Friday 4th September 2026
The last two weeks have been incredibly busy at Boronia Heights and there has been plenty happening both inside and outside the classroom. Book Week was undoubtedly one of the highlights as it is every year. It was great to see so many students excited about books and reading throughout the week. The Book Fair was once again well supported by families and gave students plenty of opportunities to discover a new favourite book. We also welcomed Perform Education to the school for a whole-school performance based on this year’s shortlisted CBCA books. Students enjoyed seeing stories such as Dawn, A Loo of One’s Own, Run, The Colours of Home and Dear Broccoli brought to life in an entertaining and engaging way. The conversations about these books continued long after the performance had finished.
While all of this was happening, classes were also taking part in activities connected to Bullying No Way Week and Wear It Purple Day. These provided a chance for students to have some important conversations about how we treat one another and what it means to be part of an inclusive school community. Teachers and students in all year levels discussed topics such as friendship, respect and belonging. These discussions reminded us that acts of kindness and standing up for others can make a real difference to someone’s day.
There’s also been many excursions and incursions happening recently. Year 1 students enjoyed their visit to Melbourne Museum on Wednesday, while Year 4 students learned all about the significance of European settlement in an Australian History incursion. Year 6 students took part in the Money Talks program where they explored some of the practical realities of managing money and making financial decisions.
This week, our Year 5 students headed off to Camp Adanac in Dean, about 20 minutes north of Ballarat. They spent a glorious first day of Spring at Sovereign Hill, panning for gold and learning about Victorian history during the Gold Rush days. When they came back on Wednesday afternoon, they were all buzzing about the fantastic time they had. If you’re a parent of one of our Year 5 students, you’ve undoubtedly heard plenty of stories about their experience.
We were also incredibly proud to see a group of Boronia Heights students perform in the Victorian State Schools Spectacular as part of the mass choir. Their involvement is the result of many months of commitment and rehearsals. Singing to an audience of 8,000 people at John Cain Arena over two performances on Saturday is a memory that these students will remember fondly. I’d like to thank Mr Fox and Mrs McNamara for their commitment to supporting these children throughout their rehearsals in the city on Thursday and Friday, then again on their performance day on Saturday.
When I look back on the fortnight, what strikes me is just how varied school life can be. In the space of two weeks, students have been reading books, singing in a major performance, attending camp, visiting museums, exploring history, learning about money and discussing what it means to be a respectful and inclusive community. Not every lesson takes place at a desk, and the past fortnight has certainly been a good reminder of that.
Professional Practice Day and Three-way conferences
As we head towards the end of term, I’d like to remind families of two upcoming student-free days.
On Wednesday 9th September, staff will be participating in a Professional Practice Day. This is a student-free day. PPDs provided teachers with dedicated time to work together, analyse student learning data, plan for future teaching and continue developing their professional knowledge.
The following week, Thursday 17th September will be our Three-Way Conference Day. Please refer to the Compass post regarding conference bookings and arrangements for student supervision on the day. To support the smooth operation of the conferences, a supervision program will be available for families who have no alternative care arrangements available. As has been the case in previous years, we ask families to use this service only where it is genuinely required. This allows our specialist teachers to focus on supporting those students who need supervision while classroom teachers meet with families throughout the day.
Information about booking for the Three-way conferences will be communicated via Compass on Monday. Three-way conferences are one of the most valuable opportunities we have to strengthen the partnership between home and school and ensure every child is well supported in their learning.
End of Term and Footy Day
Just a reminder that students will be dismissed at 2:30pm on Friday 18th September, with our special Footy Day assembly including Principal’s Award presentations at 9:15am in the gymnasium. Students can dress in their favourite sports team colours and cheer on their team. There will also be a special lunch offered by the canteen, so please be aware that the normal canteen menu will be unavailable that day.
Enjoy your weekend,
Mat Anderton
Principal