Centralian Middle School eNewsletter

Important dates

Thursday 12 December	Year 8 Splash Day
Thursday 12 December	Last day of Term 4
Wednesday 22 - Friday 24 January	Uniform Sales, open 9am - 2pm
Tuesday 28 January	Staff return to school
Wednesday 29 January	First Day of Term 1, 2025 - students return to school

Hello, Werte!

Welcome to Centralian Middle School’s last newsletter of the year.

As we approach the end of the 2024 school year, I would like to reflect on our journey and share some highlights of the past months.

For me, Term 1 was about overcoming challenges together through resilience and determination. We learnt about navigating through changes and adapting to new protocols. The new phone policy come to my mind. It was heartening to witness the steadfast commitment from our staff, students, and families, working together to build a safe school which challenges and support all students to be the best they can be emotionally and academically.

Terms 2 and 3 were filled with numerous achievements and milestones. Our students shone brightly in various academic and extracurricular fields, displaying their talents and dedication. We celebrated victories in sports, Ethics Olympiad, VET and science competitions, and many CMS students received accolades for their performance. It is a testament to their hard work and the supportive environment fostered by our wonderful staff, parents, and the wider community.

None of these successes would have been possible without the unwavering support of our families. Your involvement, whether through attending meetings, participating in events, or simply encouraging your children at home, plays a critical role in the wellbeing and success of our students. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and trust.

As we approach the end of the semester and 2024, our dedicated teachers are focused on finalizing assessments and preparing end-of-semester reports. These reports will provide a comprehensive overview of your child's progress, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for growth. We encourage you to review these with your children and celebrate their achievements.

In closing, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone in our school community for making this year a testament to resilience, collaboration, and achievement. We look forward to what 2025 will bring and are excited to continue our journey together, striving for even greater heights.

Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable holiday season.

Warm regards,

Wellington Pasi
Assistant Principal

2024 wrapped up!

Term 4 is always a busy one and CMS students have continued to absolute kill it! In the classroom, on the road, in the water ... everywhere they go!

Hot off the back of our domination on the court at the interschool volleyball competition and absolutely lighting up the stage opening this year's Alice Can Dance with their captivating interpretation of 'anxiety', our students have again been doing themselves and CMS proud taking part in the Ethics Olympiad, celebrating their progress in FreshStart reading program and competing in the pool for our annual School Swimming Carnival ... amongst a whole bunch of other stuff.

Term 4 is equal parts hard work, reward and celebration. Let us show you how we've been enjoying it.

Keeping cool ... in all senses of the word,

Swimming Carnival

In Week 8 the year 7s and some of our year 9s headed out to Standley Chasm/Angkerle Atwatye for some learning on Western Aranda country. The crew represented CMS in style. Nathan Franks-Watts was our reporter on the ground:

Standley Chasm by Nathan

I thought Standley Chasm was a fun event, as we did some fun activities with our different groups, there were 2 groups and we each swapped over 2 activities, one was the walk, and one was the paintings. My first activity was the walk... we had lots of fun looking at different plants and learning some, we even learnt some Arrernte language along the way, this walk was an opportunity to learn about different things and talk with your friends, it was fun.

After our first activity we sat down and had some Kangaroo Tail, it was so delicious most of it was nice and crispy and I ate it down to the bone, we also had an opportunity to grab a snack and the bars was so good everyone was having 10ths and it all disappeared.

After our feed it was time for the swap over, our next activity was painting, before we got to the paint we learnt how Aboriginals paint and all the symbols on a painting, we were told we needed to create a story in our painting and make it interesting. After that we got to the painting, I thought we had paper to paint on but it was a boomerang, we were painting boomerangs. I was thinking of what to paint while everyone else was already started, so I started painting, I stared painting the background orange and I wanted this fade, so I grabbed the yellow and I accidently spilled the blue on to my boomerang and I thought maybe I can do something with this blue, and I learnt that when you paint and you accidently spill something else, include that paint...

Clontarf continued to provide our young fellas with fun, fitness, support and guidance in Term 4. Whether it was early morning training sessions or visiting local businesses for insights into working life, Clontarf's work in supporting the fellas is greatly appreciated by everyone at CMS.

Stars

Stars held their End of Year Celebration on November 21st. Another stellar event arranged by Lara and Doreena and immaculately presented by Anthea and Jaxen provided the perfect evening of gathering families and the CMS community together to recognise the efforts and achievements of our young women.

