It’s been so good to have everyone back and to feel the rhythm of the school year settle in again. The first few weeks always carry that mix of excitement and fresh starts, and it hasn’t taken long for our classrooms to find their groove.

I’ve loved walking through the school and seeing students already deep into their learning, reconnecting with friends and embracing new challenges. There’s a calm, positive feel across the school — and that’s always a good place to start.

Thank you to our families for helping the year begin so smoothly. We’re off and running, and it’s shaping up to be a great year ahead.

OSHC Update

We’re so excited to confirm that service approval has now been granted for our Outside School Hours Care program.

We are now working through the logistics and staffing side of things as we move toward the next stage. There are still some important steps to complete, and we truly appreciate your patience while we carefully put the foundations in place.

Our hope is that this service will bring another level of care and flexibility to Bolinda — supporting our families and strengthening what we already offer as a small, connected school community.

We’ll continue to keep you updated as we progress.

School Council

We’re currently looking for new members to join our School Council this year, with four family member positions available.

School Council meetings run from 6:00–7:00pm, either at school or online, on the following dates:

March 4 (AGM)
May 7
June 18
August 7
September 3
October 29
November 26

No prior experience is needed — just a willingness to work together and contribute to the continued growth and direction of our school.

Nomination forms must be returned by Wednesday, February 25. If you’d prefer a hard copy sent home, just let us know.

Important note: From 2026, all School Council members (except VIT-registered teachers and students) will need to hold a Working With Children Check when nominating for election or co-option.

If you’ve ever thought about getting more involved, this is a wonderful opportunity. We’d love to see more families around the table.

Kitchen Garden Program

Our Kitchen Garden program is one of the real highlights of life at Bolinda. The children regularly tell us it’s one of their favourite parts of the week — and we couldn’t agree more.

Behind the scenes, however, it’s a big commitment. Sharon does an incredible job running the sessions and often stays back to clean and prepare. As the program grows, we simply need a few more helping hands to keep it running every week.

Without extra support, we may need to skip some sessions — which we’d really like to avoid.

Even occasional help makes a difference. Sessions run from 11:30am – 1:40pm, with assistance often needed for clean-up afterwards.

Upcoming sessions this term:

February 20 – Mrs Bench (Middle)
February 27 – Ms Rapetti (Junior)
March 6 – Mrs Bench (Middle)
March 20 – Mrs Bloomfield (Senior)

If you’re able to help — regularly or just now and then — we’d be hugely grateful.

As with all volunteering at school, helpers need a current Working With Children Check and must have viewed the Child Safe Standards presentation.

Family BBQ

Our annual Family BBQ for the year will be held on Wednesday, February 26 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm.

This is always a relaxed, welcoming evening and a great opportunity for families to connect, meet new faces and enjoy some time together as a school community.

We’d love to see you there.

Lancefield Men's Shed

We recently met with the Lancefield Men’s Shed to begin our involvement in the Kids in the Shed program.

Our Year 5/6 students will have the opportunity to visit the Men’s Shed and create some woodworking masterpieces. We’re still finalising dates and times, but we’re incredibly excited about this new connection.

The Men’s Shed has also asked us to suggest projects that could help improve our school — and they’ll work alongside the students to make them happen. It’s a fantastic opportunity for authentic learning, skill development and community connection.

More information to come soon.

Tennis Coaching

Tennis coaching will be starting soon at Bolinda Primary School, thanks to the Sporting Schools grant we have successfully received.

Over five weeks, a qualified tennis coach will work with our students, running one-hour sessions focused on developing skills, confidence and game awareness. These sessions are always a highlight and provide a fantastic opportunity for students to build coordination, teamwork and resilience in a fun and supportive environment.

This is a terrific initiative and one we genuinely look forward to each time it comes around.

Creative Ranges Network

For families who may not be aware, we have an instrumental music group that offers extra-curricular music lessons at school during break times.

Recently, Shaun Evans came out and had a jam session with the students, and the kids really enjoyed it.

If your child is interested in learning an instrument, we encourage you to visit the Macedon Ranges Music Network page for more information about how to get involved.

Communication Channels

A quick reminder about how we share information:

Compass is our primary communication tool. Please check it regularly for updates, notices and calendar events.
This newsletter provides a broader snapshot of what’s happening across the school. The calendar page is a great source of upcoming dates.
From time to time, we post updates in our closed Facebook group (membership approval required).
Our public Facebook page exists to share the wonderful story of Bolinda with the wider community.

We encourage families to check Compass regularly to ensure nothing important is missed.

Compass: https://bolindaps-vic.compass.education/

iNewsletter: https://newsletters.naavi.com/p/6M17rdN/archive

Facebook Public: https://facebook.com/BolindaPSchool

Facebook Private: https://www.facebook.com/groups/587051761483279/