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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 30th to 2nd 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
Job-a-like Professional Learning
Earlier this term, teachers from our school were part of the PYP Job-a-like sessions, where they either visited or hosted teachers in their same learning area to discuss Units of Inquiry, IB learning and problem solved best teaching practices. The main focus of the discussion was around how we teach and include the Approaches to Learning (ATL) in our everyday teaching practice. The ATL skills are: research, communication, thinking, social and self management. These will reported on in academic reports at the end of this term for the first time.
CWSC hosted the music and language teachers. Visiting teachers were very impressed with the learning environments our students have access to.
The pictures below are the language and music specialist teachers in their learning spaces.
Learning environments and ATL
Learning walls and environments are an integral part of of the PYP. Teachers and students co-create their learning walls to represent the learning that is happening in the classroom.
The ATL are also being explicitly referred to in each lesson. Teachers clearly communicate the ATL which students will be focusing on and how they will be successful.
Is Discipline Good for Your Child? Absolutely—but here’s what really matters – Nurturing Guidance.
By Dr. Siggie Cohen
Another week with words of wisdom from parenting guru, Dr. Siggie. You can read full details in her blog: https://drsiggie.com/blog/is-discipline-good-for-your-child-absolutely-but-heres-what-really-matters. I’ve tried to capture her key points below.
These days disciplining (or let’s use my preferred term, nurturing guidance) often gets a bad rap. But guidance is not only beneficial for your child – it’s essential for their wellbeing, for building skills in perseverance and resilience, and for children to develop critical coping skills and emotional intelligence. Dr. Siggie discussed two types of discipline:
Control-based discipline: Do as I say, or else! Or as my wonderful mother used to say, Do as I say, not as I do! We’ve come a long way and now have access to research that parents from yesteryear did not have the benefit of; nevertheless, many parents tried to do the best job they knew how to do. Today, we know that you can’t teach children the skills they need to navigate challenges or regulate their emotions by forcing compliance.
Leadership-based Guidance: Yes, you need to do as I say. Not all the time, but a lot of the time. This is because it’s my job as a parent, and I know what’s best for you because I have more life experience. I can see the bigger picture in a way you can’t yet. Even though it’s hard, I’m here to guide you and support you, until you are ready to do more on your own. This mindset and approach shifts discipline away from control and toward teaching and nurturing your child’s development.
You can subscribe to Dr. Siggie’s newsletter or follow her on FB and Instagram for more strategies to stay calm, confident, and composed; to set clear and effective boundaries; and connect to your child. If you’ve been on social media this week and seen the explosion of discussion around the UK drama series Adolescence, or even brave enough to watch it, you’ll be very aware of the many challenges that currently face our children. There is no such thing as a perfect parent; we are all doing the best job we know how to ?. If you’re finding it a struggle and need of a bit of self-compassion this week, please check out the tips and strategies here and have a gentle week ahead:
Cheryl
Literacy
In literacy, we have been continuing our explicit spelling program, Spellex, where we are currently revising when to use and how to spell long vowel sounds, rules about adding suffixes to words and what a bound or free base word is. We have also been practicing reading fluently by partnering up and timing each other to see if we can increase our words per minute the more we practice. Our cohort goal is to reach 133 words per minute! We have been practising using these skills in our narrative writing where we created a story about a character who migrates from a country to Australia and the challenges they face. We can’t wait for you to read our language features like metaphors, similes, exaggeration and personification throughout our texts.
Maths
In Maths, Year Six has been working on Cartesian Planes and how we can use the four quadrants to map out efficient locations for businesses. In number, we have challenged ourselves to fill out as many multiplication sums as we can in 5 minutes. It has been great to see our progress through practice.
At the beginning of term, we learnt about Polya’s 4 steps for problem solving. Using these steps, we have been strategically working through problems to plan, work out and check our answers. We have been using inverse operations and our knowledge of number patterns to help us check our working out.
Year 3 students started Term 1 learning body part vocabulary in Japanese, using games, songs and drawings. They drew figures of their choice and labeled their body parts in Japanese. Here are some of their drawings:
At the beginning of Term 1, Year 4 students choose their favourite Japanese character to then describe. Here are some of their works:
Year 5 Shopping Role Play Preparation
Year 5 students have been working towards producing their shopping roleplays. In preparation for that, they are learning all the necessary vocabulary and phrases, including food terms and classroom vocabulary. To help learn those Japanese words, students created vocabulary lists and came up with creative mnemonics.
