Our first Junior School assembly for Term 3 will take place on Wednesday 29 July at 8.30am. The Year 3 students will be making a presentation, the Semester 2 Class Captains for Years 3 to 5 will be announced, and Merit Certificates will be awarded to selected students from each class. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, parents are unable to attend. Semester 1 Reports Semester 1 reports will be available through Parent Lounge from 3pm on Friday 31 July. The Semester 1 reports are our first round of formal reporting for 2020. Nationally agreed Achievement Standards have been set for each subject area as part of the Australian Curriculum and this has brought about changes in reporting for parents over the last couple of years. The Standards describe in plain English what students should typically be able to know, understand and do. Students are judged or marked against these standards. I encourage parents to read through the standards for each subject area and when students are expected to achieve them on the Australian Curriculum website. The site also includes helpful examples of student work at different achievement levels. In Junior School our reports from Prep to Year 6 are based on a five-point scale as required by the Australian Education Act Regulation. Typically, a mid-scale rating (C) means that a student is working well and achieving what is expected of them at that point in their learning. This is a considerable achievement. To achieve the highest point on the scale, a student needs to show a deep understanding of a topic and possess the ability to apply information in unfamiliar contexts without adult assistance. Parents need to keep these changes in mind when reading progress reports and discussing them with children. It is good to encourage children to strive to work hard, develop confidence in giving opinions and show consistent effort. They also need to practise explanation, making judgements and justifying choices. The concept of A’s, B’s and C’s of earlier days where information learnt was retained, tested and reported has changed. Reports include a rating in each subject area as well as more holistic observations including behaviour, relationships, work ethic and responsibility. Student Progress Conferences Our annual Term 3 Parent Teacher Interviews have been changed this year to include the students, which is why they are now called Student Progress Conferences. Current research shows that involving the students in this process can reframe the learning experience and get children invested in their own learning as it enables students to self-reflect, set goals and have more responsibility in their own learning journey. Student Progress Conferences also increase student-parent communication as they give students, parents and teachers a better picture of who the student is, what he or she has achieved and what the student’s future goals may be. This three-way approach acknowledges the most important participants in the learning process – the student, teacher and parents. The Term 3 Student Progress Conferences will be held on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 August in the Library. We will be implementing procedures to ensure we adhere to the current COVID-19 safety requirements. A letter regarding the conferences and the information for online bookings was placed on Parent Lounge earlier in the week. Please ensure that you have booked in for your Term 3 conference as online bookings close at 3pm on Monday 3 August. Brainways Days of Excellence Brainways Education in conjunction with Education Queensland is conducting their Days of Excellence program in the Sunshine Coast region again this semester. The program has various workshops designed for gifted and talented students. The following programs are being offered: 2/09: Playthings: Creating Characters from Pictures – for students in year levels P-2 3/09: May the Force Be with You: An Exploration of the Laws of Motion – for students in year levels P-2 4/09: Maths of Nature – for students in year levels 3-5 3/09: Write to the Music: Music as Inspiration for Creative Writing  – for students in year levels 3-5 2/09: How Do I Know the World Isn’t Virtual? – for students in year levels 6-10 4/09: ARCHIFuture: The Future of Architecture – for students in year levels 6-10 If your child is interested in participating in this Brainways program, please contact Gabrielle Frisby at gfrisby@ccps.qld.edu.au for further information. You Can Do It! Program Achieve Our focus for the next two weeks of this term is on the ‘I Accept Everyone’ Character Kid. Students will be involved in discussions about what strategies and behaviours help us accept everyone. They will be reminded that accepting everyone includes behaviours such as: Understanding people are different Learning about different customs and beliefs Including others in things they do It would be appreciated if you could support this program at home as it helps reinforce the importance of these social behaviours that are central to all young people acquiring the social and emotional capabilities, they need to be successful in school, experience wellbeing and have positive relationships. Kindergarten and Prep Enrolments for 2021 Applications are now open for enrolments for the 2021 school year. If your child is 4 years old by the 30 June 2021, they are eligible for Kindy in 2021 or if your child is 5 years old by the 30 June 2021, they are eligible for Prep in 2021. I would like to extend an invitation for you to make an appointment to tour the School and learn more about the Kindy and Prep program offered at Caloundra City Private School. Please contact Administration on 5437 5800 or by emailing admin@ccps.qld.edu.au for further information or to book a Tour. Class News from City Stars Kindergarten Drop off and pick up times have definitely been unique lately and the City Stars have really stepped up to the new ways of doing things! They can complete many tasks of self-help e.g. organising themselves and packing away all of their personal belongings. They are independent little people, and this will benefit them greatly for Prep next year. For Science, the City Stars have followed the growth of a real ‘caterpillar’ through observations and predictions. We learnt the difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon. They have also explored a number of hands-on activities based around the popular text, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle e.g. retelling the story and sequencing the events. The children are counting down the days until week 4 so they can bring their bikes and scooters to City Stars and ride them around the footpaths of the school.