Message from Bev and Kim

We're delighted to see our students seamlessly settling back into school routines after the Easter break. Their enthusiasm and energy have made the return to learning a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone. 

Last term we focussed on a whole school mantra - 'Self-responsibility for all in 2024'.

Well done to Dendy House for earning the most house points for demonstrating our 6Rs related to this mantra. Dendy Captains have rewarded their team this week with a game of dodgeball and the opportunity to wear a splash of red in celebration.

A big Congratulations to Josh Scott for his outstanding achievement in State swimming! We are incredibly proud of his accomplishments representing our school at such a high level, placing fourth.

Thank you to Grade 4 for their exceptional facilitation of the ANZAC assembly this week. Their thoughtful and respectful tribute exemplified our school values and honoured the sacrifices of those who have served our country. 

Well done also to our dedicated choir members, who performed "Gone the Rainbow" with Bev, Sally and Phil at this year’s ANZAC Ceremony at Hampton RSL. Many thanks to Ms Wickes, and our parents, who supported this event by car pooling. 

School Council Report:

We extend a warm welcome to our new School Council members. After our first meeting last term, subcommittees have been formed, focusing on key areas of school improvement. These teams, dedicated to buildings and grounds, marketing and publicity, education policy, and finance, drive positive change within our school community. We thank David Capps, for again accepting the role of School Council President for another year. 

The Annual Implementation Plan was presented, outlining key areas of focus for BBPS in 2024. With a strong emphasis on learning growth in Mathematics, teachers will be building an understanding of the new Mathematics Curriculum 2.0 and implementing effective classroom strategies to monitor student understanding.

Additionally, the school’s focus on Wellbeing this year centres around fostering student school pride and supporting parents in navigating age-appropriate behaviours and social interactions. Together, we are committed to creating a nurturing and enriching environment for all our students.

Parent Engagement Opportunities:

This term, we're thrilled to offer numerous opportunities for parents to connect with our school and engage with the learning program. Please put these dates in your calendar!

Visible Learning work samples are now accessible via Compass. Through collaborative efforts with teachers, students have selected pieces of work showcasing their learning progress in term 1, providing parents with valuable insights into their individual learning trajectories. Please speak to your class teacher should you have any questions. 

Instructions on how to access will be provided by year level teams.

Parent information nights – with a focus in term 2 across grades 3-6 on being Cybersafe, and helping students to establish healthy online habits and positive friendships online, we are offering 2 parent sessions to complement the learning taking place within our classrooms. These are relevant for all families P-6, and we recommend attending at least one, if not both sessions online.

• Thurs May 2 – Online Parent webinar – Raising Kids in a Digital World - this has been booked specifically for BBPS. 
• Wed May 15 – The Resilience Project (TRP) Online Parent webinar – Digital Wellbeing for Families 

Details in Wellbeing section of this week’s newsletter.  At this stage, it is unknown whether we will receive a recording of these online sessions.

Whole school events – 

Cross Country, Tuesday May 7: see Compass Event for details and contact Josh Ancrum if you can help on the day, even for a short time – to ensure the safety of our students, Grades 3-6, this event requires a lot of parent help. Thanks in advance. 

This year, our students will be taking ownership over celebrating Mother’s Day. In lieu of the Mother’s Day Stall, each year level will be acknowledging the important women (mothers and special friends) in their life in different ways. We have tried to plan for variety across P-6 to support families with multiple children, and so that across P-6 you’ll have the chance to engage in different experiences from year to year. Keep a close eye on Compass for details relevant to your child’s year level around the following: 

Grade 1 and Grade 6 class event – Thursday, 9 May 8:45-9:15 in classroom

Prep and Grade 2 shared activity – Thursday, 9 May 3:15-3:45pm in classroom – you will have time to go to both classes if you have children in both grades.

Grade 3-5 – surprise gift sent home in week 4.

For events taking place in the classroom, a special friend is more than welcome. Alternatively, please let your child’s class teacher know ahead of time so they can arrange for someone (e.g. a sibling or buddy) to join the fun.

Education Week is an opportunity state-wide to celebrate the amazing learning that takes place in Victorian government schools. At BBPS, we are consistently blown away by the depth of thinking our students demonstrate with each learning experience. Our classes will be open for you to visit from 3-3:45pm, when your child will showcase their learning for semester 1. Based on parent feedback, we have allocated different days for different grades.

Monday, May 13 – Prep and Grade 1

Tuesday, May 14 – Grade 2

Wednesday, May 15 – Grade 3, 4

Thursday, May 16 – Grade 5, 6

We hope to see you there!