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Newsletter

Issue 17

08 Jun 2022

Principals Report

Website Launch

After many weeks of hard work, we are very excited to launch a new Website for the school. We hope the new site is easier for all members of the community to navigate and better showcases the many wonderful things that happen each day at Willy North!

Please take a moment to jump onto the new site at: www.willynthps.vic.edu.au

On behalf of the school community, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Dale Evans (Digital Technologies Leader) and Tinh Nguyen (technician) for the many hours put into the development of this new website.

We will continue to enhance the site and appreciate any feedback you might have; please feel welcome to forward this to myself at: jim.cahill@education.vic.gov.au

Aladdin Jr is Almost Here

It has been a delight to experience the wonderful energy leading up to tomorrow evening’s production of Aladdin. The school has been a buzz of excitement, with students busily rehearsing, with costumes and props being finalised by staff and parents!

The show will get underway at 7:00pm on Thursday 9th June at Williamstown Town Hall. There are nine middle and senior classes performing on stage tomorrow evening, with the remaining middle and senior classes performing this production in November.

If you have not yet secured your tickets for tomorrow night’s performance, please jump onto either of the following links:

https://www.trybooking.com/BZRNT
https://www.trybooking.com/908225

The cost of each ticket is $25, which includes a video link of the show. This link will be distributed early next week.

I would like to take a moment to thank Michelle Barnes (Performing Arts Teacher) for her months of work in bringing this production together. We are so excited to have the Performing Arts alive again at Willy North!

Sibling Enrolments 2023

As we approach the mid-way point of the year, we are eager to start to confirm our 2023 Foundation enrolments. If you are a current school family, with a child eligible for Foundation next year, we seek your support to complete an enrolment form as soon as possible. These forms can be obtained in hard copy at the office or electronically on the school website. The timely lodgement of these forms is extremely helpful for the school’s planning and decision making processes. We thank families in anticipation of their support on this matter.

Acting Principal Appointment for Term 3

I have been very humbled by the kind messages and good wishes since recently announcing my upcoming retirement. I thank parents deeply for these sentiments.

As previously shared, an Acting Principal will be in place for Term 3 whilst I am on Long Service Leave. An external selection process has almost been completed for this acting role and we hope to have an announcement in next week’s Newsletter to confirm this temporary appointment.

An extended selection process will unfold during next term to substantively appoint the new Principal for the start of Term 4. We will of course continue to keep the community updated on this matter.

OSHClub – Welcome Back Sarah

It was indeed a very pleasant surprise to welcome back Sarah Duncan as our OSHClub Coordinator last Monday. Sarah had previously worked at Willy North in this role for several years and then took up a new posting earlier this year. As a result of some OSHClub re-organisation of management roles, Sarah has fortuitously returned to Willy North!

For those who have engaged with Sarah in the past through the OSHClub program, I’m sure you’ll also be delighted with this news! Sarah has a great rapport with our students through the OSHClub program and does a terrific job to ensure students are well supported both before and after school. If you have any queries regarding the OSHClub program, please don’t hesitate to contact Sarah on 0422 236 845.

Lost Property Thanks

A huge thank you to Monica & Vesna (parents) for the fantastic clean up of our lost property area late last week. We hope the return of all of these tops to students have boosted the supplies at home, in time for this very chilly weather!

The before and after shots below show the hard work by Monica & Vesna!

Before






After





Enjoy the rest of the week—Jim Cahill—Principal

JSC Term 2 Fundraiser Event

On Friday the 17th June we are having a whole school fundraiser organized by the 2022 JSC reps, entitled Kooky Coat Day!

Kooky coat day is an event where you decorate your coat in a fun, crazy or Kooky way.

We recommend using things like streamers, pom-poms and ribbons to make your coat look authentic and festive.

It is also a full free dress day!

Keep in mind that this wonderful day is happening on a Friday, which is an inter school sports day. Therefore, any students in Year 5 and 6 should wear clothing appropriate for playing sports.

This time around, we aren’t looking for your gold coins!

We are on the lookout for any unwanted Coats, Jackets, Beanies, Scarves, Gloves etc.

We are also after long life milk, penne pasta, Asian Vegetarian sauces (soy sauce, ketchup etc).

Items are to be dropped off to the large box outside the front of the library, any time during Week 7 and Week 8 (30th May-17th June.).

Everything bought in will be donated to a worthy charity called “Reaching out in the inner west of Melbourne.”

They are an amazing charity group, who donate many things to those living on the streets of Melbourne. They help all kinds of people. You can find out more about them on their Facebook page or by Googling them.

This recent bout of freezing weather is a great reminder to us all, how much a warm coat means to the homeless. So please have a hunt through your wardrobes or anywhere else at home where you think you may be able to find some warm winter items to donate in both adult and child sizes.

We can't wait to see you in your ‘Kooky Coats’ on Friday 17th June!

Scarf 1
Coat 2
Milk 1
Coat 1

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is open and Williamstown North Primary School is excited to be participating. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:

· access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs),

· a modern user-friendly interface,

· rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved,

· the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review.

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 2nd September 2022.

