From the Principal

Dear families,

AEU Industrial Action Update

We would like to provide families with a further update regarding the proposed AEU industrial action.

At this stage, stop-work action remains planned for Wednesday 19 August. However, AEU members are currently voting on a proposed outcome that may result in the industrial action being ceased. We understand that the outcome of this vote, and therefore confirmation of whether Wednesday’s stop-work action will proceed, is not expected to be known until Monday 17 August.

We appreciate the uncertainty this creates for families, particularly when trying to plan work and care arrangements for next Wednesday.

Please be assured that as soon as the school receives official confirmation of the outcome and its impact on the planned industrial action, I will communicate this to our community immediately.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we await further information.

Staffing Update – Literacy Leadership and 1K

We are pleased to share an important staffing update with our school community.

Following Bec Givogue’s move to an Acting Assistant Principal position at Carlton Primary School, Steph Keswick will move into the role of Head of Literacy and Literacy Support from Monday 17 August.

Steph brings significant knowledge of our students, staff and teaching and learning approach to this position. In her new role, she will lead our whole-school literacy work while also working directly with students through our literacy support program. Steph will continue to work closely with the Grade 1 team, supporting planning and ensuring strong continuity for both students and staff.

With Steph moving into this role, we are delighted to welcome Carolyn Bones to Grade 1K. Carolyn is a highly experienced teacher who joins Willy Primary with excellent recommendations from her previous school leaders.

To support a smooth transition, Steph will remain very present in 1K over the coming weeks, working alongside Carolyn as she gets to know the students, their learning needs and classroom routines.

We congratulate Steph on taking on this important leadership role and warmly welcome Carolyn to the Willy Primary community.

Celebrating Book Week at Willy Primary

Next week we are looking forward to celebrating Book Week, always a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the joy of reading, storytelling and imagination across our school.

As part of this year’s celebrations, all students will participate in a special Book Week author experience with Sarah Allen on either Thursday or Friday. This will provide students with the opportunity to hear directly from a published author and learn more about the ideas, creativity and processes that go into bringing stories to life.

The week will culminate with our much-loved annual Book Week Parade on Friday morning on the basketball court. We look forward to seeing our Willy Kids bring some of their favourite book characters to life and sharing the morning with our school community.

It promises to be another fantastic celebration of books and reading at Willy Primary!

Willy Kids Featured on Westsider Radio for Book Week

We are very excited to share that two Willy Primary students will have their stories featured on Westsider Radio as part of the 2026 Children’s Book Week celebrations!

Congratulations to Fergus from Prep and Elka from Grade 1, whose stories have been selected to be read on air as part of Westsider Radio’s “81 Voices – 81 Years of Book Week” celebration.

Throughout Book Week, Westsider Radio will broadcast stories from students across our local schools each day at 11:00am and 5:00pm, celebrating young writers and the wonderful creativity that exists within our community.

It is a fantastic achievement for Fergus and Elka and a wonderful opportunity to have two of our Willy Kids represented as part of this special Book Week initiative.

Congratulations Fergus and Elka – we can’t wait to tune in and hear your stories!

Reminders

Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey

Over the coming weeks, families will be 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