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Thanks to You!
We wish all our members, the volunteers, committee members, office bearers and sausage turners a safe and restful school holiday period and look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year. Your efforts make our schools vibrant, varied and more communty-centred and we thank you all.
This is the last Communicator for 2018 - we'll be back around the time school resumes in 2019 with all the information you need!
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Help over the break
Our office is closed from 2:30pm this Friday until 9:30am on Monday January 28. From January 14, our office will be attended a few times a week to deal with any urgent enquiries - we will aim to get back to you within a week.
Meanwhile, we hope you can find the answers to most of your questions on our website. Some good places to look:
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New bus network 2019
Please note that the new 2019 bus network - including extensive changes to school buses - will now begin in Term 2, 2019. The existing timetable and services will operate for Term 1.
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Are you rethinking your canteen?
There are a number of options for canteens which ACT schools can consider. These include using an external canteen provider, an onsite business, a hub service from another school or a local food business. There is also now more support available for P&Cs who want to continue running their canteen.
ACT Health’s Fresh Tastes team can provide your school with more information to help decide. Contact them to talk through the options on 02 5124 9516 or email freshtastes@act.gov.au.
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Active Streets and Crossing Supervisors - expansion
We are thrilled to learn that both the Active Streets and School-Crossing supervisor programs have been expanded to include more schools! The aim is to make our school roads safer and life easier for pedestrians and cyclists.
The impetus for these programs came from parent need, campaigning and ideas which Council was able to co-ordinate to extract promises prior to the 2016 election. Persistence and patience obviously pay off!
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Preschool for 3 year olds
The ACT Government is looking to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students by providing free, universal 3 year old preschool. They will be consulting with the community about this in Term 1 2019.
We understand the implementation will be phased, beginning in 2020 for vulnerable and disadvantaged 3 year olds and after that being available for all. Council welcomes the additional year of preschool for vulnerable and disadvantaged 3 year olds in the ACT but would value your comments and views (please email with your feedback):
- Would you prefer universal 3 year old preschool or targeted provision of 3 year old preschool for vulnerable and disadvantaged students and why?
- What early childhood measures would help address educational equity for ACT students?
- What early childhood measures do you think would help address educational equity for vulnerable and disadvantaged ACT students?
- How else can Government address educational equity for students in the ACT?
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Composite classes
We have received a number of enquiries this week about the use of composite (multi-age) classes. Schools create composite classes due to numerous practical factors (such as expected enrolments for the coming year, teacher skills and resources, class room availability and possible benefits in extension of gifted students) and it is helpful for parents to understand this. A discussion at a P&C meeting or with the principal is a good idea.
It is the responsibility of the school administration to consider these factors and determine the best solution for the students and the school. As a result, composite classes come and go in our schools as determined by circumstances each year.
Parents are obviously interested in such developments in their schools and should ideally be kept well informed by their school. However, this may not be possible before the end of the school year due to the nature of the factors being considered such as late enrolments or teacher allocations.
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Food Safety Supervisor Course for school canteens
Registrations are now open for Nutrition Australia's Food Safety Supervisor course to prepare Food Safety Supervisors to supervise and oversee day to day operations and to prevent and recognise food safety hazards. The course meets the requirements of Nationally Recognised Training and runs for one day face-to-face in Chifley. The cost is $275 and it will run on 26 February, 2019.
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Early Learning Subcommittee
P&C Council’s Early Learning Subcommittee met last month. We discussed universal preschool for 3 year olds, the preschool curriculum and parent expectations, as well as Playschool Parent Associations, and Council’s early learning budget. You can find a summary of the meeting here.
The Early Learning Subcommittee seeks input from parents and carers of preschool aged children to represent the parent voice for this often-underrepresented group. You don’t have to be an expert in early childhood, just prepared to share your experiences and expectations of early childhood education and care. To join, just drop us a line or come to our next meeting in March 2019.
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