Principal's Report

In this week’s newsletter:

Appreciations and News

• Welcome Back for Term 4
• Hats on for Term 4 - SunSmart Reminder
• Holiday Works

• Sporting Colours Day

   

Coming Up 

• Leaving FWPS for 2027?
• Assembly
• Prep Welcome Visits
• Books 'n' Boots
• Inform and Empower

Appreciations and News

Welcome Back for Term 4

Welcome back for our final term of 2026.  We hope your family enjoyed the holidays with some well-earned rest and plenty of time to get out and about. Term 4 is a big one: we'll be greeting our incoming preps for their orientation visits, preparing to farewell our Grade 6 students, and looking ahead to 2027.

Hats On for Term 4 - SunSmart Reminder

As the weather warms up, a quick note for families: Term 4 is a SunSmart "no hat, no play" term. The rule is in place during the school day, though not before or after school. It applies at recess and lunch, in PE and sports sessions, and for any class activities held outdoors.

Please help your child take ownership of this by making sure they pack a clearly labelled hat in their bag every day. Nobody likes to see a student sitting out of games and activities, so a little preparation at home goes a long way!

Holiday Works

We thank members of our teaching and office staff who have spent time over the holidays, preparing for the new term. 

An enormous amount of time in planning for the 2027 school year has been spent by my leadership colleagues, Liz and Carolyn.

We also hope that our staff team spent time relaxing and recuperating, as they give so much of themselves each term and really do need a R&R reset during the break. 

Yard works managed over the holidays included the following:

• Following the yard drainage assessment prepared over the previous holidays we are delighted that the extensive drainage work was installed over the term break. While the eastern edge of the basketball court surface was raised to enable trenching, we plan to completely replace the court surface and basketball and netball towers during January. Unfortunately, the old backboards failed at the end of term and needed to be replaced by Taleb.

• Our next step, that of constructing the sand and water play area on the eastern side of the gazebo is planned to begin during this term.  Pictured - the area during the works during the second week of the holidays 

• The cooking area in Dingo previously utilised for the Orchard to Plate program became redundant with the construction of our food tech/STEM space and kitchen in our new Eagle Building. This area has now been expertly rebuilt as a withdrawal learning space we now call the ‘glasshouse’. The Year 5 office area has been re-purposed as a staff room with kitchen facilities.
• The bike and scooter area has been extended to enable better use of the space.

• Safety markings were refreshed around the yard.

A big appreciation for the work Taleb our Facilities Manager does in ensuring our school is in the best physical shape we can afford.

Sporting Colours Day 

Thank you to all families who supported our Junior School Council annual Sporting Colours Day gold coin donation on the last day of Term 3. This collection was the 20th successive occasion that our community has supported State School’s Relief, our very own state government school’s charity. Due to our community's generosity, we were able to provide a donation sum of $715.65 to SSR. Thanks to all who supported this cause. At assembly I personally acknowledged Alicia Hong from 3TM who donated $34 of her own money. What a magnificent example of generosity!

Each term a few students are selected based on their outstanding NAPLAN results to participate for a term in the Victorian High Achievers Program. Congratulations to the following Year 5 and 6 students who were presented with recognition certificates during our end of term assembly.

Congratulations to Allegra Rinaudo 6TF, Lachlan Cook, Davey Reynolds and Zach Lam all from 5AN.

Coming Up 

Leaving FWPS for 2027?

If your family is planning to leave for another school next year, we would really appreciate you emailing us at: footscray.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au using the subject line (Leaving FWPS for 2027).

Assembly

We will hold our assembly at the usual time tomorrow afternoon. During assembly we are looking forward to a singing performance by 2EP and 2DW that has been prepared by Kerrie. We will also hear from our Year 2 cohort following their successful excursion to the Botanical Gardens on Tuesday. Our first Pupil of the Week Awards will be presented. Gates open at 2.30pm and grades start moving across after 2.40pm with assembly commencing when they have arrived and no later than 2.50pm.

Prep Welcome Visits 

Next Monday, 12th October will be our Welcome Visit for our 2027 Prep cohort and on Wednesday, 21st October will be the date of our Playground & Story Experience.  

Karri will be conducting Welcome Visits for our 2027 cohort of (approximately) 94 prep students. At our informal welcome sessions our new preps attend with a grown up and participate in activities such as PMP, singing and reading a story. We will have Grade 6 captains assisting, who do a magnificent job at ensuring the children and adults feel welcome.

We know that our FWPS community will make all our - soon to be - new Preps and their families very welcome. 

Books 'n' Boots 

Thanks for the valuable support for this fabulous annual charity promoted by our Marrung Leaders. It is coming to a conclusion during Week 4, but you still have time to contribute some pre-loved children’s books in good order. Just send them to the office, or drop them off in the box at reception. 

Inform and Empower 

The final online incursion sessions for our online cyber safety program will be held during Week 3 or 4 for years 1-6 and Week 6 for our Prep team. Parents and carers can anticipate receiving support materials from your child’s teacher or team leader.

Best regards,

Brendan

Repeated and Revised Messages