THE LINK

Principal's Report

Thank you to all the families who attended our recent Parent/Teacher Partnership Meetings. These conversations play an important role in supporting student learning and strengthening our home-school connection with you. If you were unable to attend, please note that our teachers will be making contact with you. These meetings form a key part of our reporting process, and we appreciate your continued involvement and support.

 

Thank you for joining us in celebrating student learning during our Week 5 and 10 assemblies and open classrooms. It has been wonderful to see so many families engaging with their children’s achievements and taking part in the learning journey. Your presence and support help continued efforts to strengthen the connection between home and school, and we truly value the opportunity to celebrate learning with you all. We understand it is difficult for some parents to attend, please note assemblies will continue in Semester 2. We hope this gives those who have not yet joined us an opportunity to attend. 

NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate and recognize the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about and honour the rich traditions, languages, and contributions of the oldest continuing cultures on Earth. Each year, NAIDOC Week has a different theme that highlights important issues or stories from Indigenous communities. By participating in events, activities, and conversations, we can show respect, deepen our understanding, and work together towards a more inclusive and united future.

NAIDOC Week will take place during the school holidays this year, but we will still be recognising and celebrating its significance at WEPS. Following the term break, our Humanities focus will centre on First Nations perspectives, allowing students to explore the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This learning is an important part of deepening understanding and respect within our school community.

 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our First Nations Family Night last week. It was a meaningful afternoon focused on play, connection, learning, and listening. Together, we celebrated culture and community, launched our new Indigenous house colour names, and shared the revised WEPS Acknowledgement of Country. We deeply appreciate the input and conversations that took place, as they will help guide future improvements and ensure our school continues to grow in cultural understanding and respect.

We are so excited and proud to share WEPS Indigenous House Colour Names – house colours in Peek Whurrong language;

House colour names:

  • Yellow hut - Poonda Woorn

  • Red hut - Keereekeeree Woorn

  • Blue hut - Woolok Woorn

  • Green hut - Koomakarrak Woorn

Peek Whurrong is a dialect or sub-language of the Gunditjmara language, spoken by the Eastern Maar people in southwestern Victoria, Australia.

 

What next? Our grade 6 Koorie leaders will be working on logos next term. We aim to have these finalised by the end of term 3 ready to display from the beginning of term 4. 

Last Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending the launch of KELP magazine for children—congratulations to our very own WEPS parent Katrina Carey for growing a fabulous idea into reality! There is a strong WEPS presence in the current edition with impressive articles, interviews and more.  Be sure to grab a copy and check out the LINK for details on how your child can contribute to the next edition. We’re proud to support and celebrate shared learning through creative voices in our community!

 

School Council (facilities team) been working hard to finalise our submission for road safety and traffic improvements around WEPS. Thank you to everyone who has already contributed their voice to this important plan. If you haven’t yet completed the survey, please make sure to do so before it closes at 2pm tomorrow. Your input is valued and will help strengthen our case for a safer school environment.

https://forms.gle/r4JffHTDExZ2U9VV8

 

Foundation 2026 – A reminder that Foundation enrolments are due by 25th July. Historically, our current families with younger siblings are often the last to enrol—let’s work together to have all enrolments sorted by the end of Week 1 next term! Getting in early helps with planning and ensures a smooth start for everyone. We’re excited to welcome our newest learners to the WEPS community!

 

Bullying Prevention Policy 

Earlier this year, we conducted an inquiry into bullying at WEPS. As part of this process, we surveyed students, staff, and parents to better understand experiences with bullying, the effectiveness of our current reporting processes, and the preventative measures in place. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to share their feedback. The insights gathered have provided both affirming feedback and assistance in strengthening our approach to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all members of our school community.

 

2024 Student opinion data informed us (Grade 4,5,6 students – 203 responses )

  • This school deals with bullying problems - 71% positive endorsement
  • I know where to get help if I feel bullied / I know where to get help if someone hurts me or if I feel upset - 81% positive endorsement

2025 Student opinion data (Grade 4,5,6 students – 203 responses)

  • This school deals with bullying problems - 76% positive endorsement
  • I know where to get help if I feel bullied / I know where to get help if someone hurts me or if I feel upset - 87% positive endorsement

2024 Parent opinion data (169 responses)

  • Managing bullying – 74% positive endorsement, 18% unsure 
  • No experience of bullying – 62%, 14% unsure 

2025 Parent opinion data (not yet available).

 

Please see the attached draft Bullying Prevention Policy for your review. We welcome your feedback to help ensure the policy reflects the needs and values of our school community. Feedback is due by the end of Week 1 next term, Thursday 24th July, and can be emailed to marina.milich@education.vic.gov.au. Thank you for taking the time to contribute to this important work.

Bullying-prevention-policy 2025.pdf

 

Statewide Government School Suspension Expulsion Policy update

Our school is committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all students and staff. You may be aware of recent changes announced to suspension and expulsion powers that will be available to Victorian principals from day one of Term 3, (Monday 21 July 2025).

We know that students’ behaviour outside of school, particularly online, can sometimes impact the safety of students and staff at school.

In exceptional circumstances, principals of Victorian government schools will be able suspend or expel students for behaviour that occurs outside of school grounds and/or hours including online, if it poses a significant danger to the safety and wellbeing of students or staff.

These powers apply only to serious incidents where there is a clear and close connection to the school and the behaviour of a student outside of school unreasonably impacts the safety and wellbeing of students or staff at school, and their ability to learn or work. Please note: 

· They do not apply to behaviours unrelated to the school or school community.

· They only apply to behaviour which occurs from Monday 21 July 2025 onwards.

Suspension and expulsion will remain measures of last resort – our primary approach continues to focus on proactive and positive behaviour support, including working with you to teach students the behaviours we expect of them, in school and in life.

Thank you for your continued support as we work in partnership to educate and support our young people.

 

Mark your calendars for Tuesday 30th July at 12:00pm—we warmly invite everyone to join us for the launch of our 2025 Leadership Project: Making an Impact in Our Community. Ms Lee and the Community Project Team have been working hard on this year’s focus—celebrating all cultures through our Flavours of the World event. Students will share their journey and why at a special whole school assembly, followed by a wonderful celebration of cultures.  We’re delighted to welcome a number of local councillors who will be joining us for the afternoon. Please come along and support this wonderful student-led event!

 

Lastly, congratulations to all our students and families on completing Semester 1! Your hard work, organisation, dedication, and support have contributed to a successful and rewarding term. A special thank you to our teachers and support staff for their ongoing commitment, care, and effort in creating engaging learning environments. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together and look forward to continuing the journey in Semester 2.

 

Have a happy and safe winter break. We are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday 21st July.