Newsletter 17 November

The Gum Tree Newsletter
Starke Street Holt ACT 2615 | Tel: (02) 62058000 |Fax: (02) 62057964
www.cranleighps.act.edu.au | info@cranleighps.act.edu.au
Issue 4.3 Monday 17 November 2014
Dates For Your Diary
Key Contacts
Principal: Greg Wagg
School Board Chair: Lucy McCarthy
P&C President: Kimberly Ingram
Patron: Vacant
Nurses: Annette Sidman & Rita Gray
Counsellor: Laura Jellins
Family Support Worker: Vacant
Board Meeting: Wednesday 19 November 5.45
P&C: Wednesday 19 November 7pm
Parent Morning Tea: Friday 21 November 10.30—12
Graduation: Friday 12 December 11.30-12.30
Dear Cranleigh Community
40th Anniversary and Deck Opening
This has been a very busy time for our school with teachers
currently writing reports. It is encouraging to see our students
making so much progress.
On Friday we culminated the celebration of Cranleigh’s 40th
Anniversary with the official opening of the deck. The day
proved too hot to take advantage of the deck and the
wonderful outdoor space it provides connecting the Pink
classroom with the playground. We were entertained by our
buddies from Weetangera School led by Susan West,
Convenor of the Music Engagement Program at the ANU
School of Music. Our Director-General Diane Joseph launched
our deck and helped Dylan, Cranleigh’s oldest student, cut the
cake.
Thank you to all the community members and staff who have worked so hard on the Art
Show and the 40 Anniversary and Deck Opening while making sure that our student’s
programs have continued with few interruptions.
Greg Wagg
Achieving potential together
The Gum Tree Newsletter Issue 14.3 Monday 17 November 2014
2015 School Board vacancy
We will have 2 parent School Board positions to fill in 2015. The positions commence 1 April 2015 and
finish 31 March 2017.
Nominations for these positions are open from Monday 2 February 2015 till Monday 16 February
2015. Nomination forms may be submitted at any time during this period and are available at the
school.
I invite you to take some time to think about contributing to the school community in this way. If you
have any queries about the process or what is involved by being on a School Board please do not
hesitate to contact either myself or a current board member.
Laurie Fiddian, Assistant Returning Officer.
Learn through Play and Routines
Presented by Sue Davies
“Learn Through Play and Routines” is a New Zealand and Australian resource produced by the
New Zealand Down Syndrome Association in collaboration with the Champion Centre and the
University of Canterbury. Sue Davies was fortunate to be involved with the making of this DVD
to provide the Australian input which proved to be a wonderful and enriching experience. The
DVD shows families how to support their infants and young children with disabilities to make
the most of everyday life through exploiting and enhancing natural play activities and the day-today routines of home and community.
This DVD is particularly pertinent in the Australian context as we move towards the full
implementation of the NDIS with its individualised funding on a ‘fee for service’ basis.
VENUE: SHOUT Office, Collett Place (Opposite Pearce Shops)
DATE: Wednesday 26 November 2014
TIME:
7.15 for 7.30 - 8.30pm
The presentation is fully sponsored by ECI ACT Inc. Refreshments will be provided.
A short AGM of Early Childhood Intervention ACT Inc. will be held.
We encourage and welcome all nominations before, or on the night.
To help us cater, please register your intention to attend the evening by
COB Monday24th November.
Register to SHOUT office by phone: 6290 1984, email: admin@shout.org.au or fax:
62864475
Achieving potential together
The Gum Tree Newsletter Issue 4.3 Monday 17 November 2014
TECHNICAL AID TO THE DISABLED ACT (TADACT) - AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR FAMILY CARERS*
An opportunity for carers to find out about the work of TADACT and how it can help and support
people with disabilities and their carers.
Technical Aid to the Disabled ACT (TADACT) is a not for profit charitable organisation that assists
people of any age with any type of disability and the elderly to live independent and fulfilling lives by
designing and making affordable innovative equipment which is otherwise unavailable. TADACT can
also modify or repair commercially available equipment to make it better suit the client's needs, and
provide advice and referrals.
