Welcome back to term 2! This year has absolutely zoomed by, but the buzz of excited learning hasn’t dwindled. It was fantastic to see so many families at the Election Day BBQ and on behalf of the school board, I want to pass on a huge congratulations to the P&C for putting on yet another amazing community fundraising event.

I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome the 2025 school board, consisting of ongoing members Chris Curran and Rachel Pummeroy, as well as new members Catherine Moore and Vikas Sharma. During our term one board meeting we said farewell to our outgoing members Paul Gardener and Lucy Kelly and I want to share my gratitude for the role they have played in supporting the school. The Duffy School Community is stronger than ever, thanks to the commitment of the school staff and students, the board, the P&C, and each and every parent and community member who shows up to an early literacy information session, cheers on at a carnival, turns a sausage on a BBQ, makes treats for a bake sale, or simply spends time connecting with other families. I know the school and the P&C have plenty of opportunities for more connection coming up this year.

The school board plays a quiet, yet important role in supporting school leadership to facilitate the best management of the school. This, in turn, enables the highest quality teaching and learning for our children and I want to acknowledge the hard work that our board puts in each and every session. As the school moves towards a new cycle of improvement, I wanted to draw your attention to the impact our community voluntary contributions have made throughout the previous cycle. Thanks to the voluntary financial contributions of families, the school has been able to purchase new resources to support the implementation of hands-on learning in junior mathematics, high quality literature to support Word Inquiry and new decodable books to support reading at home. The amount requested for voluntary contributions is a guide and you are welcome to contribute beyond this amount. Likewise, if you aren’t able to make the full contribution, every dollar counts as Duffy works towards providing the best education possible for all learners. The newsletter will be kept up to date with how voluntary contributions are being used to support staff and students.

I look forward to seeing you all at the next event.

Dan Heap

2025 Duffy Primary School Board Chair

DUFFY PRIMARY SCHOOL – VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS

Quickweb– Our preferred method of payment. Click here

to pay now.

Parent Portal – You can contribute to our school using the Parent Portal Payments section.

Direct Deposit:

BSB: 032 777

Account: 001228

Name: Duffy Primary School Management Account

(Please indicate BTF for Building Trust Fund or CRF for Curriculum Resource Fund.)

Eftpos – is available at Front Office

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

Our School Improvement Plan (2021-2025) remained focused on two main priorities:

Since the end of Term 4, 2024, we’ve seen fantastic growth across our school in students’ confidence and attitude towards writing and maths. Students are showing greater enthusiasm for expressing their ideas in writing and are approaching maths tasks with curiosity and persistence. It’s a joy to see our learners embracing challenges, celebrating their progress, and developing a true love for learning.

Well done to our students—and thank you to our dedicated teachers for creating such supportive, engaging learning environments!

SCHOOL REVIEW 20-22nd May

Please remember to RSVP by emailing the front office

duffyps@ed.act.edu.au

CELEBRATING MATHS MORNING

On Tuesday, we were delighted to welcome so many parents and carers into our classrooms for our Maths Morning— a special event designed to showcase how our students learn and enjoy mathematics each day.

Parents had the opportunity to sit alongside their children and observe a wide range of engaging maths activities, including number games, problem-solving challenges, and hands-on tasks. It was wonderful to see students confidently explaining their thinking and using strategies they’ve been developing in class.

The morning offered a fantastic glimpse into the interactive and practical approach we take to teaching maths, and we hope it gave parents some useful ideas for supporting learning at home too.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and to our staff and students for making the event such a success.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS FOR LEARNING

This year we have been building a strong and positive school culture through our Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL) framework. Together, students and teachers have explored what it means to be Respectful, Responsible, and Inclusive at school.
Each class has developed a unique set of classroom expectations aligned with these three core values. Teachers regularly acknowledge students who demonstrate these behaviours, awarding Spirit Points as part of our whole school recognition system.

Spirit Points celebrate individual achievements and contribute to collective success. As a community, we celebrate this success with a Whole School Reward each term. Last term, students enjoyed an extra 15 minutes of play for earning 10,875 Spirit Points!

This term, our Year 6 Parliament members will collaborate with students across all year levels to choose the reward. We look forward to hearing their creative ideas.

Congratulations to all our students for continuing to show what it means to be Respectful, Responsible, and Inclusive every day!

STAFFING News

We would like to share that Ms Lucy Kelly will be commencing maternity leave from Monday, 19 May 2025, as she prepares for the arrival of her first child. We’re sure our school community will join us in wishing Lucy and her partner, Daniel, all the very best during this exciting time

A huge congratulations to Julian Laffan, our School Leader, Years 2 and 3 (soon to be Dr. Laffan!), on his PhD exhibition that is currently on show at the Canberra School of Art Gallery. We are so lucky as a school community to have a practising artist of Julian’s calibre on our staff, his creativity and expertise enrich both our students’ learning and our broader community.

FRONT OFFICE REQUIREMENTS

PARENT PORTAL - Changes to ACT Digital Account ID requirements

The ID requirements for accessing Parent Portal have changed to make it easier to register your account.

If you have had trouble signing up to Parent Portal because of the ID requirements, we invite you to try again.

