Principal's Message

Planning for 2026

Plans are well underway for next year’s grade structure. At this stage, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will again be moving forward with a three-class structure. Our specialist subjects will continue to be Visual Art, Auslan, STEM, and Sport.

We will be able to share the final grade structure with families soon. We are currently in the midst of finalising what each class will look like to ensure the very best learning environment for all students.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work through this planning.

Christmas Raffle Tickets

Last week we sent home our Christmas Raffle Tickets. As part of our end-of-year celebrations, our Christmas Hamper Raffle will be drawn at the End of Year Concert on Thursday 18th December. We would love your help in making the raffle a great success. All money raised will go towards the hire of the hall where our concert will be held.

To support our hampers, children are welcome to wear casual clothes on Friday 5th December for our Whole School Celebration Lunch. In return, we kindly ask that each child brings along a small donation on the day to contribute to our Christmas Hampers. Some suggestions include Christmas craft items, holiday entertainment items such as playing cards or travel games, or any fun festive treats.

Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. Please return the ticket stubs and money to the office by Monday 15th December.

Thank you for your continued support—it truly helps make these events special for our whole school community.

Christmas Trees Display

Here’s a little sneak peek of our Christmas Tree displays for Romsey and Riddells Creek! Our students and staff have been hard at work bringing these festive creations to life, and we’re so excited to share them with the community. We also have another tree design in progress for the Riddells Creek display that is being kept under wraps. 

Everyone has been incredibly busy, and we just know our trees are going to stand out proudly in the main streets. Keep an eye out—you won’t miss them!

STEM Learning 

Learning in STEM continues to be a highlight this term. This week your child may have come home proudly holding a wonderful wool creation! Our students have been exploring weaving, texture, and hands-on making during class, and they’ve absolutely loved it.

They also learnt how wool is created—from fleece to fibre—and even had the chance to use a real spinning wheel to turn wool into yarn. It was a unique experience, and they enjoyed every second of it!

We hope you enjoy seeing their work as much as they enjoyed creating it!

More Garden Improvements

Our garden continues to grow and improve each week, with more mulch being moved and spread across the space. It’s really starting to take shape now, and over the coming weeks we’ll be adding some borders to help define the area even further.

You may have noticed that some of our special plants now have signs placed in front of them. These signs are much more than labels—they’re a tribute to the incredible staff who have been part of Bolinda Primary School. We hope these signs remain in place for a very long time, so that future Bolinda students can look at the names and remember the amazing staff who’ve helped shape our school… including Koopa.

School preparations for the bushfire season

Each year, we prepare our school for the fire season to keep students and staff safe. As part of this, we want to remind families what happens on high-risk fire danger days.

Bolinda Primary School is a Category 4 school, which means we have a low fire risk.

School closures on Catastrophic days

If the Bureau of Meteorology declares a Catastrophic fire danger rating for the Central fire district, our school will close for the day. If this happens:

• No one will be allowed on-site.
• Camps or excursions in affected areas will also be cancelled.

We will let families know of possible or confirmed closures via Compass as soon as the forecast is confirmed.

How we prepare

We have updated our Emergency Management Plan, completed required maintenance, and ensured our grounds and gutters are cleared. We also continue to run emergency drills so students know what to do in an emergency.

How families can help

• Make sure we have your current contact details.
• Keep an eye on Compass, newsletters and school communication.
• Have an up-to-date family bushfire survival plan, including alternative care arrangements on Catastrophic days.
• Let us know if you are actioning your plan and your child will be away.
• Talk to your child about your family’s plan if they are old enough.
• Remember: the safest option on a Catastrophic day is to leave early.
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Where to get updates and information

• VicEmergency app
• VicEmergency Hotline: 1800 226 226
• Website: emergency.vic.gov.au
• VicEmergency Facebook & Twitter
• ABC local radio and other emergency broadcasters

We appreciate your support in keeping our school community safe.