Foundation

Wow! The first term is nearly over and what a fantastic start it has been! The children have settled in beautifully, learned so much and—most importantly—had fun along the way. Having Wednesdays off has been a great help in easing them into school life, we truly appreciate your support.

This term, we have explored new sounds and letters, school rules and routines. The children have embraced their learning with enthusiasm, we are so proud of their progress.

We are also looking forward to the School Fete—we hope you can join us for this exciting event!

Now, it's time for a well-deserved Easter break! We hope the Easter Bunny makes a special visit and that everyone enjoys a wonderful holiday.

Thank you once again for your support and can’t wait to see what Term 2 brings!

Mrs Tanya, Classroom Teacher

Year 1/2 B

Mrs Torney, Classroom Teacher

Year 3/4 A

Term 1 has been a fantastic experience for students in 3/4A as they have been engaging in various types of learning. While doing this, we have continued to focus on our expected behaviours as part of the school’s SWPBS to ensure we are creating a safe and positive learning environment.

In Maths we have enjoyed learning about Length, Perimeter and Area. Next term we will be focusing on learning our times tables, if you can support this at home that would be helpful. In Literacy, students have begun to understand the importance of reading responses, developing their comprehension skills. In Inquiry, we have worked hard at understanding digital technologies through software/hardware materials, password security and ‘Scratch’ program. Also, a huge congratulations to our Year 3’s for completing their first NAPLAN! You should all be proud of your efforts throughout this process!

We would also like to remind families the importance of making sure students are reading each night. Also, we send home Maths homework every Monday for students to complete by the following Monday. Additionally, all permission forms for our Queenscliff camp need to be back this Friday. We are not quite ready to start counting sleeps yet, but it will soon be upon us, the second week back next term. Please check the list of requirements which also includes a sleeping bag and pillow. Any queries don’t hesitate to contact us at school.

We are looking forward to the Fete this Friday, come along and have a go at swinging a golf club to support our activity!

Thank you for all your ongoing support, we are excited for term 2!

Mr Campbell and Mrs McKenzie, Classroom Teacher

Year 5 & 6

What a wonderful term it has been in 5/6. I have loved seeing the enthusiasm for learning within the classroom and our kindness out in the yard.

Last week we travelled to Boort for a day of Tennis. We competed against other schools and all students demonstrated awesome tennis skills, great teamwork and resilience. Students worked together, communicated effectively and encouraged each other throughout the day.

This Friday is the School Fete. Will you be able to find the hidden photos? There are 100 hidden photos throughout the school of people you will recognise. Find the photo, return it to our stall and you're in with the chance of winning a prize. Good luck!

Have a safe and happy holiday, see you all for a fun and busy Term 2.

Miss Eilish, Classroom Teacher

Primary Music

We have finished our Polynesian exploration in music. Students enjoyed immersing themselves in the Polynesian culture, researching their instruments, sounds, dances, symbols and songs. Lower primary took inspiration from the Maori symbols, such as the Koru, to create their own rice shakers to use as an instrument in class. They used bright colours to decorate these shakers.

Upper primary learnt the Ukulele chords for 'How Far I'll Go' from the Polynesian Disney film, 'Moana'.

Next term we are looking forward to exploring our next culture - 'Celtic Music'. If you have any Celtic instruments at home, you're welcome to send it in for show and tell (or a photo). I'd love for Bagpipes to make their way into our classroom for show and tell!

Some year levels will be learning the 'Tin Whistle'- which is sometimes called a Penny Whistle. It is a traditional Irish instrument and is a similar instrument to a recorder. If you are wanting your child to play an instrument at home, the Tin Whistle retails for $18.95 from Future Music and comes with a leaflet of some songs to learn with picture instructions. I will be sterilising the mouth piece of each Tin Whistle between each use. I will be using 'Superslick Steri-Spray Mouthpiece Steriliser'.

Mrs Postle, Primary Music Teacher

Auslan

To help your children learn the basics of Auslan more effectively, please encourage them to practice their alphabet. The ability to fingerspell words aids in communication, when students do not know the sign for a word/idea. Please encourage your child to fingerspell the names of things they see everywhere. This helps with recall of the alphabet signs and developing fluency.

Adele George

Primary Auslan Teacher

Year 9

Ms Piccoli and Miss Van De Wetering, Homeroom and Duke of Ed Teachers

2024 Duke of Ed Awards

Ms Piccoli and Miss Van De Wetering, Duke of Ed Teachers

Year 11

End-of-Term Wrap-Up

As Term 1 comes to a close, we want to thank and congratulate Year 11 students for your dedication and hard work. Whether you’ve been tackling SACs, settling into new subjects, or completing your Structured Workplace Learning, your efforts have not gone unnoticed—well done!

We also want to recognize those who have gone above and beyond by contributing to school activities this term. Whether you participated in swimming sports, the triathlon, the school fete, or taken on leadership roles, your involvement makes our school a vibrant and supportive community. Thank you for your time, effort and enthusiasm!

The holidays are a chance to rest and recharge. While light revision can help keep you on track, make sure to take a well-earned break, enjoy time with family and friends and reset for next term.

