Principal's Message

New Social Media Laws Today - December 10

How to support your child under 16 with the new social media age restrictions.

From 10 December 2025, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 will require social media platforms to:

· prevent children and young people under 16 from having a social media account

· deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.

Delaying access to social media protects the health and wellbeing of young people and gives them extra time to build real world connections and digital literacy skills.

The responsibility will be on the social media platforms, not parents, carers, children or schools, to implement these new restrictions.

Most popular social media platforms will be age restricted. These include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and YouTube.

Messaging services and online games, as well as apps and platforms that support health and education, can still be used.

How to help under 16s prepare for the change

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online.

To help get under 16s ready for the social media minimum age requirements, you can go to the eSafety website to learn more about the social media age restrictions and find tips on how to talk about social media age restrictions with young people.

Lots Happening to Finish the Year!

As we approach the busy end to the 2025 school year, please keep an eye out for special activities and events that are coming up.  Please make sure you keep up to date with all our platforms, especially COMPASS, Newsletter and the Yearly Planner/Calendar.  

Students' final day of formal classes will be Friday 12th December.  All school reports, books and lockers must be emptied and any other items will be sent home on this day with students. Please ensure your child/ren have extra carry bags on that day.

For the remainder of term, we have the following: 

Last Week Monday 8th  - Thursday 11th December-  Primary Swimming Lessons

Thursday 11th December - Awards Night.

Friday 12th December - All School Pool Party. 

School reports will be handed out at Awards Night, Thursday 11th December.  

The following week, Monday 15th to Wednesday 17th December, teachers will be involved in Professional Development, Berry Street Wellbeing and First Aid Training. Students will not have their usual teachers as a majority of staff will be in training or have meeting activities. Should you require assistance you will need to contact the Assistant Principal, Mr Lockhart, to arrange this.  Please refer to our yearly calendar, thank you for your cooperation and understanding.  

7/8 Camp - Well Done

Well done to staff and the 19 students for having a 'Red Hot' go at all school camp activities.

I was fortunate enough to visit students yesterday for the afternoon and see all the Year 7 students participate in the giant swing.  The loudest scream was from the bravest teacher Miss Graham!  The Ga Ga Pit was also a highlight. Apparently Mr Lockhart has been suspended from Ga GA Ball for being too competitive!    A fantastic way to end the year for Year 7/8 students!

Christmas World Land

Christmas World Land will close on Friday 12th of December so come and say hello to the old favourites; Santa, the Penguins, the Kangaroos and Joany & Toni the Dinosaurs!

Well done to our competition winners: Holly, Mia, Piper, Sophie, Willow, Hayden and all Preps!

Year 9 Adventurous Journey - Canoe Camp

Well done to the students and staff who successfully completed another epic adventurous journey and canoe camp recently.  It was a pleasure to be able to take the team out for tea on Wednesday evening as a reward.  The haunted wharf tour was exceptional although a bit gruesome at times but a great insight into Australia's history.   I have had heaps of positive reports from the public and the Charlton TTC about the positive behaviour shown by our Year 9 students.  Well done to you all, you have done us proud in 2025.

Year 9 Leadership Camp Don Valley

Last Friday Miss Van De Wetering and I visited Nada, Cooper & Violet at Don Valley to hear about their last eight weeks at Leadership Camp.   We stayed on to hear all schools present their C.L.P. (Community Led Project).  The Wedderburn team did an amazing job of presenting their CLP for new native gardens in the Wedderburn township.  We look forward to supporting their project next year. 

Year 6 Graduation

Well done to Year 6 students who made excellent speeches at the Graduation Presentation held at the Donaldson Park Complex last week.  It was a lovely way to say 'well done' to students for finishing their first seven years of primary schooling and to wish them 'all the best' for secondary school.  Each student was presented with a pen and a certificate. Thanks to the staff for organising and to parents attending. 

