Principal's Message

What A Year!

Who could have imagined a year like 2021.   What an amazing effort everyone has done to survive and make it to the end of the year.  I must thank everyone for their patience, resilience and efforts. With all the great teamwork we have finished the year in such a strong way.   I am delighted with the effort that everyone has shown, so that our students have been able to participate in so many experiences to finish the year, including having all students experience a school camp, 2 Deb Balls,  and many other great events including today's D is for Donuts, Dress up, Dinner & Donkey (Rodney the Donkey is now a school legend! Thanks heaps Nisbet family)!

We wish our business manager Marie Marsh a speedy recovery from her operation which she had unexpectedly over the weekend.    Marie will not be at work in the short term, as much as she would like to.   We are unsure if Marie will be back before Christmas.  Please ring the front office with any Business Manager queries and we will try to assist you as soon as possible.  

I wish you all a very safe and Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you again in 2022.  We would like to wish departing staff members, students and families all the very best for the future.   We wish Robbie Collins (cleaner), Brooke Steptoe, Jenny Wagstaff, and Hilary McKay all the best and thank them for their dedicated service to Wedderburn College.  Please read on as there is vital information attached below.  

2021 End of Year Arrangements

Students' final day of formal classes will be this Friday 10th December.  All school reports, books and lockers must be emptied, and any other items will be sent home on this day with students. Please ensure your child/ren has extra carry bags on that day.  Families who require students to attend in the final week of the term, can only do so on Monday and Tuesday where supervision will be available.  Teachers will be working on a completely different timetable and may not have normal classes as all staff members will be involved in training activities throughout the week as per our yearly calendar.  For example all staff will be involved in First Aid training on Wednesday.  

Please be on the Lookout for 

Important Information 

I will be posting a lot of information via Compass over the next few days regarding a number of changes to our school operations in 2022 and a number of new and exciting programs that will be in operation. This may seem as a lot of double ups with the newsletter however we need everyone to be aware what is happening in 2022.

Back to School 2022

• Teaching Staff start back Thursday 27th January.
• Education Support Staff resume work on Monday 31st January.
• Secondary Students Monday  31st January.
• All Primary students start Wednesday 2nd February.
• All Primary students will be send an interview time for assessment during the first three days of 2022.  Friday 28th - Tuesday 1st February.
• Preps have Wednesdays off for Term 1 from week 3.  

Staff Changes in 2022

PRIMARY STRUCTURE 2022

P/1 -  Mrs TANYA  CHALMERS  (SUE PREVOS 1A & 1 B)

1/2 -  Mrs DEIRDRE MCKENZIE (SUE PREVOS 1A & 1 B)

3/4  -  Miss LAURA TREMBATH

5/6   -  Mrs CARLIE TURNBALL/Mrs MADDIE POSTLE

5/6  -  Miss AMANDA CAMPBELL/Mrs JESSICA HIGGINS

*Amanda is a learning specialist and new leader of the Primary section of the school.

Primary students will receive a letter explaining their new classroom and an interview time for the first three days of school in 2022.

NEW STAFF 2022

LEADING TEACHER P-12 LITERACY -  Miss Amanda Ferguson

T.F.A. Special Teaching Program  Mr Lewis Monaco (Mathematics/Business/Digital)

MUSIC – Miss Morgan Ferguson (P-10)

Tutor/Inclusion Support - Miss Hayley Kirk

New careers practitioner 3 days per week -  Robyn Vella

* Many staff are returning with new roles and changes to working hours.

Out of Hours Before & After School Care

Childcare Coordinator:  Reana Butterworth

Childcare Assistants: Melinda Springthorpe, Trina Vaughan, Annette Hunt. 

Childcare Administration:  Errin Leach

A short survey and application form for child care will be distributed shortly.  We are aiming to open in week 3 of Term 1, if not beforehand.  

Looking Forward to 2022

We are excited about our plan for moving forward in 2022.   We have a lot of exciting projects already planned and ready to go.  We hope that parents and students  will be able to tell that we are focusing on:

• Academic Rigour.
• Lifting standards and setting high expectations for everybody.
• We attend school daily are we are here to learn.
• A focus on basic understandings in Mathematics & Literacy at every year level. 

*A quick tip for Year 2-Year 6 students -  Timetables weekly testing is on the way.  

