Principal's Report
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, learn and play. We pay respect to Wurundjeri elders past, present and emerging and extend our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School.
We are thrilled to introduce our Student Leadership Team for 2025! This year’s leadership applications were highly competitive, with many passionate and enthusiastic students putting themselves forward. The quality of ideas and the dedication to improving Student Voice and Agency in our school community was truly inspiring. As a result, we have decided to add two new leadership roles: School Vice Captains and Sustainability Captains, which will be instrumental in driving our school improvement goals for the year ahead.
Following a comprehensive selection process—including nominations, shortlisting, speeches, presentations to Year 4, 5, and 6 students, a preferential voting process, and individual interviews—we are proud to announce our 2025 Student Leadership Team:
Our School Captains, School Vice Captains, House Captains and Sustainability Captains form our Student Leadership Team. They will be presented with their badges at a special assembly early next year.
We are excited to work with our new leaders throughout their final year of primary school, empowering them to enhance Student Voice and Agency across our school. Their dedication and leadership will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy for future generations of Bimbadeen students.
We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to our current 2024 Student Leadership Team. These young leaders have shown remarkable commitment and passion, making a positive impact on our community throughout the year.
We wish them all the best as they continue their leadership journey into secondary school.
Remembrance Day in Australia honours the sacrifices made by both armed forces and civilians during times of war. Observed at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a one-minute silence marks the end of hostilities on the Western Front in World War I.
On Friday, 8 November, our School Captains, Eliza and Zac, read the poem In Flanders Fields and led the school in a minute’s silence at 11am, paying tribute to those who have served and sacrificed to protect the values we cherish as Australians.
In addition, we proudly supported the Lilydale RSL’s Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal by selling poppy merchandise through the office in the weeks leading up to the day.
A heartfelt thank you to all our community members who contributed to this important cause.
We’re still buzzing with excitement after the incredible success of our 2024 Spring Market! The day was filled with smiles and laughter as our students enjoyed the wide range of activities and opportunities on offer.
It was truly a celebration of student creativity and entrepreneurship, and we couldn’t be prouder of how everything came together.
A huge thank you to Ms. Laird and the Spring Fair Team, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help our students bring this fantastic event to life. This was truly a “by the students, for the students” experience, and their hard work paid off in spades. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the parents and carers who helped in various roles, both leading up to the event and on the day itself. Your support was invaluable.
Our Year 6 students were the stars of the show, running their own businesses as part of the market. Many of them sold out of their products within a short time, a testament to the incredible effort they put into creating their businesses. From designing logos and branding to writing scripts, storyboards, and advertisements, they demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit and creativity.
We’re thrilled to report that the Spring Market raised $4,399.49.
The funds raised are helping us reach our goal of building a new GaGa pit near the Year 1/2 playground. This exciting project has been funded through the combined efforts of our Graduating classes of 2024 and 2023. Once the GaGa pit is complete, a plaque will be placed in recognition of our graduating students’ contributions, ensuring that future generations will know the lasting impact they’ve made on our school community.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the Spring Market – we look forward to seeing the GaGa pit in action early in 2025!
Building works have commenced at the school as part of the Department of Education’s Ramp Compliance Program. 4SC has temporarily relocated to the BER Building while a new ramp is being installed outside their classroom to improve accessibility. Additionally, the area between the TheirCare building and the caged basketball court is being redesigned to enhance access to the back double portable building, where TheirCare’s overflow space and Second-Hand Uniform Sales are located. Please take note of fenced-off areas while moving around the school.
Two weeks ago, we were proud to receive a set of new flags for our school from Mr. Aaron Violi MP, Federal Member for Casey.
The previous flags had been damaged by wild weather and broken branches from nearby trees, but thanks to Mr. Violi’s generous support, we now have beautiful new flags to proudly display on our school flagpoles.
The new flags will be installed in the coming days, and we’re excited to see them flying high.
A big thank you to Mr. Violi for his contribution to our school!
A huge congratulations to our Year 3/4 All-Star Boys Hooptime team, who represented our school with pride at the Regional Finals last week. The team battled hard throughout the day, taking on some tough competitors.
We couldn’t be prouder of the sportsmanship, teamwork, and resilience they displayed, not just in their performance on the court, but in the way they supported each other every step of the way.
A special thank you to Ben Hallawell who volunteered his time to support the team, and to Mrs Gray who provided invaluable support throughout the event. We also appreciate the parents and carers who came along to cheer on the players and show their unwavering support.
