A Magical Christmas Concert!

What a way to end the year! On Tuesday, our school community came together to celebrate the festive season with our incredible Christmas Concert. Despite the weather forecast keeping us indoors, the evening was nothing short of spectacular—a true testament to the strength, flexibility, and spirit of our school.

A huge thank you to Michaela Gray, whose excellent organisation ensured the evening ran seamlessly, and to our talented MCs, Emily Way and Jarrod Wait, who guided us through the program with warmth and enthusiasm. A special shout-out also goes to the dedicated concert organising team, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring everything together.

Our fabulous student performers were the heart of the evening. Their hard work and countless hours of rehearsal paid off in stunning performances that left the audience beaming with pride. It was wonderful to see their talents shine so brightly on stage, creating memories we’ll cherish for years to come.

We’d also like to acknowledge the efforts of our staff, who collaborated to produce the fun-filled final performance of the night. It was a fitting conclusion to an evening filled with joy and celebration.

Thank you to our community, for your flexibility and support in keeping the front row of the audience free for our families of each class of performing students to take photos, and for rotating in and out of the hall to ensure everyone could enjoy their children’s performances throughout the night.

A sincere thank you goes to everyone who helped pack up and clean up after the concert—it was a mammoth task, and your efforts were deeply appreciated. And of course, we cannot forget to thank the amazing BBQ team, led by chef extraordinaire Stretch Jarvis (Murphy’s Grandpa) and Adam Hart who kept us well-fed with delicious sausages straight off the BBQ, and our incredibly generous Audio Technician, Paul Rosa, who supplied and managed our audio and sound throughout the concert. We greatly appreciate your generosity and support!

This year’s Christmas Concert was more than just a celebration of the season—it was an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of our students, staff, and wider community. It reminded us of the joy of coming together and the power of collaboration and creativity. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a success.

Whole School Transition Session

This week, our school took an exciting step in strengthening the support of our students as they transition to their next year level with the introduction of a whole-school transition session. This new addition to our transition program was inspired by feedback and ideas from the Student Wellbeing Subcommittee of our School Council.

During the session, each year level came together to learn more about the activities, events, and unique aspects of moving into the year above. From exploring new routines to discovering exciting opportunities that await them, students gained valuable insights into what lies ahead, helping to ease any uncertainties and build excitement for the next stage of their learning journey.

The aim of this extra transition session is to ensure a smoother and more confident start to the 2025 school year. By fostering familiarity with the next year level’s expectations and experiences, we hope to empower our students to approach their new challenges with enthusiasm and assurance.

Looking ahead, we are thrilled that next Tuesday, students will meet their 2025 class and teacher during another dedicated transition session. This time together will further strengthen connections and prepare students for the exciting year to come.

We are proud of our school’s proactive approach to student wellbeing and are grateful to the Student Wellbeing Subcommittee for their thoughtful contributions. Together, we’re creating a nurturing environment where every student feels supported as they grow and thrive.

Thank you to everyone who made this week’s transition session a success, and we look forward to continuing this important work next week!

Planning for Next Year

We are now in the final stages of planning our school structures and classes for next year. Teachers are working diligently to finalise our 2025 classes and prepare for our Whole School Transition Meet the Teacher and the Class session that will be held on Tuesday 10 December. During this session, students including all current and new students attending Bimbadeen Heights PS in 2025 will meet their teacher and spend some time with their new class for next year. On the same day, our Year 6 students moving onto government secondary schools will have their Year 7 Transition Orientation where they will spend the day preparing to begin their secondary schooling in 2025. Our teachers also complete comprehensive handovers from 2024 to 2025 teachers including student learning and wellbeing needs to ensure our students are supported in their transition to their new year levels and classes.

To support our planning for next year, we need to have a clear idea of exactly who will be here. This is information is very important for us as we form classes so we can ensure that our classes are balanced in all aspects including friendships. One child moving away can leave another child without a friend in the new class. If you know that your child will be moving away next year, please send us an email to bimbadeen.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au letting us know where your child will be attending school next year.

Class Parties and End of Year Celebrations

Year level class parties will be held on Wednesday 18 December for students in Years 1-5. This is the same day as Year 6 Graduation. Foundation will be holding their end of year celebration at their Aussie Day excursion to Lilydale Lake on Thursday 12 December, and Year 6 will be holding their end of year celebration at their Big Day Out on Thursday 19 December. Teachers will send out information to families with specific information about their end of year celebration for each year level. Please keep an eye out on Sentral over the coming weeks.

2024 Final Assembly and Early Finishing Time for Final Day

Our final assembly for the 2024 school year will be held on the final day of school on Friday 20th December. The assembly will be held in the Hall and will begin at 12:45pm and conclude by 1:30pm. Parents and carers are welcome to attend.

All students will be dismissed by their classroom teacher at the conclusion of assembly at 1:30pm.

Parents and carers of Year 6 students are invited to meet their children on the running track at the conclusion of the assembly, and we ask that all parents and carers of students in Foundation – Year 5 students wait for their children near their classrooms where their teachers will dismiss them from.