Facilitator:
Graham Waite, Executive Director of TADACT.
Date:
Thursday 20 November
Time:
5.30-7.30pm
Cost:
free
Venue:
CIT Woden Ainsworth St Phillip
2015 ACT Secondary Bursary Scheme
The ACT Government’s Secondary bursary Scheme provides financial assistance to low-income
families with students in year 7 to 10 attending an ACT public, Independent or Catholic systemic
school or are home schooled. To be eligible, applicants must have a current Centrelink card or
Healthcare card with means tested payment codes.
Copies can be found at Centrelink offices and on the Directorate website http://
www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/starting_school/financial_assistance_for_families.
Self-Managing under the NDIS Workshop
Thursday 27 November 2014
5.30pm - 9pm
NOTE: Due to large registrations the venue has been changed to:
The Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre
Level 2 - Function Centre
180 London Circuit
Canberra
North Building (Adjacent to Civic Square Fountain) across from Legislative Assembly Building.
For more information on speakers and to register go to www.imaginemore.org.au
This event is supported by Community Connections and Anglicare Warmly,
How to make the most of the opportunities presented by the NDIS
The NDIS will bring big changes.
People with disability and their families will make the decisions about their supports,
including who will provide them.
Lorna Sullivan will host workshops on strategies and tools you can use to get ready for
the NDIS.
Session 1:
When:
For people with disability and their families
9.00am to 10.30am
Saturday 29 November 2014
Where:
Ground Floor, Nature Conservation House,
153 Emu Bank, Belconnen
Spaces are limited – get in early to avoid disappointment.
RSVP:
Monday 24 November 2014 on 6207 9103 or
rebecca.mcdonell@act.gov.au
Achieving potential together
The Gum Tree Newsletter Issue 14.3 Monday 17 November 2014
PARENTS AND CARERS SURVEY – ACT PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS
The ACT Education and Training Directorate is conducting an online survey of primary
school and early childhood parents and carers as part of a wider research process on
communicating the benefits of the public school system in Canberra.
As a parent or carer of a student in an ACT public primary or early childhood school, your
views and feedback are very important.
The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. Data collected goes directly back to
Piazza Research (an independent Canberra-based research firm contracted by the
Directorate to conduct this survey). The survey can also be accessed on mobile devices
and tablets.
In order to achieve a reliable response rate, several reminders will be sent to all parents over
the next two weeks.
Your information is protected
This survey is completely anonymous and individual answers will not be tracked or attributed
to an individual.
Who to contact
If you require help with completing this survey, please email admin@piazzaresearch.com.au
as an initial contact point, providing a phone contact with an email address. Piazza
Research will contact you from there.
You can access the survey by
https://secure.piazzaresearch.com.au/ls2/index.php/523766/lang-en
The survey will be open until Friday 28 November.
Achieving potential together
The Gum Tree Newsletter Issue 4.3 Monday 17 November 2014
As mentioned in the last newsletter we have been doing action research at
Cranleigh over the past year. Pink Alpacas and Blue Sky were looking at the
benefits of peer integration and we have a mountain of data showing how
beneficial it was to everyone involved and best of all we had heaps of fun
together. For our students it increased communication opportunities and enabled
the development of friendships. For our buddies there were just as many benefits
as shown by this quote from one of the student’s from Weetangera Primary .
“At first I thought, ‘How am I going to make friends with non-verbal kids?’ I
realized soon after that there are other ways to interact with them and that it
was my job to find out. I have changed how I think and act entirely. If I see
someone in my community that can’t do something that I can, I will not stare
and I will not give them looks I will say ‘hello’ and move on.”
Weetangera students helping Pink
and Blue classes at the opening of
the deck
Jen and her
buddy Emma
playing a game
together on
Halloween.
Weetangera students helping to
farewell Irene who has gone
overseas for the rest of the year!
Achieving potential together