If you want to stay organised, try:

✅ Reflecting on what worked well this term.

✅ Tidying your notes for easy revision.

✅ Setting small goals for next term.

Next term will be a busy and exciting one, with the 160-Year Celebrations of Education in Wedderburn, Unit 1 Exams, the Deb Ball and many other events!

A huge congratulations to Tyson, Chanelle, Dakota and Indi for being selected to represent our school as recipients of the Albert “Knocker” Hayes and Norman “Digger” Letts Kokoda Scholarships. This is an incredible achievement and we look forward to following your journey later in the year!

Thank you for a fantastic term—enjoy your break, and we’ll see you refreshed and ready for Term 2! 😊

Miss Milne, Mr Fowles & Mr Gretgrix, Year 11 Homeroom Teachers.

VM - Year 11 & 12

Vocational Major students have had a busy schedule, learning lots of new skills including some cooking from the upcoming Wedderburn College recipe book. Students enjoyed making a Rocky Road slice, Choc Chip Cookies and Sushi.

After biting into some very sweet cookies, students quickly learnt that reading the measurements properly is essential... an extra cup of sugar in the cookies wasn't a welcomed surprise!

Students also began re-oiling the deck outside the library, now that the area has had large umbrellas fitted to provide shade. Students learnt the proper preparation skills, with pressure washing, taping, drop sheets, cutting in and clean up. The deck came up a treat and is now ready to be enjoyed as a sitting area by students.

Looking towards early next term, students will be going on a bush bike ride on the Queens Gully track, interviewing a guest speaker, partaking in an industry visit and renovating the school Cubby house. Lots to look forward to!

Mrs Postle, VM Teacher

Year 12

What a great term it has been. Students settled quickly into their study routine and are coping well with the shared spaces that are necessary at the moment with the building project. As term 1 comes to a close here are some reminders:

School Holidays

Just a reminder that the end of term is never really holiday time for senior students. It is merely a time that you don’t have to come to school. It is a time to stay focused and continue with your study. You may get holiday work from your teachers that must be done before coming back Term 2. If you don’t get formal work to do, then it is expected that you will still work on your study notes, do some Edrolo lessons or start looking at past VCE Assessment Tasks and Exams.

Remember that later in the year, this time will be used for the study lectures that are offered by various universities and organisations. We will keep you informed of these as they come to our attention.

Handling workload stress:

We would like to focus the remainder of this fortnight’s newsletter on some practical tips for stress management and supporting our students while they are completing their final years of secondary school.

Take the time to plan

Prepare a study plan and goals for each day / week. Make sure it's balanced with other important things in your life - that way it will be easier to stick to.
Talk to your employers early to let them know you need to limit your shifts / hours while studying.
Create a study space that is comfortable, quiet, well lit, organised and has no distractions nearby, such as a TV, phone, people talking, etc.
Make sure you have everything you need for each study session as this helps to feel more confident and organised.

Look after yourself

Self-care is especially important when you have a big demand in your life - that way you have the energy to commit to what you need to accomplish.
Build activities you enjoy and that bring your stress levels down into your study plan, such as sport, spending time with friends, internet, etc.
Don't get hungry before or while studying. Grab nutritional snacks that keep you going, such as fruit/nuts/dairy, etc.
Remember to get some exercise every day as this helps you to keep focused and energetic.

Rest when you need to

Work out what times of day you have the most energy and plan to study then.
Don't study more than 40-60 mins without a short break. Even a 5 minute break will help. A glass of water helps too!
When you have a break do something physical or fun, such as go for a short run or play with a pet.
Try to keep your focus on school and exams rather than other stuff happening in your life; you don't need this extra worry around relationships, friendships etc. right now.
Relaxation is important, especially before bed, to slow the brain activity down. Try some slow, deep breathing, a shower or a bath, herbal tea etc.

Stay focused

When studying, turn your phone, email and social media platforms off to stop the distractions.
Try to keep a focus on your health and wellbeing by not using things like drugs or alcohol; they can make it much harder to study.

Ask for help:

Ask teachers the best way to study for each subject; they have many years of experience they can share with you.
Group study sessions with classmates can be a helpful and entertaining way of studying, but keep your focus on what you want to achieve with these sessions. These can also happen online through skype, webex or other video conferencing apps
Talk about what you are studying with family members and friends as this helps to retain the info more, especially names and dates, etc.

Communications:

We would like to remind all senior students that they are expected to log on to Compass each school day and check their school-based email account for any correspondence from staff. All official communication will be through these channels and these places should be checked daily.

If you are unable to attend a scheduled class, or will be absent from an event, please notify your teacher by email as a matter of courtesy. It is also common courtesy to acknowledge emails received from teachers. We need to know you have received any communication we send.

All students in Year 12 need to remember that your learning is your responsibility. By this stage of the term, you should be in the routine of checking your emails daily and using your diary as a viable resource.

Have a great break,

Mrs Mediwaththe, Mrs Postle, Mrs Woodman, Year 12 Homeroom Teachers

Shared News

Keeping Everybody Informed