To access Parent Portal, you need to verify your identity via the ACT Digital Account. Previously you needed two forms of accepted ID and now you only need one.

To register, use the Parent Portal access link, Parent Portal access link, and create or log in to your ACT Digital Account.

Please contact the front office on 6142 2510 if you haven’t received an access key.

SPOTLIGHT ON LEARNING - KINDERGARTEN

National Zoo & Aquarium Excursion

On Wednesday Kindy went to the National Zoo and Aquarium! We had lots of fun exploring the zoo and taking part in the "Living & Non-Living' program. We learned all about living things and their needs, and students explored how these living things interacted with their habitats. Kindy saw lots of animals and had a play on the amazing zoo playground also. We are so excited to link our learning to our inquiry unit, "How are living things connected?" back at school.

"I saw giraffes and zebras and a lion. I got to feed a deer and an alpaca." - Sylvia

"I liked seeing the lion and giraffes. The best bit was...going on the bus." - Arjun

"My favourite animal was the leopards and the big hyenas. There was small windows where you could feed them. I also loved the lions and the tigers and the meerkats." - Rupert

"I learnt that one of the fish was cleaning the the big blue fish's gills. The best bit was having fruit snack while we watched the lions. "- Astrid

"I liked the dingoes because they can go up stuff really high. I played on the playground, there was a fake snake at the park and I was pretending to ride it." - Remi

"The rhinoceros was the best bit. My next favourite was the giraffe. We got to feed animals. There are poisonous snakes and not poisonous snakes. You have to stay as still as a statue if you see one." - Keiran

Before we went to the Zoo, we started inquiring into Living and Non-Living things by sorting pictures into groups based on our first thinking. We discussed why something could be living or not and changed some of our original thinking. We where unsure about leaves and cars, which prompted rich discussions about what makes something living?

Now that we have been to the zoo, we are excited to continue investigating our lines of inquiry:

What makes a living thing?

What do living things need?

How do living things impact on each other? (how are they all connected?)

HOMOPHONE WEEK HIGHLIGHTS!

Last week, students across the school took part in a fun-filled Homophone Week!

Each morning, a selection of homophone picture prompts was displayed around the school, challenging students to guess the correct words and use accurate spelling. This sparked great enthusiasm and friendly competition as students raced to solve the daily puzzle.

In classrooms, students explored homophones through games, discussions, and writing tasks that encouraged them to use wordplay to add creativity and humour to their work. Every class also joined a school-wide challenge to record the highest number of homophones—earning the chance to be crowned the Homophone Champions of their cohort!

Homophone Week was a wonderful celebration of literacy learning, reminding us that language can be both fun and powerful.

“I didn’t know there were so many homophones—it was like finding hidden treasures in our writing!” – Year 3 student

“It made spelling fun! I liked seeing the tricky homophones each morning and trying to guess them with my friends.” – Year 5 student

“Homophones are like word twins that sound the same but mean totally different things. It’s cool!” – Year 1 student

A big congratulations to all students for their enthusiasm, effort, and exceptional homophone knowledge!

A MESSAGE FROM DUFFY P&C

The uniform shop opening hours will be changing!

As of the Thursday 15th May the uniform shop will be open each Thursday morning 8.30 to 9am.

As always you can still order online through Flexischools, with orders being filled each Thursday morning.

Find the Duffy Primary Parents and Citizens Association on

Facebook!

@duffypandc

Don’t forget to connect with your Year level parent community on Facebook and Whatsapp – this is a great way to stay connected, get year/school specific information and even organise gatherings.

Just search “DPS Year” on google and the groups will pop up, or head to the Duffy Primary Parents and Citizens Facebook page for more info.

School Uniform

The School Board endorses the wearing of uniform as it is part of the school ethos of helping to create a sense of belonging and pride in the school and so engender a positive school spirit. Students at Duffy Primary School are encouraged to wear their school uniform or school colours each day.

Students must be in uniform when attending excursions or outside events; this is to ensure their safety. When parents complete permission notes for excursions or school events, they are acknowledging this requirement.

CHIEF MINISTERS READING CHALLENGE

You may have noticed an Individual Student Reading Record coming home this week.

That’s because the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge began on Monday 10th February.

The challenge is for students to read 30 books between the 10th February and the 12th September 2025.

Books recorded as read can include:

-Novels and Novellas

-Non-Fiction Texts

-Graphic Novels

-Books of Poetry

-Audiobooks

-Picture Books

-Books read to students by someone else

-Books read aloud to a younger sibling/cousin

The Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge is turning 21 in 2025! For 21 years, the challenge has been encouraging students all over the ACT to spend more time reading.

Last year, Duffy Primary School Students read over 11,000 Books, beating our 2023 total by over 1000 books! At Duffy Primary, teachers will be recording all books read to students in class, and students are encouraged to record their reading at home on the Individual Student Reading Record, to be returned to school by the 12th September.

