The Bimbadeen Blaze

Principal's Report 

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, learn and play. We pay respect to Wurundjeri elders past, present and emerging and extend our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School.

Yarning Circle

Yarning Circles are safe and supportive spaces where our students can connect and share their voice. During the past week, we have been fortunate to have our Koorie Education Support Officer (KESO), Thomas, come and link up with our students. 

This time was spent sharing about our backgrounds and what we know as well as learning about Country and how the Countries are the same, different, and how they connect. 

The students then went on a walk around our school to celebrate our visual links to indigenous culture such as our Acknowledgement of Country in our office, learning tasks around the school, murals, and our Yarning Circle space. 

We worked on a plan for what future Yarning Circles will focus on such as music, games and deepening our understanding of culture.

Scholarships to support students

Scholarships are available for eligible students in Grade 4 to Year 11, and for Year 12 students planning to do tertiary studies in 2024.

 

The Department of Education administers a number of scholarships that are available to eligible students who are enrolled in Grade 4 to Year 12 in 2023.

 

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

  • participation in school activities
  • community involvement
  • academic achievement.

 

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study. 

 

Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria so please refer to individual applications for more information. Applications are open and close on Thursday 1 February 2024.

 

For more information and a list of available scholarships, refer to the 2024 Student scholarships for Student scholarships for Grade 4 – Year 12 fact sheet. For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.

World Teachers’ Day 

This year, World Teachers’ Day is on Friday 27 October. It is an opportunity to say thank you for the incredible contributions teachers make to our community.

We will recognise the passion teachers have, and how teaching has extended beyond the classroom to maintain connections through flexible learning.

We will be celebrating World Teachers’ Day by holding a special lunch for staff and enjoying a whole school excursion to the LUME.

You can get involved by sending a message of thanks to a teacher who is making, or has made, an impact on your life using #thanksvicteachers on social media. Don’t forget to tag the Department of Education and Training (the department) so we can see all your messages.

Head to the department’s World Teachers Day webpage for resources to help you celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2023, including ‘Thank You’ card templates.

Regional Athletics Championships

Congratulations to our students who competed in the Regional Athletics Competition yesterday. Ryder B (800m), Sienna M (1500m), Grace O (200m) and Kimi T (Discus and Long Jump) represented our school with pride and demonstrated great sportsmanship throughout the competition. 

We are very proud of your effort and determination. 

A special thank you to the parents and carers who went along to support the team.

Cheerleading Champs

Anna and Layla in 0JG are in a cheerleading group together at Vibe Studios. 

Their team has been very successful, winning all three of their competitions this year. Layla is the captain of the team and Anna is the vice-captain. 

In the latest competition in the September school holidays, the girls team won their competition again, coming in equal first with another team on the same amount of points and hitting zero again. Congratulations girls! 

Bimbadeen Pre-School Visits!

Over the past week, the Year 5 students, teachers and Mr Gill had the pleasure of visiting the Bimbadeen Pre-School as part of our Student Leadership Program. This activity is an important part of our annual calendar, and helps our Year 5 students develop their confidence, interpersonal and personal skills that are an important part of preparing them for the role of Buddy to a Foundation student, and to lead a STARS groups when they are in Year 6. The visits also support the transition experience for many of the Bimbadeen Pre-School children who are joining our community in Foundation in 2023.

 

During the visit, we read and shared our favourite picture story books. Our students worked with their buddy to illustrate their favourite page from the book using chalk, textas and paper. It was an experience thoroughly enjoyed by all involved. 

Dealing with distressing online content

With the tragic and distressing events unfolding in the Middle East, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, eSafety, has issued guidance to help parents and carers support their children in dealing with distressing online content. The eSafety website has resources for parents and carers about online safety. 

These include information on extra precautions you can take to protect your children from seeing disturbing content online.

 

eSafety encourages parents and carers supporting young people who may be more vulnerable to check in with them. If they are presenting with signs of distress, support is available through external services including: 

  • headspace: 1800 650 890 
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14 
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636.

Protecting against mosquito-borne diseases

Victoria’s mosquito season started this month and will extend to late April 2024. 

Warm and wet weather can result in greater numbers of mosquitoes and increased risk of illnesses from mosquito bites. While the overall risk is low, some mosquitoes carry diseases that make people sick. 

The best protection against mosquito-borne illness is to avoid mosquito bites.

Families can protect against mosquito bites by: 

  • covering up as much as possible with long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing  
  • applying insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET on exposed skin when leaving home 
  • limiting outdoor activity if lots of mosquitoes are active.

To reduce the risk of illness linked to mosquitos, such as Buruli ulcer, promptly wash any new scratches or cuts with soap and clean water and apply a topical antiseptic and dressing. 

Families with any health concerns should see their doctor or phone NURSE-ON-CALL: 1300 606 024 (available 24 hours).Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines 

Japanese encephalitis virus is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain.

Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines are available to protect Victorians at higher risk of the virus. 

The Victorian Department of Health encourages eligible people who live or work in high-risk local government areas to get vaccinated ahead of summer, which brings an increased mosquito presence. 

For more information, including what is considered a high risk area and eligibility for a free vaccine, refer to the Department of Health’s Japanese encephalitis webpage. 

 

Find out more

For more information on protecting against mosquito-borne diseases, families can refer to the following Better Health Channel pages:

School term dates for 2026

There have been changes to Victorian school term dates for 2026. Following the announcement that the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria will not proceed, the original 2026 school term dates have been reinstated.

The 2026 Victorian school term dates are:

  • Term 1: Tuesday 27 January to Thursday 2 April 2026 
  • Term 2: Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June 2026
  • Term 3: Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September 2026
  • Term 4: Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December 2026.

For the list of school term dates until the end of 2030, refer to School term dates and holidays in Victoria.

 

 

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend with your family, and we look forward to another fantastic week of learning at Bimbadeen.

 

Kind regards,

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George