From the Principal

Dear families,

Welcome Back to Term 3

Welcome back to all of our Williamstown Primary School families. I hope everyone enjoyed a restful break and had the opportunity to recharge over the holidays.

It has been fantastic to see students return to school this week settled, positive and ready for the term ahead. Classrooms have quickly returned to their familiar routines, and there has been a real sense of purpose as students reconnect with their learning and their classmates.

Term 3 is always a busy one, with plenty happening both in and beyond the classroom. Throughout the term, students will participate in a range of learning experiences, sporting events, excursions, performances and whole-school activities that continue to enrich school life. We also look forward to finalising our foundation/prep enrolments for 2027. While applications close on Friday 31st July, we have already received a large volume of applications.

Thank you to our staff for the work they have undertaken to prepare for the term and to our families for your ongoing support. Working together continues to play an important role in ensuring our students have every opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

We look forward to another productive and rewarding term at Williamstown Primary School.

Planned Industrial Action

Families may be aware through recent media reports that the Australian Education Union (AEU) has announced a planned statewide 24-hour stop work action on Thursday 23 July.

At this stage, we are continuing to gather staff intentions and assess what impact, if any, the industrial action may have on the operation of Williamstown Primary School.

We appreciate that families value as much notice as possible when changes to normal school operations are likely. Our leadership team will spend the coming days finalising our plans, and we will communicate directly with all families via Compass early next week with confirmed arrangements for Thursday 23 July.

We thank our families for your patience and understanding while we work through this process. As always, our priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students while providing families with clear and timely information.

Student Withdrawal During School Hours for External Tutoring

At Williamstown Primary School, we recognise that some families choose to engage external tutors to support their child's learning. We understand these decisions are made with positive intentions and a desire to further support student achievement.

However, the school does not support the regular weekly withdrawal of students from scheduled classes to attend private tutoring during school hours.

Research consistently demonstrates that regular attendance at classroom instruction is one of the strongest contributors to student learning, engagement and wellbeing. While external tutoring can be a valuable additional support, the evidence supports tutoring as a complement to classroom learning rather than a replacement for it. Every lesson at school forms part of a carefully planned and sequenced educational program designed to maximise student growth.

When students are repeatedly withdrawn from school, they miss far more than the lesson content. They miss explicit teacher instruction, guided practice, collaborative learning, assessment opportunities, specialist subjects, wellbeing programs and the rich social interactions that contribute to a strong sense of belonging. These experiences are interconnected and cannot always be replicated through catch-up work or individual tutoring.

Regular attendance enables students to benefit from the full breadth of the Victorian Curriculum and ensures they are learning alongside their peers. While tutoring may strengthen knowledge or skills in a particular area, it cannot replace the comprehensive educational experiences that occur within the classroom each day.

For these reasons, we strongly encourage families to schedule tutoring sessions before or after school, on weekends, or during school holidays wherever possible. This approach allows students to access additional learning support without compromising their participation in the school's educational program.

Our shared goal is to provide every child with the greatest opportunity to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. We appreciate the ongoing partnership of our families in supporting regular school attendance and ensuring students can fully participate in the learning experiences, relationships and opportunities that make each school day so valuable.

Vive la France! Celebrating Bastille Day

On Tuesday, our school community embraced the spirit of Bastille Day with a fantastic day of French-inspired learning and celebration.

Students enjoyed an engaging incursion, participated in a range of fun classroom activities and proudly showcased their creativity during our annual Bastille Day Parade. It was wonderful to see so many students dressed in French colours and costumes, adding to the vibrant atmosphere across the school.

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for us, and we made the decision to move the parade indoors. A sincere thank you to our students, staff and families for your flexibility and understanding with the late change of plans. While the hall was certainly full, it was a great reminder of what can be achieved when our school community works together. It's amazing just how many people you can fit into the hall when you have to!

A special thank you to our French teacher, Sara Borrens, for her organisation and enthusiasm in bringing the day together, and to all staff who helped make the celebration such a success. Bastille Day continues to be a highlight on our school calendar, providing students with an engaging opportunity to celebrate French language, culture and traditions.

Warm regards,

Mat Montebello