Newsletter
Friday 13th September, 2024
From the Principal
Dear Families,
It has been an absolute pleasure stepping into the role of Acting Principal during Mr. King’s absence. Mr. King is enjoying some well-deserved long service leave, and we look forward to his return next term.
This week, I’ve been warmly welcomed each day by the smiles and cheerful faces of our students and families as they arrive at school. It has been particularly heartening to see the support for RU OK? Day, with many students wearing yellow and participating in activities designed to promote their social and emotional wellbeing.
Our students are eagerly anticipating the Geelong Schools Music and Movement Festival next Tuesday. I’ve enjoyed watching their rehearsals and seeing their excitement as they prepare for the concert. There is a real buzz around the school with conversations about costumes, hairstyles, and the mix of nerves and excitement. I hope everyone has an amazing time performing on stage, embracing their feelings, and growing in confidence and resilience.
With only one week left before the end of term, we look forward to showcasing the students’ learning at the open classrooms next Friday afternoon. From 2:00 pm, you are invited to visit your child’s classroom to celebrate their Inquiry unit work. Please note that school will finish early at 2:30 pm on this day.
It’s been wonderful to hear about the Prep/1 students showing their student voice and agency by raising money for native plants to surround our yarning circle. A casual clothes day, with a gold coin donation, was a fantastic way to encourage participation. I’m happy to announce that we raised $132.55! Well done to our junior students for initiating this great idea.
Lastly, congratulations to Grade 5 student Maycee Wakefield, who represented Wangala Primary School at the Division Athletics this week. Maycee came third in her hurdles event, narrowly missing out on proceeding to the Regional Athletics. Well done, we are all very proud of you, Maycee!
As this is the last newsletter before the end of term, I wish you all a wonderful and safe holiday break and look forward to seeing everyone again next term.
Regards,
Rashelle Moon
Acting Principal
Dates to Remember
Tuesday, 17th September
Geelong Music and Movement Festival, Whole School
Thursday, 19th September
MARC Program at WPS
Friday, 20th September
Last Day of Term 3, Early Finish 2.30pm
Monday, 7th October
First Day of term 4
Monday, 14th October
Kids Helpline Online Session, Year 5/6 Students – High School Transition
Thursday, 17th October
MARC Program at WPS
Friday, 18th October
2.45pm Assembly in the Gym
Wednesday, 23rd October
Student Free Day – Geelong Cup
Thursday, 24th October
Student Free Day – Curriculum Day
Thursday, 31st October
MARC Program at WPS
Friday, 1st November
Auslan Incursion
2.45pm Assembly in the Gym
Monday, 11th November – Friday 17th November
Whole School Swimming program
Wangala Primary School acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land we are on, the Wadawurrung people, and thank them for sharing their long lasting culture with us as we learn and grow together.
Student Star Awards
Congratulations to all of our award receivers last fortnight!
Reminders
Last Day of Term: Friday, 20th September will be the last day of the term. Classrooms will be open from 2:00pm for parents and carers to view students’ school work. The school day will end early, at 2:30pm.
Pupil-Free Days for Term 4: In Term 4, there are two pupil-free days. The first is on Wednesday, 23rd October, which is the Geelong Cup Public Holiday. The second is on Thursday, 24th October, which is a Curriculum Day. Both of these days are student-free.
Chickens and Garden Care: We are still looking for 2 families to help care for the chickens and garden over the term 3 school holidays.
If you are available to lock away the chickens of an afternoon from Sat 21st – Sat 28th September or Sun 29th September – Sun 6th October, please let reception know.
Upcoming Excursions and Camps:
– Tuesday 17th September, Geelong School’s Music and Movement Festival, all year levels, $7, payment and consent via Compass.
– Monday 11th – Friday 17th November, whole school swimming program, $60, payment and consent via Compass.
School Saving Bonus
In Term 4, 2024, families with a child enrolled in a government school from Prep to Year 12 in 2025 will receive the one-off $400 School Saving Bonus. The $400 School Saving Bonus provides families with support for education-related costs, such as school activities and/or school uniforms and textbooks. The School Saving Bonus is not available for full-fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.
Actions for parents and carers:
Before 18 October 2024, the Department of Education is asking parents and carers to:
Complete enrolment: If your child, or children are changing government school for Term 1 2025, or starting Prep or Year 7 in 2025. For more information, read about Enrolling in School.
Check your contact information: Ensure your email address and phone number is up to date with us. You can check this information by contacting us directly.
We need to ensure your contact information is up to date as the Department of Education will email you twice:
– in October, to verify your email address
– in November, with your $400 School Saving Bonus.
Please check your junk mail regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email.
