We have made it to the end of Term 3! As I reflect on the past 10 weeks, we have certainly had some very rewarding, fun and memorable events, strengthening connection and opportunity to connect with our school and wider community…

Book Week celebrations (visit from local MP Jacinta Ermacora)
Science Fair
Fundraising events – Bunnings BBQ, Movie fundraiser and raffle
Information sessions for parents – Structured Literacy and School Anxiety
Sports events – footy, hockey, basketball
R U OK day market day (organised by Grade 6 leaders)
Grade 6 Leaders Congress
Grade 5/6 GALS in STEM
Grade 5 students reading their picture story books to Warrnambool East Kinder children (written and published by the students)

As well as students achieving learning growth, engagement in class activities, excursions, camps and incursions. Congratulations to all our wonderful students and teachers for all their efforts and achievements during term 3. Thank you parents for continuing to support us, we are definitely feeling the strong connection with our community.

Congratulations to Ms India Thomas and the Grade 6 Student Leaders Congress team – Addison O’Connor, Nick Rattray, Danny Jonah, Olive Remine, Marlee Nevill, Felix Long, Oliver Gellert and Indie Price for completing their project on making an impact in our community. The team presented their project at the Leaders Congress last Wednesday night at the Lighthouse Theatre, along with 30 other schools in our area. Their project was focused on visiting the residents at Lyndoch every Friday. The leaders congress team surveyed the residents to ask them what they would like to get out of the visits. Based on their feedback, our students created sessions to teach them how to use the iPad, play games and have general chats about their childhood and early adult lives. Watching our future leaders present their project made me so incredibly proud of the team and I hope they realise what an incredible impact they have made. Thank you, Miss Thomas, for supporting the students make their idea a reality.

Last night Mrs Nadine Frankel and the GALS in STEM teams presented their wonderful work at the Lighthouse Theatre. The GALS in STEM Cyber team – Laylah Bourke, Isabelle Dart, Destiny-Rose Garth, Trinity Johnson, Cassidy Sands, Isla Seebeck and Ariana Tesoriero created a cyber safety handbook and our second team, Bee Busters – Pavi Kaur, Ella Wearne, Issy Shrubb and Dewni Mandadige chose to work on the Varroa Mite infestation in Australia. We are most certainly supporting the development of future changemakers in our community. Congratulations Nadine and the GALS in STEM teams.

We have been well represented in our community with the wonderful project work planned and presented by our students – well done everyone, we are feeling very proud.

Thank you to all 140 families (out of 342 families) who have completed the parent opinion survey (41%). We have one more day to try our best to get to a record 50% completion rate. The more families we have complete the survey, the more reliable our data is. We have sent the link out to the survey today and we will send it out again tomorrow morning, lets work together to reach at least 50% completion rate. Your voice matters to us, please take 15-20 minutes out of your day to feedback how we are tracking.

From the beginning of next term we will begin planning for 2025. If you know that you are moving and your children will no longer be attending WEPS, please let our office know as soon as possible. We run a rigorous class allocation process, if you have any requests for classes in 2025 please email them to marina.milich@education.vic.gov.au from Monday 7th October and no later than Friday 18th October. We will consider your request in our planning, however not all requests may be honoured. If you need to make a time to speak with myself or Ann Dwyer to provide more detail, please make a time through the office for early Term 4.

A reminder tomorrow is Footy colours/sports colours day, special lunch orders are on and we are celebrating fathers and father figures in the morning. We are looking forward to a last day of term together (Go Cats!!!).

Please note the Colour Run is on the calendar for next term (our major fundraising event for the year and end of year celebration). More information will be provided in the first week of school.

Have a wonderful break over the next 2 weeks. Fingers crossed for some sunshine!

See you all on Monday 7th October.

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