Dear Parents/Carers,

The first three weeks have been filled with so many events including our Athletics Carnival, ANZAC Day Assembly, Kindergarten excursion, Year 2 planetarium experience and many, many engaging learning experiences both inside and out of the classroom. We've been busy improving our reading fluency, mastering HFW, exploring new ideas, collaborating with peers, and embracing hands-on activities to make learning come alive! 

During Week 1 Duffy Primary School had its first Student Centred Improvement Visits (SCIV). This visit supports our school leadership team and teachers to reflect on the impact of practice that takes place in classrooms on student learning. Our identified focus came from our school improvement plan Priority 2 - Numeracy. The SCIV Team undertook a school walkthrough, lesson observations and conversations with leadership team, staff and students on how we plan, implement and monitor improvement in the area of Numeracy. There was much to celebrate about what we are doing here at DPS and as School Principal I am extremely proud of the teaching team we have at Duffy. As a staff during yesterday's PLC, we engaged with the feedback provided and commenced implementing small changes to strengthen our practice.  We look forward to continuing to share with you are ongoing journey of improvement. 

P&C Update

Congratulations to Claire (President), Jennifer (Secretary) and our new committee members and returning ones, for stepping into positions to support our Duffy P&C. Our wonderful P&C works tirelessly to foster collaboration between parents, teachers, and the community, enriching the educational experience for students. Please see information below regarding a number of up and coming P&C events. 

We are already starting to experience some cooler weather so please ensure your child has a school jumper that it is clearly labelled. Our uniform shop is open every second Friday morning from 8.30-9am if you need to purchase any new uniform items. A reminder that although the days are not as hot as Term 1 children still need to bring their hat to school to wear during sports lessons and break times. 

Regards,

Katie, Arilia, Sarah and Fiona

SEMESTER ONE REPORTING - CHANGES 

Towards the end of  this Term families will receive their child/ren’s Semester 1 academic reports. Student academic reports will provide an overall A-E grade (Years 1-6), and an assessment of achievement standard statements on a 5-point scale. Following on from research into best practice on reporting, consultation with our staff and supporting the ACT Education Directorates Sustainable Workload Management agenda our reporting process for Semester 1 2024 has been modified and reports will not contain a written comment. 

 FORMAT

• Term 2 Week 9 Monday 24 June – Friday 28 June:  Learning Conference with P-Year 6 student present, teacher, and parents/carers.

• Term 2 Week 10 Wednesday 3 July: Report will be published via Sentral with No Written Comment

While written reports can serve as a valuable tool for documenting student progress, they have limitations that may impact their effectiveness including one sided communication, delayed feedback and potential for misinterpretation. Learning Conferences in turn provide a more dynamic and interactive approach to reporting in primary schools, promoting deeper understanding, effective communication, and meaningful engagement between teachers, students, and parents. We strongly encourage all parents/carers to make an appointment with their child’s teacher once booking information is released.

Learning Conference

Traditional parent-teacher conferences often only passively include the student, if at all. Learning Conferences are just the opposite. In Learning Conferences, students lead family members and teachers in a reflective conversation about their progress grounded in personal reflection and evidence from class. The discussion goes beyond merely showing work. Instead, it is a deeper conversation about areas of strength and growth as identified by the student and draws on specific pieces of work selected by the student as evidence of his or her experiences in school.

Learning Conferences are for all students, as every student needs the opportunity to open windows into his or her learning experiences and lead a thoughtful conversation with important adults who will provide support for progress and growth. 

Learning Conferences are a vital way to empower students to take an active role in their learning and to communicate their experience and plans for the future to their family members and teachers. Learning Conferences provide an opportunity for students to build personal agency and develop confidence in their academics and communication skills. In conducting Learning Conferences students also develop skills that will be vital as they progress through school and beyond.

Students learn how to organise and present information, make a claim and support it with evidence, ask and answer questions, adapt their speech to the appropriate setting, make appropriate eye contact, and reflect and assess their strengths, challenges, and goals. 

Learning Conferences invite families into an important conversation about learning. They bridge gaps between school and home by helping families understand the school’s values and what their student’s learning process looks like. Learning becomes transparent as parents are invited into the conversation with their son or daughter and the teacher contributes supportive dialogue. 

Later in the term we will share more information about the role of teachers, student and parent/ carer in these Learning Conferences. 

As always parents/carers are reminded that they can request to meet with their child's teacher at any time during the year. You do not have to wait till this formal reporting period. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and for partnering with the school to get the best outcomes for all students. 

