Dear Parents,

Working Bee

A huge thank you to all the parents who gave up their Saturday to help out at our recent Working Bee. Thanks to your hard work, we were able to accomplish a lot, including weeding and mulching the garden beds at the front of the school, cleaning up under the grandstand, removing some dangerous tree stumps, and clearing out the drain along the fence. Your efforts have made a big difference, and we truly appreciate your support in helping keep our school grounds safe and beautiful!

2025 Staffing Changes

We would also like to inform you of several staff changes for 2025. Georgia Pitt has accepted an ongoing position at Willowbank Primary School, eager to experience a variety of school settings and excited about the opportunity to work in a larger environment. Barry Van Weeghel will be relocating to Queensland at the end of 2024, while Bronwyn McLeod is transitioning into educational leadership and has secured a Learning Specialist position at another school. Martin Smith has decided to take a year’s leave to spend time with his family, but he will continue to support us through casual relief teaching during this period. Ginny Tulloch will be spending the next two years in Singapore. We are currently recruiting staff to fill these positions, and we will miss the valuable contributions of these dedicated educators.

Reminder: Late Arrivals Must Be Signed In

We would like to remind parents that if your child arrives late to school, they must be signed in by a parent or guardian. This is a school requirement to ensure the safety and accurate attendance of all students. Please do not drop your child off and allow them to come in by themselves. Thank you for your cooperation and support in keeping our school safe and organised.

World Teacher’s Day

This Friday, we celebrate World Teachers' Day, a special occasion to recognise and appreciate the dedication, hard work, and passion of our incredible teachers. We are grateful for their commitment to nurturing and inspiring our students every day. Please join us in celebrating and thanking our amazing educators for all they do!

Food Drive

For the next four weeks, we are running a Food Drive to support the Gisborne Foodbank. We believe it is important for our children to help those less fortunate in our community, and this is a great opportunity to show our support. We invite families to contribute by leaving donations in the school foyer. Your generosity will make a big difference to those in need within our local area.

To ensure a variety of items, we have assigned specific products to each year level. Below is a list of what we are hoping to receive:

Foundation: Long life milk, lactose-free long life milk, almond milk, soy milk, condensed milk, coconut milk/cream
Grade 1: Breakfast cereals (muesli, Nutrigrain, Cornflakes, Rice bubbles, Special K), rice, pasta sauces, 2-minute noodles, instant cup soups
Grade 2: Tomato/BBQ sauces, mayonnaise, curry pastes/sauces, Asian sauces, instant packet meals, stock (liquid and cubes)
Grade 3: Salt, tinned vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, beans, beetroot, lentils), tinned spaghetti, tinned tuna (all sizes), sardines, baked beans, tinned fruit, fruit snack packs, cake mixes, pancake mix, jelly
Grade 4: Cooking oil, kids' snacks, muesli bars, sweet biscuits, crackers, Vegemite, peanut butter, jam, honey, tea, coffee, Milo
Grade 5: Pet food (dog & cat - wet and dry), dishwashing liquid, laundry liquid, cleaning sprays, sponges, wipes
Grade 6: Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, soap (cake and liquid), body wash

We hope you can help out, and we thank you in advance for your kindness and support in making this food drive a success!

Sunsmart

We would like to remind everyone that our SunSmart period has officially started. As part of our commitment to keeping our students safe from harmful UV exposure, all students are now required to wear a sun-protective hat when they are outdoors.

Furry Visitor

The students and staff were treated to a visit from one of the Macedon koalas in one of the Eucalyptus trees on the oval. We called Chris Humphries from the Macedon Zoo who confirmed she was indeed a young female. He said that there are 2 male koalas over at Middle Gully and she may have been visiting the school site to escape them! This is an important reminder that we do have precious wildlife crossing Smith Street at all hours, so please drive safely and keep an eye out.

Warm regards,

Andrew Bloomfield

Principal

andrew.bloomfield@education.vic.gov.au

Grade 5/6 Camp update