Principal's Report

What an incredible day we shared last Wednesday - a day that truly celebrated the rich diversity and unity that defines our school community.

We began with a heartwarming assembly, beautifully led by our community project leaders and school captains. I want to take a moment to commend our student leadership team for their inspiring presentation. Their passion and commitment to creating a more inclusive, respectful and connected community was clear in every word they shared. Their launch of the “Yes to Inclusion, No to Racism” campaign marks a significant step forward in making sure every student, every culture, and every voice is seen, heard, and valued in our school.

One of the most moving moments during the assembly was when we invited all First Nations students, and those from other cultural backgrounds, to stand as we read out their cultural heritage. It was a powerful act of recognition and respect – a moment where we celebrated identity, history and belonging in a deeply personal way. To see so many of our students stand with pride was something I know, those who attended, will not forget.

In this demonstration, we saw that:

· We have 46 students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

· We have 40 students who speak English as an Additional Language or have a Language background other than English.

This doesn’t even include the many more students who proudly represent their cultural heritage through grandparents or even great-grandparents.

It is important to acknowledge and celebrate our EAL (English as an Additional Language) team – Kellee Phillpotts, Katie Uzkuraitis and Natasha Watt.

Their role is to support students who have arrived in Australia — and then in Warrnambool — with little or no English. They work closely with schools to deliver EAL programs that give students the opportunity to thrive in the Australian education system.

We are also proud to be the coordinating school for the Warrnambool EAL Cluster Program, a Department of Education initiative that supports EAL students and their families across 26 primary and secondary schools in our region.

The primary goal of the EAL Cluster Program is to build the capacity of teachers — strengthening their understanding of EAL learners, and giving them the knowledge, strategies, and support to meet students’ learning needs effectively.

Congratulations to our community project leaders - Jasper McLeod, Kaan Torun, Scarlett Pereira and our school captains – Izzy Dart, Isla Seebeck, Adele Pinkerton and Hugh Faris.

These students have given up many of their recess breaks to collaborate with Ms. Lee and myself — writing letters, designing logos, planning, coordinating, and even scripting and filming an educational advertisement (to be released in the coming week) to raise awareness and inspire change.

We are incredibly proud of the impact our students have made – not only within our school but across the wider community. Later this term, they will have the opportunity to share their student-led project at a special celebration night held at the Lighthouse Theatre.

A special thank you to Ms. Mary Lee, whose unwavering support and guidance has been the driving force behind helping the students bring Wednesday’s event to life.

As the assembly ended, the celebration only grew. Our school grounds and classrooms came alive with the sights, sounds, tastes, and traditions of cultures from around the world. It was truly heart warming to see students, staff, parents, families, friends, and local council members all coming together to experience and embrace the stories, languages, music, dance, food, and customs that make our community so vibrant and unique.

This day was a true reflection of what we stand for as a school. To everyone who contributed – whether by performing, cooking, sharing a story, setting up a display, or simply showing up with curiosity and an open heart – thank you. 

To list a few names:

We were also honoured by the presence and support of many special guests. We sincerely thank Mayor Mr. Ben Blain, the Councillors, President of the Multicultural Society – Daisy Ye, the Community Police, and the Warrnambool College Multicultural Group and Indonesian language students for joining us. Their support enriches our celebration and reminds us that inclusion must be a community-wide effort.

A heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful staff for your hard work, creativity and care in bringing this day to life. Events like this don’t just happen – they take planning, teamwork, and a shared commitment to our values. You have all helped create something truly special.

And to all the parents and extended family members who were able to attend and celebrate with us – thank you for your presence and your continued support. It means so much to our students to see their families involved and embracing the spirit of inclusion and cultural pride.

Events like this remind us of the power of community – that our differences are not something to overcome, but something to celebrate. They make us stronger, more compassionate, and more connected.

We invite all parents/carers to complete this feedback survey, even if you didn’t attend.

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It feels like we’re celebrating so many exciting initiatives at the moment, and we can’t wait to welcome you all back for our Science Night next Wednesday evening as part of National Science Week!

