Principal's Report 

As we near the end of Term 2, we wanted to extend a deep and heartfelt thanks to every member of our school community for showing immense flexibility, resilience, and kindness, particularly over the past few weeks. Like many other schools we have started experiencing disruptions due to high numbers of staff and student illness and flow on staff shortages. While we have used all available resources to limit the disruptions, there have been times that we have needed to split classes, rearrange timetables or temporarily pause our TLI sessions. Despite these disruptions, our core work towards student wellbeing and learning growth has continued, with our staff working just as efficiently as ever.

Thank you also for your contributions to our school throughout the term. From attending our Foundation BBQ and Open Night, to participating in excursions and assisting in our classroom programs, it has been an absolute joy to welcome our community members back inside our classrooms. We look forward to continuing to build the opportunities for our community to come together.

Classroom Helpers Program Training

For our parents and carers who have not completed our Classroom Helpers Program Training, our second and final training session for the year will be held on Wednesday 22 June from 7pm-9pm in our BER (Year 5 & 6 Building).

The Classroom Helpers Program provides an opportunity for parents or grandparents to share in the educational development of students with the support and direction of teachers.

The efforts of classroom helpers are a highly valued resource for students, as opportunities for learning are nurtured by the participation of understanding adults. The program consists of an interactive session and is linked to the classroom literacy/numeracy program.

The course will:

• develop an increased understanding of the development of literacy/numeracy skills
• demonstrate various learning situations to helpers so they can act as role models for students in the classroom
• train helpers in how to give support for small groups of students
• emphasise the importance of confidentiality as a classroom helper.

All volunteers and classroom helpers must have completed the Classroom Helpers Program, have a current Working with Children Check, sign the Child Safe Code of Conduct, and have had 3 COVID-19 Vaccinations.

If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact the office to register.

Principal’s Award Winner

It is always a highlight when we present a Principal’s Award to one of our Bimbadeen students. At our assembly last week, we recognised the compassion, kindness and friendship shown by Taj in 34F. On a recent excursion to the city, Taj noticed that one of his peers was having a difficult time, and without prompting from his teachers, he offered up his seat to ensure his peer had the support they needed. He put aside his own needs and wants to make sure that someone else was supported and cared for at a challenging time. Taj’s actions not only demonstrated our school value of compassion but as a representative of our school in the wider community, he showed the public how kind Bimbadeen students can be. 

Congratulations Taj, we are so very proud of you!

100 Values Tokens Award Recipients

It has been fantastic to hear about our students who are nearing or have already reached the 100 values tokens milestone this year (and we are not even halfway through the year!). An important element of our SWPBS token system is the awarding of certificates and ribbons when students reach specific milestones.

Classroom teachers and students track the awarding of values tokens to positive reinforce our students’ choices across the school. When our students reach the milestones of 25, 50 or 75 tokens, they receive a certificate that is presented in their classrooms by their teacher. When our students receive 100 values tokens, we recognise their achievement at our next assembly and present them with a 100 values tokens award ribbon.

At our assembly last week, we presented 100 values tokens award ribbons to the following students:

• Senna N 0TJ
• Lucy DC 0TJ

Congratulations to these students for demonstrating our school values and for being positive role models for our students. Thank you also to our wonderful staff for their continued commitment to the free and frequent distribution of values tokens to positively reinforce our student’s choices across the school. 

We look forward to presenting more 100 Values Tokens ribbons throughout the second semester.

Active Club ‘Club 25’ Award Recipients

Interest and participation in our Active Club has been high throughout this term, with many Bimbadeen students from Foundation to Year 6, regularly attending our morning sessions. At our assembly last week, we presented our first Club 25 certificates to Bimbadeen students who have attended 25 Active Club sessions this year. 

A big congratulations to Carter R, Isaac T, Maisie T, Luke F, Mia F, Amelia M and Jack M for reaching this milestone. 

We look forward to seeing more Bimbadeen students attending our Active Club, held before school from 8:20am on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, next term. 

Uniform Expectations and Support

Throughout this term we have seen a decline in the standard of uniform across the school, with more and more students wearing items of clothing that are not part of the official school uniform. We seek the support of families to ensure their children attend school each day, wearing full school uniform. 

