Navigator Newsletter

Term 4 Issue 2


Principal's Message

As we come to the end of another school year, during the Noongar season of Birak; a time of warmth, reflection, and renewal; I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our students, staff, families, and wider Flinders Park community for the support, partnership, and trust you have shown throughout the year.

To the families who have taken the time to share messages of thanks, whether through emails, Christmas cards, or kind conversations, please know that these have been shared widely with our staff and are deeply appreciated. It means a great deal to hear that the work we are doing to support our students is valued and is making a positive difference in their learning, wellbeing, and success.

Quality Teaching

This year, our shared approach has supported strong progress in teaching and learning across the school. Programs such as UFLI and Word Origins, alongside a clear focus on explicit teaching, have helped build greater consistency in classrooms. The collaborative work taking place in our Professional Learning Communities has supported staff to learn together and continually refine their practice.

Change isn’t always easy; however, staff have embraced new learning with curiosity and professionalism, always keeping student success at the centre of their work.

Wellbeing

Supporting student and staff wellbeing has remained a key focus throughout the year. Through our refreshed Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach, Friendly Schools Plus, and the continued development of our Student Services team, we have worked to ensure Flinders Park is a calm, caring, and predictable place to learn and work. These approaches help students feel safe, supported, and ready to engage in learning each day.

Community Partnerships

Our partnerships with families and the wider community have continued to strengthen. We are especially proud of the relationships we are building with our Aboriginal community through initiatives such as Yarning, Danjoo Koorliny Family Group, and the Connecting Culture Award. These connections enrich our school and reinforce the importance of listening, respect, and working together to support every child.

Congratulations to Our Year 6 Graduates

Congratulations to our graduating Year 6 students. We wish you all the very best as you begin your high school adventure. Be proud of how far you have come and take with you the values and memories from your time at Flinders Park Primary School.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Staff

To our teachers, education assistants, administration staff, Student Services team, and support staff — thank you. Every role matters, and the impact of your work is evident every day across our school.

When we return in the new year, we will continue to introduce new initiatives with appropriate support in place, while strengthening our key focus areas of Quality Teaching, Wellbeing, and Community Partnerships. We will also begin a new chapter for Flinders Park Primary School as we launch our new three-year Business Plan, and I am genuinely excited about what lies ahead.

Most importantly, thank you for the care, commitment, and support you show our students, our families, and each other, every single day. Together, we can do great things — and this year has shown us exactly that.

Farewells and Welcomes

As we finish the year, we acknowledge several staff changes within our school community.

We farewell teachers Sally Gardiner (Mount Many Peaks PS – 12-month contract) and Olivia Lee (Wollaston PS); Education Assistants Barb Roberts, Tara Bennett, and Esta Steer as their contracts conclude; McKenna, our School Chaplain, who will be pursuing further study next year; and Michael from our cleaning team, who is also continuing his studies. Thank you to each of you for the contributions you have made to our students and school.

We acknowledge Steve Fielding, who will be taking Long Service Leave until June, and thank him for his valued leadership, care, and commitment to Flinders Park. Congratulations to Richelle O’Donnell, who has been appointed to the Deputy Principal Pool and will continue in the Deputy Principal role during this time.

We warmly welcome Ms Jillian Gorman, Miss Marni Smith, and Mrs Melissa Jones to our Flinders Park team. We are pleased to have you join our school community and look forward to the year ahead.

Thank You to Our School Board

Thank you to Meghann Tysoe, our School Board Chair, for the thoughtful letter sent on behalf of the Board, acknowledging the commitment, dedication, and hard work of our Flinders Park team. Your words of support and recognition were greatly appreciated by staff.

Looking Forward to 2026

As we look ahead to 2026, we are excited about the opportunities the new school year will bring for our students, staff, and community.

  • Class lists will be available to families on the afternoon of Sunday 1 February.
  • Our Administration team will be back at school from Tuesday 27 January and will be available to support families with any enquiries.
  • The first day of school for students will be Monday 2 February, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another year of learning, connection, and growth at Flinders Park Primary School.

I wish all our families a safe, restful, and joyful time together. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year, refreshed and ready for another exciting chapter at Flinders Park Primary School.

