Athletics Carnival 2026

Our Newlands Athletics Carnival is coming up on Friday 31 July at Coburg Harriers Athletic Club. This is always one of the best days of our school year, bringing students together to get active, support their House and enjoy a fun whole-school event.

Students are encouraged to wear their House colours on the day to show their House spirit. They should also wear comfortable clothing suitable for sport, including runners they can safely walk, run and participate in. Please check the weather on the morning of the carnival and make sure students are dressed appropriately. A jumper or rain jacket may be needed if light rain is expected. The carnival will still go ahead in light rain if it is safe to do so.

Years 3–6 students will participate in a range of athletics events, including running, jumping and throwing activities. These events will also help us identify students who may qualify for District Athletics. For this reason, students will participate in age groups and gender categories. Non-binary students in Years 3–6 have already been supported to choose the category they would like to participate in.

Students who are 8 years old in Grade 3 will participate with the 9/10-year-old groups according to their gender category. They will be fully involved in the carnival; however, they are not eligible to qualify for District Athletics, as District selection begins from the 9/10-year-old age group.

Years 3–6 students need to arrive at school on time, as we will be leaving shortly after the morning roll has been marked. Students will walk with staff from Newlands Primary School to Coburg Harriers using our designated walking route. Before leaving school, each Years 3–6 student will have an ID number written clearly on their wrist. This helps staff record results quickly and accurately throughout the day.

Prep–2 students will come to school in th emorning as usual. They will normal classes from 9:00 am to 11:00 am as usual. They will have fruit snack and lunch at school before leaving at 12:00 pm to walk to the track, aiming to arrive at approximately 12:30 pm. In the afternoon, Prep–2 students will take part in fun, modified athletics activities focused on participation, enjoyment and confidence-building.

Drop-off and pick-up will be as usual at school. Years 3–6 students are expected to return to school at approximately 1:30 pm. Prep–2 students are expected to return to school at approximately 3:15 pm. If you would like to collect your child directly from the track, please let your child’s classroom teacher and the office know in advance, and follow the sign-out process on the day.

Families of Years 3–6 students, please note that students will eat their snack and lunch at the venue, so lunch orders will need to be cancelled for the day. Years 3–6 students should bring a lunchbox with snacks and lunch, as well as a water bottle.

Prep–2 students wwill still need to bring a separate small bag with a snack and water bottle to take to the track in the afternoon.

A calm space will be available at the venue for students who may need a quieter place or a short break from the busy carnival environment. This space will be supervised by staff and will include quiet activities for students who may feel overwhelmed during the day.

A big thank you to everyone who has already submitted an EOI to help at the carnival. We really appreciate your support. We are still looking for more parent helpers to support the smooth running of the day, so if you are available to help, please fill out the form below. Your support makes a big difference and helps the day run safely and successfully for all students.

Athletics Carnival Parent Helper EOI – Fill in form

More information, including detailed timetables, will be shared in next week’s newsletter.

We are looking forward to a fantastic day of participation, House spirit and athletics fun!

¡Vamos Newlands! 

Raul 

HPE Teacher