Newsletter Term 1 Week 5 2025
Mid Term Reminders
School Times
Yard B/C is supervised from 8:30am until 3:30pm. Children should not be in the grounds before 8:30am or after 3:30pm unless accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Our School Times are:
8:30am | Before school yard supervision starts |
8:50am | Classes begin |
10:40am – 11:00am | Recess |
12:40pm – 12:50pm | Eating lunch with supervision |
12:50pm – 1:30pm | Lunch Playtime |
1:30pm | Classes begin |
3:10pm | Dismissal |
3:30pm | After school yard supervision ends |
If parents/caregivers are unable to pick up their children by 3:30pm, they should be booked into the YMCA Out of School Hours Care Program (OSHC). Please call 8200 2516 for bookings or visit the school website for more information.
Absences
Parents/Caregivers must provide the school with a reason for absence when a child does not attend. This can be done by filling out the Absentee Form via the school website, the SZapp (Schoolzine) or contacting the Front Office 8271 7430. All notifications should be provided by 9:30am.
If your child comes to school, and is then collected by you for an appointment, he/she must be signed out at the front office prior to collection from the classroom. If the child returns during the day, or if the child is late to school, he/she must be signed in on arrival.
All students absent for three days or more for family holidays must complete an exemption form which is available from the Front Office or on the school website.
Change of family details
It is important that parents/caregivers inform the school of any changes including new addresses, phone numbers, family circumstances etc. Notification of changes can be made via the school website or directly on the School Zine App (SZapp). The app can be found by searching either the App Store or Google Play. Please only complete if details need to be changed, just the information that needs to be updated or hasn't been previously provided to the school. With a change of address, please provide supporting documentation.
Reminder
Please do not leave bikes, scooters, or any personal belongings at the school after hours.
Parking
There is no car parking available on site for parents/caregivers. Please note that the car parks are not a drop off zone. The staff car park on the corner of Goodwood Rd and Marlborough St can only be accessed of OSHC before 7:45am and after 4:00pm.
Parents/caregivers are asked to observe the parking restrictions in the adjacent streets, as Mitcham Council inspectors patrol the streets independently and may impose traffic fines on those parking illegally. Please observe these restrictions, as the safety of our students is paramount. Please note the school has no involvement or control over the street and traffic operations, parking, inspections or fines.
2025 Student Leadership Roles
We are thrilled to announce our 2025 student leadership team! Please join us in congratulating Isla Bosch, Layla Higgins, Finn O'Cadin, and Ruby Grieve as our new school leaders. These students will take on important roles, collaborating with the leadership team on school matters, organising and leading school assemblies, and providing valuable mentorship and support throughout the school community.
We are also excited to welcome our student leaders, Mali Clarke, Alexander Giagkoulas, Lewis Graham, and Charlie Bode, who will be leading the Student Representative Council (SRC). They will be responsible for planning and supporting the SRC, as well as liaising with the junior primary to ensure our younger students have a voice in student matters.
Additionally, we would like to congratulate the elected student representatives for each of our Year 3-5 classes:
- J3: Maggie and Harry
- LC3: Hamish and Alyssa
- LC4: Jack and Harriet
- LC1: Emma and Oliver
- LC2: Alathea and Olivia
- UC3: Maddie and Eleanor
- UC4: Olivia and April
In these roles, these students will represent their classmates, attend school-wide student-led meetings, and report back to their peers. They will be role models, upholding our school’s ARROW values of Accountability, Respect, Resilience, Opportunity, and Wellbeing.
We are incredibly proud of these students for this well-deserved achievement, which reflects their strong leadership qualities and the trust and respect they have earned from their peers.
Congratulations to all of our elected students! We look forward to a year of inspiring leadership and collaboration.
Olivia McGowan
Year 2 Teacher
Westbourne Park Primary School
Artwork
Thank you to our year one and year two students, who were in M10, M11 and M12 in 2024, for helping to create this Chihuly-inspired chandelier, using plastic bottles, permanent felt tip markers, and fishing line.
This collaborative art project was a follow-up to their end of school term/year in 2024, when they went on an excursion to the Botanic Gardens, to visit Dale Chihuly’s magnificent glass sculpture installations.
If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to see his work in amongst the stunning backdrop of our Botanic Gardens, and are interested in attending, please know, it’s a free-entry experience during the day, and will run, until the end of April, 2025
We hope you enjoy seeing (but not touching), our young children’s art piece, suspended from a tree in our school yard, near the Marlborough Road fence.
