Principal's Report 

Welcome back to Term 3. We have enjoyed a great first week of term, with students returning to school rested and ready to engage in their learning program for Term 3. 

We have a range of exciting extra-curricular activities planned for this term, including the Year 3 & 5 Swimming program, Year 3/4 African Drumming incursion, Year 5 Lilydale High transition visit, our 2023 Trivia Night, Year 6 Camp, Foundation School Nurse visits, Year 2 Melbourne Zoo excursion, Year 5/6 Summer Interschool Sport competition, Year 3/4 Hooptime, Year 3/4 Camp, Downball Championship, Year 5/6 Hooptime and the Year 5/6 Dr Carl incursion. 

The School Sport Victoria 2023 State Cross Country was held yesterday at Yarra Glen Race Course. Year 5 student Ryder Brookes represented Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, and out of 100 of the best endurance runners in our state, Ryder came 41st. What an achievement to be amongst the best runners in Victoria!

Congratulations, Mrs Way!

Congratulations to Ms Russell who celebrated a significant birthday over the holidays with a surprise wedding ceremony. 

Ms Russell married her long-term partner, Nathan Way, in front of their son, Jackson, family and friends in a surprise celebration. 

Congratulations to Mrs Way!

Staff Car Park and School Pick Up / Drop Off Zone

The safety of our students, staff and community members is paramount. We would like to remind all members of our school community to adhere to the road rules and parking signage, particularly during drop off and pick up times. 

We request that parents/carers who use the 5-minute parking at the front of the school, ensure they adhere to the parking restrictions. If we all use this area as a drop off zone, it will help improve the flow of traffic immensely along Hayrick Lane and surrounding streets. 

When parking at the front of the school, please reverse into car spots with care and be courteous to other drivers. As per Victorian road rules, when driving out of a car park indicate, check mirrors and blind spots and give way to all vehicles and pedestrians on the road. This includes giving way to drivers who are reversing into car spots and waiting for them to park before you drive out of your car spot. Please be mindful of your speed on the road and please do not block driveways while parking or queueing on Hayrick Lane. 

Please ensure you adhere to parking limits as there have been numerous reports to local council already this year of parents/carers who have been parking in spaces for longer times than permitted. 

NAIDOC WEEK – 2 – 9 July 2023 – For Our Elders 

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. 

During our first week back in Term 3, we set aside time to explore and celebrate Indigenous culture. We highlighted the theme of NAIDOC week: ‘For Our Elders’. This year’s theme pays respect to Indigenous Elders. This exert from the NAIDOC website explains this theme: 

Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families.  They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones.  Our loved ones who pick us up in our low moments and celebrate us in our high ones. Who cook us a feed to comfort us and pull us into line, when we need them too.   They guide our generations and pave the way for us to take the paths we can take today. Guidance, not only through generations of advocacy and activism, but in everyday life and how to place ourselves in the world.   

We take great pride in promoting cultural inclusion and it is amazing to see the connectedness our students display when we celebrate together. While NAIDOC week has concluded, we encourage you to reflect with your child and discuss the learning they are engaging with about Indigenous culture. The learning experiences have ranged from sharing and reading stories together, learning about Elders and what NAIDOC week means. 

If you would like to find out more about NAIDOC week, please visit https://www.naidoc.org.au/ 

Parent-Teacher Interviews Begin Next Week

Semester 1 academic reports were made available via the Sentral Parent Portal at the end of Term 2. These reports provide a great overview of students’ progress based on several assessments and classroom observations over the course of Semester 1. 

The Semester 1 report also forms the basis of our Parent-Teacher Interview discussions. We encourage parents/carers to book a time to speak with their child’s teacher at our Parent-Teacher Interviews, which will be held in Weeks 2 and 3. If you have not made an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their report, please contact Emma or Shelley in the office who will assist you.

2024 Foundation Enrolments Close on 28 July, so get in quick!

Enrolments are open for Foundation in 2024, however they close in 2 weeks’ time. Parents and carers of 2024 Foundation students who wish to enrol their child at Bimbadeen must submit their enrolment form by the state-wide Foundation enrolment due date of Friday 28 July. 

We will be notifying parents and carers of their child’s Foundation placement at Bimbadeen Heights PS by Friday 11 August.

Completed enrolment forms can be returned to the school:

• directly, by dropping enrolment forms and additional documentation into the school office
• via post to Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, 118 Hayrick Lane, Mooroolbark 3138
• via email to bimbadeen.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au (please scan and send all sides of the enrolment form, including any additional documentation such as court orders and visa documents).

School Council Update

The Bimbadeen Heights PS School Council is committed to sharing our work with the Bimbadeen community. The June meeting of School Council was held on Wednesday 21st June where we discussed several school policies, our upcoming fundraising events, and our school’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) plan. 

Our School Council Annual Reporting Meeting, where we report on the activities and achievements of School Council for the previous 12 months (2022 School Year) will be held on 16 August at 6:30pm, in the Foundation building. All parents and carers are invited to attend.

Thank you to Mrs George who has been Acting Principal this week. We look forward to welcoming back Mrs Gregson from her extended leave on Monday.

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend.

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George