Boneo Buzz: 19th August

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week, parents received a link to complete the 2022 Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training designed to assist us in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of our school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. We encourage all of our families to participate in this survey. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies through our School Council. It takes 20 minutes and we appreciate the 29 families who have already completed this survey. We are aiming for 200 families to participate so please log in using your code and give us your feedback.

Please connect with us at the following events this term:

Book Fair from Monday 22nd August to 25th August – 3.20pm – 4pm

Share the Joy of Learning through Mathematics – Friday 26th August following Assembly. Please join your child/ren in the morning and have some fun playing Mathematics games.

Year 4 BYOD Information Meeting – online 6:30pm Monday 5th September

2023 Prep Information Evening onsite 6:30pm Tuesday 6th September

House Footy Day Friday 16th September 8:45 am – Parent Egg and Bacon breakfast. Wear your footy colours, join us for a morning of footy activities to celebrate the end of Term 3.

 Year 3 – Cranbourne Botanic Gardens

On Tuesday, the Year 3 cohort rode a luxury coach to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Cranbourne to participate in the ‘Seed to Tree’ workshop. This expansive gardens showcases a variety of Australian Flora and is home to some native animals too.

We learned that the gardens are a habitat for Wombats, Wallabies, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, and the Southern Brown Bandicoot, as well as an abundance of beautiful bird life. Students were invited to be curious and observant as we mindfully moved through the gardens – either exploring the grounds or guided in groups by the ranger Brigitte – some were even fortunate enough to spot the timid and elusive Southern Brown Bandicoot. One group observed a Bowerbird gathering fallen blooms to decorate it’s nest. Another group found a carnivorous trigger plant in full bloom and learned how it has a clever mechanism to assist in pollination.

During the interactive ‘Seed to Tree’ workshop, students examined the skulls and scats of various wildlife and learned how to track and identify animals according the shape and aroma of the scats found in the environment. Did you know that wombat scat is cube-like, and that the Koala’s refuse is actually rather ‘’refreshing’’, smelling inoffensively like crushed eucalyptus?!

They also inspected various seed pods and found out the fascinating fact that some plant species actually rely upon fires for their pods to open. Students now acknowledge that controlled burning has been used by First Nations Australians for many thousands of years to support healthy habitats and stimulate seeding cycles.

In one section of the garden students were awed by the astonishingly ancient giant grass trees (some in excess of 400 years old!) that play an important role in the fire harvesting of seeds. In the bush tucker section of the gardens, the children were excited to draw inspiration for a proposed improvement to the current school kitchen gardens; sampling saltbush and finger blood-lime (foraged for not picked!).

Brigitte explored the understanding of the role that trees play in our environment to produce healthy air, soil and waters. Many of the children delighted in being ‘tree-huggers’ to show our gratitude for all the things they do for our planet.

The children repotted their Cut Leaf Daisies in biodegradable, self-composting pots as souvenirs, before loading onto the coach for the return trip to Boneo. The day of bush walks and biodiversity ensured a few nodded off; surely dreaming of Gondwana gardens and wombat burrows!