Principal Welcome
202Welcome Back!
What a wonderful start to the 2026 school year at Carlton Gardens Primary School!
Our opening assembly was a truly special occasion and a powerful way to begin the year together as a community. We were honoured to commence with an official Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by Uncle Colin Hunter, grounding us in respect and reflection. This was followed by a spectacular Lion Dance that brought energy, colour and celebration to our school grounds. It was a memorable afternoon that reflected the rich diversity and strong community spirit of our school. Thank you to all families and friends who joined us to mark the beginning of another exciting year.
2026 marks the final year of our current four-year School Strategic Plan. In Term One, we will undertake a comprehensive School Review to reflect on the significant growth and achievements of the past four years, and to shape our priorities for the next phase of our journey. This is an important milestone for Carlton Gardens Primary School. There will be a number of opportunities for students, staff and families to contribute their perspectives, and I warmly encourage you to be involved. Further information will be shared in the coming weeks.
This year promises to be an exciting one, with rich learning opportunities, community events and initiatives designed to help every student thrive and to continue strengthening our school.
We are especially looking forward to deepening parent and carer engagement across all aspects of school life. It is fantastic to see a full house for our first volunteer training session this week. Families can support our school in many ways; from reading with students, assisting on excursions, helping in classrooms, or joining us on school camps. If you are unable to attend the initial session and would still like to join our pool of trained volunteers, please contact the school office. We would love to have you involved.
Here’s to a successful and inspiring 2026 at Carlton Gardens Primary School!
Lunar New Year!
To celebrate Chinese New Year and welcome the arrival of the Year of the Horse, we will be holding a special Free Dress Day next Tuesday, 17th February. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and enjoy the festive spirit of luck and prosperity.
In Chinese culture, children traditionally wear RED or NEW clothing during Chinese New Year. The colour red is seen as especially lucky, symbolising happiness, good fortune and energy. Wearing new clothes also represents a fresh beginning and hopes for a positive year ahead.
Students are also welcome to wear any BRIGHT colours, or cultural outfits to take part in the celebration. As this is a general free dress day, students may choose festive attire that reflects the joyful spirit of the occasion.
We look forward to seeing our school filled with vibrant colours next Tuesday.
Wishing all our families a very Happy Chinese New Year — Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Starting School at CGPS
We are delighted to welcome the many new families who have joined our Carlton Gardens Primary School community this year. While it has been a milestone moment for our Prep families beginning their schooling journey, we have also warmly welcomed new students across every year level.
It has already been such a pleasure to meet so many of you and to hear the stories of your journeys to CGPS. Whether from just down the road or from overseas. Thank you for choosing our school community.
A very warm welcome to you all, we are so pleased you are here and look forward to partnering with you in the years ahead.
Fundraising Efforts and Community Engagement
Late last year, we were fortunate to benefit from a perfectly timed fundraiser, led by an incredibly dedicated group of parents and carers. With ideal weather conditions, our icy-pole fundraiser was a great success, raising very important funds to contribute towards the installation of our new drink taps.
What a fantastic addition these taps are to our school yard! They not only promote healthy hydration but also enhance our outdoor spaces for all students to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who supported this initiative, your contributions make a tangible difference to our school.
Our Fundraising and Community Engagement Committees continue to build momentum, and 2026 promises to be another exciting year of connection and collaboration. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to get involved, we would love to see even more families contributing their ideas, energy and expertise.
School Council Elections 2026
Today, a Compass notification will be sent out calling for nominations for our 2026–2027 School Council. We are incredibly proud of how our School Council continues to evolve and play a vital role in shaping the growth and strategic direction of our school.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Sarah, Katie and Asel as they conclude their two-year terms on School Council. While each has the opportunity to nominate again, I want to acknowledge and thank them for their dedication and contribution throughout 2024 and 2025.
I would also like to warmly thank Lea, who has been instrumental in supporting School Council operations over many years and will not be continuing in 2026. Her longstanding commitment to our school community is deeply valued.
When nominations open, if you are even slightly curious about joining School Council, I encourage you to come and have a chat with me after school. I am always happy to share more about the role and what is involved.
Annual privacy reminder for our school community
Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ privacy policy and the Schools’ privacy collection notice.
Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy [insert link to your school policy], describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.
We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education], please contact the school.
For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ privacy policy: information for parents. This information is also available in eleven community languages:
- Amharic
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Dari
- Gujarati
- Mandarin
- Somali
- Sudanese
- Turkish
- Urdu
- Vietnamese