Principal's Report

In this week’s newsletter:

• Appreciations and Acknowledgements
  • Goodbye to our School Counsellor, Sarah!
  • Mother’s Day and Special Person’s stall
  • Late arrivals
  • Prep 2025 information sessions this week
• Coming up 
  • Mother’s and Special person’s Day stall will be held tomorrow
  • Visit of the Netball World Cup
  • Attitudes to School Survey
  • Remaining Prep 2025 information session
• News…
  • State Budget - School saving bonus for families in 2025
  • Vision and values at FWPS
• Repeated (and updated messages)

Appreciations and Acknowledgements

Goodbye to our School Counsellor, Sarah! - Our School Counsellor, Sarah McEwen will be leaving us next week. Sarah has been a valuable member of the Child Safety and Wellbeing Team for nearly two years and we are sorry to see her go. We know that Sarah has helped a number of families in our community. However, recently Sarah has moved house to the other side of the city, and although she enjoys our fabulous Footscray West community, the travel is untenable. We wish Sarah well in her future endeavours.

This year, the Department of Education determined that all schools in our area were to appoint a MHWL (Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader). Schools were given a 12 month crossover time where current Wellbeing Officer programs, such as the one provided by Sarah, would receive funding support before a VIT registered teacher would take over in the newly funded MHWL role. Our MHWL is Towela Sinkonde. Towela works in this role three days per week. Under this model, counselling will no longer be available at school, as the role of the MHWL is to assist families in connecting to external expert organisations. 

Mother’s Day and Special Person’s stall - we appreciate the work of members of the Parents Association and parents and carers who have assisted in the preparation and offering to help on the stall tomorrow.  A special note to Brenda, a community member who donated an extraordinary range of hand made gifts (pictured). Don’t forget to ensure your child brings along $5 tomorrow.

Late Students - This matter has been a concern and recently has been regularly addressed through our communications with families.  Thanks to the thorough follow up by members of the office team, and with the co-operation of our families, we have noted a significant improvement in reducing late student arrivals over the last week or so.  We also appreciate that parents and carers who have been contacted have generally been very understanding.  We have had several examples where parents or carers have been very appreciative of a call requiring them to sign their children in at the office, as their late arrival when trusted to walk or ride to school independently, was news to their parents.  In the past, this information would not have been communicated to parents or carers.

Prep information sessions held on Tuesday - Appreciations to all staff and students who assisted with a big day of information sessions for prospective 2025 prep families on Tuesday.  Organised by Karri Barker, along with the assistance of the office team and TheirCare staff, our grade 6 captains, the prep teachers and students and specialist teachers and their grades, make the visits to classrooms and the specialist programs worthwhile.  Thanks also to Lisa Peterson who remained at school to support Karri and I during the evening information session.

Coming Up...

Mother’s and Special person’s Day stall tomorrow - We look forward to seeing the smiling faces of our students tomorrow.  We keep repeating a reminder to put $5 in with your child’s bag so they can choose one of the fabulous items that will be on display during each classes’ visit to the gallery space in Dingo.

Visit of the Netball World Cup - Tomorrow for assembly we are looking forward to an appearance of the Netball World Cup, awarded to the Australian Diamonds Netball Team in 2023.  Not something that happens every day!  In addition to the Cup, the domestic trophy, the Suncorp Super Netball Trophy will visit each classroom during the day.  We have been afforded the opportunity due to the generosity of former parent, Libby Howe, who is a staff member at Netball Australia.

Attitudes to School Survey - Each year during May all students in grades 4, 5 and 6 are provided the opportunity to complete a comprehensive survey to assess their opinions on their school experience.  Data collected includes; how students feel in relation to their school, their learning, peer relationships, resilience, bullying, health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general.  This is a survey that all students in government schools do from grade 4 to year 12.  Students complete this online during class time and the individual results are anonymous.  While not mandatory, participation is strongly encouraged.  Data sets that are provided are used to assess our effectiveness and are reported when reviewing our Annual Improvement Plan and Annual Report to the School Community.  Parents and carers of students within these grades were yesterday sent a Compass post providing them with further information.

Remaining Prep 2025 information session - Our final Prep 2025 information session will be held from 9.30 am on Tuesday 22nd May (the week after next).  Bookings can be made at: https://compasstix.com/e/t4uvkuv39j 

For current families we understand that the session may have limited value, but if you have a Prep starter in 2025 we urge you to collect an enrolment form now.  If you have any questions please contact the office on 03 9687 1535.

News… 

State Budget - School saving bonus for families in 2025 - It is pleasing to note that an amount of $400 for all students attending government schools will be provided next year.  It will be delivered via the school - details we are not aware of at this time.  We know with the rising cost of camps and excursions, every one of our families will find this beneficial. The once-off bonus will be applied for each child but can be spent per family – so a family with 3 school children will receive $1,200 in support to spend on school costs.

FWPS’ Vision and Values Design Competition - Yesterday each family was provided with a hard copy flyer launching our Vision and Values Design Competition.  A digital version has been posted also on Compass. Our School Council has launched this competition for our students (with family assistance), in order to design an icon for each of our four values - Belonging, Respect, Responsibility and Resilience.  Our plan is to use these icons extensively around the school and for our communication channels, Pupils of the Week awards and so much more. An appreciation to Shannon Mason, who while officially on leave, has spent considerable time recently working as a CRT at FWPS, and was only too happy to apply her skills, developed in an earlier career, to assist with preparation of the creative brief. We encourage family collaboration, but stress the importance of original work.  A fabulous fun family prize is being sought. Please read the details in the flyer or on Compass. The due date is Friday, 31st May.

Cheers,

Brendan

Repeated (and Updated) Messages…