Year 6 Self Introduction
Year 6 students have been learning personality adjectives and future job names in Japanese as part of the self-introduction speech they are going to present in Term 2. They are learning those Japanese words through online games, slideshows and creating their own vocabulary lists. They also have to come up with creative mnemonic words to help them remember the words.
P.E.
Term 1 has been a busy term in PE. Our students Year 2 - 6 have been focusing on goal setting and individual pursuits that relate to our athletics skills and running stamina. These goals and individual efforts have linked closely to our sports carnivals where students have competed against their own personal bests and each other. We have also focused on teamwork and the importance of supporting each other, by looking at the positive ways we can contribute to the team's success. We have been Orienteering in teams to help develop collaborative and cooperative skills as well as build our fitness at the same time. The support they have shown each other has been impressive.
In Kindergarten and Year 1 we have been focusing on gross motor skills and the importance of the fundamental movements within the different skills. We have been establishing our routines in the PE environment and the different elements of a PE session.
ACT Hockey Roadshow Clinics
Earlier this term Hockey ACT ran an introductory hockey clinic for all students in Year 3 -6. Students were introduced to the sport of hockey through drills and skill-based games. The coaches from Hockey ACT taught the students the basic skills of hockey such as ball control, dribbling and passing.
Orienteering has been a focus in our PE lessons this term and has been introduced as a passion group for students to further develop their orienteering skills. Orienteering is a navigation sport where you visit checkpoints in a specific order using a map. The map provides information about the area, and the participants navigate the key information to get around the course.
You may have seen a large number of students from across Canberra racing around our school grounds this morning. These students were participating in ACT Orienteering’s Autumn SC-ORE series. Over the past four Thursday mornings Charles Weston have had four orienteering teams represent the school and participate in this series. It was great to see so many students involved and we hope the children have all enjoyed the experience and want to continue participating in this great sport.
The SC-ORE series are held over four Thursday mornings, twice a year in March and October-November, so if your child missed out this time but would like to be involved in the series later in the year keep an eye out for an EOI in Term 3.
Cross Country Carnival
Our school cross country carnival is next Wednesday 9th April at Stromlo Forest Park. The cross country carnival provides students in Years 2-6 an opportunity to compete in long distance running. Sports carnivals are part of our core curriculum and there will be no classes running at school on the day for Years 2-6. All students are expected to attend and participate. This is a great opportunity to build team spirit, encourage and support our peers. Please note all permission notes were due back at school on Wednesday 2nd April.
Athletics Carnival
The Charles Weston’s Athletics Carnival is going to be held on Friday 2nd May at Chapman Oval. It is an opportunity for students in Year 2 -6 to compete in track and field events and some modified athletics based activities. Permission notes have been sent out to all families with students in Year 2-6 with permission notes and payment due by: Tuesday 29th April 2025.
We are asking for more parent volunteers so if you are able to assist in any capacity and for any time period it would be greatly appreciated. This will ensure we run a successful & smooth carnival for your children. If you are able to assist please complete this form or use the QR code.
A couple of weeks ago we held our school's swimming carnival which was a great success. The children displayed many of the learner profile attributes throughout the day. At our last assembly we acknowledged and congratulated all the children for their efforts and presented ribbons to all children who were our placegetters from our swimming carnival. Tomorrow several of these students will be representing Charles Weston at South Weston Regional Championships at the AIS. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing how they go against the best swimmers from our region.
In week eight we held our Annual General Meeting for 2025, where all positions in the P & C were vacated and a new committee elected. We thank all our committee members and volunteers for their efforts throughout 2024 and into 2025 – you are an integral part of our school community, and our success is truly to the credit of all our members.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Keerthi Thummalapally as our outgoing president. Her leadership and support for the school were outstanding and we are forever grateful for her contribution. I would also like to thank Sana Riaz who served as our secretary during this time. Secretary is such a vital role in our organisation and Sana has been a constant supportive force throughout.
On that note, I would like to introduce you to the 2025 Committee for the P & C:
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- President Michelle van Lier
- Vice President Terri Guirguis
- Secretary Meagan Nicholls
- Treasurer Melanie O’Brien
- Public Officer Jasmaine Moore
- Fundraising Terri Guirguis & Jasmaine Moore
- General Committee Sana Riaz & Rebecca Wood
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Thank you to all who nominated and joined the committee this year. New members and volunteers are always welcome at any time throughout the school year. See below for how to contact us or get involved.
