Principal’s Message

I hope you had a great school holiday break and a Happy Easter.

As always, there’s a lot to look forward to this term. Here are some of the events happening in the next few weeks:

Education Week

We’re celebrating Education Week between Monday 25^th and Friday 29^th May. It’s meant to be celebrated the week before, but with Year 3-4 swimming and other activities happening, we’ve pushed it back a week. This year’s theme is “Showcase your School” which encourages school communities to promote what’s great about our school. The main event for Education Week is our Open Morning which is happening from 9am to 10:50am on Wednesday 27^th May, followed by an Open Night later that day. Parents and family members are welcome to join us for the morning activities and come back in the evening to see what the rest of the school is up to.

This year, we are coinciding Education Week with the National Simultaneous Storytime which is happening at 12:20pm on Open Day. The book for the NSS is “Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller”, so we’d love the kids to dress up in their favourite sports team colours as well as make a gold coin donation to support new bookshelves in the library. Posters will be displayed around the school and promoted through Compass to remind children and families about Education Week.

Year 6 Camp

The students and teachers in Year 6 are heading off to camp on Monday 11^th May and returning on Wednesday 13^th May. As in previous years, the kids will be going to Campaspe Downs near Kyneton where they will do activities such as low ropes, giant swing, flying fox, canoeing and archery. I’m sure they have an absolute ball. I’m joining them on camp this year, and I’m really looking forward to it because I haven’t been to that camp before.

Prep, Year 1 & Year 2 and Year 3 & 4 Swimming

Swimming lessons are starting on Monday 4^th May for students in Prep to Year 2, then the week beginning Monday 18^th May for students in Years 3 and Year 4. Lessons will take place down at Knox Leisureworks in Boronia, and parents are most welcome to watch lessons.

Before and After School Supervision

A friendly reminder to families that staff supervision begins each morning at 8:45am and finishes at 3:45pm. Any play before or after these times is unsupervised.

Where possible, we ask families to arrange drop off as close to 8:45am as possible. This allows children to arrive when supervision is in place and helps everyone start the day safely and smoothly. I understand that traffic can be very busy, so if you need to drop your child off earlier, consider enrolling them in OSHC Club.

We also remind students that they are expected to play on age-appropriate play equipment. This is an important part of keeping everyone safe during break times.

Crossing Supervision on Albert Ave

The Knox City Council called me last week to say they have decided to remove the crossing supervisor from Albert Avenue in the afternoons. There will still be a crossing supervisor on duty in the mornings. Apparently, the decision was made due to low numbers of children using the crossing in the afternoon. The council officer told me they are open to feedback, so please call them on 9298 8000 if you feel this decision should be reconsidered.

Upcoming Industrial Action

You may have seen or heard media reports about ongoing industrial action by school staff as negotiations continue between the AEU and the Government. Recently, the AEU has advised members that new work bans are now in place until such time that an agreement is reached.

There are two parts of the current industrial action that I would like to make families aware of.

The first is that AEU members, both teaching and ES staff, will be taking part in half day stop work action on Tuesday 2^nd June. This is like the one-day strike that occurred last term. The difference this time is that staff will not be at work until midday. I will share more information closer to the date about how the day will run and what this means for classes.

The second part of the industrial action relates to student reporting. Families will still receive a semester report, however written comments about your child’s progress will not be included. Instead, the report will show a progression point scale for each subject, indicating how your child is progressing against the curriculum. This restriction on written comments also applies to our continuous reporting processes.

I respect the right of AEU members to take protected industrial action and appreciate the understanding and support of our school community during this time as staff advocate for student funding and improved conditions.

Have a great week.

Mat Anderton
Principal

New Sports Polo

BREAKING NEWS! Our NEW SPORTS TOPS have arrived! You can now order them at our uniform supplier Spartan School World.

Details for ordering can be found in ‘Sports news”

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and Boronia Heights Primary School is excited to be taking part!

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 and aims to help young readers develop a lifelong love of reading.

To complete the challenge, children in grade 3 to 6 need to read 15 books, while Prep to grade 2 students, with their parents/carers, need to read 30 books. The challenge ends on 4^th of September 2026.

