A Word from the Principal 

A warm welcome to our wonderful Weeden Heights PS community

Welcome back to the new school year!

Happy New Year everyone!  This is our first newsletter for 2026 and I warmly welcome you back to the new school year.  I hope that everyone has had a safe holiday and spent time with families and friends.   

A special welcome to our new families and we are looking forward to getting to know you better over the coming weeks at the upcoming activities at school.  Please take a moment to say hello and make all of our new families feel welcome. We especially hope to see you at the upcoming family fun night. 

After visiting all classes, I would like to thank the teachers for all of their planning and organisation. This has created happy classrooms where students are feeling settled.  A very smooth start to the new school year! 

First Week/Curriculum Days

The start to school was productive and positive for staff with the first curriculum day setting the tone for the year.  The staff looked at the goals and targets identified in the school review last year.  We welcomed new staff and worked on setting up for the year while unpacking the expectations for staff and students at Weeden Heights PS.  The staff also began discussing the  Annual Implementation Plan so that there is a shared and clear common understanding.  We will continue to collectively work as a team to maintain the high standards and expectations for our amazing school. 

Tuesday was a very exciting day as grades 1 – 6 returned and they have settled well with their new classroom and teachers.  The Bright Beginnings Transition program starts the year for all WHPS students and while it is comprehensive, it prepares students for their start to in their new class/new school.  Preps begin last today! I’m sure they will have a positive start.  We look forward to getting to know all of them (especially the year 5 buddies!). 

‘Getting to Know You’ Interviews – 2 Way Meetings

Next week our families will be involved with a meeting between parents and teachers.  This was a terrific way to start the year as teachers can establish a shared understanding of the learning needs of your child.    This focus of the meeting is for parents to share information about their child and not the teacher reporting back as the students had only been at school for a week. 

The information shared allows parents to express their child’s interests, passions, strengths, talents and challenges. Teachers will address any of your concerns in a student’s individual education plan.  Please make a time to meet with your teacher through the Compass app.  Tuesday night meetings are online via the Google Classroom, and Wednesday night meetings will be held at school in person.  We hope that you will be able to select a time that suits your family. 

School Council 

Very soon I will be calling for School Council nominations to fill vacancies as schools have school council elections every Term One.  The attached document below explains the functions of school council and it would be an excellent opportunity to contribute to your child’s education  

Please look out for nominations forms on Compass in the coming weeks. I only encourage parents (and staff) to come onto council and make a difference for all of the students at our school on a higher level.

A very important part of our school’s continued work is through the sub- committees and the work that they do for the school community. These committees give all parents the chance to assist in the education of their children without committing to the more formal task of School Council.  We also need parent representation as it assists with new thoughts and ideas. 

Please look out for more information in our up-coming newsletters when the new sub-committees are formed.  We would welcome your input.

2026 Class Representatives

Our Class Representatives are an important part of our communication process at Weeden Heights PS and they form an important role in liaising between the class teacher and the parents in the room. Classroom teachers are now looking for volunteers.  Sarah, our Business Manager,  is the coordinator for of our parent reps this year so please look out for a note that will be sent home soon. Classes will be able to communicate through a WhatsApp group.

The role of the Class Representative includes the following: 

• Organising class/level social activities for parents (e.g. dinner, coffee mornings) 
• Encouraging parents to support social/fundraising and community events 
• Providing a communication link between the PFA and class parents
• Liaising with the classroom teacher to organise volunteers, rosters etc. if required 
• Welcoming new and current parents to the school to develop and foster a friendly, supportive group 
• Setting up a WhatsApp group (to assist with play dates and catch-up)
• Participation in occasional Class Reps Meetings (when possible).

Bright Futures Program 

Students across the school are currently involved in a ‘Bright Futures Program’ which is implemented in the first two weeks of term 1. It has several important goals that classes will be working towards: 

•   Establishing common understandings of the thinking curriculum through Inquiry Based Learning

•   Developing the learning environment with the establishment of classroom routines and procedures and the acknowledgement that students learn in different ways and at different rates. The focus of the program includes the need to respect each other as learners and treat each other in ways that we would like to be treated; the development of co-operative learning strategies that enable students to learn from one another and listen to others viewpoints and ideas 

•   Our School Values of Respect, Personal Excellence, Curiosity and Creativity, Collaboration will be emphasised and the links that these values have with our educational aims and the ways in which we behave. 

Welcome back everyone! I am looking forward to the fabulous year ahead and can’t wait to find out what we can achieve together. 

Until next time ……

Kylie Campbell

Principal