Welcome to 2023
It is the start of a new academic year and Woodend Primary School is ready to help your child reach their potential. Our caring and community focused school provides each student with the attention they need to thrive. We have a dedicated and experienced staff who provide a stimulating and challenging curriculum for our students. With a strong focus on individualised learning and a wealth of extracurricular activities on offer, we are confident students will continue to enjoy their time at Woodend.

To our new families, our aim at Woodend Primary is to provide a learning environment that inspires each student to achieve his or her personal best. We believe that each child is unique and has the potential to learn and grow in a variety of ways. We are committed to working together with you to help your child reach his or her full potential. Thank you for entrusting your child to us. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and growth!

Parent Involvement
Parent involvement is essential to a child’s success in school, and we appreciate your willingness to help. The last couple of years has seen parents unable to get into the classroom and we look forward to quite a different 2023, beginning with the 2023 Week One Reception Parent/Teacher meetings, and our Acquaintance Evening on Tuesday 7th Feb (see other BlogPost/Seesaw information).

Here are a few ways you can get involved:

  • Attend parent-teacher conferences
  • Volunteer in your child’s classroom
  • Read with your child at home
  • Participate in school events and fundraisers etc

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to working with you to help your child succeed!

Building Progress
During the holidays the new building program has continued with works focusing on specific areas while students were not on site, in order to minimise disruption where possible. It will provide much-needed new space for the students, and it will also help to improve the overall quality of the educational experience. I am particularly impressed by the fact that the new building will be designed to be more environmentally friendly, and this will help to make the school more sustainable in the long term.

We expect the Atrium and surrounding classrooms to be handed over sometime towards the end of May. Late in March we lose access to the Resource Centre while it is being redeveloped. These learning areas will promote students to think for themselves, have students develop their own critical thinking skills, provide a variety of resources and opportunities for students to explore and encourage students to ask questions.

Music Education
The importance of music education has been well documented and it has been found to improve academic achievement, cognitive skills, and social development. Music education can also help develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and team-work skills.

We welcome Kristie Fudge who is a Music Education Network Field Officer placed at our school for 2023. She is one of a team of Field Officers who support the Department’s Music Education Strategy, and while she will be working in a number of schools, she will work closely with our teachers to incorporate the benefits of music into our classrooms. In addition, Reggie Crook continues to provide dedicated music lessons for students, plus we have a strong Instrumental Music program in place.

A successful primary school education is essential for a child’s future.

Student Support
One important aspect is that the school provides a supportive environment for all students because it helps students feel safe and comfortable and research show that when students feel safe and comfortable, they are more likely to be successful in school. In a supportive environment, students are more likely to take risks and try new things. This is important because students need to be willing to take risks in order to learn and grow. All staff have been attending training about Zones of Regulation to support students to self regulate which is a critical component of taking risks and trying new things.

A supportive environment is important for all students, but it is especially important for students who are struggling. When students are struggling, they need extra support in order to be successful and we have Christina Munro who will oversee that support, working with teachers and families. Additional School Service Officer staff have been employed to facilitate this need in our school.

Autism Lead Teacher
Christina has also been the successful person to take on the role of Autism Lead Teacher, which is a Government initiative acknowledging the number of students now diagnosed with autism, who require further support to be successful.

Covid
We will stay informed about the latest developments regarding COVID-19, so that we can continue to  make the best decisions for our safety and that of others. However, I look forward to seeing our school community return to the pre-Covid presence in school.

The weather in the first week of school is going to be very kind to us and 2023 is looking like being a very positive school year.

Kind regards,
Steve Freeman
Principal