We understand that families across our community may require support with uniform items through either the second-hand uniform supplies and/or State Schools Relief. We will be holding a second-hand uniform sale on Friday 24 June at 9:30am-11am in Room 15, the room furthest away from the Administration building, behind the Out of School Hours Care building (please note this is the final day of term and a Pupil Free Day). 

Bimbadeen families who are experiencing financial difficulties may be eligible for support with uniform through State Schools Relief. Please contact Sabrina George for a confidential discussion if your family is currently experiencing financial difficulties and would like support with school uniform. 

Out of School Hours Care - change of provider (reprint)

From the beginning of Term 3 2022 our Out of School Hours Care and School Holiday Programs will be delivered by a new provider. The new provider is 'TheirCare'. Over the last term school leadership and School Council have been meeting with a range of providers and receiving expressions of interest from them. Their Care was chosen as we were most impressed with their service, their commitment to delivering outstanding care for our students and the training and support they provide for their staff. We would like to thank OSHClub and their staff for their service over several years.

Below is a summary of key information from TheirCare about their program and how parents and carers can access their service:

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School has partnered with TheirCare to provide this service to your school commencing in Term 3, 2022, which includes quality care, booking flexibility, amazing programming for your children and commitment to deliver on our promise to your school community. 

TheirCare provides adventurous and stimulating Before & After School Care Programs in a safe environment for all children. During sessions children develop life skills, friendships, confidence, and creativity through play.

To enrol your child, visit TheirCare website: www.theircare.com.au and click on ‘Book Now’ in the top right-hand corner to register your child’s details.

Further information about the TheirCare program at Bimbadeen has been sent home with the eldest child in each family this week.

Refugee Week

Refugee Week is a national celebration of the contributions of refugees to Australia. Now in its 36th year, the week also raises awareness about important issues currently affecting refugees. 

Refugee Week 2022 will run from Sunday 19 June to Saturday 25 June. While this week falls in the school holidays, students and staff will be engaging in activities and discussions next week to celebrate the contributions of refugees to Australia and raise awareness about important issues currently affecting refugees.

The theme for Refugee Week 2022 is Healing. Australia and the rest of the world have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hit the reset button on how we behave towards one another. The importance of human connections has been underscored by the pandemic and such lessons can help us in so many ways. Mainstream and refugee communities alike can draw upon shared hardship to heal wounds, to learn from each other and to move forward. Healing can occur through storytelling, through community and through realisation of our intrinsic interconnectedness as individuals. 

The Refugee Week theme helps raise awareness of the issues affecting refugees. The theme aims to highlight aspects of the refugee experience and help the broader community to understand what it is like to be a refugee.

• It helps to make Refugee Week a national celebration. The theme provides a focal point for events across Australia, uniting separate activities into a single nationwide celebration.
• It promotes harmony and togetherness. The theme unites individuals, communities, and organisations from many different backgrounds behind a common cause. The common theme is a reminder that, regardless of our differences, we all share a common humanity.
• It broadens the impact of Refugee Week. The theme provides a common, cohesive message which can be promoted across the country, helping to maximise the effectiveness of awareness-raising activities.

In 2022, the Refugee Council of Australia encourages organisations and individuals to explore the resources and stories on their website https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/ that will facilitate this healing and subsequent rejuvenation. Let us make 2022 much more than just a footnote in the pandemic years, let us heal together and emerge a more fulfilled and connected society. 

(Information reprinted from https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/)

Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge

The 2022 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open, and our students and staff are excited to be participating. The Challenge encourages children and students to read a set number of books over the year and record their efforts online. Since the Challenge first began in 2005, more than 3.5 million students have read over 54 million books.

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 2 September 2022.

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

COVID-19 Pop-Up and Free Flu Vaccination Clinic

Thank you to our community members who attended the pop-up vaccination clinic for children and adults on Tuesday 7 June. A question-and-answer session was held for community members at 1pm who had questions about COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations for children, with the pop-up vaccination clinic beginning at 3:30pm. 

For community members who missed out, the final COVID-19 pop-up vaccination clinic in our network is being held at Birmingham Primary School. 

Please see the attached flyer for further information.

