Heights Happenings – 2025 – Term 2, Week 6

New staff

I’d like to welcome Mrs Michelle Lucas and Mrs Blair Blackburn to our teaching team in 2025. Mrs Lucas has replaced Mrs Emma Mason in 5B, and Mrs Blackburn has come on board one-day per week (Mondays) to teach 6C while Mr Justin North is released from teaching duties to undertake the High-abilities practice leader and digital technologies leader role.

Both Mrs Lucas and Mrs Blackburn come to us as experienced teachers. Mrs Lucas previously worked as a classroom teacher and Learning Specialist at Eltham North PS, and Mrs Blackburn is working two-days per week at Bimbadeen Heights PS.

I would also like to welcome Miss Monique Brotto and Mrs Tannia Sherriff to our Education Support team. Miss Angela Harrower will also be joining the ES on a casual basis.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

The Student Attitudes to School Survey is currently being administered to students in Years 4-6 this week. This is an annual state-wide survey that is managed by the Department. Results from this survey help inform the school about future planning and are key measurement tools in the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan. Mrs Foster, Mrs Hodgson, Mrs Hollingsworth, Mrs Weichert and I are facilitating the conduct of the survey in classrooms.

Education Week

Well done to all on another successful Education Week. The classrooms looked great, and it was clear the kids took enormous pride in showing their work. A special mention to our specialist crew – Ms Henstock, Mr Fox, Mr Warren, Miss Lu, Mrs Cook and Mrs Sutterby- who prepared the activities for Open Day and Night. Well done also to Mr Fox and Mrs Ascenzo for preparing the choirs and band students for an exceptional mini concert. I spoke to many families who were glowing in their praise for the positive culture we have at BHPS.

This is the third year I have been a part of the National Simultaneous Storytime. Well done to the Library leaders who read the book to everyone – there’s some budding audio book actors amongst that group! With the Education Week theme this year being “Celebration of Cultures”, it was quite fitting that the book, “The Truck Cat”, is about a man who emigrated to Australia who takes his cat wherever he goes in his B-Double truck. The story highlights the challenges faced by migrant families who try hard to adjust to life in a foreign country, not speaking the language or understanding the cultural complexities in a completely different society. The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) select the book each year, and this one was quite different to previous years in a good way. “The Truck Cat” gives our teachers a chance to discuss themes of immigration, home, connection and feeling like the outsider.

Congratulations to Miss Hindmarsh

Since my last newsletter message, Miss Kim Hindmarsh (Prep C) celebrated her wedding to her (now) husband, Nick. Congratulations to Kim and Nick on their special day. Miss Hindmarsh will now be known as Mrs Hollingsworth.

Enjoy your week.

Mat Anderton
Principal

ROCK BOTTOM – BORONIA HEIGHTS PS 2025 PRODUCTION

Our 2025 whole school production ‘Rock Bottom’ is fast approaching. It will be on Wednesday 30th July and Thursday 31st July at the Besen Centre (Mt. Scopus Memorial College, Station St, Burwood).

Please note that all Prep – 4 students will only perform one night. All Prep – 4 siblings should be scheduled for the same night. Please let Mr. Fox know if siblings have been accidentally scheduled on different nights. All Year 5 and 6 students will perform both nights.

Last term, all families with a Prep – 4 student should have received a notice informing them which night their child is performing, the Wednesday or Thursday. If you did not receive this notice, please email Mr Fox at simon.fox@education.vic.gov.au and he will let you know your child’s performance night.

Tickets have gone on sale through Try Booking (online sales only) on Monday 26th May, at 6.00pm. We scheduled an evening time for tickets to go on sale, so working parents were not disadvantaged. Adult tickets are $30 and Child Tickets (under 16) are $20. Please note that student performers do not require a ticket on their performance night.

Library News

We had a fabulous time last Wednesday for National Simultaneous Storytime when our Library captains, Blake, Alonzo, Aster and Tyler, read The Truck Cat to us in the gym. BHPS was one of over 16,000 locations nationwide to participate in this special story-time event. A great story shared brings connection, helps students with reading and writing skills and their development of language and communication. Thank you to Blake, Alonzo, Aster and Tyler for such a wonderful whole school event, you all read so beautifully and engaged the audience.

Scholastic Book Club catalogues will come home this week. All orders can be made via Loop on the Scholastic website or cash payments in an envelope with your completed order form. Please hand cash orders to the office. When you purchase a book through Book Club it also supports our reading at school, as we receive a percentage of commission to purchase new books for our Library. To view the catalogue online or place an order online follow this link https://scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/
Book Club Orders are due by: FRIDAY 13^th June

Keep adding every book you read into the Premier’s Reading Challenge! We have over 100 students who have completed the reading challenge so far and 5C are in the lead for the pizza lunch prize! BHPS students have read a total of 8,902 books so far this challenge. We still have 100 days of the challenge to go.

Next term in August, we will have our Book Week celebrations. Book Character dress up day will be held on Monday 18^th of August. Families are welcome to join in the celebrations at our parade at 9.15am. The upcoming holidays are always a good time to think about costumes and get creative with ideas. Students can wear a costume that represents their favourite book character, this could be a t-shirt, decorated hat or a whole outfit.

Happy Reading!

