Dear Parents and Carers,

At Boneo Primary School, we maintain a strong and positive focus on regular school attendance because we know that every day at school matters. Attending school every day means students have a range of meaningful experiences – learning, friendships, fun, connection and opportunities that help shape their future. Regular attendance supports students to build confidence, strengthen learning routines, develop positive relationships with peers and teachers, and achieve their very best both academically and socially.

In 2025, we had 19% of our students achieve 95% or higher attendance rate. This is below similar schools (24%), and the state average (27%). While we understand there are genuine times when children need to miss school, we are committed to working together with families to support strong attendance outcomes for every student.

We know that every family’s circumstances are different and that parents and carers are often balancing many daily challenges. Whether difficulties relate to school refusal, wellbeing concerns, family circumstances, or travel and transport constraints, our goal is always to work in partnership with families in a supportive and understanding way. We are here to help.

If your child is well enough to attend school but is feeling worried about friendships, schoolwork, or other concerns, we encourage them to come to school and speak with a trusted adult. Avoiding school can sometimes make these feelings stronger and create ongoing patterns of non-attendance. If your child is having trouble attending school, please reach out to their classroom teacher, assistant principal – Tom Pollett or myself, so we can work together to provide support.

To strengthen this important work, Boneo PS has a dedicated Attendance Team who regularly monitor attendance, connect with families and assist in putting supports in place where needed. We can also help families connect with a range of services including:

• Student wellbeing and mental health services
  Examples include headspace Frankston, Peninsula Health Child and Youth Services, school-based wellbeing supports, and referrals to local psychologists or counselling services.
• School refusal and engagement support programs
  Examples include the Department of Education Navigator Program, regional Student Support Services (SSS), wellbeing engagement officers, and attendance support planning through the school’s Attendance Team.
• Family and community support agencies
  Examples include Anglicare Victoria, The Orange Door, food and emergency relief providers, family support practitioners, and local community wellbeing programs.

More information about these services and options will be included in upcoming newsletters.

If your child must miss school, please notify the school as soon as possible via Compass or by calling through to the office so we can continue to work together to support their learning and wellbeing. Our admin team makes calls every day if students are not present and their attendance has not been entered on Compass.

We are passionate about ensuring every child feels connected, supported and successful at school! Watch this space for exciting new attendance incentives and celebrations throughout the year as we continue to promote the importance of every day counts at Boneo PS.

Celebrating our wonderful Education Support Staff

Today we take a moment to acknowledge and sincerely thank our incredible Education Support (ES) staff for the outstanding work they do each and every day at Boneo Primary School. Their care, dedication, flexibility and commitment to our students and school community does not go unnoticed and is deeply appreciated by staff, students and families alike.

Our ES staff play such an important role across every part of our school. Whether they are supporting students in classrooms, delivering intervention programs, providing wellbeing support, working in administration, maintaining our grounds and facilities, supporting first aid, or helping ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the school, each member of our ES team contributes enormously to the success of Boneo PS.

They are often the quiet achievers behind the scenes – building positive relationships with students, offering encouragement during challenging moments, celebrating successes big and small, and always stepping in wherever support is needed. Their compassion, patience, professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond helps create the positive, inclusive and supportive environment we are so proud of at Boneo.

Our school simply would not function as smoothly without them, and we are incredibly grateful for the care and commitment they show to our students and wider community every single day.

Thank you to all of our amazing Education Support staff – Boneo PS is a better place because of you.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra visit

A warm and heartfelt thank you to the Rotary Club of Sorrento and Rotary Club of Rosebud-Rye, for providing 15 of our fortunate Year 5 and 6 students with the incredible opportunity to travel to Melbourne on Friday to experience the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven’s Gaming Quest performance at Hamer Hall.

This was an unforgettable experience for our students, many of whom were visiting such an iconic venue and witnessing a live orchestral performance for the very first time. The excitement, inspiration and joy they returned with was wonderful to see.

