I hope you are enjoying the beautiful Spring weather… fingers crossed that it is only a light rain next Saturday for our Fete! Or maybe no rain at all. The weather forecast can change! Nothing will dampen our enthusiasm, however. The lead organising team, Ciel, Sarah H, Bree C and Brea A have been working OVERTIME and are putting together an impressive array of stalls, entertainment, and activities. A big thank you also, to all stall leads and other parents who have put their hand up to volunteer for shifts, and to set up equipment. You are all so greatly appreciated. We are hoping to raise some decent funds to contribute to some landscaping/playground upgrades – more information to follow.

SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL FUNDRAISER

If you are keen to support our fundraising at CNPS, you can:

Buy some raffle tickets – see the link here, share it with your friends and family and ask them to buy some too! Over $2000 worth of prizes!
Put your name on a shift at the fete in the Volunteer tracker
Bake a cake for our stall at the fete… or some fresh scones for the café.
Spring clean your cupboards and donate good used toys for our showbags, buy some chocolate or soft drink for our kids zone games, or other goods for our stalls – see the FunRaisers list in this newsletter, and keep an eye on the WhatsApp groups for more reminders.

OSHC

We are up and running with our partner service at Campbells Creek PS. The funding we received to start a CNPS service will be transferred to OSHC Adventures, to support the bus service to and from our school (before and after school care), and to support the provider with additional running and staffing costs as they establish their service. I have heard excellent feedback so far on the service. Please see my email to parents from late last week, with information on how to book your child into OSHC. Thank you all again, for your patience and support. It has been a drawn-out and frustrating process; however, I hope our new arrangement will be a success. We remain open to future possibilities to host OSHC at our school; the current arrangement should be in place for at least 2 years, under the new funding agreement.

SCHOOL START TIME

It is an ongoing issue, that several students are coming to school after 9am. In one classroom this week, the teacher started with one-third of their students at 9am, and the rest arrived at various times up until 10.30am! It is disruptive to the whole class, and not fair on those who are ready to get started for the day, to have the teacher need to re-start the lesson. I sometimes say to the students, that coming to school is their “job” as a kid, and that if you were consistently late to your job, that would not be ideal! Can you please help us, and your child, by making every effort to be at school at around 8.45am. Of course, there are times when you are late due to an appointment or for a legitimate and unexpected reason; we understand that.

CLASS FORMATION 2025

A reminder of our class formation policy, attached here. Around Week 5, teachers will begin the process of forming classes. This will not be finalised until just before our Step-up session in Week 10, where students will meet their 2025 teacher and new classmates. Please read the policy carefully if you have any questions about our process.

WORKING BEE THANKS

Another excellent effort by our Working Bee stalwarts last Sunday! It was so nice to come in and enjoy the freshly mown grass for the start of the term. Thanks to Nicole, Damian, Andy, Andrew, Leighton, Julian, Nick, Claire and Nicola. Nicole T is also organising some helpers to do some mulching near Hunter St gate and outside the Golden Wattle building this weekend. Thanks, Nic!

Have a great weekend,

Sam C

Castlemaine Mail - Junior Sports Star of the Week

Do you have a Junior Sports Star in your family?

Send an email with the info below, and a nice pic of your child, to ldennis@midnews.com.au, for your chance to be in the local paper and win $50 cash prize from Dominos Castlemaine!

Name:

Age:

School:

Sport:

How long have you been training?

Can you tell us about some of your sporting highlights?

Who is an athlete you admire?

What are your sporting goals?

Do you play any other sports?

Any highlights from the other sports?

Parents and Carers

One week until fete day!

Thanks to all of those who have offered help in this event by donating, spreading the word or volunteering some time on the day.

The planning side of the event is moving along but we still have some specific call outs to get to where we need to be.

More volunteers please!

More than 130 people have signed up to help on the day which is incredible!

We still have a few BIG spots to be filled particularly in our food zone to make sure the people don't go hungry. Please sign up if you can!!

