Principal's Report

This week is National Reconciliation Week. It is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will — and must — continue. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision. Reconciliation supporters must stand up to defend and uphold the rights of First Nations peoples. To call out racism wherever we encounter it, and to actively reinforce the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this continent. Now more than ever, the work continues. In treaty making, in truth-telling, in understanding our history, in education, and in tackling racism. We need connection. We need respect. We need action. And we need change.  Now more than ever, we need reconciliation.

At WEPS, each class has been learning more about Reconciliation Week during Humanities. Students made posters and came together to acknowledge this significant event at assembly this afternoon, followed by our whole school walk. Thank you to all parents, family members and friends for attending and walking with us. 

Today we also participated in Wear it Yellow - fundraising for Children's Ground to support First Nations children and families to have a bright future. As a result of our school’s donations, we will be able to provide First Nations children with access to educational resources in a child’s first language, support nutrition programs and to enable educators to teach young ones their First Language and culture. Our gold coin donations have added up to a total of $438.95. We are proud of the contribution our school is making to such an important cause. 

Two weeks ago, we held our annual Book Fair. I would like to appreciate Tania Billington and Meredith Anderson for co-ordinating the event and all staff who supported them with sales during school break times, before and after school. What a fantastic opportunity our students are given to ‘shop’ for special items and ‘books’ at school (at an affordable price). Thank you to all parents/carers for supporting this event, we raised a total of $1,181 which will go towards purchasing more wonderful books for our library. 

I would also like to appreciate and acknowledge the Warrnambool Rotary Club for their very generous contribution of $500 to our school’s Nurture Program. The Nurture Program is for vulnerable students, with a focus on oral language and social and emotional development in alignment with the Victorian Curriculum. The room is a safe, calming space in the transition between school and home. The program is planned by Evelyn Baulch, and is run by Tania Billington and Meredith Anderson, whose role is to welcome each student and provide the opportunity and the time for students to be 'ready for learning'.  The program is designed for students from Foundation, Years 1 and 2 who benefit from a small group learning environment to start their school day. We are extremely proud of this program and fortunate to be able to offer it to selected students in need. 

Taking risks carefully is what learning is all about. From learning to ride a bike, to speaking in front of an audience, risks are a part of everyday life, particularly at school. How these risk are managed, scaffolded and treated is the important conversation to have. Here at WEPS, your child’s safety is a priority to us.

A couple of weeks ago, our whole staff completed their CPR and First Aid training. This involved online module work and a 2 hour practical session.  First aid training for teachers and school staff promotes a sense of safety. Knowledge of first aid pushes them to become more active and alert. It increases their capacity to manage incidents, take care of a child’s injury promptly, and call for further assistance if required. 

We continue to reflect on our risk management processes and are in the fortunate position of having Phil Dennis (parent and Outdoor Education teacher) on our School Council, supporting our Risk Management Improvement journey. Phil is affiliated with the Department of Education's Risk Management/Policy team and Outdoors Victoria, School Advisory Group. As a result of his experience as an Outdoor Education teacher, and HSR, he has sound knowledge and experience in this field. Phil is co-leading our South West network of schools in a Community of Practice in strengthening school processes in Risk Management across the region. Karl Burton (PE teacher) is representing WEPS on this team. 

We are working collectively and collaboratively across multiple networks to ensure risk management is an active conversation at WEPS that supports student health and well-being. We acknowledge that we can't guarantee that things won't go wrong, but we can guarantee that we will be better positioned to prevent, treat, support, and respond if and when the need arises.   

I also want to inform you, that student and staff illness is at a significantly high at the moment. We had only 50% of students at school last Friday, with this percentage slowly decreasing over the course of the week. Staff are not immune to illness, and we are very grateful for your understanding and support when they are unwell. We have been sending out notifications to parents via Compass. In saying that, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions regarding staff absence or teacher replacements. Please also make sound evaluations about your child’s health and refrain from sending them to school if they are unwell. We will do our best to remind students to wash their hands, and keep air purifiers on during learning time. 

My final message is to express gratitude for your support. During our many school tours over the past few weeks, we have had so many comments about the reputation we hold in the community, the recommendations you are making to new families and the positive messages you are sharing about our wonderful school. We are now accepting Foundation 2025 enrolments and they are due by Friday 26th July. If you are a current family and have a little one starting next year, please submit your enrolment form as soon as possible to assist with our planning process. If you have extended family members or friends intending to enrol, please encourage them to do so. Thank you again for your ongoing support. We are really feeling it.