TheirCare will be running an extended after school care program to begin at 1:30pm. Information about TheirCare’s program is available via our School Website.

Last Week of the 2024 School Year

Many families have indicated to classroom teachers and the office that their child’s final day will be Friday 20th December. If your child will not be attending school on any day during the final week/s of the year, please ensure you enter their absence into Sentral as soon as possible so we can finalise our student attendance records for the school year.

2025 School Term and Pupil Free Dates for your diary

With the end of the school year fast approaching, we can confirm the following key dates for our school terms and pupil free days next year.

The 2025 Victorian school term dates are:

Term 1: 28 January (Teachers), 30 January (Students) – 4 April

Year 1-6 students begin 30 January
Foundation students begin 3 February
Foundation individual student testing dates: 30-31 January, 5 February, 12 February, 19 February.

Term 2: 22 April – 4 July

Term 3: 21 July – 19 September

Term 4: 6 October – 19 December

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

Our 2025 Pupil Free Day Program dates are:

Term 1
- Tuesday 28 January 2025 (State-wide Pupil Free Day)
- Wednesday 29 January 2025
Term 2 - Wednesday 4 June 2025
Term 3 - Monday 21 July 2025
Term 4 - Wednesday 12 November 2025.

2024 End of Year Summary Student Report Cards

Our staff have been busily compiling End of Year Summary Student Report Cards that will be available through Sentral on Friday 13 December. These report cards provide information about your child’s progress against the Victorian Curriculum for the second semester this year (Terms 3 and 4).

As part of our end of year student reporting process, we will also provide the opportunity for parents/carers to discuss their child’s learning and progress with their current classroom teacher, if they wish to do so. If you would like to book a time to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their report before the end of the school year, please get in contact with them via Sentral or direct email.

2025 Foundation Transition

We have completed three of the four transition sessions for our 2025 Foundation students, designed to support our incoming students to familiarise themselves with our school community and help them to prepare for a smooth transition into primary school. We look forward to welcoming our new families to our community at a 2025 Foundation BBQ and implementing our Orientation session for our 2025 Founders over the next two weeks. Information about the program has been sent directly to families of enrolled children about the remaining sessions.

Congratulations Tony!

Congratulations to Tony Amato on celebrating 15 years of unwavering service to our community as a crossing supervisor on Hayrick Lane, outside the Milk Bar. Tony has become a friendly and familiar face, greeting our students and families with warmth every morning and afternoon throughout the year.

A special thank you to our families who contributed stories and well wishes to Tony’s book of appreciation. Tony was deeply moved by your kind words and grateful for the recognition. It was heart warming to see just how much of a positive impact he has on so many members of our community.

Thank you, Tony, for all that you do to brighten our days and keep our community safe.

Congratulations, Ryder!

Congratulations to Ryder B in Year 6 for being selected for the Basketball Victoria Future Development Program for 2024/2025! Ryder's dedication and hard work during tryouts set him apart among many talented competitors, and we are so proud of this incredible achievement.

As part of the program, Ryder will train with high-performance basketball coaches and athletes, refining his skills and gaining valuable experience that will help him take his game to the next level.

What a fantastic accomplishment, Ryder! We can’t wait to see you continue to grow and strive for greatness in your basketball journey. Keep up the amazing work!

Congratulations, Mitchell!

Congratulations to Mitchell K for achieving second place in the Lilydale & Yarra Valley Show with his impressive paper and crayon collage artwork! The Lilydale Agricultural & Horticultural Show, also known as the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Show, has been a cherished tradition since 1904. Held annually in November, the Show celebrates the region’s rich agricultural and horticultural heritage while also supporting local businesses and community initiatives.

Mitchell created this outstanding piece of art at school in our specialist visual Art program. He skilfully layered glue and overlapped tissue circles in a random colour pattern before adding vibrant crayon spirals on top and trimming his piece around the edges. Mitchell’s creativity and dedication truly stood out among the entries. What a wonderful achievement!

We can’t wait to see more of your incredible creations in the future, Mitchell! Keep up the amazing work and continue to share your artistic talents with the community.

Former Student, Chelsea Crawley-Walsh, Wows in Warrnambool!

Former student Chelsea Crawley-Walsh is becoming a prominent artist in the Warrnambool area, showcasing her artwork and contributing to the local art community. Chelsea’s Facebook page, Chelsea Crawley-Walsh Art, features a diverse collection of her impressive pieces and highlights her remarkable skill.

If you’re traveling through Warrnambool during the upcoming school holidays, keep an eye out for Chelsea’s artwork displayed around town.

2025 Student Supplies

Information about 2025 Parent Payments has been sent to families via Sentral and a hard copy at the beginning of this term. This includes details on how to order your child’s 2025 Book Pack. Bimbadeen Heights Primary School recommends purchasing the book pack through Ross Office Supplies, which offers a teacher-approved, cost-effective pack tailored to each year level.

Book packs which were ordered before 22 November 2024 will be delivered to the school free of charge on 9 December 2024 and will be sent home with your child that day. Orders placed after this date can still be made through Ross Office Supplies until 7 February 2025, with delivery to the school on 14 February 2025. However, these late orders will incur a $15 late fee.

