Hello Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who helped make this term the vital and dynamic festival of learning it has been. There have been many academic and community triumphs, none of which would have occurred without the support of our school community volunteers.

The PFA events, the volunteers, the School Council, our friends at Cameron Close and Papilio and a host of other people have been instrumental in creating a safe place to enable our students to flourish.

All our volunteers have a Working With Children Check - if you would like to assist please note details to attain one on the VOLUNTEERS page of our website. 

There will no doubt people I miss in this list so apologies in advance but thank you too:

Volunteers

Foundation: 

Simone BALTHAZAAR-HAYDON	Class reading
Anastarcia TAMIANO	Excursion
Isabelle GARDINER	Taking on parent rep role mid-term
Marion GEORGE	Donating boxes of Book Week Books to the school library

Year 1/2:

Judy and John Dunn

Cameron Close

Also a big thank you to our listeners for taking  the time to read with our Grade 1 students and share so many wonderful stories. 

Koalas Listeners	Wombats Listeners
Margot	Narelle Green
Brian Smith	Fran Floyd
Carol Ince	Bev Petroni
Betty Huggan	Bev Manzies
Beverley Forbes	Janet Ooi
Joan Mitchell	Jane Yescovitch
Roger Quick	Garry
	Kathy Noble

 

Sjaan Keen	Made all the cupcakes for our Party Maths Day, Tree Planting Volunteer, Mother’s and Father’s Day Stall,  (among many other things she does around the school.)
Kristy Clark	Scholastic Book Club
Teneile Kost	Excursion Volunteer, Class Representative and Second Hand Uniform Shop
Louise Coghlan	Excursion Volunteer
Alysha Smith	Excursion Volunteer
Tina Gittins	Excursion Volunteer
Anndrea Wong	Excursion Volunteer and Class Representative
Eliza Britting	Excursion Volunteer and Class Representative
Anna Rich	Excursion Volunteer

And of course all of the parents who have come along to our Reading Lounge sessions on Friday mornings - your participation is invaluable!

Year 3A:

Sally CURLEWIS	SAKGP (Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program)
Marion GEORGE	SAKGP
Ming CAI	SAKGP
Rick Xin WANG	SAKGP
Margie RICHARDSON	SAKGP
Shelley LIU	SAKGP
Stephen GEORGE	SAKGP
Elizabeth GEORGE	SAKGP
Rajni GHAI	SAKGP
Alex XU	SAKGP
Sunny SUN	SAKGP
Amy YEAT	SAKGP
Drew NOAKES	SAKGP
Minh NGUYEN	SAKGP
Shannon McLINDON	SAKGP
Abbey	SAKGP
Erin CHONG	SAKGP
Bereket BIMNET	SAKGP - Deakin Uni
Wey	SAKGP - Deakin Uni
Anna TONG	SAKGP
Hannah NGUYEN	SAKGP
Tara FERNANDO	SAKGP
Jason GAY	SAKGP
Hailey GARCIA	SAKGP
Zuleka SHAFANE	SAKGP
Sarah FALAJMI	SAKGP

Year 3B:

Libbie Chellew	Kitchen, Gala Days
Delia Chen	Kitchen
Sissi Chen	Kitchen
Naomi Chua	Garden
Tina Gittins	Gala Days
Markus Krebs	Garden
Heidi Newitt	Kitchen
Teneile Kost	Kitchen, Gala Days, Class Rep
Jess Walmsley	Kitchen
Rohan Walmsley	Kitchen
Barbara Wong	Kitchen, Garden, Gala Days
Ice Ng	Kitchen
Mike Hunt	Garden
Anna Saaksjarvi	Gala Day
Crystal Shu	Gala Day
Nobelle Ng	Kitchen
Hailey Garcia	Deakin Uni - Garden
Bereket Bimnet	Deakin Uni - Kitchen & Garden
Wey	Deakin Uni Kitchen & Garden
Sarah Falajmi	Deakin Uni - Kitchen

 

Year 4:

