Principal Report

Transition and class selection

Our school has started to plan for transition to classes for 2025. Our 2025 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 10th. 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 
• 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 10th our students will spend time working in their new classes. Our staff 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 2025. 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 2025, they 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. 

Talent Show 

What a great idea from our Arts Pillar to run a Talent Show. Information will be heading out to families about the finalists shortly. We look forward to seeing our finalists on Friday December 6th. 

2025 dates 

We are currently planning events and setting dates for 2025, included in the Diary Dates for this newsletter are three of the four Pupil Free Days for 2025. More dates relating to whole school events and community engagement events will be shared in the next newsletter. 

Planning Week 

Our staff diligently plan comprehensive programs for all students. This week our Curriculum Leaders and Learning Specialists have spent a day preparing for planning week. Their work is to lead each team in preparation for the learning program's being developed for 2025. 

Next week is planning week and all staff will be involved in their new teams. This is a time to review the curriculum (in 2025 we will have new versions of the Victorian English and Maths curriculum), set out the term planners, put together the inquiry unit, start to plan excursions and events. 

A reminder our learning program details are provided on our school website and are updated throughout the year. 

Curriculum Planners 

Swimming

This week our students have been involved in the intensive swimming program. Thank you to Shannon and Litsa for all of their organisation for this program. Putting together the timetable for swimming and running the normal school timetable is a huge task. We hope your children have gained skills from the program, there has been enthusiasm as they have hopped onto the bus. 

Thank you to our staff for ensuring the program was a success and continuing with their learning program as well as getting on and off buses each day. 

Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to volunteer and assist with the swimming program. We could not run the program without volunteer support. 

We have held our program at Aquarena in Templestowe Lower this year, the venue is a lot closer to school which has been a bonus. We will evaluate the swimming program once it is finished. 

Reconciliation Action Plan 

A reminder about the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan. 

A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal commitment to reconciliation. It documents how our school will strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school/service and with the community. 

Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the benefit of all Australians. 

Please contact me via the office if you would like to be involved in the group putting this document together for our school. 

Lunches

A number of students have been coming to school with no lunch. We had previously called parents to bring lunch but have recently tried a new system. We are able to make a sandwich for children who have forgotten their lunch. Unfortunately, so many students have forgotten their lunch in the last month we are out of supplies. 

If your child notices at recess time they do not have their lunch, please ask them to speak to their class teacher straight away. 

2025 plans - is your child leaving Boroondara Park PS? 

For many reasons students arrive or leave Boroondara Park PS at the end of each school year. This term we have had seven new students join our community. Families often experience change for one reason or another. 

If you know your child is moving to another school, or you are moving suburbs, cities or countries please fill in this form to let us know. 

When students start to put together the people they work well with for class creation it assists if we know a child is leaving. 

We are offering the opportunity for exit interviews before you leave, please tick this box if you would like to participate in a conversation before you leave. 

Leaving Boroondara Park PS in 2025 

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.