From the Principal

Dear families,

Building independence

With the dust settled for the start of a new school year, routines have now been established and students are doing a great job at preparing for the day. To further help support the building of student independence can we ask for morning farewells to occur outside of buildings and hallways. Building student independence in getting ready to learn starts with them independently hanging up bags, pulling out their drink bottles and entering the classroom. Providing students the time and space will also decrease congestion and busyness in our hallways.

Term 1 Open Afternoon

On Wednesday 25th March 3:30pm - 4:15pm we will be hosting our term 1 open afternoon.

This afternoon session gives parents/carers and family members the opportunity to visit classrooms and share work students have engaged in this term.

We look forward to seeing as many families as possible.

(Please note the change in time for this event to support families)

Student Leadership Badge Ceremony

On Friday 20th March we will be holding our student leaders badge ceremony. This will take place at our fortnightly whole school assembly. All Junior School Councillors from Prep-6 and House captains will be presented with their leadership badges. We welcome all families and in particular families of student leaders to join us for this special assembly commencing at 2:40pm. (Note this is 5 minutes earlier than usual)

NAPLAN

With NAPLAN commencing, we would like to remind our community that our students are so much more than a test score. While NAPLAN provides a snapshot of some of the skills students have developed in literacy and numeracy, it does not capture the full breadth of their talents, creativity, and individuality.

At Willy Primary, we value and celebrate the many ways our students demonstrate their capabilities each day. From problem-solving and collaboration to kindness, resilience and curiosity, our students show strengths that cannot be measured through a single test.

NAPLAN is simply one moment in time within a much broader learning journey. What matters most is the effort our students apply, the progress they make, and the character they develop along the way.

We are incredibly proud of the diverse strengths and interests our students display every day. Whether through sport, the arts, leadership, or supporting their peers, they continue to build the skills and dispositions that will serve them well into the future.

As a community, our role is to continue supporting and encouraging our students—not just during testing periods, but throughout their entire learning journey. Our Willy Kids are capable, unique, and full of potential, and that is what truly matters.

New Newsletter Items

Traditionally, the school newsletter has been a place to provide updates on upcoming events and celebrate the many activities taking place across the school. While it plays an important role in keeping our community informed, we believe there are opportunities to further strengthen how we communicate with families.

From next week, we will be introducing a Teaching and Learning section within the Principal’s page. This section will aim to provide greater insight into teacher practice, student learning, and the approaches we take at Willy Primary. Our hope is that this will give families a clearer understanding of the core work that happens in classrooms each day.

We will also be introducing a Student Voice section. This will provide our student leaders with a platform to share their experiences and perspectives about school life. Initially this will appear in written form, but we are also exploring other formats such as video and podcasting to further amplify student voice.

We look forward to sharing these new additions with our community and continuing to strengthen the connection between home and school. Stay tuned!

Warm regards,

Mat Montebello