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Welcome back for Term 4!
Term 4 is always an exciting time in schools as we celebrate the progress and achievements of our students through end of year graduation, learning journeys, end of year reporting, PBL fun days, and transition sessions. End of Semester Reports will be emailed home on Friday 12 December.
A reminder that as we prepare classes for 2026 it is important that you let us know if your child will not be attending Charles Weston in 2026. This can be done by completing this form https://forms.gle/a18sgJ9hjWedjomU7.
If you have information you would like us to consider when forming classes, please email me directly or contact the front office to request an appointment with me to discuss. These requests are required by Friday 21 November.
We will also be surveying our students on their preferred learning buddies for 2026. We encourage parents to help their children make informed, responsible decisions so please start this conversation at home. Students will be able to list 5 peers they think would be good learning buddies for them, teachers will ensure at least 1 of their buddies is in their 2026 class.
We highly value the professional judgement of our staff who know the strengths and challenges of the students within the classroom environment. Through this process we consider a number of factors including:
- The individual learning needs of the child
- Peers who would make good learning buddies
- Academic and social emotional dynamics within a class and across a grade level
- Teachers who would be a good fit for particular cohorts
- The most suitable learning environment for a cohort of students
When we place students together in a class we aim for a gender balance, a range of academic levels and also consider the social dynamics. We do not necessarily place students with their friends as they have multiple opportunities to connect socially with peers in their year level such as break times, through inquiry learning opportunities, during special events, excursions, carnivals, passions and pursuits, as well as literacy and numeracy groups. We often deliberately move students around so that we have the opportunity to assist children to learn in different ways, consider different perspectives and form new friendships
World Teacher’s Day
This week we have celebrated World Teacher’s Day, a recognition of the incredible hard work and dedication our teachers display every day. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and admiration for the teachers at CWSC. Please make sure you take a moment to thank a teacher who has had an impact on you or your child’s life this week. Thank you to our P&C for providing the wonderful lunch for our teachers. Our staff truly appreciate the kind acknowledgement and effort you made in making the day special for them. A special thanks to the local businesses who provided gifts for our teachers too! Thanks to KFC, Capital Chemist, Canberra Grocery Store, That Gelato Place and Bottle Mart.
Back to school: term 4 travel tips
Term 4 has begun, which means all regular bus services and dedicated school routes are back!
To ensure a smooth start for the final term of the year, here’s a quick checklist for students and families:
- have your MyWay+ travel card or other tap on/off method ready
- make sure there is sufficient balance in your MyWay+ account
- remember to tap on and off for the cheapest fare
- check your school’s bus routes and timetable
- don’t forget to carry your student ID while travelling on public transport.
Primary school parents and carers can refer to their school’s information pack for additional travel guidance.
A reminder for all drivers, please slow down and stay alert in school traffic zones to help keep our students safe.
For more information, please visit Transport Canberra website.
Kind Regards
Laurel
School Calendar - Term 4 -
weeks 3, 4, 5 & 6
Upcoming Events
TERM 4
Week 3
31 October - Kindergarten Learning Journey
31 October - Year NGA Excursion
Week 4
5 November - Year 5/6 Camp to Jinabyne
5 November - Year One Learning Journey - from 8:45am-9:45am
6 November - Year 5/6 Camp to Jinabyne
7 November - Yeat 5/6 Camp to Jinabyne
Week 5
11 November - Remembrance Day Whole School Assembly (P-6) : Year 6 Host
Week 6
19 November - Gregg Dreise Author Visit Incursion Year 1-6
19 November - Preschool Information Session
20 November - Preschool Information Session
In a world that is more connected than ever, many young people are feeling more alone. Recent research from the Child Mind Institute highlights a powerful insight: both parents and children agree that loneliness is the most pressing mental health challenge facing young people today. Their Intergenerational Stressors Study, which surveyed 1,000 parent-child pairs, found strong alignment between generations on the emotional toll of isolation, academic pressure, family stress and uncertainty about the future, and social comparison, especially through social media.
These findings aren’t just relevant overseas. In Australia, the Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study conducted by the ABS between 2020 and 2024 confirms similar trends. It found that 1 in 5 children aged 4–17 experience a mental health disorder each year, with anxiety and depression being the most common. The study also highlighted how parental mental health and family stress directly influence a child’s wellbeing.
