Principal's Report 

Legacy’s 94th ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students

On Monday 28th April, our Year 6 teachers and students attended the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, for Melbourne Legacy’s ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students, marking its 94th year. This special ceremony brings together primary and secondary students from across Victoria to honour and remember the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served our country, while keeping the ANZAC spirit alive through the eyes of young people.

The ceremony included student guest speakers, school bands and choirs, Defence Force Cadets, honorary guests and dignitaries, and a RAAF fly-over. Legacy’s patron, the Governor of Victoria, was also in attendance.

Our School Captains, Aiden and Maisie, laid a floral tribute during the ceremony on behalf of our school community.

Celebrating our Bimbadeen Mothers and Special Friends

We hope all the mothers and special friends in our Bimbadeen community had a very happy Mother’s Day last Sunday. On behalf of all students and staff at BHPS, we would like to sincerely thank you for the many ways you support, encourage, and nurture your children each day.

We also recognise that Mother’s Day can be a sensitive time for some in our community. Please know that you were in our thoughts.

A sincere thank you to Sarah Huxley, our staff, and the parent/carer volunteers who generously gave their time to support this year’s Mother’s Day Stall. Your help in guiding students through their purchases and supporting them with money handling helped create a positive and engaging experience for all involved.

It was wonderful to see the excitement and care students showed when selecting their gifts, and we have received positive feedback about their respectful behaviour, patience, and manners throughout the process. Well done, Bimbadeen students!

You’re Invited to Open Night at Bimbadeen!

We are excited to invite all Bimbadeen families, along with prospective families, to our Open Night on Wednesday 20 May.

This special evening will showcase our Annual Art Show, featuring an impressive display of student artwork inspired by this year’s theme. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the creativity, imagination, and hard work of our students.

Alongside the Art Show, classrooms and specialist areas will be open from 5:15pm to 6:30pm for a family activity trail. Families are encouraged to explore the school together and take part in a range of hands-on learning experiences across year levels and specialist programs.

Further details can be found in the Open Night flyer included in this newsletter, as well as on the school noticeboard at the front of the school.

We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a fantastic evening of creativity, connection, and celebration of student learning.

Reminder: Safety and Courtesy at Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times

We kindly ask all members of our community to continue to be cautious and safe around the school during drop-off and pick-up times. It is important that we remain courteous and respectful to others at these busy times of the day.

To help ease congestion and avoid the stress of traffic, we encourage families to consider active travel options where possible. Walking with your children, encouraging them to walk with friends, or parking a few blocks away and walking the remainder of the trip are great alternatives. These options offer many benefits:

• Children can enjoy some exercise and fresh air before school
• Students have opportunities to socialise and start the day positively
• Families can help reduce traffic congestion and avoid potential parking infringements

We appreciate your ongoing support in helping to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, families, and community members. Thank you for your cooperation.

It's Cool to Be at School! Attendance Matters

Under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), all children and young people aged 6 to 17 years are required to attend school unless an exemption has been granted. Parents and carers have a responsibility to ensure their child attends school whenever it is open for instruction. Students are expected to attend school every day during normal school hours unless they are genuinely unwell.

Even small amounts of absence can add up over time. For example, a student who misses just one day of school each week will miss approximately 40 days of learning across the year. By the end of Foundation to Year 6, this could total around 280 days of missed schooling — the equivalent of more than a full year of education.

Regular attendance gives children the best opportunity to learn, build friendships, develop routines, and reach their full potential. Establishing strong attendance habits in primary school also helps prepare students for the expectations and opportunities of secondary school.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping our students attend school regularly and succeed in their learning.

2027 Foundation Enrolments are Open!

Enrolments are now open for Foundation in 2027. We encourage prospective parents to complete an online tour via the school website where you can learn about our wonderful school and meet our staff and students. Prospective families can also attend an in-person tour where we can show you our wonderful school and answer any questions you might have or discuss your child’s individual needs. 

This year our school is using an online system for 2027 Foundation enrolments called VicStudents. VicStudents is available for students who are enrolling in a Victorian Government School for the first time. This includes Foundation (Prep) enrolments for 2027. 

