Dear families,

Purple Party Takes Over WPS!

Tuesday was certainly not an ordinary day at Williamstown Primary School, with our Purple Party officially taking over WPS for the day!

As part of our Grade 5/6 Government Inquiry Unit, students have spent the term exploring democracy, elections, leadership and how governments turn ideas into action. Following their successful election, Purple Party leaders Yusuf and Joella stepped into the roles of Principals for the day, taking over from Lisa and I.

Yusuf and Joella embraced their leadership responsibilities with enthusiasm and confidence, helping oversee a very different school day as the Purple Party delivered on a number of its election promises.

Beyond all the fun, the takeover provided our Grade 5/6 students with a fantastic real-world learning experience. They were able to see that leadership is not simply about having great ideas—it also involves responsibility, organisation, communication and making decisions that affect an entire community.

Congratulations to Yusuf, Joella and the entire Purple Party on a memorable day at WPS. We’re pleased to report that the regular leadership team has now regained control of the school!

Grade 5/6 Interschool Debating Competition

Next week, our Grade 5/6 students will have the opportunity to put their communication, critical thinking and persuasive speaking skills into action as part of an interschool debating competition with St Mary’s Primary School and Williamstown North Primary School.

The competition will provide a fantastic opportunity for students from our local schools to come together, challenge themselves and experience debating in a friendly and supportive environment. Our participating students have been preparing their arguments and developing their public speaking, teamwork and rebuttal skills in readiness for the competition.

We wish all of our Grade 5/6 debaters the very best and look forward to seeing them represent WPS with confidence and pride.

Prep Fire Safety Visit

Our Prep students recently enjoyed a special visit from our local fire brigade as part of their learning about fire safety and staying safe around the home.

Students learned about the important role firefighters play in our community, how to recognise potential fire hazards and what to do in the event of an emergency. It was a fantastic opportunity for our youngest Willy Kids to learn these important safety messages directly from our local firefighters.

A big thank you to the firefighters who took the time to visit WPS and provide such an engaging and valuable learning experience for our Prep students.

Bike Ed and Swimming Commence Next Week

Next week will be another busy one at WPS, with our Grade 4 Bike Education Program and Grade 1 Swimming Program both getting underway.

Our Grade 4 students will begin developing their cycling skills, road awareness and understanding of how to ride safely and responsibly. At the same time, our Grade 1 students will take to the pool, building their swimming skills, water confidence and understanding of water safety.

Both programs provide important practical learning experiences for our students, supporting the development of skills that extend well beyond the classroom.

We look forward to seeing our students embrace these opportunities and have a fantastic time along the way!

Prep Father’s & Special Person’s Afternoon

Next Friday, our Prep students are looking forward to welcoming their dads and special people to WPS for our Father’s & Special Person’s Afternoon.

This special afternoon is always a wonderful opportunity for our Prep students to invite an important person in their lives into their classroom, share some of their learning and enjoy some special activities together.

We look forward to welcoming our Prep families and special guests to WPS for what promises to be a lovely afternoon of connection and celebration.

Reminders:

Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey

Earlier this week, families were invited to participate in the annual Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey. This survey provides an important opportunity for parents and carers to share their perspectives on a range of areas, including teaching and learning, student wellbeing, school communication and the overall school experience.

Individual survey links will be emailed directly to selected families, along with information about how to complete the survey. The survey is confidential, and responses are used to help inform our school improvement planning and future priorities.

We strongly encourage all families who receive an invitation to take the time to complete the survey. Achieving a strong response rate is important, as it ensures we receive a representative sample of feedback from across our school community. The more families who participate, the greater confidence we can have that the results accurately reflect the experiences and views of our community.

We sincerely appreciate the time and thoughtful feedback provided by families each year. Your input plays a valuable role in helping us continue to strengthen Williamstown Primary School and provide the very best learning environment for all students.

Before and After School Supervision

A reminder to all families that staff yard supervision begins at 8:45am each morning. To help keep all students safe, children should not be dropped off at school before 8:30am, as there is no staff supervision available prior to this time.

If your family requires an earlier drop-off, students must be enrolled in our Before School Care program, where they will be appropriately supervised until the school day begins.

Students who arrive before 8:30am and remain unsupervised are placed at unnecessary risk, and we appreciate families supporting these arrangements to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children.

Similarly, after school, students should be collected promptly. There should be no unsupervised students remaining on the school grounds after 3:45pm. Families requiring care beyond this time are encouraged to make use of our After School Care program.

As part of our ongoing commitment to meeting the Victorian Department of Education's Child Safe Standards and duty of care requirements, Williamstown Primary School will introduce a new gate opening and closing schedule from Term 4. The revised schedule will ensure that access to the school grounds aligns with periods when staff supervision is in place, further strengthening the safety and security of all students while on site.

Further details, including gate opening and closing times, will be communicated to families towards the end of this term, providing everyone with plenty of notice before the new arrangements commence.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain a safe and well-supervised environment for all students.

Warm regards,

Mat Montebello

Team Kids