Thank You
Firstly, a big thank you for all of the workers who made last night a great success. Our teachers, students, canteen staff and helpers plus sound technician and all those people who helped by putting our bins in place and ensuring that afterwards everything was clean and locked up securely. Everyone working together made it a very successful evening. I had many positive comments from parents and students, with a strong acknowledgement of the work that both teachers and children have put into our individual items for the concert. Our regular pyrotechnician  put on a fantastic fireworks display to culminate our work as a community for 2022.

Volunteers Appreciation
Also, a very special thank you must go to all of the people who were at any stage during the year a volunteer either in classrooms, generally in the school or on camps and excursions etc. We certainly value all of the work that you do as volunteers, including those of you that run committees or are on Governing Council as well as parents who support our children with after school sports activities, special days such as our Mother and Father’s Day stalls, providing resources for classroom teachers to use and who have assisted on other special days such as our whole school colour fun run. We tried our best at sending all volunteers a card of appreciation, so if we missed you, our sincere apologies and please know that we appreciate every single thing that you do for a school, and our students.

Reports
At the end of last week, the school had a power failure overnight, and we have had to patiently wait for databases to be rebuilt in order to access the school reports that teachers have prepared for you to read regarding your children. These reports will be distributed on Friday of this week and so please look in your child’s schoolbag for their report when they get home on Friday. These reports will give you an indication of your child’s achievements both in learning and also the attitude and activities involved in while at school. Having read many reports, it is evident that there has been considerable growth in learning as should be expected over the school year.

2023 classes and teachers
On Wednesday of this week, your child will visit their new classroom and in nearly all cases they will meet their teacher for 2023. These details will be written onto a slip of paper which will be sent home for your information. Please also look for that in your child’s schoolbag.

Graduation
Thursday evening of this week is our Graduation Ceremony for all of the year six students as they move on to high school in 2023. There are no limits to the number of people who can attend, so there are no tickets or lists of people who can attend. This evening is always a very special time where we celebrate the movement of our Graduates from primary school to high school. Our local member, David Speirs, will attend briefly which we do appreciate given that he has several graduations on the same evening that he is asked to attend. It also happens to be his birthday, so of course his family have their own requests.

Opening of our Middle Playground
Your children may have come home to you and share that our middle playground has now open to students. This is an exciting time and a big thank you to the SRC and Aimee Aparicio for the work in getting this to where it is today. During this week, all students get an opportunity to use it, and they have all been very excited, and they have shared their approval of the efforts of the SRC.

Building Update
Apart from a short break over the school holidays, the building works will continue. I work closely with both the Department and also the INTRACT Builders and I am pleased to say that they are very much on track for completion in the latter part of 2023. The covered outdoor learning area is underway, and apart from striking rock unexpectedly, it is on track for completion early next year. Framework has been erected for our new STEAM Spaces in the atrium which will be an amazing resource for our students once it is completed. At a time yet to be determined, but probably sometime in March, the builders will begin working on the library space which will mean that we will need to shift those resources into another room so that students can continue to use it throughout the year. All of this planning is taking place and we anticipate minimal disruption to most classes next year, with only a few having to shift spaces in March. We have, ensured that all reception classes will remain unaffected by any movements, and where any classes do need to shift into another location, that they are supported to do so. If driving down Young Street, you may notice that the room that we previously called the glasshouse, now has a timber frame on a concrete slab. That will be in additional classroom when they have finished it. This is definitely a very exciting time for Woodend.

From all of the staff at Woodend Primary School, we wish you a very Merry and Safe Christmas, a Happy and Safe New Year, and hope the holiday break will be a time where people can be together, rest and relax in someway. We look forward to all students returning safely to whichever school they will be attending in 2023.

Kind Regards,

Steve
Steve Freeman
Principal