Teaching & Learning

Ballarat Young Authors’ Program 2026     

Last Thursday afternoon students involved in the Ballarat Young Authors’ Program attended the program’s launch at the Damascus College auditorium with their parents and carers.

The launch was an opportunity for families to hear information about this year’s program and to hear from students who have participated in previous years about their experience.

We heard from some BPS students along with students from other schools who have participated in the program in the past.  We thank Otto and Eilidh in year 6, for sharing their thoughts via video, and Edie, current year 7 student at Damascus College (past BPS student), who spoke in person to the students. We thank all those students for their time and generosity in providing their insights for this year’s cohort of students.

Ben Saunders, who is a local children’s author also presented a highly engaging segment about his journey to become an author.

We congratulate the following year 4 and 5 students for their selection and look forward to hearing from them throughout the year about their experience in the program.

Education Week

Last week was Education Week in Victoria. Education Week, which is an annual celebration of public education in Victoria.

The theme of 2026 Education Week was ‘Showcase your School’, encouraging school communities to celebrate what’s great about their school.

Throughout the week we asked students to share what they think is great about our school and we were delighted with the contributions from our students.

Here’s a sample of some of their thoughts below:

Hello everyone my name May from Prep EB and I think our school is great because we have so many nice teachers.

Hello, it's Finlay here from Prep EB and I think our school is great because my teacher teaches me how to do really neat handwriting and that makes me feel proud.

Hello my name is Jag from Prep EB and I think Buninyong Primary School is great because it has lots of fun stuff, like the playgrounds, after school care and kind friends.

Hi Edie here from 3RW and I think my school’s great because you get to go to specialists.  I especially like PE, Art and Library.  I look forward to it all day!  This school is also great because it is so big! I have lots of very nice kids to play with and the teachers are fantastic.  The Preps also get buddies that look after them.

Hi, my name is Raff from 3GR, and I think our school is awesome because we have lots of play equipment and three playgrounds.  I also like how there’s lots of people to help us to manage feelings and learn lots of cool things.

Hi, my name is Violet from 3GR, and I like that we have therapists at this school to help us.  Our school is amazing because there’s so much to do and everyone is welcome and included.

Hi, I’m Leo from 3DE and I think our school is great because I like our new break times, we have awesome play equipment and there’s so many things to choose from!  I also like that there’s so many great friends to play with.

Hi, my name is Billy from 3GR and I think this school is great because we have awesome basketball courts and play equipment. The old basketball court is great because it has a half court and that means you can share the court between games and people who want to practice their shooting.  On the new basketball court, grade 3-6 students can play full games.  This means that everyone gets a chance to play something that they like during the breaks.

Hi, I am Nell  from 3GR and I like this school because we have safe play equipment and lots of grown ups doing yard duty to make sure we stay safe and everybody is taking care of each other. I also like our oval because there is lots of space for everyone to play footy and soccer.

Hello I’m Ari from 3GR and I think this school is great because we have lots of specialist classes. I also like how we have a canteen and you get to have lunch orders on Wednesdays and Fridays if you want. You can even grab a hot chocolate before school if you like!

Hi, my name is Daisy  from 3GR and I think this school is the best because everyone has a great imagination which makes playing outside with friends lots of fun.  Another great thing about our school is our office ladies; whenever you have a question, they are always there to help.

Student Reporting                                      

A reminder of important dates below to access student reports and parent-teacher interview booking dates and sessions.

• Reports available on Compass: June 19                                             
• Parent-Teacher Interviews:
  • June 22 (4:00–6:00pm)

  • June 24 (1:30–5:00pm)

     

Bookings will open for parent-teacher interviews on Friday, June 12th at 10am and close on Friday, June 19th at 4pm. 

Further information regarding making bookings for parent-teacher interviews will be communicated via the newsletter later in the term.  As always, please give the office a call if you have any questions or require support to make your bookings.

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge 2026

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is once again open for 2026 and will remain open until September 4th.

How to sign up:

Logging in with a Challenge passcode:

Teachers have provided students with their log-in details on a sticker that has been stuck in the home reading diary/student diary. Please see your child’s classroom teacher if you have any queries about logging in, or you can’t find the log in details.

Go to the Challenge application.

1. Select the School/Student button.
2. Select the VPRC login option.
3. Enter your username and password.
4. Select Login.

Students can log books read and also post reviews of books read.  All students who participate and complete the Premiers’ Reading Challenge will receive a certificate in Term 4 to recognise their achievement.