Why Intergenerational Stress Matters
Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Children’s emotional wellbeing is shaped by their relationships, routines, and the emotional climate at home. When parents are stressed — whether due to financial pressures, work demands, or their own mental health struggles — children often absorb that stress, even if it’s not openly discussed. When families talk about mental health, children are more likely to seek help, feel supported, and build resilience.
As a school community, we all play a vital role in bridging the gap between home and mental health support. Here are a few ways we’re working to support students and families:
- Small-group interventions for students needing extra academic support
- Staff training in recognising signs of anxiety, supporting wellbeing, and the importance of incorporating neurodiverse approaches
- Family engagement resources to foster open conversations at home
We also encourage families to reach out if they notice changes in their child’s behaviour, mood, or school engagement. Recognising the early warning signs and accessing appropriate support can make a lasting difference.
Cheryl
PRESCHOOL
INQUIRY: How The World Works
This term, in our How the World Works unit of inquiry, Preschoolers are exploring different life cycles using their five senses. Each class has a water tank with tadpoles, generously provided by ICON Water through the ACT Frogwatch program. The children are observing the tadpoles closely and will continue to follow their transformation throughout the term.
They are excited to see the changes and have been expressing their observations through beautiful drawings and thoughtful conversations. This hands-on experience is helping them connect with nature, spark curiosity, and deepen their understanding of how living things grow and change.
Transition to Kindergarten
Preschool transitions to Kindergarten will begin in Week 3, starting on Wednesday. Children will visit their future Kindergarten cohort classrooms every second Wednesday, giving them time to gradually adjust and become familiar with their new environment. These visits are designed to help them explore their surroundings, and build confidence as they prepare to step into Kindergarten next year.
During Preschool sessions, the children have begun exploring the wider school environment, enjoying the warmer weather and having picnics. They will be visiting the playground, music room and other learning spaces throughout the term.
Preschool Assembly by Rock Wallabies and Wombats
Our Preschool recently hosted its very first assembly, proudly led by Rock Wallabies and Wombats. The event was a success, filled with excitement and pride as our young students took the stage. They began by singing the Preschool’s Acknowledgement of Country, to show their respect for the traditional owners of the land. The children then performed two lively World of Wonder songs, complete with expressive actions that brought the songs to life. We are proud of all the students for their participation and confidence! Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce that Gang-gang Cockatoos and Long-necked Turtles will be hosting our next Preschool assembly in Week 8.
KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten certainly began Term 4 with a snap and a hiss! We have been learning about the distinguishable features and needs of plants and animals in our inquiry into ‘Sharing the Planet’, so we invited Peter from Canberra Reptile Zoo to visit and bring along a few friendly reptiles. We met two turtles called Cookie and Pancake, some beautiful blue tongue lizards and a shingle back, a snake called Vegemite, and our favourite, a 6 year old crocodile called Chopper. Peter described some of the features of each reptile and how these features help them to survive in their habitats. Peter later mentioned he was very impressed with the interesting questions our students came up with, and most were very brave enough to get up close and personal with each of the reptiles.
YEAR 1
In phonics this term we have been exploring split digraphs! We have learnt how the magic ‘e’ helps the other vowel say its name in words like make, athlete, kite, phone and cube.
“And now it’s time for some more AMAZING ANIMALS!”
As part of our inquiry into how environments sustain living things, Year 1 has enjoyed watching Amazing Animals videos by National Geographic Kids. These funny yet informative clips have taught us fascinating facts about animals and their different habitats, diet and weird behaviours. Have you heard of the Gila Monster or Gentoo Penguin before?
We have also been learning about how animals adapt and change to the seasons. Some animals ‘migrate’, which means they travel to a new place to find food, warmth or a safe place to raise their young. We tried to recreate the ‘flying V’ just like birds and ducks do.
We want to show off all our amazing work to our families at our How the World Works Learning Journey. Please read the invite below for more details.
YEAR 2
How we express ourselves
Central idea:
Shapes and art express the significance of local places.
In Year 2 we have been learning about significant places in Canberra and around the world. We are learning to identify cultural significance in different buildings and are excited to visit some local places during our excursion on Friday. The students have enjoyed making different pieces of art work demonstrating their understanding of line, shape, texture and colour.
