Dear Parents and Carers,

Term 4 is truly underway with students across the school engaged in a range of activities over the last few weeks. Earlier this week, our Year 4s headed off to Camp Coonawarra where our students embraced all the aspects of this camping experience, demonstrating resilience, perseverance and enthusiasm. Thank you to Adam, Shona, Sam, Harrison and our parent helpers Willie, Janitha, Varun, Graeme, Shabana and Mayada who donated their time to support students across the 3 days.

On Friday night, not all was quiet at Burwood East Primary School when 90 Year 2 students returned to school for the Year 2 Sleepover! The students had a great time competing in a trivia challenge, playing games and settling down to the movie ‘A Bug’s Life’ before bedtime. We thank the teachers and parent helpers who supported this wonderful experience for our Year 2 students; Anna, Lorraine, Emma, Yasmin, Rebecca, Georgia, Aiman, Steph and Samantha.

This term, our whole school inquiry focus has been based around the big idea ‘Changing Population’, and all year levels have been working through an inquiry approach based on student interests, and the curriculum areas of History, Geography and Intercultural Capability. To explore this big idea, our Foundation students visited Como House today to investigate why people may move and how our past influences our present and future. They experienced what life was like in the 1800s and reflected on some significant changes to their lives. Next week our Year 1s will visit the Melbourne Museum, exploring how family dynamics, cultures and traditions have changed in Melbourne over time, and looking further back to the connections between our families and the families of Australia's First Peoples. We would like to extend our gratitude to staff and parents who support these events that provide great learning experiences for our students.

Colour Run and Sushi Lunch - Monday 18th November

We’re thrilled to welcome a burst of vibrant colours this year at our ‘Big Show Fun Run’! Join us for an exciting event featuring three six-metre inflatable Cheetah run-throughs, Chase the Cheetah mascot, feather flags and music. Our Colour Run fundraiser commenced two weeks ago, and we appreciate all the families who have set up student profiles. Don’t forget, students who raise $10 or more in donations will be eligible for a prize! The funds raised will go towards upgrading school facilities and redesigning our library.

Also on this day, students will have the opportunity to order a sushi lunch through our Parents’ Association ‘Meal Deal’. Please keep an eye on Compass for further information.

World Teachers’ Day

Last Friday we celebrated our staff and thanked them for all the work they do to educate, inspire and empower our students at Burwood East Primary School. This year’s theme was ‘Hats Off to Teachers’ and provided the students an opportunity to tip their hats to the amazing staff we have at BEPS!

At Burwood East Primary we are lucky to have highly dedicated educators (Teachers and Education Support staff) who continue to support the social, emotional and academic development of our students. We’d like to acknowledge them and thank them for the contribution they make to our school.

Foundation Transition

On Thursday, we held our first transition session for Foundation 2025. We had approximately 40 students and their families join us for the session where families were able to gain a deeper understanding of our numeracy and 'out of school hours care' programs through presentations from Lorraine and Kelly. The 2025 Foundation students had the opportunity to explore life at school, building connections and sharing the story “All About Me”. We look forward to our next session on Thursday 14th of November.

2025 Day/Year 7 Statewide Transition day

On Tuesday 10th of December students will spend the day with their teacher for 2025 and their new class. This day is also the day that our Year 6 students attending government secondary schools will attend their transition/orientation day. Families will be notified via Compass the afternoon prior with information on their child’s teacher and classroom for 2025.

Sun Smart

Sun safety is a shared responsibility and staff, parents and students are encouraged to implement a combination of sun protection measures whenever UV levels reach 3 and above (typically from mid-August to the end of April in Victoria). Information about the daily local sun protection times is available via the school’s website, the free SunSmart app, or at sunsmart.com.au or bom.gov.au.

This term students must wear their hats for all outside activities, including recess and lunch. Students who forget their hat are encouraged to play in shaded areas or visit the library which is open every recess and lunch.

Scholarships 2025

Through the Department of Education, scholarships are available for students who complete Year 4 to Year 11 in 2024, and for students enrolled in Year 12 in 2024 who plan to do tertiary studies in 2025. Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study. Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria, so please refer to individual applications for more information.

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

participation in school activities
community involvement
academic achievement.

Applications are now open, and close on Saturday 1 February 2025. For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.

Take care,

Teri and Edwina

Burwood East PS Chess