Newsletter 15

Dear Parents and Carers

This evening, many of our Year 3 students will be making the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  This is their second sacrament and the first sacrament of healing.  Please keep these students and their families in your prayers.  Thank you to Fr Cyp, Fr Tri, Ronellie, Mr Carter and our Year 3 staff; Mrs Collova-Gray, Mrs Gibbons and Mr Balding for assisting our students to prepare for this.

Friday is World Teachers’ (Staff in schools’) Day.  We are very fortunate at Whitford Catholic Primary School to have a high performing, collaborative team of staff whose focus is on the growth and development of every child.  They work hard together, often beyond what is required, to ensure a welcoming, professional environment where all children have the opportunity to thrive.  I would like to thank them on behalf of our community for their commitment to our students, families and school.

Our Year 5 students headed off to camp this morning to build their teamwork skills and to develop their leadership practices in preparation for their role as school leaders in Year 6.  They will have the opportunity to learn more about each other, have fun, experience growth and also develop resilience.

The process to appoint our Physical Education Teacher has been completed.  Tasha Richards was the successful applicant and will join our team in 2026.  Tasha is currently at Prendiville Catholic College and brings a wealth of experience across primary and secondary settings.  We congratulate and welcome Tasha to WCPS.

In the previous newsletter, requests for Class Lists for 2026 were mentioned.  We get several requests for class placements and whilst we try and fulfill genuine, valid requests it is not possible to accommodate or please everyone and some placements have priority over others.  Teachers spend considerable time and effort in this process to place students in the best possible situation and sometimes moving a child may compromise this.  Any requests need to be in by the end of next week for them to be considered in this process.

The process of constructing class lists includes significant professional discussion and planning between staff members to create and determine class lists that have a balance of academic ability, are close to even in number, consider gender balance, social, emotional and behavioural needs of students, which students work well with particular students and which don’t work well together.

Each child will be asked to nominate six students that they would like to be in class with for the following school year assuring them that they will have at least one of these students in their class.

The following are rarely valid requests and generally are not considered:

1. a)      Requests for a particular teacher
   b)      Requests for a child to be in a class with a particular student. At times, we get conflicting requests where a parent would like their child to be in the same class as a particular student and the other child’s parent has requested that the two children be separated. There are also occasions where parent requests conflict with who the child has requested they would like to be in class with.

Valid requests/insights:    
a)      Separating or keeping twins together.
b)      Providing the school with insight into relationship issues a child may have with another student.

Our School Annual Community Meeting and Sundowner is scheduled for Tuesday 18^th November at 6.30pm.  This is an opportunity to hear reports on the progress of the school in the past twelve months and to spend time together celebrating a successful school year and strong, trusting and collaborative partnerships. All community members are invited and welcome to attend.

Each day hundreds of students are dropped off and collected from school.  It is everyone’s responsibility to use the drop off and collection points safely.  Please see the map indicating the parking flow and directions at the following link.  Vehicles exiting the netball courts need to turn left onto Barradine Way with U-turns to be avoided on Barradine.

Congratulations to the Whitty Dads for organising the Amazing Race over the weekend.  This was another great opportunity for our dads and students to come together and enjoy some quality time together.  Well done to all involved!

Parents and carers are invited and welcome to attend the All Saints Mass on Friday.

Best wishes and God Bless