· Curry Land: 5 people (9.45-12, 11-1 or 12-2pm)

· BBQ: 1 person (12-2pm)

· Tex-Mex: 1 person (9-10am)

· Crepe stall: 2 people (12-2pm)

· Pizza: 3 people (11-1 or 12-2pm)

· Wash Against Waste 2 people (1-3)

· Fairy floss: 2 people (12-2pm)

· New spots! Face painting for the Wild Inside Salon: 4 people (10-12 and 12-2pm)

The sign up sheet is at https://volunteersignup.org/DXRKK or email cnpsfete@gmail.com and we can add you to our master list. Thank you!

Raffle - spread the word!

Please keep sharing the raffle link to everyone and anyone you know - friends, family, colleagues, local businesses. Tickets start at just $2 and the prizes are top notch. Raffle winners will be drawn on Monday 21 October at 9am, with smaller token draws happening throughout the day on Fete Day. https://rafflelink.com.au/cnpsfeteraffle2024

Donations, nearly there

We're getting close to having enough donations for most stalls. Here are the ones that need a few more items:

· Lemons for the lemonade stand

· Cans of drinks for the fun zone (soft drinks, mineral water, kombucha, etc) - we need lots more!

· Empty jars, small bowls and vases for the MYO terrarium stall, plus please start dropping off small succulent cuttings - Zoe will put a box in the hallway for these.

· Lucky jars - keep them coming. Let's get to 200!

· Bric-a-brac items - do a final clear out this weekend!

· And keep an eye out for cake stall instructions and a paper plate in your child's bag

It's been a super effort to get here and we're so excited to see all of the hard work come to life next weekend.

With thanks,

Brea, Sarah, Ciel & Bree

Prep News

Welcome to Term 4 from the Prep Rooms,

As an introduction to our new Big Question ‘What Makes Things Move?’ students observed different things that move in the classroom, the school yard and outside the school yard. Just like scientists with careful observation, they were able to identify moving things and record an example in their Science Journals. In Literacy, we focused on two sounds this week ‘ph’ and ‘wh’ and practised reading words. A highlight this week is our new writing books. We have been learning how to write our letters in our new dotted thirds writing books. We will continue working on this for the rest of the term. We have also started a new class novel ‘The Wizard of Oz’. You can ask your child/ren to give you updates of what is happening in the story as we read it this term. In Maths, all the preps have been working together participating in different maths activities such as ‘get out of my house’, making tangrams, going shopping, making patterns with shape blocks and making pairs to 10. We have enjoyed revising maths concepts taught last term and doing some of our favourite maths activities.

Next week, we will begin looking at the structure of a narrative story and write and illustrate our own narrative story. We will revise all the sounds we have learnt so far and continue growing in confidence writing in our dotted thirds writing books. In Maths, we will be working on addition. We are also looking forward to the CNPS School Fete next weekend. We hope to see you there!

Just a reminder to return your permission and medical notes for the Prep Pizza Dinner and $7 cash, if you have not done so already.

We wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Lauren and Nicole

1.2 News

Welcome back to term 4!

The 1/2s have had a fabulous week of fun and learning. We have been going further with our inquiry into celebrations by interviewing family members about a celebration from the past. Next week students will make a timeline of these celebrations and be able to see what has changed and what has stayed the same over time. Each class also started making items for the Handcrafted Stall at the Fete, which links nicely with the end of our celebrations unit. Make sure to come and check out the Handcrafted Stall to see (and hopefully buy) these wonderful creations.

In literacy we’ve been learning about the narrative structure leading into the big write ‘When a Hero Comes Along’ that was completed today. We had heroes of all types saving the day and keeping everyone safe.

Maths saw us exploring repeated addition and arrays, which helped students understand the links between addition and multiplication. Towards the end of the week students used this knowledge to create array art and play the game Land Grab. See if your child will challenge you to a game at home.

During our Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships lessons this term we will be focusing on positive gender relations. This week we looked at what fair play is and played games which demonstrated the importance of rules in keeping games fair.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sally, Sarah, Wendy and Bec

3.4 News

Welcome Back to Term 4!

We hope everyone had a restful holiday and has returned refreshed and ready for the exciting learning ahead. In Grade 3/4, we’ve kicked off the term with some fascinating new topics.

