Welcome and Thank you

This week we welcomed our new Foundation teacher, Miss Tess Mathews, to the Bimbadeen community. Miss Mathews comes to Bimbadeen from Knox Park PS and is replacing Jacqui Duncan who bid farewell to our community at the end of Term 1. The students of 0TM (formerly 0JD) were so excited to meet their new teacher, and Miss Mathews has settled right in with her new class and our fabulous Foundation teaching team.

We would like to express a huge thank you to Mrs Catherine Buckland for pausing her retirement and taking on the role of classroom teacher in 0TM, prior to Miss Mathew’s arrival. Mrs Buckland has done an incredible job supporting our students to continue their

learning and develop a strong sense of belonging and connection.

We appreciate Mrs Buckland’s ongoing contributions to the Bimbadeen community, even after her retirement, and would like to express a heartfelt thanks for her work throughout this term.

Guitar Lessons are back!

There was excitement in the air when our new guitar teacher, Matt Edwards, started lessons last week. Our instrumental music program is a much-loved aspect of the Bimbadeen community, and we are so excited that lessons are back up and running after the impact of COVID-19 on school operations over the past two years.

Matt is studying a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at Deakin University, and his enthusiasm for music & teaching students is contagious. He is passionate about the positive impact of music on cognitive development, and believes music provides a productive outlet to assist a student’s everyday mental health and helps get kids off their screens! Matt’s ultimate goal is to support the development of students’ intrinsic motivation to play the guitar. Interested students can sign-up for individual or group lessons, with expression of interest forms available at the office. Students of all experience levels welcome!

Thank you Methvens The Professionals, Mooroolbark

On Wednesday 11 May, I met with Regina Atkinson from Methven’s The Professionals in Mooroolbark who has donated $500 to our school from a recent sale in our area. Methven’s The Professionals are a long-time supporter of our school and regularly make donations when they sell properties of people connected to the Bimbadeen community. We appreciate your ongoing support, Regina and Methven’s The Professionals - Mooroolbark, and thank you for your contributions to our school.

A reminder about 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.

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.

The children will be exercised, socialised and much more ready to learn when they get to school, and you will not have to deal with potential traffic infringement notices, or other hazards related to trying to drop your child off at the front gate.

Mid-Year Reports

Reporting to parents/carers about how each child’s learning is progressing underpins 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 the coming weeks that will assist with report writing. Our mid-year reports are made available to parents on the Sentral Parent Portal.

They will look different to our reports in 2020 as we will be returning to the same format as our reports pre-2020. 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 22nd 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 will be held in Term 3, with further information being provided to families at a later date.

Open Night Reminder – Next Wednesday 25 May

We warmly invite our Bimbadeen families and prospective families along to the school for Open Night on Wednesday 25th May. Classrooms will be open from 5:30pm to 7pm, with fun maths activities to complete in classrooms across the school. 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!

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).

Victorian School Nursing Program (Primary) (reprint)

Jody Daff, a Visiting Primary School Nurse from the Department of Education and Training, will be attending the school to conduct Foundation student health screening assessments and to see children in grades 1-6 as requested by teachers and parents and carers (only with parent or carer consent).

The purpose of the visit is to provide all Victorian school entry aged children with the opportunity to have a health screening assessment, to link children, families, and schools to services available in the community, and to provide information and advice about children’s health and wellbeing.

Parents and carers are invited to contact the Visiting Primary School Nurse if there are any issues they wish to discuss; Jody’s contact number is 0412 081 846.

Parents and carers of students in grades 1-6, who request for their child to undertake a health screening assessment by the Visiting Primary School Nurse, must complete a Primary School Nursing Program Student Referral Form which is available at the school office. The completed Primary School Nursing Program Student Referral Form must be returned to the school office for collection by the Visiting School Nurse.

School Review Wrap-up

Our 2022 School Review has reached its conclusion and was an overwhelming positive experience. It was a thorough process that was led by John Haines in collaboration with our School Review Team and Challenge Partners. We are pleased to share with you a summation of the School Review including highlights and opportunities, as well as the new goals which are part of our next School Strategic Plan for the period 2022-2025.

Highlights

The following highlights were drawn from reviewing key documentation, analysing school data (both academic and wellbeing), observations in the classroom, student and staff focus group discussions that took place as part of the school review process:

Classroom Highlights:

Calm classroom environments.
Well organised learning environments.
Positive and safe learning environments.
Workshop Model visible in action.
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria on display.
Anchor charts consistently displayed for student reference to support learning.
Consistent language around learning and values shared with students.
Engaged students.
Clear connection between peers.
Sense of belonging amongst students.

