Exciting Changes for 2026

As our school continues to grow, so does our commitment to providing the best educational experience for our students. With an expanding enrolment, we are excited to introduce several changes to our staffing profile that will support our evolving needs. These changes reflect our dedication to maintaining a high standard of excellence in teaching, leadership, and support services. Below are introductions to our new positions and new additions to our team:

Exciting Leadership Appointment - Mrs. Bree King

We are delighted to announce that Mrs. Bree King will join our Principal Class Team as Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Inclusion in 2026. Mrs. King brings extensive experience in supporting students with additional needs and encouraging inclusive practices across our school.

In her new role, she will lead wellbeing and inclusion initiatives, strengthen systems of support, and work with staff to create inclusive, engaging learning environments where every student feels valued and supported. Mrs. King will also support professional learning and coaching for teachers, ensuring all students have a voice in their learning and opportunities to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

We congratulate Mrs. King on her appointment and look forward to the positive impact of her leadership in fostering a supportive and inclusive school culture.

Announcing Our Substantive Learning Specialists

We are delighted to announce that Beth Dean, Emily Way, and Kristine Borys have been appointed as substantive Learning Specialists from 2026. This recognition reflects their outstanding contributions during their acting roles in 2025 and their dedication to improving teaching and learning across our school.

In their roles, they will continue to spend significant time in the classroom, delivering high-quality lessons while also leading whole-school improvement. They will mentor colleagues, model exemplary teaching practices, and support professional learning, helping to strengthen achievement, engagement, and wellbeing for all students.

We congratulate Ms Dean, Mrs Way, and Mrs Borys on their substantive appointments and look forward to the continued positive impact of their leadership in 2026 and beyond.

Thank you and Farewell

Mr Thomas Munnecke and Mr Ben Morgan will be leaving Bimbadeen at the end of the year as they take up new opportunities in their careers. Mrs Ashleigh Danes will also be finishing up at the end of the year as she prepares to welcome her third child.

We also acknowledge Mrs Virginia Gardner (Classroom Teacher), Mrs Melissa Simpson (Classroom Teacher), and Ms Jenna Fowler (Integration Aide), who have been on leave in recent years and have now concluded their employment at Bimbadeen Heights to pursue new pathways in their careers.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to each of these staff members for their hard work, dedication, and the valuable contributions they have made to our school community in their various roles. We wish them all the very best for the future and look forward to hearing about their continued success.

See you soon!

Mrs Tania Maniscalchi and Mrs Alycia Marx will be taking 12 months’ leave from their roles at Bimbadeen Heights PS in 2026. Ms Hayley Cook has also extended her leave for a further 12-month period.

We wish Mrs Maniscalchi, Mrs Marx, and Ms Cook all the very best for the year ahead and look forward to welcoming them back to Bimbadeen in 2027.

Welcome to Bimbadeen

We are very pleased to share that Ms Erin Murphy, Ms Meg Elkin, Ms Melissa Murray, Mrs Kiri Briggs, and Mrs Lauren Barbour have become permanent members of our Bimbadeen staff. Ms Murphy, Ms Elkin, Ms Murray, Mrs Briggs and Mrs Barbour have each contributed immensely during their time in our school community, and we are thrilled that they will be continuing in their roles as classroom teachers.

Their dedication, professionalism, and positive relationships with students, staff, and families have been greatly valued, and we look forward to their ongoing contributions in the years ahead.

We are also excited to be welcoming 7 new staff members to our community in 2025, in either Classroom Teacher, Specialist Teacher or Education Support staff roles:

Marie Whaley - Year 3 Classroom Teacher
Emily Rae Taylor - Year 1 Classroom Teacher (Friday fortnightly)
Mitchell Skinner – Physical Education Teacher
Kelly Dwyer - Physical Education Teacher (Fridays)
Lucy Brown – Integration Aide
Monique Davison – Integration Aide
Jessica Southall – Integration Aide.

