Courageous Learners

Welcome to Term 3, and what a term it is going to be! Our Values focus this term is “At Channel we Build Courageous Learners”. With the production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory we will be witnessing many students digging deep to find the courage to stand on stage, whilst others will flourish. Last Friday in Amped I was able to demonstrate that with God in our lives, our courage comes not from looking deep within ourselves, but from trusting and obeying God and listening to His spirit who lives in us.

Joshua was a key leader in the Old Testament who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. He trusted God's promises even when others doubted. As a military leader, he led victories in Jericho and across Canaan, fulfilling God's command to claim the land. Joshua is known for his Faith, Obedience to God and his Courage. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9.

May I encourage you as parents/carers to lean into the courage required by the students to play their significant role in the “Whole School” production. Some ways to do this may include:

• Praising the effort, not just achievement

• Talk about mistakes as part of learning

• Celebrate the curiosity which leads to a sense of wonder

• Create a safe environment to try things

• Model courage, stepping out of your own comfort zone or doing something that is difficult

• Remind them of who they are as God’s children because our courage is grounded in our identity, not our performance

Let this be a term where we are intentionally building courageous learners.

Margaret Louw - Principal

As a staff, we recently discussed the ongoing challenge many schools face: supporting students to eat and drink well during the school day. We explored how to do this effectively across the school without becoming the "eating police." Students are given 3 opportunities to eat during the day; a quick snack at 10.00am, recess at 11.25am and lunch at 1.30pm.

We are currently trialing a change to our daily schedule by moving the set eating time to after play. So far, this approach seems to be working well.

What does this look like in practice?
After a focused learning session, students are free to head straight out to play. This gives their bodies and minds a chance to release any stress, frustration or tension that can build up from sustained concentration. They enjoy 30 minutes of unstructured play, followed by 10 minutes of 'eating together' time just outside their classrooms.

After just four days, we are noticing a positive shift in student readiness to learn after break times. Kinder students will join us in this change in Term 4 as a way to prepare for Prep. We would love your feedback on this to see if lunchboxes are coming home emptier than normal.

Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee 2025

We are excited to share that our school will be participating in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee, a free and fun online competition open to students in Years 3–6. This national event challenges students to spell 30 words in just 25 seconds each, with different levels for each age group.

This week, we are sending home consent forms for students to take part in the competition. Please return these forms by Friday 8 August to the school office so we can register interested students in time for the School Round, which runs from Monday 21 July to Friday 22 August.

Every participant receives a certificate, and national winners will even get the chance to visit Canberra to meet the Prime Minister—plus some fantastic prizes including iPads and book packs!

It is a wonderful way to build vocabulary, boost confidence, and celebrate the joy of words.

Sean Bint - Year 3/4 Teacher

We are excited to be running hot lunches again this term to raise funds for Pajok Christian School.

Dates and Menu:

• Tuesday 19 August – Hot Chips $3

• Tuesday 26 August – Sausages (GF bread available) $3

• Tuesday 2 September – Hot Chips $3

Please pay via the Qkr! app.

Thank you for your generosity and support as we come together as a school community to care for others. We thank God for the opportunity to share His love in practical ways and to make a difference in the lives of others.

Employment Opportunities

• Primary Teacher, 1.0 FTE position, commencing asap.

• Head of Teaching & Learning – Secondary, 1.0 FTE position, including release time, commencing in January 2026.

To APPLY or learn more please visit the Christian Schools Tasmania website.