Hello Everyone,

Congratulations to all the WPPS students who competed in the Australasian Maths Olympiad competition this year. Awards were presented at last week’s Assembly. Over 37,000 students compete in this annual event.

There were 173 schools who came in the top 10% of Australasia:

Within that top 10%

• Wattle Park Primary ranked 11th
• Mentone Girls Grammar ranked 30th
• Presbyterian Ladies College ranked 33rd
• Scotch College (Hawthorn) ranked 47th

Well done everyone.

For a complete list of all schools in the top 10% of this year's results please see HERE.

Students who form part of our team are selected by their teachers based on their Mathematics results. Our 2025 class was composed of 26 students, who came  from a range of classes spanning  year 2 to year 6.

Speaking of classes :

2026 Classes

FA   Kathy Skantzos

1/2A   Melinda Downes

1/2B   Poorva Bansal

1/2C   M, T Samantha Kwong, W, TH & F Anna Saaksjarvi

3A   M Annmaria Antonino, T, W, Th & F  Dominic Monea

3B   Monica Woodhouse

4A   Lauren Neilson

4B   M Richard Abell, T, W, Th & F James Feather

5A   Adam Lawrence

5B   Kim Duong

6A   Julie Carlson

6B   Nic Lindsay

ART   T, W, Th Sarah Nolan

PA    T, W, Th Sylwia Michalska

LOTE    T, W, Th Sabrina Lin

PE    T, W Th Stephen Roberts 

Health   M, F Stephen Roberts

SAKGP   - Garden M, T Nicole Browne

SAKGP   - Kitchen M, T Carolina Trantino

The Department of Education has also provided, for the first time next year, Mental Health in Primary School Funding (MHiPS funding). The amount of funding is provided according to the amount of students, so ours works out to approximately 1 day a week. The way this looks next is still to be determined. We will keep you in the loop.

The opportunity to request a class placement based upon specific educational needs is now closed. This opportunity has been presented weekly in the newsletter since the 24th of October.

Our Students

2025.12.03. Year 1 - Cameron Close Christmas Party
On Wednesday 3rd December, our Year One students enjoyed a very special visit to Cameron Close for their Christmas Party. Throughout the year, the children have visited the retirement village every Wednesday to share their reading, with each child forming a lovely connection with their own dedicated “Listener.” 

The residents warmly welcomed us with a delicious spread, and our students delighted them by performing two festive Christmas songs, which were met with smiles and a sing-along from the residents. We also stopped to visit Patch the Scarecrow, who was proudly displaying a beautiful Christmas message. 

To finish the day, the children presented their Listeners with handmade Christmas cards and, in return, received a small gift. It was a heartwarming end to a truly memorable year of connection and community.

2025.11.28 Year 2 Big Day Out - A Day To Remember!
Last Friday, 28th November, our Year Two students enjoyed their much-anticipated Big Day Out! It was a truly special day filled with fun, laughter, and plenty of delicious treats. Designed as an introduction to the school’s camping program, the experience mimicked the first day of camp, complete with casual clothes, quality time with classmates, an extended school day, and a focus on public safety protocols.

The day began with a visit to Flip Out, where students participated in cooperative teamwork and bonding activities that challenged their comfort zones and fostered resilience. From there, we headed to Orchard Grove Reserve for a delightful picnic-style lunch and some self-directed social time, giving students the chance to unwind and connect with one another.

Then it was off  to Hoyts Cinemas at Forest Hill, where students practiced safe social protocols in a public setting while enjoying a relaxing movie. Adding to the magic, we had a surprise visit to the Big Man in Red himself—Santa! Finally, we returned to WPPS for a quick bite to eat and a chance to reflect on the wonderful day spent together.

The Year Two Big Day Out was a perfect balance of fun and learning, setting the stage for the exciting adventures that lie ahead in the camping program. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this day such a memorable one!

Audrey: I loved flip out because I got to do lots of flips. I also enjoyed the movie because I watched Zootopia part 1 the night before. I also enjoyed the pizza party because we got to stay and play with our friends the whole day. 

Caroline: It was the best day ever. I liked watching the movie with all my friends. It is one of my favorite MOVIES. I enjoyed taking a picture with Santa Clause. 

Agam: I enjoyed jumping on the trampoline and rock climbing. My favorite part was that we got the whole cinema for ourselves. It was the best day ever! 

Students of the Week!
As a result of our recent School Review, as well as the work we are doing with our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Program, our school values have changed from six:

Respect, Responsibility, Care, Encourage, Value and Challenge to the ‘Three R’s’;

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience

Congratulations to all of our students who have displayed these values this week.

This week, we investigated Resilience - and how it looks in Digital Spaces

Resilience - Digital Spaces - We stay calm when faced with technical problems and attempt to work through the problem.

You can view the video HERE

Mathletics Champion
A round of applause for:

Sonny K - FB

who has excelled in Mathletics this week through consistent participation and impressive performance. Well done Sonny!

House Points
The House Points have been collected for this week.  The winning house decorates the trophy with their colours and has it displayed in the foyer of the school. 

Notices

     2.40 - 3.30 2025 Whole School Transition 

NAPLAN March 2026 

Past NAPLAN papers, please email samantha.kwong2@education.vic.gov.au Spare practice papers are at the office for collection.

Year 3 Numeracy Practice question example:

Year 5 Numeracy Practice question example:

NAPLAN Resources - Free!
Year 3 NAPLAN practice site
Year 5 NAPLAN practice site
NAPLAN 2012–2016     
NAPLAN 2008–2011

NAPLAN Resources - Paid
Rise+ –
EXCEL Test Zone

These platforms closely resemble current NAPLAN assessments. They offer timed test conditions, instant reporting, growth analysis, and rankings that compare your child’s results with other national test takers. 

• Blake’s Back to Basics NAPLAN (Officeworks, Amazon, Booktopia)
• EXCEL NAPLAN-style tests (Officeworks, Amazon)
• School Zone NAPLAN (Kmart, Target, Officeworks, Amazon)
• Test Mate NAPLAN (Amazon)

Project Playground
Having a visual focus for our fundraising efforts is an important way to galvanise support for community funded projects.

You will notice we have a sign up on the corner of Banksia and Warrigal Road. The purpose of this sign is to:

• Let everyone know what we are raising money for (New playground)
• How to help (Donations can be made via the QR code)
• How much we have and how much more we need to go (About 80G)

This platform is live and the QR code can be used to donate (so feel free to donate!)  but given the proximity of the fete we will leave an official ‘Launch’ to a later date.

More information on ‘Project Playground’ on our website HERE

Social Media Delay/Ban
With the upcoming Social Media Restrictions for children under 16 coming into effect from 10th December 2025,  you may be interested in watching this 4min long video from the E-Safety Commissioner: 

https://vimeo.com/612389757?fl=pl&fe=sh

Not all social media will be blocked, and it makes some interesting suggestions, including making sure you play whatever game your child is involved in.

There is also a list of practical tips on how to implement safety controls on various platforms:

Parental controls

Running Club
Last one was this week

‘Hats on in September’ … and till the end of the year

Have a great weekend - the last one before the Social Media ban comes in!

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