People's Literacy Learning Modules - A guide for engaging parents and carers

Mindfulness Podcast Series - ACT Education Directorate