Leanne Bentley

Our Library is accessible here:  https://au.accessit.online/BRN10/#!dashboard

Tara Henstock
Visual Arts Co-ordinator

AFL Girls at Division level

Last week we had 24 girls from Years 5 & 6 attend the Knox Division AFL Girls event at Kings Park, Upper Ferntree Gully. We were one of 16 schools in attendance and had two teams competing in the 9-a-side format. Our two teams performed incredibly well with the ‘A’ team winning all of their pool games, plus their quarter and semi finals in thrilling fashion. In their grand final and playing for the overall championship, our girls were a couple of goals behind at half-time after kicking against the breeze. But they rallied threw everything at the opposition to unfortunately fall short by 4 points after doing most of the attacking at the end of the match. I couldn’t have been more impressed or proud of their effort and support of each other throughout the day! Our ‘B’ team which was coached by Jen also had an incredibly successful day. Of their 4 pool matches, they won 3 of them and drew the other. Unfortunately, they lost their quarter final but then managed to re-group and win their consolation final to finish the day on a high. Thank you to everyone involved and for the parent support on the day. A special mention to Issy Gorham and Harper Straney who also received medals for their standout performances throughout the event.

Division Cross Country

On Wednesday we had three of our students competing at the Knox Division Cross Country event. And what a marvellous job they did! Stephane from 3C competed in the 9-10yo girls race as a younger participant (9yo) and matched it with her competition, finishing in 15^th to just miss out on progressing through to the next stage (top 12 progressed). Levi F from 6C competed in the 12yo boys race and finished a very respectable 25^th position despite feeling sick during the race.

Madi A from 6A was our final participant and she was able to improve again on her district performance – finishing 11^th in her race which earned her an invitation to the Eastern Metropolitan Region (one level below State level) Cross Country event in a couple of weeks’ time. What a great achievement that is for Madi and we’ll certainly be wishing all the best for that next race!

Year 1 & 2 Swimming

Congratulations to our Year 1 & 2 students and staff for completing their annual intensive swimming lesson week this week. I’ve only heard positive feedback from everyone involved. Thank you, parents, for helping have your kids prepared for their lesson each day. That is all of our swimming commitments completed for this year, with just the Year 5 & 6 Surfing and water safety days to come in term 4.

Interschool Sports

Last week, our Year 5 & 6 students began the first day of their winner sport interschool sport competition. Lawn Bowls, indoor bowls, Netball, AFL (boys only), Soccer, and Tee Ball were all being played. Stay tuned for next Newsletter to hear the finals results …

Year 3 Hoop Time

Payment and the option to participate in the Year 3 Hoop Time event is about to close, with training sessions due to start at lunchtime on Friday 6^th June. There are just a handful of positions left if anyone hasn’t paid yet but would like to be involved.

Year 5 & 6 District Basketball Trials

We will be entering one boys and one girls basketball team in the District event that is being held in the first week of Term 3. Trials for these teams will begin next week and is open to Year 5 & 6 students with advanced basketball skills.

Dates to remember in Sports 2025

Shae Warren
Physical Education Teacher and Sport Co-ordinator

2026 Prep Enrolments

2026 Prep enrolments are now open. To submit your enrolment, just click the link below:

https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/

Attendance

Please remember if your child will be absent ALL day, you need to enter an absence note on COMPASS. The office will be following up all unexplained absences.

Compass will automatically generate an SMS at 10.00am if your child is not at school. Please note that if you are bringing your child in late, ignor this SMS as late arrivals get signed in on the COMPASS Kiosk at the office on your arrival.  However, if your child is going to be absent for a complete day, you must approve this absence with a ‘note’ on Compass. This will avoid you receiving additional correspondence from the office to follow up this unexplained absence.

URGENT – Please complete…

We are still yet to receive the Media Release and Consent Forms for many many students.  If you are unsure if you have completed these two documents, check your email inbox. When you complete the Google Form it automatically sends you a completed copy of your responses.

Please check your NewsFeed on Compass for links.

2025 CSEF

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

Payment amounts this year are $154 for eligible primary school. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

You can download the form here.

Check with the school office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.

Name Your Belongings

We know you treasure your uniform and books. Please remember to label all uniform, books and belongings coming to school. Like most years, we have had an incredible amount of lost property through the year. The majority was unnamed, along with illegible tags. We would love lost items to boomerang back to your kids.

CARE Ticket Winners

Care Award Winners – Term 2 – Engagement

Progress Update at The Alchester Village intersection!

The team at Bild Group, on behalf of the Department of Transport and Planning, have been hard at work upgrading the Mountain Highway, Colchester Road, and Albert Avenue intersection in Boronia to improve traffic flow and pedestrian/cyclist safety. The improved intersection will include new traffic signals, additional lanes and safer crossings, with completion expected by mid-2025.

The Alchester Village intersection upgrade is nearing completion.

Major construction works on the project are expected to be complete by 31 May. Albert Avenue will reopen in the evening of this Friday, 30 May.

From Sunday 1 June 2025 we will be working at night with changes to traffic management in place to complete final asphalting and line marking. Night works for the final asphalting and line marking will continue for up to four weeks, between 7pm and 6am each night. We will pause work for the King’s Birthday long weekend from Friday 6 to Monday 9 June.

• NOTE: Specific traffic management arrangements and disruptions will change from night to night when we asphalt different sections.
• Most nights, traffic management will involve closing one carriageway of Mountain Highway with both directions of traffic moved to the other side of the road.
• At times, an overnight closure of Colchester Road between Beresford Road and Mountain Highway will be in place. At other times, we will close Albert Avenue between Mountain Highway and 177 Albert Avenue. Please follow detour signage and traffic controller instructions.

Getting to school

From 31 May, all vehicle movements at the intersection will be available. Pedestrians walking or riding to school will be able to use the new traffic lights to cross the road.

All public transport buses will go back to their usual routes, with no further detours required.

We’d like to thank the Boronia Heights school community for their patience while we deliver this important upgrade.

Contact us

If you have any questions or would like to speak to us about these works, please SMS or call 0400 400 091 to speak with a project representative or email alchestercommunity@bild.group.

For more information about the project, visit transport.vic.gov.au and search ‘Alchester Village Intersection Upgrade’.