Buninyong PS Newsletter

Principal's Report

THE 2024 SCHOOL YEAR DRAWS TO A CLOSE

The last few weeks have been very busy and there’s been lots happening for our students as they finish up the school year.  

 

Since last week’s newsletter we have finished off Parent Teacher Interviews and held the Meet the Teacher session. Yesterday the Scotsburn Campus had its end of year concert and despite having to relocate to the Buninyong Campus due to the extreme weather, the staff and students did a fabulous job. It was great to see lots of parents and some other family members in attendance to support the students even though the heat wind was rather challenging!  Well done to Rhiannon C who delivered a lovely speech on behalf of the Scotsburn parents.  

 

Tonight, we have our Grade 6 Graduation which will take place on the outdoor stage at the Buninyong Campus beside the gym.  This is always an exciting celebration and a fabulous way for the school community to wish our Grade 6 graduates all the very best as they head off to secondary school.

 

On Thursday morning we’ll hold the final assembly for 2024.  As always, this will be a large event, and we welcome parents, carers and extended family members to come along if you can.  The final assembly in December is a great opportunity to celebrate the year.   In keeping with tradition, the assembly will conclude with a guard of honour for our Grade 6 students as they make their way out to the oval before counting down and throwing their hats in the air.  This is a really nice way of celebrating their time at primary school and finishing off the year.

 

As we reflect on the year, it’s good to think about what we have achieved at both campuses this year. Some key reflections include:

  • We held a concert for the first time since 2018, which was an absolute highlight of the year for many of our students and a great way for our school community to come together over the three performances.
  • The expansion of STEM as a specialist subject at both campuses, meaning all classes now receive a weekly 60 STEM session.
  • The introduction of the Scholarship Programs and other improvements funded through the Coxall Family Scholarship Fund.  This provided a number of students with opportunities not normally available in primary schools, as was evident in our celebration evening a couple of weeks ago.  We look forward to being able to offer these programs again in 2025.

Throughout the year our students have also had many opportunities to participate in a range of extracurricular activities. Students have been involved with Energy Breakthrough, a school disco, a trip to Japan, Grade 3, 4 & 5/6 Camps, Japan Day, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, the Young Authors’ Program, sleep overs, the Grade 6 GRIP Leadership Conference in Melbourne, the Bulldogs Read Program, the Victorian High Ability Program and an array of interschool sports.  There is certainly something for everyone that is willing to give things a try.

 

A big thank you to our staff, parents and broader Buninyong community for your contribution to our school in 2024.  We know this comes in many forms and hope you understand it is appreciated. All the very best to our Grade 6 students and other students and families moving on; we hope you will have fond memories of your involvement with Buninyong PS.

 

We also wish all the best to staff that are moving on, those being Kirrily Moran, Belle Reid, Jayke Arnold, Julia McGregor, Terrie Domaschenz, Hayley Inglis, Allyssa Quick and Margaret Mahoney.  We wish you all a merry Christmas and happy new year and we look forward to doing this all again in 2025.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS FOR 2025

Last Wednesday afternoon, announcements were made regarding successful candidates for the 2025 Scholarship Program.  We congratulate all applicants for the quality and volume of the applications submitted and we wish our successful candidates all the very best as they pursue their interests in their chosen scholarship subject.

PARENT CONTRIBUTIONS 

A document outlining financial contributions we are seeking from parents was emailed last week to all families.  If this hasn’t made it to you yet, please give the office a call to check, as we may not have your most up to date email contact.

 

As a public school, we rely heavily on parent contributions to provide your children with the resources and programs you expect and thank you in advance for this support.  If you have any questions regarding financial contributions please contact our Business Manager, Chris Delaney by calling the general office.

ACCESS TO COMPASS FOR STUDENTS LEAVING OUR SCHOOL (including year 6)

Please note that Compass will automatically remove students who are not enrolled at Buninyong PS in 2025 at the end of the current school year.

 

This means that families will no longer have access to any information stored on Compass, such as school reports, beyond the end of this week. Please ensure you have downloaded or printed anything you wish to keep before the final day of school.