LAST DAY OF TERM—FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER—2.30 FINISH
No Canteen Lunch Orders
Principal’s Report x 3 Richard Buckingham, Wendy Emin and Sarah Nobbs
Richard Buckingham—Principal
Thank You
With only one day of school left for term 3, we welcome the beautiful sunshine and warm weather ahead for the holidays. I would sincerely like to thank all students, parents/carers and staff for your efforts throughout the term. Term 3 has been productive – there have been Excursions, Incursions, Camps, Swimming, Transition sessions, RWTM, Father’s Day stall and breakfast to name a few.
I would also like to thank the 110 families who completed the parent opinion survey. That is a great survey response rate and the results from this survey will be analysed and used to direct areas for us to improve upon.
Incidents in the school Grounds
I regret to advise that recently there have been several instances of inappropriate use of our school grounds by some members of our broader community. We have unfortunately seen graffiti on our playground, adolescents jumping on our shade sails, running on our rooftops and even an aerosol can set on fire in the school yard. All of these have been reported to police and the Department of Education as CCTV footage was available.
This is very disappointing and goes against our ethos of our school being a valued and accessible asset for our community. This year we have kept our school gates unlocked after hours and welcomed our community members into the school. This is something we would like to continue to do.
We ask all families and community members to please keep an eye out for any suspicious or inappropriate activities over the holidays. Should you see or hear anything untoward please contact the police and email us at williamstown.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Trivia Night
Friday the 13th October is an exciting evening ahead for the adults at WNPS. Our Community Engagement Committee have spent many hours planning, organising and actioning our WNPS Trivia Night (thanks CEC team – you are AMAZING)!
I am thrilled to advise that half of our ticket allocation are already sold and remind families and staff wishing to participate in the evening to scan the QR code on the attached flyer and reserve your tables before they sell out. I have my tickets booked! Tickets are $50 each, Trivia is hosted by Funky Bunch Trivia and drinks are available for purchase thanks to Peachy Bar. Keep your eye out at the beginning of Term 4 for notification and link to order grazing plates for your trivia tables.
VOICE Referendum BBQ
On Saturday 14th October our school will be open as a polling booth for the upcoming VOICE Referendum. On the day we will be hosting a sausage sizzle and we ask anyone who would like to come and assist Belinda and myself cook and serve the sausages on the day to please email us at williamstown.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au. Should be a great day to raise some funds for our school.
Last Day of School
Finally, tomorrow is the last day of term and as such the school day concludes at 2.30pm. There will be a short assembly from 2.00pm—2.30pm in the Gym and students will be dismissed at 2.30pm. There is also no canteen tomorrow so students will need to bring a packed lunch from home.
Have a safe and well-deserved break everyone
Regards—Richard Buckingham—Principal
Wendy Emin—Assistant Principal
Prep Transition
This year we extended our ‘Transition-to-School’ program for our 2024 Preps. The Transition program started this term with a 2024 Prep Parent Information session, where parents had a first-hand experience with our Literacy, Numeracy, Inquiry and Wellbeing programs after attending a ‘Welcome BBQ’.
The second transition session involved parents with their child, engaging in Tabloid Sport rotations organized by a Year 6 Sports Captains, House Captains and School Captains.
For transition this week, our 2024 Preps participated in a range of school readiness activities. This has been a terrific start to the parents and children beginning to build a connectedness and excitement for school and have the opportunity to build relationships with teachers.
Next term the 2024 Preps will participate in further Transition sessions and on 12th December will be invited to participate in our Whole School Transition day.
A big thankyou to the Prep team and everyone else who has developed and/or supported our Transition-to-School program.
Staffing Update
I would just like to inform the school community that I will be taking leave from the beginning of Term 4 and not returning until 5th December. During this time my husband and I will enjoy a well earned holiday in Europe. There will be an Acting Assistant Principal employed as my replacement for Term 4.
Wishing all families and enjoyable and safe term holidays.
Regards Wendy Emin—Assistant Principal.
