News & Updates: 17 March 2025

Principal's Update: Term 1, Week 7

Those who visit the school regularly will notice we have almost completed the internal campus fencing and gates to provide a more secure environment for our students during the day. We appreciate that this will impact the ease of access to the school for parents during the school day. These gates will remain open at the start and end of the day, and parents are still welcome on the campus during this time as part of drop off and pick up. However, once the day has commenced, we will ask any visitors to the school, including parents, to access the campus via the front reception on the ground floor of The Learning Hub and sign in if they need to come on campus for any reason. We will send out more details next week as our automated gates become operational to assist in a smooth transition to this new reality.

It is also that time of year again. NAPLAN. Our Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students have been sitting these standardised tests over the past few days along with students across Australia. NAPLAN inevitably attracts media attention with the ongoing discussion about literacy and numeracy standards and the global comparison. In previous years, my message to students and parents alike is not to see this as a high-stakes exam, but rather, a quick check in of how individual students are travelling. These results are also a useful tool for us as a school to track the effectiveness of our educational program. While our students traditionally perform well in these assessments, and we are proud of their achievements, there are always things we can learn from the data we receive.
This year, we have introduced a parallel standardised assessment in Literacy and Numeracy for Years 4, 6, 8 and 10, which students will sit in the next couple of weeks. Again, this assessment will give us a more comprehensive insight into our student progressions and better inform us of our teaching program's effectiveness and its continuous improvement.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this week’s newsletter.

Mr Tony Kent 

Principal 

New School Gates: Important Information

To enhance the safety and security of our students and staff, our new internal gates will be operational from Monday, March 17. These gates will help us better manage access to the school during the day. The Primary School Gate is located next to the play equipment. The Secondary Gate is located between The Learning Hub and Secondary Campus. 

Gate Opening and Closing Times

Morning Drop-Off:

• Primary Gate: Open until 9:00 AM
• Secondary Gate: Open until 8:45 AM

Afternoon Pick Up:

• Primary Gate: Opens at 2:15 PM
• Secondary Gate: Opens at 2:45 PM

Campus Access During School Hours

Once the gates close after morning drop-off, all access to the Primary and Secondary campuses will be through Main Reception in The Learning Hub. Parents who need to enter the school must check in at Main Reception. More details on late drop-offs and early pick-ups will be provided later this week.

These times apply only to the new internal gates. The Main Entry gate on Penrose Crescent will remain open and cater to visitor parking.

CCAS Marketing

Mobile Phone Policy

A friendly reminder to our school families that students are required to keep their mobile phones in their locked lockers for the entire school day.

They are not to be used during class, at recess or lunch, and can be turned back on once they leave school. 

Please do not call or text students directly; contact CCAS High School Reception on 4367 1872 if you wish to send a message to your child.

Mrs Tracey Bennetts 

Head of Senior School. 

Student Lockers: Please Use Locks

Now that all mobile phones are required to be put away for the day in students' lockers, we would like them to ensure they are safeguarding their personal items in a locked locker.

Students should have a lock on their locker that remains locked. Many students are not locking their lockers or are leaving their locks unlocked during the day, which does not protect their valuable items.

Please ensure you have your own padlock or lock to keep the locker areas tidy, and to keep your valuable items safe. 

Mrs Tracey Bennetts 

Head sf Senior School

Support Laisani in Her Fight Against Leukaemia

We are deeply saddened to share that one of our brave Year 2 students has recently been diagnosed with Leukaemia (ALL). Since her diagnosis in early February, Laisani has been undergoing treatment at Westmead Children's Hospital while staying at Ronald McDonald House with her parents. 

Despite facing this difficult journey, Laisani has shown incredible courage and determination. She has decided to take part in the World's Greatest Shave to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation, helping families affected by blood cancer. Her strength and generosity have already made a huge impact.

How You Can Help:
💙 Donate to Laisani’s fundraising campaign and support vital research and support services at the link below. 
🙏 Pray for Laisani and her family as they navigate this challenging time.
❤️ Join her team or consider making a Lifeblood donation to help others battling blood cancer.

Let’s come together as a community to show Laisani and her family that they are not alone. Your support can make a real difference!

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and prayers for the Gardner family at this time.

Mrs Katie Tipple 

Primary Wellbeing

CCAS Uniform Shop: Updated In-Store Payment Options

Due to a shift in how shoppers spend and the way banks are transacting, Alinta has decided to become a cashless company. This decision has come due to several factors:

• Consumers no longer carry cash.
• Local branches are closing.
• Local branches are becoming cashless and making depositing cash difficult.

Cash will no longer be accepted in store as of 1 June 2025

We apologise for any inconvenience this causes.

Alinta Management.

Primary Harmony Week

Ripples Writing Competition

It’s Story Comp time!

Ripples is celebrating their fifth anniversary of their Schools Program and to celebrate, their annual writing competition is centred around the traditional fifth anniversary gift, wood. 

This writing competition is open to Years 4-9. The challenge is to create a compelling short story with your interpretation of Into The Woods, making sure to incorporate the five given words: Five, olive, minute, thump, wood. 

