Principal's Report 

It has been a great term thus far, with the highlight being the incursions, excursions, and extra-curricular activities our students have participated in. Families coming together within our community, having fun, and learning together are incredibly important to our community and supports student engagement, wellbeing, and learning. Our focus continues to be on supporting the wellbeing and learning of all community members and we continue to bring back and introduce new activities and events that help reconnect our families and community. 

Open Night

Our Open Night was held on Wednesday 24 May. Classrooms were open from 5:15pm to 6:30pm, with a trail of hands-on activities to complete as part of a problem-solving trail across the school. The school looked fantastic with student work on display, and there was an incredible buzz in the air as our families and friends enjoyed exploring our classrooms and learning environments and celebrating our community. 

The Art show was a hit (as always!), with all students represented by two or more artworks featured in the show. Thank you to all community members for attending the evening and a massive thank you to our wonderful staff for preparing and hosting the Open Night and sharing the wonderful learning and activities happening at Bimbadeen.

Thank you to TheirCare for their donation of a family pass to an AFL match as the prize for the winner of the trail. 

The winning entry was the Jones Family! Congratulations! We hope you enjoy your AFL adventure. 

National Simultaneous Storytime

We have continued to celebrate our love of reading and books, by participating in the National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS). NSS is held annually by the Australian Library & Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by Australians, is selected by ALIA, and is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, and homes all over the country and the world! This year’s chosen book, The Speedy Sloth, written by Rebecca Young, and illustrated by Heath McKenzie, is being shared in our library classes this and next week.

It was finally time for the event of the year, Spike couldn’t believe it—THE GREAT RACE was here! The other sloths said it couldn’t be done, but Spike didn’t care, she was ready to run!

Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week - National Acknowledgment of Country

On Friday 26 May, the Bimbadeen community acknowledged Sorry Day and on Monday 29 May was pleased to be a part of the launch of National Reconciliation Week by taking part in the National Acknowledgment of Country.

Acknowledging Country shows you accept and understand that no matter where you are across this nation, you are on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands, and you acknowledge ongoing connection to Country.

At 9am, we made the following Acknowledgement of Country on behalf of our school community:

This National Reconciliation Week, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we stand and come together to learn each day. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to other First Nations peoples present here today and who are a part of our community.

As a school, we plan and implement activities that help build on the respectful relationships we have with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait families and the broader community. Our students participate in a range of activities and experiences that help build a respectful understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and contributions among the next generation of Australians                                                                                              that is critical to achieving reconciliation.

In the afternoon on Friday, our students participated in further activities during their STARS sessions to acknowledge National Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day. Sorry Day acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as the Stolen Generations. Students reflected on the impact this would have had on our First Nations people, and created a shared display featuring Reconciliation hands, arranged around a yellow circle with the word ‘sorry’ in the centre, that you will see on display around the school. 

Mid-Year Student Report Cards

Reporting to parents/carers about how each child’s learning is progressing enhances 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 Thursday 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 Weeks 2 and 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, telephone, or in person.

Victorian School Nursing Program (Primary)

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 Primary School Nurse.

Prep (Foundation) bags 2023 survey

Have your say about this year’s Prep (Foundation) bags in a short survey, closing Sunday 9 July.

Each year, the Department of Education gives every Prep (Foundation) student attending a Victorian government school a bag full of goodies to celebrate this milestone in their education journey. The information and educational resources in the bags are designed to help Prep (Foundation) students and their families thrive from the start of Term 1.

The department is inviting parents and carers of current Prep (Foundation) students to participate in a short survey about the 2023 Prep bags, by 5 pm on Sunday 9 July 2023.

Your feedback will help the department learn what families liked about the Prep (Foundation) bags and what can be improved in 2024. You can have your say at 2023 Prep Bags – Evaluation Survey.

The survey takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and responses are anonymous. For more information on this year’s Prep (Foundation) bags, refer to Prep bags.

Stay well this winter!

Symptoms of influenza (flu) can hit very quickly and may last several weeks. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting the flu.

 Annual influenza vaccination is recommended from mid-April each year and is free under the National Immunisation Program for those at higher risk of complications from the flu.

Keeping our school community well

Parents, carers, and students are encouraged to practice prevention measures, including:

• washing and sanitising hands regularly
• avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing · staying home if unwell and consulting a general practitioner (GP) or Nurse-on-call as required
• staying up to date with flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Flu vaccinations

Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over.

Some people are more at risk of complications from flu and are eligible for free vaccination as part of the National Immunisation Program.

COVID-19 booster

The 2023 COVID-19 booster dose is available for everyone aged 18 and above.

Getting your booster dose remains the best way to prevent severe illness or hospitalisation, especially in people aged over 65 and those at higher risk of severe illness.

You can have your booster dose 6 months after your last dose or COVID infection.

Children aged between 5 and 17 years who are at risk of severe illness can also receive a 2023 booster dose. You can get your next dose at your local pharmacy or GP. To find one near you, refer to the vaccine clinic finder.

Find out more

For more information about preventing flu, and immunisation, refer to: · Better Health Channel influenza flu immunisation fact sheet · Getting vaccinated against influenza.

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend.

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George