Appreciations and News

Book Week

Book Week culminating in our annual Parade has been a highlight of the term. We owe a big thanks to our Library Specialist Shannon, who has shown such great enthusiasm for all aspects of Book Week. Shannon was joined by Towela for the commentary during the parade. It was a fun morning and we were delighted to share this experience with many parents, carers and grandparents.

Students were then assigned to cross age groups to focus on three rotational activities during the day and then we celebrated our great day with an outdoor assembly. We felt grateful that the weather held right until the end of the day! We really enjoyed the day and appreciated the work of so many to ensure its success.

Shannon then launched in preparation for the Book Fair that will be held next week.

Staffing Update

Many readers will recall that we have been in the process of replacing our Business Manager after Sandra moved onto a role at a secondary college at the beginning of term. The advertised position was declared a ‘no appointment’. In a school this size school office experience is vital, therefore, in the interim we have supported our own office team members, Rachael and Sharon to share the role, as we call on Department of Education supports and ensure our own team have the opportunity to engage in regular training. We will review this situation and re-advertise the role in the future. We appreciate the marvellous office team for their resilience and can-do attitude.

Grade 2 Connecting to Country Excursion

This recent much appreciated excursion to the Botanic Gardens is beautifully rendered in the linked video: https://vimeo.com/1113516135

A big appreciation to team member Ella for this wonderful effort.

Playground Gum Trees

Students and families using the Blandford Street access will have noted in recent days that we have had the gum tree playground out of bounds due to a combination of strong winds and the current state of our iconic gum trees. We have sought advice from our contract arborist and will use that information to make an informed decision regarding the future of the trees. In the meantime, we will continue to exercise caution and only open the playground when winds are light.

Parent / Caregiver Opinion Survey

Thank you to families who have taken the time to thoughtfully respond to the annual Department of Education provided survey. Last week all families should have received an email inviting one parent or caregiver per household to complete the annual Parent / Caregiver Opinion Survey. The survey will remain open until the end of term. If you haven’t received your invitation, please contact the office team.

Coming Up Tomorrow

Wear It Purple Day

Tomorrow we will join schools across the country celebrating Wear It Purple Day, promoting inclusion, respect, and pride in diversity. Students and staff are encouraged to wear purple or rainbow colours to show their support. There’ll be a fun lunchtime dance party in the Bilby Assembly Area – complete with giveaways and prizes!

Emergency Management Practice Drill

Tomorrow prior to recess (1:40pm) we will hold our termly Emergency Management Practice Drill. This will be a 'lockdown' of classes and all buildings. Students are always informed that it is a practice to make sure we know how to respond should we ever have to manage this for real. Please avoid calling or attending the school during that time.

Following the practice, grades are encouraged to review how we all managed.

Assembly

Our assembly in the afternoon will be held indoors if inclement weather intervenes. Should that be the case, we will livestream the assembly to classrooms from the Dingo Gallery. This week our assembly item returns, featuring the students from 1JI and of course supplemented by our Pupil of the Week Awards and reports on our upcoming Book Fair. Parents and carers of 1JI students and award winners are invited to join us in the gallery space in Dingo if our assembly is being held indoors.

Coming Up Next Week

Father’s and Special Person’s Day Stall

There has been an enormous amount of preparation for the stall to be run throughout the day on Friday of next week. A huge thank you to our volunteers led by Katie Berman. Remember that pre-payment of $10 per child is required to be completed on Compass by this coming Wednesday as there will not be cash sales. Your support is appreciated.

Warm regards,

Brendan

2025 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey

We are inviting all families to participate in the 2025 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey, offered annually by the Department of Education. Your feedback is valued and helps our school better understand family perceptions around school climate, student behaviour, and engagement.

While participation is optional, we encourage you to take part. The insights gained will support our school improvement efforts and inform staff professional development and future planning.

Key Details:

Survey opens: Monday 18 August
Survey closes: Friday 19 September
Access: A direct link will be sent via Compass next week
Duration: Takes approximately 20 minutes
Devices: Accessible via desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone
Languages: Available in English and 10 other languages – Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Additional translated resources are also available upon request.

If you would like assistance or a translated guide, please contact the school office.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to speak with a member of the Principal Team.

Warm regards,

Brendan, Liz and Carolyn

Principal Team

Reminders and Repeated Messages

Community News

Secure Your Vehicle

Reading Club - Maidstone Community Centre

What's on for Families - Maribyrnong City Council

Active Paths Program - Maribyrnong City Council