From the Principal

Dear Families,

Celebrating Our Camps

Over the past two weeks, our Willy kids have enjoyed two wonderful camp experiences. Last week, our Year 3/4 students ventured to Camp ADANAC, and this week our Year 5/6 students have been away at Camp Toolangi.

This year marks the first time we have run a separate camp for our Year 5 and 6 students, allowing us to create special, cohort-specific moments—particularly for our Year 6 students as they enjoy their final primary school camp.

Camps bring a unique sense of excitement and adventure. They break the routine of the school day, involve new activities, and give students the opportunity to share sleeping quarters with their friends—something that often leads to tired but happy campers on their return!

These experiences simply wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of parent volunteers and the incredible commitment of our staff, who give their time and energy—often at the expense of time with their own families—to ensure our students can enjoy such memorable opportunities.

Camps are unlike any other school experience. The planning, time, and documentation that go into making them possible is extraordinary, but the reward is seeing our students grow in independence, resilience, and connection.

We look forward to welcoming our Year 6 students back tomorrow afternoon and hearing all about their adventures.

Planning for 2026

While there are still many weeks left in Term 3, planning for 2026 is already well underway.

As we move into Term 4, we know that family circumstances can change, such as relocation for work or other reasons. If you are aware that your family situation will be changing in 2026, please contact me directly.

Early notification is greatly appreciated and plays an important role in supporting our workforce planning and class placements.

Celebrating Our Indigenous Incursion

Last week, all students had the opportunity to participate in our Indigenous incursion. The event provided students with valuable insights into First Nations history, culture, dance, and language.

This special experience was made possible thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of Friends of Willy through last year’s trivia night. It is a wonderful reminder of the positive impact that school fundraising has on enriching student learning experiences—a point I highlighted in my recent email to families regarding the school funding model.

A big thank you to everyone involved in the fundraising, and to Matt Eason-Jones for coordinating such a meaningful day for our students.

Open Afternoon – Thursday 11th September

We warmly invite all families to our Open Afternoon on Thursday, 11th September, from 3:15 pm to 4:00 pm.

This is a wonderful opportunity to explore classrooms, see our students in action, and experience the vibrant learning and creativity happening across the school. Come along, meet our teachers, and see first-hand the exciting activities your children have been involved in this term.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing our school community with you!

Upcoming Events

• Year 4 Bike Education – Our Year 4 students will soon participate in Bike Education. We greatly appreciate the support of parents who can assist, please see the Year 3/4 page for the signup links.
• Year 1 Swimming – Swimming lessons for Year 1 students will also commence in the coming week.

We thank all families for their ongoing support in helping make these experiences possible for our students.

Reminders:

Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey

A reminder that the Parent and Guardian Opinion Survey is now open. We encourage all families to take a few minutes to complete the survey, as your feedback plays an important role in helping us understand what we are doing well and where we can continue to improve.

To date we have had 25 responses (7% of families).

This survey is open until Friday 19th September.

Fathers Day Luncheon

We’re excited to celebrate all the amazing dads, grandfathers, and father figures in our school community with our Father’s Day Luncheon on Thursday 4th September.

Proudly hosted by our Friends of Willy team, this special event is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, enjoy a delicious meal, and recognise the important role our dads and father figures play in our students’ lives. More details can be found here.

We encourage all families (and especially our dads!) to get behind this event and join us for what promises to be a warm and memorable celebration.

Warm regards,

Mat