Welcome to our school website. 

We hope you find our site informative and effective in keeping you up to date on what's happening in our wonderful school.  We would like to extend a warm welcome to past, present and future families and we hope your connection with our school is a long and happy one.

Werribee Primary School was established in 1855 and has a proud history of being an important part of the local community.  We welcome a supportive and diverse learning community pursuing excellence in the development of skills, behaviours and attitudes in education, so that students are empowered to interact positively throughout their lifetime, with confidence, creativity and enjoyment.

Our School Purpose Statement outlines why we are here: "We are an inclusive community that strives for excellence."

Our school values are an integral part of everything we do at Werribee Primary School.  Our values are:

• Respect: we care for ourselves, others and the environment
• Responsibility: we are accountable for our actions and our learning
• Resilience: we learn from our challenges and maintain a positive attitude

We strive for excellence in every pursuit. Living our school values is the responsibility of our whole school community, through parents, teachers and students working and learning together. We invite families to participate in all school programs and activities and look forward to seeing you in the classroom and around our school. Your children enjoy and do benefit from your involvement. We hope all parents will accept our invitation to become part of our school community. I welcome and encourage you to become involved as this is the best way to learn about schooling today.

Thank you

Mr David Quinn

Principal

In 2025 we will be operating with the following structure. Please note that there may be changes to the following list if circumstances change . i.e enrolment numbers, staff changes.

School Leadership Team

• Principal - David Quinn
• Assistant Principal - Shelley Laird
• Assistant Principal - Jodie Christian
• Learning Specialist: Teaching & Learning - Stacey Gebbie
• Learning Specialist: Wellbeing & Inclusion - Trent Archer

Office Staff

• Business Manager - Julie Gerring
• Front Office - Lyn Boddington
• Front Office - Lillian McCartney

Class Structure (22 classes)

• 0A - Adam Cameron - Room 15
• 0K - Kayla Fracalossi - Room 14
• 0M - Monique Camilleri - Room 16
• 1B - Diana Bartlett & Karin Trofin - Room 13
• 1C - Chantell Grey - Room 19
• 1G - Neve Gould - Room 20
• 2M - Kylie McKiernan - Room 12
• 2P - Marsina Pakos & Nathan Lewis - Room 11
• 2S - Kate Smith - Room 10
• 3J - Jordan Piscopo - Room 8
• 3M - Angela Mitrevska - Room 9
• 3S - Sarah Sherratt - Room 7
• 4D - Christine Drayton - Room 5
• 4M - Ben Millar - Room 4
• 4S - Katie Scarrott - Room 6
• 5R - Brent Reichenbach - Room 1
• 5S - Sian Trask & Sylvia Syme - Room 3
• 5T - Troy Vanderveen & Sylvia Syme- Room 2
• 6L - Richard Ling - Room 26
• 6P - Phoenix Gardiner - Room 24
• 6R - Ailao Robertson - Room 23
• 6Y - Sabrina Yasmin - Room 25

Specialist Areas

• Visual Arts - Tara Trott
• Physical Education - Simon Fugazzotto
• Music - Joshua Tooth
• Digital Technology - Kearan Gibaldi
• Spanish - Tono Gomez-Guerrero
• EAL - Karin Trofin

Tutoring & Support

• Jennifer Ilmer
• Nathan Lewis

Education Support

• First Aid - Dianne Smith
• Intervention Support/OH&S - Louise Cooke
• Intervention Support - Gina O'Keefe
  
• Integration Support - Shumaila Ahmed
• Integration Support - Jack Boddington
• Integration Support - Kylie Clark
• Integration Support - Cheryl Cook
• Integration Support - Leanne Crameri
• Integration Support - Mark Doherty
• Integration Support - Georgia Legudi
• Integration Support - Jacki Meertens
• Integration Support - Joanne Richards
• Integration Support - Sandra Savory
• Integration Support - Maryanne Scholes
  
• First Aid - Dianne Smith
• Library Technician - Nicole Matthews
• Maintenance - David Piscopo
• Multicultural Education Assistant - PawKusay Kunoo
• Technology Support (TSSP) - Abdul Wajid
• Technology Support - Shane Crilly