Other School Changes

VCE Changes

VCE x 4 Periods, 5 for English Year 12 - This will allow students to travel to Charlton Thursday and not miss any classes.   Thursday will be a study day and testing day for all VCE classes.   It is not a day to stay at home.  

The 'Huddle' Tuesday 2A (P-12). 

'Huddle Time' is a protected period of time that will be used weekly to schedule assemblies, guest speakers, careers education for older students and wellbeing sessions. This will keep interruptions down to a minimum across a whole week as it has been planned in the timetable for all classes across the school.  

Monday Year 9/10 Electives x 2 blocks

All year 9 & 10 students have the opportunity to participate in Music, Art, Environmental Science, Wood, Creative Arts and Indonesian.   Selections are currently being organised and will be posted on compass. 

VCAL 

Will be taught from our new applied learning hub in 2022. Two key staff members Mark Gretgrix & Ben Pettifer with ES support will be the main teachers next year. 

Deeper strategic careers focus/lessons Year 7 -12

Robyn Vella will be joining Wedderburn College in our new careers education space.  We welcome Robyn and her vast experiences from working in local government, the Wedderburn and district communities and her enormous network that will be of benefit to all students. Carol Woodman and Robyn will head a new look careers team in a new dedicated space in 2022.

Exciting News

The Old Canteen turns into a College Cafe.

• Replacing old school canteen.
• A social space for everybody.
• A training space for students.
• A rewards space.
• Will include grant for shade and decking area earlier next year.

Deb Ball 2022

Due to the fact we have a very small Year 10 class we will offering the 2022 Deb Ball to all Year 10 and Year 11 students next year.  The Deb Ball will be held on Friday the 1st of April in the K.L.C.  This is no April Fools Joke!!!

Welcome Therapy Dogs

We will welcome Yindi & Raz later in the year.  This is thanks to a DET wellbeing grant that we will be receiving.   We are currently completing a training course through Dogs Connect and are looking forward to welcoming Yindi & Raz in 2022.

Current Building & Classroom Works

•OHSC – playgroup room to be made compliant to current Australian standards.

•Recycling to be moved to new shed.

•Secondary toilet block and senior classrooms will undergo a major facelift starting this weekend.  They will probably be out of action for Term 1. 

•The BER and classrooms to be de cluttered in Term 1.

•Year 5/6 have new locker tables.

Technology

•Years 3 – 6 will have a Chromebook computer to use at school.

•Years 7-12 will be able to bring their own computer device to school.

•A device will be provided for students that do not have one.

•No iPads or tablets will be available for students at school.  Except school provided for Year Prep-2.

*Secondary students are encourage to buy a new laptop device to use at school if possible.

School Fees 

All families will have received very detailed information on School Fees, Resources and Booklists for 2022. There are a few major changes occurring for Wedderburn College students in 2022. Some of the following changes will be:  

• Students from Prep – Year 6 will have stationary purchased for them by the classroom teacher.  These resources  will be kept at school and distributed by the homeroom teacher.
• Students from Year 7 - Year 10 will be provided with a basic individual stationary pack and distributed at the start of the year.
• Students in Year 11 and Year 12 have the option to request a basic stationary pack or purchase their own supplies.
• Senior textbooks can be borrowed from class sets, or students can choose to purchase secondhand or new books if they want to highlight or write notes in their own personalised copy.
• The provided resources will be paid for as part of school fees. Parents will not have to deal directly with Wattle Office Supplies.
• The voluntary fees and charges are clearly explained in our Information Letter. See the link below.
• Students and families will be required to pay for all optional camps, excursions and the school magazine separately.

Computers @ Wedderburn College

As previously mentioned please do not send any iPads and tablets to school or purchase one as a Christmas present for use at school.  We will not be using these devices in classes apart from our Junior P- Year Two classrooms which will be provided by the school.  

As a school we are actively sourcing to bulk purchase devices for Year 3 - Year 6 students for 2022 at this stage the devices will be based at school.   

We actively encourage families who can afford to purchase a laptop computer to do so in Year 7- Year 12.   For students in year 7 - 12 who cannot afford to purchase a device we will be distributing entry level devices for students to use at home and at school.   If you do not have a computer as a secondary student, there will be an option to borrow from the school for the year.  There will be a user agreement signed between the students/family to lease this device however any damages will be the students expense. 

We encourage families who can buy a new laptop/computer at Christmas to do so and we will support the machine with tech support at school.  However do not bring an iPad or tablet to school.  They will not be supported anymore.