From the Principal's Desk 

Here we are half-way through term 1 and it's been a great start to the year. A very warm welcome to all our new families, whether it's your first time experiencing school life as a prep parent or carer, or whether you have joined us from another school or country. Our CGPS community are the best there is and we are sure you will enjoy your time with us. 

This year we look forward to continuing to strengthen our high-quality curriculum and wellbeing programs and offer our students many opportunities and experiences to help them engage with their learning, find their passions and fine-tune their skills and talents. We will continue to encourage our students to celebrate the diversity within our community and learn the vital social skills they will need to ensure an inclusive and friendly environment for everyone. 

We value connection and collaboration and place a high level of importance on partnering with our parents and carers around the education and wellbeing of our students. Hopefully all of you will have had the chance to meet your children's teachers this week at parent-teacher interviews. If not, please make a time to have a conversation with the teacher over the next week to share any information about your child and family that will help our staff know your child better and provide a supportive learning program tailored to their needs. 

School Communication and Policies 

Full newsletters will be published twice per term (mid-term and end of term). Important or timely information will be sent out via Compass to relevant year levels as needed. Whole school assemblies take place 3 times per term (usually weeks 3, 6 and 9) and are held in the gym. Please enter via gate 4 (the Team Kids gate by the gym) as the other external gates do not open until 3.20pm.  

All school policies, including the communication and complaints process for parents and carers can be found on the school website under the parents tab. Please ensure you are familiar with this process and related policies. There are different staff members you may need to speak to when you have a query or concern and the process outlines the appropriate person to talk to. In general, the first point of contact for all queries or concerns should be your child's class teacher. The sub-school assistant principals (Amy Jewell P-2, Matt Knott 3-4 and Liam Flanagan 5-6) are also available to assist. 

School Wide Positive Behaviour

We have worked hard over the past few years to embed rigorous and consistent school values, behaviour expectations, staged response to incidents and associated rewards and consequences. These have all seen a marked improvement in student relationships and behaviour both in and outside of the classroom.

There are a few behaviours I need to remind all in our community that will not be tolerated and will result in more severe consequences if they occur. These behaviours include acts of physical violence towards others, ongoing bullying, or racism and discrimination. The department of education last year introduced a suspension policy whereby school principals can also suspend students based on behaviour outside of school that poses a significant danger, whether actual or threatened, to the health, safety or wellbeing of another student or a staff member at school. 

When students are involved in conflict at school, restorative processes are enacted to repair relationships and give students opportunity to let others know how behaviours of others have impacted them and enable those students to make amends. An important part of the process is for students who have done wrong to reflect on their behaviour, take accountability for their actions and participate in a guided consequence. 

The consequences for misbehaviour at school vary from walking with a teacher at break time, to community service (rubbish collection with buckets and tongs) or re-teach, where students complete a reflection sheet during lunchtime that they will bring home to be signed by a parent. All students who receive a community service or re-teach will have a notification of this sent home to their parent or carer via Compass. If you have any concerns, please speak with your child's teacher or the relevant sub-school assistant principal. 

Positive acknowledgements and values wrist bands will also continue to be awarded throughout the year to celebrate students demonstrating positive behaviours. Please celebrate these moments with your children when they come home from school with their wristbands or when you receive the acknowledgements via Compass. 

Students bringing money or items to school

A reminder that students should not be bringing large amounts of cash to school. Students are not permitted to purchase items for others at the canteen, so no more than $10 in notes or coins will be accepted at the canteen by any one student. 

Personal toys and belongings brought to school need to be clearly labelled and the school will not take responsibility for items that are lost or damaged. It is preferable that special or expensive items are left at home. If your child wishes to bring something in to show their teacher or class, it can be safely cared for by the teacher for the day and should not be taken out into the yard. 

A reminder that as per the department of education's mobile phone policy, all students must check their phones in at the office upon arrival at school. Smart watches that have data capability are also not permitted. 

Safe Travel to and from School 

A reminder that students riding bikes or scooters to school should be wearing a helmet and that E-Scooters are not permitted. All bike and scooter riders need to be careful around the entrance/exit gates and dismount on the footpath outside of the school. 

Please encourage your children to go straight home after school if they are walking or riding as it is safer to move about the streets when everyone is heading the same way. 

Don't forget the Casey Council and local traffic police are intermittently monitoring the parking and drop-off situation on Rosebank Drive and Courtenay Avenue. Cars should not be double parking to let children out. Traffic management is an issue for most schools and CGPS is no exception. This is not something the school has any control over so if you have concerns, please contact the Casey Council. 

Have a great weekend, 

Alison