2025

Early Dismissal Days

• Last day of Term 1 - Friday 4th April 2025 - 2.10pm
• Last day of Term 2 - Friday 4th July 2025 - 2.10pm
• Last day of Term 3 - Friday 19th September 2025- 2.10pm
• Last day of Term 4 - Friday 19th December  2025- 1.10pm

Pupil Free Days

The Department of Education (DE) allows all government schools to hold four curriculum days per year. Curriculum days are pupil free days which allow the staff to work together on planning and professional development activities.  The first day of Term 1 is a student-free day in all government schools to allow for appropriate planning to take place for the arrival of students. School Council has approved the following dates for 2025 as curriculum days:

Staff Professional Practice Day

The Department of Education (DE) allows all government schools to hold a common professional practice day on the same day for all staff.  This is to enable the most effective and efficient use of this day.  We have scheduled our professional practice day on the following day.  Students will not be required to attend school on this day:

Monday 21st July 2025 (first day of Term 3)

2026

First Day of School for Students

Wednesday 28th January 2026 - Year 1-6 Students commence school 8.50am - 3.10pm

Thursday 29th January 2026 - Foundation students commence school 8.50am - 3.10pm

Early Dismissal Days

• Last day of Term 1 - Thursday 2nd April 2026 - 2.10pm
• Last day of Term 2 - Friday 26th June 2026 - 2.10pm
• Last day of Term 3 - Friday 18th September 2026 - 2.10pm
• Last day of Term 4 - Friday 18th Decembe  2026- 1.10pm

Pupil Free Days

The Department of Education (DE) allows all government schools to hold four curriculum days per year. Curriculum days are pupil free days which allow the staff to work together on planning and professional development activities.  The first day of Term 1 is a student-free day in all government schools to allow for appropriate planning to take place for the arrival of students. School Council has approved the following dates for 2026 as curriculum days:

Staff Professional Practice Day

The Department of Education (DE) allows all government schools to hold a common professional practice day on the same day for all staff.  This is to enable the most effective and efficient use of this day.  We have scheduled our professional practice day on the following day.  Students will not be required to attend school on this day:

Tuesday 2nd November 2026 (Melbourne Cup Eve) 

School Hours

Office Hours

The school office is open between the hours of 8.30am - 3.30pm

School Arrival and Departure Times

Please ensure your child arrives at school after 8.30am and before 8.50am each day when the yard is supervised by our staff.  Please note that students are not to arrive at school prior to 8.30am. For the safety of all children the only gate open in the morning will be the front gate prior to 8.30am.  If your child arrives early they must report to the office.

The yard is also supervised after school until 3.20pm so please ensure your child is collected or alternative arrangements for their supervision made after this time.  The safety of your child is our concern.  At the end of the day we encourage all students to exit the school promptly as the supervising staff need to lock gates and account for any students who have not been collected.  Any student still remaining in the school at 3.20pm will be taken to the office by the supervising staff member.  After school is not a time for students to play and we ask that they vacate the yard promptly after the 3.10pm bell.  The play equipment is not available to students after school.

We thank you for your support in ensuring the safety of your children.

Camp Australia runs a before and after school care facility at our school which you are able to take advantage of for the supervision of your child prior to 8.30am and after 3.10pm. Camp Australia operates from the Learning Gallery. More information about the Camp Australia Before and After School Care facility can be found here.

Term Dates

2025

2026

For the list of school term dates until the end of 2030, refer to School term dates and holidays in Victoria.

Before your child comes to school

Starting school is a big change for your child.  Anything that you can help them to learn to do before they come to school will make school a happier place to be.

Help your child learn how to:

• Recognise and write their name
• Take off and put on appropriate clothing eg. jumper, hat, jacket
• Put on shoes and tie up shoe laces or use Velcro tabs
• Open and close their lunch box and drink bottle - eat and drink without help (eg. opening packets, peeling fruit or removing glad wrap)
• Use a handkerchief or tissue
• Put things away in their bag and zip it up
• Use scissors correctly and safely
• Go to the toilet on their own – pulling up clothing, flushing the toilet, washing hands. Please ensure boys are familiar with urinals

You can use the following checklist to help identify skills your child might practise prior to beginning school. 