Children from Foundation to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers – with 20 from the list. Children from Year 3 to Year 6 are challenged to read 15 books – with 10 from the list.

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.

All students have been given a unique username and passcode.

To log on to the Premier’s reading challenge:

· Click on this URL: https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home

· Click on the VRPC login.

· Fill out your child’s log in details

· Log any books that your child reads.

Willy Lit Fest


Headliners return to revive the beloved Willy Lit Fest

Following two years lost to pandemic lockdowns, the legendary Williamstown Literary Festival — the biggest winter arts festival in the west — is back.

In response to the heightened uncertainty in the world the theme chosen for 2022 is Days Like These. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the here and now by hearing from leading writers and thinkers, engaging with our community and to invite visitors to experience the unique beauty of Hobson’s Bay.

Mark your diaries for the weekend of June 17-19 and check out the program in time for early bird ticket prices. With 73 participants in 39 sessions, the program of events offers something for everyone.

The Festival will open on the Friday evening with the return of the sensational Stereo Stories unique blend of music and memoir with special guests – Tony Birch, Andy Griffiths, Brian Nankervis, Danny Katz, Smokie Dawson, Lucia Nardo, Rijn Collins, and Toni Jordan.

Every corner of the Town Hall will be buzzing with author talks while the ballroom will be transformed into a hub with a pop-up café where visitors can meet between sessions, make new friends, and learn about the work of many local community groups.

The Program includes a host of best-selling memoir writers such as Sinead Stubbins, a millennial in pursuit of perfection; David Knoff, who was leading a mission at Davis Station in Antarctica when the pandemic hit; TV journalist Mimi Kwa who explored her sprawling family history in a bid to understand why her own father sued her and ABC TV’s Lisa Millar talking about how she dreamed of a big life.

We also welcome thought leaders including Peter Doherty, Andrew Wear, Van Badham, Peter Quarry, Nicole Haddow and Michael McGirr discussing a range of vital topics.

This year will see a focus on fiction with special guests including Steven Conte, Jock Serong, and Paddy O’Reilly, plus intimate salons where talented novelists will read and introduce their latest works in an intimate space.

There will be slam poetry from St Mary’s Primary School students, workshops, book launches, our annual writing awards ceremony, the much-loved People’s Choice writing competition, and much more.

Tickets are available online at the festival website https://www.willylitfest.org.au/.

The Willy Lit Fest is a not-for-profit community event run by a committee of volunteers supported by the Hobson’s Bay City Council through its ‘Make It Happen’ Grants program and our generous sponsors and supporters.

Please contact: Program Director, Jane Finemore j.finemore@willylitfest.org.au; Ph: 0408463873

Issue 17 - 08 Jun 2022

Principals Report

Website Launch

After many weeks of hard work, we are very excited to launch a new Website for the school. We hope the new site is easier for all members of the community to navigate and better showcases the many wonderful things that happen each day at Willy North!

Please take a moment to jump onto the new site at: www.willynthps.vic.edu.au

On behalf of the school community, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Dale Evans (Digital Technologies Leader) and Tinh Nguyen (technician) for the many hours put into the development of this new website.

We will continue to enhance the site and appreciate any feedback you might have; please feel welcome to forward this to myself at: jim.cahill@education.vic.gov.au

Aladdin Jr is Almost Here

It has been a delight to experience the wonderful energy leading up to tomorrow evening’s production of Aladdin. The school has been a buzz of excitement, with students busily rehearsing, with costumes and props being finalised by staff and parents!

The show will get underway at 7:00pm on Thursday 9th June at Williamstown Town Hall. There are nine middle and senior classes performing on stage tomorrow evening, with the remaining middle and senior classes performing this production in November.

If you have not yet secured your tickets for tomorrow night’s performance, please jump onto either of the following links:

https://www.trybooking.com/BZRNT
https://www.trybooking.com/908225

The cost of each ticket is $25, which includes a video link of the show. This link will be distributed early next week.

I would like to take a moment to thank Michelle Barnes (Performing Arts Teacher) for her months of work in bringing this production together. We are so excited to have the Performing Arts alive again at Willy North!

Sibling Enrolments 2023

As we approach the mid-way point of the year, we are eager to start to confirm our 2023 Foundation enrolments. If you are a current school family, with a child eligible for Foundation next year, we seek your support to complete an enrolment form as soon as possible. These forms can be obtained in hard copy at the office or electronically on the school website. The timely lodgement of these forms is extremely helpful for the school’s planning and decision making processes. We thank families in anticipation of their support on this matter.

Acting Principal Appointment for Term 3

I have been very humbled by the kind messages and good wishes since recently announcing my upcoming retirement. I thank parents deeply for these sentiments.

As previously shared, an Acting Principal will be in place for Term 3 whilst I am on Long Service Leave. An external selection process has almost been completed for this acting role and we hope to have an announcement in next week’s Newsletter to confirm this temporary appointment.

An extended selection process will unfold during next term to substantively appoint the new Principal for the start of Term 4. We will of course continue to keep the community updated on this matter.

OSHClub – Welcome Back Sarah

It was indeed a very pleasant surprise to welcome back Sarah Duncan as our OSHClub Coordinator last Monday. Sarah had previously worked at Willy North in this role for several years and then took up a new posting earlier this year. As a result of some OSHClub re-organisation of management roles, Sarah has fortuitously returned to Willy North!

