Principal's Report

Dear Whitehorse Primary School families,

It has been another exciting week at Whitehorse Primary School, with students embracing opportunities to challenge themselves, represent our school and celebrate their love of reading. Book Week is always a special occasion at Whitehorse, as reading is a genuine passion and strength of our school. It was wonderful to see this enthusiasm shared across every year level throughout the week.

Whitehorse PS on TV

Last night, our school featured on the Channel 7 news segment Brightside which highlighted Freezer Angels and its support of our broader community. Thank you to our Whitehorse Family Network who have worked dilligently to showcase such a positive example of the community that exists here at Whitehorse. If you would like to watch the link is below:

https://7news.com.au/video/news/freezer-angels-cook-up-community-kindness-bc-6404008025112

Grade 5/6 Camp

Last week, our Grade 5/6 students enjoyed a fantastic camp at Camp Alexandra. Students participated in a wide range of activities, strengthened friendships and demonstrated wonderful confidence and resilience.

I had a great time attending camp on Thursday and seeing firsthand the way our students encouraged one another and pushed themselves outside their comfort zones to try new things. It was particularly rewarding to see the pride on their faces when they achieved something they may not initially have thought possible.

Thank you to our dedicated staff (Mrs Goldenberg, Ms Tia, Mr Ballentine and Mrs Adams) and our volunteers (Monica and Kristy) who generously gave their time and care to make this valuable experience possible.

District Athletics

On Monday, a group of students proudly represented Whitehorse Primary School at the District Athletics Carnival at Bill Sewart Reserve in Burwood. We congratulate every student who participated and demonstrated determination, sportsmanship and respect throughout the day.

Thank you to Mrs Avery for coordinating the event and supporting our students, as well as Ms Tia and Ms Ogilvie, who attended on the day. We also acknowledge the families who encouraged our students and helped make their participation possible.

Congratulations to Leo, Nathan, Rose and Yvette who will represent our school at Division athletics in Term 4.

Book Week Parade

Our Book Week Parade was a wonderful celebration of reading and imagination. Students across all year levels proudly dressed as characters that were special to them and enjoyed sharing their love of books with our school community.

I also had the opportunity to visit several classes throughout the week and share some of my favourite picture storybooks with students. These moments provided another meaningful way to celebrate reading and the enjoyment, curiosity and connection that books can bring.

It was fantastic to see so much creativity, colour and excitement throughout the school. Thank you to our families for helping prepare costumes and making the celebration so memorable for our students.

ICAS Assessments

This week, our ICAS program concludes with the Mathematics assessment. Over the past five weeks, participating students from Grades 2–6 have completed a variety of assessments designed to challenge their knowledge, problem-solving skills and ability to apply their learning in unfamiliar situations.

ICAS provides students with an opportunity to extend themselves beyond their regular classroom learning and engage with questions requiring higher-order thinking. We are proud of the commitment, persistence and confidence students have demonstrated throughout the assessment period. Regardless of the results, taking on this additional challenge is an achievement worth recognising.

Thank you to Mrs Terrenzani for coordinating the assessments and supporting our students throughout the program. We look forward to celebrating their efforts and sharing results with families when they become available.

Curriculum Day – Monday 31 August

A reminder that Monday 31 August will be a Curriculum Day, and students will not be required at school.

Our staff will spend the day deepening their understanding of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. This professional learning will support our continued focus on high-quality, explicit teaching and consistent classroom practice across the school.

Specialist Expo – Tuesday 1 September

We are excited to invite students and families to our Specialist Expo on Tuesday 1 September from 3:45 pm to 5:00 pm. The Expo will celebrate the creativity, learning and achievements of our students across Visual Arts, Physical Education, Performing Arts, STEM and Chinese specialist learning experiences.

Families will be able to participate in a variety of hands-on activities, including student-designed carnival games, sporting challenges, mask making, portrait booths and interactive STEM experiences. Our STEM room will showcase student-created digital music, video games, tiny homes and the interactive Clean Up the Ocean experience. Families will also have an opportunity to contribute to the WPS Community Quilt, creating a collaborative artwork that represents our school community.

Our Year 3/4 students have been busy designing and creating carnival games and are looking forward to welcoming families to play them. Tokens will be available for $2 for five, with each game costing one token. Other attractions will include the Choc Throw, a lolly-guessing competition, lucky dips, popcorn and refreshments.

The popular Specialist Passport Challenge will also return. Students who complete activities and collect a stamp from all five specialist areas can enter the raffle for the chance to win a gift voucher.

All funds raised will go directly back into our specialist programs to purchase equipment and resources, including sporting equipment, coding and STEM devices, musical instruments and art supplies. We look forward to bringing our community together to celebrate the breadth of learning that takes place across these important programs.

Department of Education Parent Survey

Thank you to the 20 families who have already completed the Department of Education Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey. Your feedback is valuable and helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can continue to improve.

If you have received an invitation and have not yet completed the survey, we encourage you to take the opportunity to share your views. Every response contributes to our planning and supports our ongoing work to provide the best possible learning environment for our students.

Kind regards,

Andrew Den Elzen

Principal