Beginning School

Your child will need to bring the following to school:

• Recess Snack (packed separately)
• Brain food (fruit or vegetable snack, e.g. celery, carrot sticks) in a small container or packed separately
• Lunch (lunch box needs to have child’s name on base and lid)
• Plastic drink container (named) filled with water only
• School Bag (named and with a distinctive tag to help your child identify their bag)
• SunSmart school hat https://www.sunsmart.com.au/protect-your-skin

It would be appreciated if parents could also bring the following items to school in the first few days of Term1.  Please note that these items are for shared use in the classroom:

• One or two large boxes of tissues
• A small container of play-dough (Play-Doh brand) that can be purchased from a supermarket or department store
• Coles Brand Antibacterial Hand Wash – Lime Fresh or Dettol Soft on Skin Liquid Hand Wash (due to OH & S Chemical Register requirements)

Uniform

Students are expected to attend school in the Werribee Primary School uniform. For information and pricing, please click here.

Settling In - The First Few Weeks

During the first week you are welcome to stay for a short period of time to ensure your child feels secure, but once they have settled in, a quick, reassuring goodbye encourages independence.

• Put sunscreen on your child in the morning before school and ensure they wear their SunSmart hat.
• Take your child to the covered way outside the Learning Gallery.
• Say a quick ‘good-bye’ and inform your child that you are going and will be back to pick them up later in the day.

Recess and Lunch Breaks

At the end of recess and lunchtime breaks, music, followed by a bell, indicates the end of playtime. All students are expected to stop their activities and make their way to line up under the covered way outside the Learning Gallery. They have the opportunity while the music is playing to go to the toilet and get a drink. A final bell will then ring and students are expected to be lined up under the covered way outside the Learning Gallery.

Students eat their lunch after they come in from play to enable them to eat without rushing and to have a quiet time after they have been running around outside.

During Term 1, while the students are settling in and getting used to school we prefer them to play in the Foundation Playground area. This also allows staff to supervise them more closely to ensure they are feeling happy and safe during break times.

If the weather is not suitable for students to play outside during recess and lunch breaks, an announcement will be made and students will be supervised in their classrooms.

End of Day Dismissal

Students need to be collected from the covered way outside the Learning Gallery.  Please ensure that your child’s teacher knows who will be collecting your child. It is very important that children are picked up on time, so they do not become upset.

If for any reason you are going to be late please ring the office so they can notify your child’s teacher. Any child not picked up by 3:20pm is taken to the office and parents are contacted.

After Hours School Care

We are proud to partner with Camp Australia to provide our outside school hours care program.
To find out more about the program at our school, including hours of operation, fees and how to register please Click Here

Student Safety

It is essential that we know where every child is during the school day.

• Once they are dropped off and enter the school gates they are to remain at school.
• If your child arrives late or is to be picked up prior to dismissal time, then they will need to be signed in or out using the XUNO kiosk located in the foyer of the Administration Office. 
• Please contact the school immediately if your child arrives home during school hours.
• Children are required to move around the school with a partner if going to the office, toilet or another classroom.
• Students are not to arrive at school prior to 8.30am as teachers are not on duty for yard supervision until 8.30am before school. The yard will be supervised after school until 3.20pm and during recess and lunchtime. Please talk to your child about looking for one of the staff members wearing a fluro vest as this is the person to speak to if they need assistance in the yard.
• Any adult volunteering in the school during the day needs to enter via the office and see the office staff who will direct them to sign in using the XUNO Kiosk. A lanyard is to be worn displaying the sign in slip and `Working with Children Check’ (if applicable).
• For the safety of all children and in the event of an emergency we need to know who is in the school and for what purpose.

Medical Information

In dealing with emergencies or sickness it is vital that we have on record the most accurate information concerning any medical problems your child may have. On enrolment, you were asked questions in relation to any medical information we should know about your child, however should your child develop or be diagnosed with any medical condition please advise us as soon as possible.