VicStudents has been assessed by the Department of Education to a high degree of security in line with the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards and is compliant with ISO 27001, the leading international standard for information security.

For more information about enrolling your child into a Victorian government primary school, visit Enrolling in Foundation (Prep). 

Please contact our school office on 9726 9989 or via email to Bimbadeen.Heights.PS@education.vic.gov.au should you need any further information or help to complete your child’s enrolment application. 

Child Safe Code of Conduct

Our Child Safety Code of Conduct sets out the expected behaviour of adults with children and young people in our school. 

All Bimbadeen Heights Primary School staff, volunteers, contractors, service providers, school council members and any other adult involved in child-connected work must follow the Child Safety Code of Conduct. 

The Child Safety Code of Conduct applies to all physical and online environments used by students. It also applies during or outside of school hours and in other locations provided by the school for student use (for example, a school camp).

Acceptable behaviours

As Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of our school community involved in child-connected work, we are responsible for supporting and promoting the safety of children by:

• upholding our Bimbadeen Heights Primary School commitment to child safety at all times and adhering to our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• treating students and families in our school community with respect in our school environment and outside our school environment as part of normal social and community activities
• listening and responding to the views and concerns of students, particularly if they disclose that they or another child or student has been abused or are worried about their safety or the safety of another child or student
• promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, students with a disability, international students, students who are unable to live at home and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTIQ+) students
• ensuring, as far as practicable, that adults are not alone with a student – one-to-one interactions between an adult and a student are to be in an open space or in line of sight of another adult.
• reporting any allegations of child abuse or other child safety concerns to the Principal or Assistant Principal on 9726-9989
• understanding and complying with all reporting and disclosure obligations (including mandatory reporting) in line with our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Policy and Procedures, accessible in the School Policies section of our website https://www.bimbadeenheightsps.vic.edu.au and the PROTECT Four Critical Actions.
• if child abuse is suspected, ensuring as quickly as possible that the student(s) are safe and protected from harm.

Unacceptable behaviours

As Bimbadeen Heights Primary School staff, volunteers, contractors, and member of our school community involved in child-connected work we must not:

• ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse or harm
• develop a relationship with any student that could be seen as favouritism or amount to ‘grooming’ behaviour (for example, by offering gifts)
• display behaviours or engage with students in ways that are not justified by the educational or professional context 
• ignore an adult’s overly familiar or inappropriate behaviour towards a student 
• discuss intimate topics or use sexualised language, except when needed to deliver the school curriculum or professional guidance 
• treat a child or student unfavourably because of their disability, age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality, or ethnicity
• communicate directly with a student through personal or private contact channels (including by social media, email, instant messaging, texting etc) except where that communication is reasonable in all the circumstances, related to schoolwork or extra-curricular activities or where there is a safety concern or other urgent matter
• photograph or video a child or student in a school environment except in accordance with the Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy or where required for duty of care purposes
• consume alcohol against school policy or take illicit drugs in the school environment or at school events where students are present 

• have contact with any student outside of school hours except when needed to deliver the school curriculum or professional guidance and parental permission has been sought. 

   

Breaches to the Child Safety Code of Conduct

All Bimbadeen Heights Primary School staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of the school community involved in child-connected work who breach this Child Safety Code of Conduct may be subject to disciplinary procedures in accordance with their employment agreement or relevant industrial instrument, professional code, or terms of engagement.

In instances where a reportable allegation has been made, the matter will be managed in accordance with the Department of Education and Training Reportable Conduct Scheme Policy and may be subject to referral to Victoria Police.

All breaches and suspected breaches of the Bimbadeen Heights Primary School Child Safety Code of Conduct must be reported to the Principal and Assistant Principal on 9726-9989.

If the breach or suspected breach relates to the Principal, contact North-Eastern Victoria Region Office, Level 2, 295 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley 3150, Phone: 1300 333 231, email: nevr@education.vic.gov.au

If you have any questions or concerns about Child Safety at Bimbadeen, please contact Adele Gregson, Principal, or Amanda Bailey, Child Safety Officer.

We hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend.

Warm regards,

Adele Gregson, Sabrina George, Marty Gill and Bree King