Shay Gao	SAKGP
Simone Balthazaar-Haydon	SAKGP
Erica Austen	SAKGP
Samantha Van Dort	SAKGP
Rachel Xiao	SAKGP
Lindy (Eddie’s Gran)	SAKGP
Sissi Chen	SAKGP
Hyejin (Catherine) Oh	SAKGP
Kate Simos	SAKGP
Amanda Boll	SAKGP
Alvan Aiau Yong	SAKGP
Hailey Garcia	SAKGP
James McGinnes	SAKGP
Nikki Hughes	SAKGP
Kristy Clark	SAKGP
Erin Chong	SAKGP
Nobelle Ng	SAKGP
Huong Thi Lien Nguyen	SAKGP
Wey	SAKGP
Bereket Bimnet	SAKGP
Anna Saaksjarvi	SAKGP
Cindy Song	SAKGP
Jason Gay	SAKGP
Teneile Kost	SAKGP, Gala Days
Duncan Gray	SAKGP, Gala Day
Michelle Birkic	SAKGP
Tom Rosewarne	SAKGP
Jie Zhou	SAKGP
Joan King	SAKGP
Krystal Archer	SAKGP
Hailey Garcia	SAKGP
Sjaan Keen	SAKGP
Erin Chong	SAKGP
Anura Srivastava	SAKGP
Eva Szymlek-Gay	SAKGP
Hailey Evans	Basketball Day

 

Year 5:

Danielle BOER	Gala Day
Mark BOER	JMSS (John Monash Science School), Gala Day
Barbara WONG	Gala Day
Yun MA	Gala Day
Hadi VALIPOUR	JMSS
Alex BUTT	Basketball Day

 

Year 6:

Rohan Walmsley	JMSS
Leo Huang	JMSS
Marco Li	JMSS
Leigh Sampson	JMSS
Tony Ngo	JMSS
Mike Hunt	JMSS and Gala Day
Xin TAN	JMSS
Naomi Chua	JMSS
Karine G	JMSS
Sally Curlewis	JMSS
Sarah Shahsavand	JMSS and Gala Day
Luna Lu	JMSS
Jack Clark	JMSS
Ali Corneschy	Second Hand Uniform Shop
Lynea Wong	JMSS

Dates

Tuesday 6th October: School resumes on Tuesday for students. 

For all other dates please check the WPPS school calendar which includes dates for the upcoming Year 56 school camp in Portsea 26th - 28th of October

Please also check year level websites for class specific information. 

Year level websites
Foundation  Year 1/2    Year 3     Year 4     Year 5     Year 6   Specialists

Safety House - a WPPS connection
There are two reasons we are mentioning the Safety House Program in this week’s newsletter. The first is that the Safety House Program is still operating in Victoria.

The Safety House Program is a local Police and community initiative designed to help children feel safe and confident in their local community. It provides:

• Safe places for children to go if they feel scared, threatened or unsafe.
• Skills and confidence to help children make safe choices.
• A network of trusted and approved Safety Houses within the community.

Children can recognise an approved Safety House by its distinctive yellow smiling house logo — a familiar symbol that identifies a place where children can seek help if they feel unsafe.

School education programs also reinforce the important role that Safety House plays in supporting children's safety and wellbeing.

For more information about the Safety House Program, visit the Australian Police website.

But there is another, much more personal, reason for us to be talking about Safety House…

Did you know that a former Wattle Park Primary School student was responsible for designing the famous Safety House logo?

As part of our ongoing efforts to preserve Wattle Park Primary School’s history, we have been systematically scanning photographs from the old school albums buried in our library over the years. We have uncovered some wonderful pieces of our school's history — but every now and then, we find a real gem.

This week, we discovered one of those gems: a 1983 award presented to Katie Graham, a Wattle Park Primary School student, for her winning design of the Safety House logo.

It is a wonderful piece of Wattle Park history and a reminder that our students have been making their mark on the wider community for geneations.

Read on to discover more about Katie, the competition and the story behind the iconic yellow smiling house!

WE WANT OUR PARENTS / CARERS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK -  Closes today

Our annual Parent / Carer Opinion Survey opened online for two weeks from Monday 17 August to Friday 18 September 2026. The survey is optional, takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and provides valuable feedback that helps us identify areas for improvement and inform school planning. Last year, your feedback helped shape a range of changes, including our new playground and improvements to the canteen. All families are encouraged to participate, with login details and a unique PIN to be sent via Compass on Monday 17 August. 

Our Students

This term the Year 5/6s have been working exceptionally hard on their Night Of The Notables (NOTN) presentation. They designed vibrant posters, engaging digital elements and some even created interactive games all about inspiring Australians who've made a lasting difference in our world. 

The big day started with all classes from across the whole school coming into the year 5/6 classrooms to explore the presentation boards. The excitement continued into the evening at around 6 o'clock when we returned to school, eagerly  preparing to welcome our parents, families and special guests. 