• If your child needs to take medication at school, parents need to fill out a Medication Authority Form which can be obtained from the office.
• Medication needs to be handed in at the First Aid Room as it is not permitted in classrooms or students school bags.
• All students’ medication must be supplied to the school in the original packaging from the chemist. If the medication is prescribed, the pharmacist’s sticker must be attached showing the child’s name, the dosage required. All supplied medication must have a clear indication of the current expiry date.
• Some medication will require a letter from your child’s Paediatrician and subsequent letter if any changes have been made to the dosage/script or if the medication is ceasing.
• If your child has an Anaphylaxis, Asthma Management Plan or Allergic Reactions Plan the school requires a current copy to be given to the First Aid Officer along with any required medication.  A Student Health Support Plan will be created by the first aid officer and will need to be signed by parents/carers.
• If your child is injured or has been sent to the sickbay, you will receive an SMS message via XUNO.
• If your child is unwell and needs to be collected from school you will receive an SMS and a follow-up phone call from the first aid officer.
• If your child sustains a head injury they will be observed in sickbay used CRT6 Concussion Recognition Tool.  If they are returned to class/play you wil be notified by SMS message via XUNO.  After being observed, if there are any changes or signs or symptoms indicating suspicion of concussion, you will be informed with a phone call to collect your child.  https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Head_injury/

• Regular attendance at school is most important as it maintains continuity of their learning and aids social adjustment, but if your child is ill the best place for them is to be at home.

Emergency Contact Details

If a serious illness or accident occurs every effort will be made to contact you or your emergency contacts. Please nominate someone who is generally available, reliable, has access to a car and is willing to collect and care for your child should we be unable to reach you. Parents are expected to keep the school informed of all contact numbers and all other pertinent medical information.

Communication with our Community

The school communicates with families in a variety of ways which include:

• XUNO
• Our Website
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/werribeeps/
• Team Newsletters on XUNO
• Electronic Sign (Corner of Deutgam and Wedge Street)
• Email Alerts - register now to stay up to date by scrolling to the bottom of our homepage and click on 'subscribe'
• Notices uploaded to our website
• Text messages with important reminders or messages
• Assemblies

For families new to the school, XUNO (pronounced `zoo-no’) is a web-based portal that enables families to log in and have immediate access to important Information about their child and what is happening in the school. A welcome email will be sent to you with your log in details.  Information available to you includes your child’s school reports, calendar events, news alerts, attendance and the ability to contact your child’s teacher and to also update your details and make payments for fees, camps and excursions.  

Contact Us

If you have a concern regarding your child, please contact your child's teacher and arrange an appointment:

• By logging into the XUNO Parent Portal and sending a message to the teacher.
• Phone the school on 9742 6659 (if teacher not available you will be put through to voicemail)
• Email the school: werribee.ps@education.vic.gov.au
• Write a note and hand it to your child’s teacher or hand it into the Office

Please be aware that talking to your child's teacher in the morning is not the best time to discuss your concerns, as their main focus is on getting the students settled for the day.

Student Reports

Based on Victorian Department of Education and training (DET) guidelines, Werribee Primary School currently communicates student learning and growth to parents over the course of the year, using the following strategies:

• Term 1 Parent Information Sessions
• Term 2 Parent/Student/Teacher conversations to discuss academic progress.
• Term 2 and 4 written reports available on the XUNO Parent Portal.

Excursions and School Events

Approval and payments for excursions/school activities should be done via XUNO by the due date.  You will be notifed when a new event goes live.

Please Note:

Your child will not be taken on an excursion without your approved permission, therefore you must provide, within the set timeframe, the electronic approval, which you will find in Events on XUNO. An exception to this is the Local Excursion Consent form which you will be asked to sign yearly.

Lost Property 

Please label everything with your child's name. If something goes missing, you and your child are encouraged to go to the lost property cupboards located in the passageway near the Art Room.

Please discuss with your child the need for them to take responsibility for looking after and caring for their belongings.

You may also find your child mistakes someone else's belongings for their own - this commonly happens, especially with so many identical garments in the school. Please check the garments your child brings home and return those that have been taken home accidentally back to school the next day.  

To reduce the chances of hats being lost or left at home, during terms 1 and 4 the Foundation students store their hat in their individual chair bags for daily use.  Hats will be sent home in term 2 and 3 for a wash and safe keeping.

Treasures from Home

As toys and treasures from home are easily lost or broken and may well cause unnecessary conflict or anxiety. Please use your discretion before allowing them to come to school. Whilst every effort is taken to care for these items our school cannot accept responsibility for any damages/losses that occur.

Getting Involved in School Life

Involvement in schools by parents and carers helps children achieve the best possible learning outcomes.  You can participate in school life through:

• School Council
• Volunteering – We welcome volunteers in our school. Before volunteers are invited to assist they must complete online volunteer training.  Click on the link to access the training.

Department of Education for Parents