Principal's Report
Congratulations to our Grade 6 Student Leaders, who have embraced their leadership roles with enthusiasm and responsibility. These students play an important role in helping lead our school and supporting younger students. We also congratulate our Student Voice Action Team (SVAT) leaders, who received their badges at last week’s assembly. These students will work closely with Aiesha, presenting the ideas and perspectives of students across the school and helping to ensure that student voice continues to shape our school community.
I had a chance this week to ask some students in all year levels what they had most enjoyed about Term One at BEPS.
This is what they said…
Year 6
Ian- "Completing my slideshow presentation in Languages on my culture."
Venya- "Competing in interschool sports and winning some games in volleyball."
Ananya- "Competing in cricket for interschool sports."
Year 5
Andy- "Maths sessions with my teacher Ben."
Musa- "I like the new learning timetable."
Sienna- "Learning games and skills for interschool sport."
Chloe- "The new Ninja playground."
Year 4
Nick- "Learning the skills of Netball at PE."
Xavier- "Having all the materials to use for our Art project."
Joseph- "Everything in Maths and STEM."
Eric- "Reading novels in class."
Year 3
Kiaan- "Completing an Art project on ‘I Am Me’."
Sobhan- "Doing warmups for Physical Education."
Ava- "The chickens and how they keep escaping from their coop."
Jenny- "Getting house points. I hope we win!"
Year 2
Ariyan- "Playing soccer at recess and lunch."
Emily- "Playing with my friends."
Year 1
Melina- "The Year 1 and 2 playground."
Grace- "Doing Sound Waves."
Ethan- "Doing Maths in class."
Foundation
Roman- "Learning with Rob."
Sahasra- "Doing school swimming."
Renee- "Playing with my friends."
Chloe- "Doing Maths in the classroom."
As the term finishes, we appreciate families supporting students by:
- ensuring regular and punctual attendance
- checking Compass regularly for communication and updates
- labelling uniforms, hats and lunch items clearly
- encouraging students to bring water bottles and hats each day
- obeying parking and school zone driving conditions
- ensuring dogs are on a leash and cleaning up after them
- being SunSmart role models for our students.
Allergies
At Burwood East Primary School, we have a number of students each year who are diagnosed with potentially life-threatening allergies. While it may seem that banning certain foods is the simplest solution, health authorities do not recommend this approach. Schools cannot guarantee being completely free of specific allergens, such as nuts. Instead, we adopt an allergy-aware approach, focusing on education, understanding and practical risk minimisation strategies to help keep all students safe.
Allergic reactions can occur very quickly, even from small amounts of food being eaten or touched, and in some cases may become life-threatening. These situations can be distressing not only for the child affected, but also for other students who witness the reaction.
As part of our duty of care, we are committed to ensuring every child feels safe, supported and included. This includes supporting students with mild to severe allergies, while also being mindful that some children may not wish to feel singled out or treated differently.
Common food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts (such as cashews), eggs, cow’s milk, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, sesame, kiwi fruit, berries and seeds.
To support the safety and wellbeing of all students, our school implements the following strategies:
- Students are not permitted to share food and are encouraged to wash/sanitise their hands before and after eating.
- We encourage parents to recognise foods that are known to pose a high risk of allergic reactions, particularly where individual student allergies are identified.
- Staff take allergies into account when planning events such as excursions, camps and classroom activities.
- Food-based rewards are discouraged, with non-food alternatives encouraged.
Students at risk of anaphylaxis are encouraged to eat food provided from home.
These measures are part of our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for every child.
We ask for your support in helping us maintain an allergy-aware community. When preparing food for your child to bring to school, please consider the potential risks to others and help to reinforce safe practices with your child.
By working together with understanding and care, we can ensure that all students feel safe, respected and included.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
As we come to the end of Term 1, we take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the many important cultural and religious events that have been recognised across our school community.
This term, members of our community have observed Ramadan, a time of reflection, generosity and connection for Muslim families. Some have celebrated Lunar New Year, welcoming the new year with themes of renewal, hope and good fortune. Others recognised Diwali, the festival of light, recognising the importance of light.
As we head into the holiday break, we acknowledge and celebrate Easter, a time that holds significance for many in our community. Easter is a time of renewal, hope and spending time with family and loved ones.
These celebrations are an important part of who we are as a school. They provide meaningful opportunities for our students to learn about different cultures, traditions and beliefs, helping to build understanding, respect and a strong sense of belonging.
We wish all members of our community a safe, happy and restful break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 2.