A Word from the Principal

Welcome to our community

Welcome back to the new school year!

This is our first official newsletter for 2019 and I warmly welcome you back to the new school year. Welcome to our new families and we are looking forward to getting to know you better over the coming weeks at the upcoming functions at school. Please make all of our new families feel welcome. I hope that everyone has had a wonderful start to the new year and spent some precious time over summer catching up with friends and family.

After visiting all classes last week, 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!

Welcome to our new staff

I would like to welcome two new staff members to Weeden Heights: Ms Annie Paterno and Mrs Kerri Robertson. Both teachers are fabulous additions to our highly successful team.

Ms Paterno is our new Visual Arts teacher for the semester. Due to it being a school production year, our students will complete 12 months of Visual Arts this semester (completing double sessions each week) so that Performing Arts can focus on producing a musical which has extensive time commitments. Ms Paterno is trained from prep to Year 12 in the Arts and brings her passion and talent to our student programs.

Mrs Kerri Robertson is a familiar face at our school having worked extensively here for the last 6 years. She will work in the 1/2 class on a Monday and Tuesday this term. She is a very experienced teacher who already knows our students and staff.

It is always exciting to have new energy in our team and they have really enjoyed their start at Weeden Heights PS and meeting your children and our families. Please make sure that you introduce yourselves and say hello.

First Week Back

We have had a terrific start to the school year with the first two days being professional learning days. The staff spent time focusing on the clear expectations for the year and worked in their new learning teams unpacking the directions, goals and targets for 2019. Our second curriculum day was completing first aide training so all staff are now Level 2 First Aid trained which is well beyond their ‘duty of care’ responsibilities. It’s nice to know we are all safe!

Thursday was very exciting as the students from Years 1 – 6 returned and they have had a very smooth start. The new Preps started at school this week and they look like they have been attending Weeden Heights Primary for a long time!

The Bright Beginnings Transition program for all WHPS students and the Foundation class is comprehensive and prepares them for their start to in their new class/new school.

The new Prep parents had a morning tea in the staffroom on Monday after saying farewell to their child. It is a lovely way to welcome our families to our community.

Over the next two weeks. 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. Focuses will also include 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.

Assembly

Our first assembly for 2019 is on Monday morning and the purpose is to welcome all of the new students and present our senior leadership team with their captain badges. Our captains will have a chance at leading sections of the assembly. I hope to see many parents attending as well.

‘Getting to Know You’ Interviews – 2 Way Meetings

At Weeden Heights PS, we meet with parents at the start of each year so that we can establish a shared understanding of the learning needs of your child. The interviews will go for 10 minutes this year and this is an excellent opportunity for parents to share information with the teacher and develop learning goals and understandings. The meetings are being held on 18.2.19 and 19.2.19 so that all families can participate and we can continue the learning partnership.

School Council

A very important part of our school’s continued development is on our 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 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.

We also have school council elections every Term 1 and there will be more information in coming newsletters regarding nominations.

2019 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 Turner will be the coordinator for all of our parent reps. Please look out for a note that was sent home last week via Flexibuzz.

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)
Participation in occasional Class Reps Meetings (when possible)

Whole School Bright Futures Program

Students across the school are currently involved in a “Bright Futures Program” which will run over the next two weeks. 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. Focuses will also include 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.

Swimming Trials/Wellbeing Day- Monday 4 February

On Monday Years 3 – 6 were involved in our annual swimming trials and fun day at the pool in Doveton. Students had met in their houses in the previous week to be inspired by their house captains to compete at the sports day. Our impressive students were fabulous at the pool and I hope that you saw some of the photos that were posted on our Facebook page.

We also captured the house chants. House chanting is a part of our Weeden Heights history and is an annual event. Well done to our new house captains!

A huge thank you to our PE teacher Mrs Molnar for her organisation of the event and all of our parent helpers who came to cheer, support and take on jobs on the day. It all added to a fabulous day for our students.

Prep and New Family Social Night

Just a reminder that our social night for our new families is tonight - Thursday 7 February from 6.30 – 7.30pm. We hope to see you all there!

Reminder:

Also don’t forget our Family Picnic from 5.30 – 7.30pm on Thursday 14 February 2019 on the first basketball court. Bring along your picnic dinner! It is always a great success and an opportunity for our community to mingle and especially meet our new families and welcome them into our community. This year our students will be showing you their new dances and hopefully you will join in as well at some point. There is no cost to families as you are there to have fun with your community. We will also be selling soft drink and icy poles on the night. We hope to see everyone there.

Until next time,

Ms Kylie Campbell

Principal

Futures are Bright at Weeden Heights!