Issue 19

22 Jun 2022

Principal's Report

End of Term Arrangements

As this coming Friday 24^th June is the last day of Term 2, please note that students will be dismissed at 2:30pm to begin their mid-year break.

There will be a final assembly in the gymnasium for all classes, beginning at approx. 2:00pm. At the end of this assembly, students will be directly dismissed from the gymnasium at 2:30pm.

Please note that school will resume on Monday 11^th July to begin Term 3.

Staffing Update

Please be sure to extend a warm Willy North welcome to Matt Naudi early next term as he steps into the role of Acting Principal for the term. Our School Council is being briefed tonight about the process for appointing the new substantive Principal for the start of Term 4. Stay tuned for more details as this unfolds next term.

We congratulate Jack Rhodes (PE Teacher) on his six month appointment to Westgrove Primary School. We have our fingers crossed that Jack will return to Willy North in 2023. Jack has done a fabulous job leading the PE Department in recent years and we thank him deeply for the extensive range of sporting opportunities her has facilitated for our students. During next semester, Bill Manoleras will pick up a full time PE role, with the school currently advertising a part time PE vacancy to further support Bill. Given Bill’s PE focus next semester, please note that Finnia Gray will now move to teaching 5RM for five days each week.

We look forward to welcoming back Sarah Nobbs (Student Achievement Leader) next term who will return to at a slightly reduced time fraction of 4 days per week. Sarah will teach 6NK each Wednesday & Friday, with Mel Kennie picking up an extra day next term to teach 6NK each Monday, Tuesday & Thursday. A big thank you to Melissa Lindsay who has done a great job supporting 6NK this term and also to Kylie Missen who ensured the school’s assessment & reporting functions ticked along seamlessly this term in Sarah’s absence.

Student Reports & P/T/S Conference Reminder

As mentioned last week, if all goes according to plan, mid-year student reports will be available to access on Compass from 4pm on Thursday 23^rd June. A newsfeed will be issued to confirm this availability . For Years 1 – 5, a proficiency scale will accompany this report to provide further curriculum depth about each child’s achievements. Foundation reports, will be accompanied by a DIBELS parent report for the first time, to provide detailed information about each child’s reading progress during first semester. (Foundation and Year 6 proficiency scales will be distributed early next term.) We sincerely hope that these reports provide a clear and succinct summary of each child’s achievements during the first two terms of face to face learning this year.

In addition to the mid-year student reports, you will have the opportunity to book a P/T/S Conference for your child/ren next term.

Years 3 – 6 P/T/S Conferences are scheduled for Monday 18^th July

Years F-2 P/T/S Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday 20^th July

Guidelines for booking your P/T/S Conference/s will be distributed on Monday 11^th July via Compass. Please mark these dates in your calendar to support your future planning for next term.

Alternative arrangements for P/T/S Conferences for FB (Tania Brown) & 6K (Patrick Kelly) will be facilitated, as both of these teachers will be on leave early next term. Separate newsfeeds will be issued to these classes when next term resumes.

Community Engagement

Further along in this week’s newsletter you will find a letter from Martin Gill (School Council President) and Heath Venn (Community Engagement Subcommittee Convenor) in regards to the school’s future plans for rebuilding our community engagement over the next several years. As we begin to compose these engagement plans for our wonderful school, Martin & Heath are particularly interested in hearing from Willy North families about the strategies that best support/interest you! Please take a moment to read this letter and we hope you might forward any feedback you would like to share to heathvenn@gmail.com .

Upcoming Walkathon

Plans continue to unfold for our first steps back into fundraising with a Walkathon planned for Thursday 28^th July. The funds raised from this event will be channelled directly back to our students with the purchase of new football/soccer goals, new basketball posts and backboards and upgraded line marking in the junior area.

We can’t wait to share more about this exciting event early next term!

Access to the School Grounds

Over the last several weekends, we have kept the pedestrian gate near the bike shed open to allow families access into the grounds. On the whole, this trial has proceeded fairly smoothy. This trial will be discussed further at School Council this evening. Pending these discussions, a newsfeed will be distributed in regards to access over the school holidays.

Farewell Willy North

After ten years as Principal of Willy North, it’s now time to say farewell! What a privilege it has been to lead such a vibrant and dynamic school community. I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure to come to school each day to work with such caring & engaged students, as well as such a passionate and talented staff.

