Filter Content
Hello Families,
It has been wonderful to see so many parents and carers in the school over the past few weeks—either for our MindUp workshops or for our Book Week parades.
Mind Up Workshops
A big thank you to Cheryl Makila and Felicity Boate, who presented two workshops for parents and carers on our school-wide preventative mental health program, MindUp.
MindUp integrates neuroscience, social-emotional learning (SEL), mindful awareness practices, and positive psychology to build mental fitness, resilience, and well-being in young people. It teaches children about their brains and how to self-regulate emotions, focus attention, practice empathy, and manage stress through techniques such as brain breaks.
We hope those who attended found the information and resources useful. If you would like to learn more, this website is a great place to start: www.mindup.org.
Book Week and Author Visit
Week 5 was officially the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week! This year’s theme was “Book an Adventure”—celebrating 80 years of Book Week and encouraging readers to explore new places, meet fascinating characters, and open their minds to new possibilities through stories. The event artwork, created by Jess McGeachin, featured a fantastical map of a faraway island filled with creatures and adventure.
As part of the celebrations, we were lucky to welcome author Sue Whiting, who spoke to all students from K–6 and shared her amazing stories. You can read more about her work here: suewhiting.com.
Special thanks to Mrs. Mengel, our Teacher Librarian, for organising these fantastic activities to help us celebrate Book Week.
Awards Ceremony
Congratulations to Kirsty and Kacie from our front office, who won the Outstanding Front Office Team Award at the recent ACT School Business Manager Awards Ceremony.
This award recognises the collective efforts of a front office team in delivering exceptional service, creating memorable experiences, and exceeding expectations. Kirsty and Kacie have gone above and beyond this year, particularly when teammates have been on leave. Well done!
We are excited to have our full front office team back on board. Virginia, Kacie, Kirsty, Lenita, Sharon N, and Sharon C are all here to assist you with any queries or support you may need.
Staffing Update
Next week we farewell Kerrin Lay from our preschool team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kerrin for her contribution to preschool and our broader Charles Weston community. Please join me in wishing Kerrin well in her future endeavours. We welcome Mandeep Mann back after her leave. Mandeep will be joining the preschool team as the teacher for PMKL and PTKL.
Literacy and Numeracy Leaders Workshop
This week our school hosted the Network Literacy and Numeracy Leaders session. Thank you to Maz Smith and Anu Lall, who presented to teachers and leaders across our network, sharing our work on developing consistent practice in literacy and numeracy and the positive impact this is having on student learning.
School budgets
You may have seen recent media coverage about pressure on ACT public school budgets. Please be assured there are no cuts to school budgets in 2025 and our school will continue to provide an excellent education for all students.
The Education Directorate is working with us to develop a budget management plan for 2026 and the Minister for Education and Early Childhood, Yvette Berry, is proposing to establish a review of ACT public school system resourcing. The review will look at the resourcing needs of the ACT public school system and ensure funding is directed to meet need, fairly and sustainably, across the ACT public education system. We will keep you updated on this work.
2026 Information
As we prepare for 2026, it is important that we have accurate enrolment information. If your child will not be returning to Charles Weston School next year, we would greatly appreciate it if you could let us know by completing this form https://forms.gle/a18sgJ9hjWedjomU7
Preschool Rugulatory changes
From 1 September, there will be a number of changes to the Education and Care Services National Regulations to improve child safety. This includes:
- Strengthened policies around the taking and use of images of children.
- All allegations or incidents of physical or sexual abuse must be reported to the Regulator (CECA) within 24 hours – reduced from 7 days.
- The use of vaping devices and substances will be banned in preschool environments.
If you have any questions, please speak with your child’s educator or visit the Education Directorate’s website.
Kind Regards
Laurel
School Calendar - Weeks 6, 7, 8 & 9
Upcoming Events
Week 6
29 August - Preschool Photos (PTKL & PTRP)
29 August - Passions & Pursuit
30 & 31 August - TOMS Rounds
5 September - Junior Assembly (P-2) : Year 1 Host
Week 8
8 September - Year 3 Camp at Birrigai
14 September - TOMS Final
15 September - Year 5 Combined Band
18 September - Year 5 & 6 Floriade Band Performance
18 September - Year 2 - Dentist Visit
Building Executive Function skills
Executive function skills are the mental processes that help children plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. These skills are foundational for learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation. As Laura Petix (The OT Butterfly) explains, executive functioning lives in the brain’s frontal lobe and includes abilities like task initiation, impulse control, working memory, and problem-solving. These skills are still developing throughout childhood and can be especially impacted when a child’s nervous system is dysregulated. You can read more on Laura’s site here: (https://www.theottoolbox.com/executive-functioning-skills/).
