Principal's Report
Blackburn Primary School
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone had a great break over the holidays and that students have settled easily into their routines over the past week and a half.
Term 4 is always our busiest stretch of the year. We have a lot ahead of us over the coming weeks, beginning with our 2027 Foundation transition and our whole-school stepping up program to help students prepare for next year. We are also looking forward to our Year 6 graduation and our community Christmas Carols closer to the end of the term.
Student Free Day
Just a reminder that we have a student-free day coming up on Monday 2nd November. Our teachers will be using this time to focus on Semester Two assessments and begin working on end-of-year reports. Having this dedicated time is important for staff to review each student's progress as we head toward the end of the year. For families needing supervision, TheirCare will be running a program on the day. A reminder also that our final student-free day of the year will be Friday 18th December.
Student Placement 2026
During Term 4 our class teachers go through the process of placing students for the 2027 school year. Earlier this week, students were asked to nominate their "five friendly learning partners". We guarantee that every student will be placed with at least one of their nominated friends.
When creating class lists, our teachers invest a significant amount of time considering a wide range of factors to create balanced and positive learning environments. These factors include:
- An even spread of academic abilities across all classes
- Social and emotional dynamics
- Existing friendships (based on student nominations)
- Balancing diverse learning and support needs
- A good mix of students from previous classes to encourage new connections
- Gender balance
- Other relevant individual needs
As our students are actively involved in nominating their preferred learning partners, parent requests for specific friendship placements or specific teachers will not be considered.
However, if there is crucial information regarding your child’s specific educational or wellbeing needs that you feel I need to be aware of for the 2027 placement process, please outline this in writing. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please email your request, addressed to the Principal via the school office at blackburn.ps@education.vic.gov.au no later than Friday 23rd October.
Students Leaving BPS
As we begin our planning for next year, it is really helpful to have an accurate picture of our expected student numbers. If your family is relocating or your circumstances are changing, and your children will not be returning to BPS in 2027 (excluding our graduating Year 6 students, of course), please let us know as soon as possible. You can just send a quick email to the school office at blackburn.ps@education.vic.gov.au. We are always sorry to see families go, but having this information early makes a big difference to our class and staffing structures for the new year.
SunSmart
While the weather over the last few days has been colder, the glorious sunshine we had last week, and the forecast for next week, is a timely reminder that our SunSmart policy is now back in effect. From the start of Term 4 right through to the end of Term 1, all students and staff are required to wear hats outside, including during recess, lunch, and PE. Please also remind your children to pack a water bottle each day so they can stay hydrated when the warmer weather returns.