From the Principal
Elissa Campbell
Welcome to the 2026 School Year, what a great start it has been, students have settled in well to their new classes and routines. The warm weather has led to some challenges, but fortunately we have been able to install reverse cycle air conditioning units in most of our classrooms over the last 12 months which has helped to keep the students cooler on warmer days. A reminder that all students are required to follow our sun protection policy and we highly recommend bringing a full water bottle to school each day, they are then able to refill this as the day progresses. If students do not come to school with a hat they will be asked to play in the shaded areas of the courtyard.
Yesterday our new school captains successfully ran their first whole school assembly. Please note that with our changed timetable that was introduced this year, assembly will commence at 3pm in the hall. Assembly is generally held every Wednesday, with parents being notified on Compass if it will not be running. We look forward to seeing you all throughout the year at our assemblies.
We have welcomed many new students to our school this year, including our Foundation students. We have also welcomed two new members of staff Mr Adam Sayers (Assistant Principal) and Ms Sharna Ford (5/6F). We hope that all our new students, families and staff have had a positive start to their time at Woodend Primary School.
Parent teacher meet and greet sessions are scheduled from Monday 16th February -Wednesday 18th February, further information will be sent out for these on Monday and the bookings will open on Compass, this year we are requesting meetings are held face to face, if you are unable to attend please send an email to the office
woodend.ps@education.vic.gov.au so a time can be arranged with the classroom teacher.
There are opportunities throughout the school year for parents to actively participate in our school environment, including School Council, PFA, activities, excursions, camps, canteen helpers to name a few. The School Council and PFA will be holding their Annual General Meetings in March and the school community are invited to attend.
The School Council AGM is scheduled for Monday 16th March at 7pm in the school staff room and
The PFA AGM will be held at Holgates on 3rd March at 7pm
The PFA are always looking for new members or are happy for people just to volunteer some time to support the various activities they run throughout the year. Each year there are places available for parents who would like to join School Council. More information will be sent out to families soon about the process for this.
Mobile Phone/Wearable Policy
Please ensure you are aware of our Mobile Phone Policy If your child brings a mobile to school or has a wearable device, the Department of Education expects that students do not use or access these devices during school hours. Students with mobile devices are asked to bring them to the office each morning for safe storage and collect them at the end of the day. Students with wearable devices must switch them to school mode during school hours and are not to use them to communicate with anybody during this time.
Communication Policy
We are currently reviewing our communication policy since the introduction of the right to disconnect laws that applies to employees, a new policy will be shared with our community in the next few months. This year we are requesting that parents do not email staff directly, we are asking emails to be sent to the school email address woodend.ps@education.vic.gov.au, please ensure you attention it to the relevant staff member, this email inbox will be checked daily and emails forwarded to staff when necessary. Alternatively you are able to contact the office by phone during opening hours from 8am-4.30pm. All staff have a voicemail system and if they are unable to take your call they will receive your voicemail as an email. Teachers will continue to reach out to you using appropriate modes of communication including emails, phone calls and face to face meetings. Communication with our families is important to us and we have a very dedicated team of staff, however we need to ensure their wellbeing is considered and that they are able to enjoy their time outside of their work life.
Emergency Management Plan
Each year we update the school’s emergency management plan. Our school plans for a range of hazards, such as bushfire, severe weather, medical emergencies, building fires, intruders, etc. We develop specific response procedures to address these risks.
We also conduct drills regularly, ensuring that our core procedures of on-site and off-site evacuation, sheltering-in-place, and lockdown/lockouts are well-rehearsed and
understood by staff and students.
Our school is considered at risk of bushfire or grassfire. We are Category 3 on the Bushfire At-Risk Register/Category 4 List. Our school will close on days of Catastrophic fire danger in the Central weather district. On days identified as High or Extreme fire danger students who attend classes at our Carlsruhe campus will remain onsite at the main campus.
The Country Fire Authority also has more information for schools at risk of fire: https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/schools.
If we enact our emergency management plan, we will notify you by Compass notification with updates on our actions. Please do not come to the school unless directed to do so, as you may put yourself and others in danger. If there is anything we need you to do, we will let you know.
In the event of an emergency that impacts telecommunications, we will endeavour to update you by email or Compass.
During an emergency, the school will work closely with emergency services to get specific advice to keep our community safe. Additionally, the Department of Education has dedicated emergency management staff to help monitor the situation and provide additional support to schools during emergencies.
If you have any questions about our school’s emergency management plan, please contact us at (03) 5427 2455. Please be assured our top priority is the safety of our students and school community.
Principal
Elissa Campbell