To support executive functioning, Laura emphasises the importance of creating a sensory-friendly environment and recognising that children may need help breaking tasks into manageable steps. Strategies like using visual schedules, body doubling (having someone nearby while a child works), and reducing unnecessary transitions in routines can make a big difference. For example, keeping socks near shoes can reduce cognitive load and support smoother task completion.
Kelly Mahler, an occupational therapist known for her work on interoception (the sense of internal body signals), highlights how self-awareness and regulation are deeply tied to executive function. Her “Interoception Curriculum” helps children tune into their internal cues — like hunger, fatigue, or anxiety — which can unlock better self-regulation and decision-making (https://www.kelly-mahler.com/). When children understand and respond to their internal states, they’re better equipped to manage tasks and emotions.
Resources like the Child Mind Institute and Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child offer practical strategies and age-appropriate activities to build these skills. From games that promote working memory to routines that encourage planning and organization, these tools help children strengthen executive function through everyday interactions.
These are life skills that underpin every part of our day, across learning, organisation, and social interactions. By nurturing these skills early and consistently, we empower children to become more independent, resilient, and confident learners. Every child develops at their own pace, and with the right support, they can thrive both in and out of the classroom.
Cheryl
YEAR 3
How We Express Ourselves:
Year 3 have started a new semester long inquiry with the central idea
We have started Finding Out about line 1 and 2 and used the artwork of May Gibbs and Ellis Rowan as inspiration for some beautiful watercolour paintings of wattle ready for Wattle Day on the 1st September.
Sharing the Planet:
As part of our Inquiry we have been learning about soil sciences! Students have used magnified cameras to compare and describe soil samples. We will be using soil we have collected to make our own tiles.
In Mathematics, our students have been working hard on fractions and exploring how they connect to real-life situations. One of the highlights was creating their own pizzas, where they added toppings and then worked out the fraction of each topping on their pizza. The students did a fantastic job and their pizzas looked absolutely delicious!
Text Study:
In Text Study, the Year 3 students have been working hard on upleveling their writing skills by expanding their vocabulary using academic and scientific words. We have been studying a picture book ‘A Stone is a Story’ which students have taken a deep interest in!
Book Week:
Last Friday we celebrated Book Week. Our students expressed their deep love of books and reading through their amazing costumes! We were lucky enough to have author Sue Whiting who shared her journey of becoming an author and her inspiration for her novel collection Pearly and Me.
YEAR 4
Last week, Year 4 students had the opportunity to visit the National Portrait Gallery and Boundless Playground.
Both of these were connected to the units of inquiry currently being studied - How We Express Ourselves and Sharing the Planet.
The National Portrait Gallery gave students time to explore a variety of portraits that depicted local, National and international people. Students were able to identify aspects of portraits that were significant and also had the opportunity to draw their own portraits, both self and of others.
After the gallery, we enjoyed a leisurely walk across Kings Avenue Bridge and spent time at the Boundless Playground, identifying aspects of an inclusive playground and possible areas for further improvement. Students completed an analysis of the playground before enjoying a well deserved ‘play’.
In maths, students continue to explore decimals and connect them to place value, multiplication and fractions. Families are encouraged to explore each of these maths concepts in real life contexts, such as shopping and measuring, in order to assist students to connect the concepts across multiple maths concepts. Key vocabulary for this include ones, tenths, hundredths, decimal, fraction, numerator, denominator, whole number and part numbers.
YEAR 5
Unit of Inquiry
Year 5 have been investigating the Central Idea ‘Economic activities influence wellbeing,’ as part of our ‘How We Organise Ourselves’ unit of inquiry. During the ‘Finding Out’ phase, students used their research skills to explore the question ‘Does money buy happiness?’ by examining world happiness rankings alongside GDP data from different countries. Year 5 then presented their findings by creating online graphs. Students then moved on to examining the factors that have a positive influence on wellbeing, reading information about Nordic countries and collecting data on class wellbeing.
Number
Year 5 inquired into the concept of money by exploring a range of resources that helped to build their understanding of the concept and its relevance in daily life. Students engaged with tactile materials such as coins, notes, moneyboxes, and calculators, and examined different fiction and non-fiction texts. They also explored data and news sources related to money, including headlines and infographics. Through engaging with these invitations to inquire, students developed thoughtful questions and thought critically about the role of money in society. To build understanding of key terms related to financial literacy, Year 5 have been participating in the online Moneytime program.
