70th year celebration

What a wonderful celebration of Boroondara Park PS we had on Sunday November 16th. Thank you for your contributions to our amazing celebration.

It was wonderful to see so many current and former students and their families, as well as so many current and former staff attending.

It was great to see both Gavin Schwartz and Eric Register attend, as past principals they provide us with lots of history.

Thank you to our fantastic planning team (Maria, Nadia and Leanne) who put so much time and effort into making sure the day went smoothly. The logistics of an event such as this are huge, without this team we would not have had a successful day.

Thank you to the staff and volunteers who were here on Saturday getting things ready.

Thank you to the volunteers who were here throughout the day.

Thank you to the staff who supported us by being on site all day.

Thank you to those members of the community who donated all sorts of things for the day.

We have a fantastic history display which is in main corridors, so pop into school when you drop off or pick up your child over the next few weeks to view it.

Thank you for coming along and having fun!

Bottom Oval Working Bee

What a team we had onsite last Saturday November 22nd to start the work on the Bottom Oval surface.

There was a lot of work planned for the day. The entire oval was aerated twice, cores produced were mowed and collected. There was 10 cubic metres of topsoil spread across the surface - filling in lots of divets, especially in the goal squares.

The area has all been fenced off and we now wait for the hydroseeding of the entire surface - this should take place prior to the end of term.

We will be looking for volunteers to turn on the sprinklers over January to keep the grass growing! Keep an eye out for details.

Thank you to Ross, John and Shannon for all of their work planning and on the day.

Thank you to all of the parents and past student who came to help, we could not have done it without you!

Colour Run

One week to go!

The doughnut party was enjoyed by 3/4T on Wednesday this week.

And today the Pizza Party was announced, well done to 6PW.

Last donations are being collected.

The event is next Friday December 5th - students start running at 2.10pm and the sliming event happens from 2.50pm.

We are looking forward to a fun packed afternoon. See you all on the top oval.

Victorian School Garden Awards Program

Today our Environment pillar students and members of KGT attended the Victorian School Garden Awards event at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Our school won 1st prize in the Most Engaging Garden for Learning category.

Congratulations to Claire Ballot, her team of parent volunteers, amazing students and staff who support the programs run at Boroondara Park PS.

Pupil Free Days 2026

We wanted to let families know about the Pupil Free Days for 2026. The school has planned three of the four days.

The first two days of the school year in 2026 - Tuesday January 27th and Wednesday January 28th will be Pupil Free days. All students will start school on Thursday January 29th.

Wednesday June 24th will be Parent Teacher Interview Day; this will be a Pupil Free Day.

Save the Date - Parent Helpers Morning Tea

We are holding a Morning Tea to thank all parent helpers and volunteers who have supported the school in 2025. This event will take place on Friday December 12th. Pop the date into your diary and look out for details in the next week.

Orientation Day and Transition

Our 2026 Foundation students have commenced their formal Transition program, attending school twice this term already. Starting school is a huge moment and we have had the opportunity to speak with parents and support the new students to see what life will be like at school next year.

As a school we work to support the transition of all students, we ensure they know who their teacher is and they get to know their class members on the whole school Orientation Day on December 9th. We invite all new students to the school to join us on this transition day and our Year 6 students also will have their Orientation to secondary school.

Transition can be a time of worry for some students and families. The unexpected and new can mean our students need extra support. Assisting them to talk about what is going well is a great starting point. Talking through their worries, identifying strategies you can implement with them when they get worried and anxious will assist them. You can acknowledge their worries and work together to find solutions. Encouraging positive thinking is a key to any change.

When working out the classes our staff undertake the following process:

all students are asked to identify five students they think they would work well with in a class - you have had input this year with forms being completed at home
teachers complete a survey of academic, wellbeing and additional needs for each child
teachers add any separations and pairing

We input all of the information shared with me by parents, including the suggested separations and pairing. Requests for your child to have a specific teacher are not taken into consideration as part of this process.