2026 Class Structure

Each year at Bimbadeen, we carefully review our class structure to ensure we are using our resources effectively and providing the best possible learning and wellbeing outcomes for all students.

A range of factors inform our planning, including Department of Education funding, enrolment numbers across year levels, our workforce profile, and the broad curriculum programs we offer.

The Department of Education recommends average class sizes of 21 students in Foundation - Year 2 and 26 students in Foundation - Year 6. We are pleased to share that our projected class averages for 2026 are 19.5 students (F-2) and 22.7 students (F-6).

In 2026, Bimbadeen will operate 25 classes, with the following structure:

Foundation – 4 classes
Year 1 – 4 classes
Year 2 – 4 classes
Year 3 – 4 classes
Year 4 – 3 classes
Year 5 – 3 classes
Year 6 – 3 classes

2026 Staffing Structure

After thorough workforce planning, we are very pleased to announce our Leadership and Staffing Structure for 2026 (repeat information sent home on Tuesday 9 December).

Leadership Structure

Principal: Adele Gregson

Assistant Principal – School Operations: Sabrina George

Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning: Marty Gill

Assistant Principal – Wellbeing and Inclusion: Bree King

Leading Teacher – Mental Health and Wellbeing: Amanda Bailey (Tues, Wed, Fri)

Learning Specialist – Teaching and Learning: Beth Dean

Learning Specialist – Teaching and Learning: Emily Way

Learning Specialist – Teaching and Learning: Kristine Borys

Administration Structure

Business Manager: Adele Gates

Accounts Payable: Shelley Canning

Administration: Emma Chandler

Classroom Teaching Structure

0JG Jemima Gange (Team Leader)

0MG Matthew Gates

0AJ Ashleigh Janssen

0SB Stacy Brookes

1WM Emily Way (Team Leader) (Mon, Tues) / Dominic McKay (Wed, Thurs, Fri)

1LS Laura Simkin / Emily Rae Taylor (Friday fortnightly)

1MR Miranda Read

1TJ Tracey Johansen

2MM Melissa Murray (Team Leader)

2NW Liz Nicholson (Mon, Tues) / Kate Wood (Wed, Thurs, Fri)

2ME Meg Elkin

2SE Sharon Egan

3MG Michaela Gray (Team Leader)

3EM Erin Murphy

3MW Marie Whaley

3FM Michelle Franks (Mon, Tues, Wed) / Olivia Maestri (Thurs, Fri)

4ST Samantha Tallentyre (Team Leader)

4LE Lizzie Ediriweera

4MT Melissa Thomas

5TW Tayla White (Team Leader)

5BB Lauren Barbour (Mon, Tues) / Kate Buzaglo (Wed, Thurs, Fri)

5HD Beth Dean (Mon-Thurs) / Annikka Hay (Fri)

6MR Melinda Ruscitti (Team Leader)

6JG Joshua Gray

6KB Kiri Briggs

Specialist Structure

Visual Art: Amelia Laird (Team Leader)

Annikka Hay (Thurs)

Chinese: Candice Xue

Natalie Lowe (Thurs)

Physical Education: Mitchell Skinner

Kelly Dwyer (Fri)

Performing Arts: Natalie Lowe (Mon, Tues, Wed)

Kate Schie (Wed, Thurs, Fri)

Learning Support Tutor: Kristine Borys (Tues, Wed, Thurs)

Team Leader Release: Becc Davenport (Mon, Fri)

Graduate Mentor: Emily Way (Wed)

Education Support Staff Structure

Occupational Therapist: Jaimee Cook (Mon, Fri)

Student Counsellor: Liam Bransgrove (Tues, Wed, Thurs) (Student Wellbeing Coordinator)

First Aid/Principal PA: Cyndi Grant

Maintenance: Tim Lake (Mon-Thurs)

Learning Support/Library Tech: Karin Sansom (Tues, Wed, Thurs)

