In true Warrandyte style, we ended the term last night with a party and community spirit that some communities can only dream of having. Our students were so excited to be able participate in a celebration that gave them a small taste of whatthe Warrandyte Festival Parade. With so many new families in the Prep level and across the school this year, we hope we were able to make you feel welcome welcome and that you felt the positive culture that permeates up here. The staff and I are very privileged to be able to work in a school that has such a friendly and inclusive culture.

I would like to thank Terri Fernando and all the parents that worked incredibly hard to get the food, drinks and fairy floss out last night. We have grown so much as a school and with almost the entire school community attending, it seems we need to invest in an additional BBQ to be able to handle the load next time around. Thank you for your patience as you waited for the food.

I also want to thank Kirsty who always goes above and beyond at these events. She arranged the African Drumming Workshops and the feedback I have received is that the workshops were very engaging and a great family activity. Kirsty also provided us with a snapshot of how she cleverly blends the student’s skills in Music and Auslan in a very beautiful rendition of Rainbow Connection. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the students of all ages performing this song and commend Zac in 4/5R for a great solo performance in the song. The State School Spec dancer also shone through. With limited time on the choreography, they demonstrated that the students at WPS are confident and talented performers.

Thanks also to Kevin O’Mara, who once again gave our students the chance to participate in a musical performance that is unique to WPS. I know that some people may already have heard the news, but this year is unfortunately the final year that Kevin will be taking the Bushband as he retires after 40 years of being a part of the WPS community. He has contributed to our community in more ways than he will know and provided our students with experiences that have helped to shape their love of music and performance. Just today, we randomly received a donation for $333 from a past student. Now living in the Northern Territory, he simply wrote that he attended the school between 1983-1987 and learnt music and drama. For this to stay in his memory for so long and then feel compelled to write a cheque to express his gratitude is a tribute to the Arts at WPS. Kevin has been a huge part of that reputation. He will be missed greatly, but I know that we will all celebrate with him at the end of 2023 as he begins the next chapter of his life and enjoys a well-earned retirement.

The first term of school is always a busy one, but from the perspective of a principal I have seen our students transition well into their new classrooms. The new Prep students have settled in and transitioned to fulltime school for the first-time last week. Every time I go into the Prep room, I see a great group of students working together and engaged in their learning. More importantly, they have formed a strong sense of belonging to our community as our older students help nurture and support them.

Next term we continue the work behind the scenes in the delivery of a new approach to Numeracy and develop a stronger wellbeing focus within the curriculum. We are also very hopeful we will be able to begin planning an executing renovation work on the senior building. We are just awaiting the outcome of a grant application. We know we have the support of the Rotary Club and so it’s a matter of how much we can manage to do. If we are successful with the grant, then we will be improving the interior spaces, entrances as well as the deck.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter break. I hope the weather allows for successful camping trips as I know many families camp over the Easter long weekend. We will see you all in the new term.

Take care and stay safe,

Nieta

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