From the Principal & Assistant Principal
As advised earlier this week via Compass, the Australian Education Union and the Victorian Government have now reached an in-principle agreement in relation to pay and employment conditions for staff in government schools. There are still several more steps to go, however all industrial action has now ceased, meaning no more teacher stop work days that will impact school operations. The new agreement will not come into full effect until next year. School leadership will be working through the implications of the new agreement, including the increase from 4 to 8 curriculum days per year. Discussions will be had with the School Council and information will be communicated with families before the end of the year.
Inclement Weather
You may have seen that some of the spaces around our school have again been affected by the recent rain we have been experiencing in Woodend. Please be advised that each time we experience a water leak we are required to contact the Make Safe team from the Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA). This team does their best to attempt to resolve the problem, repair any damage and ensure our students have a safe environment to learn in. We are fortunate that many of our leaks are minimal and usually don’t have too big of an impact on our students and their learning spaces. However we are looking forward to the finer weather that comes once Winter is done. Please note that as a school we work hard to keep our school in a condition that is safe and pleasant for our staff, students and community. We are supported by a team of contractors who are always willing to work with us to get the jobs done.
Brainstorm Productions Incursion Year 2-4
Last Wednesday our Year 2-4 students participated in a Brainstorm Productions incursion, as part of our proactive approach to supporting the mental health of our students. Students watched a performance called ‘The Protectors’ which focused on strategies to increase resilience, encourage cyber safety and support bullying prevention. The students also completed some follow up activities in their classrooms as part of their Social and Emotional Learning program. We encourage you to have a discussion with your child about this performance. This week is also ‘Bullying No Way Week’ and we are asking students to wear a hint of purple on Friday in recognition of this, however this is not mandatory. The focus for students is on being kind.
District Athletics Carnival and Regional Soccer and Netball Finals
Last Friday a large group of our Year 4-6 students attended our District Athletics carnival in Bendigo. The day ran very smoothly and was co-ordinated for our district by our very own Sharon Connell. Sharon has been responsible for organising this carnival for our district for many years and her careful co-ordination is always appreciated by all. As always our students put in their best efforts to compete against students from across the district. Thanks also to Mr Spilsted and Ms Ford for their support on the day.
On Tuesday we had a group of 22 Year 5/6 students head to Swan Hill to compete in the Regional Mixed Soccer and Netball finals. Both teams played hard in a very competitive competition. Sadly they will not proceed to the state finals, but they should be very proud of their achievements in making it so far. Thanks also to the supportive group of parents who took responsibility for getting the students all the way to Swan Hill, supporting them through their matches and allowing them the opportunity to compete.
Policy Review
We have recently updated the following policies on our website, these have also been shared with school staff and school council. Please note that all policies are prepared under the guidance of the Victorian Department of Education policy advisory and have been reviewed to ensure currency. If you have any questions regarding these policies please contact the office.
Child Safe Standards policies: Aboriginal Learning, Wellbeing and Safety Action Plan, Child Safety and Wellbeing policy, Child Abuse Identification and Response policy.
Digital Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Some families may be aware that late last year the Victorian Department of Education introduced changes to the way digital learning is expected to be used in Government schools, this policy is expected to be fully implemented by 2027. The policy change has ramifications on the way schools have operated using technology with students for more than a decade; including stopping primary schools from operating Bring your Own Device programs. At Woodend Primary School we are currently working through how these changes may impact some of our current classroom practices and our access to technology for students into the future. We will continue to communicate with families about changes over the next few months.
We have also had many discussions with parents over the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in education and the policies governing its use. If you are curious about the stance being taken in education I highly encourage you to read the policy, which was devised out of a national framework put in place across Australian education. This policy governs how our staff engage with Generative AI in the school environment.
Emergency Management Plan 2026-2027
As we do each year, we have recently updated our Emergency Management Plan for 2026-2027. Our school plans for a range of hazards, such as bushfire, severe weather, medical emergencies, building fires, intruders, etc. We develop specific response procedures to address these risks. We also conduct drills regularly, ensuring our core procedures of on-site and off-site evacuation, sheltering-in-place, and lockdown/lockouts are well-rehearsed and understood by staff and students.
Our school is considered at risk of bushfire or grassfire. We are Category 3 on the Bushfire At-Risk Register/Category 4 List. Our school will close on days of Catastrophic fire danger in the Central weather district. On days identified as High or Extreme fire danger students who attend classes at our Carlsruhe campus will remain onsite at the main campus.
If we enact our emergency management plan, we will notify you by Compass notification with updates on our actions. Please do not come to the school unless directed to do so, as you may put yourself and others in danger. If there is anything we need you to do, we will let you know. In the event of an emergency that impacts telecommunications, we will endeavour to update you by email or Compass.
During an emergency, the school will work closely with emergency services to get specific advice to keep our community safe. Additionally, the Department of Education has dedicated emergency management staff to help monitor the situation and provide additional support to schools during emergencies.
If you have any questions about our school’s emergency management plan, please contact us at (03) 5427 2455. Please be assured our top priority is the safety of our students and school community.
Upcoming Events
Don’t forget next week is Book Week, the teachers have lots of engaging activities planned across the week for students, including our annual Book Week Parade on Wednesday morning. All families are welcome to attend and are encouraged to dress up as well.
We are also looking forward to our Mathslympics and Family Maths Night on Wednesday 2nd September. Students will participate in a whole day of Maths activities and games while competing in their Houses. This will be followed by an evening of activities for families to join in with your child’s classroom. Thanks to Mr Condon and our classroom teachers for their work in getting this big day organised.
Enrolments
We are reaching the time of year where we commence planning for 2027. Please note 2027 Foundation student enrolment forms were due 2 weeks ago, if you have a child commencing school in 2027, please bring your forms to the office as soon as possible. We are also asking any current Year 4 parents to advise if their child will be transitioning to Braemar College in 2027. This information allows us to commence planning for staffing, class sizes and programs on offer.
Community News
From time to time, take a look at our Community News page, featuring flyers from across the Macedon Ranges for local events, sporting groups, after-school and holiday programs, art and craft markets, theatre productions, and more.
It’s a great way to stay up to date with what’s happening in our community.
Principal Assistant Principal
Elissa Campbell Adam Sayers