Junior School: Week One, Term One 2023 | Weekly Wrap Up
Dear Parents and Carers,
What a wonderful feel around campus we have experienced this week and it has been a delight welcoming all students back to school.
Most students were so happy to be back with their new teachers and friends and all classrooms were so settled on the first morning.
In just a few days this week it is obvious students are mastering their new routines.
Year 6 Leadership Investiture Ceremony
On Tuesday we had the privilege of presenting our 2023 Year 6 leaders with their badges.
Importantly, it is not just the ‘badged’ leaders who our Junior School students look up to.
Year 6 students are all leaders at Canterbury College as the oldest and most experienced students here in the Junior School.
They set an example for the Junior School students to follow, and I am sure they will embrace that responsibility with genuine vigour.
I am excited for the year ahead, to work with our leaders, observe them in their roles and support them to fulfil their roles.
I know they will do a fantastic job.
Parent Information Evening – Tuesday 31 January
This coming Tuesday 31 January we are holding a Prep – Year 6 Parent Information Evening.
Information regarding this event is available in this news item: WEBLINK.
If you are planning to attend, it is important that you RSVP via the link provided.
Medical Plans/Medication
Care Central supports a range of student needs including sick bay and counselling services.
Parents are encouraged to make direct contact with the school paramedic, Kasie Calvert, for student medication requirements and health management plans, who will work closely with Junior School staff.
All medication must be taken by a parent/carer directly to Care Central where it will be signed in and stored appropriately.
In the event a student requires collection due to ill health or injury, parents and carers will be contacted to collect their son/daughter from Care Central at the Easterly Street Gate.
School Uniforms
We have high expectations for the wearing of the Canterbury uniforms.
This year we are in the final year of transitioning to the updated uniform.
Therefore, we expect all students will be wearing the College uniform correctly, including the full College swimming uniform.
Staff will be enforcing that students meet our conservative and long-standing expectations regarding haircut/colour, jewellery, and nail polish.
A reminder that student watches must not have cellular connected capabilities, including those with ‘SchoolTime Schedule’.
If they do, these devices are to be handed in at the Junior School office each morning and collected each afternoon, like any mobile phone device.
The Uniform Policy is available on the College website (WEBLINK) and images have been provided on MyCC (WEBLINK) to support families.
Thank you to parents and carers who are actively supporting students to ensure that they are complying with our Uniform Policy.
Any breeches to the uniform code will be addressed with warnings via students diaries initially.
Following this period, breeches will be communicated via email.
Before And After School Arrangements
Students are supervised before school in Prep – Year 2 in the Meadow and in Years 3–6 on the oval from 8:00am.
For safety reasons, any students dropped to school prior to 8:00am are required to attend OSHC.
To register with Canterbury OSHC, please refer to the MyCC Page: WEBLINK
Although there may be some staff working in classrooms, they are often at meetings and unable to supervise students.
Any Junior School students on campus prior to 8:00am will be directed to the Junior School Admin Office.
Morning Drop-Off Prep – Year 2:
The process is that students in Prep – Year 2 will be supervised in the Meadow between 8:00am – 8:30am.
During this time, parents are welcome to walk their children on campus and assist with their bags.
While classrooms will not be open at this time, as teachers will be preparing for the busy day ahead, you are more than welcome to contact your child’s teacher at any time via email and arrange a time to meet them, if there is anything you would like to discuss.
Duty teachers will also be on hand if there are any queries you may have.
The play equipment in the Meadow will be completely accessible to students in the morning.
Morning Drop-Off Years 3–6:
The process is that Years 3–6 students will be supervised on the oval between 8:00am – 8:30am.
Again, parents are welcome to walk their children on campus and assist them with their lockers.
Then students can walk to the oval where they will be supervised by staff.
If you need to speak with a teacher, please email them to organise a suitable time.
Afternoon Pick-Up:
Prep – Year 1 students and their older siblings can be collected after 3:15pm from the Easterly Street Carpark Pick-Up Zone where they will be supervised until 3:45pm.
