OSHC Update

We continue to make positive progress towards establishing our Out of School Hours Care service at Bolinda Primary School. The Coordinator position is currently advertised and has six days remaining before applications close.

At this stage, it is our hope that the service will be operational from the beginning of Term 2. Thank you sincerely for your patience throughout this process. While the timeline has been quite swift and has involved a number of steps behind the scenes, we are very close to bringing this important addition to our school community to life. We look forward to sharing further updates as they become available.

Family BBQ

What a wonderful way to begin the year together at our Family BBQ. It was fantastic to see the school grounds filled with families, laughter and conversation, all enjoying a relaxed evening in perfect weather. Events like this remind us just how special our school community is.

Our second Zucchini Competition exceeded all expectations. The care, effort and creativity shown by students in preparing their entries was genuinely impressive, and it

as clear how much pride they took in their work. We had heavy, long and even zucchinis that couldn't be with us due to disasters taking place with them.

Students were recognised across a range of Zucchini Competition categories:

Heaviest Zucchini: Briar, with an impressive entry weighing over 4kg — roughly half a Koopa!
Longest Zucchini: Cylas, measuring an outstanding 54cm
Senior Best Dressed Zucchini: Emelia
Junior Best Dressed Zucchini: Majid
Best Zucchini Disaster Story: Willa, who shared the memorable tale of her dad accidentally mowing over her growing zucchini.

Congratulations to all students who participated — your creativity, effort and sense of fun made the competition a true highlight of the evening.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff — from those who prepared, cooked and served the food, to those who imagined and brought the Zucchini Competition to life. Their willingness to go above and beyond helps make Bolinda more than just a school; it helps create a connected, vibrant community.

Raising Kids in a Digital World

Families are invited to attend Raising Kids in a Digital World, a 90-minute seminar delivered by Inform and Empower. This valuable program has been brought to our area through the Bendigo Community Bank Community Grant program, with Romsey Primary School kindly hosting the session for schools across our local community.

The seminar is presented by Marty, an expert educator, and Carley, an experienced psychologist. Together, they share evidence-based strategies, practical tips and current insights to help parents feel confident supporting their children as they navigate the online world.

The session will explore a range of important topics, including social media, the impacts of screen time, online gaming, cyberbullying, child and tween online trends, exposure to explicit content, mentor parenting approaches, family communication and the use of parental controls.

This is a terrific opportunity for families to engage with a highly relevant and informative program, and we warmly encourage members of our school community to consider attending. To register, please follow this link: bit.ly/parents2026

Year 6 Jackets

Our Year 6 students proudly received their jackets today, marking another special milestone in their final year at primary school. I had the pleasure of working alongside the students to explore design ideas before developing a concept that they enthusiastically endorsed.

The excitement was instant, with several students already saying they don’t plan on taking their jackets off all year. It was lovely to see how proud they felt wearing them and how quickly they became something special for the group.

Leadership positions for our Year 6 students are currently being finalised, and we look forward to announcing these at assembly next week.

Bolinda Hall Clearing Auction

On Sunday 22nd March from 10:00am, our school will be supporting the Bolinda Hall Clearing Sale by running a cake stall and selling drinks. This is a terrific opportunity for our community to come together while also raising valuable funds for the school.

Funds raised will contribute towards new classroom furniture and support our longer-term goal of constructing a covered walkway between the toilets and the Senior classroom, helping ensure students can move between spaces comfortably and without the chance of getting wet.

More information about the Clearing Sale will be shared in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we would greatly appreciate any support from families who may be able to donate a cake or soft drinks for the stall.

School Council

Our School Council membership has now been confirmed for the year, with the following parent representatives committing to serve our school community:

Sandy Webb
Krystal Spiteri
Renee Zilm

While the group is smaller than anticipated, their willingness to contribute time, ideas and support is greatly appreciated. Our Annual General Meeting will take place this coming Tuesday, where positions for the year will be determined.

I extend my sincere thanks to our School Council members and look forward to working alongside them as we continue striving for improvement and growth across our wonderful small school.

Scarecrows in the Yard

Our Junior Landcare program has been bringing plenty of energy and creativity to the school grounds in recent weeks. Students have been exploring sustainability, and building their understanding of how we care for and improve our shared spaces.

During a recent session, students worked collaboratively in multi-age teams to design and construct scarecrows for our garden areas. The afternoon was filled with problem-solving, lots of laughs and thoughtful discussion as each creation gradually took shape.

If you did not see the scarecrows standing proudly in our grounds during our Family BBQ, then here they are for you to see. They are a colourful reminder of student teamwork, creativity and pride in place.

Long Service Leave

I would like to let families know that I will be taking planned Long Service Leave from Tuesday, March 10 until Thursday, April 2.

During this time, the school will continue to operate as smoothly as ever under the care of our dedicated and highly capable staff team. I have every confidence that the wonderful work happening across the school will continue uninterrupted.

There are a number of exciting events scheduled during this period, including our Easter Eggstravaganza, which I am sure will bring plenty of fun for students.

Anna Rapetti will be the key contact during my absence, and families are encouraged to reach out to her should any matters arise. I look forward to reconnecting with everyone upon my return.

Bolinda Birthdays