Week 8, Term 4

END OF YEAR LIBRARY STOCKTAKE

The end of year library stocktake will begin Monday 1st of December.

There will be no student borrowing from this date, all students need to return their library books as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your co-operation. 

Angela

The Student Representative Council is thrilled to announce a sport-themed Out-of-Uniform Day this coming Thursday 4th December.

We love seeing active, happy kids playing sports at recess and lunch and encourage everyone to get sporty next Thursday. Students can come in their favourite team’s colours or just be generally sporty.

We are asking for a gold coin donation from each student, so that we can top up the sports trolley with heaps of new equipment!

Our students are currently working their way through topic 8 of the Respectful Relationships program, ‘Positive Gender Relations’. I’m working with our Grade 3 – 6 students and their teachers on this. In a recent activity about different types of violence, students from several classes shared stories about their negative experiences online.  Some of these occurred whilst gaming, or on messaging apps. Students mentioned games such as Call of Duty which has a 15+ age rating (18+ for some games) and the platform Roblox which can be problematic due to the risks of children being exposed to harmful content or predatory behaviour.  

Below is information from the eSafety Commissioner for parents of 5 – 12-year-olds about keeping kids safe online.   

As children start to navigate the online world and interact with others more independently, they are more likely to be exposed to risks of bullying or unsafe contact, to accidentally come across content not designed for children or overspending om in-app purchases. 

Your guidance can help them watch for risks and understand what is expected of them. Let them know you are always there to support them. 

For ways to start conversations about online safety and difficult topics like child sexual abuse online, see our advice for talking with children aged 0 to 12.

Advice for parents and carers  

• Keep the computer or device in an area of your home that can be supervised. Check in regularly with your child to see what they are viewing. 

• Stay engaged with their online activity. Consider setting up your own accounts with the sites they use most, or simply browsing the content, so you can see how they work and understand the risks. Show good privacy habits by asking your child before sending them a 'friend' or follow request. If they say they don't want to connect with you online, it may be a good opportunity to talk about risks and rules. 

• Explore the online world with them to help establish that you can share online activities as a family. You might want to play games with them or do a creative project together. 

• Think about social media readiness. Most social media sites require users to be at least 13 years old before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13. See are they old enough? 

• Encourage respect and empathy. Teach your child to avoid sharing or posting things that may upset others. See good habits start young. 

• Start building resilience. Explain to your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. This includes immediately telling you or another trusted adult of any concerns or uncomfortable material. See good habits start young. 

• Encourage them to learn about online safety by exploring the kids section of this site. 

• Ensure your own devices are protected by a password or PIN, so your child can’t accidentally come across content not intended for children. 

• If you are thinking about giving them their own tablet or smartphone, check out are they old enough? 

• If your child does have their own device, avoid logging into your own accounts on that device. This will prevent any content you have stored in the cloud that may not be child-friendly from synchronising (downloading or sharing to) your child’s device. 

• Use parental control tools you feel are right for the age and experience of your child. Be upfront and get your child on board. Let them know these can be reviewed and changed as they get older, if they show responsible behaviour. Consider installing a ‘child-friendly’ search engine that will allow them to explore a limited number of sites. See parental controls. 

• Check out Raising Children NetworkExternal link's healthy screen time and quality media choices: 6 to 11 years.

This week in Literacy, we have been revising all the sounds we have learnt throughout the year. It has been wonderful to see just how far the students have come since the beginning of Prep and how many sounds they now confidently recognise. We have continued writing in our dotted-third books, working on letter size, neatness and making sure our writing sits correctly on the lines. 

In Maths, our focus has been on doubling and halving. Students have enjoyed learning fun doubling songs, playing hands-on games to practise their skills, and even creating colourful ladybirds to represent doubles and halves. 

This week we also said goodbye to Harvey in Prep N, whose family is moving interstate. The Preps enjoyed giving him a special farewell by allowing him to choose some afternoon activities and sharing some special treats. We wish Harvey and his family all the very best on their new adventure. 

A note has gone home regarding our swimming program, which will begin in Week 11. The cost of the program is covered by the DET government grant however, we still require all permission forms to be returned by the due date. 

It is hard to believe we only have three weeks left of the school year, and no doubt these final weeks will fly by. Next week, we will complete a buddy activity, finish some pieces of work for our amazing learning journals, and we may even begin some Christmas activities with the arrival of December! A reminder that we have had our final library borrowing session for the year. Please ensure all library books are returned by Monday. 

Have a lovely weekend,

Nicole and Miss Else

Hello from the Golden Wattle building!

This week, we have enjoyed learning more about Ramadan as part of our inquiry into "How and why do people celebrate?". We learned that Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims, during which families spend time reading the Quran, doing good deeds, helping friends and family, and taking part in charity work within their community. Adults fast during this month and do not eat from sunrise until sunset. Ramadan is also a time for decorating, and you will often see colourful lanterns hanging throughout city streets. As part of our learning, we created a class Good Deeds jar and selected students each day to secretly complete acts of kindness for one another. We also made our own paper lanterns, inspired by those used during Ramadan.

