From the Acting Principal 

I am grateful for…

Our amazing students and our teachers who attend camp. Normally I would only do one gratitude per newsletter, but I couldn’t pick between these two to be thankful for. Over the last two weeks I have had many students coming to my office to share their work, and I have been thoroughly impressed by how polite and well-mannered the students of Carnegie Primary are! My bonus gratitude goes to the teachers who gave up their time with their families to go on camp in order for these special events to happen for our students. It is a big ask for our teachers to volunteer their time in this way, and the students get so much out of these experiences, so I am forever grateful for all the work that goes into planning and attending camp. We visited the year 5 students on camp last week and it was thrilling to see students making the most of the learning opportunities at Sovereign Hill, in addition to seeing them strengthening their friendships.

Reports for students arriving/leaving

You will receive your child’s semester 2 report on Compass at the end of this term. Please note that your child will not receive a report for this semester if they are leaving the Carnegie Primary School during this term, or if you have just joined the school this term.

Prep Orientation dates

We are starting our orientation sessions for our new prep students for 2023. We ask that new preps for 2023 attend all the transitions sessions listed below. These are very important to ensuring that your child is familiar with the school and comfortable with transitioning to Primary School next year. They also allow our teachers to plan more effectively for a positive start for your child.

Wednesday 9th November 2.30-3.20pm

Wednesday 16th November 2.30-3.20pm

Wednesday 23rd November 11.45am-1.15pm

Wednesday 30th November 11.45am-1.15pm

Trivia - the 80’s!

I had the privilege to attend the Carnegie Primary School Trivia night on Saturday the 22nd of October, and the very difficult responsibility of judging the best dressed parents - which was far more challenging than I expected! There was a fantastic turn out to the event, and I would like to thank all of the Parents and Friends Association for the planning and the smooth running of the night. 

World Teachers Day

Australia will celebrate teachers on World Teachers’ Day on Friday the 28th of October. 

If you want to show your appreciation of the teachers at the school I encourage you to either say thank you on Friday or send a note in with your child, a small gesture of appreciation can go a very long way.

You can also find out more at www.worldteachersday.edu.au 

Student Free Day

On the 9th of December we have a Student Free Day. During this day our teaching teams will be planning for the following year. There will be no school for students on this day. Please make sure that you have this date in your diaries. Our before and after care will be providing a program for the day for parents that require it.

Diwali

Happy Diwali to those within our community who are celebrating. Commonly known as the Festival of Light and Colour, Diwali recognises and celebrates victory of good over evil. 

Yesterday CPS was lucky enough to be joined by Soniya, a member of our parent community, who created a rangoli for us under the covered area outside the office. 

Rangoli is an artform that originates from India, in which patterns are created on the floor or a tabletop using materials such as powdered limestone, red ochre, dry rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, flower petals, and coloured rocks. They are made during many different Hindu festivals and celebrations, and especially for Diwali.

Rangolis represent happiness and positivity and are said to attract wealth and good fortune. The word 'rangoli' is said to have been derived from the words 'rang' and 'aavalli' which refers to 'a row of colours'. 

Here are some words from our Soniya, our very talented rangoli artist:

Rangoli represents the happiness, positivity and liveliness of a household, and is intended to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck. The red pot depicts 'wealth'. The pink diya is an earthen lamp. Lighting a Diya is an important part of the prayer and it signifies purity, goodness, good luck and power. The peacock is the national bird of India and is believed to represent happiness and joy because of its vibrant feathers with designs in yellow, blue and green colours.

We hope that you get the chance to come in and have a look at our rangoli this week. The photos really don't do it justice! Thank you once again to Soniya and Happy Diwali!

Matthew Vines and Karen Bentata-Grimm