Wonga Weeklies

From the Leaders

From the Assistant Principal - Adele Brice

 

Policy Update

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy has been reviewed and updated. The purpose of this policy is to explain to parents/carers:

• how Wonga Park Primary School collects, uses and discloses photographs, video

and recordings of students

• when parent/carer consent is required before photographing, filming and recording

students

• how consent can be provided and withdrawn.

Please ensure you are familiar with our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, you can access it by clicking on this link.

 

Literacy at Wonga Park update

Our literacy results at Wonga Park have always been of a high standard; however, we have implemented many changes in literacy since the beginning of 2024. 

Systematic synthetic phonics (UFLI) - it's now been a year since we moved to providing a systematic synthetic phonics approach. UFLI is an explicit and systematic program that teaches students the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading. UFLI occurs daily in our Prep – Grade 3 classrooms. UFLI has weekly progress monitoring which allows our staff to track growth of our students. 

Universal Literacy Screening Tool:  Dibels is a universal literacy screening tool used for all students Prep - Grade 6 at the beginning, middle and end of the year. Dibels is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of literacy skills. 

CUBED-3:  CUBED-3 is an evidence-based assessment used for Grade 2 – Grade 6 students. CUBED-3 is a family of screening and progress monitoring tools that accurately, reliably and efficiently measure language comprehension and word recognition and their products – reading comprehension.  

Intervention Students experiencing difficulty with phonics are monitored and considered for Tier 2 support. To reduce cognitive load, students receive a double dose of UFLI - the same session provided by the classroom teacher is repeated by Bridie (our Intervention/TLI teacher).  Intervention is fluid and not provided in an ongoing way. Typically, students will receive support for 6 weeks to one term, with results being analysed after this period regarding to next steps in supporting the student. 

 

State Schools Relief

I'm just wanting to remind parents about how State Schools' Relief can support students at our school. State Schools’ Relief is a not-for-profit organisation who works closely with all government schools across Victoria to improve the lives of  Victorian students and their families, each year. Their simple and practical service ensures that all students can attend school in warmth and comfort with a greater sense of belonging and improved self-esteem, which in turn enhances educational engagement. The organisation provides (free of charge) items such as school clothing, shoes and other essential items.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require support from State School's Relief.

 

Cyber Safety Project

As you know our school partnerships with The Cyber Safety Project. The Cyber Safety Project delivers PL for parents and carers throughout the year, below is a list of sessions offered, you are able to watch past sessions on playback. 

 

 

Remaining 2025 Cyber Safety Project Parent Webinar sessions are listed below. Past sessions can be accessed on demand.

  • Understanding AIs impact on Your Kids: Wednesday 13th August, 7.30pm
  • Safe gaming for Kids: Building Boundaries for Positive Play: Thursday 23rd October, 7.30pm

 eSafety – Office of the eSafety Commissioner 

The eSafety Commissioner is a wonderful resource to make yourself familiar with it is dedicated to keeping people safe online. 

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

 

Term 3 eSafety Commissioner online workshops

The eSafety's provide free webinars provide parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe, positive online experiences. Term 3 webinars are listed below:

 

 

Their next workshop is this Wednesday 6th August at 12.30pm: Recognising online coercive control in young people’s lives. The webinar explores how tech can be used to control, the red flags to watch out for and how to support young people experiencing it. The session is suitable for parents and carers of upper primary and secondary school students. You can register for the session here.

 

WPPS Pre-loved Uniform - Facebook Page

Some members of our community have set up a WPPS preloved Uniform page on Facebook. Please check the page out if you are wanting to access 2nd hand uniforms.

 

Have a great week.

Kind regards

Adele

 

From Terri Gioia - Wellbeing Specialist

 

Every Day Counts – The Importance of School Attendance

 

Attending school every day is vital for your child’s learning, friendships, and wellbeing. Missing even one day can make it harder for your child to keep up, both academically and socially. In fact, research shows that regular attendance is one of the biggest factors in school success.

 

We understand that getting your child to school every day isn’t always easy. If you’re experiencing challenges, whether it’s anxiety, illness, or family circumstances, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our staff are here to help with support, planning, and advice to get your child back on track. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher and together we will work as a team with you to create a plan to assist you to support your child to return to school.

 

Let’s work together to give every child the best chance to learn, grow, and thrive.

 

The Victorian Government has an excellent website which looks at answering those frequently asked questions about attendance and missing school. https://www.vic.gov.au/attendance-and-missing-school