Friday 28th August, 2026

A Message from our Principal!

School News and Updates

Parent/carer opinion survey

A reminder that Wangala is currently seeking parent/carer feedback through the 2026 Parent / Carer Opinion Survey. The survey is conducted by all Department of Education schools each year and helps us better understand families’ views on school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. The results assist with identifying areas for improvement, professional development and future planning. Please note that this survey is separate from the School Review Parent Focus Group that was recently completed. The survey will close on Friday 18 September 2026. Please refer to the recent Compass post for full details and instructions on how to complete the survey. We appreciate your participation and feedback.

School review

Our Review Day was held on Thursday 20 August. The review panel observed classrooms, spoke with students and Education Support staff, and met with school leadership. This followed parent/carer and teacher focus groups held the previous week, providing the panel with a broad range of perspectives from our school community. The panel was very positive about what they observed, particularly the calm and orderly learning environments, consistent classroom practices, high levels of student engagement and our inclusive school community. The review report will now be finalised, with the identified future directions informing the development of Wangala’s new four-year Strategic Plan. We thank all students, staff and families who contributed to the review process.

Students not returning

With planning for next year well under way, we kindly ask families to let us know if their child will not be returning to Wangala in 2027. If your child will be attending another school next year, please notify us as soon as possible by emailing wangala.ps@education.vic.gov.au. This information is essential for our planning, including staffing, class structures and resource allocation. If you have any questions or require assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Book Week

Our Book Week celebrations have wrapped up, and what a wonderful week it was! Students enjoyed reading a shortlisted Book Week title each day, taking part in activities inspired by the stories, and listening to a Principal read-aloud at lunchtimes. On Friday, we were delighted to welcome author Justine Martin, who generously volunteered her time to hold engaging sessions with our P–2 and Yr 3–6 students. We sincerely thank Justine for sharing her time, stories and passion for reading with our students. The week finished with our much-loved Book Week Parade, with students and staff showcasing their wonderful costumes and celebrating the joy of reading together. Thank you to our families for attending, assisting students with their costumes and supporting this special week.

Daffodil Day

Thank you to our community for your wonderful support of Daffodil Day last Friday. Our school raised $123 to support cancer research and services through the Andrew Love Cancer Centre in Geelong. A special thank you to Amanda Wright and our Student Voice Council for coordinating the day and helping bring our community together to support this important cause.

Billy Tea Bush Band

What a fantastic afternoon we had with the Billy Tea Bush Band! It was great to see so many families join us for an afternoon of music, dancing and fun. During the day, our students were paired up with a buddy to learn new dances, before sharing the experience with their families in the afternoon. The event was a wonderful way to bring our school community together and celebrate Australian music and culture. A special thank you to Rashelle Moon for coordinating and helping make it such a success.

Upcoming Events

SSGs

Please note that SSG meetings will take place at the beginning of Term 4, rather than at the usual time at the end of Term 3. This change is due to Rashelle Moon being on long service leave. Families will receive confirmed dates and times early next term. End-of-year SSG meetings will still take place at the end of Term 4. If your family has any concerns about this change, please contact the school and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Footy Colours Day

Footy Colours Day and Tabloid Sports is fast approaching on Thursday 10 September. Students are encouraged to wear the colours of their favourite team and will take part in a range of AFL, rugby and soccer activities. For students who don’t follow AFL, soccer or rugby, they are very welcome to wear the colours of any special team they support. Families are warmly invited to come along from 12:00pm–3:00pm to join in on the fun and we look forward to a fantastic day!

Geelong Wonder Schools

The Geelong Wonder School’s Showcase is now less than three weeks away. Our students have been busy rehearsing their dance performances during Performing Arts sessions and will continue preparing to take the stage at the Geelong Arts Centre on Wednesday 16 September. Our P/1S and 1/2HB classes will perform ‘Spectacular 70s’, while 2/3K, 3/4A and 5/6DA will perform ‘Broadway’. There is still plenty of hard work to do, and we are very excited to see our students showcase their talent and the progress they have made.

Kind regards,

Joe Doyle

Principal

Dates to Remember

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.

Term 3 dates:

Monday, 31st August Geelong Botanical Gardens excursion (1/2 KB & 2/3K)

Friday, September 4th Assembly in the gym @ 2:30pm

Thursday, 10th September Footy Colours day

Wednesday, 16th September Geelong Wonder Schools Show

Friday, 18th September Last day of term 3 2026

Term 4:

Tuesday, 6th October Bravehearts Incursion

Wednesday 21st October Geelong Cup – No School

Monday 16th – Friday 20th November Whole school swimming

Saturday, 28th November State Election

Tuesday, 8th December Statewide Transition day

Tuesday, 15th December Graduation Ceremony

Wednesday, 16th December End of Year excursion

Friday, 18th December Last day of school 2026

Classroom Spotlight: 3/4A

Our Pre-Service Teacher, Max

This year, we have been very fortunate to welcome our Pre-Service Teacher, Max, into 3/4A for two four-week placements. Max spent four weeks with us earlier in the year and has recently returned for his second placement. It has been wonderful to see his confidence and teaching skills continue to develop as he works towards becoming a classroom teacher.

During his time with us, Max has built positive relationships with our students and has become a valued member of our classroom community. He has planned and delivered a range of engaging lessons and has shown great enthusiasm and care for his teaching.

