Leadership updates and reflections

From Julie

What a fantastic end-of-year community celebration we shared at our annual Carols Night last week!  It was  wonderful to see our families, friends, and extended family members all gathered to enjoy our students performing with such enthusiasm, confidence, and pure joy. Their huge smiles and energy brought a special magic to the night!  

A huge thank you to Tim Phillips for inspiring our students and nurturing their love of performing. Our Grade 6 Performing Arts Captains shone brightly as they hosted the night with confidence and charisma, and our Grade 6 sound crew were absolute stars behind the scenes - thank you for your amazing efforts!  

Special thanks also to Lauren Goodwin, who worked with Tim to bring such a special  event together and to all our teachers and ES staff for their wonderful support.

The Annual Ball Drop was a  fun way to wrap up the festivities. Thank you to all the families who joined in the excitement, and an extra-big thank you to Dan Cousins for once again providing the excavator - your generosity is greatly appreciated. We’re thrilled to share that over $2000 was raised toward our next major project: re-surfacing our second basketball court!

Step-Up Morning

Transitioning from one year level to the next can bring a wide mix of emotions for students- excitement and anticipation, but also moments of uncertainty, sadness, or worry. Our teachers have been supporting students through this important time with thoughtful discussions, opportunities to ask questions, and visits to their new classroom spaces. They have also invested a great deal of time and care into creating balanced class groupings designed to set every student up for success in the year ahead.

Tomorrow we will hold our Step Up Morning, where all Preps to Grade 5 students will meet their 2026 classroom teacher(s) and classmates and spend time getting to know one another. Students can also look forward to receiving a special letter in the post from their teacher(s) over the holidays! Parents can also provide important support during this transition:

• Acknowledge mixed emotions – Let children know it’s normal to feel excited and a little nervous about change.
• Talk positively about the year ahead – Share your confidence in their ability to grow, learn, and make new connections.
• Keep communication open – Invite your child to ask questions and share feelings, reassuring them that their new teacher is there to help.

Together, with a supportive approach at school and at home, we can help ensure every child feels confident and ready for a wonderful year of learning in 2026.

Staffing News

As we approach the end of the school year and look ahead to a new beginning, this is always a bittersweet moment. We take this time to warmly farewell several much-loved members of our teaching team while also preparing to welcome new faces in 2026.

This year, we say goodbye to Nathan Percy, who is moving into a secondary setting at CIRE;  Anita Beever, who will be joining the team at Mitcham PS for the year; EmilyLeydin, who will spend next year in a CRT role; Allison McLaren Brilly, who is returning to a position at Mount View PS; Jenny Barr, who is taking up a new opportunity at Surrey Hills PS; and Ben White, who has accepted a position at Good Shepherd.

We sincerely thank them all for care and dedication they have shown and for being such an important part of our WP team. The contributions they have made to their students, colleagues and families have been appreciated and valued.  Wishing them all the very best in their new roles.

Staff Structure for 2026

We are pleased to share our Staff Structure for 2026, and to warmly welcome both returning and new staff to our WPPS team. We are very pleased that Carly Pike will be returning from family leave next year and we also extend a warm welcome to the following new teachers who will be joining us in 2026: Sasha Guy, Christie Laurie, Sam Walsh, Natasha Robb (0.4), Liz Hayes (0.6), Annie Leszczynski (0.6) and Rozie Paterson (0.6).

All of our incoming teachers spent time with their new teams during the 2026 Planning Days last week, and they are already feeling very excited to be part of the WPPS community. They are very much looking forward to meeting their classes during our Step-Up Morning tomorrow and beginning their WPPS journey with us next year.

2026 Staff Structure - 

A Busy and Exciting Final Two Weeks

We are heading into a wonderfully busy and joyful final fortnight of the school year, with many special activities planned for our students. Today, our Preps were delighted to welcome their grandparents for a special afternoon together - a heart-warming highlight for everyone involved. On Wednesday, the whole school will enjoy the always-popular Silent Disco, and on Thursday our Grade 6s will take part in their Graduation Rehearsal Day. Friday will bring more smiles with the Buddy Christmas Picnic.

Our Grade 2 students are eagerly looking forward to their Base Camp Day at Mt Evelyn on Thursday, while our Grade 3s are beyond excited for their overnight camp at the same venue on Thursday and Friday. A huge thank you to all of our teachers and ES staff who work so hard to make these memorable experiences possible for our students.