Kylee Weadley
Principal 



Water Corporation Regional Education Pilot Visit

Last week, three of our classes were fortunate to take part in the Water Corporation’s Regional Education Pilot during a visit to our school. This exciting program gave students a hands-on opportunity to learn about the importance of water conservation, where our water comes from, wastewater management, and how we can all play a role in protecting this vital resource.

Students were highly engaged as they explored real-world connections to sustainability, the environment and responsible water use. The sessions complemented our Science and HASS learning and encouraged thoughtful discussions about how everyday choices impact our community and environment.

We sincerely thank the Water Corporation education team for their time, expertise and for providing such a valuable learning experience for our students. We look forward to continuing to build partnerships that enrich learning beyond the classroom.



Instrumental Music 2026

Flinders Park PS is fortunate to be included in the Department of Education and Training’s instrumental music tuition scheme (IMSS). 

Lessons are provided free of charge (some costs apply) from beginner to Year 12 by qualified and experienced teachers.

Students in Years 2-4 will this week receive information packs about the program.

Selection criteria are: 

  • student interest in and commitment to learning the instrument offered;
  • parental commitment and support;
  • musical ability and attitude as demonstrated in class music lessons;
  • general ability and attitude in class, consistency of school work, attitude towards homework;
  • physical suitability for the instrument on offer; and performance results on a musical aptitude indicator.

Instruments Offered at FPPS:

In 2026 tuition begins for the following instruments in the following year groups:

Year 3 

Violin/Viola (8 places max.)

Year 4 

Cello (3 places max.)

Year 5 

Clarinet (5 places max.)

Classical Guitar (5 places max.)

Brass (5 places max.)

Double Bass (2 places max.)

Children selected are generally given only one opportunity in this program so it is important to choose carefully from the instruments on offer.

Interested parents are expected to attend the information night at the ASHS Performing Arts Centre (APAC) on Monday Dec 15 at 7pm.

More information can be accessed online here:

Website: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/instrumental-music

I can also answer enquiries through the school or Michael.Staude@education.wa.edu.au

 

Regards,

Mike Staude, FPPS Music Teacher



Your Move

Thank You to the Your Move Team

We would like to extend a huge thank you to our fantastic Your Move Team for the energy, creativity and commitment they have shown throughout the year. A special acknowledgement goes to our Year 5 Student Leaders, who have done an outstanding job planning and delivering a range of fun, engaging bike and active-travel activities for our school community.

From the Halloween and Dress-Up Your Bike Parades to Wheelie Fun Day, along with the many prizes, challenges and surveys run throughout the year, the team has helped promote healthy, active lifestyles in a truly exciting way. Their leadership, teamwork and enthusiasm have made a lasting impact across the school.

In 2026, we will be looking to establish a new Your Move Senior and Junior Team, and we look forward to continuing this wonderful program with another group of passionate student leaders.

Thank you to everyone involved for making active travel such a positive and celebrated part of our school culture.



Story Dogs

Thank You, Story Dogs Volunteers!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our amazing Story Dogs volunteers who have dedicated their time throughout the year to read with our Year 2 students. A very special thank you to Ruth and Bonnie, and Wendy and Archie, for the joy, patience and encouragement they bring to every reading session.

These visits have made a wonderful difference to our students’ confidence, enjoyment of reading and overall engagement. The calm, supportive environment created by our volunteers and their beautiful dogs has helped foster a genuine love of books and learning.

We are incredibly grateful for the commitment and generosity ofour Story Dogs volunteers and the positive impact they have had on our school community. We look forward to welcoming them back next year, along with some new volunteers, to continue this valuable program.


Acknowledgement Of Country

At Flinders Park Primary School we respectfully acknowledge the Noongar people as the traditional Custodians of the land we live, learn and play on.

We embrace the Noongar community and their continuing connection to Country, water and sky and pay our respects to Elders past and present. As a school we are committed to fostering respectful relationships with the First Nations Peoples and welcome their guidance and support.



Contact Us

Flinders Park Primary School

51 Yatana Rd

Bayonet Head WA 6330

(08) 9892 5200

FlindersPark.PS@education.wa.edu.au

Absentees SMS 0438 900 275 or submit via Connect

Facebook Flinders Park Primary School Albany | Facebook

Visit us on the web at www.flindersparkps.wa.edu.au



Happy Holidays!