Principal's Message
Father's Day Breakfast
It's been close to 10 years since Bolinda has held a Father's Day Breakfast, so we really weren't sure what to expect when we decided to bring it back.
As it turned out, we probably should have done it sooner!
It was great to see so many families come through the gates and stick around for breakfast and a chat. I really enjoyed getting around and catching up with people, and there was just a good buzz around the school for the morning.
Our Junior students also got involved, making the savoury muffins that were served for breakfast. It was a great opportunity for them to put their learning into practice and then see other people actually enjoying what they had made.
A big thank you to our PFA for taking the idea and running with it, and to everyone who helped out on the morning. These events need people willing to make them happen.
More than anything, Friday showed us that this type of event has a place at Bolinda.
Getting families into the school, giving people time to catch up and simply creating more opportunities for our community to come together is something we'd like to keep building.
After nearly 10 years between Father's Day Breakfasts, I don't think we'll be waiting another 10 for the next one!
CDSSA Basketball Tournament
I've said it many times over the years: the scoreboard can't always show our effort.
That was certainly true at the CDSSA Basketball Tournament.
Our Year 4/5/6 students came up against some much larger schools — and, at times, some much larger students! Despite facing children who looked closer to Year 8 than primary school, our team was never overawed. They competed, supported one another and simply kept going.
There were some great moments on the scoreboard too. A win against Candlebark was certainly a team highlight, while an agonising one-point loss to Trentham could very easily have gone our way.
But my highlight wasn't actually a win.
It was watching the improvement across the day. We had students in our team who had never played competitive basketball before, yet they rose to the challenge. With every game, they became more confident, worked better together and showed enormous resilience.
By the end of the day, they were a better team than the one that had arrived that morning.
That's the achievement I'm most proud of. Wins and losses will always appear on a scoreboard. Effort, courage, resilience, teamwork and improvement don't — and our students showed plenty of all five.
Equestrian Success
We love seeing the many different ways our students represent Bolinda beyond the school gates!
On Saturday, 29 August, Zoe proudly represented Bolinda Primary School at the Interschools Equestrian Event hosted by Catholic Ladies' College at Yarrambat Park.
Zoe competed with her horse, Tilly, in Combined Training — an event consisting of both a dressage and show jumping phase, with the scores from each combined to determine the overall result.
And what a result it was!
Zoe and Tilly finished third overall, which is a fantastic achievement and a wonderful reward for all the work and preparation that goes into competing.
Congratulations, Zoe (and Tilly!) on a terrific result. We are very proud to have you representing Bolinda!
Family Pizza & Bingo Night
It's official — Pizza & Bingo Night is going ahead!
Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent survey and showed interest in coming along. We had enough interest to lock it in, so we're looking forward to getting everyone together on Thursday 17 September from 5:00pm–7:30pm.
We will now put an event out through Compass where families can confirm their attendance and indicate what they can contribute to the night. Please keep an eye out for this and respond when it comes through — it will help us get everything organised.
The plan is pretty simple: pizza, bingo, families and a good night together.
Thanks again for getting behind it. We look forward to seeing you there!
I Like To Move It Day
The PFA is once again putting on our fantastic I Like To Move It Day to finish off the term!
On the last day of school, we'll be putting our brains to the test, our bodies to the test and, perhaps most importantly, our sense of fun to the test with another day full of fitness-related activities and challenges.
For those who are new to Bolinda, I Like To Move It Day is all about getting active and having a go. It doesn't matter how fast you can run, how high you can jump or what your sporting ability might be — everyone gets the chance to participate, challenge themselves and have some fun along the way.
It's always a great way to finish the term, and we're looking forward to seeing what the PFA has in store for us this time!
Early Dismissal
A reminder that Friday 18 September is the final day of Term 3 and students will be dismissed early at 2.30pm.