Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been an exciting time at Whitehorse over the last few weeks as we head into the festive season and celebrate what has been a fantastic year at Whitehorse Primary School.

Running Club

We have had a great turn-out at our new Friday morning Running Club over the past few weeks. Thank you to the parents who have helped get this up and running (no pun intended!) to support our students in being healthy and active. We look forward to the Running Club continuing into 2026.

Parent/Special Helpers Morning Tea

This morning we acknowledged the wonderful contributions of our volunteers with a morning tea prepared by our staff. The morning tea is a small token of our appreciation for the time, energy and enthusiasm our volunteers provide in supporting events and activities throughout the school year. From helping in the kitchen to attending camps, every contribution strengthens connections and provides greater opportunities for our students. Thank you to all our families who support our school across the year.

Social Media Safety and New Age Restrictions (Effective 10 December)

As many of you will be aware, from 10 December new national requirements mean that children under the age of 16 will be unable to create or maintain a social media account - click here for more information.

Parents and carers play a vital role in supporting young people to stay safe online. You can help your child navigate their digital world by exploring websites, games, apps and social media together, setting clear expectations, and discussing strategies for avoiding unsafe online experiences.

Your ongoing guidance builds your child’s confidence to make safe and responsible choices online and to seek help when something doesn’t feel right. Staying informed is an important part of keeping children safe.

The Department of Education has developed a range of fact sheets for families, including evidence-based information on:

• Encouraging positive and safe online experiences
• Recognising signs that a child or young person may need support
• What to do if something unsafe happens online
• Where to seek additional help

To access the Safe Socials - For Parents and Carers website and view these resources, please click here.

Student Safety - School Roof

Over the last few weeks there have been a number of reports of students and ex students climbing onto the roof of our school. I kindly ask that members of the community keep an eye out for this kind of behaviour as the potential for injury to those on the roof is signficant and report any incidents to the school or local police. We ask that parents support us in keeping our community safe.

End of Year Reminder – Photographing & Filming on School Grounds

We would like to remind all families of our school’s guidelines regarding photography and filming:

• Please ensure that you or any family members do not take unsolicited photos or videos in the school yard before school starts or after school finishes.
• Parents/carers are welcome to photograph or film their own children at special events such as assemblies, sporting events or performances — provided the images are for personal use only and are not shared on social media, WhatsApp groups or other public/uncontrolled platforms.
• Please share this message with relatives, grandparents or friends who may pick up children or visit the school so that everyone is aware of and respects our guidelines.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all students and families.

2026 Student Leadership Roles

On Tuesday, we announced our 2026 student leadership team. Over the past term, our students have worked extremely hard, practising and developing their presentation and communication skills as part of the leadership selection process. We are incredibly proud of the confidence, resilience and commitment they have demonstrated.

I’d like to share with our community our leaders for 2026:

• School Captains: Yvette, Claire, Aaron, Louis 
• House Captains: Autumn, Harper , Caleb, Ben 
• Environment Captains: Harper, Rose 
• Environment Team: Ethan, Jonathan, Olivia 
• Specialist Captains: Bridgette, Juliet, Moli, Manisa

We are confident that our 2026 student leaders will rise to the challenge and fulfil their roles to the very best of their abilities.

School Council 2025

At Whitehorse Primary School, we are fortunate to have a dedicated group of School Councillors, superbly led by our School Council President, Tim Price. Each councillor has played a vital role in supporting our school’s purpose and has made an invaluable contribution to the educational outcomes of our students.

This year, the broad scope of School Council’s work has included:

• Communicating the school’s direction and vision within our community
• Building a stronger Whitehorse Family Network
• Approving the annual budget and monitoring expenditure
• Participating in our whole school review
• Informing decision-making on what is best for students
• Developing, reviewing and updating school policies
• Reporting annually to the school community and the Department of Education
• Promoting our school within the wider community
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Our final School Council meeting for 2025 will be held next week. I would like to express my sincere thanks to our School Council members for their ongoing commitment to our school. The time and effort dedicated to this role often go unrecognised and, while rewarding, can also be challenging.

Camps and Curriculum Days 2026

We are pleased to share that Camp and Curriculum Day dates for 2026 have been approved by School Council. This early confirmation allows our community to begin planning ahead and add these important dates to family calendars.

Curriculum Days

• Term 1: Tuesday, January 27 — Curriculum Planning for Term 1 and 2026
• Term 2: Monday, May 18 — Assessment & Reporting
• Term 3: Monday, August 31 — AIP Goals
• Term 4 (PDP Day): Monday, November 2 — Assessment & Reporting
• Term 4: Friday, December 18 — Wellbeing/School Processes

Camps

• Year 3/4 Camp Alambee: Wed 29 April – Fri 1 May
• Year 5/6 Camp Alexandra: Wed 19 August – Fri 21 August

Senior Hooptime

Congratulations to our Year 5/6 All Star Boys team who represented Whitehorse PS at the state championships on Tuesday. The team performed brilliantly, with 3 wins and 2 losses — ranking them among the Top 24 teams in the state. Well done to Bailey, Mitch, Cohan, Tom P, Tom D, Dhruv, Aarav, Caleb and Xavier for their efforts, and to Mrs Hume for coaching the team throughout the year!

Carols

We are looking forward to our Carols Concert tomorrow afternoon on the school oval. With warm weather expected, please remember to be SunSmart and bring plenty of water. We are excited to share another year of fantastic music and community spirit.

Meet the Teacher

On Tuesday, students will meet their teacher for 2026 and spend the majority of the day in their new classroom. Each year, some students go home excited about their new teacher and class, while others may feel disappointed that they are not with certain teachers or peers. As parents would be aware, considerable time and effort goes into creating balanced classes, and this is a complex task that teachers spend many hours working through to meet the needs of all students.

Families play an important role in helping children navigate class or teacher changes by encouraging resilience and a positive mindset. Talking openly with your child about their feelings, reassuring them that it’s normal to feel nervous, and reminding them of times they have successfully handled change before can build confidence. By staying calm, optimistic and connected with the school, families can help children feel supported, capable and ready to embrace new opportunities.

Staffing Updates

As we head into 2026, there will be minimal staffing changes at Whitehorse PS. I am pleased to announce that Megan Goldenberg has been appointed as our substantive Assistant Principal from 2026. Megan has been a great support to the school throughout most of 2025, and we are excited to have her continue in the role.

I would also like to share that I will be taking some leave in the first half of 2025, as my wife and I are expecting our second child - a daughter in March. I am excited to spend this special time with my family and know the school will be in great hands during my absence.

Hope to see you at our Carols!

Andrew Den Elzen