Appreciations and News

What a busy term this has been! A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to what was once considered the “quiet term.”

Book Fair Bonanza

No sooner had Shannon wrapped up Book Parade and Activity Day than she launched into the final preparations for our Book Fair. The library has been bustling before and after school all week! Tomorrow morning will be the last chance to purchase books and items. We are grateful for the wonderful support from our community and acknowledge the enormous effort from Shannon, the office and leadership teams, and our staff volunteers. Thanks to their work, the Fair provides a fantastic boost of new resources for our school.

Wear It Purple Day

Wear It Purple Day has become a wonderful way to show our support for diversity and inclusion. It was terrific to see so many students and staff wearing purple and rainbow colours. The highlight was our lunchtime dance party under the Bilby shade sail - a wise move, given the weather forecast! Special thanks to Shannon, our events guru, and DJ Towela for making the day such a success.

Footscray Hospital Tour

School Captains, Madi and Sam were fortunate to join me, student reps from Maribyrnong College and our local MP for Footscray, Katie Hall on a tour of the amazing new facility due to open to patients early in 2026. In a world where cynicism for politicians is often justified, perhaps a moment to appreciate the work Katie has done in delivering major construction projects in Education, Health and Civil Infrastructure. Pictured are the tourists along with the ubiquitous hard hats and fluro vests.

Parent / Carer Opinion Survey

So far, 9% of our families have completed the Parent / Carer Opinion Survey. While there is no obligation, this is a friendly reminder if you would like to share your feedback. The survey link was sent to Parent A emails a fortnight ago.

Coming Up Tomorrow

TheirCare Bacon and Egg Breakfast - Tomorrow is FryDay

Thanks to co-ordinator, Louise, Area Manager, Michael and the TC team for generously offering to provide egg and bacon rolls to our (adult) community tomorrow between 8:00am and 9:00am. Of course, this is to celebrate the fathers and special people in our lives. This year the BBQ will be more prominently placed in the breezeway between Wallaby and Bilby, so it may be too hard to resist. No cost for our community, just an opportunity for dads, mums, grandparents and of course staff members to enjoy.

Remember the gates are open and families will be attending the Book Fair, so even if just dropping the kids off, perhaps arrive a few minutes early, or you may suffer unrequited bacon flashbacks throughout your day!

Father’s and Special Person’s Day Stall

Tomorrow’s stall has been many weeks in the making! Enormous thanks to Katie Berman, supported by her children Sam and Keira, and their dad, Andrew, for their tireless work. They have been regular visitors, dropping off yet more beautifully wrapped items - reminding us that gifts certainly don’t wrap themselves!

We also appreciate the families who supported the stall through online payments (which closed yesterday). For those who opted out or did not pay online, we anticipate you have another plan in mind. Throughout the day, classes will visit Libby’s classroom in Wallaby to browse and buy, with a final announcement at the end of the day to ensure nobody misses out.

Assembly

This week’s assembly will feature the 1LJ crew and a new group of Pupils of the Week. We hope to gather outdoors in mild weather; if not, as last week, we will livestream from the Dingo Gallery into classrooms. Assembly begins at 2:40pm.

Coming Up Next Week

Junior School Bake Sale

Next Friday, the Parents’ Association will host the Junior School Bake Sale in the yard at the end of the day. We encourage families to support this event, which we hope will be just as successful as the Senior School Bake Sale in Term 2.

Inform and Empower Survey

Many families will be aware of the outstanding Inform and Empower cyber safety program, generously funded this year by Seddon Bendigo Community Bank. This gift - valued at over $7,000—covered four live, interactive online sessions for every grade level, at no cost to families.

As part of the trial, our school and class captains, together with Marshal and myself, have designed a survey to collect feedback on the program. Next week, captains will visit classrooms of team leaders to survey both teachers and students. The data will then be shared with Bendigo Bank. We remain hopeful that they will continue funding the program in 2026.

Looking Ahead

Final Fortnight Planning Weeks

As is our custom, the final two weeks of term will run to a modified specialist timetable. This allows every teaching team a full day for reviewing the term’s learning and planning strategically for next term. On these days, students will rotate through a full specialist program across all six learning sessions.

Kids’ Share Open Afternoon

On the final Tuesday of term, families are invited to visit classrooms after school for a student-led tour. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to showcase their learning. Teachers will also be available for an informal chat.

End of Term

The last day of term is Friday, 19th September. We will finish with an early assembly at 2:20pm before breaking for the September holidays.

Warm regards,

Brendan

2025 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey

We are inviting all families to participate in the 2025 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey, offered annually by the Department of Education. Your feedback is valued and helps our school better understand family perceptions around school climate, student behaviour, and engagement.

While participation is optional, we encourage you to take part. The insights gained will support our school improvement efforts and inform staff professional development and future planning.

Key Details:

Survey opens: Monday 18 August
Survey closes: Friday 19 September
Access: A direct link will be sent via Compass next week
Duration: Takes approximately 20 minutes
Devices: Accessible via desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone
Languages: Available in English and 10 other languages – Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Additional translated resources are also available upon request.

If you would like assistance or a translated guide, please contact the school office.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to speak with a member of the Principal Team.

Warm regards,

Brendan, Liz and Carolyn

Principal Team

Reminders and Repeated Messages

Wellbeing & Inclusion News

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