In Literacy, we expanded simple sentences such as ‘She ran’ by adding an adverb or adverbial phrase at the beginning to describe how, when, or where the action occurred. For example: ‘Bravely, she ran’, ‘At the crack of dawn, she ran’, or ‘Through the dark forest, she ran’. Students also enjoyed making Christmas-themed flipbooks that focused on using fronted adverbial phrases.

In Maths, we have been revising time and had fun designing our own calendars. And with December fast approaching, we of course created our own advent calendars as well!

Our Wellbeing focus this week centred on knowing how to seek help if someone is hurting you or wants to touch you in ways that are not okay. We learned the model No, Go, Tell and discussed how to respond in different scenarios. We also talked about how seeking help can sometimes feel difficult, but how important it is to do so.

Next week, we will explore how different countries celebrate Christmas, revise patterns in Maths, and incorporate modality words such as should, must and might in Literacy.

We hope you enjoy looking through the photos from the Grade 1 sleepover. It was a huge success, and students should feel incredibly proud of the bravery, resilience, and sense of adventure they showed. A big thank you to Alfie’s mother, Jen, for staying the night with us. 

Have a lovely weekend, 

Wendy, Laura, Claire, Sarah and Andrew

Hello from the Grade 3/4 team! 

It's all happening in the 3/4 unit and we’re on the home stretch with A LOT of exciting things happening between now and the end of the school year! Gingerbread is in the air, and the students are PUMPED! Classes have chosen a gingerbread theme, and the small group work, planning and designing is well on the way. 

In writing, we have been continuing to write persuasive texts with a particular focus on using high modality words. These are strong and confident words that make statements more forceful or assertive, expressing certainty or conviction, for example, positively, absolutely, definitely​, essential ​and without a doubt. Students wrote a persuasive text debating the question, Do you believe wearing a helmet should be mandatory? ​This was hotly debated within our classes, and many convincing arguments were shared. 

In Maths, we have been learning to name and describe the properties of three-dimensional shapes. We have been investigating shapes by focussing on nets, building three dimensional objects using linking cubes and cardboard and drawing three dimensional shapes using isometric dot paper. All our geometric knowledge and skills will come in handy when we begin our gingerbread creations next week. 

We have continued Topic 8, Positive Gender Relations, from the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program in our Wellbeing lessons. In this week’s lesson students continued to focus on the No, Go, Tell model to advise actions a person could take if affected by gender-based violence. Through help-seeking scenarios, games and role plays students explained how they can combine trust and courage when they need to seek help, identified ways to use the ‘tell’ step in the No, Go, Tell model and practised ways to seek help for gender-based violence.  

As part of this term’s Big Question, "How can we contribute to our community?", students in Grade Four will be participating in a visit to Ellery House and Penhall Hostel to spend quality time with some elderly residents.  This will be a great opportunity for students to develop understanding, respect, and empathy within a supportive environment as well as making special connections with others in the community at Christmas time. The Grade Three students will be finding lots of ways that they can contribute to our school community when they remain at school. Students have enjoyed creating Christmas advent calendars with a focus on providing good deeds for other people as another way we can contribute in a positive way to our community. 

Next week, we begin to celebrate the end of the school year. Keep your eye out for information regarding gingerbread creations, Kris Kringle, visits to Ellery House and other upcoming end of year celebrations. Students will be continuing Bike Ed in PE so please make sure students come to school with their bikes and helmets on their usual P.E. day. 

Enjoy your weekend 

Sally, Pete, Louise, Hannah and Carly

This week in the Silver Banksia building, students put the finishing touches on their fables. Over the past few weeks, it has been inspiring to see how the ideas have grown and developed. Most of the fables have now been published, printed or handwritten into an illustrated book – ready to be shared. Next week, we hope to share these stories with other students in the school.

In Maths, students have been finding the value of discounts on certain items. They have calculated percentage discounts using division and used this skill to produce a coupon-based stimulus package in their recession-struck country.

In BQT, country alliances have been formed, and a UN General Assembly meeting has been set. At the meeting, students will pitch their idea to other member of the organisation, showing how their innovative ideas will solve a problem in their part of the world.

Planning is beginning for our Gingerbread extravaganza and will continue next week. Students will create plans for their themed constructions, including a bird’s eye view, full scale architectural drawings (almost), and templates for cutting dough. Dough production and cutting will also happen next week, and students will bring their pieces home for baking over the weekend.

In Respectful Relationships this week, students identified the behaviours and actions they value in respectful friendships. Next week’s topic relates to consent and the Law.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hello to the newest members of our CSC Community

In the past week, CSC has moved to our new Sub-School model, and our 2026 Year 7 Team has taken up residence in the Junior Sub-School building (formerly Wellbeing). The planning for Orientation Day is well under way, as is the planning for curriculum and support in 2026.

