Principal's Message
2021 Class Structure
Preparations for 2021 have commenced and in a few weeks, teacher’s will begin discussions relating to classes. A number of factors are taken into consideration when placing students in class groups. If parents think that their child has specific educational needs in relation to class placement, then they need to communicate those concerns in writing, addressed to the Principal by Friday 13 November. Please note that only academic, social and emotional issues should be addressed and requests cannot be made regarding individual teachers or the placement of other students.
Rats of Tobruk
In 1941, during the Second World War, around 14,000 Australian soldiers were besieged in Tobruk by German and Italian armies. Tobruk is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border of Egypt. The Allies fought hard and eventually forced the Italian and German armies to surrender. The soldiers were nicknamed ‘rats’ by their opposition for the determined tenacity that they showed. The fighting lasted 242 days with some 749 Australian soldiers killed and nearly 2000 wounded. Warrandyte Primary School has developed a special connection with the ‘Rats of Tobruk.’ Each year, our Year 6 students visit Tobruk House and learn the history of the World War 2 siege and the ‘Rats of Tobruk’. Given the challenges of this year, our Tobruk visit was taken online and last Friday, our Year 5/6 students learned more about the history of the ‘rats’ when they worked with members of the association. Students listened to stories about the siege, were shown photos taken during the war and learned about the weapons and transport that was used. A sincere thankyou to Rick and Jayde for organising the event and to our students for their high level of engagement and positive participation.
World Teachers’ Day
Every day, teachers are making a difference educating and inspiring young people across our state and country. World Teachers' Day is held internationally on 5th October and is celebrated in more than 100 countries world-wide, after being established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1994 to celebrate the role of teachers in society.
In Australia, World Teachers’ Day was celebrated on Friday 30 October. The day is a great opportunity for everyone to recognise and appreciate teachers and the important role they play in shaping the next generation.
The staff at Warrandyte Primary School are passionate, dedicated, caring and committed to the academic, social and emotional development of each and every child at this school. World Teachers’ Day is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge their hard work and determination to offer your children the best possible learning experience in their important primary years of schooling. I would like to acknowledge their exemplary dedication and enthusiasm in their ability to provide an outstanding learning environment for all students at Warrandyte Primary School.
‘Hats On’ (September – April)
Warrandyte Primary School is a Sun Smart school. This commences at the beginning of September and runs until the end of April. All students and staff are required to wear hats that protect their face, neck and ears, i.e. legionnaire, broad brimmed or bucket hats, whenever they are outside. Baseball or peak caps and visors are not considered a suitable alternative. If your child has lost or misplaced their school hat, you can purchase one from our Uniform Shop.
If students wish to wear sunscreen, they must provide their own SPF 30 or higher broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen.
Students who do not wear their hat during outside/outdoor activities will be asked to sit in designated shaded areas.
Year 6 Graduation
The Department have provided the following information relating to the celebration of Year 6 Graduation.
"Students from the graduating year level and staff can attend in person. Parents/carers and other family members or friends cannot attend in person but can engage via an online broadcasting of the event.
All schools are required to follow public health directions and apply the operational health and safety advice to schools during the graduation ceremony. This includes staff wearing face masks, physical distancing and practicing hand hygiene.
Face masks can be removed briefly for photos or giving a speech. Singing and small ensemble groups (10 or less participants) performances can occur outdoors, with physical distancing of at least 5 metres between the performers and the audience. No external performers are permitted."
Further details for our celebration at Warrandyte Primary School will be provided shortly.
Warrandyte Primary’s Online Silent Auction
Our major fundraiser for the year is an online auction and it is currently underway. The site will be open for bids from 9am on Monday 2 November and will close at 9pm on Sunday 8 November. Given the challenges of 2020, many of our fundraising activities have been cancelled so it would be great to have as many parents, families, friends or community members get involved and donate to the school, buy a raffle ticket or bid on the fantastic items on offer.
To visit the auction site, go to https://app.galabid.com/wps register your interest and start bidding.
Thought of the Week
The best teachers are those that show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.
Alexander K. Trenfor
Craig Crouch 😊
Principal