Our program generates draft grades which our teams of teachers and Shannon and I work through.

We put together a final draft of grades and spend many hours working through each grade to make sure each class has an even spread of boys and girls, academic ability, wellbeing needs and additional needs. Our focus is to ensure all classes are as equitable as possible.

Once classes are completed it is almost impossible to make changes, students are linked in pairs and small groups. Moving one child can mean others are left with no friends from their list. This is not something we are able to accommodate, we guarantee each child will have one person from their list, but we cannot guarantee they have their best friend or the first or second person on their list.

On Orientation Day Tuesday December 9th our students will spend time working in their new classes. Our staff will have worked diligently to ensure the classes are balanced and students have one friend.

We know our community understands the work which goes into putting together grades, our role as the adults in our child's lives is to support them to be resilient. They will not always be in a class with their best friend; they will not always be in the class with the teacher you have decided they should have.

This is not the end of the world, and they will be supported no matter who their teacher is in 2026. We are proud of each and every one of our staff and what they bring to their role as teachers at our school.

No matter where they are placed in 2026, our students will each be provided with an outstanding education.

We thank you in advance for your support in providing our students with the skills needed to bounce back if they feel a little disappointed at the end of the day.

We can support our students with the uncertainty of this transition time. As a team of staff and parents and carers we help our students to build their resilience and focus on the positive potential of a new grade and making more friends.

TheirCare Holiday Program

The January holiday program commences on Monday January 5th to January 27th.

January 28th is a Pupil Free day and there will be care available on this day.

We have included the flier for the program for your information. There are lots of exciting things planned.

Colouring competition winners

Congratulations to Charlie and Leia! They attended the awards afternoon tea this week. Charlie won first prize and Leia was runner up.

I Can Network

Our school has previously worked with the I Can Network. They are the largest provider of autistic-led group mentoring programs, training and consultancy. The following was sent to the school this week and we thought it might be of interest to some in our community.

The I Can team also run programs throughout January.

We’re excited to invite you to our Free Kahoot Quiz Night: a fun, interactive evening for new and returning I CAN families!

Join us online for an hour of laughter, learning and friendly competition as we play a series of engaging Kahoot quizzes designed to bring the whole family together.

Date: Tuesday 16th December

Time: 6:30pm –7:30pm AEDT

Where: Online (details sent after registration)

Cost: Absolutely free!

This special event is a great way to:

Connect with other I CAN families in a relaxed, fun setting.
Enjoy a mix of general knowledge and I CAN-themed quiz rounds.
Include neurotypical siblings too, whole-family participation is encouraged!

Whether you’re a returning family or brand new to the I CAN community, this is a wonderful chance to connect, laugh and celebrate the end of the year together.

Enrol now for Kahoot

Free public transport

From 1 January 2026, people aged under 18 can travel free on all Victorian public transport services using a new youth myki card. This includes trams, trains, buses and coach services.

To access free travel, they must tap the myki card on and off each time they travel. For areas that do not use myki cards, they must show their myki card to travel free.

More information about the youth myki card will be available later in Term 4, 2025 – refer to the myki types webpage on the Transport Victoria website.

For more information about other travel options to school, and support for eligible students, refer to the Travelling to school webpage on the Victorian Government website.

Are you leaving Boroondara Park at the end of 2025?

Are you moving house? Are you moving interstate? Are you moving overseas? If you know your child is not returning to BPPS in 2026 please let us know by filling in this google form.

Leaving BPPS

Interpreter service for calling the school

This week we sent out information relating to an interpreter service you can use when calling the school. There is a simple step by step process to make a call to the school using a telephone interpreter.

BPPS Facebook and Instagram

Don't forget to follow our social media accounts and see what is happening at school each day. Boroondara Park Primary School Facebook

Search @BoroondaraPark on Instagram to follow the school.

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