A Message from 

Vassie Vatsilas-D'Arcangelo

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri, Woi Wurrung and Boonwurrung  Peoples of the Kulin Nation and pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Aboriginal people have a deep and continuous connection to the place now called Victoria. Aboriginal people have lived in the Maribyrnong River valley for now than 40,000 years.

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the 2023 school year and a big welcome to all families that are new to Wembley Primary School. It has been a very positive start to the school year and the students have quickly settled into the engaging learning environments. We would like to thank all staff members for their remarkable efforts in building relationships and in supporting students, and parents, in a smooth transition back to school. 

A special acknowledgement to our Prep students and their families on the beginning of their primary schooling journey. We understand that this is a big milestone for the whole family, and we are very proud of our prep students for their positivity, resilience and independence! The local publication, the Star Weekly contacted us last week and asked to showcase some photos of our Preps starting school. See here for the piece published today including prep teaching team, Hannah Tabart, Ryan Maki, Vanessa Hancock, Bella Clemmens, and Melanie Axelson, and prep students, Maisie Shaw, Sophie Gribble, Will Dwyer, Michael Papazoglou, Lucy Krygger, Hunter Dean, Aubrey Coley and Jude Walsh: https://maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au/news/leaping-into-learning-launch/ 

We thank all community members for their cooperation and flexibility in the shift in the school day hours from 8:55-3:30pm, and extending the school day by 15 minutes, necessitated by the Victorian Government School’s Agreement (VGSA). We understand that this change has an impact on family arrangements and after school activities, and appreciate your understanding and support. 

It has been great to see the year 5 and 6 students enjoy the beach program, and the year 3 and 4 students enjoy the swimming program at VU, as part of our aquatic and water safety program!

Seeing and hearing the students learn and play across the school is music to our ears, and we are confident that it will be a great year of achieving our mission of empowering all students to learn at high levels, to become successful, independent, lifelong learners.

In my Principal's Message today you’ll find information regarding:

• Our innovative newsletter format
• Term dates
• Student free days for 2023
• Road safety
• Farewell to Terry and Taxia
• Leadership at Wembley Primary School
• 2023 Staffing Structure
• School Council Elections

Innovative Newsletter Format!

​We are pleased to share that we will be trialling a new innovative newsletter format this year, which is smart-phone friendly. The newsletter presents all school information in a succinct format, giving students, staff members, parents (and grandparents!) the option of reading newsletter items and content that is of interest to them, in visiting the different tabs and pages, at their leisure. Our newsletter will continue to be published fortnightly.

Please visit the ‘Learning and Teaching’ newsletter tab for information regarding Meet and Greet Parent/Teacher Meetings, and our approach to Intervention at Wembley in 2023, among other important learning and teaching updates, as well as the 'Wellbeing' tab to learn about our wellbeing approaches in 2023. Great news - Breakfast Club and our Wellbeing Dogs, Ginny and River, return next week.

Term Dates for 2023

In order to assist parents with planning for holidays the following are the school term dates for this year. Parents are asked to be mindful of the term dates when booking family holidays.

Student Free Days (Curriculum Days) for 2023

Each year schools receive four student free days (when student instruction does not occur) for professional development, school planning and administration, curriculum development and student assessment and reporting.

School Council has approved the following three remaining student free days for 2023 with a focus on the improvement of Writing instruction, learning and teaching:

• Wednesday 22 February - Writing (6 + 1 Traits and Writer’s Workshop)
• Wednesday 17 May- Writing (6 + 1 Traits and Writer’s Workshop)
• Wednesday 21 June - Student Led Conference 

We would like to share with you that the reason we hold our Curriculum Days on Wednesdays is because all staff members (full and part time) are in, thus maximising the professional learning and collaboration opportunities.  Students do not attend school on these days. School Council has set these dates well in advance to enable you to make appropriate arrangements for childcare. 

TheirCare will be operating on these days should you require childcare. The contact number for bookings for Theircare is 1300 072 410 or 0460 315 055, email wembley@theircare.com.au

Road Safety

This is a reminder to all Wembley Primary School community members about the importance of road safety. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation required during this challenging time of Westgate Tunnel works, Capital Building works and road closures which affect our immediate community. Wembley Avenue and Fogarty Avenue are currently heavily used as detours for accessing suburbs on either side of the bridge, causing traffic congestion. 