Sarah Nobbs—Assistant Principal
I am delighted to have been appointed Assistant Principal at the beginning of Term 3. I have thoroughly enjoyed the change in direction of my career from PE teacher, classroom teacher, leading teacher and now Assistant Principal. It has been a steep learning curve, learning a new role from scratch and putting myself outside my comfort zone – a reminder that learning is indeed lifelong!
I have some amazing people to call on and offer support when needed and I am so pleased to have been
Trivia Night—Friday 13th October
Our Community Engagement Committee have also been busy planning our 2024 Trivia Night which is exclusively for our WNPS community. The evening will take place at the Williamstown Town Hall on Friday 13th October. Trivia will be hosted by Funky Bunch Trivia with drinks available from Peachy Bar and well as a DJ so that patrons can dance the night away. We are in the final stages of organising.
Williamstown North Primary School Trivia Night
Join us for a night of trivia, tunes and tipples exclusively for families of Willy North Primary.
Friday 13th October | Doors open 6.30pm - Williamstown Town Hall
Tickets $50 each | Tables of 10 - Book individually or as a table
https://www.trybooking.com/CLIPG
Tickets limited. Book early to avoid disappointment.
(This is an adults only event)
Footy Week Activities (Free Dress Day—Friday 15th September)
Next week is Footy Week with several activities to take place throughout the week. Next Friday, 15th September, students are invited to come to school in their favourite footy team’s colors or dressed in yellow to support R U OK Day. A Gold coin donation is required with all proceeds being donated to the R U OK initiative.
Last Day of Term—Friday 15th September
A reminder also that since this is the last day of term, we will have our regular early finish of 2.30pm. There will be a short whole school assembly at 2.00pm. A reminder also to families that there will be no Canteen on the last day of term. A reminder also that the Canteen is not open on Tuesday’s for Lunches and counter sales.
WNPS 150th Anniversary Working Group
Williamstown North Primary School is turning 150 in 2024!
We are looking for members of our community to join a working group to plan for the activities celebrating our 150th Anniversary year.
We hope to involve a broad representation of current and past families and staff in the celebrations so please consider putting yourself forward for the working group.
To register your interest please visit
https://www.willynthps.vic.edu.au/activities-and-events/150th-year-celebrations
OZCHILD
Local foster care agency, OzChild is looking for families who might be interested in opening their homes, and their hearts to provide local kids with forever homes
We recently learnt from local foster care agency, OzChild, that they are on a desperate search for individuals and families in Melbourne’s western suburbs to consider becoming foster carers.
According to OzChild, there are children as young as eight who are currently living in group homes, with other children they don’t know, and of varying ages, supervised by youth workers rather than having the attention of parental figures. The agency is hoping to hear from anyone in a position to provide a child in Melbourne’s west with stability, permanency, and love. With an increasing number of local children in need of forever homes, the organisation has reached out to us to put a callout for families who can help.
In Victoria there are almost 10,000 kids in care, some live with close family or next of kin, but many are placed into foster care. In fact, there might even be a child in your child's class who has, or still does live with a foster carer. Imagine the impact we could have as a school community if even a few families decide to become foster carers. We could offer a lifeline to children in need, giving them the chance to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. Your decision to become a foster parent could shape the trajectory of a child's life and create a brighter future for generations to come.
Without the stability of a family home many kids become disconnected from school and the community leading to a lifetime of disadvantage. Foster carers play a pivotal role in providing children with a sense of belonging and the opportunity to thrive. Carers receive initial training and ongoing education, along with financial assistance and access to a network of professionals and a village of carers who are there for one another, offering support and guidance, especially for new carers.
OzChild ensures that foster carers have the tools and resources they need to succeed, including access to school drop off and pickup services, babysitter reimbursements, school holiday programs and allowances to ensure caring for a child or young person can fit in with your personal circumstances. In addition, regular support groups and respite care options are available to help foster carers navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of fostering.
Becoming a foster carer is a profound commitment that can change lives forever. Many foster parents find that fostering enriches their family life and teaches their children invaluable life lessons about empathy, kindness, and understanding. To learn more about becoming a foster carer with OzChild interested individuals are encouraged to visit www.ozchild.org.au. The organisation's dedicated team is ready to provide information, answer questions, and guide potential foster carers through the application process.
