As we reach the end of the year, this is the final newsletter for 2024. What a year it has been! It has been a year filled with plenty of milestones and as always, our highlights come from the times when our school community has come together.

Events such as Koopa's Birthday Party, the whole school athletics, our developmental play sessions, and today’s Whole School Christmas Lunch have stood out as special moments that remind us of the strong sense of community at Bolinda. These events would not be possible without the incredible support of our parents, families, and friends who have stepped up and come together when needed.

While we faced a few hurdles along the way, the support from our community has made all the difference, and for that, we are truly grateful. Of course, none of these events and accomplishments would be possible without the dedicated and hard-working staff who make Bolinda the incredible place it is.

Enjoy this bumper issue of the final newsletter of the year, and we wish you all a joyful and restful holiday season. Thank you for being part of another wonderful year at Bolinda.

Curriculum Days 2025

This week, the Bolinda Primary School Council met for the final time this year. Among the key items discussed was the approval of our curriculum days for 2025. Schools are permitted up to five student-free days each year, with the first day of the school year mandated as a curriculum day.

To ensure our teachers have ample time to prepare for a smooth and productive start to the year, we have opted to schedule the preceding day, Wednesday 29th January, as an additional curriculum day. This means students will begin the school year on Thursday

30th January 2025.

The full list of curriculum days for the year is as follows:

Term 1 - Tuesday January 28th

Term 1 - Wednesday January 29th

Term 2 - Monday June 30th

Term 3 - Monday August 25th

Term 4 Common PPD - Monday November 3rd

We are confident these dates will support our staff in delivering high-quality education and ensure a positive experience for all our students.

End-of-Year Concert

This time next week, all the hard work and preparations will have paid off as we take the stage for our much-anticipated End-of-Year Concert! We kick off at 6.30pm at Gisborne Secondary College and anticipate wrapping up by 8.30pm.

The day will begin with some rehearsal time for students at school, followed by a bit of quiet time and an early lunch. At 2pm, we’ll hop on the bus to head to the venue for final preparations.

Before the performance, the students will enjoy a meal of pizza and chips, but if you’d like to pack some extra snacks or food for your child, please feel free to do so.

We’re so excited to share this special event with you and look forward to seeing everyone there. It’s going to be a wonderful evening to celebrate the talents and efforts of our students. See you next week!

Romsey Community Christmas Carols

This Saturday, December 14th, we come together for a wonderful evening of Christmas carols! Our students are busy practicing, and we’re inviting everyone to take part in the performances on the night.

The highlight of the evening will be our feature song, the always-favourite Jingle Bell Rock – we’d love for everyone to join in and sing along!

This special event is open to all families, friends, and community members. It’s a fantastic opportunity to share in the festive spirit, so we hope to see you there!

Library Books & Payments

As we approach the end of the year, we kindly ask that all library books be returned to school as soon as possible. This will help us ensure that our library inventory is up to date for the start of the new year.

Additionally, if you need to make any outstanding payments, Katie will be available to assist with those. Please feel free to stop by and make arrangements with her.

Goodbye to Waymaker Canteen

Last week, we bid farewell to our canteen service, Waymaker Canteen, as they shift their focus to other areas of their business. We sincerely thank them for their service and wish them all the best for the future. As a parting gesture, Waymaker Canteen treated every student and staff member to a delicious donut – a sweet way to say goodbye and show their appreciation.

We are now on the hunt for another canteen service provider to offer lunch orders for our students. If you know of any services or local eateries that might be interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know.

Our aim is to keep the administrative tasks of running a canteen to a minimum. If we are unable to find a provider that can deliver to the school, we may need to rely on the support of our wonderful families to assist with logistics.

Thank you in advance for your help as we work to continue providing this service to our school community!

Clarkefield Train Station Christmas Display

Bolinda Primary School has officially brought the festive spirit to Clarkefield Train Station! Our students’ wonderful and colourful Christmas-themed art designs are now on display throughout the facility.

