If you need after school care please contact Camp Australia.

A new school year is an exciting time for students and families, but it can be a big step – particularly for those starting Prep, secondary school or VCE.

The Department of Education has a webpage with resources and information to help you prepare for the new school year.

During the school holidays, please consider reading through the resources, which include:

• tips to help transition from kinder to Prep, primary to secondary school, and Year 10 to VCE
• what to expect at school
• help with school costs and fees
• health and wellbeing guidance to support children’s mental health.

Please refer to the New year of learning webpage.

Thank you,

David Quinn, Principal

VICSWIM is a 5-day intensive learn to swim and water safety program for children aged 4 to 12 years. 

The Victorian Government subsidises the program. Aquatics and Recreation Victoria runs it.

Program details

Dates: Monday 6 January to Friday 10 January, Monday 13 January to Friday 17 January, Monday 20 January to Friday 24 January 

Time: 5 lessons, 30 minutes each 

Location: more than 170 pools, beaches and waterways across the state. To find your nearest location, refer to VICSWIM 2025 venues  

Cost: $35 per child for the week. 

For more information and to book, refer to the VICSWIM website. You will need to create an account to book.

Swim City is Life Saving Victoria’s exciting game-based-learning platform that teaches primary-aged students how to stay safe in and around water in a fun and engaging way.

Children can learn about water safety from animated characters, Fin, Pod and Splash.  

Swim City is designed to complement swimming lessons. It now includes a module about water safety at farms. 

Scholarships are available for eligible students in Grade 4 to Year 11, and for Year 12 students planning to do tertiary studies in 2026.

Student scholarships

The Department of Education administers a number of scholarships that are available to eligible students who are enrolled in Grade 4 to Year 12 in 2025.

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

• participation in school activities
• community involvement
• academic achievement.

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study.

Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria, so please refer to individual applications for more information. Applications open on Wednesday 1 October 2025 and close on Monday 2 February 2026.

For more information and a list of available scholarships, refer to the Student scholarships for Grade 4 to Year 12 fact sheet.

For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.

Thank you,

Werribee Primary School