Well, this is certainly not the place I expected us to be when I thought about writing the newsletter this week! Many families found the recent lockdown the hardest yet and then to have the lockdown extended we have had to find that extra something to stay positive. So please remember once again to keep wellbeing and family harmony as your priority during this time. These past few weeks it have been a wonderful distraction at school and home with the Tokyo Olympics. Not only have our athletes done our country proud with their collection of wins and medals, but they have also been perfect role models for our students and young people everywhere. Some of the acts of bravery, resilience, integrity and respect we have witnessed on our screens has been an inspiration!

In particular, I think about the cyclist Alex Porter, whose handlebars broke, Patrick Tiernan, the long-distance runner who collapsed and got up to complete the race in personal best time, the 800m runner Peter Bol, who inspired us all with his story from refugee to national hero! Of course, there are many more stories, and everyone will have different ones they connect with, but I hope everyone has found some joy in watching such a uniting event.

As we head into the Para Olympics we have our very own parent, Andrew Harrison competing in the Australian Rugby team. We really have a hero in our own community to celebrate, support and follow. We will be with Andrew all the way wishing him all the very best and I know it will be a very positive and life changing experience.

Talented Musicians

We have had 6 of our woodwind students complete AMEB exams in the past term, under the direction of Emma Rogers, our woodwind teacher. Results were as follows:

Ruby 6T (Flute) - B grade

Hamish 6C (Sax) - A grade

Ava 5W (Flute) - B grade

Meisha 5G (Flute) - B+ grade

Sarah 3L (Clarinet) - B+ grade

Lilly 6T (Sax) - A grade

Most of these students are continuing lessons online throughout remote learning and all are members of the school band. Congratulations to all of them on the hard work they continue to put in to learning and mastering their particular instruments. We are so lucky to have such talented and passionate musicians!!

Tokyo Olympic Challenge

The Tokyo Olympic Games have certainly provided somewhat of a reprieve for our communities as we celebrated the achievements of athletes from around the world. Congratulations to all BHPS students who participated in our mini-Olympic challenge against our Knox schools. GUESS WHAT???

We won!!! Well done to each one of you, I know from the feedback that everyone enjoyed and had fun competing and it was a very much needed distraction to our online learning… Thank you to Ms Tayla Russell for her organisation and passion and her encouragement to challenge yourself.

Oval and Gardens OPEN!!

As a school we are indeed so fortunate that our school facilities are more than amazing and will certainly provide many years of fabulous outdoor learning spaces. I look forward to our students using these grounds on their return to school, to the official opening of these facilities, the further focus of the importance of physical exercise and health development and the further development of our students’ skills and development.

Harvest to Table Program

We are very much looking forward to introducing the Year 3 students to this program on the return to school. We will work with the students in preparing the soil for planting and I know they will enjoy setting up the area for hopefully a fruitful abundance of food and the learning that goes along with this program.

A HUGE thank you to James Burrows for the donation of the garden shed, it will be perfect for our garden equipment.

Year 5/6 Outdoor Area

We are waiting on some topsoil for the garden beds in this area and then planting can happen. This work has transformed this area and the students are loving being there and the space it provides for small and large group collaboration, down ball, and the use of the star sunshade in the warmer months will allow us to utilize this as a special learning space.

Prep Enrolments 2022

Our prep enrolments for 2022 are full. If you are in our zones and have a child ready for school, please contact the school urgently. Our confirmation letters to all our new families for Prep 2022 have been sent out and we look forward to welcoming those families into Boronia Heights. Our transition program will begin next term, more information will be sent home shortly when we have a clearer understanding of the restrictions.

Have a great weekend

Leanne Jennings

Principal

Dates to Remember