From the Principal's Desk

A Farewell (For Now)

The last few weeks have been a new chapter in our school community as we have opened our new junior school campus. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to our incredible school community.  Leading Banmira Specialist School over the last six years has been an immense privilege, and I am so proud of what we have accomplished together.

As I step away from the role of principal for the duration of 2025, I am pleased to announce that Jesse Whittaker will lead the school for the rest of Term One while an Acting Principal is recruited for the remainder of the year.

I have every confidence that our school will continue to thrive under the guidance of our principal team and will continue to appreciate the strong support from our school community.

While I may return in 2026, for now I wish to thank you all - our students, families and staff- for your ongoing commitment and support.  Banmira is a truly special place, and I know its future is bright.

 Wishing you all the very best for the rest of 2025.

Kind regards

Ange

School Council elections and AGM

Our School Council AGM will be held on Monday 24th March.

If you are thinking about joining School Council, you are welcome to come along to see what it is all about.  If you are thinking of nominating for school council, please give me a ring to have a chat about it.

Nomination forms are attached to this newsletter and are available from each campuses main office.

New school uniform

REMINDER: Navy polos and hats with our new Banmira logo are now in-stock & available from The School Uniform Shop - 183 Corio St, Shepparton. If you have already purchased your navy polos, a logo can also be applied in-store for $5. 

Don’t forget – all families should now have an email from the Department of Education with the $400 School Saving Bonus voucher, which can be used to spend on uniforms. 

Privacy

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. 

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ privacy policy: information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

• Amharic
• Arabic
• Chinese
• Dari
• Gujarati
• Mandarin
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese

Personal property Brought to School

Any personal item/property that is brought to school by a student is the responsibility of the student and is not the responsibility of the school and is not covered by school insurance. 

Students are responsible for personal items/property they bring to school. Neither the Department nor the school is responsible if any student’s personal item/property is lost, stolen or damaged.

Medical Expenses

 Parents/carers are responsible for any medical expenses (including ambulance costs) incurred if their child is injured or requires medical treatment or an ambulance while at school, or participating in a school activity. Please be aware that we may not call you until after an ambulance is called, depending on the situation.

CSEF

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF): The CSEF is an annual payment paid to the school, to be allocated towards camps, sports and/or excursion expenses for the benefit of the eligible student.  If you are the holder of a concession card such as a Pension Card or Health Care Card, you may be eligible for CSEF.

The annual CSEF amount per student is as follows:

• Primary school student rate: $154 per year

• Secondary School student rate: $256 per year

If you believe that you qualify for this payment, please contact the office for further information.

Outside School Hours Care

A reminder to complete the waitlist form here:

👉 https://tinyurl.com/BanmiraOSHCWaitlist 

OSHC update can be found further on in the newsletter!