If you are interested, please come into the Library and have a chat, or hit the link below to learn more about the guidelines, requirements and exciting prizes to be won.  

Mrs Donna Robertson 

Librarian

Medicine & Dentistry Information Evening – Find Out What It Takes!

This is an information night for students (and their parents) who are considering a career in medicine or dentistry. We know that these career paths are incredibly rewarding and that they require dedication, preparation, and a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed.

To help students and parents navigate this journey, CCAS is hosting an exclusive information evening with Zobair Bary, Academic Director and Principal of the National Institute of Education. As a parent at CCAS and an expert in medical and dental school entry, Mr. Bary will provide valuable insights into the pathways, challenges, and preparation strategies needed to pursue these careers.

When: Tuesday, 1st April at 7 PM
Where: Level 2, Learning Hub, CCAS
Who should attend? Students in Years 9-12 and their parents

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain expert advice on entry requirements, UCAT preparation, interviews, and study strategies. 

To attend, please register using the link below.

If you have any questions, please email Narece Thapa, Careers Coordinator, at narece.thapa@ccas.nsw.edu.au.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Mrs Narece Thapa

Careers Coordinator

Vaccination - Year 7 & 10

If your child is in Year 7 or 10, please provide consent for their vaccinations using the QR code or the Service NSW Health Website link below.

Vaccination Dates
Year 7  - Wednesday 9th April
Year 10 - Wednesday 30th July  

Secondary Administration

Early Student Pickups

To ensure your child is ready to be collected early, please notify the school of your pickup time well in advance, and do not expect your child to be ready until this time. You can do this via phone call or email.

We ask for plenty of notice as staff may not have a phone in their classroom, or be able to check emails regularly and won't be aware of the details of students leaving. Giving us this notice avoids a last-minute scramble, prevents any confusion, and keeps everyone running on time (without having us run to collect your child!)

Please also ensure that students check out through Primary/High School Reception so that their leave is recorded.

Thank you in advance. 

Administration Team

Extended Absences During Term

If you are planning a holiday during term time, it is a government requirement that students taking extended leave from school for 5  or more consecutive days must apply for a Certificate of Exemption from Attendance at School. This can be found on our school website under "Quicklinks", "Parent Hub" then "Absences".

For absences between 1-4 days, please email the relevant campus with the reason and permission. 

If your leave will coincide with major events eg. important exams or assessments, please make sure your child discusses the absence with their teachers.

If you are ever unsure, please call or email the school directly. 

Administration Team

Help Keep Our School Healthy

With one of our students immunosuppressed, we must maintain a vigilant approach to illness prevention. We urge you to keep your child at home if they are feeling unwell. This not only helps safeguard their own health but also protects their classmates, especially those who may be more vulnerable.

If your child contracts Measles, Chickenpox, Shingles, Influenza or COVID-19, please notify us immediately so we can take appropriate measures.

Additionally, please reinforce the importance of proper hygiene practices with your children. Regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding close contact with others when feeling unwell are simple yet effective measures in preventing the spread of illness.

Your support and cooperation in this matter are greatly appreciated as we strive to foster a healthy and thriving learning environment for all.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to our school community's well-being.

CCAS Team

Library: Ready For A Challenge?

The Annual NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge has started!

The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely. The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is open to all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 10. 

All Primary students at CCAS are automatically registered and participation is encouraged during Library classes.  

2025 Challenge Dates
Challenge opens: Monday 24 February 2025
Challenge closes to students: Friday 22 August 2025

PLEASE NOTE: 
All usernames and passwords have been reset for 2025. If you would like your child’s login information please contact us: library@ccas.nsw.edu.au  

Mrs Donna Robertson 

Librarian

CCAS Exchange Program: Hosting A Student

Each year, CCAS welcomes exchange students through the ‘Students of the World’ Exchange program. Our CCAS students get to interact and build friendships with these students. For some of our early exchanges, these friendships have now spanned over a decade, with Australian families visiting the exchange family in their home country.

We have found families for Jeanne, which is fantastic, however, there are other students who come to us via an exchange company and they are also keen to find a family.

If you and your family are interested in hosting a student sometime this autumn and/or winter, please contact Mrs Grange via email (mgrange@ccas.nsw.edu.au) or text (0415 92 32 75) for more information.

Mrs Marilyn Grange 

Secondary Teacher 

Safe on Social: Should Devices Be in Your Kid’s Bedroom at Night?

Most of us didn’t go to bed with a front-row seat to global atrocities. But they do. Every. Single. Night. Instead of winding down, for some their brain is stewing in negativity, spiralling into stress, anxiety, and depression. Their body is in bed, but their brain may be stuck in fight or flight, all night long.

In this article, you will learn why phones should not be kept in your child's bedroom at night. 

Parenting Toolbox: What To Do When Your Child Argues With You

It's important to remember that kids need to practise their assertiveness somewhere. This is a crucial part of their development and a sign that they are learning to navigate the world around them.

There is no safer and more nurturing place than their family for them to learn this vital life skill.

So, there is a tension between nurturing their assertiveness and expecting cooperative behaviour at home. That’s why it’s essential to build a bigger communication toolbox.

Bible Verse Of The Week