Principal's Report

26th July 2024

Welcome Back

Welcome back to Term 3. I trust all of our families had a safe and relaxing holidays. We are looking forward to another productive term of teaching and learning here at WHPS. 

NAPLAN Results

Individual NAPLAN results for students in Year 3 and 5 were sent home last week. Overall our school has continued to perform extremely well with our NAPLAN results. The results this year are the second highest (last year was the highest) ever the school has achieved.

Well done and congratulations to our students in Year 3 and 5, as well as to all of our teachers and staff for their ongoing exemplary work with our students. These results also reflect the high quality teaching and learning practices and programs here at WHPS. Thank you as well to our parents for their ongoing support of the school. 

A summary of the results is below compared to other network primary schools which are in the Monash and Manningham council areas. Schools in these areas share many of the similar demographics and socio-economic status as WHPS. State comparison is not available yet. Student results in NAPLAN are now reported as 4 areas, needs attention, developing, strong and excelling. The results below show the percentage of students who are strong or exceeding. Last year we were ranked the No.1 state primary school in Victoria. We will find out where we are ranked against other schools for 2024 later in the year.

Parent Survey

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024. All families are invited to participate in the survey. 

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / caregivers / guardians who speak a language other than English at home. 

An email will be sent home on Monday 29th July informing you how to access the survey. 

Container Deposit Scheme

A big thank you to the families that have donated to our school through the container deposit scheme. As of this week the following number of items have been recycled via the scheme and as a result, $58.80 has been donated to the school. These funds will go towards our sustainability programs.

Plastic Bottles       222

Cans                         195

Glass Bottles            79

Other                          59

Here's how you can get involved:

Step 1 - Collect Containers: Gather your empty, eligible containers. These typically include drink containers such as cans, bottles, and cartons that are 1L in size or smaller.

Step 2 - Find a CDS Depot: Locate a nearby collection depot participating in the Container Deposit Scheme. You can easily find these depots by visiting the official website - see link below. There is a depot on Wellington Road near Springvale Road not far from WHPS.

Step 3 - Create an Account: To ensure your donations go directly to our school, you'll need to create an account on the Container Deposit Scheme's platform. For our area you will need to download the app for CDS Vic East. Follow the simple registration process on their website or app - you can also get help from staff at a depot. https://cdsvic.org.au/ 

Step 4 - Drop Off Your Containers: Take your collected containers to a depot. The friendly staff there will assist you in depositing your recyclables and generate funds (10c for every eligible container).

 Step 5 - Choose Wheelers Hill Primary School as Your Preferred Recipient: Once your account is set up, look for the option to choose a preferred recipient or organisation. Search for Wheelers Hill Primary School and select it as your designated beneficiary.

Start of Term Reminders

As we start another term please be reminded of the following:

School Hours

School starts at 8:50am. Please ensure your children are here at school by then. Starting at this time enables your child to settle into class and prepare for the first lesson at 9am. The school yard is supervised from 8:40am and after school till 3:45pm. If any students are present in the yard after this time they will be taken up to the office and their parents are called to collect them. 

Parking

Please follow the parking restrictions and speed limits around the school. Be patient with other drivers and ALWAYS be aware of students and parents on the roads around school. Do not park or walk through the school car park. 

Uniform

We have a great looking uniform at WHPS we should all be proud off. Your support in sending children in the correct uniform is appreciated as it creates a sense of school pride and belonging. Uniform issues we often notice include children in black pants or other coloured pants (not navy blue) and odd coloured jumpers or jackets. Our correct uniform is outlined below via the PSW site:

https://www.psw.com.au/schools/wheelers-hill-primary-school.html

Works Over the Holidays 

The small portable by the gym was given a renovation and has been refreshed over the holidays. New carpet, blinds and paint has been applied as well as some new cupboards and storage. This portable would be the oldest building in the school but with these renovations, it will have many more years left. This room is currently used by the OSHC program and for junior performing arts lessons. 

Prep Places 2025

Prep places for 2025 will be offered from Monday 29th July. Thank you to all families who have siblings at school that have submitted their application form. As per the Department of Educations placement policy, children who have siblings at school are guaranteed a place. However, you are still required to accept the place. Your place will be offered via email. Please do this ASAP (at the latest by August 9th) so we can confirm our prep numbers. 

Parents Association Olympics Event 

Thank you in advance to the Parents Association for organising a fun Olympics event this afternoon. We hope all the students and parents who attend have fun and are able to get into the Olympic spirit. 

Michael Ramsey

Principal