Principals Report
Annual Report to the School Community
Wales Street Primary School is proud to present its 2024 'Annual Report to the School Community'. The Annual Report provides principals and school councils with an opportunity to share the year’s achievements and progress with the school community. This includes reflecting on the school’s performance and explaining the impact of school improvement efforts on student outcomes.
The preparation and publication of an Annual Report is a legislative and regulatory requirement for all schools under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), Ministerial Order 1280 and the National Education Agreement 2008. It reflects the Department of Education's commitment to building pride and confidence in our government schools and highlights the importance of transparent communication about school performance with our school communities.
Annual Reports are presented to the school community via a public meeting of the school council, and are published on the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) State Register. Click here.
LOST PROPERTY PILING UP….
At this time of year, we have lots of jackets, hoodies and other items being left around the yard and ending up in our lost property collection.
This is a friendly reminder to make sure that you have labelled all items of uniform that your child/ren wear.
Emergency Procedure Drills
Each term, our whole school participates in an emergency drill to ensure we are well-prepared and know how to respond in different situations. This year, our schedule includes:
- Term 1 – Lockdown Drill (remain in classrooms)
- Term 2 – Offsite Evacuation Drill (to an alternate location: Penders Park)
- Term 3 – Shelter-in-Place Drill (move to designated buildings within the school grounds)
- Term 4 – Onsite Evacuation Drill (to the oval)
Drills may occur at any time during the school day, allowing us to test a variety of scenarios and make improvements where needed.
On Wednesday we completed our first evacuation drill to Penders Park. It went very smoothly thanks to the thorough planning of Luisa Kalenjuk. The leadership team has sought feedback from staff so we can make improvements as needed.
Victorian Principal’s Conference
Last week myself and Louise attended the 2-day Victorian Principals’ Conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre. This was a well organised event that provided us both great confirmation of the learning journey our school is on, whilst at the same time providing a lot to reflect on, and many things to continue to challenge us. The Department has done a great job over the last five years of connecting all parts of school improvement and so the conference had very clear links to the classroom and improving student learning and wellbeing - as should always be the case.
Entering the cold and flu season
As the temperature is starting to fall, it is a timely reminder that sending students to school that aren’t well, puts both their health and the health of others at risk. Illness can spread quickly in classrooms, affecting classmates, teachers, and staff. It’s important for children to rest and recover at home to prevent worsening of their condition and to help stop the spread of contagious illnesses. Keeping sick students at home supports a healthier school environment for everyone.
2026 Foundation Enrolments
Our school tours are well underway, and the leadership team have been proudly showing many new families around our wonderful school. If you have a child to enrol in Prep for 2026, I ask you to please lodge your enrolment form asap to the school office. We are already planning for next year and having accurate numbers is important when considering foundation classes for 2026.
There are only fifteen more school days left this term— perhaps even less when you read this newsletter. Fifteen more days to learn as many new things as possible, reflect on individual goals, celebrate achievements, set new goals and finish the term strongly. It is report writing time and my enormous thanks go to our teaching team for their dedication and commitment during this process. The majority of this work happens in the evenings and over weekends. Thank you! Student reports will be available in the last week of term.