Tea Gardens students, staff and families celebrate another year of learning

STUDENTS, parents and families gathered for the annual end-of-year Presentation Day at Tea Gardens Public School (TGPS) on Monday 15 December.

Kayleigh Thompson was awarded the Outstanding Sporting Achievement and Sports Person of the Year honours.

Memphis De Haas took out the Outstanding Indigenous Participation award, while Emily Selby was awarded the Lion’s Club Scholarship.

The School Citizenship Award went to Logan Ralphs and the Young Mr Martin Award was awarded to Lacey Preston.

Grace Charbel took home the Mowbray Leadership award while Christine O’Brien was named Dux.

The presentation was an exciting occasion for the student body.

Year 4 student Zyva was very excited to present her speech to the whole school, while Aria (Year 4) was very proud to receive a mathematics award and be nicknamed the ‘class calculator’.

Year 5 student Archie said the day was a great opportunity to celebrate the 2026 school parliament leaders, classmate Sarah appreciated the support from family and friends, and Koby loved seeing students be proud of their achievements.

Lacey from Year 6 enjoyed seeing everyone get the recognition that they deserved, and Cruz said that it felt like a surprise every time a name got called out.

School Dux Christine was excited to find out which ministers got which roles in the new Student Parliament.

Principal Mark Clemson said he is “deeply proud” of everything the school community has accomplished in 2025.

“Our school continues to thrive as a place where academic excellence, creativity, and personal growth are nurtured,” Principal Clemson said.

“Building on our success from previous years, we proudly extended our High Potential and Gifted programs with a rich variety of offerings such as Films By, RoboCup, Creative Writing, Public Speaking, 3D Sculpting, Clay Work, Drama, and expanded sporting pathways through PSSA.”

This year, the TGPS teaching staff, under the leadership of Assistant Principal (Curriculum and Instruction) Anya Ingram, have continued to implement “Explicit Teaching” strategies focused on improving student growth and attainment.

The benefits are evidenced by strong Year 3 NAPLAN results, which reflect the high-quality learning environment maintained at TGPS.

Thanks to the generosity and dedication of the Parents & Citizens Association, costs have also been kept low for essential excursions – including Tocal and Bathurst, and swimming lessons were kept accessible and affordable for all families.

Every child from Kindergarten to Year 6 was additionally able to participate in swimming lessons at no cost this year, ensuring vital life skills were acquired.

“Beyond academics, Tea Gardens Public School remains a vibrant community hub,” Principal Clemson added.

“Our previous satisfaction surveys highlight the appreciation families have for our caring and balanced environment that nurtures social and emotional wellbeing alongside learning, and we believe strongly that when students feel safe, supported, and engaged, they flourish in all aspects.”

Early highlights of the 2025 Satisfaction Survey include a 9.12/10 Satisfaction rating, and 94 percent of respondents would recommend TGPS to other parents.

By Thomas O’KEEFE