From the Principal

Dear families,

Welcome Back to Term 4!

Welcome back to all our Willy Primary families for the final term of 2026!

I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break and had the opportunity to spend some quality time with family and friends.

Term 4 is always an exciting and incredibly busy time at Williamstown Primary School, with plenty of opportunities to celebrate student learning, achievements and our wonderful school community.

We have certainly hit the ground running, with preparations for our Art Show well underway, swimming programs commencing and some of our biggest school events just around the corner.

2027 Enrolments and Class Placement Planning

As we begin planning for the 2027 school year, we ask families who know their child will not be returning to Williamstown Primary School next year to please notify the school office as soon as possible.

Whether your family is relocating, changing schools or moving for other reasons, this information is extremely valuable in supporting our planning for class structures, staffing and student placements for 2027.

We appreciate that plans can change, but early notification greatly assists us in preparing for the year ahead.

Next week, we will also communicate information to families regarding our 2027 class placement process, including how student placements are determined and the opportunities for students to identify learning friends for the following year.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and support as we begin preparing for another exciting year at Willy Primary.

SunSmart – Hats Required

A reminder that all students are required to wear their school hats when outside throughout Term 4, in accordance with our school's SunSmart Policy.

We ask families to ensure their child has a clearly named school hat each day. Students without hats will be required to remain in designated shaded areas during outdoor breaks.

New School Gate Times

As communicated last term, our new school gate opening and closing times have now commenced.

School gates will open at 8:30am and close at 4:00pm.

These arrangements align with the school's supervision procedures and the Department of Education's child safety requirements.

A reminder that staff supervision of the school grounds commences at 8:45am, and students should not be left unattended before 8:30am. Families requiring supervision outside these times should access our Out of School Hours Care program.

We appreciate everyone's cooperation in supporting these arrangements.

2026 WPS Art Show – The Countdown Is On!

The excitement is building as preparations are well underway for one of the highlights of our school calendar – the 2026 Williamstown Primary School Art Show!

Our students have been busy creating some incredible artwork, and we cannot wait to transform our school into a vibrant gallery celebrating the creativity and artistic talents of our Willy Kids.

The celebrations kick off on Friday 23 October with our adults-only Art Show Cocktail Night.

This promises to be a fantastic evening featuring:

• Delicious catering by Zan Zans
• A live band playing Aussie favourites
• Plenty of dancing and entertainment
• Full access to our student Art Show exhibition
• The excitement of the final bids in our Class Art Piece Auction

Drinks will also be available to purchase from the bar throughout the evening.

Tickets are on sale now through CompassTix! (https://compasstix.com/e/97drq4bwmu)

We encourage families to secure their tickets and join us for what promises to be a wonderful night.

The celebrations will continue on Sunday 25 October, when the Art Show opens to our school families and the wider community, with a gold coin donation on entry.

We look forward to seeing our school community come together to celebrate the incredible work of our students.

Grade 2 Swimming Program

Our Grade 2 students commenced their swimming program this week, providing another valuable opportunity to develop their swimming skills, water confidence and understanding of water safety.

Swimming is an important component of our Health and Physical Education program, and it has been wonderful to see students enthusiastically participating in their lessons.

We look forward to seeing their confidence and skills continue to develop throughout the program.

Preparing to Welcome Our 2027 Preps

While we have only just commenced Term 4, preparations are already underway for the arrival of our newest Willy Kids in 2027!

Next week, we will welcome our incoming Prep families to our 2027 Prep Parent Information Night. This is an important opportunity to introduce families to life at Willy Primary, share information about the year ahead and begin building those all-important connections between home and school.

The following week, our 2027 Prep Transition Program will commence, giving our newest students their first opportunities to explore the school, meet staff and begin developing friendships.

With four Prep classes planned for 2027, we are looking forward to welcoming another wonderful group of students and families into our school community.

School Disco – Thursday 15 October!

Get those dancing shoes ready! One of the most anticipated events on the Willy Primary calendar is almost here – our 2026 School Disco!

The disco will take place on Thursday 15 October, and we know our students are already looking forward to a fantastic evening of music, dancing and fun with their friends.

Disco session times:

• Prep – Grade 2: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
• Grades 3–6: 7:30pm – 9:00pm

**Important Drop-Off and Collection Arrangements

For the safety of all students, every child must be dropped off and collected by a responsible adult.

At the conclusion of each session, students will only be dismissed once staff have visually sighted the adult responsible for collecting them.

No student will be permitted to leave the disco independently or without staff confirming the presence of their supervising adult.

We ask all families to support these arrangements to ensure the evening runs safely and smoothly.

We are looking forward to another fantastic Willy Primary disco!

Warm regards,

Mat Montebello