Our School

Principal’s Welcome

I would like to introduce myself as the Principal at Warrandyte Primary School. I have been very fortunate to find myself leading a wonderful community of educators, students and families and have the privilege of working with a very committed team of professionals at WPS who work hard for their students and to support each other.  The challenges of the last two years have served to strengthen rather than split our community and it is a pleasure to come to work every day and engage with all our community members. 

Our Prep program is centred around a culture of kindness, open communication and a strong pedagogical knowledge of teaching early years literacy and numeracy.  Our early years teachers provide our students with many opportunities to learn the routines and structures of school in the classroom while still catering to their needs by nurturing them and respecting each of their individual personalities. We know all children come to us with differing emotional and academic capacities and it is our job as educators to meet those needs. We foster a strong relationship with our Prep parents and encourage open and transparent communication about each child’s needs. Our door is always open to discuss any concerns or needs your child may have.  

While we are a small school, there are many big things happening at WPS and many changes have taken place across the last 12 months that have served to improve the way we teach, engage our students and instil a positive school climate.  At WPS all our conversations as staff are centred around the student.  What can we do to ensure wellbeing and improved student outcomes?  Every conversation we have as colleagues begins with a positive intention to use evidence-based practices to improve our teaching and learning program. Our students deserve our best efforts and for this to occur our teachers work via an improvement cycle that allows them to reflect on their students learning and wellbeing to ensure we are providing them a program that is both engaging and targeting their needs.

In my time at WPS I have been nothing but impressed with the classroom management and behaviours in the playground.  Our students come to school to learn and are respectful to each other and to their teachers.  Any students who are not making positive choices are encouraged to reflect on choices that result in conflict or disrupt learning and are given opportunities to correct their behaviour.  However, as a staff we have agreed that a more solid foundation for behaviour would support our culture of kindness. We are very excited to be in the process of implementing the Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Program at WPS.  We have been working hard with a team of regional leaders to create a schoolwide behaviour matrix that incorporates our values to become the framework by which every student, teacher, leader and parent within the school will work towards to provide clear expectations. 

We extend an invitation to you to come and meet our team and see our classrooms in action. I am confident that you will see high functioning classrooms and engaged students who know they are a part of a community that cares for them and their education a great deal. In fact, our Performance Report for 2021 has ranked WPS as a school of influence and a systems leader that is an example of best practice for other schools to look to. If you would like a tour, please call our office on 9844 3537 to make a time.  

Kind regards, 

Nieta Manser

Principal

Warrandyte Primary School

Our Values

I consider others. I am polite and courteous.

All areas
I am aware of other people’s personal space.
I use manners.
I accept adult decisions.
I express my opinion without arguing.
I understand that we all behave and learn differently.

Learning areas
I participate in class.
I cooperate in group work.
I allow teachers to teach and students to learn.
I use positive body language.
I raise my hand when I wish to speak.
I ask to use another person’s property.

Outside/Play areas
I use positive language.
I play in the correct areas.
I always show good sportsmanship.
I keep our school clean and tidy.
I respect other people’s privacy.

Moving between learning areas
I move quietly between classes.
I am in the right place at the right time.

At Assembly and in the community
I sit quietly and listen to the person speaking.
I respond appropriately during presentations.
I represent WPS with pride.

I am dependable. I am honest.

All areas
I use equipment properly.
I report problems to teachers.
I am a powerful bystander.
I think about the safety of others.
I use safe hands and safe feet..

Learning areas
I use technology as a learning tool.
I focus on my own learning.
I ask for help when I need it.
I am on time, organised and ready to learn.
I show pride in my work.

Outside/Play areas
I play by the rules.
I wear my school sun smart hat at the appropriate times.
I wash my hands after going to the toilet.

Moving between learning areas
I move around safely.

At Assembly and in the community
I obey road, bus and pedestrian safety rules.
I follow rules and expectations of public settings e.g. sporting events and excursions.

I am flexible in my thinking.

All areas
I try my best and keep having a go.
I accept feedback.
I show persistence.
I have a growth mindset.

Learning areas
I set learning goals.
I actively participate in all learning tasks.

Outside/Play areas
I make an effort to resolve differences myself.

 

I am considerate. I am sympathetic. I am compassionate.

All areas
I am helpful and considerate to others.
I use encouraging and positive words.
I consider other people’s needs and feelings.

Our History

… a rich past, a school for the future.

Warrandyte Primary School was established in 1862 to accommodate the growing population attracted to the first Victorian gold discovery. It is bordered by the Warrandyte State Park which contains the old mines and protects the indigenous flora and fauna. The ambience of the school is enhanced by its proximity to the Yarra River and encompassing parks.

Century old photos, the original school bell and original stone building can be seen throughout our school. Our school’s history and the discovery of gold, continue to be taught to our students as they develop their connection with our community and their understandings of the concept of change.