Student Focus Group Highlights:

Fun to be at school.
Treated equally and fairly.
We can learn our own way.
Enjoy using Essential Assessment.
Enjoy engaging in hands on tasks.
Like when there is choice during work time.
Can ask teacher when they need help.
Like knowing their own progress and next steps.
Short and targeted mini lessons.

Overall Highlights:

Planning teams are positive and supportive for one another.
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) has been an effective framework for promoting positive behaviour. This was also noted by parents.
The Differentiated Support for School Improvement (DSSI) work has been impactful in regard to lifting student Reading outcomes.
School Website is impressive with lots of information.
Staff & Parents remarked on the effectiveness of Sentral as a key communication tool.
Tutor Learning Initiative and Equity Intervention programs are responsive to student learning needs.
Acknowledged inclusion and supportive work done in collaboration with families regarding students with a disability.
Inclusive approach to Indigenous education, connecting with Indigenous families and being respectful of perspectives.
Teacher approachability and responsiveness extremely positive.
Clear shift to a student-centered approach to our work.

Opportunities Moving Forward

The opportunities below were derived from the collation of data outcomes which were both academic and wellbeing focused, staff and student focus group and classroom observations that took place as part of the school review process:

Student Goal Setting.
Reflection time to conclude lessons.
Promoting student voice and agency.
Enhancing targeted feedback through: Teacher to Students, Student to Teacher, Student to Student.
Differentiation and Moderation to enhance Teaching and Learning practices.
Enhance shared behaviour practices as per Behaviour Management Plan in all classes, including Specialist classes and in the yard.
Developing deeper collaborative working relationships between classroom teachers and Education Support Staff/Integration Staff.

2022-2025 School Strategic Plan (SSP) Goals – Four Year Goals

The SSP is a document that outlines our direction for the next four years. The goals are developed as the last stage of the School Review once all data has been collated. The goals are broken down into core elements of the new Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0). Our new strategic plan covers fours of these elements: Teaching and Learning, Assessment, Engagement, and Support and Resources. The Key Improvement Strategies (KIS) assist with breaking down the goals, and inform our Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) for each year of the life of the SSP. A new 2022 AIP is in development that reflects the 2022-2025 SSP. An overview of our school’s new SSP is below:

Core Elements: Teaching and Learning & Assessment

Goal: Maximise the learning growth of every student and build the capability of students as learners.

Key improvement Strategies:

Embed a whole-school approach to assessment of learning
Build teacher capability to evaluate and plan for differentiated, adaptive, student-centred learning
1. PLC Inquiry model
2. Differentiation
3. Adaptive adjustments within teaching process – feedback to students in moment of teaching.
Embed agreed processes for feedback, coaching and observations that challenge staff to regularly reflect and improve on their practice
1. PLC Inquiry model
2. Protocols
3. PL for staff
4. Whole school approach.

Core Element: Engagement

Goal: Empower students to be active agents in their learning.

Key Improvement Strategies:

1. Focused professional learning for teachers on building the capability of students to be active participants in their learning journey, through self-assessment and reflection.

2. Build student agency in their learning by utilising goal setting and feedback

Core Element: Support and Resources

Goal: Strengthen the engagement and wellbeing of all students.

Key Improvement Strategy:

Embed a whole school approach to health, wellbeing and inclusion that supports and responds to student need.

School Council Update

The May meeting of School Council was held on Wednesday 18 May. School Councils play an important role in Victorian government schools. The Bimbadeen Heights PS School Council is committed to sharing our work with the Bimbadeen community. To strengthen communication between council and our parents/carers, each newsletter, we share information about School Council, including general information about the functions and operations of council and the specific work of our own council at Bimbadeen.

Last year we shared information about the key functions of School Councils. These functions are prescribed in the Education and Training Reform Act and the Education and Training Reform Regulations and provide a clear picture about what school council does.

The key functions of school council are:

to establish the broad direction and vision of the school within the school's community
to arrange for the supply of:
- goods
- services
- facilities
- materials
- equipment
- other things or matters required for the conduct of the school, including the provision of preschool programs
to raise funds for school related purposes
to regulate and facilitate the after-hours use of the school premises and grounds
to exercise a general oversight of the school buildings and grounds and ensure they are kept in good order and condition
to provide for the cleaning and sanitary services that are necessary for the school
to ensure that all money coming into the hands of the council is expended for proper purposes relating to the school
to provide meals and refreshments for the staff and students of the school and make charges for those meals or refreshments
to inform itself and take into account any views of the school community for the purpose of making decisions in regard to the school and the students at the school
to generally stimulate interest in the school in the wider community
to prepare the School Strategic Plan and the Annual Implementation Plan — to be signed by the president and the principal
to report annually (the Annual Report) to the school community and to the Department on:
- the school’s financial activities
- the School Strategic Plan, and
- any other matters that are determined by the Minister
to manage the hire, licence and shared use of school facilities
to determine the dates for the school’s student-free days:
- in accordance with the number of student-free days each calendar year specified by the Secretary of the Department
to perform any other function or duty, or to exercise any power conferred or imposed on the council by or under:
- the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, or
- any regulations made under that Act
- a Ministerial Order made, or direction issued, by the Minister under the Education and Training Reform Act.

