From the Principal & Assistant Principal
Welcome back for Term 3, the year is passing quickly. We hope all families have taken the time to celebrate their child’s achievements from the first semester of learning and were able to book a time to catch up with teachers via parent teacher interviews.
We have continued to undertake planned and unplanned activities over the school holidays, including managing some persistent roof leaks. These are still being looked into and repairs are ongoing. We had a PA company come in to review our PA system, to ensure it is in full working order, especially during emergency situations. We have had ongoing difficulties over the years with it cutting out and announcements unable to be heard. Some of these issues have been resolved and some further work still needs to be undertaken.
Our new audio visual system in the hall is currently being installed, we are looking forward to the impact this system will have on assemblies and other events we have planned in the hall. This system would not have been able to be installed without the generous support of our community via our Colour Lap-a-thon donations.
Industrial Action
As you will be aware the Australian Education Union was unable to reach a successful agreement with the State Government on teacher pay and conditions. As a result of this a stop work occurred today which has impacted school operations. We appreciate your understanding and are hopeful that an agreement can be made soon to ensure the school year is able to continue without further interruption.
2027 Foundation Enrolment
2027 student enrolment forms are due into the school office by Friday 31.07.2026. If you have a child starting school next year please send them in as soon as possible as this helps us to commence planning.
Road Safety
As you are aware we have had some road safety concerns on nearby roads when students are making their way to and from school. I was contacted by Maryanne Thomas at the end of Term 2 to let us know that some road funding and approvals had gone through and they would be addressing the issue at the Romsey Road and High Street intersection. Please read the media statement here. The new footpath was also installed by the Macedon Ranges Council in front of the cemetery over the holiday break. I encourage you to use this to improve safety during pick up and drop off. It’s important that adults model expected behaviours to ensure our children follow.
Sporting Schools Grant
The school recently applied for the Sporting Schools grant which is an Australian Government initiative designed to help schools to increase children's participation in sport, and to connect them with community sporting opportunities. We were successful and have received a small amount of funding, which will allow us to purchase basketball equipment such as backboards, rings, and safety padding, as well as some soccer equipment to support the Physical Education/Sporting programs further.
Smile Squad
The Smile Squad team from Omnia Community Health are currently visiting Woodend PS – 23rd till 31st July 2026. Smile Squad is the Victorian Government free school dental program. If you would like your child to access this service please register at https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic OR use the attached QR code:
100 Days of School - Foundation
Yesterday our Foundation students celebrated their 100 days of school, some students chose to dress up like they were 100 and others chose to wear bright colours and clothing. It is always lovely to see the students celebrate this important milestone and to recognise their growth in independence and learning they have made since commencing school.
School Communication
As a school we have several different ways of communicating with our families including Compass and our fortnightly newsletters. These are our two main forms and our staff work incredibly hard to use these to ensure everyone is provided with necessary information. I am asking you all to use these methods as your first point of call when looking for information. Please do not rely on our What’s App groups for this information, this is not the main purpose of these groups and our facilitators are parent volunteers.
Student Wellbeing
At school, our goal is to work in partnerships with families to support students learning and wellbeing. As a school we utilise our Social and Emotional learning program, ESmart, Kids Roar and Branch Out initiatives to educate our students and families. We know every family is different, but we'd like to share a couple of reminders that may help students feel safe, well rested and ready to learn each day.
Recently, we have become aware of an increase in online conversations between students outside of school hours, including individual messaging and group chats. While much of this communication is positive, the online environment can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, inappropriate interactions or cyberbullying that can continue into the school day.
Every family approaches the use of technology differently, and we respect that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach. However, families may wish to consider strategies such as keeping devices in a shared family space, setting agreed device free times (especially overnight), using parental controls where appropriate, and having regular conversations about respectful online behaviour and what to do if something online makes a child feel uncomfortable. The Australian eSafety Commissioner https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents provides a range of practical resources to support families in navigating the digital world. These resources include advice on online safety, parental controls and family technology agreements.
A good night's sleep plays an important role in children's learning, wellbeing and overall health. Adequate sleep helps children concentrate, regulate their emotions, solve problems, remember new information and participate positively throughout the school day. We have noticed that some students are arriving at school feeling particularly tired, which can make learning more challenging.
Every family's routines are unique, but establishing consistent bedtime routines, limiting screen use before bed and ensuring devices are put away overnight may help children achieve the recommended amount of sleep for their age. Even small changes can make a noticeable difference to students' energy levels, focus and readiness to learn.
The recommended amount of sleep per night for children aged 5 to 11 is 9 to 11 hours per night. More information can be found on https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/healthy-lifestyle/sleep/school-age-sleep
Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us create a safe, respectful and positive learning environment for all students.
Lost Property
Our lost property collection is growing! If you're at the school, please take a moment to check whether any of these items belong to your family. You might also like to ask your child(ren) to have a look to see if they recognise anything.
Thank you for helping us reunite these items with their owners.
Upcoming Events for Term 3
Mathslympics and Family Maths Night (see Mathslympics page for details)
Book Week (Monday 24th August - Friday 28th August)
Branch Out - Brainstorm Productions Year 2-4
CDSSA - Interschool Athletics Carnival - selected students Year 4-6
PFA Father’s Day Brekky
Principal Assistant Principal
Elissa Campbell Adam Sayers