Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome to Willoughby PS 2019!
We have had a great start! Our new Kindergarten students have displayed great confidence and positivity starting “Big School”. Congratulations parents for supporting and encouraging independence in your children. We have an exciting year of learning ahead.
It has been lovely to see our students from Year 1 to Year 6 return ready to learn. They have moved into their new classes, developing and renewing friendships – generally getting to know each other, setting up class expectations together for a productive and positive year of learning.
Our students gave me some lovely feedback about their first week back at Willoughby PS:
Starting the year at WPS in our 2018 class (student feedback)
*I think that having our old teacher and class at the beginning of the year was an excellent idea. It felt easier to leap into a new year because I had all my old friends around me and I felt comforted knowing I knew my teacher. I’m really looking forward to the new class and the year. I am hoping to learn new skills this year, making new friends and having a new teacher. I am sad I’m leaving my old class and teacher but I know that I will be alright.
*I loved how we went back to our 2018 class and teacher. It was great to familiarise ourselves by to get back into the swing of doing work again. I missed my teacher a lot.
*I liked knowing that I was going to my old class and teacher at the beginning of the year. I felt that my teacher prepared me for my new class the following week.
*I found it much easier knowing I did not have to go to my new class at the beginning of the year. I enjoyed socialising and doing STEM activities that would help prepare me for Year 3. It was good to do, as I didn’t feel nervous because I had already been at school for 1 week.
*I thought it was great going back to my teacher from 2018. She made me feel relaxed and not nervous at all. It was also great to see my class again and know that we wouldn’t be all together again. My teacher explained all the fun things we get to do in the higher grades. This made me feel super excited!
*I found starting the year in my old class a lot better because I could be with my friends for longer. It was nice because it made me relax and not be nervous.
Willoughby PS organisation for 2019
Deputy Principals:
Mr Shaun Michaeil – supervision – Early Stage 1 and Stage 3
Miss Michelle Upston Rel – supervision – Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Class Teacher
1 KB Daniele Botton – Assistant Principal
2 KM Christine Mathews
3 KC Melissa Cho
4 KK Kirsty Crichton
5 KP Pip Stanley
6 KR Madeleine Killingback
7 KFH Annie Flynn/ Kerryn H
8 KF Laura Fitzgibbon
9 1B Sophie Bulgin/Vicky Smith
10 1D Deanne Wedmore – Assistant Principal
11 KMT Amy Tulloch/ Kristy Mitchell
12 1K Jenny Kirk/ Marny Coyle
13 1H Kerry Hancock
14 1W Jess Whelan
15 2/1G Alisoun Garrard
16 2W Nicole Winkler
17 2L Louise Lowe
18 2K Kim Williams
19 2B Lindy Barry
20 2T Klair Trojokovic – Assistant Principal
21 2S Naomi Sommers
22 3R Robyn Townley
23 3T Chris Twemlow
24 3O Glen Orchard
25 3B Laura Begg
26 3S Sandy Stericker – Assistant Principal
27 4/3O Mhairi Overall
28 4T Annabel Tonks
29 4L Jill Langford
30 4R Eliza Gene-Riley
31 4F Adi Firth
32 4G Caitlin Goodchild
33 5D Alison Douglas
34 5H Georgia Haefeli
35 5T Ben Talbot
36 5L Joanna Limbert – Assistant Principal
37 6/5L Marg Leslie – Assistant Principal
38 6RD Debbie Dixon 0.6/ Liz Raynor
39 6D Leigh Denton
40 6S Sophie Rist
41 6G Marienne Gallouzo
42 2-6R Mandy Rogers
Library James Thorn
Library Debbie DeSilva
LAST Sonya Kliffen, Elaine Kelly
QTSS Michelle Tingle
Community Lang teach Simy Chen
EAL Elizabeth Andrews
RFF Music Kath Mills
Maree Lyon
Ali Panetta
Georgie Morgan
This year our Release from Face to Face teaching (teacher preparation time) is library and music K-6. I’m very excited to have music across the school delivered by specialist teachers. Music has great impact on brain development and also brings joy to the learning.
Building UpdateThe whole school was a building site no go zone during the summer vacation. Taylors reported that extensive work in laying utility pipes throughout the school was successful and they just have an area on Oakville Road to be completed.
Next week the foundation slab will be poured and following that we will see the brickwork begin, with the new building visible from our viewing window.
The building site truck drivers have been reminded that the school drop off / pick up zones need to be free during this busy time for the safety for all children and parents entering and exiting the school.
PBEL – Positive behaviour engaging learnersOur whole school welfare, well being and discipline framework is being updated and reviewed.
Our school wide expectations are:
Show respect, Be responsible and Do your PERSONAL Best.
We have inserted “personal” best to connect students with their own learning journey. Former NSW Minister of Education- Adrian Piccoli highlights Personal Best in his book “ 12 Ways Your Child Can Get The Best Of School”.
GET THEM TO AIM FOR PERSONAL BEST
You hear a lot about personal –best performances in sport, especially during the Olympics. … In the same way, research has shown that aiming for PBs is effective at motivating students to reach higher academic levels, finish homework, participate in class and to have positive educational aspirations. This research has shown that setting PB goals can lead to higher academic achievement. Using a PB approach to motivation helps students set achievable goals for themselves and can help give struggling students a more effective and inspiring way of doing well at school. It’s a great way to encourage your child to improve by competing with themselves. In this way, they can feel good about themselves as learners because they’ve made great progress – even if they haven’t outperformed other students.
These research findings are also relevant to high achievers who often outperform lots of other students but might not be working to their own personal potential or capacity.
If you have a high-achieving child, urging them on to a PB even at very high levels can be effective at improving their personal performance.
A PB approach helps sustain these students’ academic progress because it ensures they’re always aiming for personal improvement.”
At Willoughby PS we want every student to aim for their personal best.
Class formationWe have formed 42 classes for 2019. I have submitted the numbers to the Department of Education. This year we have followed the guidelines from the Department of Education relating to class sizes. Kindergarten – 20, Year 1 - 22, Year 2 – 24, Years 3 to 6 – 30. This has created the need for 3 within stage class groups – Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4), Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6). Our syllabus in NSW is based on Stages, within all classes there is a range of ages and academic ability. Teachers use assessment information formative and summative to work out the starting point for the students and then build the learning program for the students accordingly. Please read the attached parent guide for greater understanding of learning Stages.
Jennifer Simmonds
Principal
