Principal's Report
We’ve had a very busy couple of weeks at BPS with plenty of events running, but the standout has definitely been our Grade 4 camp down at Anglesea. The kids have been flat out building huts, making damper, riding bikes, and taking on archery and the high ropes. It is always brilliant to see our students get out of the classroom and try new things in a completely different environment. A big thank you to the staff who took time away from their own families to head down there and make the camp possible.
Open Night and Open Classrooms
What a fantastic turnout for last week's Open Night and Foundation Information Night. It was brilliant to see the school buzzing, kicked off perfectly by the Symphonic Band in the gym. Walking around, it was great to see students chasing down their passport stamps for the raffle, while families got a feel for the learning that happens in our classrooms every day. Thanks to everyone who supported the sausage sizzle and dropped by the live podcast recording (you can listen to the episode here). Running these events, on top of our Tuesday and Thursday morning Open Classrooms, takes a massive behind the scenes effort. I want to recognise our staff (in particular, Ms. Fusillo) for the extra hours they put in to organise it, and thank all the parents and carers who turned out in droves to make it such a great night.
Top 100 Public Schools in Victoria
I also want to share some fantastic news: our school has just been ranked 19th among the state's top government primary schools. To be recognised in the top 2% out of 1,224 government schools across Victoria is an incredible milestone. It is a genuine testament to the hard work that happens here every single day, from our teachers, support staff and students, to our leadership and supportive parent community. While those of us in the classrooms know that a single set of test results doesn't fully capture what makes a school great, it is wonderful to see the collective effort of our whole community acknowledged on a state level.
Mid-year Soiree
Our next major event on the calendar is the Mid-Year Soiree, coming up on Thursday, 11th June. The evening kicks off at 6:00pm in the gym. I encourage all families to come along and support our music program. Our 'Friends of the Band' have also organised a fantastic raffle and auction for the night.
You will be treated to performances by our:
- Training Band
- Concert Band
- Symphonic Band
- Guitar Ensembles
- Choir
We are very much looking forward to seeing a packed audience there to cheer the kids on!
House Names Update
We are in the final stretch of deciding our new house names, with voting officially closing this Friday at 4:00pm. It has been fantastic to see so many families jumping online to have their say on the final three categories.
As outlined on Compass, the voting link below is for families (one vote per household), while the kids are busy casting their own votes in their classrooms this week, alongside our staff.
If you haven't already, please sit down with your children, have a chat about the options, and get your family's preference in before the Friday afternoon deadline. We are really looking forward to tallying the results from our students, staff, and families, and sharing the winning names with you very soon.
You can cast your family's vote here: https://forms.gle/kAnxgRNq4Gc7DrWW6
Education Support Staff Day
Last week we celebrated Education Support Staff Day, giving us a great chance to thank our ES team for everything they do. Anyone who has spent time in our school knows exactly how much we rely on this group. They do so much of the heavy lifting to support our students, staff and families, quietly getting on with the job behind the scenes. We made sure they felt appreciated last week, but I want to pass on a public thank you on behalf of the whole school community. We genuinely couldn't do it without them!
School Readiness and Enrolments
It was great to see a strong turnout once again at our school readiness science session last week. These sessions are always a wonderful way to introduce our future students to the school environment and help them feel comfortable in a classroom setting. We look forward to our Art and Language session on Wednesday 3rd June.
As a quick reminder following these sessions, we are currently accepting enrolments for our 2027 Prep intake. Applications are completed online via the VicStudents website:
For new enrolments:
Visit https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/ to create an account and complete the online application form by Friday 31st July 2026.
School tours will also continue throughout the term, and we look forward to welcoming prospective families into the school. Everyone is welcome, so if you have friends or family who are considering Blackburn Primary School for their children, please encourage them to book a tour via our website or contact the school office on 9878 1483.