The award winners on the night were: 

Bob Steel Community Award (best overall) : Aliana Zieni 

Joseph Lockhart Principal Award (runner up) : Zane Polkinghorne 

Literacy/ English Award: Georgia Martin 

Mathematics Award: Ryder Gault 

Integrated Studies: Logan Roberts

Arts/ Music: Holly Gleisner 

Staffing Update 2026

Pictured above, new primary teacher Max Goggin is welcomed to Wedderburn College by Assistant Principal Alexander Iser. Please see below list of confirmed primary classes for 2026.  At this stage we will be maintaining six primary homerooms.  I do however reserve the right to change the formation and structure of the classes should changes need to be made.  This is usually due to a change in the size of classroom groups or if we have a change in staffing. The Classes for the start of 2026 are:  

2026 Classrooms

Prep  Mrs Tanya Chalmers

Year 1/2 A Mrs Rebecca Torney

Year 1/2 B Miss Grace Lockhart

Year 3/4 Mr Harrison Campbell/Mrs Brianna Gleisner

Year 5/6 A   Mrs Carlie Turnbull

Year 5/6 B Mr Max Goggin

Auslan: Mrs Adele George

PE: Various Teachers

Music: Mrs Maddison Postle

Art: Mrs Sue Prevos/Ms Piccoli 

In a change from previous years only Foundation, Year One and Year Two students will have testing days from 

Wednesday January 28th - Friday January 30th.  

All year F-2 students will receive a testing time in their school report package.

All students in Year 3-6 will be able to see their classroom teacher when the timetable is made live on COMPASS. 

*Students who are at school on Friday will also have a five minute meet and greet of their new teacher at the beginning of the day. 

All students from Year 3 to Year 12 will commence classes on Wednesday 28th January.

All Foundation - Year 2 Students will start normal classes on Monday 2nd February.

STAFF Update Continued

In terms of staffing announcements, long-term staff members school nurse Janice Deocampo, Deirdre McKenzie and Allan Van Noordennen will retire at the end of this school summer holidays.   Miss Sammy Carroll will conclude her time with us at the end of the school year, and we anticipate some additional changes within the Wellbeing and Education Support teams.  Congratulations to Mel Anderson, who has accepted a position closer to home for 2026; and will finish at the end of this term. 

Due to the significant budget cuts, not all positions will be replaced.

I am also pleased to welcome Max Goggin, who will be joining us as a full-time primary classroom teacher in 2026, commencing in December this year.

Charlie Braybrook will also be returning from family leave  to teach full-time in 2026.

Our teaching staff profile for 2026 is now confirmed. Once the VCE online subject blocks are allocated, we will be able to publish all timetables in the new year.

After Donation of Old Shoes

Wanted shoes or boots with character (no football boots). If anyone has some old shoes that are being a pain in the neck at the back door, are taking up valuable space in the shoe basket or need to be moved on from the kids room or the walk in robe please consider donating them to the school.

I need 15 pairs or 30 shoes all together for a visual display around the school.   They can have holes in them but they must look like a shoe or a boot.   They will not be returned and they will not be worn by anyone.   They can be of any size and colour,  Please send them to the front office for Mr Forrest.

Respect - A School Core Value

Let's All Communicate & Engage Respectfully

Wedderburn P-12 College maintains an open-door communication policy and welcomes conversations with families. To ensure we can give your concerns or ideas the attention they deserve, please book ahead if you wish to meet with a Principal Class member or teacher. Respect is a two-way street - our staff are expected to model professionalism and care, and we ask that the same standards of respect and consideration are extended by parents, carers, and students in return.

From time to time, we remind our school community of the importance of maintaining high standards of safety and respect in all interactions. Every member of our staff works hard to provide the best possible learning environment for our students, and it is essential that they are treated with courtesy, understanding, and respect at all times. We ask that communication with staff remains calm, constructive, and focused on positive outcomes for students.

The Victorian Government has recently given government schools greater powers to enforce community standards, including the ability to issue bans or Community Safety Orders where necessary to protect staff and students. While we sincerely hope it never comes to that at Wedderburn College, we will continue to uphold our commitment to a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for everyone.

Let’s focus on the positives and continue to celebrate everything that makes Wedderburn College such a wonderful place to live, learn and grow. There has truly never been a better time to be part of the Wedderburn and district community.