Principal's Report
Dear BEPS community,
We hope you and your families had a restful holiday and an enjoyable Easter break.
We’re looking forward to an exciting Term 2, full of new learning experiences, engaging activities and school events. Classroom doors open at 8:45 am, and students may enter at this time to unpack, organise themselves and get ready for the day. Learning begins promptly at 9:00 am. Arriving on time helps students to start the day positively, and avoids disruption to their learning and that of others. Students arriving late can find it harder to engage, and it can also be disruptive to their classmates.
Please help support your child by ensuring they arrive on time each morning.
Late Arrivals
If your child arrives after 9:05 am, a parent or carer must sign them in at the office. This ensures accurate attendance records and meets Department of Education requirements.
Supervision Times
School grounds are supervised by staff from 8:45 am to 3:45 pm. Outside of these times, students are in unsupervised public areas, which may be accessed by people outside our school community. Staff are not responsible for supervision beyond these hours unless it is a school-organised event.
If you require care outside of these times, we encourage you to make use of our Team Kids before and after school care service.
**Please Note: Burwood East PS is not a polling booth for the Federal Election tomorrow, we were not approached on this occasion to host a polling place.
Changing something?
Have your address, phone number or work details changed? Has your child been diagnosed with asthma or an allergy?
It is vital that all information held by the school is up to date. Please contact our office staff or email the school with any changes required. In the case of a medical condition, the school will require documentation from the doctor. If you are unsure, please contact us.
Traffic & Safety
I would like to draw your attention to the number of people who are ignoring the school traffic light crossing and simply walking between parked cars and in front of oncoming traffic to cross at Highbury Road and Blackburn Road. I would ask all members of the school community to be a role model for appropriate road safety and use the traffic lights.
Please remember that U-turns in front of the school are illegal.
Drivers may be confident behind the wheel, but young children are unpredictable and do not have the spatial awareness to make good choices, which is why we all need to play our part in road safety.
Kiss and Go Parking
Whilst on the traffic theme, I would like to remind parents that you cannot leave your vehicle unattended in the Kiss and Go zone and that the waiting time is a maximum of 2 minutes. Parents who choose to remain parked in this area beyond 2 minutes risk being fined by the Whitehorse City Council. Please do not leave your car as this creates congestion and it also impedes the flow of vehicles in and out of the zone.
2026
We are now taking enrolments for Foundation 2026 and families moving into our school area in 2025. If your child is beginning school next year, or you would like more information, please contact us today as we begin to plan Foundation for next year. As always, I feel very privileged to be principal of BEPS and this is reinforced when I am undertaking school tours on a Tuesday and Wednesday.
As I showcase our school to prospective families, I am always confident that I can walk into any classroom and see that our students are engaged in their learning and connected with their peers and teacher. I am also very proud that the students capably interact with tour groups, answer questions, articulate what it is they are doing and can explain the ‘Why’.
House Sport
This week, we held our House Cross Country event, with Years 3–6 students running a course at Highbury Park. It was fantastic to see so many students proudly wearing their house colours and parents cheering them on in support.
A big thank you to our staff and parent helpers who supported the event!
Volunteering is the most valuable way you can help, and even one hour makes a big difference.
Zhongshan Road Primary School Visit
School Council has approved our Jiangsu - Victoria sister school reciprocal visit this year, which will reconnect us with our sister school Zhongshan Road Primary School. Since 2014, we have had the privilege of being a sister school with Zhenjiang, Zhongshan Road Primary School, fostering a meaningful partnership that has enriched both our communities. Over the years, we have visited each other three times, deepening our understanding of each school's unique culture and educational approaches.
Each time the students from Zhongshan Road Primary School visit our school, our community warmly hosts them, providing hospitality and creating a welcoming environment that enhances their experience. Similarly, when our students travel to China, we are graciously hosted by their community, which further strengthens our bond and encourages mutual appreciation.
Our ongoing relationship with Zhongshan Road Primary School continues to inspire both our students and teachers, as we share knowledge, engage in cultural exchanges, and celebrate the values of creativity and cooperation in education. We look forward to many more years of partnership and mutual growth.
Jiangsu schools will visit Victoria in July. Zhongshan Road PS is visiting Australia from 24th July - 8th August, and Victorian schools will visit Jiangsu and their respective sister schools in China from 18th - 30th October.
Uniforms
As we head into May, the weather takes a turn towards Winter as we experience cooler and wetter days. I encourage you to ensure your child/ren are dressed appropriately for the forecast temperature each day, with the assumption that they will be spending time in the outdoors. As much as possible, we seek to promote being outside to experience fresh air, physical activity and movement.
This includes spending time running around and playing at lunch and recess – which will sometimes be in light rain. You may like to consider packing a spare change of clothes in your child’s bag as we head into Winter, in case they slip and slide whilst having fun outside.
They may also need a jumper and/or raincoat to help stay warm or dry. We call a wet day timetable when rain becomes heavy, as the opportunity to be outside running around with friends and burning off energy is very important.
Please feel free to pop in for a chat with either Teri, Edwina or myself should you wish to discuss anything.
Our doors are always open!
Yours in Partnership,
Darren