Footscray West PS Newsletter

Principal's Report

Principal: Brendan Millar

In this week’s newsletter:

  • Congratulations, Reminders and Appreciations
    • Congratulations Clem!
    • Appreciations to our Parents’ Association and all the support for our Sausage Sizzle and Easter Raffle
    • Kids’ Share afternoon
    • Kian Whiting has arrived and so has a picture
    • Congratulations Lola Vuddamalay
  • News
    • Honour Board updated
    • School Council met on Monday
    • New students in classes next term
  • Coming Up
    • Wigs for Kids gold coin donation casual dress day tomorrow
    • School term concludes with a 2.20 pm dismissal tomorrow
    • Sunsmart hat regulations conclude at the end of term.  
  • Repeated (and updated) Messages

Congratulations, Reminders and Appreciations

Congrats Clem - There was a real sense of excitement when Clementine Murray bravely had her head shaven last Friday.  When I last checked, $1,768 had been raised for The Leukaemia Foundation with lots of generous donations and supportive comments from our community.  You can still contribute (see the link below) in Repeated and Updated Messages.

FWPS Parent Association Appreciations - What fabulous fun-draisers our PA has prepared with the support of the office team and our wonderful FWPS community.

  • Sausage Sizzle… has been a stunning success due to the great support of our families.  We had oodles of parents and carers offering their assistance to assist with the cooking, preparation and serving of so many sausage lunches in such a short time.  There was a really positive vibe. We appreciate the work of all contributing Parents Association members, and other parent and community helpers and the FWPS office team. Finally, a BIG shoutout to Mitch, Kirsten and Ashleigh from TheirCare for their help on the day and the generosity of the company for covering our food costs.

    We raised an impressive figure of $2,551.50.

    What a busy term! While our term's busy nature has kept us on our toes, I would like to take a moment to appreciate the wonderful effort of students, staff and our parent / carer community over this hectic but successful term.

Pictured are PA member Stuart and Their Care Area Manager, Mitch with eyes down heavily focused on not over cooking the snags at the very moment PA Co-President Clare snapped them at work.

  • Easter Raffle - This has been a fantastic success with $3,773.80 raised and so many donations that our Parents Association were able to put together an Easter hamper for every class and the staff.  I took some pics as PA mums were busily parcelling the prizes.  Today, with the assistance of Sharee from the PA and School Captains, Aisha and Dean drew a winner for each prize.  These will be announced and handed out at assembly tomorrow.

Pictured are School Captains Aisha and Dean assisting Carolyn and Sharee drawing the prize winners on the random generator.

 

Kids’ Share Afternoon - The second year of our KSA for grades 1 - 6 proved popular.  Many grades were very well represented as students poured back into classrooms after school with mums, dads and carers to showcase their work and their classrooms.  Thanks to the teaching teams for welcoming our visitors and for our families for attending.

 

Kian Whiting has arrived and is hopefully well enough to leave hospital today.  Dan wanted to ensure that I mentioned the amazing care of the wonderful staff at the Royal Women’s Hospital.

Congratulations to Lola Vuddamalay (pictured) from 5HT, whose pet portrait piece was highlighted by Susie.  Timely, as big sister Scarlet was on hand during a secondary school curriculum day to lend her appreciation. 

News…

Honour Board updated - Congratulations to our new School Captains, Aisha and Dean who made the Honour Board this week (pictured) as well as award winners last year, Lyn Burnham Peer Support Award winner, Harry Axiak and Chris Goethel Environment Award winner, Archer Campbell.

School Council met on Monday - We welcome our new representatives, Alicia Madden as our Parents’ Association Community member (shared with executive committee member, Clare Mitchell-Crow), new parent representative, Evie Bohan and staff representative, Bec Grieve.  We discussed elements such as the draft Annual Report to the Community, The Annual Implementation Plan, as well as arranging our sub-committee membership and Council meeting dates for the year. Council members are looking forward to our next meeting when we anticipate the finalised building project design will be shared for the first time.

 

New students in terms next term - Shortly after we said goodbye to Evy and Elsa Reynolds, who will be living and going to school in Sweden for the rest of the year, we will welcome a surprising number of new students.  We expect one prep, four grade 1s, one grade 2 and two grade 3 students to join us next term, most at the start of term.  We have been busy meeting new families and trying to make sure that their first visit is an informative and interesting one.

 

We know our community will make them all welcome.

Coming Up… 

Wigs for Kids - Don’t forget tomorrow, the final day of term, we are encouraging our community to wear a wig and bring a gold coin donation for the Wigs for Kids charity casual days fundraiser.  Our Prep teacher Lauren Baker will be shaving her hair for charity during the holidays and has currently raised $3762 towards a (revised and increased) target of $5500.  Any donations raised tomorrow will go directly towards reaching the donation target.

 

*Students may wear casual clothing along with a wig.  We still expect students to wear their broad brimmed sunsmart hats at lunch and recess times.

 

Assembly final day - Tomorrow school will be dismissed at 2.20 pm an hour earlier at the conclusion of term.  Assembly will therefore also start an hour earlier at 1.40 pm.  As per regular assemblies, students will return to their classes to collect their belongings prior to dismissal.  The final assembly item will be presented by 5RC, and the Easter Raffle prizes will be announced and handed out. The TheirCare program will begin at this earlier time.  School will restart for Term 2 on Monday, 15th April.

 

Sunsmart hat requirements … will change during terms 2 and 3.  Students will not be required to wear a hat outside during the next two terms.

 

Cheers,

Brendan

 

Repeated (and Updated) Messages…

Prep 2025 Enrolment Information - Prep 2025 Talks and Tours.  There will be four tours held over three dates, two weeks apart starting during week 2 of Term 2.  While there is no obligation to attend (especially for current families), families with a Prep 2025 starter are very welcome.  For new families, attendance is strongly encouraged.

 

Information can be obtained from our website: Book a Prep Enrolment Information Session and Tour here. 

 

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) - If you have eligibility we don't want you to miss out. Please read the information included again this week in the 'From the Office Team' page. Please note the deadline for making an application is Friday, 28th June. 

 

Curriculum Contributions - A parent/carer payment contribution Compass post was forwarded to all families early in term and will be sitting near the top of your Compass tab.  We appreciate all who have supported our programs by making this payment already.

 

Car Park Access - A reminder that the car park is open prior to 8 am and after 4 pm daily for parent access for the Their Care OSHC program.  At other times please appreciate that the car park is for staff use.  Should you need to walk through to the Their Care location at Emu Corner, for safety’s sake we ask that you use the pedestrian gate next to the boom gate and make your way between Koala and the Wallaby buildings past Gecko via the basketball court through to Emu Corner.

 

Parent/Carer Volunteer Induction Please look out for the Compass post, pinned so it remains easily accessible. For all new families, or parents and carers who didn’t complete the online process last year, if you wish to assist in classrooms, excursions or camps, or volunteer for really any other purpose at FWPS, we need you to complete the modules online.  For parents/carers who did this last year, all you need to do is sign the relevant form at the office.  While the content will be adjusted when the Child Safety and Wellbeing Team can find the time, it remains relevant.

 

 World’s Greatest Shave - to support Clementine please scan here:

Wigs for Kids - Grade Prep teacher, Lauren is also losing her locks for a great cause.  We will be holding a ‘Wigs for Kids’ gold cousin donation and casual dress day on the last day of term, Thursday 28th March.  The donation link can be found below.

https://fundraise.kidswithcancer.org.au/s/5563/5630