Principals Report
Everyone is Learning!
At Wales Street Primary School, learning is not just for students, our staff are learners too. Our teachers, middle leaders and leadership team continue to build their understanding of VTLM 2.0 (Victorian Teaching and Learning Model) and evidence-based teaching practices to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students.
Recently, our Principal Team attended the Statewide Principal Conference, where we had the opportunity to hear from Dr Nathaniel Swain, Dr Simon Breakspear and Dr Carl Hendricks.
1. Focus on fewer priorities
2. Instructional leadership remains central
3. Building teacher expertise is the biggest lever for student growth
4. Wellbeing and workload need deliberate leadership
5. Strong cultures drive improvement
It was a valuable opportunity to reflect on the work already underway at our school and to gather new ideas to bring back to our staff and students. We would also like to thank our middle leaders who stepped up to support the school while members of the Principal Team attend important professional learning opportunities and strategically plan for the future. Their leadership and support are greatly appreciated.
Emergency Procedure Drills
Each term, our whole school participates in an emergency drill to ensure we are well-prepared and know how to respond in different situations. This term, we are doing a Shelter-in-Place Drill (move to designated buildings within the school grounds)
Our Foundation to Grade 2 students will move to the hall, while the grade 3-6 will move to the Clyde Street building.
Drills may occur at any time during the school day, allowing us to test a variety of scenarios and make improvements where needed.
Every Minute Matters-Being on Time for School
Arriving at school on time helps children start their day feeling calm, settled and ready to learn. At Wales Street Primary School, we value a soft start to the day, which allows students time to unpack their bags, organise their learning materials, connect with their classmates and prepare themselves for the day ahead.
To make the most of this important transition time, students should arrive with enough time to complete these tasks so that by 9:00am they are seated in their classrooms and ready to begin learning. This helps create a calm and productive start to the day for all students.
The first few minutes of each school day are important as teachers outline the day's learning, provide instructions and engage students in activities that set them up for success. When students arrive late, they can miss valuable learning opportunities, feel rushed, and may find it harder to connect with their classmates and the learning taking place in the classroom.
Being on time is an important life skill that helps children develop responsibility, organisation and positive routines. It also ensures that classroom learning can begin smoothly for all students without interruption.
We encourage all families to support their children in arriving at school before the morning bell at 8:55am. Simple strategies such as preparing school bags and uniforms the night before, establishing consistent morning routines, and allowing extra travel time can make a big difference.
Thank you for your ongoing support in helping every student make the most of every school day. Together, we can ensure that every minute counts.
A student who is 10 minutes late each day misses more than 30 hours of learning across the school year – the equivalent of almost a full week of school.
Entering the cold and flu season
As the temperature is starting to fall, it is a timely reminder that sending students to school that aren’t well, puts both their health and the health of others at risk. Illness can spread quickly in classrooms, affecting classmates, teachers, and staff. It’s important for children to rest and recover at home to prevent worsening of their condition and to help stop the spread of contagious illnesses. Keeping sick students at home supports a healthier school environment for everyone.
2027 Foundation Enrolments
Our school tours are well underway, and the leadership team have been proudly showing many new families around our wonderful school. If you have a child to enrol in Foundation for 2027, I ask you to please lodge your enrolment form asap to the school office. We are already planning for next year and having accurate numbers is important when considering foundation classes for 2027.
Lost Property Piling Up
At this time of year, we have lots of jackets, hoodies and other items being left around the yard and ending up in our lost property collection. This is a friendly reminder to make sure that you have labelled all items of uniform that your child/ren wear.
Stay warm over the weekend.
Robyn Owens