The year 9 girls in particular wanted to say thanks, and Anthea and Tanieshia have these words to add:

Stars Year 9

This year for year 9 Stars we had a lot of memories to remember. We recently stayed at BIG 4 for two days and one night, where we went swimming, go-karting and had a lot of exotic food! We enjoyed our stay and had a lot of fun.
We also did some work experience at KFC and McDonalds where we got the opportunity to see what it feels like to work in a fast-food restaurant.
During contact time we combined with Clontarf, which was very fun, and we played basketball, bubble soccer, after-school games and much more.

We hope that next year and in the future that the year 9s continue to get more opportunities for Stars.

- Anthea and Tanieshia (Year 9)

On Tuesday evening, Centralian Middle School held the annual Year 9 Formal.

Throughout this past term, I collaborated closely with several Year 9 students to bring their vision for the night come to life. From the decorations to the food, cake, and music, the evening was truly a blast. It brought me so much joy to see all of you in your stunning outfits and to witness the smiles on your faces.

It has been a real pleasure and an honour to watch you all grow, thrive, and achieve great things this year. Thank you for your patience and support in this role. While I’m sad to see you all go, I’m excited for the journeys that lie ahead.

A special thank you to Lincoln Davies, Cooper Murphy, Tanieshia Payne, Anthea Tilmouth, and Nyagoah Thon for helping to create this memorable night with me.

Best of luck!

Honey Pearson
Executive Assistant

Presentation Night last week was such a joyful culmination of our school year for families, students and all those who could attend. Honouring the achievements of our students together as a community is always the highlight of our year. Thank you to all who came and who made the evening possible and, of course, thank you to all our young people for being the best they can be.

And, it goes with out saying, a heartfelt goodbye and good luck to our Class of 2024 from the entire CMS family.

Ready for 2025

Uniform Shop

Student Access (opposite the CMS Front Office) will be open for purchasing uniforms and stationery packs in the lead up to the beginning of Term 1. Opening hours are:

Wednesday 22 - Friday 24 January	9:00am - 2:00pm
Week 1 and 2 January 29 - February 7	Weekdays 8:00 - 9:30am and 3:00-4:00pm

A reminder that CMS will have a new uniform in 2025 after students and School Council voted for a new design. The new polo shirt will be accompanied by a royal blue hoodie with the embroidered CMS logo and black shorts or trackpants. We have ordered stock in time for back to school and encourage all students to wear the new uniform next year.

In Term 1 we will accept either the old or the new uniform as families make the change over.

Back to School Vouchers

The government is again providing a $200 back to school payment which can be spent at the school to help with the purchases of uniform, stationery and swimming costs.

Vouchers expire end of Term 1

Please note, vouchers need to be used or allocated to cover future costs (e.g. swimming costs) before the end of Term 1. Any unused or unallocated funds at the end of Term 1 are forfeited.

Term 1 commences

Students return to school for 2025 on Wednesday January 29th. Staff return one day prior on the 28th of January.

Parental Contribution

School Council has set the 2025 Parental Contribution amount at $100 per student.

Netball in January/February

A few netball events to keep in mind over the summer.

Central Region School of Sport Education will be hosting trials for our 15 Years & Under Girls Netball Team on 29 & 30 January 2025 from 4:30-5:30pm at the Pat Gallagher Netball Centre. This event occurs before school returns so anyone wishing to try out who hasn't already spoken to Ms France, can pick up a form to attend from the Uniform Shop or Front Office when they open on the 24th of January.

There will also be a mixed junior netball competition kicking off in February. Details below.

School Holiday Program

Don't be bored this school holidays.

We've got The Gap, the Y, Brown St, the Library, the town pool and adventure park (free all holidays), 3 x 3 at Yipirinya, the skate park, the cinema, Central Craft, the Dust Bowl ... the list goes on.
Plus, roller skating and laser tag!

Check out the full program at Holiday Activities, Alice Springs | NT.GOV.AU or scan the QR code below.

Free internet for eligible families

The School Student Broadband Initiative is a Federal Government voucher system that aims to make at-home internet connection affordable for all families with school-aged children. Eligible families can access free internet until the end of 2025.

Applications need to be made by 31 December 2024.

To apply:

Contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610, from Monday to Friday 10am - 6pm (AEDT) or visit anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet.
Responding to questions that assess your eligibility.
Eligible families will be provided with a voucher they can use to connect to their chosen participating internet provider.
Connect before December 31st, 2024.

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