Principal's Report 

Celebrating Children’s Book Week

Our recent Book Week celebrations have been a wonderful time of excitement and enthusiasm across the school. Over the past few weeks, students, teachers, and education support staff have been diving into the world of literature, exploring the Children's Book Council Award finalists and winners during our library lessons. The stories sparked lively discussions, and it was fantastic to see our students so engaged with the books.

The highlight of Book Week was, of course, our annual parade, where everyone dressed up as their favourite book characters. The creativity and effort that went into the costumes were truly impressive, and the joy on the students' faces as they proudly showcased their outfits was a sight to behold. It was a celebration of our love for reading and a reminder of the magical worlds that books can open for all of us.

Check out the photos of our fabulous Book Week Parade later in the newsletter.

Felice Arena Visits Bimbadeen for Book Week

As part of our Book Week celebrations, we were thrilled to welcome Felice Arena, the talented author of the popular Specky Magee series, to our school. His visit was a memorable highlight, with students across all year levels participating in engaging sessions that brought the world of Specky Magee to life.

The excitement in the air was palpable as Felice shared stories, insights, and a bit of behind-the-scenes magic about his writing. One of the most entertaining moments was when he guided the students through a reenactment of a slow-motion footy scene—a perfect nod to the sports-loving hero of his books. The laughter and enthusiasm from the students were a testament to how much they enjoyed the experience, and it was wonderful to see them so captivated by the world of storytelling.

Celebrating Father’s Day at Bimbadeen

As we approach Father’s Day this Sunday, we want to extend our warmest wishes to all the amazing fathers and special friends in our Bimbadeen community. Your love, guidance, and support mean the world to your children, and we hope this day brings you joy and a well-deserved celebration.

We also acknowledge that Father’s Day can be a challenging time for some in our community. Whether you are missing a father who is no longer with us or unable to be with your father on this special day, please know that our thoughts are with you. It’s important to remember that Father’s Day is about celebrating all the special people in our lives who have helped shape us, and we hold space for those who may find this day difficult.

This week, our students had a wonderful time at the Father’s Day stall, carefully selecting the perfect gifts to show their appreciation. It was heart warming to see the excitement on their faces as they chose their items and practiced their math skills by calculating costs and change. These little moments not only brought joy but also helped our students learn valuable life skills in a fun and engaging way.

A big thank you to Sarah Huxley and our incredible volunteers who worked tirelessly to organise the stall. Your dedication and hard work made this event possible, and we are deeply grateful for the time and effort you put into making it a success.

To all our Bimbadeen fathers and special friends, we hope you have a very happy Father’s Day filled with love, laughter, and wonderful memories.

A Successful Trivia Night Fundraiser

We are thrilled to announce that our annual Trivia Night was a resounding success, raising over $6,000 for our school! This event is a cornerstone of our fundraising efforts, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible support from our community.

A special thank you goes to Erin and Chris Haspell, whose tireless work was the key to the event's success. From coordinating donations and securing fantastic prizes to managing the logistics and hosting the evening, they ensured everything ran smoothly. Their dedication to organizing the event—from setting up the venue to creating an engaging and fun atmosphere—was evident in every detail. We also want to recognize Lizzie

 Henderson for her outstanding leadership of the Community Links Committee, which played a vital role in supporting and executing the night’s activities.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents, carers, and community members who attended and participated. Your involvement and generosity make a significant difference in helping us provide the best possible opportunities for our students.

School Council Annual Reporting Meeting

On Wednesday, 21 August, we held our annual School Council Public Reporting Meeting. This meeting offers School Council the opportunity to share its work over the past year and highlight key activities and achievements. It also provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of School Council, presents the annual report to the community, and allows community members to ask questions about the council's work. Below is a summary of the information presented.

Roles and Responsibilities of School Council

School council has a limited governance and oversight role whereas the principal manages the day-to-day activities of the school and is responsible for ensuring the delivery of a comprehensive education to every student. 