This Friday will certainly be bittersweet, tinged with both sadness and anticipation. I will look back proudly on my Principalships; Kunyung PS (4 years), Armadale PS (5 years) and Williamstown North PS (10 years). Whilst I have been fortunate to lead many initiatives for these schools, the most enduring memories that I leave with are centred around the relationships I was blessed to forge with so many students, staff & parents. Over the years I have been driven by the purpose to foster the best learning outcomes possible for our students, optimising the resources and conditions our staff have needed to be able to excel as well as establishing deep partnerships between the home & school environments.

Whilst the role of a Principal has become increasingly complex over recent years, it is made more tenable by the enduring support of a school community. I cannot thank my staff enough for their unequivocal support and trust over the years, as well as the backing and confidence of Willy North parents. I am truly humbled to have had such a fortunate career.

It’s not good-bye, it’s only farewell for now! I look forward to cooking sausages at the next Fete and returning for many future events. Willy North will be forever part of my being!

Farewell students, staff & parents!

Jim Cahill

Community Engagement

Dear Parents of Williamstown North Primary School

My name is Heath and my son, Oliver, is in Year 4 at WNPS. I am also a parent member of the School Council and this year I am volunteering as the chair of the Community Engagement Committee which comprises four other volunteer parent members, Elissa, Martin, Bec and Mel as well as Jim and Wendy from the school’s leadership team.

We are really excited to reach out to the WNPS parents to talk about what we are doing to rejuvenate and grow community engagement for the future following a difficult last two years of lockdowns and disruption.

Last week’s arts production of Aladdin was an amazing first step in bringing the community back together, well done to Michelle Barnes, the WNPS team and all the parent volunteers who were involved in staging the production where over 220 students were on stage during the course of a really polished and well-planned event. Well done too to all of the students involved, what amazing performances!

The committee is busy planning a Walkathon to be held in Term 3. We are buzzing to be able to get back out there and do these types of activities and more importantly to give our kids an opportunity to contribute to the school with the proceeds of the event going directly to purchasing a new set of soccer goals.

Let's discuss that for a brief moment - the original idea was to just replace the standard soccer goals. However, on speaking to the student body they spoke loud and clear that they wanted combination footy / soccer goals in their playground. We the School Council and the WNPS leadership team are only the custodians of the school for a short while and we are here to listen and provide, so footy / soccer goals are now the target for the Walkathon fundraising!

Following the last two years of COVID disruptions and more recently this year’s teacher shortages, it has been frustrating for WNPS and its efforts to rejuvenate community engagement. We are now starting to see some positive signs and planning is underway for more and more events which will help create new friendships amongst the students and parents of WNPS, bring the laughter back into our playgrounds at the weekends and ensure that the wider family circle and other carers of our kids feel part of our community.

The school has a number of activities planned in the coming months – the Walkathon, an art show parents’ event (details to be unveiled in Term 3) and planning has commenced for our 2023 WNPS Fete.

We have also been in contact with our wonderful volunteer class reps seeking ideas and input as well as looking at ways to enhance how the class rep program actually works, particularly in the all important Foundation and Year 1 levels. There will be more to come on this.

We really want to hear from you - our community! There are a quite a few ideas currently up for consideration, but we are keen to understand areas where the community sees value and where you think we can get our best “bang for buck” engagement to build more friendships and to create more fun events for our children.

Please send us your thoughts and ideas to Heath’s email on how you would like to participate and let’s see where the road takes us: heathvenn@gmail.com

Kooky Coat Day

Kooky Coat Day

The team of JSC Reps and our school nurse, Arlene thank everyone for their donations. The amount of food and winter clothing that has been donated is amazing and Reaching Out In The Inner West is so very thankful.

Your donations will definitely go to good use. We appreciate your kindness and I'm sure the people who will be receiving your gifts will be as thankful.

We put a lot of hard work into this donation drive event and we all hope you had fun wearing kooky coats.

The JSC team thought it would be a great opportunity for all students and school families to feel they are making a real difference in our local community.

By Stephanie Hooker and Matilda Florentine

6P JSC Reps.

Missing Scooter

MISSING SCOOTER

This scooter went missing from the scooter enclosure last week if anyone has any information regarding the scooter could they please contact the Office.