Integration Aides: Tracey Price-O’Reilly, Gerry Ladiges, Sam Lam, Sarah Hawker, Emma Beer, Tristan Stafford, Lisa Vanderwerf, Anu Velamakanni, Alahna Musgrove, Jennifer Cawood, Lily Redmond, Trish Garcia, Lauren Wayth, Monique Lyssenkoff, Nicholas Zito, Katrina Bowers, Monique Davison, Lucy Brown, Jessica Southall

ICT: Ken Worth (Wed PM, Fri)

We are proud to uphold the Department of Education’s commitment to family-friendly workplaces by supporting flexible work arrangements for our staff. This includes enabling teachers to work in part-time partnerships that help them balance their professional and family responsibilities. Our teaching teams work collaboratively to ensure consistency and continuity of learning when classes are shared, providing students with a smooth and positive experience.

Whole School Transition - Foundation to Year 6

Our Whole School Transition - Meet the Teacher and Class session took place on Tuesday, bringing together all current students and those joining the Bimbadeen community in 2026. During this time, students met their 2026 classroom teacher and spent part of the morning getting to know their new classmates. This experience always brings a mix of excitement and a few nerves, and it was wonderful to see how confidently and positively our students approached the session. Their resilience and enthusiasm were clear, and many left feeling eager for the year ahead.

Meanwhile, our Year 6 students attending government secondary schools in 2026 participated in their Year 7 Transition Orientation. They spent the day familiarising themselves with their new school environments and preparing for the next step in their learning journey.

As we move towards the end of the year, comprehensive handovers are taking place from 2025 to 2026 teachers, ensuring that student learning and wellbeing needs are fully communicated. This thorough planning supports a smooth transition for every student into their new year level and class.

We are proud of our proactive approach to student wellbeing and transition. By providing these experiences and careful planning, we create a supportive environment where every student can grow, thrive, and feel confident as they move into the next chapter of their learning journey. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making our transition program such a success.

Celebrating Our Amazing Parent and Carer Helpers

As 2025 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the incredible parents, carers, and grandparents who have supported our school throughout the year. Your enthusiasm, generosity, and commitment have made a real difference to our students and the wider Bimbadeen Heights Primary School community.

Whether helping in the classroom, assisting on excursions and incursions, volunteering at school events, or sharing your skills and expertise, your contributions have enriched the learning experiences of our students and helped create a welcoming, vibrant school environment. We truly cannot provide the opportunities we do without your support.

The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” has never been more evident than when we see the dedication and care of our parent and carer community. Your involvement strengthens our school, fosters positive connections, and helps make Bimbadeen a place where students feel valued, supported, and inspired to learn.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to every parent, carer, and grandparent who has given their time, energy, and encouragement this year. Your partnership with our teachers and commitment to our students’ growth is invaluable. We look forward to continuing this wonderful collaboration in 2026 and beyond!

A Magical Christmas Concert!

On Wednesday evening last week, our school community came together to celebrate the festive season at our Christmas Concert, held outdoors under perfect blue skies. The energy, creativity, and joy of the evening made it truly unforgettable.

A huge thank you to Michaela Gray for her exceptional organisation, our MCs Emily Way and Kate Schie for guiding the program with warmth, and the dedicated concert team who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

At the heart of the evening were our student performers, whose talent and hard work shone brightly on stage, filling the audience with pride. We are also grateful to our staff, whose collaboration brought the final performance together with fun and flair.

Special thanks to everyone who helped pack up and clean, our BBQ team (Leadership and Administration Teams and the Year 2 Teaching Team led by Mrs George), and our generous Audio Technician, Paul Rosa, for managing sound throughout the night.

This year’s concert was more than a celebration of the season - it was a celebration of our students, staff, and community coming together. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable and magical evening!

End-of-Year Celebrations and Class Parties

As the year draws to a close, we are excited to celebrate the achievements and hard work of our students with a series of fun end-of-year events.