We all feel incredibly privileged to have had this amazing opportunity to showcase our learning and share the stories of such remarkable individuals. We got to share our information that we have been collecting over the past several weeks. Everyone chose an inspiring Australian, whose story they enjoyed,  and made a difference in our hearts and world.  All the students dressed up as their person in full costume, hair and props. 

Lastly, we would like to thank all of the grade 5/6 cohort and teachers who made this amazing and memorable day happen.

There will be pictures below. 

Thank you
By Heidi, Lexi and Olivia

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

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.

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

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience

FA	Lachlan	1/2A	Leo
1/2B	Ollie	1/2C	Oscar
3A	Iqra	3B	Grace
4A	Anya	4B	Annie
5A	Audrey	5B	Ayva
6A	Claire	6B	Talya

Mathematics Award
A round of applause for: Carey Z 1/2B

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

Class of the Week Awards -  PE
Congratulations to: 6A     

who were awarded ‘Class of the Week’ for their exemplary behaviour and effort in Visual Arts.

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. THis weeks’ winner is BLUEGUM!

Our Staff

This week's interview is with our long term and much respected yr 12B teacher- Ms Poorva Bansal

First year at Wattle Park	2024
Current role	Year 1/2 Classroom Teacher
Favourite subject when I was at school:	Maths and Art
Best memory from primary school:	Performing at school productions
Favourite book growing up:	Macbeth book by William Shakespeare
Favourite movie:	The Monuments Men
Best dish I can cook:	Toast
Which Zooper Dooper flavour I'm buying from the Year 6 stall:	Cola
Hidden talent:	I can dance pretty much to any song.
Most controversial opinion:	Pineapple absolutely belongs on pizza!
Number one item on my bucket list:	Backpacking trip to europe
If I wasn't a teacher I'd be...	Working at a zoo
What I would tell my 10-year-old self:	Don't worry so much, enjoy the little things and always be yourself!

Other Events

Running Club

The ever popular Running Club is back up and running for term three. Every Thursday at 8.00am join the team on the Top Oval.

Thank you everyone, to the volunteers, to the community and to you specifically. I hope the holidays offer you a break from the great big wheel.

Steve Donohue

Principal

Wattle Park Primary School

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2026 WATTLE PARK PRIMARY GOLF CLASSIC

Attention all Wattle Park Dads.


The annual Wattle Park Primary Golf Classic is back for 2026 — an afternoon of golf, laughs, food, drinks and great company. 

• Saturday 17 October

• 2:00pm – 6:30pm ish

• Wattle Park Golf Course

• $50 per person
• No golf experience required! Based on previous years this has no bearing on results. 

Your $50 includes;

Golf
, Food
, Drinks, Welcome pack & prizes
It’s a great chance to meet other dads from the Wattle Park Primary community, have a hit and enjoy a relaxed afternoon together. 

Tickets are available now:
https://events.humanitix.com/2026-wattle-park-primary-golf-classic-fzy4vpna 

Get involved, bring a mate and come along for a great afternoon!

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Please scroll through to see all of our latest notices!


1. WPPS Production
2. Upcoming Date
3.Digimaker


1. WPPS Production

Bookings will be open via Trybooking at 9am Monday 14th September. Please use the link below or scan the QR code.
Journey Through Disney Tickets, Besen Centre, Burwood | TryBooking Australia


2. Upcoming Dates

OCTOBER - Term 4
5th October	Curriculum Day - Student Free
6th October	First day of Term 4
21st October	Whole School Production - 6.30pm

3. Digimaker

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• Newsletter
• Mad Hatter's Spring Tea Party
• Holiday Program

Hats on, it’s party time!

TeamKids is celebrating the end of Term 3 with a wonderfully wacky Mad Hatter’s Spring Tea Party!

You can expect curious creations, tasty treats, colourful fun, and plenty of surprises as TeamKids tumbles down the rabbit hole for one final Term 3 adventure. ?✨

Don’t be late for this very important date! Book your spot today at https://www.teamkids.com.au/venues/wattle-park-primary-burwood-oshc-2/

Spring Holidays are sorted with TeamKids!

From exciting excursions and incursions to action-packed in-house days, there’s plenty planned these holidays.

View the full TeamKids program and book your days here: https://www.teamkids.com.au/venues/wattle-park-primary-burwood-oshc-2/

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Support our local businesses!!!

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