Principal's Report
It has been a fabulous few weeks with our swimming program having concluded for year 3 and 5 last week and the year 2 and 4 program currently happening. Well done to all students who participated with confidence and demonstrated our school values when attending the pool.
Last Friday our teachers participated in Professional Learning to support the high-quality teaching practices and programs we are implementing at CGPS. Classroom teachers were immersed in the world of writing with Narissa Leung of Oz Lit Teacher.
Open Afternoon…
2.30 – 4.30pm, Wednesday 13th March
On Wednesday 13th March, we invite parents and carers to attend school for an open afternoon and meet the teacher session. From 2.30pm – 3.30pm parents and carers are invited to join their children in the classroom for a hands-on activity. From 3.30pm – 4.30pm you are welcome to have a look around the school. Let your child take you on a tour to their favorite play spaces, specialist classrooms and share with you the work they have done through term 1.
School Values…
Has your child come home with one of our values wristbands yet? Keep an eye out for these colourful bands which represent one of our STARS values! We are catching more and more students demonstrating Safety, Trust, Acceptance, Respect and Success and love seeing their faces when they realise they’ve been ‘caught’ and awarded a wristband, a positive acknowledgement or a STARS values certificate at assembly.
Rubbish Challenge…
Have you heard about our competition to help keep our school tidy? Each class has been allocated a small section of the school to keep clean. Students from each class volunteer and are selected by their teachers to gather up their bucket and tongs and remove any rubbish they find in their area.
At assembly, there is a ‘bin trophy’ that has some surprise prizes inside for the class in each sub-school that has kept their area the tidiest. The competition has inspired our students to show a newfound respect for their environment which we hope will continue.
I encourage all families to continue finding ways we can reduce our impact on the environment by reducing how much rubbish comes into school. Nude foods, or reusable containers and zip-lock bags are a great place to start!
Easter Bonnet Parade and Free Dress Day…
The last day of term will be a Free Dress Day for students. We ask for a gold coin donation from students to kick off our fundraising efforts for 2024.
Students are invited to decorate a hat at home and bring it in for a traditional Easter Bonnet Parade! The parade will be held at 1.30pm on the basketball courts (weather permitting) prior to a 2.30pm dismissal on the last day of term – Thursday 28th March.
Easter Raffle…
Our PFA are organising an Easter Raffle. Please keep an eye out for raffle tickets and information which will come home soon.
Ramadan…
Every year, many Muslims fast each day of Ramadan from dawn until dusk, for the duration of the month. The day after the end of Ramadan (Wednesday, April 10, 2024) is a religious holiday called Eid-al-Fitr.
For each day of Ramadan, fasting consists of abstaining from eating or drinking, including water, while the sun is out. Once the sun has set, Muslims eat dinner, a meal called “iftar” in Arabic. Iftar is generally a community-focused meal, where family members and friends come together for the blessed occasion. Afterwards, eating and drinking during the night is allowed until dawn of the next day.
We know that many of our students and their families will be observing Ramadan and we wish them all the best for the occasion.
Facebook…
Did you know that CGPS (official) is now on Facebook?! Please like and follow our page for regular school updates, celebrations and photos. Please be aware that there are some ‘fake’ or unauthorised accounts that pop up using school names.
The official school Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/courtenaygardensps
Alison Lough
Principal