Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Carers,
END OF YEAR SUMMARY
Last week was a time of celebration. A time where we came together to recognise the accomplishments and successes of our outstanding students.
As we presented several well-deserved awards to our remarkable winners, I want to express my heartfelt congratulations to each of you.
Your dedication and hard work have not gone unnoticed, and your achievements are a testament to your resilience and commitment.
However, let’s not forget that every student in this school has the potential for greatness. Throughout the school year, we have witnessed incredible academic and personal growth from each and every student.
At Warrnambool Primary School, we are privileged to witness the diverse talents and capabilities of our students, and we celebrate the uniqueness that each individual brings to our community.
I would like to extend my gratitude to our student leadership group, led by Bella Leonard, Robert Cleverley, Eli Pollard and Natasha Starick. Your leadership has been exemplary, and you have set a positive example for your peers.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated School Council, under the guidance of Georgina Logan. Your strong leadership has been instrumental in shaping the success of our school. As we look towards 2026, we anticipate new opportunities with optimism, confident in the capable hands that guide us.
To our Parents Association, thank you for your hard work and dedication to Warrnambool Primary School. Your contributions in time and funds have made a significant impact, allowing us to run various programs that enrich the educational experience of our students.
To the parents who support our school through voluntary work, assistance with programs, and nurturing your children, we express our sincere gratitude. Your involvement is invaluable, and we appreciate the partnership between home and school that contributes to the overall success of our students.
We have had the pleasure of experiencing incredible excursions and programs this year, from Kangaroobie and Roses Gap to Sovereign Hill, from Port Fairy to Melbourne, and the unforgettable Cottage by the Sea. To the parents who supported these endeavours, thank you for making these enriching experiences possible for our students.
A special acknowledgment goes to our dedicated staff. Your commitment to the students at Warrnambool Primary School is evident in the special bond that exists between staff and students—an enviable connection that sets our school apart.
Thank you all for being an integral part of the Warrnambool Primary School community. As we celebrate the accomplishments of today, let us look forward to the endless possibilities that the future holds.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION
Congratulations to our Year 6 students on the completion of their Primary Schooling years. Mr Bourke, Mrs Cunningham and Mr Lewis ensured that the Graduation was a very special event for the Year 6 students and their families.
We wish every student exiting our school all the very best at secondary school.
We are confident that they are well prepared for the excitement and challenges which lay ahead.
Each student has had a pleasing year of growth but there were several awards presented and the following are the worthy recipients:
Year 6 Outstanding Academic Achievements
Class 6A: Maya Billington, Zac Traill
Class 6B: Natasha Starick, Harper Jones
Class 6C: Montana Dertilis, Reyansh Pawar
Harold Stephenson Awards
Rob Cleverley, Bella Leonard
Principal’s Endeavour Awards
Tyler Els, Amber Homburg
Cottage by the Sea Scholarships
Shannon Mobbs, Harmony Fitzpatrick
Central Rotary Club of Warrnambool Citizenship Awards
Dayna Buckley, Eldrick Mlambo
East Warrnambool Rotary
Sophie Wallace, Rikki Mcdonald
Year 6 Academic Endeavour Awards
Class 6A: Nimrat Sandhu, Matilda Stuart
Class 6B: Amelia Stutchbury, Lexi Cooper
Class 6C: Dayna Buckley, Makayla Norval
Warrnambool Primary School Resilience Awards
Shylo Clarke, Libby Leslie-Thom
Japanese Encouragement Awards
Natalia Lopez, Aiden Lugton, Kody Redpath, Eli Pollard, Amelia Stutchbury
Visual Arts Awards
Layla Herbertson, Kaley Grayson, Scarlett Knowles, Eli Pollard, Natasha Starick
PE Awards
Paige Serra, Ryleigh John, Zac Traill, Aiden Lugton, Amaya Townsend, Eli Doukas, Eli Pollard
Science Encouragement Awards
Montana Dertilis, Reyansh Pawar, Zac Traill, Kaley Grayson, Eli Pollard
State Schools Victoria Sport and Academic Award
Bella Leonard and Sam Turner
Aspiring Indigenous Graduates
Preston Miller, Kaley Grayson
Aspiring EAL Graduate
Kerry Jin, Natalia Lopez Guayacan
Brauer College Scholarship
Robert Cleverley
Warrnambool College Scholarship
Reyansh Pawar – academic
School of Jammin Music Award
Lyric Elliot, Billy Kent, Zak Vincent, Tom Farley, Kobe Lamb, Sam Turner, Rob Cleverley, Alex McRae, Ollie Martini, Alli Cameron, Bella Leonard, Sienna Rye, Amaya Townsend, Kaley Grayson
FINAL ASSEMBLY
At our final assembly on Friday we announced the leadership groups for 2026 and awards for those students moving into Year 6.
