From the Principal
Elissa Campbell
Woodend Primary School
Yesterday we were fortunate to be visited by our new Assistant Principal Mr Adam Sayers. Mr Sayers was able to meet our staff and students and visited them in their classrooms, he also enjoyed participating in our whole school assembly. Mr Sayers will visit a few more times over the remainder of the term to continue to make connections within our school community. Mr Sayers will commence his role at Woodend Primary School in Term 1, 2026.
2026 Transition
Last Friday our Year 3 students visited the Carlsruhe campus and were supported by our Year 4 students as they learnt about a day in the life of a student at Carlsruhe. Thanks to our team of Year 3 and Year 4 teachers and Education Support Staff for the time taken to organise and support students during the visit. This was an important chance for students to begin to familiarise themselves with the different environment they will be entering next year. Next Wednesday we will be hosting Year 3 parents for a Carlsruhe information evening.
This week the class placement process has commenced for 2026, each year we use a digital platform to ensure we consider the many aspects necessary to make the best possible class placements for all students. We utilise academic data, behaviour and social and emotional information, as well as student preferences for who they would like to be placed with. We know that transition can cause some worries for students, but we ask you to trust that we have the best interests of students in mind when making class selections and we work throughout term 4 with all students to ensure the transition process is as smooth as possible. If you feel there is some information that we may be unaware of then please send me an email outlining this.
Please note that the whole school transition morning will be held on Tuesday 9th December, this is also the day that Year 6 students will be visiting their secondary schools. Families will be advised of staffing arrangements for 2026 around this time.
Year 5 Leadership
Today our Year 5 students commenced their Year 6 leadership journey, with a day focused on leadership development. Over the next few weeks they will apply for leadership positions, present to their peers and undertake an election process. There are many different leadership opportunities available for the Year 5 students and we wish them all the best as they work their way through this process.
Government Announcements
Last week there were two significant State and Federal government announcements made regarding Education.
The first announcement came from the Victorian Government regarding changes to Bring Your Own Device programs and introducing time limits to screen time in Primary Schools from 2027. This policy change will impact Woodend Primary Schools current Bring your Own Device program which operates from Year 4-6. Our BYOD program will continue to operate in 2026 and we have been advised that all students with devices will continue to be able to use them until they graduate in Year 6. Further discussions will be had throughout 2026 with staff, School Council and families about the changes this policy will have, on operations and our teaching and learning programs.
The Federal Government announced its findings from an anti-bullying review and outlined a national strategy to address bullying. We are yet to receive information about how this will change our current practices however we will keep families informed as further information becomes available.
Launch of New Woodend PS Sport/House T-Shirts
At our Assembly yesterday our House captains proudly presented our new Sport/House T-shirts. These t-shirts are an optional uniform item and information regarding placing an order is included in the Uniform newsletter section as well as being sent out to the school community via Compass. If you would like to come in to look at the sizing, we have some samples in the office. Many of our students are very excited about this new item. I would like to thank Mr Mark Condon for the time he has taken to design and work with our supplier on these.
More information, examples and order form further in newsletter.
Current Student and Staff Illness
Please be aware that sadly we have commenced the term with more ongoing illness affecting both our staff and students. Currently our P-2 areas have been most impacted. This year the Flu season has continued into Term 4, we will continue to encourage hygienic practices which are in place across the school, including washing/sanitising hands where appropriate. We continue to attempt to employ Casual Relief Teachers to replace absent staff, however this is often challenging when we have little notice of staff absence. As I am sure families can appreciate, it is challenging to predict when someone may come down with a sudden illness and this has led to some split classes. The students are to be commended for their resilience and flexibility when this occurs. Please know that students are either placed in classes in their year level where they will participate in learning with the class or they are provided with appropriate learning tasks that fit their needs.
Principal
Elissa Campbell