Hello Everyone,

A reminder our Great Big Working Bee is on tomorrow! Details below.

As many of our academic pursuits celebrate their learning with various displays/projects/inquiry based outcomes, please keep a check on both our school calendar and our year level websites for events around the school both school wide and classroom/year level specific.

WPPS NAPLAN Results
Last week NAPLAN results were released. Interestingly Victoria ranked first or second in 16 of the 20 NAPLAN domains. Students in year 3 and 5 had the most impressive results; Victoria topped the nation for Year 3 reading and numeracy.

NAPLAN results were marked with a new system this year, described below. This means they cannot be directly compared with results prior to 2022.

• Exceeding: the student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing. 
• Strong: the student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing. 
• Developing: the student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing.
• Needs additional support: the student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes that are expected at the time of testing. They are likely to need additional support to progress satisfactorily.

Our results:

Yr 3 Reading

We are 10% above the Victorian State average.

Yr 3 Writing

We are  8% above Victorian state average.

Yr 3 Spelling

We are 2% below the Victorian state average.

Yr 3 Grammar and Punctuation

We are 15% above Victorian state average.

Yr 3 Numeracy

We are 18% above Victorian state average.

Yr 5 Reading

We are 6% above Victorian state average.

Yr 5 Writing

We are 20% above Victorian State average.

Year 5 Spelling

We are 8% above Victorian state average.

Yr 5 Grammar and Punctuation

We are 26% above the Victorian State average.

Yr 5 Numeracy

We are 20% above the Victorian state average.

Points to note:
Numeracy, Writing and and Grammar and Punctuation
WPPS achieves exceptionally well, surpassing both similar schools and the state average by up to 26%.

Mr  James Feather, teaches 6B four days a week and spends one day a week as our Learning Specialist focussing on Numeracy coaching in all classes throughout the school. Mr Feather is obviously doing an exceptional job. 

Reading
WPPS achieves well, surpassing both the state average and similar schools by up to 10%.

Spelling
WPPS is 2% below the state average. 

Interestingly, this deficit had already been identified by staff at the end of last year via other means of assessment. As a result you may have noticed we have implemented a new spelling program. 

F - 2 Sounds Write

3 - 6 Spelling Mastery

The decision to use the above programs is the result of researching which programs show evidence of getting results. Our Literacy Coordinators Ms Anna  Saaksjarvia and Ms Sam Teng have led the way in this endeavour and have visited various schools to see what works. Brandon Park PS is one of the schools they visited and their spelling results are through the roof. We look forward to our results in this area of the curriculum doing the same.

For more information:

NAPLAN Assessment program

NAPLAN - for parents carers

2023.09.02 Saturday - Great Big Working Bee

We have one Great Big Working Bee each term. These are on our website calendar and downloadable to your phone.

We have two to go:

Our next one is merely days away and we have four jobs to do on our mission to create a vital, dynamic and beautiful learning environment for our students.

1) Complete the weeding, cardboarding and mulching of the garden between the PAC and the gym

2) Weed, whipper snip and blow vac the Warrigal Road concrete fence footing

3) Whippersnip and blow vac around all buildings

4) Mulch the garden bed at the end of the admin building

So please, come along!  Bring your tools, get a great workout from wheelbarrowing mulch or whizz around with your whipper snipper and blow vac!

Our Students
This week there was no Assembly due to Open Day which operated from 9 - 10 am on Friday morning.

Fathers’ & Special Persons’ Stall
Thank you to our marvellous parents Charlotte M, Rachel C, Sjaan K, Suskia M &  Alisha J.who organised our Fathers and Special Persons’ Day stall this Thursday and Friday. The students had a great experience of money handling and expert customer service protocols.

Hats on in September!
With our emergence from the winter gloom into the glorious springtime sunshine comes the need to be aware of the damage rays can do. As per our Sunsmart Policy WPPS states the following:

From 1 September to 30 April, all students must wear a sun protective hat that shades the face, neck and ears for all outdoor activities. 

“Hats on in September, off in May”.

Students who are not wearing appropriate protective clothing or a hat may be asked to play in the shade or in a suitable area protected from the sun.

2023.09.09 Saturday  - Victorian State School Spectacular 
Thousands of kids getting ready for the State Schools Spectacular | 9 News Australia - YouTube

When is the 2023 Victorian State Schools Spectacular?

The 2023 Victorian State Schools Spectacular will be held on Saturday 9th September. The performance times are 1:00pm and 6:30pm. Where is it held? John Cain Arena, Melbourne Park 

How long is the performance?The show is approximately 2hrs 45min (including a 30-minute interval).

How much are tickets?Adult: $40 Concession: $30 Child (U15): $20  (a $6.30 service fee per transaction applies on all purchases)

Where can I buy tickets? Tickets are available through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular or 132 849.

Tickets are on sale from 11am on Wednesday 7 June.

Where’s the best seat in the house to view WPPS students?
Section 9, 10, 31, 32, 33, 56, 57, 58

2023.011.18 WPPS Fete - WE NEED DONATIONS

Over the coming months we will be asking Wattle Park families for certain donations to help make the fete a success. We will try to spread out our requests to not overwhelm families but any donations we do receive will be greatly appreciated.