We remind you about the importance of road safety and observing road rules, as we have witnessed drivers moving cars on footpaths, close to pedestrians during high traffic areas. Please drive safely, and exercise tolerance and patience.

If you are able to commute by walking, or parking on the other side of the walk bridge, and then walking to school, this may alleviate some of the traffic congestion.

We ask children that ride their bikes or scooters to school to 'walk' their bikes around the perimeter of the school to ensure that all children and adults are safe and that no one is hurt by children riding at high speeds. We ask all parents to have a conversation with their child/ren about the importance of safety.

We thank you in anticipation around all community members working together to ensure our collective safety and wellbeing.

We have been in contact with the council and the West gate Tunnel team to work through safer processes, to enable safer travel to and from school, and ease traffic flow. 

Farewell Terry Lawless and Taxia Katsouranis

At the end of the 2022 school year, Terry made a decision regarding taking leave and transitioning to retirement. Terry wanted a quiet departure, hence his choice to share the news following his final assembly. You can see his final message to our Wembley community at the conclusion of this Principal’s message. 

I know that I’m not alone in saying that it has been an honour and a privilege to work with and learn from Terry, in his 10 years at Wembley Primary School. His legacy will continue to inspire past, present and future Wembley PS students. 

I very much look forward to continuing to work in partnership with all Wembley PS community members, in our service to the students of Wembley PS, as I take on the role full time from 2023. 

Taxia Katsouranis, Assistant Principal, has been successfully appointed to a promotional position as Assistant Principal at Saltwater P-9 College. Taxia has made a significant contribution to Wembley Primary School for 31 years, beginning 33 years ago (including 2 years of maternity leave when her children Ricky and Priscilla were born). She leaves an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of generations of Wembley PS students, staff members and parents.

Thank you for everything Terry and Taxia. We will miss you. 

We will invite Terry and Taxia back to Wembley PS to attend an assembly throughout term one, to give them both a proper farewell. Until then, we wish them well. 

Leadership at Wembley PS

I am pleased to be stepping into the Principal role full time this year. It has been a great privilege to serve Wembley PS as Co-Principal, together with Terry Lawless throughout the past three years, and as Assistant Principal for 7 years prior to that. 

It is an honour to give back to a school that provided great opportunities for my family. My family grew up in Finlay Street, Yarraville, and we attended Wembley PS as students in the 90’s. 

My family has always been passionate about education. I have always believed that education is power, as it gives people opportunities and choices in life. 

I am one of three sisters, and we were the first in our family to graduate from university; My eldest sister Julia, a scientist; my youngest sister Jasmine, a nurse; and myself a teacher. We all chose vocations that served community. 

I am also a proud parent, together with my husband Paul, to our daughters, Elle and Rose, who are in years three and one this year. The vantage point of being a mother assists me in leading our Wembley PS community everyday, as I see every child as one of my own, and decisions are made with the students best interest at heart. 

Congratulations to our Acting Assistant Principals

I would like to congratulate Joel Magnabosco, Lindsey Delooze and Melanie Irons, who were successfully appointed to the Acting Assistant Principal positions for the 2023 school year. Joel, Lindsey and Mel have held positions of leadership at Wembley PS as Leading Teachers/Learning Specialists, and now step into promotional roles as Acting Assistant Principals. We will move through a substantive Assistant Principal appointment process later in the year. 

These staff members together with Katie McClue (substantive Assistant Principal), Renee Johnson (Year 5 & 6 Learning Specialist) and Adriana Jankulovski (Year 3 & 4 Learning Specialist) form our Executive Leadership Team at Wembley Primary School. 

I would also like to welcome two new education support (ES) staff members to Wembley PS. Welcome to Sheena Cooke and Fiona Lamph who have commenced work at Wembley PS this week. Both Sheena and Fiona are locals, mothers respectively to primary school aged children, and both volunteered at Wembley PS in 2022, and will be great additions to our ES staff workforce. 

2023 Staffing Structure 

It is with great pride that I share the 2023 Wembley PS Staffing Structure with you. Please visit the contact details page of the newsletter for staff email addresses. 

