Leadership updates and reflections
An update from Julie:
Congratulations to our amazing students who performed with such confidence and energy in the mass choir and the mass dance ensembles at this year's Victorian State School Spectacular - This Is Me!
Being part of such a spectacular production involving over 3000 primary and secondary Government school students from across Victoria, was only possible with the incredible commitment and dedication of our teachers, ES staff, parent volunteers, families and of course our students.
We are so proud of the patience, resilience, focus and team work that our students showed over months of rehearsals, with all their hard work paying off as they performed with such joy and passion in front of a packed John Cain arena for two performances on Saturday. They were absolute superstars!
Being part of such an enormous production involved hours of organisation and planning - rehearsals, buses, helpers, costumes, timetables and communications to families - a mammoth effort! A huge thank you to Tim Phillips and Kristy Salisbury who undertook this role with grace, optimism and attention to detail! Supporting Tim and Kristy were many staff and parents including Mel Lambden, Mike O'Dwyer, Adele Brice, Ellie Grasso, Keely Brindley, Crystal Morrisey and Brooke James. Thank you to each and every one of you for your passion and commitment to make this memorable experience possible for our students - it wouldn't have been possible without you!
Book Week fun!
What better way to celebrate our favourite books but to dress up and be part of our annual Book Week Parade. It was wonderful to see so many parents and friends come along to join in the fun! So much thought, creativity and effort had gone into many of the costumes and it was a great celebration of our favourite book characters and the joy reading can bring throughout our lives!
Just a reminder that the Book Fair will be running this week in the BER. Students will have the opportunity to visit the book fair and create their personal wishlist. Books can be purchased before and after school with all profits coming back to the school to purchase more beautiful books for our library. If there are any parents who could spare some time to help out at the Book Fair, either before or after school, please contact the office.
Clean Up Australia Day - Wednesday September 2nd
Our Green Team representatives will be helping lead their grade to clean up allocated areas around the school. The focus will be on clearing up leaves and doing a thorough rubbish cleanup.
Local Roadworks Update
We have received information regarding the works that will be undertaken over the coming weeks at the intersection of Dudley Road and Jumping Creek Road. The installation of traffic lights have been scheduled intentionally over the upcoming school holidays to minimise disruptions to school traffic.
Donuts with Dad - Friday 4th September
We are looking forward to celebrating our dads and special people at the Donuts with Dad event this Friday morning. There will be fun activities in the classrooms and outside as well as a photo booth, a coffee van and donuts. We hope our dads also love the special gifts that each child has lovingly made for them during art over the past few weeks.
District Athletics
Congratulations to our Grade 4, 5 and 6 students who will be representing Wonga Park at this week's District Athletics. We hope they have a great day.
Annual Parent/Carer Opinion Survey
All government schools conduct the annual Parent / Carer Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education to seek your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.
Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies.
The Parent / Carer Opinion Survey was distributed last week and will close onFriday 18th September 2026.
All families are invited to participate in the survey, with the Department of Education asking that there is one response per family. The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond to the survey.
Parent/Carer Opinion Survey
All families should have received a link to the Department of Education Parent/Carer Survey last week.
Have a great week
Warm regards
Julie
An update from Adele:
In this issue, information is shared about:
- HATS ON = 1st September
- VSSS - Victorian State Schools Spectacular
- Disability and Inclusion: Parents' Views about Inclusion (video)
- Cyber Safety Project: AI Face-Rating Apps – What Parents Need to Know (article)
Child Safety Project: 2026 Webinar series (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
eSafety Commissioner: Online Workshops (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
HATS ON = 1st SEPTEMBER
A reminder that from Tuesday 1st September, it’s HATS ON.
As part of our SunSmart practices, students are required to wear their school hat whenever they are outside from the beginning of September.
Please check that your child has their named school hat ready to go. Students without a hat will need to remain in designated shaded areas during recess and lunchtime.
Victorian State School's Spectacular
The commitment involved in being part of the State Schools Spectacular was certainly significant. Our students spent all day Thursday at John Cain Arena for the technical rehearsal, returned on Friday for the full dress rehearsal, and then came back again on Saturday for a matinee and evening performance. It was a huge three days, and they embraced every moment.
I had the privilege of being there to support our students on Friday and Saturday, and I could not have been prouder of them. Seeing the joy on their faces as they performed was very special. Equally impressive was the way they conducted themselves throughout the experience. They brought enthusiasm, resilience, teamwork and maturity and were wonderful ambassadors for our school.
Opportunities like this only happen because of the many hours of work, organisation and support that take place behind the scenes. A very sincere thank you to our Performing Arts teacher, Tim, whose commitment and organisation made this wonderful experience possible for our students. Thank you also to Mrs Salisbury, Mrs Lambden, Mr O, Miss Brindley and Elli, along with our wonderful parent helpers Brooke and Crystal, for generously giving their time and energy to support our students.
A huge congratulations to our students. You embraced an amazing opportunity, represented our school beautifully and created memories that we know will stay with you for a very long time.
Disability and Inclusion
Video: Parents' Views about Inclusion
Inclusion is about every child feeling that they belong, are valued and have genuine opportunities to participate, learn and succeed.
Sometimes small changes to the environment, the way we communicate, or the support we provide can make a significant difference to a child’s experience at school. When we recognise and remove barriers, we create opportunities for all children to participate alongside their peers and experience success.
This short video shares parents' views about inclusion. It is a reminder of why inclusion matters and the important role we all play in creating communities where every child can belong and participate.
Cyber Safety Project
AI Face-Rating Apps – What Parents Need to Know
The online world our children are growing up in continues to change rapidly, particularly with the increasing use of artificial intelligence.
A newer trend gaining attention is the use of AI face-rating or “mog battle” apps, where users can have their appearance analysed, scored or compared with others. While these platforms may initially appear to be harmless entertainment, they can raise important concerns around body image, self-esteem, privacy, cyberbullying and interactions with strangers online.
The Cyber Safety Project has written an article explaining this emerging trend, including what parents should be aware of and some simple questions you can use to start conversations with your child.
Cyber Safety Project Online Workshops (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
eSafety Commission Online Workshops (regular Wonga Weekly entry)
The eSafety provides free webinars that provide parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe, positive online experiences.
The schedule for 2026 can be accessed via this link .
Sign up for the eSafety Newsletter to receive the latest online safety news, resources, and advice.
Warm Regards,
Adele Brice
Assistant Principal