A reminder about upcoming dates:

Monday, December 8, 6 pm – 7 pm: Year 7 Welcome and Information Evening, to be held in the Junior Sub-School Building

Tuesday, December 9, 9 am – 3:15 pm: Orientation Day, students to meet in the Gym in the Junior Sub-School Building. Families, there is a drop off and pick up zone in Lawson Parade and we recommend agreeing on a meeting point for the end of the day.

Wednesday January 28, Thursday January 29 – Mentor Interview Days (more information to come)

Friday, January 30 – Classes commence for 2026

At CSC, we are exploring options to improve the canteen experience for our 2026 Year 7 students, including the possibility of online ordering through Compass. We’d love your feedback to help guide our planning. Please complete the short survey via the link below.

https://forms.gle/pMpnYeemnHHu9qQQA

We acknowledge that transition to secondary school is an exciting period of change for students and families. Please see the links below for tips on how to support your young person.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/school-education/school-choosing-starting-moving/starting-secondary-school

https://beyou.edu.au/resources/fact-sheets/child-and-adolescent-development/transition-from-primary-to-secondary

We look forward to getting to know our 2026 cohort.

Jane, Alex and Sue-Ellen

Castlemaine Secondary College

Bike Education: Grades 3-6 

Students are steadily improving their bike and road safety knowledge over the past two weeks as well as their riding skills to assist them to ride with other footpath and road users. Please continue to bring a roadworthy bike and a helmet to school on their scheduled PE day. Please refer to the information and permission note for your class dates and times. At CNPS we value active travel to school due to the environmental, health and social benefits.  

Most classes still require the assistance of more parent/carers to act as safety checkpoint marshalls on our last week (beginning 2nd December) when we venture outside the school on to the footpath or road. Parents and carers do not need a bike to assist us. If you haven’t already indicated on your child’s note, please email carly.mcginniskin@education.vic.gov.au if you can help. Carly will be in touch next week to confirm helpers for each class. 

Swimming: Grades Prep-2 

Our junior classes are attending swimming lessons at Gurri Wanyarra in Kangaroo Flat during the mornings on Monday 15th, Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th December. We will be looking for parents/carers to assist us. Buses will transport our students to the venue and the cost of this program is covered by the DET Swimming and Water Safety initiative and funding. Permission notes were sent home with students this week and can be returned by Monday 8th December. 

1/2CS bus departs school at 9:10 and returns at 11:45 

Prep bus departs at 9:55 and returns at 12:30 

1/2L and 1/2WA bus departs at 10:40 and returns at 1:15 

Useful Hints and Tips prior to the P/1/2 swimming program commencing; 

• Label all your child’s belongings.

• Wear bathers to school underneath your school uniform. Pack underwear in your bag.

• Pack underwear, towel, drink bottle in a separate waterproof bag in your child’s schoolbag.

• Two piece bathers (i.e. top & pants) are easier for managing the toilet at school or the pool than one-piece bathers.

• If you think your child has had limited experience and might feel nervous, you could better prepare them by taking your child for a play at Gurri Wanyarra before the program commences, so they can familiarise themselves with the venue, pools and changeroom facilities. 

CNPS Titans Soccer Top Missing!

We’ve discovered we’re missing one of our white team soccer jerseys, No. 6. I suspect it was already missing before this year, but if anyone comes across it (ex students?), we’d love to have it back. Thanks!

Prep E

Catherine F - for the thoughtful and kind way you put the books back in the book shelf.
Mila R - for confidently tackling doubling and halving problems in Maths.

Prep N

Percy C - for your confidence when solving doubling and halving problems.
Archer H - for showing the thoughtfulness to include others and the strength to stand up for what's right.

1/2 CS

Theo A - for the effort and care you put into your writing about Ramadan.
Pranavi K - for the beautiful detail you added to your paper lantern in order to make it special.

1/2 L

Charlie R - for the way you are beginning to share the fun in class games, like keepy uppy.
Ari R - for your interesting and detailed Grade 1 sleepover recount.

1/2 WA

Isla P - for the beauty and thought you put into your advent calendar.
Rosie W - for the care you took thinking of good deeds to put into your advent calendar.

3/4 H

Evie M - for being so helpful around the classroom.
Nancy S - for sweeping up sushi rice. Thank you!

3/4 PS

Zaria F - for the incredible dedication and persistence you demonstrated when completing your multiplication goals.
Tait E - for all the thoughtful and kind things you've done for your classmates this week.

3/4 S

Mitchell H - for always looking for ways to extend your learning.
George C - for your impressive results during our recent assessments.

5/6 BH

Clem E - for how you built up to your moral during your fable writing.
Evie-Jean C - for how you introduced and uplevelled your fable.

5/6 BN

Agnes J - for the dedication you have shown to your times tables with great results.
Orlando F - for finding challenges and showing a deep understanding of percentages in our stimulus task.

5/6 H

Josh M - for caring about your learning and getting such great results.

5/6 J

Evelina S - for your active participation and ideas in our government stimulus discussion.
Claude V - for the enthusiasm you have shown when preparing your buddy bag.

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