A Message From Anna 

School Wide Positive Behaviour

With only 7 Birdsto go to fill our Tree, I have a sneaky feeling that we might fill the Tree before the end of next week! What would YOU want to do for a Term 4 Celebration Day? 

🐝🐝🐝Term 4 Working Bees🐝🐝🐝

 🐝🐝🐝Friday 7 November, 3:30–5:30pm - THANK YOU!!!🐝🐝🐝

A huge thank you to the parents and students who helped out on Friday afternoon at our working bee. It was wonderful to see so many people contributing to making our school look its best. The mulch has made a significant difference to the north side of the school. 

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Friday 28 November, 3:30–5:30pm

Our second working bee will focus on clearing and organising storage spaces, including areas under buildings and in sheds. We’ll also be breaking down old furniture to go into a skip (or two). It’s a big task but as we all know many hands make light work!

We hope to see lots of families come along to lend a hand and enjoy the community spirit that makes these afternoons so rewarding.

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Excellence in Teaching and Learning at 

Box Hill North Primary School

At Box Hill North Primary School, our teachers are continually refining their practice to ensure that every student experiences high-quality, evidence-based teaching. This year, our staff have been engaging deeply with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM); the Department of Education’s updated framework that guides what effective teaching and learning looks like in Victorian schools.

The VTLM highlights a consistent, evidence-informed approach across schools, ensuring that students experience teaching that is explicit, engaging and responsive to their needs. Our work at Box Hill North builds on this foundation, as we synthesise our existing Instructional Model, which already reflects best-practice approaches, with the updated VTLM to ensure strong alignment and continued improvement.

A key focus within this work is Explicit Teaching, a model of instruction that makes learning visible to students. Teachers clearly explain learning goals, model processes step-by-step, check for understanding, and provide opportunities for guided and independent practice. This structured approach supports all learners to build confidence, master skills, and connect new ideas to prior knowledge.

Underlying much of this work is Cognitive Load Theory, the understanding that our working memory can only process a limited amount of information at once. By carefully designing lessons and learning environments that reduce unnecessary cognitive load, teachers can help students focus on what matters most: learning new content and applying it effectively.

As we plan for our physical learning spaces for 2026, Cognitive Load Theory is also shaping our thinking. Staff are considering how classroom design and setup can best support the Elements of Learning, such as collaboration, focus, and engagement, while ensuring that Teaching Practice continues to reflect the Elements of Teaching, clarity, purpose, and structure. This work will guide the way we design flexible, calm, and purposeful spaces that enhance learning for every child.

Our ongoing commitment to aligning teaching practice, learning environments, and evidence-based research ensures that Box Hill North Primary School continues to provide a learning experience that is both contemporary and effective, where every student is supported to learn, grow, and succeed.

Anna Johnstone

Principal