Week 7, Term 1, 2025 | Friday 14 March

Cultivating Connection at Canterbury 

Each year, Canterbury embraces a theme to guide and inspire our staff. This year, our focus is Cultivate Connection, a powerful reminder of the role relationships play in shaping a thriving school community.

At Canterbury, we believe that strong connections are the foundation of a positive and supportive environment. Meaningful relationships between staff, students, and families create a sense of belonging, enhance well-being, and contribute to a culture where everyone feels valued. When we intentionally connect, we foster collaboration, deepen understanding, and strengthen the bonds that make our school a truly special place.

This year, our staff has been challenged to cultivate connection in three key ways:

• Connect with Colleagues – Building strong professional relationships enhances teamwork, morale, and support within our staff community.

• Connect with the School Community – Engaging with students and families fosters trust, open communication, and a shared commitment to student success.

• Connect with Professional Networks – Expanding connections beyond our school allows us to learn, grow, and bring fresh ideas back to Canterbury.

Through these connections, we aim to create an environment where every individual staff member, student, and family feels seen, heard, and supported. Together, we strengthen the fabric of our school community and ensure that Canterbury remains a place where relationships thrive.

With the introduction of our Canterbury Parents Consultative Committee (CPCC) in 2025, we have started a wonderful space for our parents across the whole school community to collaborate and share their ideas. If you would like to know more about the CPCC then I would encourage you to reach out to one of our members – MyCC – Canterbury Parent Consultative Committee (CPCC)

As we move through the year, we encourage everyone to embrace this theme and find ways to cultivate meaningful connections in their daily interactions.

Student Parliament: Be The Voice in 2025!

Last week saw our first meeting of our 2025 Student Parliament led by our Co-Chairs Milla Smith and Grace McIntyre. Student Parliament is made up of elected members from Years 5 to 12 and plays a vital role in shaping our school community. As a student-led committee, the meetings provide a platform for students to express their ideas, raise concerns, and make meaningful contributions through elected representatives.

All students in Years 5 to 12 are welcome to attend lunch time meetings and contribute their ideas and engage in meaningful discussions. Last week we had seven students, who are not members of the parliament, join and share their proposals. It was wonderful to see the time, effort, and thought that students are putting into their proposals before presenting these to their peers.

Celebrating Student Success:

An exciting initiative within the student “Be The Voice” theme is celebrating student achievements. At our first Student Parliament meeting, we proudly acknowledged the service contributions of Canterbury students, including:

Logan Youth Action Group – Volunteers who dedicated their weekend to the Clean Up Australia Day cause, led by Service Captain Morgan Watt.

Ashutosh Vaitha – Organised a donation drive for local schools, including Beenleigh Special School, through his student business Ashan Industries.

Temple students – Led their peers in a Team Green project to transform a local retirement community garden.

These incredible efforts highlight the power of student leadership and the impact we can have when we come together.

More info: MyCC News | MyCC News

Ash Wednesday

Last week as a College we recognised Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a significant day in the Christian calendar, marking the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of reflection and preparation leading up to Easter. For children, understanding the value of Ash Wednesday can be both meaningful and enriching.

1. Understanding Repentance and Forgiveness: Ash Wednesday teaches children about repentance and forgiveness. The ashes, made from the burned palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday, are placed on the forehead in the shape of a cross. This symbolizes repentance and reminds children that everyone makes mistakes, but seeking forgiveness and striving to do better is important.
2. Reflection and Self-Improvement: Lent is a time for self-reflection and improvement. Children can learn to think about their actions and how they can be kinder, more helpful, and more considerate. This period encourages them to set small, achievable goals to improve themselves, such as being more patient or helping with chores.
3. Sacrifice and Empathy: During Lent, many people give up something they enjoy as a form of sacrifice. For children, this could be a favourite treat or a fun activity. This practice helps them understand the concept of sacrifice and builds empathy for others who may not have as much. It teaches them to appreciate what they have and to think about those who are less fortunate.
4. Preparing for Easter: Finally, Ash Wednesday sets the stage for the celebration of Easter. It helps children understand the importance of preparation and anticipation. By observing Lent, they can better appreciate the joy and significance of Easter, making the celebration even more special.

Being a Brumby at Temple House means more than belonging—it’s about being part of a supportive community. Guided by the motto Never Leave a Mate Behind, Brumbies face challenges together, ensuring no one struggles alone.