SCHOOL LEADERS

Prime Minister

Reed C

Deputy Prime Minister

Jessie T

Opposition Leader

Olivia M

Deputy Opposition Leader

Matthias C

Speaker

Faith B

This week, Year 6 formally approached the P&C to seek support for a Ga-Ga-Go court—a fun, inclusive game space that promotes active play, teamwork, and social skills. The proposed court would benefit students across all year levels, help reduce playground crowding, and enhance engagement during break times. Year 6 has already raised $688 through an Easter raffle and remains committed to making this a lasting legacy for the school. They look forward to working with the P&C to achieve this goal.

MESSAGE FROM ACT DIRECTORATE

Seeking Expressions of Interest for Appointed Members on ACT Public School Boards

The Education Directorate is seeking expressions of interest for the Appointed Member position on school boards across the ACT.

School boards assist in shaping the strategic direction and priorities for schools, such as by:

· Monitoring and reviewing school performance

· Reviewing curriculum

· Reviewing and helping to implement policies

· Approving the school budget

· Developing relationships in the school community

· Encouraging parent participation in student learning

· Making recommendations.

Typically, school boards are composed of:

· The school’s principal

· 3 parent and citizen members

· 2 staff members

· 2 student members (at high schools and colleges)

· 1 Appointed Member

· Up to 2 Board Appointed Members (if any)

An Appointed Member is generally an individual from outside the immediate school community who is interested in and dedicated to public education. They offer an independent perspective to board discussion and decision-making. Appointments are made for up to two years, with the possibility of re-appointment.

We encourage people with diverse backgrounds, skills and experience, and an interest in public schools, to apply by submitting an expression of interest form to the School Boards Team by 5pm, Friday 9 May 2025.

For more information on joining a school board, please visit the Education Directorate website.

JOIN THE ACT PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY CHOIR

We are thrilled to launch a new Community Choir open to all ACT Public Schools staff and parents/carers! No prior singing experience or music reading skills are required, just a love of music and a willingness to have fun.

Rehearsals will be held at the Instrumental Music Program (IMP) – UC High School Kaleen, from 6:15 pm-7:00 pm on Mondays, starting Monday 16 June and running through to Monday 8 September (with a break for school holidays).

This year, the Community Choir will prepare repertoire to perform side by side with students at the Step into the Limelight Gala Showcase at the AIS Arena on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 September - an exciting opportunity to celebrate music and community spirit together on the big stage!

All ACT public schools’ staff, ESO, parents, and community members are warmly invited to join.

To sign up, complete ACT Public Schools Community Choir 2025 form or email joel.copeland@ed.act.edu.au for more information.

ONLINE SAFETY WEBINAR FOR PARENTS AND CARERS - AI, ALGORITHMS AND INFLUENCES

Each term, the Online Safety (eSafety) Education team hosts free webinars for parents and carers of students in Preschool to Year 12. These sessions provide families with practical advice and resources to help children have safe and positive online experiences. They also support consistent online safety messaging at school and home.

This term’s topic is A Tale of Two AI’s: Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms & Influencers. It explores how social media and online platforms shape what young people see and experience online.

Please share the attached flyer with your parent community and encourage families to come along. Families who register will also get access to a library of recorded webinars.

To discuss a personalised online or face-to-face session for your school, email EDUeSafety@act.gov.au.

EARLY INTERVENTION PARENT WORKSHOP

During Term 2 the Early Intervention Team (EIT) will deliver a range workshops for parents and carers of children enrolled in an ACT public school. Workshops are run by School Psychologists and most are aimed at parents and carers of students in preschool to year 12. Connected Conversations is designed for parents to attend with their teenage child.

Friday 16 May: Boundaries without Conflict
Friday 23 May: Overcoming Anxious School Refusal (OASR)
Friday 30 May: Addressing Your Child’s Anxious Avoidance (AYCAA)
Friday 6 June: Connected Conversations

Places are limited.

Parents can register their interest by following the link on the flyer. Following registration, parents and carers will receive an email from the Early Intervention Team with more information and confirmation of their place.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Perks

FREE Parent workshops term 1 and 2: Southside Initiative is partnering again with local schools and community services to offer Parent workshops in 2025. Term 1 and 2 workshops include: Early Childhood Development, Adolescents, Anxiety and School, Managing Conflict in the Home and much more. For more information and to register, visit PERKS Parent Workshops - Healthy Schools Network ACT.

2025 School Year Equity Fund Now Open

To ease the pressure of back-to-school costs, eligible Canberra families can apply now for 2025 Future of Education Equity Fund payments.

The Equity Fund supports eligible low-income families and independent students from preschool through year 12 with a one-off, annual payment to help cover the costs associated with schooling such as uniforms, sport equipment and activities, tuition and music lessons.

The 2025 school year payments for eligible families are $400 (preschool), $500 (primary school), and $750 (high school and college).

Payments of completed applications will begin earlier than previous years, with the first payments to families expected from 6 January 2025.

Families will have until the end of November 2025 to apply for the Fund. Check your eligibility and find more information about supporting documents on the Equity Fund webpage.

Parentline ACT

Parentline ACT offers free and confidential telephone counselling for parents and carers in the Australian Capital Territory. This service provides guidance and assistance on various parenting issues, ensuring you have the support you need with no appointment necessary. Parentline ACT is open on Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. For support, call (02) 6287 3833.

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;