Welcome Back to an Exciting Term 2!

Welcome back to what promises to be an exciting and action-packed Term 2 at WRSS! We hope everyone had a restful break and is ready for another adventurous term of learning.

Term 2 is traditionally a very busy one, with students and teachers working hard towards mid-year reports. Report cards will be sent home at the end of the term, reflecting the incredible effort and growth shown across all year levels. Thank you to all the families who took the time to meet with their child’s teacher during the Parent-Teacher Interviews at the end of Term 1 – your involvement makes such a positive difference to your child’s educational journey.

There’s plenty happening this term, from the excitement of Cross Country events, excursions, incursions and special clubs, to our vibrant extra-curricular activities and GALA days. Senior Sports Day, Open Days, Wild Rangers incursions, and the much-anticipated school disco are just a few highlights. Each week brings new opportunities for students to learn, create, and grow.

The Term 2 Calendar has been uploaded with this newsletter and will be updated each edition to ensure you have the latest information on upcoming events and activities. Please check regularly to stay up to date.

We are looking forward to an adventurous term filled with learning, laughter, and achievement!

Welcome to Ms Peta Weilharter – Head of Inclusion

We are thrilled to welcome Ms Peta Weilharter to the Warrigal Road community as our new Head of Inclusion.

Peta brings a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience to our team. She has spent her career championing the success of every student, working in a range of leadership roles across Queensland. Most recently, she supported schools as a Principal Advisor for Autism and Principal Education Officer for Student Support. With qualifications in Learning Management, Human Services, and Special Needs Education, Peta’s expertise in Positive Behaviour for Learning, functional behaviour assessment, and inclusive education leadership is second to none.

Peta is passionate about creating positive, thriving learning environments where every student is seen, supported, and challenged to succeed. She believes strongly in setting high expectations and using targeted support strategies to help every learner achieve their best.

At Warrigal Road, we are committed to ensuring every child succeeds — and with Peta joining our already strong team, we are excited for the future. We can’t wait to see the impact of the knowledge, care, and leadership she brings to our school.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Ms Weilharter to Warrigal Road!

Science of Reading and Sounds-Write: Making a Difference at Warrigal Road State School

At Warrigal Road State School, we are deeply committed to giving every child the strongest possible foundation in reading. In recent years, new research into how the brain learns to read – known as the Science of Reading – has shown us that the way we teach reading matters more than ever. Advances in neuroscience have given us a much clearer picture of how children learn to connect sounds with letters and build the skills they need to become confident, capable readers.

In response to this powerful new research, Warrigal Road has made a significant investment in our students’ future: every teacher across Prep to Year 6 has been professionally trained in the Sounds-Write program through SPELD.

Sounds-Write is a structured, evidence-based program that teaches reading and spelling in a clear, sequential way. It helps children master the crucial skills of decoding (sounding out words) and encoding (spelling words) by systematically teaching the relationships between sounds and letters. The program is designed for all children, including those who may find learning to read a little more challenging.

By ensuring that every teacher is fully trained, we have created a consistent, school-wide approach to reading instruction. No matter which class your child is in, they are receiving high-quality, research-informed teaching that builds on what they have already learned and supports them every step of the way.

The results are already speaking for themselves. We are seeing incredible growth in our students’ reading and spelling abilities – and most importantly, we are seeing more confident, engaged readers who are excited about their learning.

Our investment in Sounds-Write reflects our belief that every child deserves the best start and that every teacher deserves the best training to make that happen. We are proud to be leading the way with a modern, science-backed approach to reading that will benefit your children for years to come.

This is work that has been led Ms Cathy Coleman and our Heads of Department Curriculum, Jana O'Sullivan and Mel Mahal over the past two years in close collaboration with our previous Speech Pathologist Mrs Sammi Tung and our Lead Inclusion Teacher Mrs Helen Rowe. It's one of the reasons why our students in the lower school are nailing English as a subject with over 72% of students in P-2 receiving a 'B' or high in that subject.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure every child succeeds at Warrigal Road!

Enrol Now for Prep 2026!

If your child is starting Prep in 2026, it's time to enrol! Enrolments for in-catchment students opened yesterday, 29 April.

At Warrigal Road State School, we believe that a smooth transition into Prep sets the foundation for a successful school journey. Preparing your child for Prep is a long-term process, and we encourage families to take full advantage of the many opportunities we offer to support this important step.

Our transition activities — including Little Warrigals sessions, parent information events, and the enrolment orientation— are all vital preparation activities designed to ensure your child feels confident, connected, and ready for their exciting start to school life.

We look forward to welcoming your family to Warrigal Road and working together to give your child the best possible start.

Don’t miss out — start your enrolment today!

For more information and to access the enrolment forms, please visit our website or contact the school office.