Writing
Year 5 have been examining narratives, unpacking the narrative elements that hook and engage readers. During writing lessons, students have created character profiles based on common archetypes and reviewed language features such as metaphor, similes and alliteration. They have explored narrative text structure, identifying key elements of introductions through analysing fictional texts. Students will be applying their learning to write stories about emotions, related to our year long ‘Who We Are’ unit of inquiry.
Reading
In reading, Year 5 have been introduced to ‘The Inheritance’ by Armin Greder, a powerful text that links closely to our inquiry into economic activities and their impact on wellbeing. The book has prompted rich discussion about themes of money, wealth distribution, and social responsibility, allowing students to make meaningful connections between literature and real-world issues. To support comprehension and deepen their understanding, students have been engaging with a tiered word list drawn from the text and focusing on a ‘Word of the Week’, which has helped expand their vocabulary while strengthening their ability to unpack the complex themes within the book.
SEL
During MindUp sessions, Year 5 has been exploring perspective, optimism and happiness. Students have developed their understanding of the brain by learning about neurotransmitters (chemical messengers), such as Dopamine. They have also explored the effects of puberty on the brain and developed their ability to recognise and apply appropriate coping strategies.
Kindergarten –WHAT’S A COMPOSER?
Our curious Kindergarten students have been asking, “What’s a composer?” Through exploration and discovery, we’ve
learned that composers are people who write music — and guess what? We are composers too!
Kindergarten have been experimenting with different ways to write music, using pens, spots, and even stickers to
represent sounds. Through playful creativity, they’re beginning to understand that there is rhythm in words, and that
music can be created in many unique and personal ways.
Year One – LISTENING ON COUNTRY
Year One students have been learning to listen deeply and notice what is happening on Ngunnawal land. Together,
we’ve explored the sounds of our school and its surroundings — from rustling leaves and bird calls to footsteps and
laughter in the playground.
As part of our inquiry, students took photos and created a soundscape movie that represents their ideas and experiences
of this special place. Their creative work will be shared at our K–2 assembly.
Through this project, we’re learning to connect with Country, listen with care, and express our understandings through
sound and image.
Year Two –THE PLANETS
Year 2 have been diving into the world of orchestral music through The Planets Suite by composer Gustav Holst. Each
movement of the suite represents a different planet in our solar system (excluding Earth), with music that reflects its
unique character — from the powerful rhythm of Marsto the peaceful sounds of Venus.
Inspired by Holst’s work, students will soon begin composing their own pieces of “Earth music” — imagining what our planet might sound like if it had its own musical movement.
Year Three –WHAT IS AUSTRALIAN MUSIC?
This term, Year Three students are learning about the rich and diverse music of Australia. They are
discovering how music can tell stories, share beliefs, and celebrate different cultures. From traditional
Indigenous instruments like the didgeridoo to music from around the world, students are exploring
how music helps people express who they are and where they come from.
Year Four –YES UKE CAN
Year Four are learning to play the ukulele. They are exploring how music helps us express our feelings,
tell stories, and connect with others. By practicing chords and rhythms, students are building
confidence, teamwork skills, and a love for making music together.
Year Five and Six – LIKE A VERSION
Inspired by Triple J’s “like a Version” our year five and six students are discovering how song form works
by creating their own versions of favourite songs. Working in teams, they’re learning about structure,
creativity, and collaboration as they rearrange and perform music in their own style. It’s a great way to
understand how songs are built and express their unique musical ideas!
Choir News
Our students had a fantastic time participating in the PYP Choir Day hosted at Girls Grammar School.
Representing our school with pride, they joined voices with students from six other schools to sing the
day away in a celebration of music and collaboration.
The day culminated in a beautiful afternoon concert, showcasing the incredible talent and hard work
of all involved.
Term 3 in the library means Book Week. In case you aren’t familiar with it’s origins, the Children’s Book Council of Australia introduced Children’s Book Week in 1946 as a way of shining a spotlight on the best books for children recently written by Australian authors and illustrators. Over the past 80 years, this celebration has grown into a competition with 6 categories and the books that make the Shortlist (the top 6 books) regularly become icons and are found in many of your homes and libraries.
Previous winners and notable books include:
Picture books such as:
- Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
- Grandpa and Thomas by Pamela Allen
- Puffling by Margaret Wild
- Noni the Pony by Alison Lester
- Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
- Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen
- Possum Magic by Mem Fox.
