Welcome to the first newsletter for Term 4.

Time certainly does fly, and we are nearing the end of the school year. As Ms Rapetti mentioned last week at our school assembly, we now have just 10 Fridays until Christmas. I want to commend the students for their resilience over the past two weeks, as they continued their learning despite the construction noise. In fact, they returned to their learning with a focus and determination like nothing I've seen before. They are incredibly hardworking and clearly benefitted from their two-week break. This term is shaping up to be a busy one, so please keep an eye on the calendars in the newsletter and on Compass.

Phillip Island Camp

In the final week of Term 3, 27 students embarked on an exciting three-day camp to Phillip Island, where learning and adventure combined for a truly memorable experience. On our way down, we made a stop at the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, where the students were amazed by the beauty and size of the gardens, even though we only managed to explore a small part of it.

Once settled into our accommodation, the children eagerly participated in a variety of activities, with the clear favourite being the pedal carts! The excitement continued with a visit to the famous Penguin Parade, where students not only enjoyed watching the adorable penguins but also learned about their incredible adaptations that help them survive in the wild.

Another highlight was our trip to the Koala Conservation Reserve, where we had the privilege of seeing all the resident koalas and discovering fascinating facts about how these iconic animals thrive in their natural habitats.

Back at camp, the action didn't stop. Our students climbed rock walls, soared on the giant swing, and put their agility to the test on the low ropes course. The weather was perfect, and the enthusiasm was contagious!

By the end of the camp, it was clear everyone was ready for a well-deserved rest – just in time for the school holidays!

Werribee Zoo Excursion

What an incredible day the P/1/2 students had at Werribee Zoo! The kids were absolutely in awe of all the animals, and each one came away with their own favourite moments. I want to share some of their highlights with you—it’s clear we have a group of budding animal lovers!

William, Cassidy, Lily, Carter, Noah C, and Bailey were all about the hippos.
Ryka loved the snakes!
Jye and Isaac were taken by the antelope.
Evie fell in love with the zebras and their amazing stripes.
Noah S, Vena, Holly, and Christyl were in awe of the giraffes.
Liam was all about the lions.

From the towering giraffes to the slithering snakes, each child came away with memories and expanded their knowledge of animals and their environment.

Discovery Centre Incursion

Towards the end of Term 3, our students participated in an exciting Discovery Centre incursion focused on circuits. This was perfectly timed, as our STEM lessons are now exploring circuits in more detail.

Students had the opportunity to experiment with a wide variety of circuits, challenging themselves to see how things worked—or didn’t! Their curiosity was sparked when circuits didn't function as expected, prompting them to investigate and problem-solve. It was a hands-on, engaging experience that laid a solid foundation for their upcoming STEM studies.

We love these free incursions as they support our terrific STEM program!

Building Works

The toilet build is well underway, and despite a delay in the start date, progress has been swift. All the necessary pipes are already installed, and with any luck, the concrete will be poured in the coming days, allowing for the frame to go up soon after.

A significant part of the work involved digging a 7x3 metre hole for the installation of three septic tanks, which took some time as the team had to drill through a thick slab of rock.

There is no firm completion date yet, but we are hopeful the new toilets will be ready for the start of the new school year.

Light Up the Night Bonfire

The much-anticipated Light It Up Bonfire Night, hosted by the Bolinda-Monegeetta CFA, is on tomorrow, and we are thrilled to be part of this fantastic community event. Our PFA has been hard at work gathering an array of delicious cakes and treats for our school’s stall, so make sure to stop by and support us!

We’ll also be supervising some fun games to keep the children entertained as everyone waits for the bonfire to be lit. There has been an incredible amount of effort put into making this event a success, and we hope the community has a wonderful evening.

With the weather looking perfect, it promises to be a great night for all!

We hope to see you there!

Bolinda Birthdays