This week, Max has been developing and teaching lessons based around our Book Week stories, with a focus on exploring imagery. Students have been learning how authors use descriptive and figurative language to create vivid pictures in the minds of readers. They have enjoyed identifying imagery in our stories and experimenting with using descriptive language in their own writing.

We have loved having Max back in 3/4A and wish him all the very best as he continues his teaching journey. We are sure he will make a wonderful teacher and look forward to hearing about his future successes!

English

Over the course of the year, our students have been enjoying immersing themselves in the imaginative and often hilarious world of Roald Dahl. We have explored a range of his novels, meeting memorable characters, discovering imaginative settings and enjoying Dahl’s unique use of language and humour.

We have also read The Iron Man by Ted Hughes and are currently enjoying the much-loved classic Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. Through these novels, students have been learning many new vocabulary words, exploring their meanings and considering how authors use interesting and descriptive language to engage their readers.

We have also been refining our sentence-level writing skills, focusing on constructing clear, detailed and effective sentences. Students have been applying what they notice in the texts we read to strengthen their own writing.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we are currently learning about decimals to two decimal places. Students are developing their understanding of tenths and hundredths and exploring how decimals can be represented using concrete materials, visual models, fractions and number lines.

We have been practising reading, writing, comparing and ordering decimals, while developing a strong understanding of the value of each digit. Students are also beginning to apply their knowledge of decimals to solve mathematical problems and make connections to real-life situations.

-Amanda

BOOK WEEK @ WANGALA

What a fun week we’ve had celebrating all things books and reading! Our classrooms have been buzzing with excitement, creativity and some very impressive costumes.

From our Book Week Parade and an author visit to Principal Storytime and buddy reading, there has been plenty happening across the school. It was fantastic to see our students (and staff!) getting into the spirit and sharing their love of books with each other.

Here are a few snapshots from a fun-filled week at Wangala!

Photos from the Book Week parade will be in the next edition of the newsletter!

Billy Tea Bush Band

What a fantastic day we had with Mick and Phil from the Billy Tea Bush Band! Our students had so much fun learning Australian folk dances throughout the day before coming together for our whole school bush dance in the afternoon.

It was wonderful to see our students, staff and families getting involved, dancing along and having lots of fun together. A big thank you to Mick and Phil for bringing Australian culture, music and plenty of laughs to Wangala!

We loved seeing our whole school community come together for such a fun and memorable afternoon!

PE with Andy!

Students have been enjoying developing their football skills as they get ready for our upcoming Footy Colours and Tabloid Sports Day!

This week, we turned our attention to rugby skills. Students practised their throwing, catching and kicking, as well as having a go at scoring touchdowns. They also worked on their dodging skills, learning how to change direction and move into space to avoid defenders.

It was great to see everyone getting involved, having fun and building their confidence through sport!

Swimming Program - Term 4

We are very excited to announce that our 2026 Swimming Program will be held at Leisure Link in Waurn Ponds. We are thrilled to have this venue, which is closer to Wangala Primary School and provides the 45-minute swimming sessions we require.

We will be running a one-week intensive swimming program during Week 7 of Term 4. The program is an important part of our Physical Education curriculum and has been fully endorsed by School Council. All students are expected to participate unless they have a medical condition that prevents them from attending.

Students will participate in five swimming sessions across the week, with 45-minute lessons.

Please keep an eye out on Compass next week when the permission and consent forms are posted. These will include further information about the program, session times, costs and payment arrangements.

Please mark these dates in your diary:
Monday 16 November – Friday 20 November 2026 (Term 4, Week 7)

We are really looking forward to getting our students into the pool and making the most of this fantastic opportunity!

Andy – Physical Education

Award Recipients...

Congratulations to these well deserved recipients of the Star Student, Student Leader, Physical Education and Wellbeing Awards.

Buddies!!!

Our 5/6’s enjoyed some time with their buddies reading books during the week. This is a wonderful opportunity for the senior students to build connections and help guide the junior students through their first years at school!

OSHC Update

We would like to advise families that OSHC fees will be changing from the beginning of Term 4. Our new fee structure will be as follows:
Permanent Bookings
Before School Care – $30
After School Care – $35
Casual Bookings
Before School Care – $32
After School Care – $37

We appreciate your understanding and continued support of our OSHC program. Please feel free to contact the OSHC team if you have any questions regarding the updated fees.

Reminder! - Hot Dog orders

Our Footy Colours / Tabloid Sports Day is coming up on Thursday 10th of September, and we’re looking forward to a fun day with our students and families!

Hot Dogs – $3 each

Orders must be placed through Compass by Friday 4th of September.
A maximum of 3 hot dogs per student can be ordered.
Each student requires a separate Compass order.
Unfortunately, no dietary variations are available. Please pack an alternative lunch if required.
No late orders can be accepted after Friday 4th of September.

We look forward to celebrating Footy Colours Day together!

Smile Squad visit!

Next week we are lucky enough to have the Smile Squad team back on site with us.

They will be providing students with there 6-monthly fluoride treatments!

New Uniform! - Available now at Noone!

We have some exciting new uniform available from Noone. There are black puffer vests and soft shell jackets (Size 10 & up) ready for purchase to keep the students warm for the rest of winter!