Week 2, Term 2, 2025 | Friday 2 May

ANZAC Day 2025

Gratitude is one of the four values on which the strength of our Canterbury community is built. Values are meant to be shared and celebrated so that they become habits which positively impact the wellbeing of ourselves and others, helping us to live healthier, and more fulfilled lives. At Canterbury College we aim to be a positive reflection of our local community in Waterford, Logan and beyond, and to reflect its diverse, multi-cultural nature. Our students frequently underestimate the positive impact that they can have on others simply by being present and being grateful, helpful and supportive.

As a relatively new member of the Canterbury community, it was a great privilege to be able to see so many of our students and staff actively living our values by participating in a range of events over the past week which marked ANZAC Day in a range of different forums.

Last Wednesday morning, a group of our Year 12 Student Leaders joined hundreds of other young Queensland students at the Shrine of Remembrance in ANZAC Square in the City. They laid our College wreath and paid tribute to all those who have served our country in times of war. They also got to shake hands with the Governor of Queensland!

On Thursday morning, our Year 6 Student Leaders attended the Palm Lake Resort ANZAC Day Service and spoke about the meaning of ANZAC to our young Australians.

On Thursday afternoon, the Canterbury community gathered in the CEC for our annual ANZAC commemoration, as described in last week’s article by Mrs Meagan King. We also heard the reflections of Max Newton, Rylan Mead and Jayden Tuia-Bell, who told the story of Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean VC, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest military honour as a result of his actions aboard HMAS Armidale and the impact that his story had on our Year 10 and 11 students.

On ANZAC Day, more of our Student Leaders attended the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Beenleigh War Memorial along with Mr Marraiya, where Lekith Sudhakaran and Aisha Singleton laid a wreath representing our community.

Lastly, at 9:30am, more than 200 Canterbury staff and students marched with the local community again to the War Memorial and attended the ANZAC commemoration. Cadet Cooper McIntyre (Year 11) was the Parade Commander for the entire event and we all followed his instructions!  Mr Paul Penny provided sprigs of rosemary from the Kitchen Garden, not just for the Canterbury community but for all in the parade. Our School Captains Amelia Ryan and Ben Stanley delivered the United Resolution from the stage, William Grimmer once again performed the Last Post and Rouse, and Prefects Ruby Simpson and Shannel Almario laid wreaths on behalf of the College.

A wonderful few days which reflected the importance of showing gratitude for the sacrifice and service of others and how the Canterbury community can have a positive impact in our wider local community.

More info:MyCC News | Website News

Easing the Transition: Returning to School and Morning Separations 

Returning to school after a break can trigger worries in children. These worries can manifest in various ways, such as clinginess, tantrums, feeling sick in the tummy, or reluctance to go to school. Research from clinical psychologists Judith Locke and Michael Hawton emphasizes the importance of building resilience in children to help them navigate school separation.

Tips for Parents

1. Establish a Routine: Consistency is key. Create a morning routine that includes time for breakfast, getting dressed, and a calm activity before leaving for school. This helps children know what to expect and reduces worries.
2. Positive Goodbyes: Keep goodbyes short and positive. Prolonged farewells can increase the intensity of the process. A quick hug, a reassuring smile, and a confident “See you later!” can make a big difference. In the Junior School, this is best done out in the playground between 8am – 8:15am, allowing students to have fun and play with their friends before school, rather than separating at the classroom door.
3. Encourage Independence: Allow your child to take small steps towards independence, such as packing their own school bag. It is also important that students build confidence by taking their bag independently to the classroom.
4. Stay Calm and Confident: Children often pick up on their parents’ emotions. If you remain calm and confident, your child is more likely to feel secure.
5. Positive Reinforcement: Praise and reward your child for small achievements, such as entering the classroom independently.

If you are struggling with separation in the morning, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher.

At Canterbury College, we are committed to using teaching practices that are backed by research often called evidence-based practices. These approaches are guided by the Science of Learning, which draws on what we know about how the brain best acquires knowledge and skills.

What does this look like in our Junior School classrooms?

