Principal's Report 

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Gold Award!

We were very proud to receive notification earlier this term that we received a School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) Gold Award, for our work to embed the Tier 1 SWPBS strategies across our school. On Wednesday this week, Marty Gill, Inclusion Leader, and Cath Buckland, former Leading Teacher of Wellbeing, joined Sabrina George and Adele Gregson, to accept this award on behalf of the Bimbadeen community. 

Both Mrs Buckland and Mr Gill have been instrumental in leading the implementation and development of the SWPBS framework at Bimbadeen so it was fitting for them to be acknowledged for their contributions and leadership of our Wellbeing and SWPBS teams at this ceremony. A copy of the Gold Award will be displayed in each learning space across our school to recognise the work and efforts of our students and staff. 

Congratulations to all members of our Bimbadeen community for embracing SWPBS and working so hard to embed the framework across our community. We look forward to a whole school GOLD themed celebration later this term!

Celebrating our Bimbadeen Mothers and Special Friends

Happy Mother’s Day to the wonderful mothers and special friends in our Bimbadeen community for last Sunday. On behalf of the students and staff at BHPS, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks for everything you do to support your children to be the best they can be, to strive to reach their goals and to fulfil their potential. Thank you for your contributions to our school and to the wider community and thank you for being you! 

It was wonderful to welcome so many mothers and special friends to our Foundation and Year 1 special afternoon activities, and for our students to share what they love most about the Mums and special people in their lives.

While Mother’s Day is traditionally a day of celebration, it can also be a challenging time for some of our community members. We want you to know that you have been especially in our thoughts, and we are sending you a giant hug as we acknowledge the mothers who are no longer with us and those with whom we were unable to celebrate. 

We hope you all enjoyed a lovely day on Sunday including some special time with the important people in your lives.

A huge thank you to Sarah Huxley and all the parent/carer helpers who helped make our Mother’s Day stall such a success. Not only is this a great event for our students to carefully choose a gift for Mum or another special person, but it is also a great learning opportunity for a ‘real’ shopping experience for children, handing over real money and getting something in return. 

The teachers and the volunteer parent helpers on the stall assist the children with change and help them work out the sort of gifts they can afford with the money they have. It is always a great joy to see the focussed looks on the children’s faces as they choose what to buy. 

Many of our parent/carer helpers expressed how impressed they were with the excellent manners of our students and how patient and considerate they were while waiting for their turn. Well done Bimbadeen kids!

Open Night is coming soon!

We warmly invite our Bimbadeen families and prospective families along to the school for Open Night on Wednesday 24th May to join us in celebrating physical activity, hands on learning and student voice in education. Classrooms will be open from 5:15pm to 6:30pm, with a fun family activity trail in our classrooms and specialist areas across the school, as well as our Annual Art Show. 

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!

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, particularly on the grassed nature strip area at the rear of the school. 

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. Your 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.

Before and After School Yard Supervision

Student safety at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School is our highest priority and the safe and appropriate supervision of students is an important element of our duty of care to students. Part of this duty is ensuring parents and students are aware of our student supervision arrangements before and after school. 

Before school: School grounds are supervised at 8:45am until 9am each day, with three members of staff on duty, covering the school grounds and main exits and entry points to the grounds. 

After school: School grounds are supervised from 3:30pm to 3:45pm each day, with three members of staff on duty, covering the school grounds and main exits and entry points to the grounds. 

Students on school grounds outside these times will not be supervised (unless they are attending a before or after school care program or supervised extracurricular activity such as Active Club or Breakfast Club). 

Parents/carers are requested to ensure that students do not attend school outside of these supervised times unless they are attending before or after school care, or a pre-arranged supervised activity. 

Families are encouraged to contact TheirCare via the information on our website for more information about the before and after school care facilities available to our school community or contact the office if you would like any further information about our student supervision arrangements.

For a copy of our school’s Yard Duty and Supervision Policy please see the School Policies page on our website at https://www.bimbadeenheightsps.vic.edu.au/policies-documents/ This policy includes Example School’s student supervision arrangements across the school day, including before and after school.

It's Cool to Be at School! Attendance Matters

The Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), requires all children and young people aged from 6 to 17 years to attend school, unless an exemption has been granted. Parents/carers must ensure the child attends school when the school is open for instruction. Students are expected to attend the school in which they are enrolled, during normal school hours every day of each term. 

A student who is absent one day per week, is absent from school for an average of 40 days per year. If this pattern continues, they will miss 280 days of school between Foundation and Year 6, equalling over an entire year of schooling missed! 

To help our students have the best opportunity to reach their potential and prepare them for future learning in their secondary years, please ensure your child attends school every day, unless unwell. 

2024 Foundation Enrolments

Enrolments are open for Foundation in 2024. 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 2024 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 Friday 28 July 2023. 

We will be notifying parents/carers of their child’s Foundation placement at Bimbadeen Heights PS by Friday 11 August 2023.

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 any additional documentation such as court orders and visa documents).

