Newsletter Week 10 Term 3 2023

Principal's Message

Welcome to our last newsletter for term 3!

Spring is such a lovely time of the year and I hope that you and your family have a lovely school break and enjoy the beautiful weather we are experiencing at the moment.

As we come to the end of a busy and successful term, I would like to thank you for the ongoing support that you provide to your children and their educators.

There have been many highlights this term, for me I have loved the assemblies and learning journeys.  This is such a special time for students to share their learning and it is wonderful to see our school community coming along to support our students

Next term staff will begin developing class lists for 2024. To assist us with this process we need some information from families.  Please complete this form if you child/children will not be returning to Forrest in 2024. We would appreciate it if you could complete the form by 6 November 2023. If you have information you would like us to consider when forming classes please email forrestps@ed.act.edu.au to request an appointment with myself or Jemma O’Brien (Deputy Principal) to discuss.

We thank the community members who provided feedback on the LOTE program at Forrest in the recent survey. The survey results showed community preference for Mandarin as our language moving forward.  We are now working with the Directorate regarding staffing  and are hopeful that an outstanding language teacher will be placed at Forrest for 2024.

You may have noticed the current works being undertaken around the school to improve disability access.  We are also working with the Directorate to ensure emergency access is available onto the school oval, the  new access point will be through the new school car park on National Circuit.  We are hopeful these works will be completed by the end of the next school holidays.

A reminder to please ensure your young person understands the importance of stranger awareness these school holidays.

Please support us to keep our children safe by having conversations about moving safely around the community. You may wish to visit the Australian Federal Police website section on Child Safety for tips. In addition, the Safety4Kids is a non-government website that has useful information and links. The Constable Kenny website also has a number of tips for parents for younger children.

If you become aware of an incident or notice anyone acting suspiciously around a school or student, contact police immediately on 131 444 or in the case of an emergency call 000. If you witness an incident or if you have any information that could assist police, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information can be provided anonymously. We would also ask that you notify the school so we can also support the wider school community to be aware of incidents.

Kind Regards

Laurel Rodrigues

 Principal

Student Achievement

Zaria in 3MH is heading to Nationals in Sydney during the next school holidays to compete in an exciting sport - equestrian vaulting! The photos below are from The United States of America earlier this year where she recieved first place in one of her events. Zaria  is so passionate about her sport and shows great confidence and enthusiasm when competing. Good luck in the national competition Zaria and we can’t wait to see more spectacular photos when you return.

Engaging our Community in the RAP Review Process

Forrest Primary School is committed to fostering an environment of inclusion, diversity, and reconciliation. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our commitment to reconciliation, we recently embarked on a review of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). What makes this review unique is that we've actively involved our students, parents, and carers in the process right from the beginning. We believe that the perspectives of our entire school community are invaluable as we continue our journey towards reconciliation.

Currently, our RAP review is in the 'ideas' stage. We've received some inspiring suggestions from our stakeholders, but we want to hear more! Your ideas are the building blocks of a better RAP. We invite you to contribute your thoughts on how we can promote reconciliation within our school and the broader community. Sharing your ideas is easy. You can submit your suggestions by emailing jemma.o’brien@ed.act.edu.au

We value your input and look forward to hearing your unique perspectives on reconciliation.

Listed below are some of the ideas given by students, teachers and parents during the RAP Review held on Thursday 14 September.

Telopea Park - 100 Years

Forrest Primary School has close ties with Telopea Park School. Most of our Year 6 students transition to Telopea from Year 6. Other examples of our close connection include: Our Culture Club, Robotics Club and sport students have strong connections with Telopea clubs with joint activities organised during the year and Telopea students provide mentoring for our students. In collaboration with Mr Robson, our Sports coordinator, The Telopea PE and Sport Staff supply students from their Sport Leadership and Management course for our Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics and we are always grateful for their support and enthusiasm. Many FOOSHC staff over the years have also been Forrest and Telopea alumni too and often return for whole school Forrest celebration events.

On behalf of Forrest Primary School students, staff, families, the School Board, P and C and FOOSHC staff, we congratulate Principal, Jason Holmes and Proviseure, Florence Llopis and the Telopea Park School community, both past and present on achieving 100 years of educational and cultural passion and commitment to the Canberra community and 40 years of the French - Australian bilingual school, which was established as the result of an agreement between the Governments of France and Australia.

