Welcome back to Term 2. We hope our Bimbadeen families have enjoyed a lovely break over the school holidays and your children have enjoyed a strong start to the term. We have an exciting term ahead with many incursions and excursions, our annual Open Night, the Year 3 and 4 Science Expos, along with many other exciting activities.

Message from the Minister for Education

Below is a pre-recorded short video message that speaks to parents and carers about the importance of the second school term for learning, from The Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for Education.

Bimbadeen Heights PS ANZAC Commemorative Service

Our annual ANZAC commemorative service was held on Wednesday 24 April, and once again it was a wonderful service of reflection, learning and remembrance for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We were honoured to welcome special guests; Mr Aaron Violi MP – Federal Member for Casey, Mr Stretch Jarvis- Chairman of the Kindred Organisation at ANZAC House (grandfather of Murphy), Ian Townsley - instrumentalist (bagpipes) and Mooroolbark College Captains, Belle Gavin, and Rhianna Gray (a former Bimbadeen student), and Mooroolbark College Principal, Ann Stratford.

We were proud of the respect and honour that our students demonstrated during the service. The service included readings and stories from our school captains and house captains. The special ANZAC song, written by our former music teacher Mrs Lynne Burt, is also a highlight as our student leaders spoke each verse and lead the school in singing the words of the chorus;

“We remember, we remember,

A legend not of victory but courage under fire.

We remember, we remember,

Gallipoli on ANZAC Day.”

Mooroolbark Secondary College gifted our school the picture story book, ANZAC Girl by Kate Simpson and illustrated by Jess Racklyeft, about the true story of Sister Alice Ross-King, who sailed to war in December 1914 and became the most decorated woman in Australia. The gift is a wonderful addition to our collection of books and resources about ANZAC Day and will be enjoyed by our students during their library lessons over the next week, and for many years to come.

Our ANZAC service is always a proud moment for our school and an important experience to ensure our students learn about the importance of recognising the service of others and pay respect to those who have fought for our country so that we have the freedoms and peace that we enjoy today. Thank you to all community members who came along and helped to make it a special event and to the children who brought along family medals or other mementos and shared stories with their peers.

Lilydale ANZAC Day Dawn Service

On ANZAC Day, seven members of our student leadership team, joined Mrs Gregson, to represent the Bimbadeen community at the Lilydale ANZAC Day Dawn Service, held at the Lilydale Cenotaph.

Mr Bill Dobson, President, Lilydale RSL, invited our student leaders to read the poem, In Flanders Fields, and lay a wreath at the cenotaph as part of the service.

Many other members of the Bimbadeen community turned out for this early-morning service to honour our service personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and those who continue to serve.

Thank you to Makenzie, Addison, and Lexi for reading In Flanders Fields, and to Beau, Dom, Eliza and Zac for laying wreaths on behalf of our community.

Legacy’s 92nd ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students

On Friday 19th April, our Year 6 teachers and students attended the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, for Legacy’s 92nd ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students. This special commemoration service honours Australia’s brave service men and women through the eyes of the young, with student guest speakers, school bands and Defence Force cadets, dignitaries, and a RAAF fly-over. Legacy’s patron the Governor of Victoria attended the Service, and our School Captains, Eliza and Zac, laid a wreath on behalf of our community, as part of the service. The Year 6 students then toured the Shrine, visiting the museum and its multiple displays, and taking in the view from the rooftop.

ANZAC Appeal - Thank you!

Thank you to our Student Leadership Team for selling ANZAC items throughout the last two weeks to help raise funds for the Lilydale RSL through the annual ANZAC Appeal. It has been fantastic to see our students proudly wearing their badges and wrist bands and using their bag tags and key rings.

Thank you to all community members who supported the Lilydale RSL ANZAC Appeal through the purchase of commemorative merchandise.

Once again, we have raised over $600 to support the valuable work of our local RSL.

2024 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open, and Bimbadeen Heights PS is excited to be participating. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:

access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
a modern user-friendly interface
rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review.

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 6 September 2024. Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books. All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.

To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

If you have any specific questions about the Premier’s Reading challenge at Bimbadeen, please contact Emily Way on 9726 9989 or via email to Emily.Way@education.vic.gov.au

Birthdays at Bimbadeen

You might have wondered why we can be seen wearing rainbow capes when you have seen us out on yard duty before school and at the end of the school day. This is because they are our ‘birthday capes’ and we are getting ready or returning from visiting a student/s for their birthday. At Bimbadeen, each student receives a special visit from Mrs Gregson or Mrs George for their birthday each year. They receive a birthday card, designed by our Year 6 students each year (so they receive 7 different cards from Foundation to Year 6), and they get to select a birthday treat from the birthday basket. The best part of our visit is spending time with our students, getting to know them, discuss their learning, celebrate their achievements and connecting with them. We endeavour to visit students on their actual birthday, if it is a school day, and visit students who have a school holiday birthday in the first week of the next term, the week after a weekend birthday, or the day after a public holiday birthday. The smile on our students’ faces when they see us coming with our birthday cape on, is a simple yet wonderful delight.

