Dear Families,

Time flies when you are learning, growing, and having fun! This term, we have made great strides under our new Student Centred Improvement priority: All learners will improve their language comprehension. Our staff have embarked on a spiral of inquiry into evidence-based knowledge, ensuring we build a shared understanding of language comprehension and its many components. This skill is foundational for all learning, as it underpins every subject and aspect of school life. Our dedicated teachers are deeply committed to this priority and are working collectively to refine and improve the quality of instruction they provide in this area. Through professional learning, collaboration, and reflection, they are continually refining their approaches to enhance students' language comprehension skills and overall academic success.

You may recall me sharing strategies to support language development at home. Simple actions such as discussing new words, reading together, and encouraging rich conversations can have a profound impact on comprehension skills. Engaging children in storytelling, asking open-ended questions about books, and making connections between texts and real-life experiences also help develop deeper understanding. Listening to audiobooks together, playing word games, and encouraging children to explain their thinking in discussions can strengthen vocabulary and critical thinking. This goal benefits learners of all skill levels because language truly is the key to everything! We appreciate your partnership in nurturing strong communication skills in our students, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.

Exciting News: Free Camp to Birrigai!

We are thrilled to announce that our students will have the opportunity to attend camp at Birrigai, for free! The ACT Government is providing one free school camp at Birrigai for every primary school student, with free camps starting in Term 1 this year. Camps will be held at Birrigai Outdoor School, near Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. It is expected that one year group from each ACT public primary school will attend a free camp each year. This initiative ensures that all ACT primary school students will have the opportunity to experience camp during their primary years, meaning families won’t have to miss out due to cost. We are pleased to announce that we have successfully secured a spot in the program for this year’s Year 4 cohort. The Year 4 camp will be held in Term 3, and we will be sending information home to families soon. We hope this is a welcomed relief for families facing cost of living pressures, and we feel fortunate to have this opportunity for our students.

Farewell and Congratulations, Simran Kukreja    

It is with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to Simran Kukreja, a long standing Learning Support Assistant who has been an integral part of our school. Simran has supported us flexibly across many different capacities, always bringing warmth and dedication to her work. With encouragement, she has successfully had her international teaching qualifications recognised and has won a permanent teaching position at Harrison School. We are incredibly proud of her achievement and wish her all the best in this exciting new chapter. We hope to see her back for relief teaching days on a Thursday or a Friday.

Supporting Our School: Voluntary Contributions & Library Trust Fund

We are continuing our journey to complete the next stage of our outdoor GROW Yarning Circle, a space designed in collaboration with our community. Our goal is to raise $50,000 to build a pergola seating area and a rock river bed, bringing our long-standing vision to life. Voluntary contributions of $40 per term will help us rebuild our school funds and support this meaningful project. Additionally, our amazing librarian has been compiling a list of 'Hot Reads' recommended by students, and we are eager to add these books to our library collection. To maintain a steady flow of engaging and diverse books, we rely on contributions to our Library Trust Fund. We are asking families to donate $20 per term to help us continue fostering a love of reading among our students. Keep an eye out for a note from the Front Office with more details on how you can contribute. Your support makes a huge difference in enriching our school environment and providing valuable resources for our students.

School Board

I am delighted to share that the Directorate’s Returning Officer has officially appointed Gihan Mallawaarachchi to the Charles Weston School Board in accordance with the Education Act 2004. His term begins on 1 April 2025 and runs until 31 March 2027. At his first Board meeting last night, Gihan was also appointed Board Chair. As a dedicated member of our school community, with two children at Charles Weston School, he is deeply committed to supporting and strengthening our school. He has already shared ideas about how he would like to keep families informed and engaged with the Board’s work, ensuring that our achievements and ongoing initiatives are communicated effectively. We warmly welcome Gihan to this important role and look forward to working together.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to Cameron Dalton, our outgoing Board Chair, for his dedicated service, wise counsel, and unwavering support of Charles Weston School. Cameron’s contributions have been invaluable in shaping the direction of the school, advocating for students and families, and ensuring that the Board remained focused on what matters most—creating the best possible learning environment for our students. His leadership, thoughtful decision-making, and commitment to accountability have been greatly appreciated, and we thank him for his time and service to our community.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to all the parents who put themselves forward for the School Board elections. It is truly heart-warming to see so many members of our community willing to step up and serve in this capacity. Your willingness to contribute and support our school is a testament to the strength of our Charles Weston community, and we appreciate your dedication. Please join us in welcoming Gihan, in thanking Cameron, and in celebrating the wonderful spirit of involvement that makes our school such a special place.

Welcome to Our New Principal, Laurel Rodrigues!

We are delighted to welcome our new Principal, Laurel Rodrigues, to Charles Weston School! Laurel will officially begin her role next term, but we have invited her for a visit and morning tea so she can get to know our staff and students before the term begins. We are excited to have her experience and leadership complement our amazing staff profile, and we look forward to working together to continue building our vibrant school community. Future newsletters will provide opportunities for Laurel to introduce herself further and connect with you all.

As the Acting Principal for the past eight months, it has been a joy and a privilege to share in the adventures and achievements of our school community. I have learned so much from this experience and deeply appreciate the support and encouragement I have received from students, staff, and families alike. I look forward to returning to my Deputy Principal role alongside Mrs Keeffe and continuing to support our students and school. Thank you again for your kindness and warm wishes, it has truly meant a lot to me.

Kind regards

Marilyn Smith

Last Term - ACE jobTrainer-Open Doors- CALD Adults Learning Computer and English Skills for Work

This project is targeted at adult women and men from linguistically diverse and all culturally backgrounds, with some English and little understanding of computer’s skills.

The project will be suitable for people who are unemployed, under employed, out of the workforce and change job to develop their workplace computer and English language skills further thus improving their opportunities to find job.

We provide you with training on English and computer skills that are suitable and equip you for a simple workplace environment. You will also get hands-on experience via voluntary, unpaid job work experience at a workplace.

Date:        Every Wednesday -from April 30^th to 2^nd July 2025.

Time:       English Class: 10:30am - 12:30pm,  Computer Class: 1:00pm -3:00pm

Location:    Gungahlin Library -Meeting room 2

Cost:         Free 

 *** This project is conducted by a bilingual facilitator ***

Give us a call on 0422 737 751 to find out more  about this course "OPEN DOORS"  program is for you!

SAWs Info & Admin Team

Email: info@sawsfriendship.org.au

Support Asian Women’s Friendship Association Inc.

https://www.sawsfriendship.org.au

The staff in and out the office during the day, it may therefore take a short while to get a response. If the matter is urgent, please text on 0422737751. Thanks