A Message from Keir and Emma
“We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, the first people to dream, create, wonder, dance, play and learn on this breathtaking land. This land was cared for and respected for tens of thousands of years. The First Nations people lived in companionship with the animals and the life on this land. We acknowledge that this is stolen land and we pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.”
Rayma Atkinson (2023 Suzanne Peterson Award Recipient)
Open Afternoon & Wominjeka Picnic
On Friday 13th February (this Friday!) we will be holding our first open afternoon. Classrooms will be open for parents/carers to have a look around and immerse themselves in our amazing 2026 learning communities and spaces. Classrooms will be open from 2.45pm, and we ask that any parents/carers attending sign-in in the individual classrooms when they arrive. There will be no assembly on this day.
The Open Afternoon will be directly followed by the Wominjeka Picnic.
The word ‘wominjeka’ is a Wurundjeri word often translated to ‘welcome’. Mandy Nicholson, a Wurundjeri elder explains that there is more to the word than just welcome.
WOMIN means ‘to come’.
DJI indicates an instruction from me to you
KA means ’purpose’
So WOMINJEKA is a word to use when inviting people to come along for a purpose. We are inviting you all to come and enjoy a summer afternoon together with the community.
This is our first social event of the year and our most relaxed event too! With the only intention being to connect with people within and across our community, it is truly a lovely afternoon and way to start our year together.
Please bring along picnic rugs or chairs, some snacks and drinks. Please remember to take any rubbish with you at the end of the night.
There will be a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony at 4pm in Yakai Barring. Everyone is very welcome to join us for this formal part of the afternoon.
When you are visiting the school it is an ideal opportunity to stop by the front office and pay all or a part of the voluntary contribution that is mentioned later in the newsletter. Office staff will have EFTPOS machines at the ready!
School Council Elections
March 2026 marks the end of the elected school council term for six of our dedicated and passionate parent school council members. We would like to thank Ranjodh Singh, Sara Webster, Ann Brennan, Tess Alston, Jack Furphy and Aleesha Harrison-Grace for their time and significant effort and contribution to our school.
We are now calling for nominees for any parent or carer who would like to sit on the School Council for the next two years. Further information can be found on the school council election page of this newsletter.
Goals, Adjustments and Strategies (GAS) Meetings and Student Support Group (SSG) Meetings
Over the next few weeks, teachers will be facilitating GAS meetings with the parents/carers of the students in their class who require considerable adjustments to the curriculum or environment so that they can successfully participate at school. The purpose of these meetings is to review students’ progress towards the achievement of goals and collaborate to set new targets. As per our school’s process, these goals will focus on both social and emotional, and academic growth.
Guiding the direction of these meetings is each student's Individual Education Plan (IEP). These plans are developed by teachers, who synthesise what’s discussed during the meeting into a document that describes the goals, adjustments and strategies that will be used to support a student. Our IEPs provide opportunities for student voice and they are linked to our curriculum continuums.
A GAS meeting will consist of classroom teachers, parents and caregivers; it may also include other adults from within the school community who support the child and any allied health professionals who are engaged by the family. Each GAS meeting is different depending on a child’s needs.
The GAS meetings will take place in weeks 4 and 5, on Wednesday afternoons. If your child requires a GAS Meeting, their classroom teacher will be in contact to organise an appropriate time.
SSG meetings for all students who are funded under the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) or the Disability Inclusion Profile. These meetings have all of the same focus and intended outcomes as GAS meetings, but will include a member of the School Leadership.
SSG meetings will be booked during school hours and will run throughout weeks 4, 5 and 6 of term 1. A member of the BNWPS admin team will be in contact with families to organise a time that is suitable.
Student-Led Conferences
Our first conferences for 2026 will take place on Monday 23rd February.
Following significant parent/carer feedback, we will be re-designing these conferences to include more opportunity for parent/carer voice. We have also changed the time of year that these conferences are running as feedback suggested that parents/carers were seeking an opportunity to share details about their child’s growth and learning earlier in the year.
More details about how these conferences will run will be included in next week’s newsletter.
As in the past, classes will not run on this day. Students will be required to attend the conference with their parents/carers. The OSHC program is available for any families who would like to access it.
Families who meet teachers for a GAS or SSG meeting do not need to schedule a conference on the 23rd February.
Ed Comm
The BNWPS Education Sub-Committee will hold its first meeting of the year this Thursday 12th February. This committee, made up of parents and teachers, collaborates to develop proposals and make recommendations that enhance student learning and wellbeing.
We are always eager to welcome new members. BNWPS is a diverse community, and we would love for our committee to reflect this diversity. Members don’t need a background in education, we are looking for people who are keen to share their perspective and experience of the school’s approach to learning, teaching and wellbeing. This year, meetings will be held online twice per term on Thursday evenings from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
If you're interested in joining, please contact Emma at emma.mallia@education.vic.gov.au
Student Early Departure and Visitors Onsite During School Hours
This is a friendly reminder that if parents or carers are dropping off items for students or collecting students early, they must first report to the school office. For the safety and security of all students and staff, we ask that no items be delivered directly to classrooms and that early collections are coordinated through the office so students can be signed out appropriately.
To help minimise disruption to learning, we also kindly ask that parents and carers leave the canteen area in the morning via the front of the school, rather than walking through the school building.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep our school safe and running smoothly.