Red Cross Pillowcase Workshop
On Friday, the 21st of February, students from LC1, LC2, and J3 participated in the Red Cross Pillowcase Workshop. This engaging and educational event was designed to increase awareness and understanding of natural hazards among young learners.
What is the Red Cross Pillowcase Project?
The Red Cross Pillowcase Project is an initiative aimed at teaching children about safety, emotional coping skills, and personal preparedness in the face of natural disasters. Through this workshop, students learn how and why natural disasters occur, equipping them with valuable knowledge and skills to handle such situations.
Objectives of the Pillowcase Project:
- Teaching personal and family preparedness
- Developing safety skills
- Understanding local hazards
- Building basic coping skills
This workshop provided an excellent opportunity for students to gain essential life skills in a supportive and interactive environment.
The workshop was a valuable experience for our students, helping to build their resilience.
Josie Brown, Dora Sierros, Meagan Debicki and Mandy Drinkwater
Emma - Today I learnt that disasters happen more than I expected especially natural disasters. I also learnt how to be prepared for disasters like fires and floods. I think that you need to be prepared for random situations even when you least expect it. The Red Cross is part of a big community that helps everyone in the world.
Elsie - Red Cross taught me lots of important information about evacuation and being prepared for emergencies and how to pack reasonable items in a pillowcase to help us. We had to draw things that we would bring with us while we evacuated from our imaginary disasters onto the pillowcase. A few things I would take in my pillowcase are my water bottle, food, and something to do.
Term 1 Canteen News
Harmony Day 2025
The canteen will hold it's first 'Special Day' on Friday 21 March when the school celebrates Harmony Day. On offer will be a yummy Harmony Day Cupcake, with pre-orders open soon in Qkr. On the day the canteen will also have a number of other orange-coloured treats available for the children to purchase over the counter. Further details will be provided in due course.
Qkr!
It is extremely important that your child's Qkr profile contains not only their name, but also their correct class id, which you will find in Qkr as Hg (home group). When a class id has not been selected correctly this can result in your child's lunch being sent to the wrong class in the daily lunch tub.
Should you have any feedback for our school canteen I can be reached via wpps.canteen286@schools.sa.edu.au
Pam, Canteen Manager
Fresh Bites Cafe
Summit Program for Year 7 Entry in 2026
Please see information below from Unley High School:
The Summit Program is designed for high-ability learners in Years 7 to 10, offering an enriching educational pathway for students identified through academic achievements, diagnostic assessments, and personal success. Our primary goal is to enhance and challenge students both academically and personally by developing strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
The program is open to all in-zone students and for the 2026 intake, we have 10 places available for out-of-zone students. Year 6 students interested in joining the program will need to apply this year. The application process, which includes a written application and an assessment, will open towards the end of this term.
We look forward to welcoming new students who are eager to excel and grow in a supportive and stimulating environment.
Unley High School
101 Kitchener Street, Netherby SA 5062
P (08) 8394 5400
E dl.0797.info@schools.sa.edu.au
W uhs.sa.edu.au
School Photo Day
Library News
Up to twice a term, during the school year, we send home a Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages.
The books span a wide range of children’s reading levels and interests and some books cost as little as $3.
It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school safe and sound and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our school, however there is never any obligation to order.
eBooks and Audiobooks
Our school is providing students with unique learning opportunities, which is why we are pleased to introduce ePlatform, a digital library for students that provides free access to eBooks and Audiobooks.
With ePlatform, students have 24/7 access to eBooks and Audiobooks for free. This is a wonderful extension of our physical school library and allows titles to be checked out at home, over the weekend or during school breaks. Students of all ages can benefit from ePlatform's reading and comprehension tools. A service like this can benefit struggling or reluctant readers, learning-challenged students, second-language learners as well as gifted readers alike.
Ensure your reader has the ePlatform app which can be downloaded for free from the Apple Store, Google Play Store or visit eplatform.co to begin. Students have their own unique login to access the platform. Usernames and passwords will be sent to the class teachers. Students with an iPad used for school will have the app on their device.
Students can come and see Roelien in the library should they have trouble logging in.
Community Facebook
Members of our school community are invited to join our closed Facebook Groups:
- Westbourne Park Primary School Community
- WPPS Parents Buy, Swap, Sell
Upon requesting to join you will be required to answer some basic questions to ensure that people added have a connection to our school.
The community page is coordinated by the school community and is used to share information of school events and to connect with other school families.
Secondhand uniform items can be advertised in the Buy, Swap, Sell group.
Community News
