A Word from the Principal

A Warm Welcome to our Weeden Heights Community

Well, it has come to the end of an interesting term but like always, in the true Weeden spirit, we make it (and do it very well!).  It is time for a well-deserved break because there are so many things to ready for and look forward to in term 3:

• Years 3- 6 camp – rebooked to Lady Northcote so we will not be missing out!
• Preps will celebrate 100 days at school
• Interschool sport finals
• Excursions and incursions
• Whole school production
• Beauty and Beast Production for the whole school
• Grade 2 sleep over
• Father’s day stall and Father’s day
• WESA athletics
• Special food day from the PFA

Our weeks are incredibly busy. There is an ongoing music program happening each week and some of our classes have been lucky enough to be involved.  Mrs Watts applied for a grant last year and Weeden Heights PS was successful. Well done Jenny!  She has just ordered $5000 worth of musical instruments and storage this week and we are lucky enough to have an amazing music teacher working alongside Mrs Watts each week in the music classroom.

Line Marking

A huge thank you to everyone as all of your fundraising efforts with the PFA events and activities have contributed to the amazing line marking around the school. This has been on order since last year and the instillation was disrupted due to Covid (which even included the materials as the base is produced in England).  Our focus has been on creating games and activities for students outside particularly after the disruptive 2020 year.  I would also like to thank School Council for diverting funds to top up $14 000 worth of line marking.  It could not have been achieved without your support for our students.

Surprise number three will be on its way soon! 

Capital Works Program

A massive thank you to all of our families (parents and students) and staff who have taken the time to contribute to our school’s Asset Management Plan. This document is extremely important as it is the vision that the architects will take as they design a school that suits the needs and future needs of Weeden Heights PS students.  This document is due on Friday and all of your ideas for the vision have been included.

At this point we are not exactly saying what we want to see but we are writing a vision.  I have used your suggestions (which will come into play later) to create a plan.  I will have trouble getting the furry chairs and arcades games recommended by the grade 1’s across the line though!  I think parents were right on the mark with most of my ideas.  I will share this with you all next term. 

I hope you appreciated speaking with our School Council Members as well. Please feel free to speak to them any time.  There were just a few things that I wanted to clarify based on some parent’s misunderstandings:

• Weeden Heights does have a weekly music program. Students are taught to read and write music, play tuned and non tuned percussion instruments covering all the dimensions of the music curriculum along with music and drama games.
• Primary School teachers are trained to teach in every subject area.  It is not the same as secondary school where teachers only teach in a couple of disciplines. Every primary teacher is trained as a generalist classroom (English, Mathematics, Wellbeing, Science, Geography, History, STEAM etc), PE, Visual Arts, Performing Arts etc.   In the primary setting, staff move fluidly between all subject areas which is the beauty of our position….you never get board! While staff would have majored in a subject at university, it does not make them more qualified in an area than another teacher. Any primary teacher can be asked to teach in a specific specialist area.
• Touch typing is taught from Prep to year 6 at Weeden Heights PS.  It has been like this for many years particularly since our year 3’s have sat online NAPLAN exams for many years as we were one of the first schools to go on line. We recognised instantly the need for students to be able to navigate the keyboard quickly.

Thanks again for all of your great suggestions. It’s going to be exciting to see what the architects will come up with.  Once this happens, that is when the negotiating with your specific ideas begin. Fund times ahead!

Reporting to Parents against the Victorian Curriculum

Reports will come home via an email on the last day of school, which is tomorrow.  I have spent time reading each child’s report and I am very happy with the progress being made across the whole school.  It has been most beneficial for many of our students to keep the same teacher as last year because the teacher have been able to continue on with your child’s learning needs…just like a 5th and 6th term….learning continues to move forward. 

We have also put many support programs in place after the events of last year, particularly in the area of reading.  This has occurred through the introduction of the tutor program, reading support programs, dedicated extension and enrichment teacher, online reading programs and the occupational therapist who has worked with the prep/1 class to build strength and stamina after missing so much of the kinder year. 

Further information about your child will be provided during the student led conferences and the work completed in your child’s portfolio on return to school.  A notice will be sent home on the last day with your child’s school report. Conferences this year will be held in the third week of term 3 (after camp). 

The conferences will all be conducted via a video in the Google Classroom and will focus on the student’s portfolio so we are really going to have to stick to the times so that the teacher is ready for the next conference.  Student portfolios will be sent home in the first week back for the junior school and the senior school students have a digital portfolio in the Google Classroom so they are ready to view at any point of time.   Our student led conferences are highly successful and support the development of student voice and agency which also includes setting future learning goals.

Prep Enrolments for 2022

We have just returned to conducting onsite school tours this week and our transition program will begin in August.   Please encourage your friends (and there are still Weeden families who have not enrolled) to come along on the tour and learn about our fabulous school.  I really appreciate any discussions that you have with parents of preschoolers. Parents listen to other parents and are keen to learn from their experiences.  Please help promote our great school as enrolling has been challenging after the lockdown period.

Final Day of Term – Early Dismissal 

The final day of term 2 will be Friday 25 June at 2.30pm.   There will be an assembly to finish depending on the weather.  Parents are welcome to attend the brief assembly at 2.15pm at the end of the day but you must maintain appropriate social distancing. You will see us all in our pyjamas from Pyjama Day sitting under the sails!

Please ensure you have made arrangements for the collection of your children at this earlier dismissal time.  

Well, that’s all from me. Thank you so very much to all of the parents for helping us have such a smooth return to school.  A hearty three cheers to you all!

Until next time……

Kylie Campbell

Principal

Futures are Bright at Weeden Heights!