To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers or see attachment at the bottom of this newsletter. You can also visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.
Positive Behaviour Matrix Fortnightly Campaign
This week’s positive behaviour matrix is “We ask before we leave the classroom.” This rule helps maintain order and safety by requiring students to seek permission before exiting, which minimises disruptions and promotes responsibility. It encourages students to respect the learning environment and consider how their departure affects the classroom dynamics.
Excursion Highlights: Year 5 and 6 Explore Science at BioLAB
On Monday, our Year 5/6 students visited BioLAB at Belmont High School. They participated in the “Science of Cheating” program, which uses STEM investigations to explore how athletes have historically sought advantages in sports. Students applied mathematical reasoning, scientific testing, and literacy skills to investigate shoe technology, sports doping, mechanical advantage, and various intriguing stories of cheating attempts.
They also took part in the “Brain Matters” program, which delves into brain anatomy and function. Through hands-on activities, students tested reaction time, balance, psychology, and the effects of physical activity. The program aims to enhance their understanding of brain function and health and emphasizes the importance of lifelong brain care.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the BioLAB experience, finding it both educational and engaging.
Kitchen Garden Program
Over the past two weeks, we’ve been busy cleaning up after the wild weather. Thankfully, most of our seedlings and plants survived, though we did have a lot of fallen branches and debris to clear. We’ve started preparing our garden beds for summer crops by incorporating compost into the soil. A big thank you to our Year 2, 3, and 4 students for their hard work moving the compost! Our Year 5/6 students crafted wooden teepees for our cucumbers to climb, using sticks they painted in art class.
In the kitchen, we’ve been making the most of our autumn vegetables. Recently, we’ve enjoyed Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki), Asian dumplings, and a variety of seasonal salads. The students even made the dumpling wrappers from scratch. Next week, we’re excited to feature cauliflower from our garden, which has been producing some truly impressive heads!
Our fruit trees are blossoming beautifully, and we look forward to sharing our progress throughout the spring and summer with you!
R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day (Thursday, 12 September 2024) is Australia’s national day of action. It serves as a reminder that every day is a good day to ask, “Are you OK?” and to support those facing life’s challenges. The day aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and educate people on recognizing the signs of someone who might be struggling. Everyone is encouraged to reach out to friends and family to check in on their well-being.
On Thursday, Wangala supported R U OK? Day by wearing a touch of yellow. This provided a valuable opportunity to teach our students about the importance of checking in on their friends.
We all have the power to ask, “Are you OK?” and make a difference. Use these four steps to start a conversation that could change a life:
- Ask, R U OK?
- Listen
- Encourage Action
- Check In
Helpful Resources Online for Families
‘THE ARTS’ AT WANGALA PRIMARY SCHOOL
It has been an exciting term three in the Arts at our school! All students have been doing their best work for specific community projects.
BARWON WATER POSTER COMPETITION
Wangala students have created and entered the annual Barwon Water Poster 2024 competition, where the topic was:
“Water for All. Inspiring Action.”
The students planned and designed their posters, applying multi-media to ensure they were bright and colourful and contained a clear meaningful message.
All entries were uploaded last week and now we eagerly await to hear the results in October’s official Water Week. The categories were Preps/ Year 1 & 2/ Year 3 & 4/ Years 5 & 6, a first, second and third prize will be awarded in each.
Many schools from the Geelong Region have entered. Every Wangala student currently has their poster displayed around our school, either in the office or our Djirnap building.
GEELONG SCHOOLS MUSIC AND MOVEMENT FESTIVAL
Not long now, until we all go on stage and show how talented and skilful we are at Wangala!
With lots of student suggestions, our dance sequence has come to fruition, and we have been practising our items every day.
Together, we are going on stage as a team to represent our school with pride, under the brilliant lights of the Geelong Art Centre Stage.
Our Prep & one students will be dancing with ribbons to a medley of 1950’s Rock ‘n’ Roll songs and our Year 2-6’s are performing in a “Barbie & Ken” theme to a medley of Dua Lipa songs.
We have all been practising our stage smiles, getting into our dance lines and adding lots of energy to our actions. We can’t wait to show you!
Not only will we be performers, we will also be the audience for other school’s on the day who will be sharing their talents.
Term Four
Next term, in the Arts, we will be creating works for the Royal Geelong Show – School’s Art Exhibition, the Geelong Council Christmas Tree and our very own “Wangala’s Got Talent” Showcase event.
Our Recorder Club and school Choir will continue to build on their skills and will have opportunities to perform in our school community. Please let Ms Whytcross know, if you would like to join!
Reconciliation Action Plan
Our Positive Behaviour Matrix
