As we head into the holiday break, I wanted to take a moment to say how excited I am for 2026. This will be our final newsletter for the year, and it feels very special to be sharing these updates with you as we get closer to welcoming our students and families to start the new school year.

Official School Website Launched

I am thrilled to share that our Balambalam Primary School website is now live! Please take some time to have a look, we’ll continue adding to it over time.

https://balambalamps.vic.edu.au/

Getting to School - What to expect Day 1

Starting at a new school in a growing area can be challenging, so we wanted to share some early information to help families plan ahead for Day 1, Term 1, 2026. This will also be sent via email in January prior the the first day as a reminder too.

Note: These communications support school opening arrangements only. For ongoing updates on surrounding infrastructure or roads, please contact City of Casey directly.

Access for Day 1

The main school entrance is on Goldfields Boulevard.
Access to the school is currently only via Pattersons Road.

To help keep everyone safe and traffic moving smoothly:

Please follow the suggested entry and exit routes outlined in the access maps above
Avoid U-turns on Goldfields Boulevard
Allow a little extra travel time in the first few weeks as we all settle into new routines

Walking, Riding or Bus:

A raised pedestrian crossing has been installed on Pattersons Road near the main entrance
Enter in Via Gate 1(front entrance) or 2 (Community Hub entrance)
Students walking or riding are encouraged to store their bike in the bike shed
Bus travellers will use S4184 Clyde North – Balambalam PS, with pick-up and drop-off on Newbolt Parade. This is a BRAND NEW Bus Service beginning in 2026. (Information will also be emailed to families)

Car Travel:

Enter:

via Pattersons Road → coming up Newbolt Parade
enter Goldfields Road via Risely Road
turn into the pick-up and drop-off zone (displaying your name provided in your parent pack handed out during Dec)

Exit:

Exit the pick-up and drop-off zone onto Goldfields Boulevard
Turn onto Newbolt Parade or Nightfall Avenue
Continue back onto Pattersons Road

Our highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and the broader community. We appreciate your patience as everyone becomes familiar with the new traffic arrangements and encourage families to allow extra travel time during the first weeks of school.

January Open Days

We warmly encourage families to attend our upcoming Open Days in January. These sessions are another wonderful opportunity to:

See the school environment
Build familiarity and confidence ahead of Day 1

Dates and details can be found on the Transition page of our website.

Parent Payments & Compass

In the coming weeks, families will receive an email with login details for Compass. We thought it was best to wait until after the end of the school year before issuing these.

Please log in as soon as you receive this email, as:

School communication will begin via Compass from mid-January
Parent payments and stationery payments will be completed through Compass
This will support the school in providing the appropriate stationery and learning resources for students from the very start of the year

Please see the Compass page of the newsletter for more information and support.

First Day of School – Term 1, 2026

Please refer to the Important Dates section at the bottom of the newsletter for full details.

Thursday 29 January 2026.

Foundation students

9:10am – surnames A–K
9:30am – surnames L–Z

Years 1 to 6

8:45am start
School Office & Uniform Reminder

The school office will be open from Thursday 16 January, Monday to Friday, 9:00am–4:00pm.

Families are encouraged to organise uniform fittings as early as possible, as January can become very busy.

Wishing You a Safe and Happy Holiday Break

Thank you for your support, excitement and partnership this year as we prepare to open our beautiful school. I too are looking forward to spending some time with my husband and three children. We often visit our family holiday home in Noojee, where we are able to really unwind and play some fun games together.

I wish all of our new families a safe, restful and joyful holiday break as well.

Warm regards,