School Council Update

The May meeting of School Council was held on Wednesday 17 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. 

This update, we would like to share 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 and 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
• 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 or a Ministerial Order made, or direction issued, by the Minister under the Education and Training Reform Act.

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

Child Safe Code of Conduct

At this month’s meeting, School Council approved an updated Child Safe Code of Conduct. Our Child Safety Code of Conduct sets out the expected behaviour of adults with children and young people in our school. 

All Bimbadeen Heights Primary School staff, volunteers, contractors, service providers, school council members and any other adult involved in child-connected work must follow the Child Safety Code of Conduct. 

The Child Safety Code of Conduct applies to all physical and online environments used by students. It also applies during or outside of school hours and in other locations provided by the school for student use (for example, a school camp).

Acceptable behaviours

As Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of our school community involved in child-connected work, we are responsible for supporting and promoting the safety of children by:

• upholding our Bimbadeen Heights Primary School commitment to child safety at all times and adhering to our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• treating students and families in our school community with respect in our school environment and outside our school environment as part of normal social and community activities
• listening and responding to the views and concerns of students, particularly if they disclose that they or another child or student has been abused or are worried about their safety or the safety of another child or student
• promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, students with a disability, international students, students who are unable to live at home and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTIQ+) students
• ensuring, as far as practicable, that adults are not alone with a student – one-to-one interactions between an adult and a student are to be in an open space or in line of sight of another adult.
• reporting any allegations of child abuse or other child safety concerns to the Principal or Assistant Principal on 9726-9989
• understanding and complying with all reporting and disclosure obligations (including mandatory reporting) in line with our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Policy and Procedures, accessible in the School Policies section of our website https://www.bimbadeenheightsps.vic.edu.au and the PROTECT Four Critical Actions.
• if child abuse is suspected, ensuring as quickly as possible that the student(s) are safe and protected from harm.

Unacceptable behaviours

As Bimbadeen Heights Primary School staff, volunteers, contractors, and member of our school community involved in child-connected work we must not:

• ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse or harm
• develop a relationship with any student that could be seen as favouritism or amount to ‘grooming’ behaviour (for example, by offering gifts)
• display behaviours or engage with students in ways that are not justified by the educational or professional context 
• ignore an adult’s overly familiar or inappropriate behaviour towards a student 
• discuss intimate topics or use sexualised language, except when needed to deliver the school curriculum or professional guidance 
• treat a child or student unfavourably because of their disability, age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality, or ethnicity
• communicate directly with a student through personal or private contact channels (including by social media, email, instant messaging, texting etc) except where that communication is reasonable in all the circumstances, related to schoolwork or extra-curricular activities or where there is a safety concern or other urgent matter
• photograph or video a child or student in a school environment except in accordance with the Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy or where required for duty of care purposes
• consume alcohol against school policy or take illicit drugs in the school environment or at school events where students are present 
• have contact with any student outside of school hours except when needed to deliver the school curriculum or professional guidance and parental permission has been sought. 

Breaches to the Child Safety Code of Conduct

All Bimbadeen Heights Primary School staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of the school community involved in child-connected work who breach this Child Safety Code of Conduct may be subject to disciplinary procedures in accordance with their employment agreement or relevant industrial instrument, professional code, or terms of engagement.

In instances where a reportable allegation has been made, the matter will be managed in accordance with the Department of Education and Training Reportable Conduct Scheme Policy and may be subject to referral to Victoria Police.

All breaches and suspected breaches of the Bimbadeen Heights Primary School Child Safety Code of Conduct must be reported to the Principal and Assistant Principal, Sabrina George on 9726-9989. 

If the breach or suspected breach relates to the Principal, contact North-Eastern Victoria Region Office, Level 2, 295 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley 3150, Phone: 1300 333 231, email: nevr@education.vic.gov.au

If you have any questions or concerns about Child Safety at Bimbadeen, please contact Adele Gregson, Principal, or Marty Gill, Child Safety Champion.

2023 NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing was completed a few weeks ago and our students largely took it in their stride, as it is just another assessment task. Results from the assessments will be received later this term or early next term, when we will take the time to identify areas we are teaching well and areas we can make improvements in. 

Academic results are only one of the measures we use to assess our performance and we are keenly aware that enhancing the wellbeing of all students is just as important as ensuring they are highly literate and numerate.

2022 Annual Report

Earlier this term, we presented our 2022 Annual Report to School Council. The report shows that we have made good progress in most areas of the curriculum, and we have others where we are still seeking to make further progress. 

The 2022 Annual Reporting Meeting of School Council will be held in August where Adele Gregson (Principal and Executive Officer of School Council) and Kate Hession (School Council President) will share a summary of the activities and achievements of council in the previous year, along with a summary of our 2022 Annual Report. Further information about this meeting will be shared with families at the beginning of Term 3. 

The 2022 Annual Report can be accessed via our school website under the Current Parents tab. 

We hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend.

Adele Gregson and Sabrina George