Principal's Report

This week, we commenced all our Specialist Lessons. Our specialist teachers are Mr Wilson (STEM), Mrs Northridge (PE & Sport), Mrs Gorski (PE), Ms Smith (PE & PE Boost), Mrs Dandie (F-2 Art), Mrs Bedford (Yr 3-6 Art) and Ms Liu (Mandarin). Our Year 3 students are particularly enjoying STEM as this is the first time they have participating in this subject. 

This term, our Inquiry topic will be safe online behaviours. The Victorian Curriculum's Ethical Capability capability underpins this. Our students across the school will undertake learning that will support them to understand how we should be behaving when online, as well as how we ensure our own personal safety.  Teachers will be using the application 'Purple Mash' to support their teaching, which has various engaging presentations and lessons for the students to participate in.

In addition, we have engaged with Inform and Empower, who are endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety provider. Inform and Empower will provide various resources to Students, Parents and Teachers. One of the key features of this program is that each term, students will have access to Live Streamed Incursions. Students and teachers will be able to interact with the presenters throughout the sessions and access the shared resources to ensure that the students achieve the learning outcomes for each of the incursions. These incursions are part of the program and are, therefore, free to students of registered schools. 

Black Saturday Anniversary  

Today, you would have noticed the flag at the front of the school at half-mast. Today, 7th February, marks 16 years since Black Saturday, a day that will forever be remembered for its widespread devastation and lifelong impacts.  The Black Saturday bushfires occurred in 2009 following a record-breaking heatwave.  Around 400 fires were recorded across the state that day, which ravaged more than 78 communities.  As each year passes, the 173 lives lost will not be forgotten, nor will the long-lasting physical and emotional impacts on many Victorians, including those in and around the Whittlesea community.   

School Tours  - 2026 Enrolment 

We cannot officially take any 2026 Enrolments as yet. However, we can conduct school tours which are commencing Term 1.  In the newsletter's 'Community News' section, you will see all the information regarding school tours this year. I will soon contact all the local Early Learning Centers and Kindergartens in the local area and provide them with all the key information to ensure that they can support families with the process of commencing school and transition. If you have any questions about enrolment processes or starting school at WPS, please feel free to call the school office, and they will be able to answer your queries. 

Brick Wall Pavers - Coming Soon 

I have had some families ask about our 'Buy a Brick' Brick Paver fundraiser, which we undertook in 2024. We contacted the supplier, who assured us the brick pavers should be delivered by 17 February, if not earlier. We look forward to displaying them at the school. They will be displayed on the brick wall at the front of our school gym. They will look fantastic, especially as we await the removal of the old toilet block. 

Seesaw 

As a school, we have decided to discontinue the use of Seesaw. A range of factors have led to this decision, which the School Council has outlined. Primarily, we looked at the cost-effectiveness of this platform in comparison to other online platforms that can be used to support sharing photos and examples of student work.  Very soon, all our families will receive communication; our new e-Learning News  will allow our families to access photos of students and insights into the Teaching and Learning that is taking place in classrooms and across the school.  The e-learning news will be specific to each year level and will also showcase key learning foci for each school term. We are contacting Seesaw regarding how we can access any previous photos. We will communicate this to families once we hear how this can occur. 

Car Parking  & Bike/Scooter Safety 

We have been working hard with the Department of Education and the Anglican Diocese, which has been going well.  Currently, we are liaising around having a more formal agreement in place and working together towards improving the state of the car park, so it is maintained at an acceptable and, more importantly, safe standard. 

We also have many students who ride bikes or scooters to and from school. Students are expected to wear helmets when riding bikes and scooters when riding and dismount them once they enter the school. Bike and scooter storage racks are available for use behind the Senior Library and at the front of the ELC.