Assistant Principal
Katrina Spicer - Wellbeing and Inclusion
29th November 2024
TRANSITIONS
December is a busy time for transitions, with lots of work being done to help prepare our students for 2025.
UP DAY
Next Thursday, 5th December, students in Prep to Year 5 will visit a classroom in the year level they will be in next year. Each class will visit a teacher who is currently teaching the next year level. It is important to note that this teacher is not necessarily the teacher they will have in 2025.
The purpose of this UP session is to get a taste of what next year's year level is like, the kinds of activities that they might do, where the classrooms are, where bags go etc.
This orientation to the next year level helps to ease students' anxiety around moving to the next year level, and will hopefully answer many questions your child may have about what school will look like for them in 2025.
Our current year 6 students will complete some work with this year's Prep teachers.
Students in yrs P-5 who are changing schools in 2025 will participate in the UP session with their class.
MEET THE TEACHER SESSIONS
Students will meet their 2025 class and teacher on Tuesday, 10th December during our Whole School Transition Day. Students will bring home a slip of paper with the name of their new teacher and the names of some friends in their new class.
Students in years P-5 who are changing schools next year are still required to attend school on this day and will be looked after in the library.
Year 6 students who are attending a Government Secondary School in 2025 will visit their new school on this day, and our 2025 Prep Students will attend WHPS for their final transition session.
Year 6 students who are attending a Non-Government school in 2025 should still attend WHPS on this day, and will have activities to complete during the Meet the Teacher sessions.
Katrina Spicer
Assistant Principal for Wellbeing and Inclusion
katrina.spicer@education.vic.gov.au
How to Really Play With Your Kids
By Dr Justin Coulson
Playing with your kids. It’s supposed to be fun—an enriching and bonding experience. Yet, for many of us—the overworked, the stressed, the ones who’ve traded sleep for a few more hours of productivity—the idea of one more demand on our time and energy can feel… daunting. Let’s be honest, sometimes Netflix and chill sound a hell of a lot better than another round of hide-and-seek.
But here’s the reality: engaging with your kids, truly engaging, is not just good for them. It’s an investment in your relationship, your sanity, and quite possibly, your future. Studies show it makes them happier, and it makes us happier. Those moments of genuine connection? They’re the dividends of the time and energy investment parents make in play. Forget the Pinterest-perfect crafts and the expensive toys. The best games are organic, spontaneous, a little ridiculous, and tailored to your kids’ unique quirks and interests. And remember, their primary interest is time with you.
A Note on Play With Older Kids
Remember that play can evolve. Think about activities that spark their interests—video games can turn into a bonding experience when you join them in co-op mode, or a friendly competition in a family trivia night can unleash a whole new level of engagement.
Encourage your teens to show you their world. Challenge them to teach you their favourite game. Join them in their latest obsession, whether that’s cooking a new recipe together or diving into their favourite shows for a critique. You’ll not only bridge the gap between generations but also remind them that you’re still in their corner, willing to connect.
Remember, it’s about creating shared experiences—messy, spontaneous, and sometimes ridiculous—that deepen your bond and show them that playing together doesn’t stop just because they’ve outgrown the toys.
Simple, Fun Games You’ll Actually Enjoy
Ditch the guilt, put down the phone, and get into it. It might be messy, it might be loud, and it is all-but-certain to be tiring, but I promise you, it’ll be worth it. And who knows, you might even have some fun along the way.
Here’s a bunch of ideas that have worked in our family home over the years that I reckon your kids will love.
Hide and Seek: It’s an endless delight how much mileage this old-school game still gets in our home. Kids hiding in kitchen or bathroom cabinets; me hiding in places my body doesn’t really want to clamber into anymore; and hours of fun. We tend to play at night time with no lighting other than what comes into the windows from the street. The game has a slightly scary tinge to it that the kids thrive on.
Push Dad Off the Bed: This is perfect for the tired parent. Lie on the bed. Put all your weight into staying put. Then challenge the kids to push you off. For the first minute or two, you’ll be too tired to move. And then, their laughter becomes infectious. Their efforts (needling you in the ribs) force you to move. And energy creates energy. The kids win—and the game is over—when they push you off the bed. (If your kids are really small, you can make it easy for them… or have them call in reinforcements in the form of another parent—if available—to help them out.)
Build a Fort: Blankets, pillows, the dining table or lounge—use anything you can. Make it extra fun by having dinner in the fort. Perhaps you can make it big enough for a sleep-out?
Run Away People: We created this as Part II of “Push Dad off the Bed”. Once the parent is on the floor, recovering from the beating they’ve just taken, all the kids jump onto the bed. The parent’s job is simple: get all of the kids off the bed so that none of them are touching the bed in any way. Then the parent is allowed to get back on the bed and “be tired” all over again. With six kids who, from eldest to youngest, are fifteen years apart, this was a big challenge in our home. It required strategy, stacks of energy, and a soft touch. More fun than you can imagine.
Pull Dad’s Socks Off: When “Push Dad off the Bed” wasn’t working because the kids were too weak and big sisters were away, the kids discovered that pulling my socks off annoyed me. I’d try to keep my socks on. Then I’d be off-balance. And the kids could push me off the bed! Soon enough, “Pull Dad’s Socks Off” became a stinky, kind of gross, stand-alone game.
Security: This one is really for kids under about seven years of age. A parent is on “patrol”. They must only walk in one direction (e.g., down the hall) until they hit the wall. Then they can turn and go in another direction. The goal is for the kids to be outside the house and try to “break in” and get to a designated point (like the fridge where the treats are) without security turning around and catching them. If they are behind “security”, the parent can’t turn around and catch them unless they come to a wall, which requires a shift in direction.
Tickle-Monster Chase: This one’s simple. You (the parent) are the tickle-monster. You make lots of “roar” sounds and chase your kids around the house. When you catch them, you tickle them. When they say stop, you let them go and chase them again.
Making Memories Through Play
Screens are addictive, attention spans are shrinking, and our kids are growing up in a world that’s more chaotic than ever. But know this: roughhousing on the bed, building a pillow fort, or chasing your kids around the house like a maniac? That’s the antidote. It’s not just about being a ‘good parent’. It’s about joy. It’s about resilience. It’s about time. That’s how kids spell L-O-V-E; they spell it T-I-M-E.
So despite all that we have to deal with each day, let it go and be in the moment. Go make some memories. Your kids will thank you, and frankly, so will your future self.
Our school subscription to Happy Families allows access to the Happy Families website to all members of our school community.
Families can access the Happy Families website at: https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/whps
Password: happywhps