Louise from VLine has expressed her appreciation for the creativity and effort our students have put into these designs. It’s a fantastic way to showcase the talent and Christmas spirit of our school community.

If you’re travelling on public transport, be sure to take a moment to enjoy the display. Even if you’re not planning a trip, pop down to the station and check out the artwork.

Toilet Project Update

Our toilet project is nearly complete, and we can’t wait to see the final result! Over the past week, the cladding was installed, which means that most of the work that happens now is on the inside.

The next phase has now begun, with vinyl flooring currently being installed. Next week, the partitions will go up, followed by the installation of basins, toilets, and other fixtures.

During the holidays, there’s still some work to be done to ensure everything is perfect. This includes pouring concrete and redoing pathways so that everything connects seamlessly. Some landscaping will also be completed to tidy up and finish the area beautifully.

We are hopeful the new facilities will be ready to welcome students on Day 1 of 2025.

STEM Arcade Games

There has been a terrific project that has been happening across the school in our STEM program: Arcade Games!

Throughout this project, our students have had the opportunity to flex their critical thinking and creativity by designing and building their own arcade-style games. The results have been amazing! From concept to creation, students have used their problem-solving skills to bring their ideas to life, crafting engaging and interactive games that are both fun and challenging.

This project has been a wonderful way for students to tap into their inventiveness, creating games that not only interest them but also entice others to play. This project has been a fantastic way to finish off the school year.

Hockey Coaching

This term, our students have been coached in hockey, and it’s been a worthy experience! Under the guidance of Coach Sarah, the students have been learning a variety of drills and playing exciting games, all while mastering the skills of hockey.

We’ve unearthed some hockey stars here at Bolinda Primary School! The students have thoroughly enjoyed trying their hand at a different sport, and it’s been fantastic to see their enthusiasm and improvement week after week.

A big thank you to Coach Sarah for sharing her expertise and making the sessions so much fun. Who knows, we might just have some future hockey champions in our midst!

Graduation Dinner

Our Year 6 students celebrated their graduation in style at Soltan Pepper, enjoying an evening filled with laughter. The students shared a delicious dinner with staff, marking the end of their primary school journey in the best way possible.

The night started with the announcement that our school council would cover the costs of the dinner to thank the families and staff for all they've done for the students and school. Mrs Bloomfield added some fun by presenting awards to the students and even challenging them to some unique and entertaining tasks, much to everyone’s delight.

We couldn’t be prouder of our Year 6 students. They’ve left a lasting impression on our school and students with their kindness, leadership, and hard work. While we are sad to see them go, we are excited to see them grow and thrive in the next chapter of their lives.

Congratulations, Year 6 – you’ll always be part of Bolinda Primary School!

New Furniture

Our new furniture has been delivered, and it looks absolutely fantastic! The vibrant colours have added a fresh and cheerful touch to Bolinda Primary School.

This wonderful addition to our school is all thanks to the incredible efforts of our families and their fundraising.

The furniture turned out to be much larger than expected, so instead of keeping it all in the library as originally planned, we’ll be spreading it across the school. This means even more students will get to enjoy these colourful new pieces.

School Saving Bonus: $400 Support for Families in 2025

The Victorian Government is introducing the School Saving Bonus – a one-time $400 support for each child enrolled in government schools from Prep to Year 12 in 2025. This bonus will help with school costs like uniforms, books, excursions, and activities.

How It Works: Starting Tuesday, 26 November 2024, you’ll receive an email from the Department of Education with a unique $400 School Saving Bonus code for each child. If you have more than one child in government schools, you’ll get a separate email for each – they may not arrive on the same day. Please check your spam/junk folder, just in case.

Using the Bonus: The School Saving Bonus code can be used at selected school suppliers. You can use it in-store or, if preferred, online through an official system where you can allocate all or part of the $400 for school supplies or activities.

For full details and a step-by-step guide, visit School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au, which will be available from 26 November.

Need Help? If you haven’t received your School Saving Bonus code by Friday, 29

November, please contact the Department of Education at school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au.

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