Principal  Message

Hello to all our families,

We have started our Reconciliation week activities early with a whole school walk to increase our awareness of the landmarks and historical significance of many part of the track along the river.  They used a map that Ersie and some of the students created to mark the significant Songlines along the track.

The whole school took a walk along the river to learn about the cultural significance of particular markers and landmarks. The teachers were also upskilled as our wonderful Marrung Lead teacher, Ersie Kakris, coordinated and designed the Reconciliation walk as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan.  As a school we now follow planning protocols that help us to ensure we are teaching and embedding an indigenous perspective in our curriculum delivery. Walks such as Tuesdays offer our students a chance to learn about and respect the history of Warrandyte before British settlement.  

The students were very interested in the Songlines and learning about what they were. Songline landmarks are ecological features and provided important information about the routes needed to travel around the country. Stories were created to provide the directions and were coded into a song. Aboriginal people had to learn hundreds of these songs that had verses patching into each other, thus enabling them to diverge at any given point onto a different trail and a different song.

Being on the Yarra, Warrandyte has an abundance of Songlines. Any shallow rapids area on the Yarra was the point at which a Songline crossed the river. The street where the Police Station is situated is one such place where the Songline taking you to Research crossed the river to follow the Research-Warrandyte Road. Barely a couple of hundred metres further up where the bridge stands, is where the Songline to Kangaroo Ground starts. 

The WPS walk was finished off with a whole school snack break near the bridge, where everyone participated in an Acknowledge of Country, led by Ersie.  With lots of parent helpers joining in, the atmosphere was very energetic and positive, and we were very fortunate to get good weather.

Happy Families

Supporting our families through wellbeing programs, resources and access to online webinars is a priority at WPS as we know that wellbeing and academic performance are strongly linked to each other. As a new member of the 'Happy Families' online community, we have formed a partnership that will provide our school community with access to a huge amount of support for families in relation to parenting, raising children, raising children with additional needs, self care, and contemporary issues such as social media, consent, neurodiversity and much more. 

To start us off, I wanted to share this Webinar recording on what to do when your child/ren aren't listening. I had a slightly selfish motive in watching this Webinar to explore how to better manage teenagers in my home.  Whilst my children are very compliant when it comes to the bigger rules it does not matter how many times I ask my sons to clean up after themselves in the kitchen, or take the rubbish out, they just don't seem to listen or hear my pleas. I know this is a common problem, but it is very a frustrating one. 

While we want our children to critically think and challenge the world around them, we also do need them to comply when it comes to self-care, safety, eating... and cleaning up after themselves. This Webinar focus' on what to do when it matters that your child is not listening to you.

This 40 minute Webinar recording did offer some good strategies and will cover finding ways to;

• Build better connections
• Promote competence and capability in your child/ren
• Facilitate autonomy and intrinsic motivation, and
• Make you feel like you are a better parent (and person)

Simply click on the link below to view the recording of this webinar for free.

https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/what-to-do-when-kids-wont-listen/

Refurbishment works to begin soon.

The students are relocating in the senior building to make way for our refurbishments of  the senior school building. We will be working on the 3 main classrooms next the deck and so our 4/5 cohort are moving out. Grade 6 has very kindly offered to move into the stone building and are thrilled to be there and next to their Prep buddies. Rick's class is relocating to the library and Gregs class will move into the current Grade 6 classroom. It was decided that we swap Grade 6 because of the size of the 4/5 cohort being larger. 

If you haven't heard about our plans to upgrade the senior space, we will be doing the following with a grant we received from Bendigo Bank. 

• expanding the opening of the interior walls to install double sliding doors between the rooms. 
• Removal and disposal of old cabinetry 
• complete repaint of the space 
• New carpet. 

We hope to have further works take place through proposed financial support from the Rotary Club of Donvale and Warrandyte.  I will be meeting with the club in mid June to discuss how they can help us with this project. I want to thank both Bendigo Bank and the Rotary Club for the support they are offering their local school.  I also want to thank Rick, Greg and Nikki who have done a great job of coordinating the move over the last couple of days. 

2023 School Councillors

Last week our new School Council met, and the following roles were allocated for 2023.

President: Emma Clark Gratton

Vice President: Sam McKellar

Treasurer: Carmen Greenhill

FOWPS Liaison: Erin Barlow

Marketing/Communication: Michelle Chan, Stephanie Chivell

Buildings and Grounds: Sam McKellar and Bec Chivell

DET employee representatives: Stephanie Chivell and Katie Penhalluriack

I would like to thank the council members for the time they give to help in the governing of the school and the support they offer myself, the staff and ultimately the students.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend.

Take care,

Nieta