What a week as we have all frozen through each day, please make sure your children are dressed appropriately for the wet and cold weather - I know what a challenge it is from my two though! As we head into the last few weeks of the term, we reflect on how positively things have progressed at the school and that we are half way through the year already!

THANK YOU TEACHERS

As you may be aware, schools across the state—and indeed the country—continue to face critical teacher shortages, including the availability of Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs). While these challenges are certainly being felt at Blackburn Primary School, we are fortunate that the impact has been mitigated by the exceptional culture and dedication of our staff.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and express my sincere gratitude for the extraordinary efforts of our teaching team. This year has brought with it a unique set of pressures, yet our teachers have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that every student continues to receive a high-quality education.

Despite staffing constraints, our teachers have stepped up—taking on additional responsibilities, adjusting to constant changes, and doing so with professionalism, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our students. Their continued passion for teaching and for our school community is the reason Blackburn Primary remains a nurturing and inspiring place to learn.

As we move through this period, I encourage our community to show their appreciation. Small gestures—a kind word at the gate, a note of thanks, or even just an acknowledgment of their efforts—can have a powerful impact. Our teachers deserve to feel seen and supported.

We are actively exploring longer-term strategies to address these shortages, including investing in additional resources and support for our staff. While there is no quick fix, please be assured that we remain focused on upholding the educational excellence that defines Blackburn Primary.

REPORTS AND PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Our dedicated teaching staff have been working incredibly hard over the past few weeks to write and finalise Semester 1 student reports. These reports will be made available via Compass on Sunday 23rd June.

Following this, Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday 26th June and Monday 30th June. If your child’s teacher is operating on a different schedule, they will communicate those details directly with you.

We strongly encourage all families to take the opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher during this time. These conversations are a valuable chance to discuss your child’s progress, celebrate successes, and work together to support the next steps in their learning journey.

Mathematics Curriculum Changes and reporting Changes at BPS

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) recently published its revised mathematics curriculum (Mathematics curriculum 2.0).

In 2025, teachers at Blackburn Primary have undertaken professional learning, working closely with the Maths Association of Victoria, on this revised curriculum and created learning programs and assessment accordingly. We are using the revised mathematics curriculum for school reporting from Semester 1 2025.

You will notice some changes to your child’s Semester 1 in Mathematics that reflect this curriculum change. These will be:

Students will be marked against Mathematics as a whole subject rather than in 3 separate “strands” as per previous reports
Semester 1 reports will not indicate progress as the standard being reported against has changed since the previous semester. Semester 2 2025 reports will indicate progress from Semester 1 2025.
The single mark given to students in Mathematics will reflect achievement across the subject as a whole but will be more heavily weighted to Number achievement
Mathematics reports will include learning statements that describe the key learning intention of content taught in Semester 1. Your child’s understanding of this learning is indicated using the 5 point scale.

If you have any questions regarding mathematics curriculum or reporting changes at BPS, please don’t hesitate to contact Sue Battista via Compass.

GYM AUDIO VISUAL

We are thrilled to announce the installation of brand-new audio-visual equipment in our school gymnasium!

This state-of-the-art system includes an enhanced sound system and a large screen display—delivering crystal-clear visuals and audio that will significantly elevate the experience of assemblies, school events, performances, and physical education lessons.

This investment supports our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, engaging learning environments for our students. It also opens up exciting opportunities for more dynamic presentations, community events, and school-wide gatherings.

We look forward to making the most of this upgrade and know it will be a fantastic asset to our school for many years to come.

Here's some progress shots, I look forward to sharing completed shots and the screen in usage with the community.

Mid-Year Soiree - Thursday 12th June - 6.00pm

Our next exciting event is the Mid-Year Soiree held on Thursday 12th June. The soiree begins at 6:00pm in the Gym. I encourage all families to support our band program, our Friends of the Band have arranged an amazing raffle and a great auction on the night

Performers will include our:

Training Band
Concert Band
Symphonic Band
Guitar Ensembles
Choir

We're very much looking forward to seeing as many people in the audience as possible!

2026 Enrolments

We are excited to be able to accept enrolments for 2026 students. Applications for Prep enrolments are done via the website - VicStudents.

For new enrolments:

Visit https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/ to create an account and complete the online application form by Friday 25th July 2025.

Please contact us via 9878 1483 or blackburn.ps@education.vic.gov.au. We are here to help and support you in submitting your application for our wonderful school. We look forward to your application and we look forward to you joining our school community.

Junior School Council