Inter House Cross Country

This Friday, March 30, we will hold our annual Inter House Cross Country.  Students will have the opportunity to put their physical endurance and intestinal fortitude to the test as they compete against each other to complete the cross country course.  Should be a lot of fun!

Festival of Gifts

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of our Festival of Gifts - a week where we celebrate our gifts and talents and reflect on what it means to be a member of the CAC community.  There are lots of different events planned this week and I am really looking forward to the students extending their comfort zones and participating in these events.  It promises to be a great week!

Parent Teacher Interviews

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27 and 28, we will be holding Parent/Teacher interviews in the IGC.  These meetings are a very important opportunity for parents to meet with their child's teachers and to discuss more of the holistic aspects of the education experience, going beyond just the grades for achievements, effort, and study habits.

I look forward to meeting with you next week so we can celebrate some of the great things that have been happening during Term 1 and devise strategies on how we can help your children achieve their goals during Term 2.

Putting the student at the centre will ultimately help them achieve their goals

  

Kony 2012

You would have had to have been living out in the wilderness during the past couple of days not to have heard of the Kony 2012 phenomenon.  The Invisible Children organisation have created a social media frenzy by releasing its latest documentary on You Tube and using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to help it go viral in record time.

The popularity of the video has brought with it many detractors - people who are questioning the integrity of the Invisible Children organisation and how they allocate the funds that they raise.  Whether you believe this is a credible organisation or not, you cannot ignore the message of what they are trying to do.  You also can't ignore how cleverly they have leveraged social media to promote awareness of their cause.

 It will be interesting to see how long this issue remains in the headlines.

You are likely to see a lot more of this image over the next couple of months

International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women's Day - a day where we pause to reflect on the amazing contributions that women make to all areas of life and how positively women impact the world.  It is also a time for us to pause and reflect on the fact that not all women around the world enjoy the freedoms, safety, and respect that others in some countries do.

Take some time today to show your appreciation to the women (Mothers, sisters, wives, friends, daughters, colleagues) who have made a positive impact in your life. 

How Do You Read?

2012 is the National Year of Reading - an initiative designed to promote the joy, value, and importance of regular reading.  As a result we have a number of initiatives under way to help our students become immersed in good books/stories.

I am quite fortunate that both of my children are avid readers.  I am also very aware that as they approach their teenage years the challenge of maintaining their love of reading will arise.  Recently I have been using the Kindle Touch to re-ignite my son's passion for reading.

I know that many people like the feel of a book in their hands when they are reading.  I also know many people who felt that way until they tried an e-reader - my son being one of them.  The reasons I like e-readers are:

• no more trips to the book store looking through a limited range - when using a Kindle you have access to Amazon's huge selection of e-books
• no more waiting for books to arrive in the mail - e-books are downloaded to your e-reader in seconds
• the built in dictionary - when you come across a word that is unfamiliar you can simply put your finger on the word and it will bring up the dictionary meaning for you (great for increasing the vocabulary of young readers)
• you can take an entire collection of books with you wherever you go

If you are lucky enough to have an avid teenage reader you might find an e-reader is a helpful tool for feeding their voracious reading appetite.  If you have a reluctant teenage reader, you may find that an e-reader can help them to rediscover their love of the written word.  Whatever you use, take every opportunity to help your children enjoy reading and engage with good stories.

Passmarc II

We now have 57 out of 58 students from 8J and 8A enrolled in Passmarc II.  I will be using this Moodle course for Year 8 English this year - in particular I will be communicating assessment grades through this portal.  I encourage parents to sit down with their children and ask them to show you their English Passmarc II course.  I hope you find it useful in keeping you informed about what is happening in our English classes, and a great way to keep up with the progress of your child.

Passmarc II Link

A Snapshot in Time

Today we had our annual photo day - an opportunity to take a snapshot of the students and staff at the College in 2012.

It was great to see the students taking such pride in their appearance and wanting to look their best for both the class photo and their individual portraits.  I am sure that these photos will be a wonderful reminder of Year 8, and I hope that parents and students will look back on these photos with happy and positive memories.