English
Building on our understanding of culturally significant buildings, Year 2 has been busy writing information reports about places in Canberra. We have been learning about the language features of information reports, including topic specific vocabulary, present tense and pronouns.
We have been using the books Camp Canberra by Krys Saclier and Our Bush Capital by Samantha Tidy to guide our learning.
In Maths, the Year 2 students have been learning about shape. We have been learning to describe and categorise shapes by their attributes. We have worked hard to learn some complex and new vocabulary such as vertices and parallel. We have also begun to solve additive and multiplicative word problems. The method we are using to tackle these tricky problems is called POLYA. By using this method, we break down word problems so we can understand, plan, solve and check.
YEAR 6 BAND
Year 6 Band Shines at Llewellyn Hall
On Tuesday night, our talented Year 6 Band, along with their dedicated teacher, Jan Lloyd-Jones, took to the stage at Llewellyn Hall for a truly memorable performance. Playing in such a prestigious venue was a wonderful opportunity and an unforgettable experience for our young musicians.
Their performance was beautifully received by parents, carers, and the wider audience, who were impressed by the band’s skill, confidence, and teamwork.
As our Year 6 students prepare to transition to high school, we wish them every success in their future musical journeys. A heartfelt thank you to Jan Lloyd-Jones for her expert guidance, encouragement, and dedication in nurturing the musical talents of our students.
This term in Performing Arts we are concentrating predominantly on Dance. Students in Years 1 and 2 will learn a range of dances from the past and present: some nineteenth-century country dances (such as the “The Sweets of May” and “The Bridge of Athlone”) and some folk-song dances (such as “Down in the Valley” and “La Raspa”). They will also practise some choreographed contemporary-style dances for performance within class. Kindergarten children will learn a variety of dance steps and formations, with an emphasis on dances related to stories and songs (for example, “The Shoemaker’s Dance” and a ribbon dance to “A Million Dreams” ).
All students in Dance classes practise moving gracefully and expressively to music. They learn how to move safely within a space, and how to change partners smoothly.
The Dance and Drama Club meets during break two on Fridays in the Performing Arts Room and all students in Years K-3 are welcome to come along to experience a range of dances and drama games.
Kindergarten
- Jok Aleer (KLN) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Anvika Alluri (KLS) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Abirami Balaji (KEQ) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Liam Banijamali (KLN) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Hunter Clarke (KEQ) - Bronze Respect Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Alana Clayton (KLS) - Bronze Organisation Seed & Bronze Respect Seed
- Oscar Cox (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Bronze Respect Seed
- Mae Cummins (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Priyanna Dhungel (KKG) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Abigail Eby (KEQ) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Charlotte Gale (KEQ) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Harper Hunt (KLS) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Sibel Jamshaid (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Abigail Jithin (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Finley Pedersen (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Aarav Punyapu (KLN) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Amelia Rogers (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Roselyn Rogers (KLN) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Hania Saqib (KEQ) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Asher Sohail (KLS) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Maisha Fathima Syeda (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Tate Walker (KEQ) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Ruoyu Wen (KMA) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Omansa Wijesinghe (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset
Year 1
- Phoenix (1KF) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Agam Batth (1KF) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Feynman Chen (1KF) - Silver Respect Seed
- Maddox Clark (1BY) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Patrick Cummins (1GS) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Felix Dalton (1GS) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Shourya Gollapalli (1GS) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Lana Haines (1BY) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Vuk Jankovic (1KF) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Hussain Ali Mehboob (1GS) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed, Forest of Fame - Bronze & Silver Organisation Seed
- Anthea Mengel (1KF) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Sanvika Mididuddi (1GS) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Aisyah Muhamad Rashid (1KF) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- McLaren Pinheiro (1KF) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Thinev Ranadheera (1GS) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Athen Santhosh (1GS) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Harper Smith (1BY) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Armaan Thind (1GS) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