For those who have engaged with Sarah in the past through the OSHClub program, I’m sure you’ll also be delighted with this news! Sarah has a great rapport with our students through the OSHClub program and does a terrific job to ensure students are well supported both before and after school. If you have any queries regarding the OSHClub program, please don’t hesitate to contact Sarah on 0422 236 845.

Lost Property Thanks

A huge thank you to Monica & Vesna (parents) for the fantastic clean up of our lost property area late last week. We hope the return of all of these tops to students have boosted the supplies at home, in time for this very chilly weather!

The before and after shots below show the hard work by Monica & Vesna!

Before






After





Enjoy the rest of the week—Jim Cahill—Principal

JSC Term 2 Fundraiser Event

On Friday the 17th June we are having a whole school fundraiser organized by the 2022 JSC reps, entitled Kooky Coat Day!

Kooky coat day is an event where you decorate your coat in a fun, crazy or Kooky way.

We recommend using things like streamers, pom-poms and ribbons to make your coat look authentic and festive.

It is also a full free dress day!

Keep in mind that this wonderful day is happening on a Friday, which is an inter school sports day. Therefore, any students in Year 5 and 6 should wear clothing appropriate for playing sports.

This time around, we aren’t looking for your gold coins!

We are on the lookout for any unwanted Coats, Jackets, Beanies, Scarves, Gloves etc.

We are also after long life milk, penne pasta, Asian Vegetarian sauces (soy sauce, ketchup etc).

Items are to be dropped off to the large box outside the front of the library, any time during Week 7 and Week 8 (30th May-17th June.).

Everything bought in will be donated to a worthy charity called “Reaching out in the inner west of Melbourne.”

They are an amazing charity group, who donate many things to those living on the streets of Melbourne. They help all kinds of people. You can find out more about them on their Facebook page or by Googling them.

This recent bout of freezing weather is a great reminder to us all, how much a warm coat means to the homeless. So please have a hunt through your wardrobes or anywhere else at home where you think you may be able to find some warm winter items to donate in both adult and child sizes.

We can't wait to see you in your ‘Kooky Coats’ on Friday 17th June!

Scarf 1
Coat 2
Milk 1
Coat 1

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is open and Williamstown North Primary School is excited to be participating. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:

· access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs),

· a modern user-friendly interface,

· rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved,

· the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review.

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 2nd September 2022.

Children from Foundation to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers – with 20 from the list. Children from Year 3 to Year 6 are challenged to read 15 books – with 10 from the list.

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.

All students have been given a unique username and passcode.

To log on to the Premier’s reading challenge:

· Click on this URL: https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home

· Click on the VRPC login.

· Fill out your child’s log in details

· Log any books that your child reads.

Willy Lit Fest


Headliners return to revive the beloved Willy Lit Fest

Following two years lost to pandemic lockdowns, the legendary Williamstown Literary Festival — the biggest winter arts festival in the west — is back.

In response to the heightened uncertainty in the world the theme chosen for 2022 is Days Like These. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the here and now by hearing from leading writers and thinkers, engaging with our community and to invite visitors to experience the unique beauty of Hobson’s Bay.

Mark your diaries for the weekend of June 17-19 and check out the program in time for early bird ticket prices. With 73 participants in 39 sessions, the program of events offers something for everyone.

The Festival will open on the Friday evening with the return of the sensational Stereo Stories unique blend of music and memoir with special guests – Tony Birch, Andy Griffiths, Brian Nankervis, Danny Katz, Smokie Dawson, Lucia Nardo, Rijn Collins, and Toni Jordan.

Every corner of the Town Hall will be buzzing with author talks while the ballroom will be transformed into a hub with a pop-up café where visitors can meet between sessions, make new friends, and learn about the work of many local community groups.

The Program includes a host of best-selling memoir writers such as Sinead Stubbins, a millennial in pursuit of perfection; David Knoff, who was leading a mission at Davis Station in Antarctica when the pandemic hit; TV journalist Mimi Kwa who explored her sprawling family history in a bid to understand why her own father sued her and ABC TV’s Lisa Millar talking about how she dreamed of a big life.

We also welcome thought leaders including Peter Doherty, Andrew Wear, Van Badham, Peter Quarry, Nicole Haddow and Michael McGirr discussing a range of vital topics.

This year will see a focus on fiction with special guests including Steven Conte, Jock Serong, and Paddy O’Reilly, plus intimate salons where talented novelists will read and introduce their latest works in an intimate space.

There will be slam poetry from St Mary’s Primary School students, workshops, book launches, our annual writing awards ceremony, the much-loved People’s Choice writing competition, and much more.

Tickets are available online at the festival website https://www.willylitfest.org.au/.

The Willy Lit Fest is a not-for-profit community event run by a committee of volunteers supported by the Hobson’s Bay City Council through its ‘Make It Happen’ Grants program and our generous sponsors and supporters.

Please contact: Program Director, Jane Finemore j.finemore@willylitfest.org.au; Ph: 0408463873