Mid-Year Reports

Reporting to parents/carers about how each child’s learning is progressing supports the work of teachers and parents/carers in supporting our students to achieve their full potential. Our teachers are busily collating information about their students’ learning and are preparing to implement formal assessments in coming weeks that will assist with report writing. Our mid-year reports are made available to parents on the Sentral Parent Portal. Mid-year reports will be available in PDF form for parents/carers to read online or print out a hard copy for themselves. 

Reports will be available for parents/carers on Sentral on Wednesday 22 June at 4pm. For parents/carers to access these reports they will need to be registered for and be able to access the Sentral Parent Portal. If you have not yet registered or are having difficulties accessing the portal, please contact our Sentral co-ordinator Melinda Ruscitti on Melinda.Ruscitti@education.vic.gov.au or contact Shelley and Emma in the office for support.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held in Week 3 of Term 3, with information being sent to families at the beginning of next term. Interviews will be booked online via Sentral and will be held either via Webex or in person.

School Council Report

Continuing our commitment to sharing the work of our School Council with the community, in this week’s newsletter we would like to share the work and activities of the school’s Buildings and Grounds Sub-committee over the past 12 months. 

Buildings and Grounds Committee

Purpose: The Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and usage of school buildings and grounds which includes, but is not limited to, development and maintenance. 

When we meet: The Buildings and Grounds Sub-committee meets four times per year (or more frequently where required) and report back to council at the next School Council meeting on each occasion. 

What we do: 

• Support the buildings, grounds and facilities maintenance of the school. 
• Recommend to School Council prioritized projects (e.g. following review of the Master Plan or conduct of a safety audit) or changes required to the facilities and grounds, and any funding that will be needed for these improvements. 
• Make recommendations on policy of use of school Buildings and Grounds and communicate these to the School Council and where relevant, the Finance Sub-Committee. 
• Encourage   the  participation   of   the  school   community   in  maintenance and improvement of school buildings and grounds through appropriate working bees. 
• Where relevant, ensure parents/carers are aware of developments and initiatives related to the sub-committee’s role, via the newsletter and school website. 

How you can help:

Join our team! We would love to hear your opinion or suggestions on how we can maintain or update our school.

Do you have a particular skill? Perhaps joining a committee is not your thing, however you would like to contribute another way, for example, offering your time to fix, update or contribute to a planned project. Please contact any of our team members below or the school office.

Look at some of the fantastic projects that were completed in 2021

Installation of new flagpoles at front of school                     

Widening of the front entry to the school

Privacy curtain at in First Aid room                                    

Blinds in Portable Classrooms for security

2022 Proposed Projects

• Renovate the Out of School Care room including installing new flooring (carpet and hard flooring), painting, installation of a new kitchen, and window coverings.
• Installation of a new Basketball pole and 3 new backboards.
• Installation of a new Shade Sail in front of BER (Year 5 & 6 building) to provide a further outdoor learning area and yard space for our Year 5 and 6 students.

Contact Us

If you would like to join the Building and Grounds Team or contribute in any way you can contact:

• Troy Hovey (School Council President): troy.hovey@programmed.com.au
• Sabrina George (Sub Committee Convenor and Assistant Principal): sabrina.george@education.vic.gov.au
• School Office: Bimbadeen.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au or Phone: 9726 9989.

2023 Foundation Enrolments (reprint)

Enrolments are open for Foundation in 2023. 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. 

Parents/carers of 2023 Foundation students are encouraged to submit their enrolment form as soon as possible but no later than the state-wide Foundation enrolment due date of 12 August 2022. We will be notifying parents/carers of their child’s Foundation placement at Bimbadeen Heights PS by 26 August 2022.

Completed enrolment forms can be returned to the school:

• directly, by dropping enrolment forms and additional documentation into the school office
• via post to Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, 118 Hayrick Lane, Mooroolbark 3138
• via email to bimbadeen.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au (please scan and send all sides of the enrolment form, including additional documentation).

Adele will be on leave for the first part of Term 3, and Sabrina will be Acting Principal until July 19. 

We hope you all enjoy a safe and happy school holiday period, and we look forward to seeing you all back for the first day of Term 3 on Monday 11 July.

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George