Connecting with our school
Building a strong home-school connection is crucial for fostering a supportive and effective learning environment for students. When families and educators collaborate, children benefit academically, socially, and emotionally.
To support strong home school connections at CDS, we value the following:
1. Regular Communication Channels
- Informal and formal conversations: Staff are often available before and after school for a quick chat. If you require an extended conversation with one of our staff members, we recommend that you contact our front office who will support you in booking an appointment.
- Digital Platforms: Regular updates, sharing of learning experiences and communication about whole school events are shared through ClassDojo and the CDS Facebook page.
- Newsletters: Regular updates, school calendar, sharing of learning experiences, whole school events, community notices and more are shared through our fortnightly newsletter.
- Email: Families can email our staff. If emailing staff, you may expect to get a response within 48 hours of your email being sent.
Parent Portal: Parent Portal is a secure online platform used to share student information between you and your child’s teachers.
Use Parent Portal to:
- tell us if your child is sick or explain an absence
- book parent/teacher interviews
- receive academic reports
- receive our school newsletter
- make payments
- access our school’s calendar
Parent Portal is used by all ACT public schools from preschool through to year 12. If you have children at other ACT public schools, you can access their information from one account.
To access Parent Portal via a web browser on your mobile phone, tablet or computer, use this Parent Portal access link.
You can also access Parent Portal through the Sentral for Parents app. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Access to Parent Portal and Sentral for Parents app is via your ACT Digital Account. If you still need to register, use this Parent Portal access link and log in or create your ACT Digital Account. You will need your access key, which you should have received by email. Please contact the Front Office if you need your access key resent.
2. Community Engagement
- Whole school events: We host a large number of whole school events to foster a sense of community, enhance student engagement, and strengthen the connection between families and the educational environment. Some of the whole school events that we enjoy each year are our welcome picnic, learning journey, community breakfasts, end of year concert, community picnics, assemblies and art show.
- Workshops and Classes: At CDS we offer a arrange of parent workshops throughout the year to build knowledge and awareness in identified areas.