PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Principal’s Newsletter Report – 5 March 2026

As we pass the mid-point in the term, we have had a very busy couple of weeks, with plenty of events and activities taking place and lots of news to share. I know many families are looking forward to the upcoming long weekend and a chance to rest as we move into the final weeks of what has been a very full Term 1.

NAPLAN 2026

NAPLAN 2026 is fast approaching, with testing now scheduled for mid-March.

This year, NAPLAN will run from 11 March until 20 March for all Year 7 and Year 9 students. Students will undertake testing in Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. All tests will again be completed online.

NAPLAN is one important part of our assessment program at the college and provides valuable information about students’ learning progress over time. While it is not the only measure we use, the data helps us to better understand student growth and to plan teaching and support.

NAPLAN testing is for everyone. We support inclusive testing so that all students have the opportunity to participate. We strongly encourage all students to take part. Adjustments are available for students with disability who have diverse functional abilities and needs. Please contact Dylan Dunoon at the school if you have any questions about adjustments.

Annual General Meeting

Our School Council Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 23 March at 6:00pm. This is an important event where the school’s Annual Report is presented, and where Council members are confirmed for the year ahead.

Each year, schools are required to present the Annual Report to the school community. This provides an opportunity to celebrate achievements, reflect on the school’s performance, and understand how improvement efforts have enhanced student achievement, engagement and wellbeing. We warmly invite all families to attend the presentation of the Annual Report, or to download the report from the school website following its endorsement at the School Council meeting.

Labour Day Public Holiday

A reminder that Monday 9 March is the Labour Day public holiday in Victoria. There will be no classes on this day. School will resume as normal on Tuesday 10 March.

International Women’s Day

Next week, as a college we will be acknowledging International Women’s Day, which is recognised globally on Sunday 8 March. At Western Heights College we aim to empower a community of fearless, confident young women who support one another and build a future full of opportunity, while having fun along the way. This is reflected in the many incredible young women and staff in our community who strive every day to make a positive difference.

Year 7 2027 Information and Open Night

Last Wednesday 25 February, our college opened its doors, hearts and classrooms to welcome prospective families to our Year 7 2027 Information and Open Night. We were thrilled with the strong turnout of families who took the time to visit, talk with students and staff, and explore our grounds and facilities, guided by our wonderful student tour leaders. It was a fantastic evening, and we look forward to welcoming many of these families into our Year 7 cohort for 2027.

Student behaviour expectations when travelling to and from school

Students who travel to and from Western Heights College on school buses, public buses or trains are expected to follow the same high standards of behaviour that apply at school. This means following the Department of Education’s regional and country bus safety expectations, including listening to the driver, remaining seated, speaking respectfully, keeping hands and objects to themselves and allowing others to feel safe and comfortable. Students must also behave appropriately while waiting at bus stops and train stations, being mindful of residents and other passengers. We ask for parents’ and carers support in reminding students that when they are in uniform, they are always representing our college and our wider community. Behaviour not representative of our college values and expectations will not be tolerated.

Learning Conversations

Our Term 1 Learning Conversations for parents and carers will be held on:

Wednesday 1 April, between 11:00am and 7:00pm, and

Thursday 2 April, between 9:00am and 1:00pm.

There will be no timetabled classes for students on these days. It is expected that students attend the interviews with their parents/carers to discuss their learning.

The last day of formal classes for Term 1 will be Tuesday 31 March. Classes will resume for Term 2 on Monday 20th April.

Interhouse Athletics Carnival

We were fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather for our annual Interhouse Athletics Carnival at Landy Field yesterday. Congratulations to all students who participated and represented their houses with great spirit and thank you to Mr Dundan, Ms Johnson and all staff for their work in organising and running such a successful whole-school event.

Enjoy the very well‑deserved long weekend.

Kind regards

Fiona Taylor

Principal

Child Safety at WHC

Western Heights College is a child safe organisation committed to protecting students from all forms of abuse. Our College has stringent protocols in place and endeavours at all times to be fully compliant with the Child Safe Standards set out under Ministerial Order 870.

Our College has the following documents and policies in place to achieve compliance with the Standards. All of these documents are available for downloading on our website.

1. Commitment to Child Safety

2. Child Safety Policy

3. Child Safety Code of Conduct

4. Child Protection Policy and Procedures

Annual Privacy Policy Reminder for 2025

Our school collects, uses, discloses, and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy (found on the college's webpage).

Please take time to remind yourself of our school’s collection notice, found on our website. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents and carers on the webpage. This information is also available in nine community languages:

          * Amharic

          * Arabic

          * Dari

          * Gujarati

          * Mandarin

          * Somali

          * Sudanese

          * Turkish

          * Urdu

          * Vietnamese