Years 2–6 students who do not have younger siblings can be collected from the High Road Carpark Pick-Up Zone where they will be supervised until 3:45pm.
The Aquatic Centre Carpark, accessed via Old Logan Village Road’s clearly signed gate, is also a great and easy option for parents to park cars and walk to meet their children.
This area is located across the ovals, accessed via the Sports Gate, and along the internal road towards our Aquatic & Tennis Centre.
Surname posters have been issued to students.
To streamline the pick-up process, please display these posters behind your sun visor as you approach the Pick-Up Zone and please remain in your vehicle.
Your child/ren will be delivered to you by the staff on duty.
To keep students safe, it is important that all users follow this process, stay in your cars, display your surnames, follow the directions of staff, be patient and follow the speed limit.
If we all follow this process together it will work.
Week Two is the time to start stepping back from waiting outside classrooms and encouraging children to develop their independence.
Please refrain from waiting directly outside classrooms in the afternoons before 3:15pm as this is disruptive to students in their final lesson of the day.
Using the drive-through Pick-Up Zones is the most efficient method of collection and helps to build your child/ren’s independence.
Please see this week’s Partnership article about the first few weeks of school: WEBLINK
MyCC Communications
Most communication from the school to parents and carers is delivered via MyCC – our official core communication and learning portal.
Classroom teachers, coaches, program coordinators, sub schools, middle managers and the leadership team will all post news to MyCC in the first instance.
News is filtered so that you will only receive news relevant to your family in most circumstances and you can also adjust your personal notification settings.
So please take the time to read all news items on your filtered feed.
There are four main pages that will contain pertinent information:
- MyCC Home Page
- Junior School Page
- Year Level Page
- Class Page
We recommend that parents access MyCC at least twice per week to keep up with news, events and results.
A MyCC ‘How To Guide’ is available on the Junior School MyCC page: WEBLINK
Student Diaries
This year we have reintroduced student diaries to support communication between home and school.
The diary contains critical information about College contacts, uniforms, behaviour, child safety etc.
All key information will still be disseminated via MyCC electronically.
However, teachers will also utilise student diaries to share general information and reminders to parents and carers.
In Prep – Year 2 this information will be teacher written, but as students move through the Junior School, they will appropriately become more responsible for recording their own information.
Teachers will check diaries daily and sign them weekly.
We ask that parents utilise student diaries to share general messages e.g. lost property, after school arrangements etc.
There are tick boxes provided for parents and carers to provide information to teachers about after school arrangements.
We ask that parents check diaries daily and sign them weekly too.
College Contact
A reminder that your first point of contact at any time is your child’s classroom teacher.
All Canterbury staff have direct email addresses made up of the first initial of their first name, then a dot, followed by their surname in the following format: Mr John Smith:
While teachers cannot always check their emails during the school day, they do set aside time for this task, and will respond by email or phone as soon as they are able.
For any urgent messages (Example: an early student pick-up or forgotten lunch box), please contact the Junior School Administration on 07 3299 0847 or and our administration staff will be able to help you.
IT Support
If students require support with their device, classroom teachers will help students access the IT Helpdesk Office and students will travel in pairs as required.
For students in Year 4, or for large group issues, our IT Helpdesk staff will visit classrooms to work through issues directly.
A reminder also that parents and students can log an IT Helpdesk request at any time by logging an Incident Ticket through MyCC.
From the MyCC Homepage, click on IT under Services, then choose Incident Ticket under the Quick Links on the right-hand side of the screen.
Upcoming Events
| THIS Tuesday 31 January | 5:30pm – 6:30pm | Prep – Year 6 Parent Information Session – CEC |
| THIS Thursday 2 February | 7:30am – 8:45am | Parents ‘Meet & Greet’ – Yalburru Community Cafe |
| THIS Saturday 4 February | Morning | Junior TAS Round 1 Sport |
I wish all families a successful Week 2 of the 2023 school year.
Yours faithfully
Michelle Leftwich
Head of Junior School