Principal's Report

Dear Bundoora Families,

And so, we come to the last newsletter of 2022. What a year it has been. So much has been experienced for the first time, traditions enjoyed, and new ones begun. Our year six students have survived a very unusual seven years of primary school and last night celebrated, together with their families and friends, their graduation to the next step in their lives.

I was proud of the way our students presented themselves and delivered their message to the school community in attendance. I thank the 5/6 teachers for their hard work this year in preparing them to move on from the safety of our school and into the big, wide world. I also thank the many teachers and education support staff who have supported this group of students over their seven years of primary school. Thank you also to the parents who worked to decorate the space used at MacLeod College for the event. 

Colour Run

On the 24th of November our whole school enjoyed the Colour Run. I saw so many happy faces as we all participated in running, spraying colour, sliming teachers and being slimed. It was so good to have such have a large crowd of parents to help and join in the fun. Congratulations to our Parents and Friends group who diligently to plan and prepare the event. Our students raised $16308.19, $9 800 of which we get to keep for our school. 

Parent Helpers Morning Tea

The 7th of December saw us celebrating our parent helper morning tea. Thanks to those who were able to attend. To the many who were working and unable to attend, we were thinking of you in your absence. A school cannot function successfully without parents, relatives, and friends who help, and we look forward to continuing to work with you next year.

Carols Night

Despite the inclement and unseasonal weather, our Family Carols Night went ahead last Monday. It was fabulous to see our hall packed to capacity and everyone enjoying the students’ performances together. The enthusiasm the students displayed was huge, and I thank our teachers for the time and effort they put into getting the performances ready for us to enjoy.

The Christmas raffles were put together by donations from the Bundoora community and in all there were about 12 prizes in all. This huge effort raised $635 for our school. 

2022 Semester Two Reports

End of semester two school reports will be accessible to parents from 4 pm on Friday, 16th December. Our teachers work long and hard assessing and reporting so that parents and students can see the results of their child’s hard work over the year. We encourage you to download or print the reports and talk over them with your child. It is good to see the progress they have made, and where they can they look at improving in 2023.

Reminder to Grade Six Parents to download Reports & collect medications

If your child is in grade six, please remember to download or print your child’s school reports before the 20th of December. Once your child leaves the school you will not have access to their reports on compass. It is always a good idea to do this before the school year ends. Please see the notes on the 5/6 page of the newsletter for help to do this. Please also ensure if your grade 6 child has been taking medication that you come to the office to collect Ventolin and medications before 3.15 on December 20. 

Change to class reps

With the change to class reps announced last week we would like to thank our parent reps who have worked tirelessly this year to get weekly updates out to you. We particularly thank Corrie Quigley for her hard work in organising and coordinating the program over recent years. It has been a massive job to liaise with the office and myself to get all the relevant information together and send it out to the year level reps to send to parents. Our team has done an amazing job. 

Don’t forget that you can pick up a role description for the new volunteer position of Year Level Ambassador from the office if you are interested in taking on the new role in 2023. We envision that it will be a smaller job than the parent rep role and we encourage you to consider taking it on with a friend. 

2023 Prep Start of year interviews

If you have a prep child enrolled to start in 2023 don’t forget to book their interview with your new teacher if you haven’t already done so. Instructions can be found on the prep tab of the newsletter if you need help, and your compass login was placed in your information night show bag. 

The prep interviews are being held on January 30th, 31st and February 1st and 2nd. The interview takes approximately an hour and is essential information for the teachers to start the year with. Please don’t hesitate to call the office if you need help booking.

2023 Prep student and parent catch-up picnic

Wednesday 1st of February from 12 to 1:15 pm we encourage you to come along to our informal catch up at school. This is a great opportunity to meet other prep parents and students and forge new friendships before the year begins. Bring along your lunchbox picnic and meet us in the playground near the temporary staff car park end of the yard for a quick lunch and play.

School formally begins for preps on the 3rd of February 2023 at 8:55 am. A reminder that our prep students will be attending full time after this date. 

Pop-up Uniform shop

A pop-up uniform shop will be held on January 27 from 10 am to 12pm. Hats are required in term one and students without a hat cannot play in the yard but must sit in the shaded area at the front of the school. Limited supplies of hats are available to purchase from the office for $15. If you place an order for school uniforms online over the break you can collect them from the office for one hour only on January 27 from 11am – 12.00pm

House T-shirt Friday

House t-shirts are worn by all students and staff on Fridays throughout the year. New students and preps will be given a t-shirt during their first week at school (preps will use the voucher provided on the information night. If your child has outgrown or misplaced their house t-shirt, they can be purchased from the office for $20. Most sizes are in stock at the office now.

