WELCOME BACK!

What an exciting start to the new school year! The first day was filled with joy as students and parents reconnected, sharing stories from the holidays and their aspirations for 2025. As I visited classrooms, I was truly impressed by how quickly our students have settled back into school routines. Our new staff members have also expressed their admiration for the outstanding manners and respect demonstrated by our students—undoubtedly a testament to the wonderful parenting and the high standards upheld by our school community.

This week, we welcomed our new Foundation students and their families to our school community.

Student Free Days

Our curriculum days for the year are all booked. The first day of school for teachers is classified as a curriculum day.

The dates for our remaining curriculum days are listed below:

Term 1: Friday 21st February: Responsive Teaching

Term 2: Friday 23rd May: Neurodiversity

Term 3: TBC

Term 4: Reporting Day: Monday 3rd November (Cup Eve)

Grade Information Sessions

We had such a great turnout for our Grade information sessions this week. A big thank you to families who turned up in the extreme weather conditions. Family partnerships play a crucial role in student success. When families and schools work together, students feel more supported, engaged, and motivated to learn. Strong family involvement can lead to better attendance, higher achievement, and a more positive attitude toward education.

It’s great to see so many families attending these sessions—it really highlights the shared commitment to student growth!

School Savings Bonus

Whilst the government’s $400 School Savings Bonus, to assist families with the cost of excursions, camps and uniforms, is a great initiative, there continues to be teething problems with the implementation. Please continue to be patient with the school office whilst they do their best to work through the ‘behind the scenes’ administration.

Start of the Year Reminders

Several reminders for the start of the year;

Hats - please remember that school hats are essential for outside play and learning
Student Mobile Phones - a reminder for students with mobile phones, they must be handed in at the front office so they can be securely stored during the school day. Please refer to our mobile phone policy which was sent out on Compass last week.
Nude food - we actively and strongly encourage students to have ‘nude’ food in their lunch boxes as much as possible. This means to minimise the wrappers and plastics that they bring to school. Students are only allowed to take fruit and vegetables into the yard during recess and lunchtimes.
Interacting with the school staff - as we start the school year please continue to remember to maintain polite and respectful interactions with all members of staff. It is certainly reassuring to know that we enjoy a proud history of the overwhelming majority of parents who do this and are strong advocates for all that we do. It can’t be underestimated how much we appreciate and value this.
Updating details with the school office - if you have moved, have a different phone number, emergency contacts or changed family circumstance then please let the school know.
Parking - please remember to follow all parking signs around the school, and use the kiss and go zones for drop offs only.
Arrival at school in the morning - please remember that we do not have staff on Yard Duty in the mornings until 8.45 am. No child should be arriving at school before 8.45am for child safe reasons. Please ensure that you have arrangements in place in the mornings, and book your child/children into TheirCare to ensure their safety. We are also trying to reduce the foot traffic through the office and corridor in the Wales Street building. The front side gates will be opened from 8:45am each morning so students & families who do not need to go to the office will be able to enter the school through these side gates.

Parent Social Media Groups

We know that feeling part of a community matters. We also know that the best way to foster this is to have face-to-face contact. However, in the modern busy world this isn’t always possible. Another way that WSPS parents and carers have connected in the past has been through social media chat groups. With the new year, and new class groups, a number of parents have contacted the school asking about the possibility of connecting into existing social media groups or establishing new ones. Below is an outline of the process that we would like to facilitate. These social chat groups can be effective in helping people stay ‘connected’, however I would like to remind parents of three things:

Firstly, the intention is for parents and carers to have another method of connection and not for direct student involvement or input. Secondly, please be aware and mindful, that whilst independent platforms are used, as they are directly related to school events and activities, the use on them also falls within the realm of the Respectful behaviours in the School Community DET policy. Thirdly, I respectfully ask that conversations are kept positive and light-hearted or used as reminders (such as ‘remember Friday is Library day’, ‘Does anyone know where the Grade 6 Gala day is today?, ‘don’t forget to send in an empty jar for Thursday’, ‘can anyone remember when the swimming trials are?). They may also be used to arrange outside of school social events or catch-ups for the children, or used as a ‘shout-out’ if a particular family in your class group is experiencing some personal challenges such as a health concern or loss of a family member. If you have a concern about your child, then the appropriate avenue is to always directly address this with your child’s teacher. If, from time to time, you have a concern about a broader school-wide issue, or would like to provide feedback, then please approach a member of the School’s Leadership Team.

I know that the overwhelming majority of parents and carers do engage respectfully in the online messaging groups. Remember, from time to time, if there is a message stream that isn’t helpful then it is ok to politely remind group members of the purpose and intent of the group. Please also be aware of any implications for you if you join a group if there is parent separation involved.

Our main channels of communication remain through Compass and through the school newsletter. We have a lot to be grateful for and I think we all can play a key role in continuing to communicate in these messaging forums in positive ways that are supportive of the school and all its endeavours.

I encourage all families to read our WSPS Parent/Carer Social media Group Expectations that is in our policy library on the website.

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