Junior School Council Ambassadors
Archer Gale, Nyree Grayson, Frankie Sepe, Wenze Xie
Year 5 Tozer Academic Scholarships
Frankie Sepe and Ibrahim Jameel
2026 Community Team Leaders are:
Charlotte Warwick, Emma Columbine, Ibrahim Jameel, Khaleesi Fenn
2026 Sports Team Leaders are:
Melea Valeroso, Finn McDougall, Maeve Brown, Archie Hammersley, Skylah Maddocks, Kayden Parore, Kaiden Tippins- Miller, Montana Redmond, Zander Jarvis, Pia Spicer and Chloe Campling
2026 Wellbeing Team Leaders
Zara Packer, Ivy Ballis, Savanna Richards Carey, Penny Delaney-Brown, Cristian Lopez- Gutierrez, Izabelle Thornbury
2026 STEAM Leadership Team
Aiden Auletta, Gabriella Thorne, Scarlett Leslie-Thom, Jermaine Vaiotu
2026 Library Team Leaders
Thomas Magilton, Darci Hooper, Jasmine Leslie-Thom, Cataleya Specht
2026 Administration Leadership Team
Boris Reyes, Ethan Tupper, Abbie Linskens, Baylee Eagle
2026 Koori Team Leaders
Jacob Garth, Nyree Grayson, Jonathon Klein, Kaiden Tippins-Miller
2026 Multicultural Leadership Team
Damiru Sepala, Milla Mai
TIM TANNER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
Violet Andrews 4B, Jermaine Vaiotu 5A, Khaleesi Fenn 5A, Chloe Campling 5C
The Kelly Shield
Aqua was the winning house
BANNERS
Regional Swimming - Bella Leonard
Regional Cross Country – Montana Redmond
Regional Track and Field –
Rosie Leonard (long jump)
Bowie Lynch (100/ 200m)
Aiden Lugton (200m)
Frankie Sepe (Hurdles)
Specialist Subjects - Rising Stars
Science- Ms Hann
Dusty McDonald FA, Declan Dalton 1B, Sarah Speed 2A, Imogen McKenzie 3A,
Freya Cleverley 3B, Alex Jeppesen 4A, Angus McKinnon 4B, Penny Delaney-Brown 5C
PE - Mrs Owen
Arlo Williams FA, Oliver Walmsley FA, Xavier Stewart FA, Patrick Rose FA, Cora Charles FB, Georgia Hammersley FB, Imogen Kennedy FB, Margaret Kirkwood FB, Emily Nichols FB.
Languages Japanese - Mrs Webster
Christian Smith FA, Grace Biu FB, Charlie Grey 2A, Ella Bigg 3A, Vinudi Sepala 4A, Heidi Webster 4A,
Izabelle Thornbury 5A, Zander Jarvis 5B
Art - Mrs Dixon
Brooks Van Rooy FB, Lydia Aird FB, Lexi Arnott 1A, Yue Chen Kang 1B, Vykin Lonogan 2A, Tess Fraser 2B, Ryan Gurung 2B, Kylie Ma 3B
STAFFING
FAREWELL
The following staff have departed or will depart in 2025.
Jane McMeel has been at Warrnambool Primary for 5 years after arriving in 2021. We extend our warm appreciation to Jane for her wonderful contribution to Warrnambool Primary School. Jane has been a kind, dedicated and highly skilled Year 4 teacher, and a fantastic role model for our students in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Jane is taking leave to travel through Europe, and we wish her an exciting, rewarding and memorable adventure. She remains on leave from WPS, and we look forward to welcoming her back in the future.
We hope every success comes her way as she embarks on this new chapter. Thank you, Jane, for all that you bring to our school community.
Jonathon Pollard has been at Warrnambool Primary for 16 years after arriving in 2009. We extend our sincere thanks to Jonathon for his wonderful contribution to Warrnambool Primary School. Jonathon has been a kind, dedicated and highly skilled Year teacher, bringing expertise, warmth and enthusiasm to his students and our staff team. As Jonathon relocates to Western Australia to take up a new teaching position, we wish him every success in this next chapter. Jonathon remains on leave from WPS, and we look forward to welcoming him back in the future. We also farewell Eli and Edward, who will be greatly missed by their classmates and teachers. We hope every success comes their way as they settle into their new school and community.
Edward Hargreaves has been at Warrnambool Primary for 2 years after arriving in 2024.
We extend our sincere thanks to Edward Hargreaves for his valuable contribution to Warrnambool Primary School over the past two years. Edward has worked with dedication and positivity in our Year 4/5 classes, supporting students' learning and growth with care and professionalism. Edward is leaving to pursue other teaching opportunities in and around Warrnambool, and we wish him every success as he takes this next step in his career.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ryan McElgunn and Grace Bennett for their wonderful contribution to Warrnambool Primary School. Both have been valued members of our Education Support team while training to become teachers, bringing enthusiasm, care and a strong commitment to supporting our students.
Ryan and Grace are now ready to embark on their teaching careers, and we have every confidence that they will do extraordinarily well. Their dedication, professionalism and passion for education will no doubt make a positive impact on the students and school communities they go on to serve.
We wish Ryan and Grace every success in this exciting next chapter and thank them sincerely for their time with us at WPS.
Dale Beane has been with our school for 6 years commencing in 2020 and has endeared himself to our entire school community. We extend our warmest thanks to Dale Beane for his wonderful contribution to Warrnambool Primary School. Dale has been a kind, dedicated and highly skilled Year 2 teacher, bringing deep expertise and genuine care to his students and colleagues alike. As he relocates to Queensland and begins a new teaching position, we wish him every success and happiness. Dale remains on leave from WPS, and he knows that the door will open for his return in the future.
We are delighted to welcome Kim Wines, to our teaching team for 2026 and to celebrate the return of Patrick Kluver. Their enthusiasm and expertise will undoubtedly enrich our school community.
MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I sincerely wish that everyone has a great Christmas and holiday break. We look forward to 2026 with much optimism and enthusiasm.
Peter Lee
Principal