Our recent Athletics Carnival was a whirlwind of excitement and camaraderie! Students showcased their athletic talents in a variety of events, from thrilling sprints to impressive field competitions.

Thanks to the invaluable support of student helpers from our Mount Stromlo High School and dedicated parent volunteers, the day was a resounding success. Their enthusiasm and assistance added an extra spark to the festivities.

From the track to the field, and even in our fun novelty events, the spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork shone brightly. Congratulations to all participants for making the day truly memorable!

This coming Monday students will be presented awards for our school athletics carnival. Ribbons will be presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each events. Full results from the day are available here.

Students who will be awarded Age Champion or Age Runners up are as followed:

2025 School Year Enrolments are open

Enrolments for the 2025 school year are now open for students starting at a new school. Visit education.act.gov.au for the online application link and information about the school in your child’s Priority Enrolment Area. School information sessions for prospective students are being held throughout May. Alternately, visit school websites to find out more or contact the school directly. Apply by 7 June to receive an offer from 29 July 2024.

Mobile Phones

A new ACT Public Schools policy comes into effect this year. Our practice regarding phones already aligns with this policy. All students who bring a phone to school need to hand it in to the front office. Phones are collected from the same spot at the end of each day. This routine has worked well for our students and phones are stored securely during the day.  Please ask that any student who wears a smart watch that these are set to ‘school mode/ school time’ during the day.

ACT Public Schools policy 

Parent Portal

We are introducing a new Parent Portal, a secure online platform used to share student information between you and your child’s teachers. 

Using the Parent Portal on your mobile phone, tablet or computer, you will be able to:

• notify us if your child is sick or explain an absence

• book parent-teacher interviews

• receive academic reports

• receive our school newsletter

• receive messages from your child’s teachers

• make payments

• access the school calendar and your child’s student timetable

You can start the sign up and identity verification process now so you’re ready to go. Head to the Education Directorate website Parent Portal page for all the details.

Writer's Workshop

Children have started back for Term 2 eager to write! We began the term learning that sentences are made up of words, need to be a complete thought, and have meaning. Children have been practising verbally sharing sentences with a partner, and then having a go at writing their sentences. We will be moving these skills into using the writing process to create texts on 'expert' topics, beginning with our personal lives (eg: 'All about my mum'), and then linking our writing with our Shared Inquiry by creating information texts about living things.

Daily Review- Mathematics

Each maths lesson at Duffy starts with Daily Review. This is a warmup designed to help students recall mathematical knowledge that has been taught previously to ensure it is committed to their long term memory. 

Kindergarten students engage in daily review by using their individual whiteboards to respond to fast-paced questions. This includes the routine of 'hover it', 'chin it', 'check it' & 'bin it'. We are very proud of student progress with this.

Term 1, Week 10 - Merit Awards

Term 2, Week 2 - Merit Awards

Requirements for daily sign-in/out and wearing of identification

Volunteers and visitors must sign-in/out for each visit, recording the date, start and finish times and the tasks undertaken.  

All Volunteers and Visitors at Duffy Primary School must enter and exit the school via the front office sign in on arrival prior to proceeding to their destination or activity (including accompanying students on excursions), identify themselves (present WWVP registration card or other identification if relevant) and report to front office staff to be signed out before leaving the school. You will be given a Visitors sticker each time you visit which must be displayed for the entirety or your visit.

This allows the school the opportunity to monitor compliance with the WWVP Act and Emergency Evacuation Procedures.

Duffy Preschool has a Visitors and Volunteers sign-in and sign-out register and you must report to preschool staff before proceeding to work with students. 

Dogs on School Grounds

Just a  reminder that under the Domestic Animals Act, dogs are not permitted on school grounds.

Section 42 of the Act defines places where dogs are prohibited. These include the grounds of a child care centre, preschool, primary school, high school or secondary college during school hours or when school sport including training is being conducted or a dog is taken into the grounds with the approval of the principal (e.g. service support dogs). Dogs are prohibited within 10 metres of anything designed for play by children in a public place if children are playing on it; a fireplace designed for cooking food; or a swimming area defined by a sign erected.

We understand that dogs are an important part of people's families, and for some the walk to school is a good opportunity to take the dog for a walk. However, as well as the legislation mentioned above, there are children and adults in every school that for whatever reason find it difficult to be around dogs. We ask that you keep this in mind when walking your dog, and please do not bring them onto the school grounds.  Thank you!

