Principal's Report
Winter has most certainly arrived!!! Now is a good time to remember, when there is less sunlight, more melatonin is produced, resulting in people feeling more tired in winter. Less sunlight also reduces the production of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which affects our mood. Colder temperatures and longer dark hours can also affect our thoughts and behaviours. I have discovered a couple of great sights to support ‘winter wellness’, please take some time to review the recommendations as a preventative strategy to the impact winter ‘may’ have on adults and children.
https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/how-to-keep-kids-active-in-winter
https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/winter-blues-or-something-more-serious
https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/5-must-have-items-for-parents-during-cold-and-flu-season
Last week we connected with our First Nations and Torres Strait Islander families at our family night held in Room 10 (Humanities classroom). We had a lovely time chatting, playing games, reading stories and enjoying some delicious afternoon tea together. Thank you Karen Harradine for organising the evening and our Koorie Education Officers Steve Young and Allan Miller for supporting WEPS and attending.
This week the grade 4,5,6 students completed the Department of Education statewide Attitudes to School Survey. The survey provides an opportunity for schools to gain insights into student perceptions of their school and their learning. The survey asks students about their thoughts and feelings regarding their school, their learning, peer relationships, health and wellbeing and life in general. We evaluate the feedback in Term 3 and 4 and identify our strengths and areas to further develop or improve. Our improvements involve short term plans that we are able to act on this year as well as longer term plans that help shape future work. Student voice is very important to us, and we will continue to connect student perspective in all aspects of celebration and improvement. We look forward to receiving the results later in the year.
Our teachers have been preparing for end of semester reports and meeting with you all to discuss our child’s progress on Wednesday 26th June. This day is a school council approved day for running an alternative program for families who cannot access alternative care arrangements. Unfortunately, Their Care doesn’t run on this day, and we do provide an alternative program for students, but with most staff committed to meeting with parents, we only have a small number of teachers and spaces allocated for an alternative program. Please consider the impact on this day if we are juggling high student numbers and parent meetings. On this day, our priority is meeting with you, it would be so very helpful to us if you could arrange alternative care arrangements if possible. This day is compulsory of all parents to attend, and a part of our reporting process to parents. Booking are now open, your teacher will contact you if a time hasn’t been booked by the end of the week. Thank you for supporting this process and taking the opportunity to engage in your child’s learning. If this day is not suitable, please make contact with your teacher to make an alternative time.
$400 Bonus for every child in a Victorian Governent School!!! The Bonus will be provided during Term 4 of this year, making sure families have time to plan and budget for the 2025 school year ahead. Families will receive a credit on their school family account to help meet the cost of activities and uniforms. Cash will not be paid directly to individuals or families. More information will be provided to schools and families in Term 3.
Lastly, I want to share how proud I am on our ‘inclusive’ way of being as a school community. I am so thrilled to share that we have had a few families recently enrol from different cultural backgrounds and different countries. As a daughter or migrant parents, this rings very true to me and I am so proud to hear new families say we are choosing WEPS because we have heard about how inclusive the whole school community is. How wonderful that this is the message the community is spreading. Again, thank you for being so incredibly supportive and instilling the importance of accepting and embracing diversity and inclusion (on all levels) in your homes and supporting the strong stance we take as a school.
2 weeks to go – lets beat the cold, dark dreary days, keep our motivation live and finish the term on a positive note.