Communication

A key goal for us this year is to continue enhancing the connection between school and home. With this, more opportunities to connect with your child's teacher are being set up and our team are working very hard behind the scenes to stay better connected to you all.

In an organisation with as many layers and complexities as a school, this means that sometimes things may take more time than expected to be responded to. This is never intentional or a sign of us not taking your matter seriously. We always aim to ensure families are communicated with to update them on concerns or incidents that occur in a timely manner.

Our staff are continuously learning and establishing better ways to enact our work. This includes improving the way we connect via SeeSaw, emails, Compass, following up on conversations and scheduling of additional support meetings with teachers or our leadership team. It is important that we continue to work together as we navigate these complexities to achieve a sustainable balance between appropriate communication and workload. 

Below are some excerpts from our Community Communication Policy, that outlines what families can expect from our staff. You can read the entire policy on our website. 

1. Teachers will be available in the yard at school pick up time, for quick conversations. 
2. Parents and school staff may request appointments at any stage throughout the year.
3. Seesaw messaging is available between parents and teachers. Teachers are only required to respond to parents during their working hours when they are not teaching. So for any urgent matters or communication that is time sensitive please contact the school office on 03 96636502.
4. School staff will do their best to respond to general queries as soon as possible, please allow up to 5 working days for a response. Whole-school matters should be directed to the school via the school email carlton.gardens.ps@education.vic.gov.au. 
5. Parents/Carers are responsible for ensuring their contact details are always up to date​. This can be done via Compass or by contacting the school office.
6. Communication should always be respectful and inline with the Respectful Behaviours in the School Community Policy.

Resolution of Problems and Other Concerns:

1. When parents have concerns regarding their child, they should firstly discuss these concerns with the relevant teachers. To ensure communication regarding serious concerns does not get missed we ask that you direct your communication via the school office by either phone 03 96636502 or via email carlton.gardens.ps@education.vic.gov.au. The relevant staff will then be informed and respond within 5 working days.
2. If necessary, parents and/or teachers should follow up discussions with PLC Leaders (Year Level Leader), and then with one of the members of the leadership team.

Parent-Parent Communication

We also love that parents and families are so well connected at CGPS, it works to maintain our tight and connected community. However, parents/carers are encouraged to maintain positive connections with other families and to ensure that any concerns (especially around behaviour or wellbeing) are presented directly to the school for follow up.