When paying money into the school bank account it is essential that you include the STUDENT NAME and the IDENTIFIER

in your transaction as receipting it to the correct family is not possible otherwise.

Thank you to families who have paid for the 2024 stationery packs. Just a reminder that all students are using the stationery pack resources in their classrooms. Payment is required, please contact Alice if you need a payment plan.

Voluntary Contribution letters have been sent out. Please remember to indicate if they are to be receipted to BTF (Building Trust Fund) or CRF (Classroom Resources Fund).

Alice Lollback – Business Manager

E: alice.lollback@ed.act.edu.au

Phone: 6142 2513

Assemblies

Wednesday assemblies will now commence from 2:30pm-3pm. Please check our website for an Assembly Roster for the year. 

Library Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to cover books in the library! Please email the front office at duffyps@ed.act.edu.au if this is something you would be interested in.

School Photos

2024 School Photos will be by The School Photographer.

School photos for Wombats and Kindy to Year 6 will be on Friday 7 June.

School photos for Possums and catch-up photo for any students who missed theirs will be on Tuesday 11 June.

The School Photographer envelopes have been sent home with your child/children and are labelled.

If you would like sibling photos, envelopes are available at the Front Office to collect.

Join ATSIEB’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community consultation on education

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body (ATSIEB) are hosting an evening session on Thursday 9 May 2024 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, to get the thoughts of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on key educational areas.

The event is a drop-in opportunity to yarn directly with Elected Body members and will allow for small groups or one on one conversations. It will be held at the Boomanulla Oval, Narrabundah and light refreshments will be provided. For more information, read the attached flyer If you can't attend but would like to have your say, email: atsieb@act.gov.au.

Help fight the spread of illness

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

Help fight the spread of illness by staying home if you’re sick and wash your hands regularly. Please read the Winter Wellness flyer (465 kb PDF) from ACT Health or visit ACT Health Influenza (Flu) page for more information.

Woden Library temporary closure

The Woden Library will be closed to the public from Wednesday 8 May 2024 until mid-August 2024 for upgrade works. A temporary pop-up library will be operating from 26 Corinna Street, Phillip, between 10:00 am and 5:30 pm Monday to Friday.

Libraries ACT apologises for any inconvenience this may cause and they look forward to welcoming you back when they reopen mid-August 2024. For more information on the services available during the closure, visit www.library.act.gov.au.

REMINDER – Death cap mushrooms

Do not touch, pick or eat any wild mushrooms.

The ACT Health Directorate is reminding all school communities that death cap mushrooms are growing in the ACT. They are a deadly poisonous fungus. There have been multiple poisonings and deaths associated with death caps in Canberra.

Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) are one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms. They often grow near established oak trees, although they have also been found in other places. Death caps grow in the ACT at different times of the year, and autumn is usually the peak growing period.

All parts of the death cap mushroom are poisonous and eating just part of a mushroom can be fatal. Death caps cannot be made safe by cooking, soaking, peeling, freezing or drying.

If you suspect someone might have eaten a death cap mushroom, they must seek urgent medical attention at a hospital emergency department. Do not wait for symptoms to occur. The chances of survival increase when treatment is started early. If possible, take any remaining mushroom sample to hospital with the patient.

The key message is not to touch, pick or eat any wild mushrooms.

If you see death cap mushrooms growing on your property:

• keep children and animals away

• remove the whole mushroom using gloves or a tool, including any part under the ground

• secure it in a plastic bag

• place it into a rubbish bin that cannot be accessed by children, to go to landfill, and

• wash your hands

Also, monitor the site frequently for further growth, remove mushrooms before mowing to prevent spreading and do not compost them. Death cap mushrooms in public places can be reported at Fix My Street, or by calling Access Canberra on 13 22 81. 

More information is available at www.act.gov.au by searching death cap mushrooms, including some translated resources.

Learning For Life

The flyer below shares information about an opportunity that has been made available to families at our school called the Learning for Life Scholarship Program. It’s run by the Smith Family organisation. They provide financial support to families who are eligible to help with costs related to education, such as book packs, uniforms and excursions. They also provide access to education programs that can further support your child.

To be eligible, you must;

• Have a child/children in Kindergarten to Year 8

• Have a current Health Care or Pension Concession Card

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to education through regular school attendance.

Please contact the front office if you are interested in receiving a referral form or would like to discuss your eligibility.

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