From the Principal

Dear families,

Helping Our School Community Stay Healthy

As we approach the middle of the term, we know this is often a time when seasonal illnesses become more common. We appreciate the support of families in helping to keep our school community healthy and our classrooms thriving.

If your child is unwell, particularly if they have a fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or other contagious symptoms, we ask that they remain at home until they have fully recovered. While we understand that missing school is never ideal, a day or two of rest can make a significant difference to your child's recovery while also helping to reduce the spread of illness to classmates and staff.

Simple habits such as regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping children home when they are sick all play an important role in maintaining a healthy learning environment for everyone.

We appreciate your continued partnership in supporting the health and wellbeing of our students and staff and look forward to a healthy and productive remainder of the term.

A Reminder About School Uniform

As we move through the colder months, we would like to remind all families of the importance of students wearing the correct Williamstown Primary School uniform each day.

Our school uniform promotes a sense of belonging, pride and equality within our community, while also helping to create a positive learning environment. We ask families to ensure that students attend school in the approved uniform, including appropriate school jumpers, jackets and footwear.

We understand that there may be occasions where a student is temporarily unable to wear part of the school uniform. In these instances, we ask that families communicate with their child's classroom teacher so that we are aware of the circumstances.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students represent Williamstown Primary School with pride.

Before and After School Supervision

A reminder to all families that staff yard supervision begins at 8:45am each morning. To help keep all students safe, children should not be dropped off at school before 8:30am, as there is no staff supervision available prior to this time.

If your family requires an earlier drop-off, students must be enrolled in our Before School Care program, where they will be appropriately supervised until the school day begins.

Students who arrive before 8:30am and remain unsupervised are placed at unnecessary risk, and we appreciate families supporting these arrangements to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children.

Similarly, after school, students should be collected promptly. There should be no unsupervised students remaining on the school grounds after 3:45pm. Families requiring care beyond this time are encouraged to make use of our After School Care program.

As part of our ongoing commitment to meeting the Victorian Department of Education's Child Safe Standards and duty of care requirements, Williamstown Primary School will introduce a new gate opening and closing schedule from Term 4. The revised schedule will ensure that access to the school grounds aligns with periods when staff supervision is in place, further strengthening the safety and security of all students while on site.

Further details, including gate opening and closing times, will be communicated to families towards the end of this term, providing everyone with plenty of notice before the new arrangements commence.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain a safe and well-supervised environment for all students.

Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey

Over the coming weeks, families will be invited to participate in the annual Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey. This survey provides an important opportunity for parents and carers to share their perspectives on a range of areas, including teaching and learning, student wellbeing, school communication and the overall school experience.

Individual survey links will be emailed directly to selected families, along with information about how to complete the survey. The survey is confidential, and responses are used to help inform our school improvement planning and future priorities.

We strongly encourage all families who receive an invitation to take the time to complete the survey. Achieving a strong response rate is important, as it ensures we receive a representative sample of feedback from across our school community. The more families who participate, the greater confidence we can have that the results accurately reflect the experiences and views of our community.

We sincerely appreciate the time and thoughtful feedback provided by families each year. Your input plays a valuable role in helping us continue to strengthen Williamstown Primary School and provide the very best learning environment for all students.

2027 Foundation Enrolments 

Applications for our 2027 Prep intake have now officially closed, and we would like to sincerely thank all families who submitted an application and expressed an interest in joining the Williamstown Primary School community.

We have been delighted by the exceptionally strong level of interest this year, receiving a very high volume of applications from families eager to become part of our school. It is always pleasing to see such confidence in the learning opportunities, community and programs that Williamstown Primary School provides.

In line with the Department of Education's Placement Policy, all eligible in-zone students and siblings of current Williamstown Primary School students will receive an offer of enrolment. Once these placements have been confirmed, any remaining available positions will be offered to eligible out-of-zone applicants in accordance with the Department's placement priorities.

Our leadership team is now carefully reviewing all applications, with enrolment offers to be communicated to families over the coming days. We appreciate everyone's patience throughout this process and look forward to welcoming our newest Willy Kids to the Williamstown Primary School community in 2027.

AEU Industrial Action Update

We would like to keep families informed that the Australian Education Union (AEU) has advised that a statewide stop work action is currently planned for Wednesday 19 August.

We are also aware that some media reports this week incorrectly indicated that industrial action was scheduled to occur yesterday. We appreciate that this may have caused some confusion within our community. Please be assured that Williamstown Primary School will always communicate directly with families well in advance of any approved industrial action that has the potential to impact school operations or student attendance. Providing timely and accurate information is important to us so that families have the opportunity to plan ahead with confidence.

While the planned industrial action for 19 August remains in place at this stage, we are extremely hopeful that a positive resolution can be reached through ongoing negotiations before this date. We remain optimistic that an agreement can be achieved that avoids any disruption to student learning.

We will continue to monitor developments closely and, should there be any changes or if the planned action proceeds, we will communicate with families as soon as possible regarding any impact on school operations and supervision arrangements.

Thank you for your ongoing understanding and support. We will continue to keep our school community informed as more information becomes available.

National Science Week – 15–23 August

National Science Week is Australia's annual celebration of science, and this year's theme is "Seeds – Small Seeds, Big Ideas!"

To celebrate, we've shared an optional Science Week Project with students. Families are invited to choose an activity that sparks their curiosity—whether it's investigating a seed, growing a plant, creating a mini terrarium or making a piece of seed-inspired art.

The project is completely optional and is a wonderful opportunity to explore science together at home. We encourage families to get outdoors, ask questions, make observations and discover just how fascinating seeds can be.

We hope many of our students enjoy taking part and celebrating the wonder of science this National Science Week! 

Reminders

Camp Deposits

A reminder to families that participation in our school camps program requires payment of a non-refundable deposit by the nominated due date.

We understand these deposits are often required well before the camp and final payment date. However, they are essential to the planning process, as accommodation, transport and other costs are calculated based on confirmed student attendance. Deposits help ensure the school is not left with an operating loss if attendance changes after bookings have been confirmed.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer extensions, as deposit deadlines directly align with the camp’s booking and planning timelines. We appreciate families’ understanding and support.

Warm regards,

Mat Montebello