Principal Message
We come to the end of a very busy term, and I am sure the students are looking forward to a break after achieving so much throughout the weeks. Today the students have enjoyed a Fun Day and the Footy Parade, which has been a nice way to end the term. We hope that our students have left today feeling like school is a place they can come and learn, create, play and be a part of something that is much bigger than just a school… they are the centre of our community which thrives and excels when it is connected and engaged.
100 Days of Prep
Our amazing Prep students recently celebrated their 100 days of school with a colourful and entertaining day of fun and games.
Completing the first 100 days of primary school holds great significance for a child and their family. It marks a significant milestone in their educational journey, symbolising their successful transition into Warrandyte PS. These initial days of their schooling are crucial for building a strong foundation in literacy, numeracy, and social skills, setting the stage for future learning and development. It is a time of exploration, discovery, and adaptation, where students begin to establish routines, form friendships, and gain confidence, paving the way for a positive and fulfilling primary school experience.
We have seen our 2023 Preps grow and adapt so well over the course of the last 3 terms and they have quickly embedded their place in our school community. We are so proud of them as a cohort and congratulate them and their families on being able to demonstrate our school values day in and day out.
We are also excited to announce that next year we will have 2 prep classes again. We are predicting a minimum of 38 enrolments in our Prep intake for 2024.
State School Spectacular
I wanted to offer my gratitude and to congratulate all the students and staff who participated in the State School Spectacular Show on Saturday. It was such a privilege to get to watch such a fantastic display of talent in the public school system and I was very proud to be a member of Warrandyte Primary as our students demonstrated their capacity to work together, support each other and to have a really fun time as a team. The energy in the Arena was fantastic and no doubt an experience that these students will remember for a very long time. You can read more about the excitement of the show on The Performing Arts page in this newsletter.
I would like to also acknowledge past WPS student, Cameron Poole. Now in Year 10 he performed as a principal singer in the show. His talent and confidence on stage was something special to watch and I know Kirsty was very proud of him as a past Performing Arts Leader at WPS.
Participation in this show is not a compulsory part of Kirsty’s role and she does this each year because she is passionate about Performing Arts and wants our children to have the experience that many other state schools don’t have. Our reputation at SSS is very high and evident in the fact that we were invited to participate in the Mass Choir and Mass Dance this year. Thanks to all the staff and parents who have helped on the rehearsal days and during the performances on Saturday. We hope that the students' experiences will inspire some of them to consider involving themselves in the Arts for years to come and to have the confidence to have a go.
Curriculum Day
A reminder that the first day back of term is a pupil free day. Our Patch are running a curriculum day program, but I encourage you to book earlier rather than later. Last term the curriculum day session was cancelled as bookings were too low in the final days of the holiday and many had not booked in on time.
We will be spending the day focusing on Numeracy capacity building for our teaching staff as we continue the implementation of the Inquiry Numeracy Model in all our classrooms. This week I had the privilege of sitting in a whole school Professional Learning Community (PLC) meeting, chaired by Rick and Katie, as the staff reflected on their experiences using the model in the classroom this term. They participated in professional reading to gain a deeper understanding of the ‘Launch’ component of the model and reflected on any new understandings or misconceptions they had about their role as a teacher in the 1st part of the lesson structure. The process was authentic and showed a level of professionalism that is not to be taken for granted by a principal.
We will also be running a capacity building session about Restorative Practice. Restorative Practice in schools is an approach that focuses on building and repairing relationships within the school community. The emphasis is on creating a safe and supportive environment where all individuals feel valued and heard. Restorative practice encourages open communication, empathy, and understanding, aiming to resolve conflicts and address harm through dialogue and reflection rather than punishment.
It also promotes active participation from students, teachers, and staff, fostering a sense of responsibility, accountability, and mutual respect. By implementing restorative practices, schools can cultivate a positive culture that contributes to academic success and overall well-being for everyone involved. There are certainly times that punitive measures might be appropriate as part of the school’s behaviour management, but the aim is to reduce the need for this through the use of restorative practices in daily practice across all levels.
Teachers will be looking at the language used in a restorative conversation and learning the techniques for getting the most out of the students as they reflect and repair relationships. This practice ties in strongly with our Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Program as we use the Behaviour Matrix as the framework for addressing behaviours of concern and reteaching the expectations when required.