Novels such as:
- Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda
- Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
- Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein
- Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
It is because of this competition between wonderful books that we come together to focus on some of best new kids books published in the previous year and learning about how these books come to be created. Students across the school have been participating in large scale collaborative weaving project inspired by the beautiful book Afloat, by Kirli Saunders and Freya Blackwood.
We were very lucky to be able to host author, Sue Whiting, for a day of author expert talks. Sue was incredibly engaging and had every child hanging on to her every work. She shared where she gets her ideas from, her research process for hiding the truth inside the lie to make the stories believable and reading from her books. A few very lucky kids also got to take home their own copy of one of her novels to take home. If you would like to purchase your own copy of any of Sue’s books they are still available from The Book Cow here: https://shop.bookcow.com.au/c/sue-whiting (remember to mark Charles Weston School and your child’s name in the notes section)
It was an absolute delight to see so many children dressed as the characters from their favourite books. So many students selected characters from books that they have recently fallen in love with via books from the school library or through novels they have been reading with their teachers and families. These opportunities allow students to bring the characters to life and to make reading seem like an even more desirable activity. We all loved seeing so many families in attendance.
The new look library entrance way is now complete. The double glass sliding doors are now adorned with the word library in around 70 different languages. If your home language is missing, or incorrect, please send an email to melanie.mengel@ed.act.edu.au with the correct text and language and I will endeavour to add it to the glass as soon as possible.
We will conclude our Book Week celebrations in week 9 and 10 with a Lamont Book Fair. This event is a pop-up book shop that visits our school, where families are able to purchase books for their own home collections, and in turn earns credit for our library to purchase new books. Books Fairs are really important ways of raising funds for the library as our resourcing is dependent on your Library Trust Fund Donations. In order for this event to be successful, we ask for people who can volunteer a short block of time to help with sales of books. If you can spare some time before or after school, please sign up for a timeslot here: volunteersignup.org/TAAHY
Don’t forget to take some time this coming week to sit down and read a book with your child, even if they are in year 6. We are all made readers on the laps of our parents and kids absolutely adore shaing stories with you, the ones that they love!
Happy reading!
Mrs Mengel
Teacher Librarian
Kindergarten
- Liam Banijamali (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset & Bronze Organisation Seed
- Luca Carstens (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset & Bronze Organisation Seed
- Harley Diprose-Morris (KLS) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Ruth Francis (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Princess Maryjoy Gaano (KKG) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Charlotte Gale (KEQ) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Aarav Punyapu (KLN) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Ashvi Payakurel (KKG) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Amelia Rogers (KLN) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Aayushman Thapa (KEQ) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Chloe Thornton (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Jaylen Toporek (KEQ) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Anyamany Vongpaseuth (KLN) - Bronze Growth Mindset
Year 1
- Archie Abubo (1GS) - Silver Respect Seed
- Carlos Daekh (1GS) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Eli Emery-Smith (1KF) - Bronze Respect Seed & Bronze Organisation Seed
- Taylor Fan (1GS) - Silver Respect Seed
- Aurora Flynn (1GS) - Silver Respect Seed
- Shourya Gollapalli (1GS) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Shengheng Guan (1GS) - Silver Respect Seed
- Hamish Johnston (1BY) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Zion Kumar (1KF) - Silver Respect Seed
- Cameron Ondrovcik (1GS) - Silver Respect Seed
- Reuben Sparke-McCallum - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Armaan Thind (1GS) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Nivin Vineeth (1KF) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Kiana You (1KF) - Bronze Organisation Seed
Year 2
- Samuel Bartholomew (2ED) - Gold Organisation Seedling
- Thea Duren (2ED) - Silver Respect Seed
- Lucas Gale (2ED) - Gold Respect Seed
- Zakaria Kashif (2SR) - Forest of Fame - Silver, Silver Wellbeing Seed & Bronze Organised Seedling
- Isaiah Las Pinas (2SR) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Jayyaan Maheshwari (2CK) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Bonnie Morris - (2SR) - Forest of Fame - Silver, Gold Growth Mindset Seed, Silver Wellbeing Seed, Silver Organised Seedling & Silver Respect Seedling
