Leadership updates and reflections
An update from Julie
Dear Parents,
Thank you to those of you who were able to come along to the Education Week open afternoon. It was designed to be an informal chance to spend some time with your child/children in their classrooms. Some parents commented that whilst it was fun to share some time doing activities with their child, they also enjoyed just observing how their child interacted with their friends and teachers. It was also an opportunity for some prospective parents to visit and see the school in action. A big thank you and congratulations to our Grade 6 student leaders who did a wonderful job taking our visitors around and sharing what they love about being a student at WPPS.
New Assembly Time
Today we trialled our new assembly time (9:00am) and venue (BER building) for our monthly assembly. We were very impressed with how engaged our students were with it being a more comfortable space to sit. It was great to see how many parents were also able to attend at the new timeslot. A highlight was the visit from our CFA friends who came along to receive our donation of $1000 raised at this year’s Colour Run. We are so appreciative of the wonderful work they do to keep our community safe. The donation will go towards a new thermal imaging camera to support their work in the field.
A huge congratulations to Henry W in Prep A who received an award for raising the most money for our annual Colour Run. Henry decided that instead of getting prizes for himself, he wanted to donate the funds he raised to the Starlight Foundation to help bring joy to sick kids. We were lucky enough to watch the amazing video he made to encourage his friends and family to sponsor his fund-raising efforts! Well done Henry – you are a superstar!
Breakfast Club starting soon!
We are excited to be able to offer Breakfast Club on a Monday, Tuesday and Friday in the BER from 8:25am – 8:45am in the SAKG kids’ kitchen starting on June 2nd. There will be fruit, toast and a variety of cereals available for breakfast and al a variety of fruit available in all classrooms for students to snack on throughout the day. Thank you to the staff and parents who have volunteered to support this great initiative which is funded by the Department of Education. Everyone is welcome to attend Breakfast Club.
Fathers of the Oak – Sportsman’s Night
Our recent Fathers of the Oak event was very well attended and was a great opportunity for our dads to connect. Our next event will be in Term 3 and will be a dad and kids event. Watch out for information closer to the date.
Coffee and Chat
We are holding Coffee and Chat sessions regularly to provide an opportunity for parents to come along and share ideas, ask questions, find out what is happening in our school or simply just have a cuppa and meet other parents. Our next one is on Tuesday, 4th June from 2:35pm – 3:20pm. Hoping to see you there.
Mid-year interviews
Our parent teacher mid-year interviews will be held on Monday, July 13th. This is the first day of Term 3 and is a pupil-free day. This will enable us to start interviews at 11:00am and go through until 7:30pm. The interviews will be 15 minutes and there will be a choice of in person or online. Details regarding how to book interview times on the Sentral parent portal will be communicated in Week 8.
2026 Student Attitudes to School Survey
Below is a letter from the Education Department regarding the upcoming 2026 Student Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS), which all government school students in Grades 4 to 12 will be invited to complete.
About the survey
The AtoSS is a voluntary student survey offered by the Department of Education every year to help schools and the department understand students' experiences of school. We will ask your child about their thoughts and feelings about their school, their learning, relationships with other students, resilience, bullying, health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general.
ORIMA Research Pty Ltd has been contracted by the department to manage the collection of the online survey and will provide support to schools through a telephone hotline and email.
This year, the survey will be conducted at Wonga Park Primary School from 2 June until 19 June.
What are the benefits?
Young people enjoy having a say! This survey has been running for nearly 20 years and helps schools plan programs and activities to improve your child's engagement with school, their wellbeing and their learning. The survey data also helps the Department of Education understand how to improve student learning.
What are the risks?
We don’t expect many risks of participation, but some students may find some questions personal or sensitive. If you agree for your child to take part, they can still skip questions or withdraw at any time whilst completing the survey if it makes them upset or uncomfortable. A teacher will be present during the survey to support students.
The questions come from validated survey instruments used in Australia and around the world. They focus on your child’s strengths and are designed for each year level group.
What will my child be asked to do?
Your child will be invited to complete the survey online during class time using a purpose built secure online survey tool. We are not “testing” your child. Please note:
- Students can choose if they want to take part, skip questions if they don’t want to answer, and can stop doing the survey at any time.
- There are different versions of the survey to let all students take part.
The survey will take around 20-40 minutes to complete.
How is my child’s confidentiality protected?
A teacher will give your child a unique login to complete the survey. This unique student login is an assigned identifier that will be used by the department to link data for analysis and research only. Some student demographic data such as year level, gender, age, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status are provided to ORIMA research, and linked with the unique student login ID to administer the survey. This information helps to support analysis and research, to paint a clearer picture of how Victorian school students are faring.
ORIMA Research will only use student personal information for research purposes to facilitate the administration and data collection of the Attitudes to School Survey. To keep your child’s survey answers private, ORIMA Research won’t include any personally identifiable data in the survey answers file that is provided to the department.