- Liev Turner (1GS) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Raayan Parag Umbarkar (1GS) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Henry Williams (1BY) - Silver Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Silver
- Kiana You (1KF) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Zaylee-Marie Zeigler (1GS) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
Year 2
- Fatehdeep Singh Dhillon (2CK) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Thomas Eby (2SR) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Mila Halgren (2CF) - Silver Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Silver
- Tommy Hanson (2SR) - Silver Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Silver
- Saadan Hassan (2ED) - Gold Respect Seed
- Jaxon Heitel (2SR) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Keerat Kaur Jawanda (2SR) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Bonnie Morris (2SR) - Gold Respect Seedling & Gold Organisation Seedling
- Ryker Murphy (2SR) - Silver Organised Seedling
- Blake Pattugalan (2CF) - Gold Respect Seed
- Maya Phillips (2ED) - Bronze Respect Seedling
- April Smith (2SR) - Bronze Grow Mind Seedling
- Sanvika Wason (2ED) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Marcus Wong (2SR) - Gold Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Gold
Year 3
- Rihanna Besmila (3JH) - Silver Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Silver
- Lucas Fang (3JH) - Silver Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Silver
- Henry Faulks (3SK) - Gold Respect Seed
- Sebastian Hatt (3CF) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Addelyn Kupke (3CF) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Hi Mon Nai (3SK) - Gold Growth Mindset Seed
- Melanie Palmer (3JH) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Aleeza Rahman (3CF) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Zara Smith (3SK) - Gold Growth Mindset Seed
- John Nathan Tadlip (3JH) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Jakob Tancheski (3ST) - Bronze Respect Seedling
- Arjun Upadhyay (3JH) - Silver Wellbeing Seed
- Vachi Wadhwa (3ST) - Gold Respect Seed
- Callem Ward (3SK) - Gold Respect Seed & Gold Growth Mindset Seed
- Jordan Woolfe (3JH) - Silver Respect Seed & Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Melody You (3SK) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Arham Jamshaid Zafar (3JH) - Silver Wellbeing Seed
Year 4
- Warabek Amol (4AL) - Silver Grow Mind Seedling
- Hudson Dziubinski (4AL) - Gold Growth Mindset Seed
- Srisai Karupatty (4AL) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Blaze Mobbs-Marshall (4AL) - Gold Respect Seed
- Jack Morris (4AL) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Kanika Nambiar (4AL) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Annabelle O'Brien (4AL) - Silver Grow Mind Seedling & Bronze Organised Seedling
- Summer Isabelle Solis (4AL) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed, Forest of Fame - Bronze & Silver Respect Seed
- Sarah Touati (4AL) - Silver Respect Seed
- Ameily Bandara Wijekoon (4AL) - Bronze Organisation Seed
Year 5
- Rona Alexine Calma (5DG) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Neena Challa (5ZJ) - Gold Organisation Seedling
- India Drew (5AM) - Gold Growth Mindset Seed
- Bhavika Joshee (5AM) - Silver Respect Seed
- Bakshveer Kahlon (5DG) - Silver Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Silver
- Lorena Laurel (5AM) - Bronze Respect Seedling
- Luis Maunahan (5AM) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Filipe Qionibaravilala (5DG) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Elana Smith (5DG) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Nama Sumesh (5DG) - Bronze Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Bronze
Year 6
- Aaliyah Apps (6AB) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Caroline Jarman (6JG) - Gold Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Gold
- Olivia Jelbart (6JG) - Bronze Wellbeing Seedling & Eagle - Bronze
- Rafael Ledo Lopes (6AT) - Gold Wellbeing Seed & Forest of Fame - Gold
- Maryann Njuguna (6AT) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Lucas Wong (6JG) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Jacob Zivkovic (6AT) - Bronze Organised Seedling
Wow – we are already in week three of our final Term for 2025. With Christmas holidays just around the corner it may feel like everything is slowing down toward the end of the year, but we still have lots of fun things to share with our school community.
World Teachers Day
This year world teachers’ day falls on Friday 31 October. The P&C was incredibly proud to celebrate this day by providing a delicious morning tea for the Charles Weston Teachers on Wednesday 29 October.
By offering this humble gesture to recognise the incredible contribution the wonderful CWSC teachers make in our children’s lives - we sincerely thank you!
Fundraising Goal for Term 4
We are working hard to raise funds for some new school equipment. This Term we would love to raise enough money to purchase at least one set (but hopefully two) of high-quality portable soccer goals for the recreational spaces at school.