School Council elections

School Council elections are held at the beginning of each school year and the process must be completed by the end of March.

School Council has three main responsibilities. They are:

1. Finance - overseeing the development of the school's annual budget and ensuring proper records are kept of the school's financial arrangements

2. Strategic Planning - participating in the development and monitoring of the school's Strategic Plan

3. Policy development and review - developing, reviewing and updating policies that reflect a school's values and supports the school's broad direction outlined in the Strategic Plan.

Other key functions of School Council include:

·    Raising funds for school related purposes

·    Maintaining school grounds and facilities

·    Reporting annually to the school community and the Department

·    Representing and taking the views of the community into account

·    Regulating and facilitating after-hours use of school premises and grounds

·    Operating Out of School Hours Care

Currently, School Council meets on the third Monday of each month; however, days and times are confirmed at the first meeting of a newly elected School Council.

Wembley Primary School has a School Council of twelve members - eight parent members and four DET members.

Parent members whose tenure ends in 2023 are:

·    Wes Burgoyne

·    Lisa Filippin

·  Vacant Position – This vacancy was created by a parent whose child moved on to secondary school for the second year of their two-year school council term of office.

These positions become vacancies in which our parent community are eligible to nominate and vote.

Election Process and Timeline

Notice of Election and call for nominations open Monday 6 February 2023 at 9.00 am

Closing of Nominations Monday 13 February 2023 at 4.00 pm

Posting of list of candidates and nominators Wednesday 15 February 2023

If number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies

Ballot papers to be distributed Monday 20 February 2023

Close of ballot Monday 27 February 2023 at 4.00 pm

Vote count Monday 27 February 2023

Declaration of poll Monday 27 February 2023

School Council Nomination forms can be collected from the school office during school hours.

Please return completed nomination forms to the office by COB (4.00pm) Monday 13 February 2023.

Farewell Message from Terry Lawless - dated 19.12.22

Dear community members,

As you receive this message, I will have just finished saying my final farewells to those gathered at our Friday celebration assembly.

Today is my last day at Wembley Primary School. As of Friday 27 January, I will be taking a period of personal leave, after which I'll be retiring from the Department of Education and Training.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my fifty-one-year career in education and my last ten years at Wembley Primary School. After commencing school in 1958 I have spent the last sixty-five years in schools, either as a student or educator, and now I look forward to exploring some other pursuits not related to education.

In 2023 Vassie will return to full time work and assume full responsibility for running the school. It has been a pleasure sharing the role with Vassie and I wish her every success with her future career in education.

I would also like to thank all members of the Wembley community for your support and friendship and wish you every success into the future.

Fondest farewell.

Terry

Message from Taxia Katsouranis

Goodbye Wembley

I have witnessed many people come and go throughout my years at Wembley, but this time, it's me leaving, as the time has come to say goodbye. I arrived at Wembley in 1989, and yes I was a fixture here for quite a while, 33 years to be exact.

Throughout my career, I was honoured to work with six different inspirational principals, seven amazing assistant principals, over 200 committed staff; and blessed to have taught more than 500 incredible students in my classes alone... 

I am so fortunate! Wembley has afforded me so many great opportunities, from a graduate teacher, to Reading Recovery tutor, Literacy coach, Bastow facilitator, Assistant Principal and a parent of two children who attended this school.

I am so grateful! Grateful for the wonderful staff I have worked with; the incredible leaders who have mentored me, the beautiful children in their many forms and the vibrant community throughout all three decades. 

I have had amazing achievements and some of the best times in my life at this school. I have made lifelong friends and colleagues whom I treasure. Thank you for being the best co-workers, friends and families that I could ask for. Thank you to the parents who work their hardest to give their children the gift of education. You have made this place feel like a second home to me and I will miss you all.

It's hard to imagine a working day without Wembley! I am so proud of everything we accomplished and the name we held within education circles. Wembley was my identity and source of pride, but now it's time to move on and embrace another community. I am excited to begin the role of Assistant Principal at Saltwater P-9 College, a promotional position which begins in January 2023.

Although sad, moving on with the rest of your life, starts with goodbye. Wembley you have made my world more perfect. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I hope I find the GOOD in goodbye! 

Best wishes to all, Taxia.