Principal Report
Our school is located on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
School Review
Our school Review was completed in Term 2. I would like to acknowledge the work of the Review panel. They spent considerable time reviewing the school data, self-evaluation, conducting focused groups with students, staff and parents, visiting classrooms and asking questions to gain a better understanding of what the school had achieved. They were able to use all of this to set our next steps for the school.
We now have our Review report, which has been presented to staff and School Council.
The recommendations from the report provide us with our goals, targets and key improvement strategies for 2025 -2029.
The school will have two goals -
Maximise learning growth in literacy and numeracy for every student
Maximise student engagement and wellbeing
Under each of these gaols will be key improvement strategies which will support the school to achieve the targets set by the panel.
The new Strategic Plan will be developed by the end of Term 3 and will be provided to the community once completed.
New Library furniture
We were very excited last week to get the delivery of new Library furniture. Mrs Reeve and her grade 6 helpers did a great job setting up the space. We hope our students enjoy using the Library even more each week. I know that at lunchtimes students have enjoyed using the new spaces.
The purchase of this new furniture was supported by a large donation from one of our Foundation families.
New Website
The school has a new website and it can be accessed via this link - Boroondara Park PS website
We have worked to ensure the website is informative for current and prospective families.
If you are looking for information about the learning programs, including literacy and numeracy planners they can be found on the website.
Do you want to find out about the wellbeing programs the school has in place? There is detailed information on the website.
We will highlight different information in the next few newsletters.
Spotlight this week - Learning - Curriculum Overview
In this section you can find out how we teacher reading, writing, speaking and listening and spelling (including phonics). You can also learn about numeracy and integrated curriculum. This is where you can download the literacy, numeracy and integrated curriculum overviews for each level and term/year.
Learning - Digital learning
In this section you can find out our approach to using technology, conduct and guidelines (including the Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement) and advice from the ESafety commissioner.
Urgent Bolinda Rd traffic concerns
As noted in previous COMPASS messages and newsletter articles it is our role to model appropriate behaviour to our students. This includes when we drive around the school, drop off and pick up our students. We need to display our school values of care, respect, responsibility and inclusion.
We need to emphasise that the Bolinda Road carpark is not a carpark for parents. This carpark is used by staff but will not always be full. This does not mean parents should enter the carpark.
It is not appropriate for parents to drive into the carpark, drop their children and then leave the car park.
The turning circle at the end of Bolinda Rd is designed to enable cars to move up the street and safely navigate a turn and then leave the street - cars should never be stopped or parked in this space.
Parents are reporting we have cars backing into driveways of our neighbours and the vacant houses - this is causing issues if someone is parked in the turning circle. Sometimes cars are stuck due to others doing the wrong thing.
The parking spaces end at the edge of the turning circle are clearly defined. Parents should not park further towards the circle than is marked as this is causing an impact the turning circle, larger vehicles need all of the space. At times parents are reporting being stuck when they are trying to do the right thing.
There are signs setting out expectations and we must ensure we are all following parking and drop off restrictions. Whilst we understand you might be in a rush in the morning, what is being witnessed and reported by other parents is dangerous behaviour that could risk injury or worse to a child.
The Council has been contacted to support the school with checks in this area. We will be checking the staff carpark and asking parents to move their car.
Let's all work together to ensure our students are safe.
Balwyn Blazers support
Boroondara Park PS has had an ongoing relationship with the Balwyn Blazers basketball club for many years. They hire our Stadium in the afternoons and evenings throughout the week and all day Saturday. This provides the school with revenue and enables us to develop an ongoing and supportive relationship with a community organization.
Over the holidays we replaced the lights in the Stadium, they are now LED lights and provide much needed improvement to the facilities. Balwyn Blazers has supported the school by providing half the funds to undertake this lighting upgrade. We want to thank them and celebrate our ongoing relationship with the club.
The Summer 2025 season registrations for basketball have opened. Existing Blazers families can register via their website - www.balwynblazers.com.au
New families can register their expression of interest for try outs.
Shade Sails
Have you seen the new shade sails in Area 1? Unfortunately, the weather changed and only one set were installed over the holidays.
In the coming weeks the shade sails in Area 2 will be replaced and a new shade sail installed over the Year 3/4 play equipment.
Year 5/6 Play equipment
We are excited to share that our Year 5/6 play equipment will start to be installed next Friday August 8th. Temporary fencing will go up around the area for the time the works are undertaken.
We have been able to redevelop this area of the school due to a successful community grant from Northeast Link.
North East Link grant success
The school has been successful in gaining two more community grants from North East Link.
One grant is for large fans to be installed in the Stadium. The other grant is for a community celebration of 70 years of education at BPPS.
Stay tuned for more information!
Their Care
Their Care have shared a letter and poster with families who use the service about child safety. We are sharing them with the whole community for your information.
The letter sets out what TheirCare does to keep children safe and how they are building a culture of visibility and reporting. The poster provides information that supports students and provides information about how parents can report concerns.
Raising Healthy Minds app
We have had some great feedback from parents about the Raising Children website and how useful it has been providing resources and topics for conversations with their children.
We hope you have all been able to access the app and have included it again here as a reminder of what is available.
The Raising Healthy Minds app is a free and offers a mix of quick-read articles, videos and animations aimed at parents and carers of children aged 0-12 years. You can tailor information to the age of your child and opt-in to receive helpful tips.
Raising Healthy Minds provides simple-to-use information at your fingertips with clear actions you can start today.
Download from Google Play or the App Store or go to raisingchildren.net.au/rhm to learn more and raise a healthy mind
Attendance
Top attendance tips for parents -
- Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support
- Remember that everyday counts
- There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness
- Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day
- Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea
- Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term
- Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing
How can I get my child to school? is attached for your information.
A reminder - All absneces need to be explained in COMPASS. We work to ensure student attendance is carefully monitored and seek your assistance by filling in reasons for absence each time your child is away.
Reminder - Balwyn High School SEAL program
The Balwyn High School Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program (SEAL) 2026 testing will take place on Monday August 18th. This program is open for all Year 6 students who have accepted a place at Balwyn High School in 2026.
The 2025 program currently has five BPPS students, they have told us the program is excellent. Please see details below for how to register for the SEAL selection test.
Interpreter service for calling the school
This week we sent out information relating to an interpreter service you can use when calling the school. There is a simple step by step process to make a call to the school using a telephone interpreter.
Where do we come from?
Don't forget to fill in this form, it will only take a few minutes. Thank you to those who have already told us where they are from.
Volunteer induction and registration
Thank you to those parents who have completed the induction and registration so they can volunteer at BPPS in 2025.
A reminder - All volunteers must undertake the induction and register to be involved in school activities.
Volunteer induction and registration
BPPS Facebook and Instagram
Don't forget to follow our social media accounts and see what is happening at school each day. Boroondara Park Primary School Facebook
Search @BoroondaraPark on Instagram to follow the school.