In Literacy, we’ve been exploring the forces of nature, with a special focus on storms and flooding. We’ve been learning about the fundamentals of hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons — discovering how and why these powerful weather events form. Students are using their new knowledge to craft interesting sentences and paragraphs to showcase what they’ve learned.

In Maths, we’ve been revisiting place value, practising rounding numbers, and learning to recognize and represent lesser and greater values. We've been enjoying a fun maths game called Broken Number Lines. In this game, we take turns rolling three dice and placing the numbers on a number line. The challenge is to be the first person to get three numbers in a row on the line. It’s a great way to practise our number sense and strategic thinking, all while having fun! It’s been a great opportunity to build on prior knowledge and sharpen our skills.

Looking ahead to next week, we’ll be diving into the structure of narratives in literacy, linking it to flooding and other natural phenomena. In maths, we’ll be revisiting bar models and using worded problems to help represent our thinking.

We’re looking forward to all the learning and challenges ahead this term.

See you next week,

Grade 3/4 team

TOY DONATIONS NEEDED FOR THE SCHOOL FETE!

Mr. Scott and 3/4PS are excited to be putting together show bags for the upcoming school fete. Each bag will include a bottle of water, chips, a selection of lollies, and we’d love to add a small toy to make them even more special.

This is a great opportunity to declutter your home and pass on any gently used or unwanted toys to bring joy to others. We are happy to accept all types of toy types.

If you have any toys to donate, we’d greatly appreciate your contributions! Donations can be dropped off either at the office or in Mr. Scott’s classroom during the first week back after the holidays.

Thank you for your support!

5.6 News

Welcome back! It’s Term 4, and that can only mean one thing... IT'S OFFICIALLY SOFTBALL TERM! Here in 5/6 land, students eagerly take part in our annual softball tradition. Throughout the term, the Grade 5 students face off against the Grade 6s, with the season culminating in a highly anticipated match against the teachers. It’s an exciting and beloved tradition here at CNPS!

This term is filled with wonder, curiosity, passion, and thoughtfulness. For our Grade 6 students, it marks their final term of Primary School—a time of big emotions and memorable experiences in the weeks ahead. During Week 3, the Grade 6s will embark on Urban Camp in Melbourne, accompanied by Jay, Mr. Higgins, Sam K, and parent helper Johannah Ashley. While they’re away, the Grade 5s will be preparing their school Captain speeches for 2025, which they’ll present to the current Grade 3 and 4 classes on Friday, 25th October.

Week 1 has flown by, bringing with it the excitement of new learning, the opportunity to consolidate what we’ve achieved this year, and a chance to reflect on new goals for the future.

In Literacy, we began our study of the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The story follows Auggie Pullman, a boy with a genetic condition, as he navigates the challenges of attending school for the first time. Through kindness, friendship, and perseverance, Auggie and those around him learn the importance of acceptance and empathy.

"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."

In Maths, we’ve been unpacking the Order of Operations, using BODMAS to solve more complex problems, as well as dipping our toes into algebra.

Can you solve this problem?

(6² ÷ 3) + 4 × (2³ − 5) =

Below are some important dates to look forward to for the term!

Have a great weekend,

Hannah, Jay, Mr. Higgins, Sam, Liz and Giovanna

Important Dates:

Saturday 19th Oct – School Fete

Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th Oct – Grade 6 Camp

Friday 25th Oct – 2025 School Captain Speeches

Monday 4th Nov – Report Writing Day: Pupil Free

Tuesday 5th Nov – Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Tuesday 10th Dec – Step Up

Wednesday 18th Dec – Grade 6 Graduation

Friday 20th Dec – Last Day of Term for 2024!

Performing Arts

Welcome back to Term 4. It’s going to be jam packed in the Performing Arts room. This week we have already welcomed our visiting percussion artist, Justin Marshall, who worked with the Grade 3 – 6 students.

The students are working on a song to perform at this year's school fete. Students will be asked to perform one song on the marimba at the fete. We will be set up outside near the down ball courts, so keep an eye and ear out for us around 11am!

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