If you have any matters associated with the functions of school council that you would like discussed at our next meeting, please reach out to a member of School Council. Our membership includes:

Executive Officer: Adele Gregson (Principal) Adele.Gregson@education.vic.gov.au
President: Troy Hovey (Until March 2023)
Vice President: Kate Hession (Until March 2024)
Treasurer: Andrew Lanigan (Until March 2024)
Minutes Secretary: Bree King (Until March 2024) Bree.King@education.vic.gov.au
General committee members:
Parent Members:
- Matthew Genever (Until March 2023)
- Matthew Richardson (Until March 2023)
- Kate Rogers (Until March 2024)
- Morgan Gardiner (Until March 2024)
- Simon Sang Hre (Until March 2024)
School Employee Members:
- Beth Dean (Until March 2024) Elizabeth.Dean@education.vic.gov.au
- Sabrina George (Until March 2024) Sabrina.George@education.vic.gov.au
- Melinda Ruscitti (Until March 2023) Melinda.Ruscitti@education.vic.gov.au

We look forward to continuing our school improvement work with School Council with a focus on improving student learning outcomes.

Strategies to Embed a Child Safe Culture

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School’s culture encourages staff, students, parents and the school community to raise, discuss and scrutinise child safety concerns. This makes it more difficult for abuse to occur and remain hidden.

All child safety documents, including the Child Safety policy, the Child Safety Code of Conduct, the school’s Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) Policy and Procedures, Identifying and Responding to All Forms of Abuse in Victorian Schools and the Four Critical Actions for Schools are readily available online on our school website and in hard copy at the school office for all staff and students to read at any time.

Child safety is everyone’s responsibility. All school staff are required to:

Act in accordance with the school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct, which clearly sets out the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
Act in accordance with the Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) Policy and Procedures at all times, including following the Four Critical Actions for Schools where necessary
Undertake annual guidance and training on child safety
Act in accordance with their legal obligations, including:
- Failure to disclose offence (applies to all adults)
- Duty of care (applies to all school staff)
- Mandatory reporting obligations (applies to all mandatory reporters, including teachers, principals, registered psychologists, and registered doctors and nurses)
- Failure to protect offence (applies to a person in a position of authority within the school)
- Reportable conduct obligations (applies to all school staff in reporting conduct to the principal, and applies to the principal in reporting to Employee Conduct Branch)
- Organisational duty of care (applies to the school as an organisation)
- For more information on these obligations, see Identifying and Responding to All Forms of Abuse in Victorian Schools.

As part of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School’s child safe culture, school leadership (including the principal and assistant principal) will:

Consider the diversity of all children, including (but not limited to) the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, and children who are vulnerable, when implementing the Child Safe Standards
Ensure that child safety is a regular agenda item at school leadership meetings and staff meetings
Encourage and enable staff professional learning and training to build deeper understandings of child safety and prevention of abuse
Ensure that no one is prohibited or discouraged from reporting an allegation of child abuse to a person external to the school or from making records of any allegation.

As part of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School’s child safe culture, school mandatory reporting staff are required to:

Complete the Protecting Children – Mandatory reporting and other obligations online module every year
Read the school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct on induction, and maintain familiarity with that document
Read the school’s Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) Policy and Procedures on induction, and maintain familiarity with that document
Read the school’s Child Safety Policy (this document) on induction and maintain familiarity with that document.

As part of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School’s child safe culture, in performing the functions and powers given to them under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, school councils and school council members will:

Ensure that child safety is a regular agenda item at school council meetings
Consider the diversity of all children, including (but not limited to) the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, and children who are vulnerable, when making decisions regarding the Child Safe Standards
Undertake annual guidance and training on child safety, such as the Child Safe Standards School Council Training PowerPoint
Approve the Child Safety Code of Conduct to the extent that it applies to school council employees and members, and if updated, note the new document in its school council meeting minutes
When hiring employees, ensure that selection, supervision and management practices are child safe (unless delegated to the principal).

School leadership will maintain records of the above processes.

School leadership will appoint a school child safety officer to ensure the development of a child safety culture and the implementation of the school’s child safe strategies.

The school will include discussions about child safety in class and assemblies as well as providing information on child safety to families.

We hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend.

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George

Digital Technologies

Year 2