- Ryker Murphy (2SR) - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Amayara Patel (2SR) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Simione Qionibaravilala (2SR) - Forest of Fame - Bronze, Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Amara Sandhu (2ED) - Gold Growth Mindset Seed
- Kirtan Kaur Sandhu (2ED) - Gold Respect Seed
- Kai Steffen (2SR) - Forest of Fame - Bronze, Bronze Respect Seed, Bronze Wellbeing Seed
- Marcus Wong (2SR) - Gold Growth Mindset Seed & Gold Organisation Seedling
Year 3
- Leora Asi (3ST) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Aaron Dahal (3ST) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Milozain Dirgasatria (3JH) - Bronze Organisation Seed
- Henry Faulks (3SK) - Silver Grow Mind Seedling
- Serah Linto (3JH) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Talia Taiju (3JH) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Arjun Upadhyay (3JH) - Gold Respect Seed
Year 4
- Fathia Alli (4AL) - Bronze Organisation Seed & Bronze Respect Seed
- April Berney-Moore (4BW) - Gold Respect Seed
- Azhar Febrian (4AL) - Bronze Respect Seed
- Rufus Hughes (4AL) - Gold Respect Seed
- Zoe Phan (4AL) - Silver Organised Seedling
- Rosita Sanchez (4BW) - Forest of Fame - Silver & Silver Wellbeing Seed
- Summer Isabelle Solis (4AL) - Silver Organisation Seed
- Mirabelle Pei Xuan Thong (4BW) - Silver Respect Seed
- Keerthana Vajjha (4AL) - Gold Respect Seed & Gold Organisation Seedling
- Pema Wangchuk (4BW) - Silver Respect Seed
Year 5
- Zane Biradee (5AM) - Silver Growth Mindset Seed
- Hunter Gavin-Brownell (5AM) - Forest of Fame - Silver, Gold Growth Mindset Seed, Silver Wellbeing Seed
- Mason Keith - Bronze Organised Seedling
- Asenat Noori (5AM) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Theodore Page (5ZJ) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Filipe Qionibaravilala - (5DG) - Bronze Growth Mindset
- Elias Wong (5ZJ) - Gold Organisation Seed
- Jonning Zhao (5DG) - Bronze Grow Mind Seedling
- Alayna Ziya (5AM) - Bronze Growth Mindset & Bronze Organisation Seed
Year 6
- Lucas Wong (6JG) - Forest of Fame - Silver & Silver Wellbeing Seed
- Monday 13 October 2025
Student-free days are for staff development, enabling teachers and schools to plan in a student-free environment, and form part of our commitment to priortising better teacher workloads for educational leadership, teaching and learning.
Wow! I can’t believe how quickly this year seems to be progressing. We are past the half -way point of Term Three and holidays will be just around the corner. The P&C has some great events planned for the remainder of school year and we hope to raise more funds to support our school. Our Father’s Day celebration is next week, so don’t miss your chance to celebrate the fabulous men in our lives…more details below.
Term Four Disco
We are looking to host another school disco in Term four. If you have any feedback or ideas for the disco please email us on charleswestonparents@gmail.com and if you are interested in volunteering you can register here https://forms.gle/KRHjtuEEyhbo21bPA
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 held in the School Library from 6:30pm.
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
Father’s Day Breakfast - Friday 5 September
We are excited to host our annual Father’s Day breakfast in the STEM rooms at the school on Friday 5 September (Term 3 Week 7) to celebrate all the fantastic men in our lives. So, whether you are a dad, step-dad, grandad, uncle or favourite family friend… join us to celebrate the men in our school community.
We will have some delicious breakfast treats, along with our gift stall and card making activities for the kids – see details below. Breakfast can be ordered via the QR code below of follow this link. Breakfast orders close midday Thursday 4 September.
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/KRHjtuEEyhbo21bPA
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 4 September, 2025 (Term 3, Week 7)
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 2
Safe School Environments
Creating a safe environment around our school requires a collaborative approach from everyone, including parents, teachers, children and the broader community. Please drive slowly around the school and be courteous to other drivers and teachers.
A great way to improve safety around the school is to decrease the number of cars on the road, particularly during the peak times. Encouraging children to walk or ride to school has many great benefits, including less congestion, increased safety, and healthier and happier children.
Alternatively, consider dropping off and collecting students from streets a little distance from the school to reduce traffic in the school carpark, which will help to increase safety.
If you need to drive your children to school, please obey the road rules and always be on the lookout for pedestrians and other motorists.
Emerging Minds
Online resource: Five ways to support your children’s mental health
Every family is unique and will experience different ups and downs. Whether life is going well right now, or your child or family is navigating tough times, focusing on these five areas of family life will help nurture and protect your child’s mental health and overall wellbeing.