As a student leadership team, it was important for us to set clear goals in alignment with the whole school student theme, Be The Voice. This year’s Temple theme is Be the Voice of Community, Know Your Neighbours (or as we say neigh-bours), reinforces the importance of connection and support.

To strengthen this connection, Temple is introducing the Brumby Bulletin, led by Year 9 leaders Georgia Dunstall and Sienna Crawford. This newsletter will highlight house achievements and keep everyone informed, fostering unity and shared purpose.

Temple Time remains a cherished tradition where Senior School students gather weekly to reinforce team spirit and friendships. It was wonderful to see so many Temple families joining us for our Family House Chapel last fortnight. Congratulations to our Junior School leaders Mason McNamara, Spencer Brown and Ashley Anderson who joined Father Dan and led the service!

Temple’s Community Service Initiative:

This year our Year 12 cohort is leading several transformational community service initiatives. Transformational service is an experience or opportunity that we, as students, can lead and learn from through our active involvement in community service. Our House wanted to continue the Team Green initiatives that was started by previous student leaders. Tasked with the challenge of giving back to the community we consulted with Bolton Retirement Village, a retirement community located 800m from school. We are so happy with our efforts and the finished results of Community Garden Project.

Year 3 CaRE

THINK U KNOW Online Safety 

As part of our Character and Resilience Education program at Canterbury, our Year 3 students recently participated in the THINK U KNOW Online Safety Program. This initiative, developed by the Australian Federal Police, aims to educate students about staying safe online. The program was delivered by local police officers who have been working closely with Canterbury College to ensure the sessions are both informative and engaging.

The THINK U KNOW program is tailored to be age-appropriate and relevant for each year level, ensuring that the information provided is suitable for our young learners. During the session, our Year 3 students learned about several important topics, including:

• Online safety: Understanding how to stay safe while using the internet and playing online games.
• Online stranger danger: Recognizing the risks of interacting with strangers online and how to avoid them.
• Challenges of online interaction: Identifying potential issues they may face when engaging with others online.
• Reporting concerns: Knowing how to report any problems to a trusted adult if things go wrong.

Our students found the session highly engaging and informative, gaining valuable insights into how to navigate the online world safely. We are grateful to the local police officers for their continued support in delivering this essential program. For more information about this program and parent resources please see: ThinkUKnow

Year 10 CaRE

In Year 10 CaRE, students have been exploring the theme of Respectful Relationships. Allowing students to explore this theme is essential in developing their emotional well-being, communication skills, and future connections. It promotes the tools that are needed to navigate conflict resolution, while encouraging empathy. By learning about student’s own boundaries as well as identifying those of their communities, students can build positive friendships and identify unhealthy behaviours. Respectful relationships also fosters inclusivity, creating a more supportive school environment.

Respectful Relationships has been explored through a number of different experiences. In Week 3, the Year 10 cohort headed to Emu Gully where they worked closely with their team members to develop both their leadership skills as well as creating and strengthening relationships with peers they may not always work with. In the classroom, students have been involved in identifying the skills needed to navigate both familiar and more complex situations through brainstorming in groups and role play.

Another activity Year 10 students have involved in is the Balti Tea Sharing. The tea sharing is based around the idea of, “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honoured guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything. Students have been involved in these tea ceremonies and unpacking the theme of respectful relationships in a global context.

Year 3 RaVE

Exploring the Character of Jesus

This term during our RAVE lessons, the Year 3 students have been embarking on an insightful journey exploring the character of Jesus. This exploration will not only deepen their understanding of the Christian faith, but also help them reflect on their own character traits.

The lessons began with students examining their own unique qualities, and what makes each person unique and special. Following this self exploration, the students will begin to look towards the character of Jesus, using specific stories to highlight key virtues:

• Courage: Discussing the story of Jesus walking on water, emphasizing the importance of bravery and faith in overcoming life’s challenges.
• Compassion: Through the miracle of feeding the 5000, students will learn about Jesus’ compassion and the significance of caring for others.
• Forgiveness: The parable of the Prodigal Son will serve as a powerful lesson on forgiveness, teaching the value of mercy and reconciliation.
• Ten Commandments: The students will explore the Ten Commandments, as a guide towards living a life with good morals and values.

These lessons aim to inspire our students to embody these virtues in their daily lives and connect this understanding with the Canterbury Values. The students will engage in various activities, discussions, and reflections to ensure these values are deeply understood and appreciated

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