After each book your child reads at home or school, enter the book into the Premier’s Reading Challenge website –

https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home

Sign in under school student – VPRC login – with the username and password provided by your classroom teacher.

Click on search books – search the full title/author – click on the title of the book read – click on add book – complete the review if you would like – click finished.

Go back to the Dashboard and click on finished for all books.

These books will then be verified at school.

Your child’s dashboard provides the number of books read and when the challenge is completed.

We encourage students to keep entering books into the website, even after completing the challenge! This year, 25 students who read the most books will win a pizza lunch prize! (not class as previous years)

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement.

This year, the Challenge is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the theme ‘20 years of words and wonder’.

Since it began in 2005, more than 4.5 million young readers have taken part and together read more than 63 million books.

To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

If you have any questions please contact me @ leanne.bentley@education.vic.gov.au

Good luck to all our families and happy reading!

Leanne Bentley

Librarian

National Young Leaders Day

Last Term our School Captains attended Halogen Leaders Day, an annual event that provides opportunity for students to gather and hear some of Australia’s most high profile people share their insights from their own leadership journey.

This year our leaders met:

Author- Adrian Beck

Actress- Catherine Laga’aia (real life Moana in upcoming movie being released in July)

Sports person- Jacquie Bell (Ultimate marathon, 7 continents)

Cyber Safety

Cyber Safe Parents – Online Safety Webinars for Families

 We’re thrilled to announce our school has partnered with Cyber Safety Project to offer parents access to the Cyber Safe Parents 2026 Webinar Series. These practical, easy-to-understand sessions, available live or on-demand, will provide simple strategies to help families manage online safety, screen time, AI, and digital wellbeing. Pop these important dates into your calendars now:

2026 Topics & Dates:

1. Cyber Safety at Home (Family session) – 10 March
2. AI & Critical Thinking (Parent/Guardian session)  – 20 May
3. Balancing Life & Tech (Parent/Guardian session)   – 3 August
4. Cyberbullying & Resilience (Parent/Guardian session)  – 27 October

All sessions start at 7.30pm AEDT/AEST.

Can’t attend live? Register to receive the recording and resources to watch at a time that suits you.

 👉 Register here: https://cybersafetyproject.com/parents-2026 (do not share this link on social media)

Please click above to watch the first webinar from 10^th March. We will send out communication to you before the next webinar dates if you want to attend online at the same time, otherwise they will always be available to watch when it suits you.

Shae Warren
Physical Education Teacher and Sport Co-ordinator

Reading to support Mental Health and Wellbeing 

Reading with your child is one of the most powerful ways to support both their learning and their emotional development. Sharing a book creates a calm, connected space where children feel safe, heard, and valued. Beyond building literacy skills, these moments strengthen relationships and open the door for meaningful conversations. When children see trusted adults engaging with stories, asking questions, and expressing curiosity, they learn that reading is not just about words, it’s about understanding the world and themselves.

Stories naturally introduce themes such as friendship, resilience, worry, kindness, and change, making them a gentle and accessible way to explore mental health and wellbeing. While reading together, parents and caregivers can pause to ask questions like, “How do you think that character is feeling?” or “What would you do in that situation?” These discussions help children develop emotional awareness, empathy, and the language to express their own thoughts and feelings. Books can also reassure children that they are not alone in their experiences and that all emotions (big or small) are valid.

Making reading a regular, enjoyable routine doesn’t require long periods of time, just consistency and presence. Even a few minutes each day can make a lasting difference. By sharing stories and talking openly about feelings, families can nurture both a love of reading and a strong foundation for positive mental health and wellbeing. See below for some great books to explore with your child/ren:

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
Sarah Weichert

Sarah.weichert@education.vic.gov.au

Care Awards

Specialist awards- Term 2 Week 2

Welcome back, everyone! We hope you had a wonderful school break and were able to relax and recharge.

At this stage, we do not have any major projects planned for this year, as 2026 will be a maintenance-focused year. However, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the school, please feel free to email me at leah.hodgson@education.vic.gov.au . The B & G Committee will be happy to review and assess the logistics of all proposals.

We’re looking forward to a positive and successful year ahead.

Leah Hodgson
Assistant Principal

Leah Hodgson
Boronia Heights Hubsters