07 Dec 2021
Dear families,
It is hard to believe that this will be the final Principal’s report for the 2021 school year. Where has the year gone? I thank all families, staff members, students and community members for their positivity, unwavering support and flexibility during a very challenging year. And, what a memorable year it was!
Presentation assembly
I extend a huge congratulations to our recipients who received awards at last week’s presentation assemblies. I especially acknowledge the recipients of our major awards:
Sport - Michael
Arts - Talarah
Academic achievement – Evie
I also take great pride in introducing our 2021 school captains:
Noura, Noah, Ben and Harry
Our school captains will be officially inducted in the new year.
Certificate of Excellence
Lat week, our Director, Educational Leadership, Mr David Lamb, presented our school with a Certificate of Excellence. The citation read
“presented to Wollongong West Public School in recognition of the exceptional leadership demonstrated within the entire school community. Acknowledging each and every student, parent, teacher, support staff, community member and school leader for their unrelenting commitment, perseverance and contribution throughout 2021”.
It was an honour to accept this special award on behalf of our school community. Congratulations WWPS!
Farewell Year 6
Tomorrow, our school will farewell our Year 6 students at our graduation assembly and Year 6 farewell. Our evening will commence at 5pm with a graduation assembly. Two fully vaccinated parents are permitted to attend the assembly. A night of dining and dancing will follow in our school hall. I thank our Year 6 children and their families for their valuable contributions to our school over the years. I wish all of our Year 6 children a very successful transition to high school in the new year.
Industrial action
I thank our community for your understanding during today’s industrial action. I appreciate your patience and understanding during this disruption, especially given the challenges we have all faced this year. I will keep you updated on further developments as they come to hand.
Important dates
The last day of school for children in 2021 is Thursday 16 December 2021. In the new year, children in Years 1-6 will return to school on Tuesday 1 February 2022. Our Kindergarten children will also commence school on Tuesday 2 February 2022, with a finish time of 12pm.
Tell Them From Me survey results
I sincerely thank our students, staff and parents/carers who participated in the recent Tell Them From Me survey. Below are a summary of the results:
Student survey
Strengths
· Students demonstrate positive behaviour at school
· Students are not bullied
· Explicit teaching practices and feedback
Areas for improvement
· Students with a positive sense of belonging
· School staff emphasise academic skills and hold high expectations.
Parent survey
Strengths
· Parents feel welcome
· Parents support learning at home
· Inclusive school
Areas for improvement
· School supports positive behaviour
· Safety at school
Teacher survey
Strengths
· Collaboration
· Learning culture
· Leadership
Area for improvement
· Access to technology
Our school will be undertaking a deep analysis of the survey results to inform planning for the 2022 school year.
Reports
Semester 2 reports will be issued on Wednesday 15 December. As already communicated to families, due to COVID-19 and the disrupted year of learning, reports will be simplified reports, similar to the reports distributed in Semester 1 last year. This semester, teachers are not required to use the ABCDE scale that is normally used for reports for children in Years 1-6. Instead, there will be a comment about your child's progress in English, Mathematics and other key learning areas. Reports will also include a general comment.
I sincerely thank our entire Wollongong West community of staff, students and family members for your support throughout 2021. I wish all families a very merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and happy holiday break.
Kind regards,
Michelle Barnes
Principal