If your child has outgrown their t-shirt, we would appreciate it if you were able to donate your child’s shirt to the second-hand uniform store. 

Student Leaders

I would like to thank our outgoing crew of student leaders. Our leaders work behind the scenes at school events and are the face of our school at events like prep transition, ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies, and of course our weekly assembly. I have watched our leaders grow in confidence and ability this year and we are all very proud of them.

We welcome our 2023 leaders and thank them for taking on this responsibility and its associated challenges.  We know they will learn and grow from this experience.

 Social Enterprise Program

Our social enterprise team have had another successful year of fundraising this year. Thank you to the student leaders, staff, and parent volunteers who make this program such a success. This year the SEP program raised a total of $8000, not to mention the massive amount of food donated to the Diamond Valley Food Bank.

Emergency contact information over the holidays

As the school email address and voicemails are not monitored over the holidays please contact me on my email address, Sherrin.strathairn@education.vic.gov.au, if you need assistance with a school matter during this period. Our office will be closed from 4pm Monday December 19th and reopens on 30th January at 8:15 am.

Uniform for 2023 can be collected from the school on the 27th of January for one hour only, between 10 and 11 am

TheirCare bookings over the holiday period

TheirCare have confirmed the following opening dates for this holiday period:

Tuesday 20th December (Pupil free day)

Wednesday 21st to Friday 23rd December closed.

Monday 9th January – program reopens for Vacation Care.

Volunteers and Visitors to the School

Please remember that all volunteers and visitors to the school must visit the office before entering school buildings. Please present your WWCC or VIT card at the office when you sign into volunteer or visit via our sign in kiosk. If you do not have a valid card, we will be unable to admit you to classrooms. Please check your card over the holidays and renew it if is near the expiry date. This Department of Education protocol and part of the Child Safe laws.

Step-up Day

Step-up Day was held on the morning of December 13th. Students met with their new teacher and classmates for two hours and undertook tasks to get to know each other. Please ask your child who their teacher is for 2023 and what classroom they are in. Contact the office if your child needs help remembering. 

Start dates for 2023

Friday, 27th January - Teachers commence school. We will be holding professional learning on this day, combining with the staff from Kerrimuir Primary School (in Box Hill) to learn a new writing program, Talk for Writing.

Monday, 30th January – years one to six commence school at 8:55 am. Children must not be unsupervised in the playground before 8:40 am.

Monday 30th January to Friday 2nd February – Prep interviews

Friday 3rd February – Preps commence full time school at 8:55 am.

Pupil free days for 2023

School Council have approved the following pupil free days for 2023:

• 14th March- Professional Learning (maths) and Parent/Teacher interviews
• 24th April- Professional Learning (day two of Talk for Writing)
• 31st July- Professional Learning (maths) and Parent/Teacher interviews
• 6th November- Staff Professional Practice Day (as mandated by the Department of Education).

TheirCare will be open for bookings on these days.

Last Day of School 2022

Last day of school for this year is Monday 19th December. School finishes at 3:15 pm with a final assembly at 2:45 pm to farewell our outgoing year six students.

Thank you

I’d like to thank you all for your support of our staff members this year. Returning from Covid lockdowns for a full school year has not been easy for students or staff at times. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together this year.

Thank you for your continued support. Your commitment to our school is what helps make Bundoora Primary School what it is and will be in the future. 

I wish you all the Merriest of Christmases and a safe and Happy New Year!

See you all in 2023.

Sherrin Strathairn

Principal.

Help over the holidays

If you should need additional help over the holidays the following services are available:

PARENTLINE

Parentline is a state-wide telephone counselling and support service for all Victorian parents and carers of children from 0-18 years. Experienced social workers, psychologists and family therapists can give you counselling and information around a wide range of parenting issues.Parentline aims to:

• contribute to the development of positive parenting and personal coping strategies and skills
• enhance parent/child relationships
• promote and contribute to the confidence, resilience, and wellbeing of families
• link families with their local community resources and services.

Eligibility

Available to all Victorian parents and carers with children 0-18 years.

Services Provided

• Telephone helpline (available 8am to 12 midnight – 7 days a week, every day of the year).
• Expert parenting advice and support from qualified and experienced counsellors.
• Confidential and anonymous advice and calls are not time limited.
• Ring as often as you need, and you can ask to speak to the same counsellor.
• Advice on issues such as child behaviour and development, family relationships, education, bullying, living with teenagers, family violence and parental stress.
• Information on parenting services in your local area. 
• Secondary consultation is available for professionals who work with parents and carers.

Kids Helpline

Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via Webchat at any time, for any reason. Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free (even from a mobile phone) confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. 

Call on 1800 55 1800 or click on the link below.

Kids Helpline