Years 1 - 5 will enjoy their class parties on Wednesday 17 December, the same day as our Year 6 Graduation, making it a truly special day for the whole school. Foundation students celebrated their first year of primary school with their Aussie Day excursion to Lilydale Lake on Wednesday 10 December, while Year 6 enjoyed their Big Day Out celebration on Monday 8 December to mark the end of their primary school journey.

Teachers will be sending families all the details for their year level celebrations via Sentral, so please keep an eye out. We can’t wait to share these joyful moments with our students and create lasting memories to finish the year on a high note.

2025 Final Assembly and Early Finishing Time for Final Day

Our final assembly for the 2025 school year will be held on Friday 19 December in the Hall, starting at 12:45pm and concluding by 1:30pm. Parents and carers are warmly invited to attend and join us in celebrating the achievements of our students.

All students will be dismissed by their classroom teacher at the conclusion of the assembly at 1:30pm. Parents and carers of Year 6 students are invited to meet their children on the running track at the end of the assembly. We ask parents and carers of Foundation - Year 5 students wait near their children’s classrooms, where teachers will dismiss them.

TheirCare will be running an extended after-school care program starting at 1:30pm. Further information about TheirCare’s program is available on our School Website.

Absences during the final weeks of the school year

Many families have indicated to classroom teachers and the office that their child’s final day of school for the year will be earlier than Friday 19 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.

2026 School Term and Pupil Free Dates

The 2026 Victorian school term dates are:

Term 1: 27 January (Teachers), 28 January (Students) – 4 April please note – we have a pupil free day on 28 January
- Year 1-6 students begin 29 January
- Foundation students begin 2 February
- Foundation individual student testing 29-30 January, 4 February, 11 February, 18 February
Term 2: 20 April – 26 June
Term 3: 13 July – 18 September
Term 4: 5 October – 18 December.

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

Our 2026 Pupil Free Day Program dates are:

Term 1
- Tuesday 27 January 2026 (State-wide Pupil Free Day)
- Wednesday 28 January 2026
Term 2 - Wednesday 3 June 2026
Term 3 - Monday 13 July 2026
Term 4 - date to be confirmed.

End of Year Student Reports and Parent-Teacher Discussions

Our staff have been busy preparing End of Year Summary Student Report Cards, which will be available through Sentral at 4pm on Friday 12 December. These reports provide a detailed overview of your child’s progress against the Victorian Curriculum for the second semester (Terms 3 and 4).

As part of our end-of-year reporting process, we are also offering parents and carers the opportunity to discuss their child’s learning and progress with their current classroom teacher. If you would like to book a time to meet with your child’s teacher before the end of the school year, please contact them via Sentral.

School Council – New Eligibility Criteria

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 next year, and don’t already have a WWCC, we 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.

Child Safe Standards

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School is committed to child safety and upholding the Child Safe Standards. To do so, we continually review and update our processes and procedures to strengthen a culture of Child Safety to create and maintain a child safe organisation.

The School Community will be informed about the strategies and allocated roles and responsibilities through the school newsletter and information via the school website. School Council reviews and ratifies the Child Safety related policies throughout each year, to reflect the requirements of Ministerial Order 870 and outlines the school’s approach to Child Safety.

The Child Safe standards information including policy and associated documents as well as other resources can be accessed on our school website at https://www.bimbadeenheightsps.vic.edu.au/child-safe-standards/

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School has zero tolerance for child abuse. We are committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Our child safe policies, procedures, strategies, and practices will be inclusive of the needs of all children, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, LGBTIQA students and children who are vulnerable including students who are in out of home care.

Every person involved in Bimbadeen Heights Primary School has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

The role and responsibility for implementing and monitoring the Child Safe strategies at Bimbadeen is Assistant Principal, Mrs Sabrina George. Mrs George can be contacted on 03 9726 9989.

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend with your families, and we are looking forward to our last week of the year at Bimbadeen Heights PS.

Warm regards,

Adele Gregson, Sabrina George and Marty Gill

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