National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. Held each August, it features over 2,000 events across the country. Its key aims are to:

• Draw national attention to the sciences 
• Spark broad interest and engagement in science
• Foster partnerships between the community, research organisations, and industry
• Trial new and innovative science communication activities

We are incredibly lucky to have such an innovative science program here at WEPS. A huge thank you to Nadine Frankel and Nicole Dance, who are taking students on a very special science journey this week!

We are excited to engage our families through a display of the students’ science projects during Science Night. Please check the Science Fair page for more details—we look forward to seeing you there!

Next week is also Bullying No Way Week. Bullying No Way Week is Australia's key bullying prevention initiative for schools. It provides an opportunity for schools to create a shared understanding about bullying behaviours and share their bullying prevention policies and strategies. I have previously shared the outcome of our bullying inquiry, which led to the review of our processes in response to reports of bullying. Please continue to inform us if your child is ever impacted. Please see the Bullying Policy on our website and don’t ever hesitate to speak with you classroom teacher or a school leader (including assistant principal – Ann Dwyer, or myself).

The theme for 2025 is 'Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.' We know It takes courage to make change.

Bullying awareness and prevention is everyone's responsibility. It takes a community to be brave and address bullying behaviours, within and beyond the school gate.

Students can be bold, kind and take a stand to support others being bullied. Parents and teachers are there to support children and young people learn how to behave in a positive way.

In our community and in our school, we want a place where everyone can belong, a place that celebrates everyone, and where bullying is never accepted.

This Bullying No Way Week, we're asking students, schools, families and communities to be bold and say something, be kind and support someone, and be proud to take a stand against bullying. As part of the re-launch of our Yes to Kindness, No to Violence campaign, we’re inviting students to help shape its new look!

We're looking for a powerful, creative, and eye-catching logo that represents our core message: kindness over violence. The winning design will be featured on our updated posters, social media, and campaign materials. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the logo competition during class time.

As part of Bullying No Way Week, students will also take part in important learning sessions focused on:

• What bullying looks like
• How it affects others
• How to speak up safely and supportively when they witness unkind or violent behaviour

Together, we’ll explore how to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive community.

Book Week is also coming up the week of the 18th August. Please note a date change for character dress up day - it is now on Monday 18th August.

We have even more to celebrate!

We have received our NAPLAN data and are thrilled with the outstanding growth and achievement outcomes. NAPLAN provides us with valuable insights to evaluate our whole-school teaching practices and programs.

Our Curriculum Leaders – Ev Baulch, Jodie Abbott (past staff member), Chelsea Aberline (past staff member), Jeremy Gillies, and Ali Smith – have played a pivotal role in supporting our teachers and support staff to implement the most current, evidence-based strategies that engage all students in high-quality learning experiences every day.

We are a large school, with 23 classrooms, and through a sustained focus on building teacher capability, applying reliable assessment processes (through classroom observations and test conditions), and consistently following our instructional model – the way we teach each day and the essential elements of every lesson, we are seeing a profound impact on student growth and outcomes.

We are incredibly proud of our exceptional team of leaders and teachers who are committed to continuous improvement. Through regular feedback platforms involving

peers and leaders, they have driven meaningful change, and the results speak for themselves!

Please click on the tab NAPLAN to view our year 3 and 5 achievement outcomes and year 3-5 growth outcomes. We are so proud of how far we have come - exceeding the state, similar schools and network in our growth data and promising achievement outcomes for year 3 and 5. We still have work to do, but these results affirm that we are definitely on the right journey.

And lastly, for this lengthy principal’s report, I would like to take the opportunity to farewell Mrs. Rebecca Etherton, who is leaving us to prepare for the arrival of her third little one at the end of next week. We wish Bec and her family all the very best and look forward to hearing their very special news.

To replace Mrs. Etherton, we are pleased to welcome Ms. Kimberley Leach back to our school. Kimberley will be teaching 2E every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, sharing the class with Ms. Michaela Allender.

Toastie Tuesday was a huge success on Tuesday this week. Congratulations Allesha Gardner, Lisa Remine and the Hands on Learning Team. All funds raised will go towards the Hands on Learning Program. Total funds raised $643

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead. We look forward to seeing you all at our Science Night on Wednesday night next week.