2025 School Theme - Why Team, Why Team Westbreen

Dear Westbreen PS Families,

Welcome to Week 11 of Term 2! It's hard to believe how quickly time has flown and how many wonderful stories, achievements, and community moments we've shared along the way. As we approach the end of the term, I would like to highlight some key events and accomplishments:

- Open Day

- NAIDOC Week: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy

- Year 5/6 Camp

- Simultaneous Storytime: ‘Truck Cat’

- Interschool Sports

- Election BBQ

- Mother’s Day Stall

- WPS Cross Country Day

- District Cross Country Day

- STRIVE Program

- Literacy and Numeracy in Classrooms

- Excursion to Melbourne Zoo: Year 3/4

- Various excursions and incursions related to our integrated studies unit centered around Digital Technology

Year 5/6 Dream City Project
Year 1/2 Robotics Program
Digital Thumbprint Cyber Safety Workshop: Year 5/6

- Family Time

- High family attendance at assemblies

- Hamer Hall Excursion

- PLC Coaching and Literacy and Numeracy Coaching for staff

- Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) Program

Thank you to the students, families, and staff at Westbreen PS for embodying our motto, "Learning Together for Life." Everyone should take pride in the school's contributions to the community and its reputation. Congratulations to all!

Also to all Year 5/6 students and staff attending camp tomorrow at YMCA Anglesea have a time to connect and learning in a different environment filled many rich learning opportunities outside of the classroom. I hope each member will have a blast and opportunity to recover over the break. Thank you to our dedicated staff for making this happen for our community.

Workforce Update

Principal Update:

I am pleased to inform the school community that the Department of Education has appointed me as the Acting Principal for Terms 3 and 4 of 2025 at Westbreen Primary School. I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with everyone to foster an environment that embodies our key pillars of "Learning Together for Life" and "Team Westbreen." The amazing staff and I are dedicated to collaborating with our wonderful families, always keeping our students at the heart of everything we do.

In other staffing news, Louise Roncon, our Business Manager, has been successfully appointed to a leadership position in another setting. Louise has been an invaluable member of Team Westbreen, and we will miss her greatly. We wish her all the best in her next role.

We would like to extend our best wishes to Marty, our crossing guard at the intersection of West Street and Pascoe Street, as he completes his 10 years at the school. Marty has been a familiar face to everyone, providing support and ensuring our safety over the years. Proudly wearing his Melbourne Demons scarf, we wish him all the best in this new chapter of his life.

We would also like to thank and acknowledge Deb Clarke for her work in the canteen over the term, as Bridget Kille returns to the canteen on a full-time basis. Thank you, Deb, for your support, help, and hard work throughout the term.

Maria Zarkadoulas (5/6Z), Lauren Scalzo (FL), and Daniela Pegoraro (Italian) will be on leave for a couple of weeks at the start of the term. In Daniela's absence, Angela Francavilla will temporarily return to teach Italian. The replacements for Lauren and Maria will be confirmed shortly. Kerry Parfett, our Community & Enrolment Facilitator, will also be on leave during the first week of Term 3. Please note that any enrolment questions will be addressed by Kerry upon her return from leave.

We also welcome Melinda Keyte to Team Westbreen to support our Art Program for Semester 2, with Chris Mahlis returning to assist with our growing Numeracy intervention program.

Victorian High Ability program

We will announce our final participants in the Victorian High Ability program for Term 3 in an upcoming newsletter. We would like to give a special mention to Johnson Chen for his participation in the English program for Term 2. These weekly sessions will provide opportunities for students to connect with like-minded peers from across the state in subject areas where they excel and are recognised by the Department of Education.

Enrolments

2026 Enrolments:

Thank you to all the families who have submitted their enrolment forms! We encourage our 2026 Foundation families to visit the office to complete the enrolment process by filling out the school enrolment form and providing evidence of their child’s date of birth and immunization record. To assist with planning, we kindly request that parents finalize their enrolments by the end of this term. This is crucial as we begin workforce planning in early Term 3. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding the enrolment process, please contact Ms. Kerry Parfett, our Community and Enrolment Facilitator.

2026 Student Exits:

If you are moving or have enrolled your child in another school for 2026, please let us know as soon as possible. This information is essential for establishing grade structures for the start of the new school year. If your child is currently in Foundation to Year 5 and will not be at Westbreen Primary School in 2026, please notify westbreen.ps@education.vic.gov.au in writing at your earliest convenience.

Reporting to Families

The semester reports were sent home to families last Friday. Today, we will hold our three-way conferences to support our learners by providing an opportunity for students to discuss their learning with their parents/carers and teachers. We are looking forward to celebrating the learning that has occurred over this semester, as well as the growth in both academics and wellbeing. Please note that students should only attend school at the time of their scheduled conference.

We look forward to receiving feedback on the reports in the online format during the semester as we continue to evolve our practices around reporting, ensuring our families have the information they need to support their child and what we can work on together.

Reminders

Reporting Day- Tuesday, July 1st: 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Reporting Day - Term 2

Please remember that during conferences, students must stay with their families, be supervised, and attend school during their conference times.

School Drop Off and Pick Up:

Just a reminder to all families to be respectful during drop-off and pick-ups. Please use the crossings and please refrain from using the staff car park unless it has been discussed with me.

TheirCare Holiday Program Available During Term 2 Holidays:

TheirCare will be available for Westbreen PS students over the Term 2 holiday break. Please contact the office for TheirCare details if you require this service during the holidays.

Playgroup – Every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m:

All families are welcome. Last week, we had a high turnout, with many children aged 5 years and under having fun. Thank you to Ms. Kerry and Georgia Poletti Moulds, parent of Raphy, for all your help.

Thank You

I wish everyone a safe holiday filled with quality family time. For families traveling during the break, I hope you have a safe and relaxing trip. I look forward to seeing everyone in Term Three, fully energized and prepared for another successful term. Let’s continue to thrive together as we conclude the year as Team Westbreen.

In conclusion, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their support during Term 2. Throughout this term, I have experienced a strong sense of community that prioritizes students in everything they do. I wish everyone a wonderful break with their loved ones and hope that our students and families take the opportunity to recharge, learn new things, and explore new surroundings. Please take care during the break, and once again, thank you all for your support in Term 2.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Term 3!

Kind regards,

Justin Lania

Acting Principal

The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging.

Student of the Week