Principal's Report

Choir 

Our choir members and Mrs Newell have had a wonderful term with opportunities to perform at several exciting events.

On October 16th I was fortunate to attend the Lalor North Secondary School Music Festival, where our choir and Rock band performed outstanding sets.

Next week, our choir have been invited to perform at the network Principal meeting. This event is by invitation only and our choir will perform in front of hundreds of principals from the Northeastern Melbourne network of schools. This is a huge honour, as usually students from local Secondary Schools are invited to perform.  

World Teachers’ Day

We belatedly celebrated World Teachers’ Day on November 1st, as several staff members were away at camp on the actual day. Our teachers were treated to a pizza lunch by the Parents Association and a dessert bar provided by the Leadership team and Education Support team.

We have an outstanding team at Bundoora Primary School, and we are grateful for their hard work.

Working Bee

Thank you to the many families who attended the Working Bee on October 18th. It was a pleasure to work with you and see the many children who came along to assist their parents in weeding and cleaning up our gardens. There was a true community atmosphere and the grounds look fantastic!

We would like to ask any family that feels they can take on a small garden bed or part of a garden bed, to contact the office. This would help us to keep on top of the weeds during the warmer months. Any help would be gratefully received. 

Colour Run

Don’t forget that our colour run is on next Friday, 15th November at 1:30 pm. Parents will need to give consent on Compass for their child to participate, however, no fundraising is necessary to be part of the fun. This is going to be wonderful day with blow ups to run through and a foam machine. Parents are invited to come and watch the fun, including teachers being slimed at the end of the day. 

Traffic Safety

On a sadder note, school communities have been shocked at the accident at Auburn South Primary School recently. Unfortunately, this highlights the need to be ‘traffic and pedestrian aware’ around schools. Very sadly, this incident shows how easily a small action can have larger ramifications. Our thoughts go out to that school community.

Please be aware that Bendoran Crescent is very narrow and U turns are inadvisable. Double Parking on the street opposite the school during pickup and drop-off times is prohibited. The Kiss and Drop zone is just that; kiss and drop. If you pull up to the gate and your child is not there, please continue around the block and wait in the queue until your child appears. 

Double parking is not permitted on either Bendoran Crescent or Balmoral Ave.

School attendance and punctuality

I am concerned about the amount of missed learning for students when they arrive late or take long holidays during term times.

Everyday Counts

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind. 

School is better when your child is there. 

We all want our students to have a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day when they are well. Please, of course, do not send your child to school when they are unwell. If students are away from school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later of years.

Student absences

The main reasons for absences are:

Sickness – there are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they are ill. It’s vital that the student is only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and developing good sleep patterns, eating well, and exercising regularly can make a big difference. 

Family holidays – It’s vital that trips are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term, make sure that you talk to your child’s school in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan. 

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a ‘day off’, as they could fall behind their classmates – Everyday Counts.

School refusal – School-refusing children will experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school, but also at the thought of going to school. They may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with their parent’s/carer’s knowledge, despite their parents' best efforts to encourage their child to attend school.

Being away from school for one day a fortnight (or every two weeks) equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school. If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher so know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.

We are looking forward to a busy end to the school year. We know there are many events planned for this term, and we are listening to parent feedback about this. We will work together with teaching teams, School Council and the Parents Association to manage these events better in 2025. 

Best wishes,

Sherrin Strathairn

Principal