We are focusing on explicit teaching, where teachers clearly explain and model new concepts, followed by guided and independent practice. This is proven to help students master new skills more effectively. We also use regular checks for understanding, enabling us to give feedback and tailor our teaching to each child’s needs. These checks for understanding include strategies such as using mini-whiteboards, cold calling and think-pair-share.

At the beginning of lessons, learning intentions and success criteria are unpacked with students to ensure they understand what they are working towards. This provides clear direction and purpose for both students and teachers. When students know what they are expected to learn (the learning intention) and what success looks like (the success criteria), they are more focused, motivated, and able to take ownership of their learning.

At Canterbury, our reading instruction is shaped by the Science of Reading. This research shows that children learn to read best through a structured approach that includes explicit teaching of phonemic awareness (the sounds in words), phonics (connecting sounds to letters), vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Our teachers introduce these skills in a clear, systematic way, building from simple to more complex concepts.

One example of how we are applying these evidence-based practices is through novel studies and knowledge-based units. Knowledge-based units focus on building a strong foundation of factual and conceptual knowledge across subjects. Research shows that a well-structured, knowledge-rich curriculum supports memory, comprehension, and problem-solving. This approach ensures students progressively build the background knowledge and vocabulary essential for reading comprehension and success in all areas of learning.

Here are some of the novel studies and knowledge-based units for Semester 1:

Junior and Senior Leaders Excel at Youth Leadership Academy Australia Conference

Junior School Leadership Conference

Mr Andrew Powell and I recently joined our Junior School Captains and Vice-Captains at the 2025 Youth Leadership Academy Australia Brisbane Conference. Students were inspired by a range of motivational speakers and gained valuable strategies to plan and implement their own leadership action project. The experience strengthened their confidence, communication, and collaboration skills.

Our young leaders returned energised and ready to make a positive impact, using their influence and uplift our Canterbury community.

Senior School Leadership Conference
Mr Arnie Marraiya and I accompanied some of our Year 11 aspiring leaders to the Secondary Conference. A highlight was hearing Daniel Flynn, co-founder of Thank you, share his inspiring story of launching a social enterprise at 19 years of age. His message encouraged students to think creatively and lead with courage.

Congratulations to Year 11 students Cooper McIntyre and Ashutosh Vaitha, members of the Youth Leadership Advisory Board, who spoke brilliantly on a panel about youth impact and leadership.

Our students returned with fresh ideas, purpose, and motivation to drive positive change and share their growth across the Canterbury community.

Eager eyes will have seen our wonderful facilities team made a massive effort in updating our kitchen garden over the Christmas and recent Easter holidays. Some large Eucalyptus trees needed to be removed for safety reasons and a lovely new shade structure and gardens were constructed in their place. The students grew various herbs in the gardens which were used in our annual Pizza Day prior to Easter, a joyous occasion where 450 of our youngest students make their own delicious pizzas, wait patiently whilst they cook in our wood-fired ovens and then sit together as a class to devour their masterpieces. In lessons leading up to that the students made pizza dough from scratch and marvelled at just how easy it is to do so, and that the ingredients are actually healthy. Other lessons so far this year have included Indigenous plant usage for food and fibre, composting, and how to make your own worm farm for free. The kitchen garden lessons are also used reinforce learnings from other areas of the curriculum and, currently, these occur with Prep, Year 1, 2 and 4 classes.

More info: MyCC News | Website News

Leaders Every Day, In Every Way

In our junior school, there are plenty of meaningful opportunities available for our students to take on leadership roles and demonstrate their leadership skills.

Through the Bridge Builders program, students help other students solve problems and manage conflicts on the playground, building bridges in their everyday life at school. Our passionate environment loving Year 5 and 6 Eco Warriors work hard to look after and keep our school clean and green, encouraging other students to act with them through initiatives such as the 10 cents Containers for Change. Our dedicated Year 6 Activity Leaders organize and carry out games and activities during playtime, bringing joy and excitement to our younger junior school students. Students also have the chance to present their ideas at the Student Parliament sessions to help make our school a better place.

These programs allow students to grow as individuals, connect with other students and make a difference in our school.

Being a leader isn’t always about a special role or a badge. We also acknowledge the students who display leadership by showing kindness, respect and teamwork – every day, in every way!

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