Objectives of School Council

• Assist in the efficient governance of the school
• Ensure that its decisions affecting students of the school are made having regard, as a primary consideration, to the best interest of the students
• Enhance the educational opportunities of students at the school
• Ensure the school and the council complies with any requirements of:
  • the Education and Training Reform Act
  • the Education and Training Reform Regulations
  • a Ministerial Order 
  • or a direction, guideline or policy issued under the Education and Training Reform Act.

2023 School Council Sub-Committees:

• Finance – oversee and monitor the school’s finances and budgets
• Fundraising – help raise funds to support the school’s annual goals and key projects
• Buildings and Grounds – focus on school maintenance and improvement to buildings and grounds
• Student Learning – develop school policies, contribute to the school’s curriculum plans, help prepare for our next school review (completed) and contribute to educational opportunities and programs
• Student Wellbeing – to oversee school Student Wellbeing, including the School Wide Positive Behaviour Framework and the Respectful Relationships Program.

Finance Sub-Committee Key Activities & Achievements

• Provision of funding to support school programs – aligned with school’s Strategic and Annual Implementation Plan priorities
• Refined Parent Payments – to reflect updates to DE Policy
• Net operating surplus – funds carried over to 2023
• Strong Operating Reserve – continued to build from 2021
• Overall healthy financial position.

Fundraising Sub-Committee Key Activities & Achievements

• Increased attendance at Trivia Night – increased revenue from previous year
• Organised and implemented multiple fundraising events
• Funds raised supported:
  • Purchase of decodable readers to support early years literacy programs and home reading resources
  • Installation of CCTV
  • Student input into fundraising activities and their involvement through Junior School Council.

Buildings & Grounds Sub-Committee Key Activities & Achievements

• Installation of CCTV
• Successful implementation DE Asset Information Management System (AIMS) structure for school maintenance – pest control, drainage pits, facilities repairs, tree audit and maintenance, etc
• Completion of accessible building works (2-year project)
• Continued implementation of improvement plan for buildings and grounds with project prioritisations
• Installation of new Basketball Rings
• Installation of swell in rear corner of the school to prevent water run-off.

Student Learning Sub-Committee Key Activities & Achievements

• Review and updating school policies in line with School Policy Schedule
• Monitoring of VRQA compliance - current
• Alignment of school policies with School Strategic Plan – reflect educational, social and cultural diversity of school community
• Increased student voice in policy development process – Student Leadership Team and Junior School Council.

Student Wellbeing Sub-Committee Key Activities & Achievements

• Multi-tiered response to student wellbeing: library lunchtime clubs, school counsellor (National Schools Wellbeing Program), Breakfast Club, Active Club.
• Whole school learning from Berry St Education Model (Mental Health Menu) – trauma informed education.
• Updated policies – Child Safety and Wellbeing and Bullying Prevention.
• SWPBS Action Plan – Gold Award, Updated SWPBS Values Matrix, Classroom Systems, SWPBS Assessment Survey (80%+ fidelity scores in all categories) and value celebrations.
• Reconciliation Action Plan shared and implemented to continue strengthening Indigenous perspectives.
• Embedding Yarning Circles approaches – classrooms and friendship connections in the yard.
• Inclusive whole school celebrations such as Harmony Day, NAIDOC Week and other celebrations reflected in STARS program. 

2023 Annual Report

The Annual Report confirms that all teachers at the school meet the registration requirements of the Victorian Institute of Teaching (www.vit.vic.edu.au). It also verifies that the school meets the prescribed minimum standards for registration as regulated by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) under the Education and Training Reform (ETR) Act 2006. Additionally, the report attests to the school’s compliance with the Child Safe Standards as outlined in Ministerial Order No. 870 – Child Safe Standards, Managing Risk of Child Abuse in School.

A copy of the 2023 Annual Report to the School Community is available on our website.

Information about School Council is regularly shared in our School Newsletter.

Would you like to be involved in School Council? Please consider joining one of our School Council Sub-Committees or nominating for School Council at the next election (to be held in February/March).

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend. 

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George