Dear Parents and Carers,

Developing strong writing skills is a key priority at our school. Writing is much more than putting words on a page – it is how students communicate ideas, explain their thinking, tell stories and demonstrate their learning across every area of the curriculum. Our teachers have been working together to continue to strengthen writing instruction across the school using a consistent approach that explicitly teaches students how to become confident, capable writers.

One area of particular focus throughout the year is sentence construction and vocabulary development. Strong writing begins with strong sentences. Students are learning how to write complete, well-structured sentences and to carefully choose words that make their writing more precise, interesting and engaging for their reader. As students build their vocabulary, they are also building their ability to think, communicate and express themselves with greater confidence.

Families play an important role in supporting writing development, and everyday conversations provide wonderful opportunities to build these skills. You might ask:

• What is one word you learned today that was new or interesting?
• If you were writing a story about today, what would the opening sentence be?

You can also help expand your child’s vocabulary by encouraging them to think of more interesting or precise words. For example:

• Instead of big, could it be enormous, towering, gigantic or massive?
• Instead of said, could it be whispered, exclaimed, replied or muttered?
• Instead of happy, could it be delighted, thrilled, relieved or proud?

Simple writing experiences at home can also make a big difference. You may choose to encourage your child to:

• write a shopping list or recipe;
• write a postcard, letter or email to a family member;
• create a comic strip or comic dialogue;
• write instructions for a game or activity; or
• invent an alternative ending to a favourite book.

Every conversation, every new word and every opportunity to write helps strengthen your child’s confidence as a communicator. Together, by working in partnership, we can help every child develop the skills they need to become thoughtful, capable and enthusiastic writers.

Growing Our School Environment

This week we are excited to be planting a number of new trees throughout our school grounds thanks to the generosity of two of our wonderful Boneo Primary School families.

Our sincere thanks go to our wonderful teacher Mrs Barnett and her family Warren, Zoe and Maya, and to Dali B, Zoe and Cameron, for their generous donations of trees to our school. These contributions will enhance our beautiful grounds for many years to come. The planting will take place with the support of Mrs Barnett’s class, along with Mrs Jones and her TREC students, providing a wonderful opportunity for students to play an active role in caring for and improving our environment.

The timing of these generous donations is especially fitting as they coincide with National Tree Planting Day, reminding us of the important role we all play in caring for our environment and creating sustainable spaces for future generations. These trees will provide shade, beauty and habitat for years to come and will become a lasting part of our school. We encourage all students to help care for our new trees by respecting the planting areas and taking pride in looking after our shared environment.

On behalf of our entire school community, thank you to both families for your generosity and for leaving a lasting legacy that future Boneo Primary School students will enjoy for many years to come.

NAPLAN Reports

NAPLAN student reports were posted to Year 3 and Year 5 families this week. Parents and carers also received a Compass notification advising that the reports had been mailed.

If you have any questions about your child’s NAPLAN report or achievement, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher. Alternatively, you may wish to discuss your child’s results during your Parent Teacher Interview next week.

2027 Prep Enrolments

If you have a little person at home starting school next year – please note that Prep 2027 enrolments are due by Friday 31 July. These enrolments are completed through the Victorian Students Portal: https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/

Holiday Absences

A friendly reminder for families that if your child will be absent from school due to a family holiday during the school term, a Leave of Absence form must be completed through the school office.

In line with Department of Education requirements, family holidays taken during the school term require Principal approval. Completing the required paperwork ensures that your child’s absence is correctly recorded and that the school is meeting its attendance obligations.

If you are planning a holiday during the school term, please contact our office staff, who will be happy to assist you with the required documentation.

Boneo Community Market AGM – We’d Love Your Support

The Boneo Community Market plays an important role in supporting our school as a major fundraiser and connection to community, and we warmly invite families to attend the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on August 17^th at 5.30pm in our school staffroom. Whether you have been involved for many years, are simply interested in learning more or have some new ideas, your attendance and support would be greatly appreciated.

Community events like the Boneo Community Market thrive because of the generosity of volunteers. As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work,” and even a small contribution of time can make a significant difference.

I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of several members of our community.

A very special thank you to Sarah Chambers, whose work leading the market’s social media campaign has been nothing short of phenomenal. Sarah’s creativity, commitment and enthusiasm have helped strengthen the market’s presence and promote this wonderful community event to a wider audience.

An equally heartfelt thank you to Sarah Brown, whose dedication to the market is truly invaluable. From taking booking enquiries and assisting with set-up to the early morning starts each market day, Sarah’s willingness to step in wherever needed and her tireless commitment play an essential role in the market’s ongoing success.

We would also like to thank Katie Reid and Stauart McLean, whose ongoing support and willingness to lend a hand are greatly appreciated. The Boneo Community Market is a true community effort, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who contributes their time, skills and energy to ensure each market is a success. If you have ever considered becoming involved, now is a wonderful time. The success of the Boneo Community Market depends on the support of our community, and we would love to welcome some new volunteers. Whether you can contribute regularly or just occasionally, every helping hand makes a difference.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Boneo Community Market. Your time, energy and generosity help strengthen our school and our wider community.

Welcome to Our New Staff

We are delighted to welcome several new members to the Boneo Primary School team.

A warm welcome back to Teresa Garland, who joins our Wellbeing Team. Teresa brings a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for supporting student wellbeing, and we know she will be a wonderful addition to our school community. For many of our families, Teresa will be a familiar face, having previously worked at Boneo Primary School. We are so pleased to welcome her back and look forward to the positive impact she will continue to have on the wellbeing of our students.

We also welcome two new Education Support staff members, Emma King and Andrea Jooste. We look forward to the positive contribution they will make to the learning and wellbeing of our students.

Please join me in making Teresa, Emma and Andrea feel welcome as they become part of the Boneo Primary School community.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. Together, we continue to create a school where every child is known, valued and supported to thrive.

Year 5 – Sovereign Hill Excursion

It was dark and the air was crisp when the Year 5 students entered the bus early on Wednesday morning. The coach doubled as a time machine, as the students ventured 170 years into the past to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Ballarat Goldfields of 1850.

The students explored the mines and learned of the trials of early mining practices and life on the goldfields.

They examined artifacts common to the diggers and their families and discovered the thrill of finding gold at the bottom of their gold pan! EUREKA! And of course no trip to Sovereign Hill is complete without sampling the wares of the confectionary shop!

A Huge thank you to staff and parent volunteers to made the day a success! 

Year 3 Book Fair 

During Term 2, students completed the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish a narrative or a piece of writing of their choice. They focused on improving organisation and sentence fluency before publishing their work in Google Slides with illustrations and a blurb.

On Monday, students proudly showcased their finished books at the Book Launch, where families and the school community celebrated their achievements.

Environmental TREC group to celebrate Schools National Tree Day