Next week will be particularly special for our Grade 6s as they celebrate the final chapter of their WPPS journey. On Monday evening, they will enjoy their Graduation Ceremony, followed by their Big Day Out at Gumbuya World on Tuesday, and their final school assembly on Wednesday. These cherished traditions are a wonderful way to celebrate their achievements, their growth, and the many contributions they have made to our school community.

As we prepare to farewell our Grade 6s, we do so with great pride. They have shown resilience, leadership, kindness, and enthusiasm throughout their time at WPPS, and they leave a lasting legacy for the younger students who look up to them. We wish each of them every success and happiness as they begin their secondary school journey. They will always be a valued part of the WPPS family, and we look forward to hearing about the exciting paths they take in the years ahead.

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the various special events over the next two weeks. 

Warm regards

Julie

From Adele

Water Safety Week

The 1st-7th December marked Water Safety Week, which aligned well with our recent Swimming Program for Prep - Grade 4 students. 

With the upcoming summer holidays, it is an ideal time for us to promote the critical importance of water safety.

VICSWIM Holiday Program

VICSWIM is a 5-day intensive learn to swim and water safety program for children aged 4 to 12 years, run in the summer holidays. VICSWIM is particularly helpful for those who may not access swimming lessons regularly. The Victorian Government subsidises the program, which is run by Aquatics and Recreation Victoria.

Program details

Dates: Monday 5 January to Friday 23 January 2026

Time: 5 lessons, 30 minutes each 

Location: at 140 venues across the state. To find your nearest location, refer to VICSWIM 2026 venues

Cost: $43 per child for the week.

For more information and to book (log in required), refer to the VICSWIM website.

Disability Inclusion

Yellow Ladybugs

This week, I would like to highlight Yellow Ladybugs, a wonderful autistic-led, neuro-affirming organisation that is making a real difference in the lives of autistic girls, women, and gender-diverse young people, as well as the families who support them.

Yellow Ladybugs is an Australian non-government organisation run by and for autistic people. Their motto, “nothing about us without us,” reflects their commitment to amplifying autistic voices and ensuring autistic individuals are at the centre of decisions that affect them.

Their mission is to fosterbelonging, understanding and empowerment, especially for those whose experiences are often overlooked or misunderstood. What started when founder Katie sought connection and support after her daughter was excluded from a birthday party has grown into a national movement full of compassion, community and advocacy.

One of the most impactful aspects of their work is their focus on community connection. They run informal, sensory-considerate social events that give autistic girls and gender-diverse youth a safe and joyful place to meet peers, build friendships and simply be themselves. These opportunities are especially meaningful for young people whose needs may be “hidden”, those who appear fine on the outside but may carry big feelings or challenges internally. Yellow Ladybugs offers a safe space, a sense of pride, and an understanding community that can make all the difference.

If you would like to know more about Yellow Ladybugs, I encourage you to visit their website. 

Changes to social media platforms for children under the age of 16

How to support your child under 16 with the new social media age restrictions

From Thursday (10 December 2025), the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 will require social media platforms to:

· prevent children and young people under 16 from having a social media account

· deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.

Delaying access to social media protects the health and wellbeing of young people and gives them extra time to build real world connections and digital literacy skills.

The responsibility will be on the social media platforms, not parents, carers, children or schools, to implement these new restrictions.

Most popular social media platforms will be age restricted. These include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and YouTube.

Messaging services and online games, as well as apps and platforms that support health and education, can still be used.

How to help under 16s prepare for the change

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online.

To help get under 16s ready for the social media minimum age requirements, you can go to the eSafety website to learn more about the social media age restrictions and find tips on how to talk about social media age restrictions with young people.

What the change means for our school

At our school, all age-restricted social media platforms are blocked for student use on the school network.

 The eSafety Commissioner has upcoming webinars to support parents  to understand the changes, their purpose and implications.

The 30-minute webinar will help parents and carers understand the upcoming changes to social media access for children under 16.

Join our information session to:

• understand the purpose of the new age restrictions and how they aim to protect young Australians
• understand which platforms will require users to be 16+ and what platforms they can still access
• get tips and resources to support your child’s online safety and wellbeing through the transition.

 Parents and carers will gain:

• a clear understanding of the new rules and their implications
• confidence in guiding their child through these changes

• access to trusted resources to support safe and positive online engagement.

   

Monday 8 December, 3:30pm (AEDT) REGISTER NOW

Monday 15 December, 1:00pm(AEDT) REGISTER NOW

Sign up for the eSafety Newsletter to receive the latest online safety news, resources, and advice.

Warm Regards,

Adele