Principal's Report
JUST 7 DAYS OF THE 2024 SCHOOL YEAR LEFT
The final week or two of the school year is an odd mixture of winding down, in terms of the academic rigour in classrooms, but also winding up as there are lots of end of year events and activities.
Our first round of parent teacher interviews were held yesterday and today we have orientation day, so are hosting all of next year’s preps. We have more parent teacher interviews this Wednesday, an Art Scholarship excursion on Thursday and our ‘Meet the Teacher’ session on Friday.
Next Monday the Scotsburn community has its end of year concert/breakup and the grade 1s are off to the movies. On Tuesday our Grade 6 graduation will take place at the outdoor stage, so our fingers are crossed for good weather). Then on Wednesday our Scotsburn Campus and the grade 6s have pool days.
The school year will conclude for students next Thursday, December 18th with a whole school assembly and Christmas theme dress up on the last day. All parents and carers are most welcome to join us at the final assembly.
Our staff will come together on the Friday to complete a student handover and undertake a final cleanup.
2025 SCHOOL CAPTAINS
Our process to select the 2025 Buninyong campus school captains was completed last Friday, and we are delighted to announce our leaders for next year are:
- Otto Schwartz
- Mikka Siesma
- Eilidh Macdonald
- Scarlett Dyson
The field of applicants (38 in total) was incredibly strong, and it was a good experience for this year's school captains to work through a selection process, including applications, speeches and interviews. Our school will be in good hands with our Grade 6 captains and enthusiastic Grade 6 teams across the school next year. We are finalising all other Grade 6 leadership roles and will be in a position to announce those by the end of the week.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS FOR 2026
Late this week we will be gathering all of the students who applied to be part of one or more of the Scholarship Programs for 2026. As mentioned last week we have been blown away by the volume and quality of applications and all students who applied should be proud of their efforts. We have big plans for each of the scholarship programs, with each of them kicking off early in Term 1 next year.
MEET THE TEACHER
As mentioned last week, we have been working on class groupings and on Friday students get the opportunity to meet their new teacher and classmates for 2026. Please encourage your child/ren to approach the Meet the Teacher session with a positive mindset. Our aim is for all students to enter these transition periods with the confidence they need to achieve success. The attitude our children take to this will be shaped by trusted adults around them.
NEW ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL COUNCILLORS
From 2026, parents, carers and community members who would like to join the school council need a working with children (WWC) clearance to nominate. If you are considering nominating for school council, and don’t already have a WWCC, I encourage you to apply for a volunteer WWC check as soon as possible. This will allow for processing times, which are estimated to be from 3 to 12 weeks.
Please note that if you do not hold a WWC clearance, you will not be able to nominate for school council, so it is vital that you prepare in advance. Obtaining a WWC clearance is free for volunteers, and you can apply online at Service Victoria.
When applying for your volunteer WWC check, please nominate the Department of Education as the organisation you are working for.
If you already hold an employee WWC clearance, you do not need to obtain a volunteer WWC clearance to nominate for school council.
Victorian Institute of Teaching-registered teachers and school students who are interested in joining school council are not required to obtain a WWC clearance.
Current parents and community members of school council do not need to apply for a WWC check immediately. Current members only need a WWC clearance if their term ends and they wish to nominate or be co-opted again. For more information, refer to Ministerial Order 1280 (Constitution of Government School Councils) 2020.
BUNJIL AWARD MORNING TEAS
Having a Friday morning tea catch up with our Bunjil award winners is a valued part of the school routine. Last week’s catch up with our P-2 award winners was very typical. The kids spoke about the reasons behind their award, what they’re enjoying at school and what they’d like to see introduced or changed. The kids certainly enjoy the experience, as do we.
PARENT CONTRIBUTIONS
A document outlining financial contributions we are seeking from parents is attached below and will be emailed today to all families. If this hasn’t made it to you yet, please give the office a call to check, as we may not have your most up to date email contact.
As a public school, we rely heavily on parent contributions to provide your children with the resources and programs you expect and thank you in advance for this support. If you have any questions regarding financial contributions please contact our Business Manager, Chris Delaney by calling the general office.