All data is stored on servers located in Australia, and only staff who are working on the project can access it.
All information collected about your child will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Data and Protection Act 2014 (Vic), the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic), as well as the Department’s Schools’ Privacy Policy. Please note that consistent with the above legislation and our policy, there are instances where we may be required by law to share information provided by your child. For example, where there is a threat to your child’s health and safety.
How will results be reported?
The department will only use aggregated survey data to report on initiatives and this data may also be used in public discussions of issues about student engagement and wellbeing. An example of how survey data has been previously used includes reporting levels of student engagement in the Performance Summary in the Annual Report to the School Community. The department will not share any identifiable student data with any other party.
Your child’s school will only get reports about groups of students. Information about individual students and the student answers data file will not be shared with schools. If there are low numbers of student answers to a question, the report will not show results for this question to protect the privacy of those students.
Your school may share the survey report back to you.
What if I don’t want my child to do the survey?
This survey is voluntary. If you do not want your child to do the survey, please opt out by emailing your school at wonga.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au before the survey starts on 1 June 2026. Student personal information will be shared with ORIMA Research to facilitate survey preparations prior to this opt out process. If you opt your child out of participating, then your school will ensure that your child is not provided with access to the survey. Student details will be deleted by ORIMA Research at the conclusion of the survey. If your school does not receive a “Refusal of Consent” email from you before the survey begins, we will assume that you agree for your child to take part in the 2026 Attitudes to School Survey. Please remember, as noted above, the survey is voluntary: even with your consent, your child can choose to skip questions or stop doing the survey at any time. |
For more information about this survey, including the questions your child will be asked to answer, please visit the department’s survey information page.
If you would like more information or have any concerns about the survey, please speak to your child’s teacher, or contact the department at school.surveys@education.vic.gov.au.
Yours sincerely,
Department of Education, Victoria
Have a great week
Warm regards
Julie
An update from Adele
In this issue, information is shared about:
- OHS / ChildSafe: new 5km speed in the carpark
- Disability and Inclusion: Celebrating Neurodiversity and Diverse Learners
- Child Safety: Cyber Safety Tip: Using Privacy Settings
- Child Safety: Cyber Safety Project Parent Webinar Series (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
- eSafety Commission online workshops (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
OHS / ChildSafe
New 5km speed limit in the staff carpark
5km signs have been erected in the staff car park. If you are using the carpark for dropping or picking up students, please ensure you adhere to the speed limit.
Disability Inclusion
Celebrating Neurodiversity and Diverse Learners
We value and celebrate the unique strengths, interests and perspectives that every child brings to our community. Children think, learn, communicate and interact in many different ways. Neurodiversity recognises that differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, developmental language differences and other learning profiles are a natural part of human diversity. Every learner has strengths, talents and areas where they may need support to thrive.
We are committed to fostering inclusive classrooms where all students feel safe, respected and valued. We know that when children develop empathy, understanding and acceptance of differences, it helps create stronger friendships, a greater sense of belonging and a more connected school community.
We also encourage students to recognise that everyone learns differently. Some students may benefit from visual supports, structured routines, movement breaks, additional processing time or explicit teaching. These supports help students access learning successfully and confidently.
Inclusion benefits everyone. By celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and understanding, we help build a community where every child feels they belong.
For further information and practical resources around neurodiversity, inclusion and supporting children’s social and emotional development are encouraged to explore the All Play Learn website.
Cyber Safety
Cyber Safety Tip: Using Privacy settings
Most games, apps and devices include privacy and safety settings. These can help limit who can contact your child, what information is shared and what content they can access. Taking time to review these settings together can help create safer online experiences.
Learn more:https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/esafety-guide
Cyber Safety Project Parent Webinar Series (regular newsletter article)
The Cyber Safety Project offers the Cyber Safe Parents 2026 Webinar Series, a practical, engaging online program designed to help families raise smart, safe, and kind digital kids.
Across four live online sessions, parents will gain clear, realistic strategies to confidently support children at home. Topics include:
Balancing Life & Tech – Reducing conflict and restoring healthy screen balance.
3 August 2026 | 7.30pm AEST (45 mins)
Cyberbullying & Resilience – Supporting young people to manage wellbeing online
27 October 2026 | 7.30pm AEDT (45 mins)
This series provides valuable guidance for navigating device set up, online risks, app safety, screen time, critical thinking and digital wellbeing, all in a supportive and parent-friendly format.
We strongly encourage all families to take part in this important learning opportunity.
If you’re unable to attend on the night, you can still register to receive the recording and resources.
Register via: bit.ly/Parents-2026
eSafety Commission Online Workshops (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
The eSafety provides free webinars that provide parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe, positive online experiences.
The schedule for 2026 can be accessed via this link .
Sign up for the eSafety Newsletter to receive the latest online safety news, resources, and advice.
Warm regards,
Adele Brice
Assistant Principal