This resource includes videos and factsheets that explain how focusing on each of these five areas of family life can nurture and protect a child’s mental health and wellbeing. There are also suggested strategies, based on research and the experiences of other families and health professionals that you can add to your parenting toolkit.
To find out more, visit https://emergingminds.com.au/families/five-ways-to-support-your-childrens-mental-health/
Drop-in clinics for child development
Attending a free drop-in clinic is a great way to seek information or advice from the Child Development Service if you are worried about your child’s communication, movement or emotional development. You don’t need a referral. Please arrive early as you cannot book an appointment in advance.
The Child Development Service drop-in clinics include:
- speech pathology – for checking communication skills like talking, understanding language, stuttering and social interactions
- physiotherapy – for checking large movement and physical skills like rolling, sitting, walking and coordination
- occupational therapy – for checking small movement and physical skills as well as emotional development, like dressing, eating, using the toilet, reactions to sensory information and managing emotions.
If needed, they may:
- give you information about parenting programs, workshops or playgroups
- refer your child for an assessment with one of our therapists
- refer you to other specialists or services.
Where: Gungahlin, West Belconnen and Tuggeranong Child and Family Centres, or the Child Development Service at 26 Weingarth Street, Holder
When: All year – check the website for exact times/locations: https://www.act.gov.au/community/families/child-development-service/get-your-childs-development-checked
Who: Children from birth to 6 years living in the ACT who are not a NDIS participant.
ACT Instrumental Music Program
Extension Ensembles for 2026
The ACT Instrumental Music Program would like to invite students who will be in Years 4-7 in ACT government schools in 2026 to audition for ACT IMP extension ensembles.
The ACT IMP ensembles are an excellent opportunity for hard-working, skilled and committed young musicians to work together in an enriching environment. The groups are active performance ensembles, and the families of students auditioning need to be prepared to make a strong commitment to rehearsal and performance attendance for the full year.
Audition registration is now open for the following ensembles:
- Primary Concert Band – Students in Year 6 in ACT government schools in 2026
- Young Voices (Choir) – Vocalists (singers) in Years 4-6 in ACT government schools in 2026
Students are welcome to audition for one or more ensembles. Membership in each ensemble is considered separately.
Please note that students accepting a place in Young Voices for 2026 will also need to be members of their school choir, if the opportunity exists.
Audition registration closes Monday 3 November 2025. This is a strict deadline.
Information cards will be available from the Music/Arts teacher at your child’s school. Further details are also available on the IMP website.
Three ways to access the online audition registration form:
- http://www.imp.act.edu.au
- QR code
- https://forms.gle/mCLscYJSzpiQw6wC9
If you have questions about the audition process, please contact imp.admin@ed.act.edu.au
Audition requirements, set pieces and instructions will be available on the IMP website by the end of Term 3. Online auditions will be held in Week 6, Term 4 (17-21 November).
We look forward to receiving your audition registration!
ACT Instrumental Music Program
ACT Chorale for 2026
The ACT Instrumental Music Program would like to invite interested vocalists (singers) who will be in Years 7-12 in ACT government schools in 2026 to apply for membership in the ACT Chorale.
The ACT IMP ensembles are an excellent opportunity for hard-working, skilled and committed young musicians to work together in an enriching environment. The groups are active performance ensembles, and the families of students auditioning need to be prepared to make a strong commitment to rehearsal and performance attendance for the full year.
No auditions will be held for this ensemble. For reasons related to staffing and capacity of our rehearsal space, places will be limited. Selections will be made with consideration given to achieving a balanced ensemble across all voice types and year levels. Offers of place may also be made based on date of application submission.
Music reading skills are desirable but are not required.
Applications close Monday 17 November 2025. This is a strict deadline.
Three ways to access the online application form:
- http://www.imp.act.edu.au
- QR code
- https://forms.gle/wGeWfPxmHpUsMQJq9
Please note that submission of an application form does not guarantee an offer of membership.
Please note that students who accept a place in the ACT Chorale for 2026 will also be required to be part of their choir at school in 2026, if the opportunity exists.
There is a membership fee ($150 in 2025 and yet to be confirmed for 2026). Rehearsals will be held each Monday 5:45-7:00pm during school terms.
Information cards will be available from the Music/Arts teacher at your child’s school from Week 6, Term 3. Further details are also available on the IMP website.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact IMP.Admin@ed.act.edu.au
We look forward to receiving your application!
