Dear Parents and Carers,

Last week, we were delighted to officially introduce our Junior School Council representatives for 2026.

A Junior School Council (JSC) plays an important role in our primary school, nurturing leadership, responsibility and active citizenship from an early age. Through the JSC, students are given a genuine voice in school decision-making. They represent their peers, share ideas and work collaboratively on initiatives that strengthen and enrich our school community.

The council also fosters a strong sense of belonging and inclusion, encouraging students to take pride in their school and to contribute positively to projects that benefit both their classmates and the wider community. By developing leadership skills and a sense of agency, our Junior School Council supports students to grow into confident, responsible and engaged young people.

We extend our sincere thanks to Kate McNamara and Chloe Dawson for volunteering their time to support our JSC this year.

We look forward to seeing the wonderful work this team will accomplish together.

Family, Food and Fun Night – a great event and a major fundraiser March 20th

Get ready for one of the most exciting events on our school calendar – our Family, Food & Fun Night!

This much-loved community event is not only a fantastic evening of connection, laughter and celebration, it is also one of our major fundraisers for the year. The funds raised will go directly back into supporting our students, programs and school environment. Every ticket, every game and every contribution makes a real difference.

Expect an evening filled with delicious food, fun activities, entertainment and plenty of opportunities to come together as a school community. Whether you’re new to our school or have been here for years, this is a highlight event for everyone!

One of the highlights are our popular Lucky Jars which will once again be a feature of the night, and we need your help to make them amazing!

We will be holding Lucky Jar – Free Dress Days on:

• Thursday 19 February
• Wednesday 4 March

On these days, students are invited to come in free dress and bring in a filled Lucky Jar donation.

Lucky Jar Guidelines:

• Please use clean jars with secure lids.
• Fill jars with small, new items such as lollies (individually wrapped), stickers, small toys, stationery or novelty items.
• Please do not include homemade food items.
• Ensure all items are age-appropriate for primary school children.
• Please do not include anything sharp, fragile or of high value.

The more creative and colourful, the better! Lucky Jars are always a huge hit on the night and sell out quickly. The jars are sold through a lucky dip system at our FFFN for $2.

We are so excited to bring our community together for this special evening. Mark the date in your calendars. Let’s make this year’s Family, Food & Fun Night the best one yet!

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches at School

At our school, our priority is creating a safe, focused and engaging learning environment for every student. To support this, we follow the Victorian Government’s mobile phone policy for primary schools.

Students are not permitted to use mobile phones during the school day, including during recess and lunchtime. If a student needs to bring a mobile phone to school, it must be switched off and stored securely at the office at the beginning of the school day. Students can then collect it at the end of the school day from the office. Smart watches that have the capacity to send messages, make calls, access the internet or take photos are treated the same as mobile phones. These also need to be handed in securely at the office.

If a student needs to contact home during the day, they will be supported by staff. Likewise, if parents need to get an urgent message to their child, our office staff are happy to assist.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ privacy policy and the Schools’ privacy collection notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy https://boneops.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Photographing-Filming-and-Recording-Students-Policy-.pdf describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ privacy policy: information for parents.

The Resilience Project

This week, our students had the opportunity to participate in a student session about The Resilience Project generously run by Martin Heppell. Martin captured the attention of our students through an engaging and inspiring presentation focusing on kindness, gratitude and empathy. This work will continue throughout the year, and families can access the program online. 

Year 1 Maths
In maths, the Year One students were looking at months and seasons using the Kulin Nation cycle. Students created their own wheel to show their understanding

Year 1 Community Garden

Our Year 1 students loved having the opportunity to plant seeds for our community garden.