I am excited to return as the P & C President for 2025 and I look forward to delivering some great events and outcomes for the Charles Weston School Community.
Michelle van Lier - President
Help Needed!! Election BBQ - 3 May
You may have heard in the news; the Federal Election has finally been announced for 3 May 2025. Charles Weston School Coombs Parents & Citizens Association are hoping to host a BBQ and bake sale on this day at the school which is likely to be a polling centre.
This is a huge event for us, and we need your help to make it a success. If you can spare some time to help on the day (even one hour) please click on the registration form here https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdJ8Zwzve9zi8.../viewform
Stay tuned for further announcements and updates
Mother’s Day Breakfast - Friday 9 May
We are excited to host our annual Mother’s Day breakfast in the STEM rooms at the school on Friday 9 May (term 2 Week 2) to celebrate all the fantastic ladies in our lives. So, whether you are a mum, step-mum, grandmother, aunty or favourite family friend… join us to celebrate the ladies in our school community.
We will have some delicious breakfast treats, along with our gift stall and card making activities for the kids.
Gentlemen and volunteers … 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
More details to come via socials and Seesaw.
Term Two School Disco - Friday 27 June
The P & C is exploring options for a school disco on Friday of Term 2, week 9. Save the date and keep an eye out for updates after the Easter Break.
P & C Association Contact Information
Next Meeting: Wednesday 14 May 2025 (Term 2, Week 3)
7:00pm in the school library
Or via zoom https://RSMAU.zoom.us/j/98289492248
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. Please set notification settings for the group to All Posts so you don's miss anything.
Join private Facebook group here: Enter code CWSC when asked
https://www.facebook.com/groups/charleswestonschoolcoombs
***** 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.
- 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 below 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.
Coerver Coaching ACT Holiday Camps April 2025 – Registrations Now Open!
Coerver Coaching Holiday Camps offer a fun filled soccer experience for boys and girls aged 3 - 16+ years. Each day will include Ball Mastery, 1v1 attack and defence, receiving and passing, small sided Coerver games and mini Coerver Cup tournaments.
Players who attend a Coerver® Coaching ACT Holiday Camp receive:
- 12 hours of programmed Coerver ® Coaching sessions delivered by Coerver® Diploma accredited coaches
- Coerver® Coaching training Shirt
- adidas training football
- Coerver® Coaching Home Study Program
- Coerver® Coaching Home Study Program Online Support
- Coerver ® Coaching certificate of attendance
Dates: Monday 14 April – Thursday 17 April
Times: 9:00am - 12:00pm each day
Venue: Northside - University of Canberra, Bruce. Southside – Trinity Christian School, Wanniassa.
Registration Link: https://coerveract.com.au/holiday-camps
Join Active Cricket Coaching this April school holidays!
Whether you want to build on a specific skill that is missing from your game, or just want to have some fun, there is something for everyone!
See below for more details:
Dates: 15-17 April 2025 & 22-24 April 2025
Time: 9:00am-3:00pm
Where: Reid Oval, ACT
Who: Junior (5-8yrs), Youth (9-12yrs), Senior (13-16yrs +)*
Cost: $110/day or $295 for 3-days (when booked in the same week)**
What is involved?
✅ Coaching covering all aspects of the game
✅ Fun, team-based learning
✅ Expert technical & tactical coaching
✅ Qualified, experienced coaches
✅ Engaging drills & specialist skill sessions
✅ Daily T15 matches & exciting prizes!
Spots are limited — register now to secure yours: https://linktr.ee/activeallsports
For any enquiries, please Contact Holly Halford-Smith (Head Coach) at info@activecricketcoaching.com or +61400125342
*All players are grouped by age and skill level — beginner, intermediate, or advanced — ensuring something for everyone!
**Registered with a local junior cricket club? Get in contact with them to receive your exclusive 10% OFF discount for bookings of 3-days or more when booked before 4 April 2025!
We have collaborated with Goodies Junction on a project involving reusing items that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
For the month of April, Goodies Junction is offering our community members a 30% discount off your purchases – simply show the post at the cash register to redeem the discount.
Goodies Junction has two locations in the ACT (Mitchell and Mugga Lane) where you can drop off or purchase reusable goods.
You can do good by giving items a new life and stopping them from going to landfill, all while helping to raise money for charitable causes.
Please let us know via return email if you wanted to take advantage of the offer and we can activate the discount.
If you have any questions or want to discuss additional support required, please email communications@goodiesjunction.org.au
