From the Principal

Dear Families,

Each election day the school’s parent volunteers operate a BBQ to help raise money for the school. At the recent referendum we again had a dedicated group of parents who organised and operated our now famous BBQ. Also supported by a bake sale, the day was a huge success raising $3000 that will go towards supporting student learning programs. One of the highlights of the day was the dedication of not just the parents but two students who spent the good part of 7 hours selling cupcakes and muffins to our community. A big thank you to Matilda and Gwen from grade three whose dedication to selling baked goods was extraordinary.

2024 School Structure

Each year the school reviews its class, and program structures, with many factors taken into consideration. The first and most important factor is what supports do our Willy Kids need to succeed, academically, socially, and emotionally. The second factor is the funds made available through the school’s annual budget. Government schools in Victoria are funded through a program called the Student Resource Package (SRP).

The amount each school receives is based on:

• how many students are enrolled.
• the demographics of students (such as family education and jobs)
• where the school is located

This means funding for each school will change from year to year as enrolments change.

With tighter Department enrolment zone guidelines and an overall reduction in primary age children in the general Williamstown area, it is predicted that overall school enrolments will decrease over the coming years. With prep cohorts of approximately 65, replacing graduating year 6 students of approximately 80+, we are likely to see overall student enrolments move to approximately 470. The school continues to receive large out of zone enrolment applications but we are restricted to strong zoning guidelines.

With a decrease in overall enrolments predicted over the next two years, comes an increase in the likelihood of a reduction of classes in years 3-6. The school continues to prioritise smaller straight-grade classes in Prep to Year 2 to support foundational learning, while the class structure for years 3-6 is continuously reviewed. Our current structure of straight grade 3 and 4 classes and composite 5/6 classes have been in place since 2020, while prior to 2020 the school had successfully run composite 3/4 classes for well over 20 years. 

As a school we are understanding of the concerns that families often have around the structure of composite classes, with several local schools recently needing to move towards this model. Each year we will continue to monitor and review all aspects of the school’s class and program structure through open discussions at School Council. What is important to know is that regardless of the school structure in the coming years our number one priority continues to be the academic, social, and emotional development of all Willy Kids.

Following on from this we can now confirm the school structure for 2024. The structure listed below is for an estimated student enrolment of 496. Later this term we look forward to communicating the 2024 staff list, as we are currently in the final stages of our 2024 workforce planning.

Leadership Structure

• Principal
• Assistant Principal
• Head of Curriculum
• Head of Teaching and Learning 
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
• Literacy Coordinator
• Numeracy Coordinator

Note: All leadership roles excluding the Principal and Assistant Principal have a teaching component.

Classroom Structure

• 3 x Grade Prep
• 3 x Grade One
• 3 x Grade Two
• 3 x Grade Three
• 3 x Grade Four
• 6 x Grade 5/6

Specialist Structure 

• Physical Education 
• Performing Arts 
• Visual Arts, 
• French (0.8)
• Kitchen Garden (0.4)

Support

• Literacy 1 x (0.8)
• Numeracy 2 x (0.4)
• Disability and Inclusion Support (0.5)
• Mental Health Practitioner (0.4)

Note: Each 0.2-time fraction represents 1 day per week, with 1.0-time fraction representing fulltime)

Transition and Class Placement

As mid-term approaches, preparation has already commenced to support the many transitions programs that our students are involved in. Tuesday night we welcomed our 2024 prep families to an information night. The night saw Lisa and I support our prep teaching team in detailing the exciting aspects of starting school. It was a full house in the redbrick building, and it was great to see a mix of new and familiar faces. 

On Wednesday our 2024 preps participated in their first transition session. Sessions went for a total of 1 ½ hrs, and it was great to see current preps step up and support our new Willy Kids.

At the other end, grade 6 students have started to prepare for the transition to high school. Our close relationship with Williamstown High School, that sees anywhere between 70-80% of our students attend, has staff from both schools meet to discuss the individual needs of all our Willy Kids. This is further supported by a number of transition days, where students attend the high school, culminating to the final transition day on 12th December. Students attending other high schools will also have the opportunity to participate in transition days at their chosen high school.

Traditionally at Williamstown Primary School students have been involved in step up day, often on the second last Tuesday of the school year. This day is an opportunity for them to step up to the next year level, with students and families being informed of their class and teacher on the last day of the school year. 

This year as part of a revised transition program students will step up to their 2024 class on step up day. We believe that this adjustment will give greater transition support over a longer period for all students, while also giving students increased access to their 2024 teacher leading up to the end of the year.

Seaside Fair

Can you believe we are only four weeks away from our Seaside Fair. The build-up has been enormous off the back of our 150 celebrations. Lance and his team have done an amazing job, and we are looking forward to enjoying this event with the Williamstown community. A big part of this event are the amusement rides which will be located on the oval. The best way for students to enjoy these rides is through the pre-purchase of ride wrist bands. These wrist bands allow the purchaser access to unlimited rides at a cost of $42, while avoiding the added cost and organisation on the day. We encourage all families to pre-purchase these ride wrist bands and save $5 from the on the day purchase price, while also avoiding the purchase lines.

150 Years of Williamstown Primary School Coffee Table Book

Orders for our 150 commemorative coffee table books have now closed and are now at the printing stage. We are expecting to receive the books in 2-3 weeks. Families and community members who purchased them will receive notification once they have arrived, and when they will be available for pick up at the school office.

Warm regards,

Mathew Montebello

Principal