1800 – 1950

1856 Warrandyte’s first school commenced at the diggings 1863 Lessons conducted in Anderson’s Creek Court house while new school built 1863 Board of Education declared 12th on the alphabetical list to be Anderson’s Creek Common School No 12 1873 Newly created Education Department introduced state school system and Anderson’s Creek State School No 12 came into being with James Eccleston Walker as Head Teacher 1875 New school opened on Forbes Street site 1902 School bell erected 1908 Name of school changed to Warrandyte Primary 1925 New brick and stucco extension erected 1934 Terrific flooding inundated Warrandyte and annual school picnic deferred 1939 Warrandyte decimated by fires. School survived but shelter shed, many fences and school committee records destroyed 1941 Pine plantation established

1951 – present

1953 Nine new classrooms constructed 1963 Learner swimming pool opened 1970 Canteen opened 1972 School library opened in April 1975 Commemorative plaque to Centenary of Stone Building 1976 Art and Crafts centre constructed 1983 Multi-purpose hall and Music room opened 1991 Removal of Pine Plantation to establish football oval 2005 Opening of the Sustainable Garden on the pool site 2007 Extension to Middle Year classrooms 2011 Opening of New School Building (BER) 2012 150 Year Celebrations 2016 New Oval 2017 Refurbishment of Main School Building

Student Wellbeing

Supporting our student’s wellbeing

We know that for our students to succeed academically, we must always be focussed on the wellbeing needs of each child.  This means knowing our students well and engaging in open and reflective conversations with families and making ourselves accessible to the students and their families.

WPS plays a vital role in supporting mental health and wellbeing of our students. When times are uncertain, its important for us to monitor how our students are going.  Where necessary, we refer our students to our Wellbeing and Health Key Contact linked to the Department’s Student Support Services and seek additional support.

Warrandyte Primary also implements preventative measures to support student wellbeing, including providing;

  • Predictable routines and known boundaries, promoting learning engagement and support positive behaviours.
  • Regular class discussions about class expectations and the implementation of the Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Framework that is being implemented across the school.
  • We adjust our routines to reflect the needs of individual needs. This includes ‘brain breaks’, ‘munch and crunch times between lessons, mindfulness activities and lunchtime clubs.
  • Warrandyte Primary school have begun implementing Yarning Circles which are conducted within classes to discuss any wellbeing needs or concerns with students. The yarning circle has been used by Indigenous peoples from around the world for centuries to learn from a collective group, build respectful relationships, and to preserve and pass on cultural knowledge.

    Respectful Relationships

    Warrandyte Primary School uses the Respectful Relationships framework to promote and model respect, positive attitudes, and behaviours.  It teachers our children how to build healthy relationship, resilience and confidence. We engage in weekly explicit teaching of the toolkit of strategies and skills they will need to achieve these attributes.

    As a Respectful Relationships School. WPS is building a culture of respect and gender equality, by looking at their practices and policies to drive meaningful change. Building these respectful relationships relies on students being presented with opportunities for social and emotional growth.  This includes in areas such as;

    • Self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness
    • Relationship skills
    • Decision-making and problem solving
    • Ethics, values, and social norms
    • Challenging stereotypes
    • Positive gender relationships

Cyber Safety & ICT

Warrandyte Primary School is an accredited eSmart school. We invest time and resources in educating students to be safe and responsible in the on-line environment. Students are involved in the prevention of cyber-bullying activities and play an active role in ensuring their cyber safety.

ICT is used as a learning tool at Warrandyte Primary School, alongside many others, to support the learning experiences of our students.

Houses

Every student at Warrandyte Primary School is a part of one of four houses. Students are awarded house points when they display our school values in their daily school life. During various sporting activities, students compete within their house. At the annual Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country competitions, the four house colours are strongly represented. The school’s Houses are named after significant individuals of our local community.

Rats of Tobruk

The servicemen of the Rats of Tobruk have a very special place at Warrandyte Primary School. Over time a very fortunate longstanding relationship has been formed. Each year our Year 6 students attend the Rats of Tobruk Hall, to meet the remaining Rats of Tobruk and their families. The students learn about the journey of the soldiers and to try to imagine the hardships they experienced.

At the end of their visit, the Year 6 students create a piece of writing that reflects their experience with the Rats. At the Year 6’s Graduation, awards are presented to three students who’s writing has been recognised as outstanding by representatives of the Rats. A scholarship is also awarded to a student who continually strives to do their best and demonstrates exemplary values.

Kids Hope

Contributing to the strong community spirit at our school, we are lucky to have the volunteers of Kids Hope visit our school on a weekly basis. These amazing volunteers work one on one with students to assist with their learning and wellbeing needs. Students look forward to the time that they spend with their Kids Hope mentor, while their influence is appreciated by the whole school.

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