We hope you can help us reach our goal!
What would you like to see (or hear) from the CWSC P&C?Our goal is supporting our school and community the best we can, by fostering connection across the CWSC community. If there is something you would like to see or hear from us, please reach out via the email contact below, or better yet – come along to our next meeting to share your ideas! Meetings are usually held in the School Library from 6:30pm on Thursday of weeks two and six each term.
Reminder for communicating via our WhatsApp cohort groups
We love seeing our CWSC families connect with each other via WhatsApp. Please remember to always be respectful and mindful of others.
Also remember we are a Parents & Citizens group and School Staff are not part of the chat. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child, these should always be communicated to the school directly.
Group rules are listed below for your convenience.
Michelle van Lier - President
Save the date for the (almost) Summer Disco
We are excited to host another school disco in Term 4 on Friday 21 November!!
Our Winter Disco DJ is returning, and we will be giving students the opportunity to request their favourite songs by posting a paper sign-up sheet in each year cohort area next term.
We are currently finalising all the details so keep an eye out for information at the start of next term.
Volunteers Needed … it’s your time to shine!!!
If you can assist on the day to make this event extra special for our ladies, please click here and register to help for the event https://forms.gle/2BLuCBk2xt2wq7Bn9
Just in time for the Holidays…
Looking for a fun and delicious activity for the Christmas Holidays? You can get together and build your very own Gingerbread House and decorate it with lots of sweet treats.
Not such a fan of gingerbread – they have chocolate options too!
The fabulous team at Gingerbread Folk have kindly provided our school community with 5% off orders, just enter the code CWSC2024 during checkout.
They have lots of delicious gingerbread treats - including lots of Gluten Free options.
Every purchase also helps raise funds for our P+C.
Click here to order yours now https://www.gingerbreadfolk.com.au/
Uniforms desperately needed!!
You may be aware the P&C runs a second hand uniform shop. Our goal is to provide good quality second hand uniforms to our families at reasonable prices. We rely on donations of uniforms to keep up our stock levels and provide this valuable service to our school community.
If you have any uniform items that your children have outgrown - you can donate them at the school front office, where our team will collect and wash them ready for sale.
P & C Association Contact Information
Next Meeting: Thursday 20 November, 2025 (Term 4, Week 6)
6:30pm in the school library
Or via zoom https://RSMAU.zoom.us/j/95989212249
Website: https://charles-weston-pc.square.site/
This includes our Second-Hand Uniform Shop
Email: charleswestonparents@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CWSCParents
Connect With Other Parents and P & C
WhatsApp groups provide another channel of information for parents and the opportunity to connect and chat with others in your child’s year group. Simply scan the QR code at the school front office using your phone camera to join the relevant group.
We are aware some families are not comfortable sharing their mobile numbers via WhatsApp. Unfortunately, this is an app setting and cannot be changed. We recommend joining our Facebook (private) group to receive regular updates. More details on this group to come.
***** PLEASE READ - Group chat privacy and communication standards*****
- The group is for parents and care givers of Charles Weston students only, please do not share with friends and members outside our school community.
- Please be always respectful and mindful of others
- Chats are to be text only - please do not post any pictures of children as this will breach privacy rules.
- Any sensitive student issues should be communicated with the school directly and not discussed in the group chat.
- Anyone using unsavoury language or not adhering to the above will be removed from the group immediately by the administrator.
- WhatsApp is not a marketing or promotion channel. If you would like to feature your business or community group - please contact the P&C directly on the email above or via our Facebook page.
SCHOOL SAFETY SERIES – EPISODE 4
Part way is OK
Traffic congestion is a common issue around most schools during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Roads aren’t designed to cope with the sudden increase in traffic volumes for 15-20 minute periods each morning and afternoon.
If you need to drive, a simple way to reduce the congestion around our school is to use part way drop off or collection points. Part way points can significantly reduce the burden on the local road network. They are ideal for families who live too far away from the school to walk or ride for the entire journey.
Consider dropping off and collecting students from a location that is a short distance from the school that provides safe and easy access. Not only will you help to reduce congestion around the school, children will also receive the health benefits for walking or riding part of the trip. Useful resources are available on the Transport Canberra website.