Over the past few weeks, our Year 6 students have been participating in the Cyber Safety Project's The Final Word program, designed to help them transition safely to secondary school. This engaging program has equipped our students with essential knowledge and skills for navigating the online world as they prepare for the next stage of their education.
Through a series of interactive online sessions, students learned how to handle new online challenges, build a strong foundation of digital citizenship, and make a positive impact within their communities. The program has given them the tools to manage the increased risks and responsibilities that come with the more complex digital environment they will encounter in secondary school.
In addition, last week, we invited parents and carers of Year 6 students to attend an online session, Navigating the Digital Transition to Secondary School. This session focused on the key online challenges and trends their children will face. Parents gained practical tips, explored important themes for safe online behaviour, and learned conversation starters to help support their child’s responsible digital journey as they move into secondary school.
The first program with the Cyber Safety Project has been a huge success, and we look forward to offering more cyber safety initiatives for our students in 2025.
We are approaching the final stages of planning our school structures and classes for next year. Teachers are working diligently to finalise our 2025 classes and prepare for our Whole School Cohort Transition session that will be held on Tuesday 3 December, and our Meet the Teacher and the Class session that will be held on Tuesday 10 December. During the Whole School Cohort Transition session, students will learn about what happens in their year level throughout the year, and during the Meet the Teacher and the Class session students spend time in their 2025 classroom with their new class and teacher for next year.
The Meet the Teacher and the Class session involves all current and new students attending Bimbadeen Heights PS in 2025. On the same day as our Meet the Teacher and the Class session, our Year 6 students moving onto government secondary schools will have their Year 7 Transition Orientation where they will spend the day preparing to begin their secondary schooling in 2025.
Our teachers also complete comprehensive handovers from 2024 to 2025 teachers including student learning and wellbeing needs to ensure our students are supported in their transition to their new year levels and classes.
To support our planning for next year, we need to have a clear idea of exactly who will be here. This is information is very important for us as we form classes so we can ensure that our classes are balanced in all aspects including friendships. One child moving away can leave another child without a friend in the new class. If you know that your child will be moving away next year, please send us an email to bimbadeen.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au letting us know where your child will be attending school next year.
We’re thrilled the Bimbadeen Heights Primary School Christmas Concert is returning for 2024! Now in its second year, this festive tradition brings together students, staff, and families for an evening of music, celebration, and community spirit.
Our students have been busy preparing, and we can’t wait to see them perform. Each class will take the stage with a special song, and all students will join together for a heart warming whole-school performance that is sure to fill the air with holiday cheer.
The concert will kick off at 5:30pm on Tuesday, 3 December. In addition to the performances, we’ll be hosting a pre-order BBQ so you can enjoy a meal while celebrating with us.
For all the latest updates and details, please keep an eye on Sentral. We look forward to seeing you there as we come together to mark the end of another wonderful year!
The final day of the school year for students and staff is Friday 20 December. Many families have indicated to classroom teachers and the office that their child’s final day will be earlier than Friday 20 December.
If your child will not be attending school at any time in the final week/s of the school 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.
Our final assembly for the 2024 school year will be held on the final day of school on Friday 20 December. The assembly will be held in the Hall and will begin at 12:45pm and conclude by 1:30pm. All students will be dismissed by their classroom teacher at the conclusion of assembly at 1:30pm. Parents and carers of Year 6 students are invited to meet their children on the running track at the conclusion of the assembly, and we ask that all parents and carers of students in Foundation – Year 5 students meet their children near their classrooms where their teachers will dismiss them from.
TheirCare will be running an extended after school care program that will begin at 1:30pm. Information about TheirCare’s program and contact information is available via our School Website.
Information about 2025 Parent Payments has been sent to families via Sentral and a hard copy at the beginning of this term. This includes details on how to order your child’s 2025 Book Pack. Bimbadeen Heights Primary School recommends purchasing the book pack through Ross Office Supplies, which offers a teacher-approved, cost-effective pack tailored to each year level.
Book packs ordered before 22 November 2024 will be delivered to the school free of charge on 9 December 2024 and will be sent home with your child that day. Orders placed after this date can still be made through Ross Office Supplies until 7 February 2025, with delivery to the school on 14 February 2025. However, these late orders will incur a $15 late fee.
We strongly encourage families to place their order by the 22 November deadline to ensure delivery before the start of the new school year. If you have any questions regarding the 2025 Student Supplies, please contact our Business Manager, Adele Gates, on 9726 9989.
Thank you for your support in helping prepare your child for a successful year ahead!
We hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend with your families, and we are looking forward to another fantastic week of learning at Bimbadeen.
Kind regards,
Adele Gregson and Sabrina George