We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support Rotary provides to our school community and for helping create opportunities that broaden our students’ experiences beyond the classroom.

Thank you!

On behalf of our school, I wish to thank the De Luca family for their very generous donation that they have made to our school. Harvey and his family are helping support our SPARK program and we are incredibly thankful.

Principals of the Day

A big thank you to our two wonderful “Principals for the Day”, Colter and Liam, for the fantastic job they did leading our school.

From helping make important decisions to visiting classrooms and supporting students and staff, they represented our school with kindness and enthusiasm. We loved having you as part of the leadership team for the day!

Spotlight on Mental Health 

How parents can improve their child’s emotional literacy

Emotional literacy is the ability to recognise understand, label, and effectively manage your own emotions, while also identifying and responding to the emotions of others. It involves developing empathy and expressing feelings productively to improve personal wellbeing, relationships, and conflict management

Model First

1 – Name Your Own Feelings Out Loud

Children learn emotional language by hearing adults use it calmly and regularly.

Say: “I’m feeling a little frustrated, but I can handle it. I’m going to take a breath.”

• Use simple, honest statements like “I’m feeling a bit stressed, so I’m taking a moment to breathe.”
• Keep it age‑appropriate and non‑scary.
• Show that feelings come and go — they don’t last forever.

2 – Help Your Child Notice Body Signals

Children often feel emotions in their bodies before they can name them.

• Ask gentle questions like “Is your tummy tight or relaxed?”
• Link body sensations to feelings: “A fast heartbeat can mean excitement or worry.”
• Teach them to pause and check in with their body.

3 – Build a Shared Feelings Vocabulary

A shared language helps children express themselves clearly and safely.

Ask: “Which word fits how you’re feeling right now?”

• Start with simple words: happy, sad, worried, calm, frustrated.
• Add nuance over time: disappointed, overwhelmed, proud, confused.
• Use visuals like colour zones or emojis to support understanding.

Be Sensitive
4 – Validate Their Feelings Without Fixing

Validation teaches children that all feelings are acceptable, even the uncomfortable ones.

• Use phrases like “I hear you”, “That sounds really tough”, or “It’s okay to feel that way.”
• Avoid dismissing feelings with “You’re fine” or “Don’t worry about it.”
• Sit with them in the feeling before offering solutions.

5 – Teach Small Regulation Strategies

Children need tools to move from big feelings back to calm.

• Breathing exercises, movement breaks, sensory tools, or quiet spaces.
• Practise these when calm so they’re easier to use when upset.
• Celebrate small successes: “You noticed you were getting upset and took a break — that’s great!”

6 – Reflect Together After Big Feelings

Reflection builds emotional insight and strengthens future coping.

• Ask gentle questions: “What helped you feel better?”, “What could we try next time?”
• Keep the tone curious, not critical.
• Reinforce that emotions are normal and manageable.
• Avoid using phrases like ‘I told you ___ would happen.’ ‘This wouldn’t have happened if you listened to me.’

                                                                                                                                                                        – Ash Dorio 

Bullying is never ok!

I would like to sincerely thank our Junior School Council students for confidently sharing an important message with our school community about bullying and the role we all play in creating a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for everyone at this morning’s assembly.

Our JSC students spoke thoughtfully about the importance of kindness, empathy and standing up for others. They reminded us that bullying is never okay and that every student has the right to feel safe, valued and supported at school.

It is important that we all have a clear understanding of what bullying is. Bullying is not simply a disagreement or a one-off conflict between students. It is behaviour that is repeated over time, is intended to cause harm and involves an imbalance of power.

At our school, we encourage students to speak up if they are worried about themselves or someone else. We want all students to know that seeking help is a sign of strength, and there are always trusted adults available to support them.

Thank you again to our Junior School Council for their leadership and courage in addressing such an important topic. Their message was a powerful reminder that even small acts of kindness and inclusion can make a significant difference in someone’s day.

Prep Science Incursion

Jump Rope for Heart