From the Principal

Dear Families,

Last Friday night the Willy Primary community came together to celebrate the school’s 150th at the town hall, and what a night it was. With close to 350 people in attendance, we had the pleasure of hearing from our special guests, Zoe Day, Rohan Wood, and Jenny Speakman, three different generations of Willy Kids. I would like to thank them as well as our MCs for the night Rob Chan and Ed Tripodi, also past Willy Kids. And the local feel didn’t stop there, with our band, The Gellibrands, comprised of several former Willy parents playing to a full dance floor. Attendance was a broad mix of Willy families, past students and past and present staff. I would also like to thank Hobsons Bay Mayor, Tony Briffa, Local Council Member and parent, Jonathan Marsden, and Hobson Bay Network Senior Education Improvement Officer and former Parent, Judy Maguire for their support and attendance.

One of the highlights of the night was the official teaser of the school documentary. This project, which has been produced by the Dean family, will premier early next term, and the school is currently working through the best way to celebrate this project with our community.

Overall, it was an amazing night that really captured the school’s spirit. A huge thank you to all the volunteers on the night, in particular, to Amanda Kelly, who was the lead coordinator on the night who was supported by the 150th Anniversary Committee members, Nicole Paramanis, Zeena Lateef, Amber Cassidy, Sarah Arlin and Kathy Knowles. The work that this group has undertaken has been nothing less than extraordinary, and our community is forever grateful.

I look forward to celebrating this group and the supporting volunteers more formally in the coming weeks.

But the celebrations didn’t stop there with the school welcoming the community through the school gates on Saturday. Past Willy Kids travelled from a far to walk through the corridors for the first time in years. Some for the first time in over 50 years. It was great seeing friends and siblings return to enjoy the spaces, while also looking through the timeline expo. 

A highlight of the day was a conversation I had with a former student who hadn’t returned for over 50 years. While having this conversation another past student overheard and introduced themselves. These past students realised they had been classmates and they had not seen each other in over 50 years! Although I quickly became an extra, what a moment I was able to witness, a moment that captured the exact purpose of the day, which was to reconnect. Thank you again to all the staff and volunteers who attended. A special thank you to Jo Jo for organising the art displays and to Faye for the outstanding work she did on the day with our choir and bands. 

Lastly, I would like to thank Rotary of Williamstown for their support in running the BBQ on the day. It was great to have such community support.

School History Book

Many who attended the gala and open day would have viewed the sample of the 150-celebration history book. This book which has been co-written by parents Zeena Lateef and Amber Cassidy, has not only expanded on the previous works of local historian Brian Haynes and former co-principal Billy Green, but has seen the addition of voices of key school figures, both staff and students, while also capturing the voice of the current school community.

In essence this book will be one of the greatest legacies of the 150th Anniversary celebrations.

The book is currently in the final stages of publication, and we will be releasing details of how to purchase your copy in the coming weeks. There will be no fundraising component in the sale of this book, as the school looks to maximise purchasing opportunities for families and community members. There will only be one print run for this book, so we urge families to ensure they purchase a piece of history.

Photo Competition

The open day also saw the announcement of our photo competition winners. The competition has been a huge success with over 100 photos submitted. Special guest judge photographer Alex Kydd, who was unfortunately unable to attend due to be being on assignment in Tonga, photographing and filming Sperm Whales, had the following to say about the category winners.

Preps  - Grace -> A simple and very well-framed image that creatively captures the essence of the school. 

Year 1/2 - Jack  -> A very clever image and great use of composition. 

Year 3/4 - Alice -> Great use of a long exposure on the iconic school building. Dedication to the shot by taking an image late in the day. 

Year 5/6 - Hugh -> Fantastic image that showcases the daily playtime of Williamstown primary with a prominent bluestone building. The use of black and white is a great way to show the heritage and old history of the school. 

Congratulations to Jack from Grade 2 who took out the overall winner prize.

All winners receive a JB-HI-FI voucher,  with the overall winner taking home an instant camera.  

2023 School Review Feedback Forum and Feedback Survey

Thank you to the parents and carers who attended last nights feedback forum. Although we were disappointed in the low attendance, the quality of the conversation was outstanding.

The forum allowed for discussions around the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The process of stop, start, keep was also utilised to capture what families’ thoughts on all we do at Willy Primary.  To support this process, we encourage all families to complete the review Feedback Survey.

The survey can be accessed via the link below. https://forms.gle/HTcoiFXZwMLrtZ1u7

Reminders

2023 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey:

Recently all families received correspondence regarding the Departments annual Parent/Carers Opinion Survey. We encourage all our families to complete this survey as the information collected is an essential part of the school’s ongoing planning. 

2024 Prep (Foundation) Enrolment applications are now due 

Enrolment applications for Foundation (Prep) next year are coming in thick and fast. Thank you to our families who have been returning enrolment applications for younger siblings. We ask that everyone aims to have their forms in by tomorrow, (Friday August 25th ) please so that our planning for these brand new Willy Kids can begin in earnest. 

Warm regards,

Mathew Montebello

Principal