If you have any questions regarding the 2025 Student Supplies, please contact our Business Manager, Adele Gates, on 9726 9989.

Thank you for your support in helping prepare your child for a successful year ahead!

COVID-19 Increase in Community Transmission

There is at present an increase in community transmission of COVID-19. You can help us keep our school as safe as possible by taking 2 important steps:

If your child shows symptoms of COVID-19, please ensure they stay home and get tested. The easiest way to test is to use a rapid antigen test (RAT). We have a limited supply of RATs available at our school for collection. You can also buy RATs at supermarkets, pharmacies, and other retailers.
If your child has symptoms but tests negative, please ensure they stay home until they no longer have symptoms.
If the RAT test result is positive, please ensure they say home for at least 5 days and until there are no more symptoms. Thank you for your support – these steps will help us all stay well.

The remainder of the school newsletter is handed over to Brody and Shayla who were our Year 6 Teaching Day Principals…

Year 6 Teaching Day

On Wednesday the 27th of November, we had Year 6 Teaching Day. This special day, which is hosted once a year, Year 6 students become the teachers and staff of the school. On the day, Year 6 students taught all different subjects across the day, such as maths, writing, reading and spelling. Some Year 6 Students were also teaching specialist classes, and two Year 6 Students were also chosen to be the principals for the day. Shayla and I were Acting Principals. Mrs Gregson had a stack of jobs ready for us to do, like doing special deliveries, wrapping gifts, give a special announcement to staff, and visit students for their birthday card and treat. We didn’t realise being a principal was so much fun. This is a fantastic opportunity that all the kids in the school can experience, being taught by a Year 6 or teaching a class as a Year 6 student. We highly recommend the experience.

Below are some more reflections from our Year 6 Student Teachers:

Teacher in 1TJ

Morning Session: When I first got into the classroom, I was nervous that I would mess up and scared they would just not care. But as the lesson went on, I got more confident and was happy with the grade I ended up with.

After Recess: When recess ended, I was super excited to go back into the classroom and teach. We played a lot of games in that middle session, and I felt like I was their real teacher. We taught a bunch of different subjects, but my favourite was writing. They got to write a story about SpongeBob, and I loved going around and helping the students if they needed.

Star 1: I started gaining a connection with some of the students and I feel like the day went very smoothly and it was well planned out.

Star 2: I loved taking suggestions from the students for what game to play and I think they really enjoyed the day with us as their teachers.

Wish: I wish we could teach our class for a whole week. I feel like it would be a much better experience for the year 6s next year.

By Sienna M

Teachers in Grade 5LH

In the morning, it was strange, and I had no clue how to start. Mrs Henderson was very helpful and understood that we needed help and asked the class to tell us what they normally do. 5LH were very kind and ran the circle simply and it went fast, they had good values that they were going to show and there were very exciting announcements. Playing the positive primer was fun and they enjoyed the one we picked as it was simple, but it was still enjoyable. We also did spelling, and heaps of people finished.

Reading didn’t run as smoothly, and we were supposed to do it after snack, but everything worked out the way we wanted in the end. We just skipped a few bits, but it ended well, and we got into a good conversation about bushfires in Kinglake, Warrandyte and Yea.

Writing I already knew what to do because we did it last year and I could help anyone who needed it. Helping brainstorm ideas and writing them on the board was fun and I got to hear all the things that the preps next year will get to enjoy. I also liked how I got to use the technology myself as I got to show them how to insert a school appropriate border for their cute little preps coming in. I could also tell that the year 5s are excited for buddies because that was the first thing that they suggested that the preps get to enjoy in 2025.

Math was probably the worst thing because the math was fractions, decimals and percentages and they all needed help when it got too hard (basically the whole thing). I am bad at all that stuff and couldn’t help them and neither could Connor. We tried our best. When we finished maths, everyone was sad because we had to leave.

Star 1: I handed out my whole sticker sheet to them all and they loved the stickers.

Star 2: The class was very responsive, polite and followed our school values.

Wish: We wish it was longer than a day. It was over so quick! Maybe Teacher for a week?!

By Marley and Connor

Teacher in Art

Morning Session: It was very nerve wracking being the first one to start the day sitting in the chair nervously waiting there. But after the first session, it felt like a relief. When I finished it with a smile of surprise, curiosity and determination.

After Recess: When I knew we were halfway through the day I felt like it was going fast and this time I eagerly waited for the class so I could start. But I also remembered that this time it was Preps so I knew it wouldn’t be as hard, so I had a good time and finished and walked back to my classroom with a small laugh.

Star 1: I had a very good time with the teacher for a day and I felt so great at the end.

Star 2: It was so fun at times when I gave out tokens stickers or helped because when I finished doing those things I always saw that same kid smile.

Wish: Next year I suggest teachers give a bit more extra information about what kind of things we could help the kids, with instead of us just having to ask or maybe we could have a little practise first so we could feel more confident.

By Kimi

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend with your families, and we are looking forward to another fantastic week of learning at Bimbadeen.

By Brody, Shayla, Adele Gregson and Sabrina George

Year 2

World Dance Incursion