Principal's Column

It has been great to see so many happy faces back at school, ready for another busy and exciting term. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

SHOP 4 SCHOOLS

Congratulations Westgrove! We have placed 2nd in this year's Shop 4 Schools initiative run by Pacific Werribee, and in doing so, we will receive $10,000. This money will contribute to our ongoing playground/yard upgrades.

3-6 ATHLETICS POSTPONED

We made the difficult decision to postpone the Athletics Carnival because of the predicted rain on the day.  As many of you would know there is very little shelter at the Athletics track and we did not want to risk students and staff getting wet.  We have managed to re-schedule the carnival for next Tuesday 30th July.  Please go onto Compass and give permission for your student/s to attend.  It is an expectation that all students will participate and give the events a go.  Families are welcome to come down and watch.

The Olympic Day lunch for students in Years 3-6 will also be rescheduled to the following week.

MR. GATT IS ON LEAVE

Mr. Gatt has commenced a period of leave. He will be on leave for the first four weeks of this term, returning on Monday 12th August. During his absence, Miss. Slaymaker will be Acting Principal, supported by Mrs Richardson and the leadership team.

PARENT/CARER SURVEY

The 2024 Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey will be available to complete online from Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024.

The survey seeks feedback on school climate, community engagement in learning and teaching practices for student engagement and outcomes.

Further information will be sent out next week to all families.

TERM 3 STAFFING

At the commencement of Term 3 we have a number of our staff on short-term leave, which has resulted in some minor adjustments to our programs during this period. Those classes impacted have been informed of this already and we thank you for your understanding.  

In addition, Miss. Lawless (6G) and Mrs. Thompson (EAL) will be on leave for all of Term 3 meaning that 6G students will be placed in the remaining Year 6 classes for the term and EAL Tier 3 Program will not be running for the term and students will be supported by their classroom teachers.

SEMESTER REPORTS

Semester reports are a celebration of student learning across the last two terms in all subject areas, which we encourage you to share with your child. Semester reports were made ‘live’ to families on Compass on Thursday 27th June. 

Below is a summary of what semester reports will contain: 

CLASS CHANGES - TERM 3

At the start of Term 3, we  transitioned to having 3 X Year 2 classes for the remainder of the year. This change impacts 2K particularly as Miss. Karutz will be teaching Prep F at the beginning of Week 3. 

This was a difficult decision to make, however with our significantly small classes in Year 2 (average of 16.5 children per class) and the current staffing shortages in Victoria this decision was the one that needed to be made in the best interests of our children.

We thank our families for their understanding with the changes that are occurring.

2025 PREP ENROLMENTS

Enrolments for any child looking to start Prep (or any year level) in 2025, are continuing to be accepted so please contact the office to commence this process. 

We are still holding regular school tours, so if you or anybody you know would like to attend one please register by contacting our office. These tours are available for all prospective families.

CHILD SAFETY AND WELLBEING AT WESTGROVE: 

Information for Families and the School Community

Westgrove Primary School is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe. We have a zero tolerance for child abuse and are committed to protecting children from harm. 

Our comprehensive child safety framework outlines our school’s strategies to support student safety and wellbeing. The framework includes the following policies, codes and procedures:  

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy 
• Child Safety Code of Conduct 
• Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure 
• Complaints Policy 
• Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy 
• Bullying Prevention Policy 
• Volunteers Policy 
• Visitors Policy 
• Digital Learning Policy 
• Yard Duty and Supervision Policy 

These policies can be found on our website at https://www.westgrps.vic.edu.au/policies

Our students and their families are important partners in keeping our students safe. We value feedback and ideas on how we can continuously strengthen our child safety framework.

If you have any suggestions or comments please contact Mrs. Richardson, Assistant Principal on 9749 8233 or at westgrove.ps@education.vic.gov.au .