Buninyong PS Newsletter

Principal's Report

3-6 ATHLETICS

 

Last Tuesday we had our grade 3-6s enjoy the athletics carnival.  The weather was warm, but not overly so, which turns out to be fortunate given the weather we had over the long weekend.  Well done to Claire Morris for organising the event and to all of our staff and parent volunteers who did a great job looking after groups of students and running events. 

 

The kids certainly had a great day, enjoying each other’s company and the competition.  It was reassuring to see the attitude displayed by our students, each giving their best in a sportsmanlike manner.  It was also nice to see so many parents and extended family members at the event to support the students.

 

We now look forward to the Cross Country on Friday and hope to have lots of parents come along to enjoy some weather and cheer on the kids.

 

SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS

 

We’re almost there in terms of filling all parent positions on School Council.  Currently we have a one year term to fill, so if you are interested, please give me a call or send through an email. 

 

In terms of the commitment, there are 8 school council meetings per year, each starting at 7pm and typically going through to around 8:30pm.  Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of each month, but only if the 4th Monday falls within a school term. 

 

So what’s dealt with at school council meetings?  At each school council meeting we receive a finance update from the Business Manager, hear a report from the leadership team, endorse excursions for the coming month, consider any policy updates and reflect on progress relating to current school priorities.

 

There is no experience required, just a readiness to add a parent perspective to discussions. 

 

FUNDRAISING PLAN FOR 2024

 

Fundraising is important for all schools, as it builds community spirit and raises funds needed to run programs and embark on improvement projects. Raising funds for external beneficiaries can also be a great opportunity to encourage students to think of others.

 

In 2024 our major fundraising event will be the concert, which is scheduled for August 28-30. Planning for the concert will begin in earnest next term and we’ll be looking for a few parents to help with this, so please consider coming on board when the opportunity arises.  

 

For the moment, our attention is on the smaller fundraising efforts that will run across the year. Some of those will target school programs and improvement projects and others for external beneficiaries. 

 

When developing a fundraising plan for the school, we have the following in mind:

  • Spreading fundraising efforts across a given year and ensuring fundraising demands on parents are reasonable.
  • Ensuring fundraising approaches and targets are appropriate and match the values of the school.
  • Ensuring the various school programs are accommodated.
  • Extending fundraising efforts to charities / causes beyond the school to build a deeper understanding of social justice with our students.

The plan we have developed for this year includes:

  •  Four sausage sizzles (one each term) and a Hot Cross Bun Drive to raise funds for some renovations to the covered way in front of the canteen.
  • A Book Fair to fund the purchase of more books for the library.
  • The majority of funds raised through the school concert will go towards the purchase of STEM resources. STEM was introduced as a specialist subject last year and from the beginning of 2024 all classes have a STEM session each week.  Adding to the resources in our STEM spaces will make a considerable difference to what can be delivered in these sessions.
  • Mother’s day stall and father’s day stall to support the 2024 Japan Trip.
  • The Grade 6 Canteen Team raise funds through their Friday sales.  They will decide where to direct the funds raised later in the year.
  • A Bunnings BBQ will fund the construction of a small deck leading to a servery in the old building.
  • A second Bunnings BBQ will direct funds to the Energy Breakthrough (EBT) Team.  EBT will also receive some financial support through the concert and a school disco.
  • Casual dress days at the end of terms 1, 2 and 3 will go to an external beneficiary nominated by the VOTS (Voice of the Students) Team.

We greatly appreciate the support of our community with fundraising, both in terms of helping to run events, but also in terms of making a financial contribution.  As you can see by the descriptions above, fundraising efforts enable us to do some pretty amazing things for the students at our school.

 

OPEN DAYS

 

Last week we had 2 Open Days and had prospective families in to take a tour.  Whilst we sat down and had a chat with all that came through, it was our grade 6s from the Transition Team that took visitors for a tour.  They did an excellent job and our guests spoke highly of their work.

 

Whilst Open Days present a good opportunity for prospective families to visit, we are open to tours at any stage of the year and expect our Transition Team members will continue to be busy over the coming few months.