Leadership updates and reflections
From Julie
It is such a busy time with and as we enter the last few weeks of the year. With many exciting activities and events on the calendar, teachers are still aiming to maintain routines and high expectations to support students to stay connected and continue their learning. It has been a particularly busy time for teachers who, have been creating classes for 2026, writing semester 2 reports and preparing for transitions and the many special end-of-year events. This week our teachers have met in their 2026 teams to begin planning of the new school year.
2026 Preps
We have our final transition tomorrow morning for our new 2026 Preps – such a special time for them to meet their new teacher and prep friends. It is also such a special time for our Grade 5s as they prepare to meet their Prep buddies – great excitement! They can’t wait to share the beautiful buddy bags they have made and start to get to know them ahead of next year.
Student Leaders
A huge congratulations to all our Grade 5s who are trying out for the Student Leadership roles. Being great role models is such an important part of being the senior students in our school and we are already very proud of the way that our Grade 5s are stepping up to these responsibilities.
We were very excited to complete the School Captain and Ambassador process last week with our shortlisted students being interviewed by school leadership, our current school captains and our school council president as the parent representative. We are very confident that the Student Leadership Team will be magnificent role models and lead our school with pride.
Congratulations to our -
2026 School Captains – Tiarra, Stevie, Victoria, Zara
Prep Ambassadors – Amelia and Sarah
Grade 1/2 Ambassadors – Jenna and Oscar
Grade 3/4 Ambassadors – Jai and Alice
Grade 5/6 Ambassadors - Thatcher and Anderson
All the best to our other upcoming student leaders as they try out for the other specialist leadership roles in the coming weeks. We look forward to introducing our 2026 Student Leadership team at an upcoming assembly.
Carols Night
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Carols Night tomorrow. It is such a special community night. How lucky are we with the weather forecast! It may still be a little damp underfoot with the rain we have experienced – please bring something waterproof to put under your picnic rugs!
Warm regards
Julie
From Adele
Disability Inclusion
December 3rd is International Day of People with Disability
December 3rd marks the International Day of People with Disability, a global observance established by the United Nations in 1992 to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability.
We invite our WPPS community to take a moment to reflect on the rights, dignity and full humanity of the 5.5 million Australians who live with disability including the students, families, staff and community members within our own school. This day encourages all of us to recognise and remove the physical, social and attitudinal barriers that can limit access and belonging, and to continue building environments where everyone feels welcomed and valued.
International Day of People with Disability is also a celebration. It reminds us to recognise difference as a strength, to appreciate the unique contributions, perspectives and leadership of people with disability, and to work together to create a community where diversity is embraced and every person truly belongs.
If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to explore this website.
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.
What the change means for our school
At our school, all age-restricted social media platforms are blocked for student use on the school network.
The eSafety Commissioner has upcoming webinars to support parents to understand the changes, their purpose and implications.
The 30-minute webinar will help parents and carers understand the upcoming changes to social media access for children under 16.
Join our information session to:
- understand the purpose of the new age restrictions and how they aim to protect young Australians
- understand which platforms will require users to be 16+ and what platforms they can still access
- get tips and resources to support your child’s online safety and wellbeing through the transition.
Parents and carers will gain:
- a clear understanding of the new rules and their implications
- confidence in guiding their child through these changes
- access to trusted resources to support safe and positive online engagement.
Tuesday 2 December, 7:00pm (AEDT) REGISTER NOW
Monday 8 December, 3:30pm (AEDT) REGISTER NOW
Monday 15 December, 1:00pm(AEDT) REGISTER NOW
Sign up for the eSafety Newsletter to receive the latest online safety news, resources, and advice.
Warm Regards,
Adele