First up, we are looking for donations of:

HANDMADE GIFTS

•     Homemade candles
•     Jewellery (earrings, bracelets, necklaces)
•     Fairy wings
•     Floral wreaths (to wear)
•     Christmas decorations
•     Dolls Barbie / doll clothes & accessorieS
•     Headbands
•     Cards and Keyrings

CRAFT ITEMS

•     Patterned Fabrics
•     Plain tote bags for library bags
•     Stuffing
•     Christmas wrapping paper & tape
•     Plain magnets that we can stick things onto
•     Plain clear gift bags
•     Dowel stars & sticks (so we can do fairy wands)

Please drop any donations at the school office.

Any questions, please contact Rosie: info@rosacommunications.com.au, Kelly: kelly.baird@hotmail.com or email wppsfete@gmail.com

Follow and stay updated!

Facebook: @wppsfete

Instagram: @wppstwilightfete

Canteen

Hello Everyone,

We are introducing a new late order canteen service called 'Last Chance Canteen'.

This is designed to allow families to place a lunch order via Flexischools, from a limited menu, if the normal daily service cut off has been missed.  Items such as pies, nuggets, sausage rolls, popcorn and drinks will be available as part of this service with a cut off time of 8.30am the day of canteen.

Kind regards,

Charlotte Stilve 

Canteen Convenor

Ordering

Our canteen operates on Mondays and Fridays for lunch only.

Due to the timetable change outlined above, orders must be placed by 4pm the day before the order is required. This means:

Monday orders   by    4pm Sunday

Friday orders      by   4pm Thursday

Orders placed after these times will not be processed.

This allows our Canteen Manager, Charlotte, enough time to get things organised.

To place an order, please download the free Flexischools App from the App Store or Google Play. Once you have downloaded the app you will be able to view and select your orders, and pay online. 

Please be aware Flexischools does not automatically change the class of your child to their 2023 class. Please ensure you update this information when you next order.

Canteen: Volunteering

Do you have some time to spare? An hour and a half on a Friday would be great!

Our canteen would not be able to run without the wonderful support of the volunteer Parents and Grandparents in our school. We would love to have you volunteer for us, whether you are an experienced hand or an eager learner. Please see below to sign up.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/login/entry/827030846186224028
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots - SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Parent Survey

A reminder from our newsletter (2023.08.04)

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and is open from Monday 7th August till  Friday 8th September via a variety of devices. It is available in English and 10 other languages, including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

To complete the survey, simply:

Digital Reports

A reminder from our newsletter (2023.06.23)

Currently we issue reports at the end of Semester 1 (term 1 and 2)  and Semester 2 (term 3 and 4).

We also publish them on Compass as digital documents by 4pm on the day they go home.

As agreed upon at School Council on Tuesday this week, and as an environmentally responsible school, this Semester 1 report will be the last time we provide all students with a hard copy report.

In acknowledgement of the preference for a hard copy report, we will still provide paper reports to those parents/guardians who request them. All you will need to do is email your classroom teacher to let them know this is what you would like.

For further information regarding how to access your child/rens reports (from as far back as Semester 2017) please go HERE. 

Student reflections will continue to come home as a hard copy in an envelope.

Have a great weekend.

Steve Donohue

Principal

Wattle Park Primary School

Week 7 - Lachlan (Year 4A)

Week 8 - Oliver (Year 3B)

How to win….

It’s simple - students are asked to bring in their Nude Food Lunches. 

Each week a Scarecrow teacher or leader will visit one classroom (at random). They will select one student with delicious, healthy Nude Food.

Their photo will be taken for Assembly and they will receive an amazing  DIY ECO Herb Head Planting Kit.

1. Remember September to May - No Hat No Play
 

It’s that time of year - September, when all students are required to have on a hat for outside play.  Children will be required to play in the shade if no hat is worn, and being a Sun Smart School its important to have sun protection from now till May.
New hats are available from the office $15.

All late students MUST report to office before heading to class, to receive a late slip.  Otherwise, your child will be reported as absent and parents will receive an sms notification that their child in an unexplained absence.

If you have a child starting primary school in 2024, it’s time to enrol. Even though the dead line for enrolling your child has passed, late enrolments will be accepted

If you are enrolling the sibling of a student at our school for Foundation in 2024, and both children will be attending our school at the same time, your child is prioritised for a place at our school as per the department’s Placement Policy.

For more information, please read about when and how to enrol your child in Foundation at vic.gov.au/enrolling-foundation-prep.

If you are seeking to enrol your child into Foundation next year, please contact our school office on 9808 2165  to request an enrolment form or visit our website https://www.wattleparkps.vic.edu.au/page/80/Enrolment to download a Word Version – 2024 Enrolments.

4. First Aid Room Volunteer
In order to keep our First Aid Room clean and tidy, we require volunteers to assist with this task. We need approximately 40 families on our roster to ensure that every family only needs to do this once per year. It is not time consuming and requires approximately 15 minutes of your time on a FRIDAY.
https://signup.com/go/MvZZbFq

5. PSW New Deliver Option
From 15th February, parents are able to order PSW school uniforms online and have the order delivered to the school office. Deliveries will be weekly for parent collection. This will save parents from actually having to go to the PSW shop if you  know what you want and sizes. 

Above is a screen shot of how the screen would look like. 

The parent needs to choose the “Click and Collect” Option, the drop down box will appear and they choose for their item to be delivered to Wattle Park Primary School.

6. Second Hand Uniform Shop Volunteer
Volunteers are desperately needed to help out our amazing Second Hand Uniform Shop Manager Kelly Baird.  If you can spare some time to help out, please contact the office on 9808 2165. 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

7. Unclaimed Jackets
If any of the jackets below belong to your child, please collect them from the rack in the Administration building.