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.
At the October public forum of the Mooroolbark Umbrella Group, our former music teacher, Lynne Burt, was honoured with the esteemed Quiet Achiever award. This award recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact in our community, and we couldn’t be prouder of her achievement. The evening was inspiring, providing an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate Lynne Burt's lasting influence and the positive difference educators make every day. Congratulations, Mrs. Burt!
Today, we celebrated our wonderful teachers with a morning tea to express our gratitude for all the work they do to educate, inspire, and empower our students. This year’s theme is “Hats Off to Teachers,” so it’s time to tip our hats to the incredible educators who shape our future.
A special thank you to our amazing students who collaborated with some members of our staff to create beautiful books filled with messages of appreciation for our teaching team.
We also extend our thanks to our families for sharing their own messages of gratitude with our teachers today. A lovely cake was also brought in from the Aghaei family for the teachers to share.
Our teaching team has felt truly special and appreciated.
Congratulations to our students who have successfully completed the 2024 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. All students who completed the challenge this year will be provided with a certificate, recognising their achievement. Bimbadeen students are among the 66,000 school students who completed the Premier’s Reading challenge this year. Together, they read a remarkable 2.9 million books in total. Supporting children’s reading is one of the most important things we can do to encourage their love of learning – opening a gateway for them to find out more about the world around them. The Premier’s Reading Challenge wouldn’t be possible without the support of our passionate and dedicated teachers, support staff and Emily Way and Karin Sansom who coordinated the challenge, and our parents and carers who supported their children’s reading at home.
We are well into planning our school and classes for next year and need to have a clear idea of exactly who will be here. This 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.
Earlier this week, we informed families about the rescheduling of our Colour Run to Term 1 next year. Whole school events require significant planning, and our wonderful parent and carer community plays a crucial role in ensuring these activities run smoothly.
We are seeking parent and carer support to build upon the foundation established by our Colour Run team and help organise this important fundraising event.
If you enjoy planning events, have some time to spare, and can offer your support, please let us know! You can email us directly at bimbadeen.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au and we will be in touch.
Scholarships are available for students who complete Grade 4 to Year 11 in 2024, and for students enrolled in Year 12 in 2024 who plan to do tertiary studies in 2025.
The Department of Education administers a number of scholarships available to eligible students who are enrolled in Grade 4 to Year 12 in 2024.
Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:
Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study.
Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria, so please refer to individual applications for more information. Applications are now open, and close on Saturday 1 February 2025.
For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.
Warm and wet weather can result in greater numbers of mosquitoes and increased risk of illnesses from mosquito bites. While the overall risk is low, some mosquitoes carry diseases that make people sick.
The best protection against mosquito-borne illness is to avoid mosquito bites.
Families can protect against mosquito bites by:
Families with any health concerns should see their doctor or phone NURSE-ON-CALL: 1300 606 024 (available 24 hours).
Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines
Japanese encephalitis virus is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain.
Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines are available to protect Victorians at higher risk of the virus.
The Victorian Department of Health encourages eligible people who live or work in high-risk local government areas to get vaccinated.
For more information, including what is considered a high-risk area and eligibility for a free vaccine, refer to the Department of Health’s Japanese encephalitis webpage.
Find out more
For more information on protecting against mosquito-borne diseases, families can refer to the following Better Health Channel pages:
We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend with your family, and we look forward to another fantastic week of learning at Bimbadeen.
Kind regards,
Adele Gregson and Sabrina George
