From the Principal

Dear families,

Bluestone Building Works Update

I would like to provide the community with an update regarding the maintenance works on our historic bluestone building.

From Thursday 5th March, the scaffolding surrounding the bluestone building will begin to be decommissioned. The removal of the scaffold marks the completion of Phase One of the current Planned Maintenance Program (PMP) works.

Phase One has focused on essential repair and stabilisation works to sections of the roof and external structure. While it is pleasing to see this stage coming to completion, Phase Two of the project — the major replacement of slate roof tiles — has not aligned with the Phase One timeline. This delay is due to further roof condition assessments and the process of sourcing slate tiles that appropriately match the existing heritage materials.

Alongside these phases are two additional pieces of work:

• Replacement of the box gutter on the southern side of the building, which will form part of the broader PMP works.
• Internal repairs to Rooms 7 and 8, which will occur through the Emergency Maintenance Program (EMP) due to the water damage previously experienced in these areas.

Today, senior representatives from both the Victorian School Building Authority and the Department of Education visited the school to review the works that have been completed and to assess the remaining works required. These discussions are helping guide the next stages of the project.

As always, the school will continue working closely with the Department to ensure our buildings remain safe, functional, and well maintained, while also preserving the character of this important historic facility.

Thank you to our school community for your continued patience and support while these works are undertaken.

Prep BBQ

A friendly reminder to our Prep families that we are looking forward to seeing you at our Prep Family BBQ this afternoon from 4:30pm – 6:00pm in the Prep area.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our Prep students and their families to come together, meet other families, and continue building connections within our school community.

We hope you can join us for a relaxed afternoon and look forward to seeing many of our Prep families there.

Friends of Willy – Welcome Evening

We are looking forward to next week’s Friends of Willy (FOW) Welcome Evening at the Royal Yacht Club on Wednesday 11th March, 5:30-8:30

This evening provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with members of our school community in a relaxed setting while also sharing an overview of the school’s current direction and our Annual Implementation Plan for the year ahead.

The evening will also provide an opportunity for families to ask questions and learn more about the priorities and initiatives that will guide our work throughout the year.

We thank Julia, and the Friends of Willy for organising the evening and look forward to seeing many members of our school community there.

Open Afternoon

We warmly invite families to attend our School Open Afternoon on Wednesday 25th March from 3:30pm – 4:15pm.

This is a wonderful opportunity to visit your child’s classrooms, see their  learning environments in action, and gain an insight into the learning that has taken place in term one. We encourage all families to attend. We look forward to welcoming everyone.

School Council 2026

We would like to congratulate Tatjana Ercegovac, Ash Rogers, Victoria Booth and David Oakman on their successful nominations to join our 2026 School Council.

School Council plays a vital role in supporting the strategic direction and governance of the school, working in partnership with staff to ensure the best outcomes for our students and broader school community.

We thank Tatjana, Ash, Victoria and David for their willingness to contribute their time, perspectives and expertise in supporting the continued growth and improvement of our school.

We look forward to working with them as part of the 2026 School Council.

NAPLAN

As we approach the upcoming NAPLAN testing period, we wanted to take a moment to remind parents and students about this national assessment. Students in Years 3 and 5 will undertake assessment in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and numeracy.

While NAPLAN is a valuable tool for measuring individual student performance and identifying areas for improvement, it's essential to remember that this is just one of many ways we assess students' abilities and progress. At Williamstown Primary, we emphasise a holistic approach to learning, and NAPLAN results are just a snapshot of our students' development.

We encourage families to continue fostering a positive and stress-free environment leading up to the tests, and to remind students that their best effort is what truly matters. Results from NAPLAN will be available later in the year, and we will provide information on how to interpret these results and use them to inform ongoing learning.

External Tutoring 

In recent years, the topic of external tutoring has gained significant attention. We understand that parents and carers want the best for their children and are seeking additional support to help them thrive, something we wholeheartedly appreciate.

However, when families consider engaging with external tutors, a common question often arises: What is the best time during the school day for students to be withdrawn to attend tutoring programs? At Williamstown Primary, we deeply value every hour and every session of class time, a sentiment reflected in our 2025 Annual Implementation Plan under the theme of ENGAGE – “Every Minute Counts.”

When students are withdrawn from school for tutoring, they risk missing out on valuable instructional time. The fluid nature of our timetabling means that curriculum lessons may shift week to week. As a result, one week a student might miss a writing lesson, and the next, a maths lesson. We recognise that some students must attend appointments with allied health professionals, and we fully support their access to these essential services.

That said, catching up on missed lessons can be challenging. 

We kindly ask for the support of parents and carers in minimising these disruptions to ensure our students don’t miss critical learning opportunities.

Public Holiday

Just a reminder that this coming Monday 9th March is a public holiday and the school will be closed.

Warm regards,

Mat Montebello