Forrest Primary School, as you know, offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) and is a feeder school to Telopea Park School, offering students the IB Middle Years Program (MYP), then for their college years, students can attend Narrabundah College to complete the IB Diploma Level Baccalaureate program. 

The aim of the internationally recognised, International Baccalaureate Program, is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Canberra and regional students are fortunate to have access to the different levels of the IB program at a number of schools in the ACT.

The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. Whilst the centenary celebrations happened at the school over the September 9th weekend, the Forrest Primary School community is invited to the Canberra Museum & Gallery in Civic, to view the Telopea Park School exhibition from 15 July – 1 October:  https://www.cmag.com.au/exhibitions/telopea-park-school-100-years 

 You may not know that the International Baccalaureate Program provides a framework of learning which encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers.  The IB Program is integrated with the Australian Curriculum and staff collaboratively plan with our PYP Coordinators emphasises intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and to the real world. It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement, qualities that are essential for life in the 21st century.

How exciting to see Year 6 Pia’s big brother Christian, a Forrest Primary School alumni, selected to represent Telopea Park School, present his work at Hedley Beare Centre for Learning, at the Kids in Space Showcase. The students focused on space exploration and technology, utilising the Makers Empire software. Students studied the moon and the earth and what it was like to live in space through investigating life on the International Space Station.

ACT Track and Field Championships

On Tuesday 12 September, six students from Forrest Primary represented the South/Weston region at the ACT Track and Field Championships held at the AIS. Congratulations to all students who qualified for this event and represented our school and region with pride. We are all so proud of your achievements. It was great to have a special visitor come and support our students on the day.  A huge congratulations to the students mentioned below with some outstanding results. Bring on more fun and exciting sports carnivals in 2024!

Phoenix in 2W – 1^st in 8 years boys 100m

Rachael in 4T – 5^th in 9 years girls 70m

Olivia in 5L – 3^rd in 11 years girls 1500m and 5^th in the 800m

Connor in 5P – 5^th in 11 years boys Discus

PBL Celebration

On Wednesday September 20^th we held our end of term Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) celebration. All term, staff have been acknowledging students who have been safe, respectful, responsible learners by using descriptive feedback and handing them a token. Each year level has a tube in the front office where students place their tokens. The first year level to fill their tube gets to choose the whole school celebration.

Congratulations to our year 6 winners for this term who decided on extra play time. All classes enjoyed free play for 30 minutes during the afternoon session, accompanied by some party tunes. It was lots of fun. Well done to all students who received tokens this term. We are excited to see each year level’s tube fill up with tokens again in term 4.

Science Week STEM Design Challenge Winners

Congratulations to our Year 5 and 6 students for their excellent design work using the ‘Jorn’s Magnificent Imagination’ story by Coral Vass and illustrated by Nicky Johnston, Scholastic Press to create their design sketches.This was a Science Week activity and judged by Mr Brompton, our STEM teacher.

The STEM Design Challenge brief was to create a sustainable, energy efficient, helpful machine or object that could help solve a problem. Fabulous work by Year 5 Connor, who won his section and designed a spaceship to collect space junk. Ashlyn and Thenuja from Year 6 were equal winners.

Ashlyn designed an Antiphobia app which could readily be adapted right now. Thenuja designed an inclusive, adjustable school desk. Fabulous work from all our budding engineers, architects, graphic designers and IT experts!

Australian Space Agency - Name the Moon Rover Competition

Due 20 October 2023

The Australian Space Agency is inviting students to be part of history by naming the Australian rover that will go to the Moon with NASA as part of a future Artemis mission. The Australian Space Agency has developed a teacher’s presentation and supporting talking points so classes can learn more about the mission and Australia’s space sector.

Individuals and school groups from across Australia can submit a rover name, along with brief explanation, to be in the running to win. Submit your entry here: https://consult.industry.gov.au/name-australias-lunar-rover by 20 October 2023.

Library News

Many thanks to our regular student library helpers, learning support assistants who often generously give their time together with our community library volunteers, Mihye, Gil and Leesa, for helping us keep our library looking its best during the term or by covering books at school or home for us.

We have had a very busy but exciting term with our Book Week dress up, play and visiting authors, so many thanks to our parents and community members for supporting these events.

