Buninyong PS Newsletter

Principal's Report

TERM 1 DRAWS TO A CLOSE

With just the 9 weeks, this has been a short term, and it does feel a bit strange that we’re preparing to shut down for the easter break.  We have packed a lot into the term, and some of the things to celebrate include:

  • 2 productive pupil free days before the kids started.
  • Successfully transitioning to our school new preps and students in other year levels.  
  • We’re making good progress with key priorities for this year, in both the teaching and learning space and the wellbeing space. 
  • Overall the term has been very settled, both in classrooms and the yard.
  • All 4 scholarship programs are going great guns and are set to become a feature of what our school has to offer over the coming decade.
  • The introduction of STEM extension has been enjoyed by the students involved and the increased frequency of STEM sessions for all students has been well received.
  • Holding a successful Meet and Greet evening.
  • We’ve had some great sporting events, including the 3-6 aths back in week 6 and the district aths earlier this week, and a successful inter-house cross country event last week.
  • Our grade 6 teams are up and about and doing great things.  That will keep these kids engaged and connected to the school, which is crucial later in the year.
  • We managed NAPLAN with a minimum of fuss and anxiety.
  • We had some great excursions, including the Teddy Bear’s Picnic, GRIP Leadership Conference and visit to the Grand Prix.  Other events, such as the Sustainability fair and Costa’s visit, have been excellent.
  • Tracey ran another successful BBQ and the Hot Cross Bun fundraiser has been successful.
  • Ride to School Day was a big hit.
  • BUNJIL awards are being handed out to students for a wide variety of reasons, and parents are appreciating the advance notice to come along to assemblies. The “morning tea catch up” sessions with Bunjil Award Winners have been great and enjoyed by students and members of the principal team. 
  • Container recycling is up and about across the school, helping to return some funds to sustainability projects.
  • Our school Facebook page is operating well and generating lots of interest in our school community.

 

This work has set us up nicely for the 3 terms ahead in 2024.  There is plenty planned for term 2, including:

 

·         School photos on April 30 and May 1

·         Japanese Day on May 3

·         A Book Fair in weeks 2 and 3

·         The Mother’s Day Stall on May 10

·         Lots of kids competing at interschool sporting events (AFL, cross-country, athletics,             soccer, netball,

·         Some minor incursions and excursions.

·         Rounding off the term with Parent Teacher Interviews on June 24 & 26

 

Please find a calendar of events on the front page of this newsletter. 

CASUAL DRESS FOR THE LAST DAY OF TERM

Don’t forget the kids are invited to come along in casual dress and to bring along a gold coin donation.  Proceeds will go to the Ballarat Animal Shelter, a charity chosen by our VOTS Team.

 

Dismissal time is 2:30pm on Thursday.  We hope you all get a chance to relax and enjoy some family time over the break.  Lots of families head off camping over easter and hope the usual perfect weather at this time of year comes through for you. 

 

School returns on Monday, April 15. 

 

SCHOLARSHIPS UPDATE 

Most would be aware of the generous donation from the Coxall family that is funding a range of things, including the Music, Master Chef, Visual Arts and Photography Scholarships.  In total there are 58 lucky students from grades 4-6 participating in these programs, giving each the opportunity to build on an area of passion and learn from an expert in the field. 

 

Following is a brief summary of what has been happening in each of the scholarship Programs:

 

Master Chef – This program is being led by Emily Gilliland, a trained chef.  After a few weeks of theory, focussing on knowing your way around the kitchen and learning how to stay safe whilst cooking, Master Chef students are now putting the theory into practice and cooking each week.  They are feeling very important in their new aprons and chef hats and enjoy sharing the food they have cooked with adults in the admin building.

 

Visual Arts – This program is being led by Liz Morgan, with sessions being held at our Scotsburn Campus. The first task for students in this program was to come up with T-shirt designs for each of the scholarship groups.  These are just about ready to be shared with students in each of the programs for final feedback before being sent off to a clothing supplier.  This group has also been working on personalising art smocks, for students to wear during scholarship sessions.  They have now started working on themed murals to be hung on the school fence.

 

Photography Scholarship – This program is being led by Paul Shire, a retired professional photographer.  Paul has been busy getting to know the students and understanding their skillset and interests.  Each week has a new theme, and the students are loving the challenge of taking photographs based on the current theme, before sitting down to look through what they have captured, reflecting on each and identifying key aspects of individual photographs.  The students are already showing signs of taking onboard Paul’s advice and suggestions and Paul has been blown away by the creativity being shown by the students.  So far, they have worked on themes such as ‘selfies’, ‘photographing animals’ and ‘making toys look real’.   Attached are some good examples of photographs already taken by students in this group and we look forward to many more between now and the end of the year.

 

Music Scholarship – This program is being led by Steve Skilbeck.  This scholarship program is built around the formation of a school band.  Mr Skilbeck has wasted no time in identifying roles for band members and getting down to work.  The band consists of 3 singers, a base guitarist, 2 on the keyboard and a drummer.  Remarkably, they are now close to being ready to perform for the school community.  We look forward to a performance at a whole school assembly early next term.

 

Towards the end of the year, we plan to hold a scholarship celebration evening, with contributions from each of the programs.  Parents and carers of the students involved will be invited. There will be food provided and served by the Master Chef Team, music provided by the band and an exhibition of art works and photographs from the Visual Arts and Photography Scholarship Teams.  This event will be a great way of showcasing the learning and achievements of each team.

 

We look forward to keeping you updated with what’s happening in each of the scholarship programs throughout the year.