A Warm Welcome to our Weeden Heights Community

Welcome back to the new school year!

Happy New Year everyone! This is our first newsletter for 2023 and I warmly welcome you back to the new school year. I hope that everyone has had a safe holiday and spent time with families and friends.

A special welcome to our new families and we are looking forward to getting to know you better over the coming weeks at the upcoming activities at school. Please take a moment to say hello and make all of our new families feel welcome.

After visiting all classes, I would like to thank the teachers for all of their planning and organisation. This has created happy classrooms where students are feeling settled. A very smooth start to the new school year!

Capital Works

Significant works on our buildings started over the Christmas holidays. I would like to thank everyone for being so flexible and adjusting to the new arrangements as work begins in different areas. I hope that you have all been looking at the photos I have been posting on Facebook and Instagram. The roof of the junior school is about to be removed and replaced which is very exciting as there will be no more leaks. This is major work as the gutter system will be changed as well. Significant work has occurred to remove the admin internal structure and also to relocate the servers. Allocation has been made to connect to the NBN while drilling through all the rock at the front of the school. There is lots happening!

It was fantastic that we could return to school with rooms 5 – 9 fully painted and ready for the year. The classrooms look very fresh!

First Week/Curriculum Day

The start to school was productive and positive for staff with the first curriculum day setting the tone for the year. The staff looked at the goals and targets set out in our new Annual Implementation Plan so that there is a shared and clear common understanding. While the bar remains high for our school, we have also focussed on moving all students forward academically, socially and emotionally.

Monday was very exciting day as for the very first time, the whole schools returned and they settled well with their new classroom and teachers. The Bright Beginnings Transition program starts the year for all WHPS students and while it is comprehensive, it prepares students for their start to in their new class/new school.

Student Supplies & Book Packs

Many thanks to the families who sent along their children’s books and supplies. Can I please ask that all supplies be forwarded to the classrooms ASAP as the students set up their all of their books for the year. I know I say this every year but there are a few students who did not bring their supplies and it has been extremely disruptive as work begins from day one in every scrap and exercise book.

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Important Dates for your diaries

Please remember to check the School Stream App calendar for upcoming events (if you are new to the school, it is essential that you need to download the app to your phone). I love the start of the year but it is busy. I really hope that you will all be able to jot these dates down in your diary and attend. The Christmas Concert was amazing last year as we had all parents on site so I am crossing my fingers our family fun night will be well attended.

6 & 7 February – Getting to Know You Interviews
16 February – Prep and New Families Social Night
20 February – Grade Information Night
23 February – Kaboom Wellbeing Incursion for the whole school
23 February – Annual Weeden Family Fun Night
3 March – School Photos
15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 March– NAPLAN exams
28 March – Years 3 – 6 Camp Information Night at 5.30pm (Rooms 8 & 9)
3 April – Easter Hat Parade

‘Getting to Know You’ Interviews – 2 Way Meetings

Next week our families will be involved with a meeting between parents and teachers. It is a terrific way to start each year so that we can establish a shared understanding of the learning needs of your child. The interviews are for 10 minutes via video link in the Google Classroom or on site. This is a time for parents to share information about their child and not the teacher reporting back as the student have only been at school for a week.

When sharing information, think about what you want your teacher to know – interests, passions, strengths, challenges, any of your concerns, how you can support from home etc. If you did not book in for an appointment with your child’s teacher, I strongly suggest that you see if you can make another time. This is a critical step in our learning partnership with you.

School Council

Very soon I will be calling for nominations to fill vacancies on Schoool Council. Schools have school council elections every Term 1 and vacancies occur as parents leave or 2 year terms are completed. The attached document below explains the functions of school council and servingon council would be an excellent opportunity to contribute to your child’s education.

Please look out for nominations forms in your email and School Stream in the coming week. I only encourage parents (and staff) to come onto council and make a difference for all of the students at our school on a higher level.

A very important part of our school’s continued work is through the sub- committees and the work that they do for the school community. These committees give all parents the chance to assist in the education of their children without committing to the more formal task of School Council. We also need parent representation as it assists with new thoughts and ideas.

Please look out for more information in our up-coming newsletters when the new sub-committees are formed. We would welcome your input.

2023 Class Representatives

Our Class Representatives are an important part of our communication process at Weeden Heights PS and they form an important role in liaising between the class teacher and the parents in the room. Classroom teachers are now looking for volunteers. Ms Walls is the coordinator for all of our parent reps this year. Please look out for a note that will be sent home soon.

The role of the Class Representative includes the following:

Organising class/level social activities for parents (e.g. dinner, coffee mornings)
Encouraging parents to support social/fundraising and community events
Providing a communication link between the PFA and class parents
Liaising with the classroom teacher to organise volunteers, rosters etc. if required
Welcoming new and current parents to the school to develop and foster a friendly, supportive group
Preparing a Class Contact List (to assist with play dates and catch-up)
Participation in occasional Class Reps Meetings (when possible)

Bright Futures Program

Students across the school are currently involved in a “Bright Futures Program” which is implemented in the first two weeks of term 1. It has several important goals that classes will be working towards:

Establishing common understandings of the thinking curriculum through Inquiry Based Learning
Developing the learning environment with the establishment of classroom routines and procedures and the acknowledgement that students learn in different ways and at different rates. The focus of the program includes the need to respect each other as learners and treat each other in ways that we would like to be treated; the development of co-operative learning strategies that enable students to learn from one another and listen to others viewpoints and ideas
Our School Values of Respect, Personal Excellence, Curiosity and Creativity, Collaboration will be emphasised and the links that these values have with our educational aims and the ways in which we behave.

Until next time……

Kylie Campbell

Principal

Futures are Bright at Weeden Heights!

SAKG