Check out the ACT Libraries website for free holiday happenings!

Don't let the kids bug you these school holidays - Libraries ACT  

From the ACTLibraries website:  Get ready to have a buzzing good time these school holidays!

Spring has sprung, which means school holidays are just around the corner! If you're wondering how to stop your critters bugging you without breaking the bank, look no further than your local library.

From Saturday, 23 September to Sunday, 8 October, ACT Libraries have a fantastic line-up of free activities suitable for the whole family, all tailored to the theme of "Bugs, Grubs, and Flowers" in celebration of the blooming season. Don't wait – book your spots now, and let the adventure begin!

Library Books Overdue

Please encourage your child to have a good look for their overdue library books at home, in the classroom or in the car etc, so that other students can enjoy borrowing them and reading them next term. Your child can give them to their class teacher or take them to the library in a break time or you can drop them off and borrow more library books too before or after school. Did you know we have a Community Books section in the Library?

Book Donations

Please support our Indigenous Literacy Foundation Annual Fundraiser by encouraging your child to donate a good condition, preloved children’s picture book, chapter book or information book or stationery items. Donations can be left in the school library from Monday 9 October before or after school, during break times,  right up to and including before school on the day of the Multicultural Festival and Great Book Swap Day, Friday 15 October. See the posters for these events elsewhere in the school newsletter. A parent email, together with Seesaw and Facebook notifications, will also go out at the start of Term 4,to remind students and families.

The Great Book Swap is a fantastic way to celebrate reading locally, learn more about Indigenous Languages and culture, while raising funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. The idea is to 

‘Donate a book, Choose a Book’ in exchange for a gold coin donation. Your donation helps provide books, books in First Languages, and learning resources to children and families living in remote Communities across Australia.

You can actively help the Indigenous Literacy Foundation gift 18,000 new, carefully chosen books to children in remote Communities across the country with your contribution of either a donated book and gold coin at the Great Book Swap

Scholastic Book Club

Thinking of buying children’s books for Christmas or donating one to our annual 106.3 Christmas Tree Appeal or our annual Buk Bilong Pikinini book and stationery appeal? Forrest Primary School together with our Rotary partner, have supported the Buk Bilong Pikinini charity help for a number of years. Its mission is to increase literacy rates in Papua New Guinea through the establishment of children’s libraries and the provision of high-quality education programs and books. 

Buk bilo Pikinini was founded in 2007 with a mission to help increase literacy rates in Papua New Guinea through the establishment of children’s libraries and the provision of high-quality education programs and books. A Not-for-Profit seeking to promote literacy in Papua New Guinea.

Library Learning Centres - Early Childhood Education - Teacher Training & Book Publishing

Good news,  we will be 1 more Scholastic Book Club flyer to come home early Term 4 for you to browse through for optional purchases.

Book Swap

Multicultural Festival

School Run 4 Fun Colour Explosion Fundraiser

Ride or Walk Safely to School Extravaganza

Transport Canberra Notice

Bus timetable changes effective Monday 9 October 2023

Transport Canberra would like to provide your school with some important updates in relation to changes in bus timetables, including schools, commencing from Monday 9 October to align with the start of Term 4, 2023. 

We are seeking your assistance in circulating the below information to your school community.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the information, I’ve provided to you.

The follow information is for distribution to school community:

Transport Canberra bus timetable changes for Term 4, 2023

A new bus timetable will begin Monday 9 October to align with the start of Term 4. This timetable features more frequent weekday bus services, most of which will run at least every 30 minutes throughout the day.

A return to 30 minute daytime frequencies will ensure improved off-peak services can be provided between 9.30am and 3.30pm, while maintaining reliability.

The new timetable also includes refinements to 14 school services based on school and community feedback, and to align with updated school bell times.

There are no changes to weekend bus services or changes to light rail frequency.

School packs and timetables

Updated school packs and timetables are now available online to view and download. If your child is catching the bus to school, we recommend familiarising them with the updated morning and afternoon pickup times. 

Link to school packs.

School Route changes for Forrest Primary

• Route 2024 – The afternoon service begins 3 minutes later to accommodate new bell time.
• Route 2025 – The morning service begins 1 minute earlier to accommodate new bell time.

For more information on school route changes, updated school packs and to view regular bus timetables visit the Transport Canberra website.

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Community Notices