From the Principal's Desk

Over the past fortnight, our school community has come together in some truly special ways - from celebrating the important carers in our lives to sharing our story with the broader Shepparton community.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting our Mother’s Day Stalls and High Teas on both campuses, recognising the wonderful mums, mum-figures and special carers in our students' lives. It was heartwarming to welcome so many families into our school once again. With scones, fruit platters, tea and coffee on offer, the events created a warm and joyful atmosphere. We were thrilled to see around 60–70 families attend across the two campuses; thank you for helping make the day so memorable.

Today marks a particularly proud moment for our school, as we are featured in a special 24-page commemorative spread in the Shepparton News. This feature highlights the incredible work happening across our school, and celebrates our students, staff, and community. 

Every family will receive a copy of this feature booklet to take home and enjoy. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Francine Grant and Reece Wardle for their dedication and support in coordinating, planning and proofing the feature. Reece has also contributed his photography skills, capturing many of the beautiful moments featured throughout the booklet. It is a privilege to be able to share the essence of our school with the broader community.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to take part in National Simultaneous Storytime on Tuesday, May 21st. At midday, students across Australia will be reading The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell. This annual event promotes a shared love of reading and literacy and reminds us of the power of storytelling in building strong language foundations.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We look forward to more moments of celebration, connection and learning in the weeks to come.

Jesse Whittaker

Acting Principal

Banmira Specialist School

School photos - Tuesday 17th June

Photo envelopes will be coming home soon.

For further details, please see our 'School Photos' section of the newsletter.

Please contact MSP on 03 5482 3190 for further information.

2025 Student Attitudes to School Survey - Information for Families

From Monday 12th May to Friday 6th June 2025, students at Banmira Specialist School who are Grade 4 age and older will be invited to participate in the annual Student Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS). 

This survey, coordinated by the Department of Education, gathers valuable feedback about students' experiences with school life, learning, wellbeing, relationships, and more.

Participation is voluntary, and students can skip questions or withdraw from the survey at any time. Survey responses are confidential and help our school plan programs and activities to improve student engagement and wellbeing.

If you do not wish for your child to participate, please email banmira.ss@education.vic.gov.au 

For more information about the survey, please visit the Department of Education’s website or speak to Kylie (Assistant Principal- Junior Campus) or Dan (Assistant Principal- Senior Campus).

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.           

Applications close on 4th July 2025.