Flexible Furniture in classrooms
We are excited to share with you the wonderful changes happening in our classrooms! As part of our commitment to providing the best learning environment for our students, we have recently begun trialling the use of flexible furniture with our 4/5 cohort. Gone are the days of rigid rows of desks and chairs in a classroom. Over the course of the next 12-18 months our classrooms will begin to use a variety of flexible seating options, including collaborative floor tables, floor cushions, standing desks, lap desks and adjustable tables. This innovative approach to classroom design is being trialled in the 4/5 area to monitor its impact and implementation process.
Flexible furniture promotes a more active and engaging learning experience. With the ability to choose their preferred seating, students can find the most comfortable and productive position for themselves. This personalised approach increases focus and concentration, encourages creativity and adaptability, leading to improved academic performance.
The ability to easily rearrange seating arrangements fosters teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills which supports our collaborative approach to learning. Students can work in small groups or gather in larger circles for discussions, creating a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. Not only does flexible furniture enhance academic outcomes, but it also promotes physical health and well-being. By offering various seating options, we encourage students to move and change positions, reducing sedentary behaviour and promote better posture. Other subtle tools such as chair elastics and half bounce balls, are offering support for students needing to keep moving as they work.
Greg is taking a very measured approach by slowly introducing the changes and continuing a dialogue about how the changes are there to support learning. Greg is currently conducting SWPBS lessons as the student practise using the equipment and reflect on how they can use it to improve their personal learning and wellbeing. Initial impact so far has been positive. Greg and Rick will report back to our staff through Term 4 of their observations and data collected and how they planned and implemented the changes successfully. The aim is to then begin introducing the changes into the other classrooms across 2024.
FOWPS Bogan Bingo night
The Friends of Warrandyte Primary School are putting on a special parent's night out on Saturday 28th October. Tickets can be purchased via Compass. The night is designed to bring parents together so they can let their hair down and to raise funds for the FOWPS. You are encouraged to dress as your inner bogan would want you to. I have explained to Terri Fernando that I don't have an inner bogan, but I am assured there is one deep down inside of me to tap into on the night. We shall have to wait and see!
Bushfire Season
I sent through a Compass message with a couple of resources to help explain the new fire rating system and how this impacts our school. Please take the time to read through the process as some of the communications you receive related to the Fire Rating might not match the media announcements due to the way the rating is determined. We will only relocate on Severe Days that are rated as Severe in our local government area (LGA), Manningham. The media often report was the District Rating is (Central District) rather than individual local government areas.
I did have a parent raise a point that if Nillumbik is considered Severe and we are not, it may impact their decision to stay or go on these days. The best advice is that if you feel you need to enact your fire safety plan as a family, and go on particular days, then you should do so. As a school we will be bound by the decision made by the Department and any relocation or closure must be signed off on by the Regional Director.
Whilst the department don’t have any sites you can refer to on the days leading up to severe weather warnings, I did a google and this link does take you to local government area fire ratings. However, I do not know how fast the information is in getting put up onto this site but it might assist in preemptive decisions as it gives a 4 day forecast.
R U OK?
I did not want this day to come and go without mention in the newsletter. This day is becoming increasingly significant in our society and for schools a great opportunity to have the conversation about mental health. It's estimated the 44% of the Australian population between the ages of 16-85 have experienced mental illness at some time in their life, with 4.2 million of those being in the last 12 months. The most common mental illnesses in Australia are Anxiety Disorders, Affective Disorders such as Depression and Substance use Disorders (ABS 2022a). The statistics for children is also alarming. According to the Young Minds Matter study, mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression are experienced by approximately one in seven or 560,000 young people in Australia. These disorders can often have a significant impact on children’s learning and development and on family life.
R U OK? Day is about educating ourselves and about breaking down those barriers and putting mental health at the forefront of our minds and saying it's okay if you answer, ‘No, I’m not okay.’ The question then becomes, how can I help that person?
And what do we say when someone says they need help? Often, we respond by saying, “you’ll be okay”, which is a very well-intentioned response but is not likely to have a significant impact on someone’s wellbeing. In my research about R U OK Day, I found a very valuable tool that can give structure and support when approaching someone who you are worried about.
A much more detailed and very helpful resource is the Conversation Guide which you can download via the link below. As adults we can always upskill ourselves and learn more about how to help the people we love and care about.
COMM_All_ConversationGuide_230907.pdf (cdn-website.com)
If you need help and feel reaching out to people close to you is too hard to do, my door, as your principal, is always open to you. This message is the same for any of our students.
I hope your holiday is filled with time together as a family (and sunny weather). We look forward to seeing you in Term 4.
Take care
Nieta