Principal's Report

Late Newsletter

Apologies for the late newsletter this week. With the Athletics Day taking place last week, there were a few parts of the newsletter that weren't quite ready to publish.

We also have some important announcements regarding staffing changes for 2027 that we wanted to share with families at an appropriate time. Further information about these changes can be found below.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Assembly

Our regular Assembly will still go ahead this Friday, with our usual awards and celebrations taking place.

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Staff Changes for 2027

I would like to congratulate Mrs Punton on her exciting news, which many of you may have heard by now. Mrs Punton and her husband, Jack, are expecting their first child in February 2027. We are thrilled for them and wish them all the very best as they prepare for this exciting new chapter.

Miss Deane has also informed me that she will be taking 12 months’ leave in 2027 as she moves to Sydney with her partner.

This means our school will welcome some new staff members in 2027. I am currently working through the budget and planning process and will begin recruitment early in Term 4.

This is exciting news for both Mrs Punton and Miss Deane, and we wish them both all the best for 2027.

I will provide further updates regarding recruitment throughout Term 4.

Fathers Day - Thursday 3rd September 

Following discussion with School Council, Father’s Day has been moved to Thursday 3 September. This change has been made to make it easier for families to manage both our Father’s Day celebrations and Book Week on Friday 4 September.

Fathers are invited to arrive from 7:30am to share a bacon and egg muffin with their children before the school day begins.

We look forward to celebrating with all our dads and special father figures!

Book Week 

This year Raywood Primary School will be joining us for a special Book Week Celebration! 

Please note that there has been a change of date for the day due to a conference for Mrs Ree's. The new date is Friday 4th September so time to start getting your costumes ready! 

 Athletics Day

Thank you to all of our students and staff who attended the Cluster Athletics Day. Our students represented Bridgewater Primary School with amazing pride and enthusiasm, and I was incredibly proud of every one of them.

The day can be long and exhausting, with students competing in multiple events against children from many other schools. Despite this, all of our students gave their best, supported one another and did our school proud.

It was also fantastic to see so many of our families come along to support our students. Your encouragement makes such a difference and was greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take as many photos as I would have liked. I was busy running the discus event throughout the day and, of course, trying to avoid getting students from other schools in the photos. I did manage to capture a couple of moments from the day, though!

A huge thank you to our staff who arrived early to help with set-up, supervised groups, ran events and supported our students throughout the day.

Finally, a special thank you to Patty Morris and Karen Rees from Lockwood Primary School for all their hard work in organising such a fantastic event.

Well done to all of our students who attended — you did us proud!

The Smile Squad free school dental program is coming to our school

The Smile Squad team from Bendigo Health is coming to our school in the last week of term.

Smile Squad is the Victorian Government’s free school dental program.

This means all students can receive a free dental check-up, preventive services, and treatment at school.

 How to access free dental care

We need your consent before we can provide services. Consent is usually provided by a parent or guardian.

Sign up to Smile Squad at: https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic

 OR use the QR code below:

Paper copies of the consent form will also be available soon. Please contact the school office if you would like one.

 Smile Squad oral health packs

All children deserve a healthy smile, and the Smile Squad free school dental program is working hard to help make this happen.

 Your child(ren) will soon receive a free oral health pack to bring home. The pack contains a toothbrush, full-sized toothpaste, and an oral health brochure inside a reusable drink bottle. Please take a moment to read the brochure—it is full of useful tips to help your family eat well, drink well, and clean well for life.

 Standard strength toothpaste

Smile Squad provides standard-strength fluoride toothpaste, which is generally recommended for ages six and over unless advised otherwise by a dental or trained health professional.

 If your child is under six, please speak with a dental or trained health professional to determine whether this toothpaste is suitable. Alternatively, you may choose to put the toothpaste aside until they turn six or give it to another family member.

Do I need to attend my child’s appointment?

No, you do not need to attend your child’s appointment. You are welcome to attend if you wish, and you can choose to take your child to a community dental clinic if that suits your family better.