Parking, Traffic Management & Active Travel

Please continue to be ultra-cautious and safe around our school at drop-off and pick-up times. Also remember to be courteous and respectful. We have continued to receive reports from neighbours and members of our school community who report dangerous driving and illegal parking. The Traffic Control unit was seen outside our school this week, along with parking inspectors from the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Please remember, if you want to avoid traffic congestion in the mornings and afternoons, active travel is a great option. Walk with your children, get them to walk with friends, or park a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way to school. Your children will be exercised, socialised and much more ready to learn when they get to school, and you won’t have to deal with potential traffic infringement notices, or other hazards related to trying to drop your child off at the front gate.

2024 Open Night

We warmly invite our Bimbadeen families and prospective families along to the school for Open Night on Wednesday 15th May to join us in celebrating how science, technology, engineering, and maths come to life in the classroom. Classrooms will be open from 5:15pm to 6:30pm, with a fun family activity trail in our classrooms and specialist areas across the school, as well as our Annual Art Show. Please see the Open Night flyer in this newsletter and the advertisement board at the front of the school for further information. We would love to see all Bimbadeen families attend our Open Night. We hope to see you there!

Remaining Pupil Free Days for 2024

School Council has previously approved our Pupil Free Day Schedule for 2024, including a change of Term 3 date at their March meeting.

The remaining pupil free dates for this year are as follows:

Term 2 - Wednesday 29 May 2024 – Common Teacher Professional Practice Day (no students at school)

Term 3 - Friday 13 September 2024 – Berry Street Education Model Professional Learning / AIP Priorities

Term 4 - Monday 11 November 2024 – Report Writing / Assessment Day.

TheirCare will operate a whole day program for our families that require care on these dates. Please contact TheirCare directly to book your child into their service.

2024 Attitude to School Survey

Over the next few weeks students in Years 4, 5 and 6 will participate in the 2024 Attitude to School Survey. As in previous years children will complete the 20-minute survey online during school hours using a purpose built secure online survey tool. The confidentiality of your child’s responses is always protected.

It is important to note that we are not in any way ‘testing’ the children. We value student voice as it informs and supports our work to improve student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction and are conducting the survey to find out what your child thinks of our school.

The Attitudes to School Survey is an annual student survey offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist schools in gaining an understanding of students' perceptions and experience of school. We will use the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve your child's schooling experience.

The survey results will be reported back to the school later this year. All survey data that is made available in reports are for groups of students only so that no individual student can be identified.

A letter with further information about the 2024 Attitude to School Survey has been sent home with students in Years 4, 5 and 6 within the next week.

2025 Foundation Enrolments

Enrolments are open for Foundation in 2025. We encourage prospective parents to complete an online tour via the school website where you can learn about our wonderful school and meet our staff and students. Prospective families can also attend an in-person tour where we can show you our wonderful school and answer any questions you might have or discuss your child’s individual needs.

This year our school is using an online system for 2025 Foundation enrolments called VicStudents. VicStudents is available for students who are enrolling in a Victorian Government School for the first time. This includes Foundation (Prep) enrolments for 2025.

VicStudents has been assessed by the Department of Education to a high degree of security in line with the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards and is compliant with ISO 27001, the leading international standard for information security.

For more information about enrolling your child into a Victorian government primary school, visit Enrolling in Foundation (Prep).

Please contact our school office on 9726 9989 or via email to Bimbadeen.Heights.PS@education.vic.gov.au should you need any further information or help to complete your child’s enrolment application.

Statement of Commitment to Child Safety and Child Safety Principles

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision-making.

The school’s approach to creating and maintaining a child safe school environment is guided by our school philosophy and values. At Bimbadeen Heights Primary School our vision is to provide each child with the opportunity to develop their full potential, whilst promoting the school values of respect, resilience, integrity, and compassion. We know children can struggle to achieve their personal best if they are not safe from abuse.

At Bimbadeen Heights Primary School our values guide the decisions and behaviours of all members of our school community, including in relation to child safety. Our school values are:

Respect for self, others, property and the environment is shown when people speak and act towards each other with courtesy, consideration, care and appreciation.
Resilience is demonstrated when there is the capacity to recover confidently from difficulties with persistence and optimistic thinking, actions and attitude.
Integrity is shown through an attitude of fairness and honesty that requires a sincere, truthful relationship between members of the school community.
Compassion is shown when all members of the school community embrace diversity through demonstrating a kind, caring and understanding attitude and a willingness to help others.

These core values are supported by the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Framework.

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School has zero tolerance for child abuse.

We are committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Our child safe policies, procedures, strategies, and practices will be inclusive of the needs of all children, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, LGBTIQA students and children who are vulnerable including students who are in out of home care.

Every person involved in Bimbadeen Heights Primary School has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

Thank you for your contributions

On behalf of School Council and the Finance Committee, we would like to extend a big thank you to our parents and carers for their parent payments and voluntary contributions.

Parent contributions are vital to support the continuation and development of our teaching and learning programs and resources for our students.

We hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend.

Kind regards,

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George

Year 4