Dear Parents and Carers,

Next week, following assembly, we are excited to open our classrooms for our Share the Joy of Learning morning. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to visit classrooms and see learning in action.

At our school, we deeply value the partnership between home and school. Strong relationships with our families help create the best possible learning environment for our students, and opportunities like this allow us to celebrate learning together. Prep families are invited to head straight into their child’s classroom from 9:00am. After assembly, you are warmly welcome to visit siblings’ classrooms as well.

To make the morning even more enjoyable, a coffee van will be onsite for adult visitors who would like to purchase a hot drink.

We warmly invite you to join us and look forward to sharing this special morning together.

School Council

A friendly reminder that School Council nominations are now open, and we encourage families to consider becoming involved. School Council plays an important role in shaping the direction of our school and supporting the best possible outcomes for all students. It is a rewarding opportunity to work alongside staff and other parents, contribute to key decision-making and help guide the future of our school community. Parent representatives form the majority of Council, ensuring families have a strong and valued voice in school governance.

We would love to see members of our community nominate and be part of this important work.

Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

Hello Boneo families! I’m Ash and I am here to introduce myself as Boneo’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL). This is a new position at Boneo Primary and my role is to assist with implementing the statewide role out of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative.

What is MHiPS? 

Mental Health in Primary Schools is an initiative developed by paediatricians, educators, psychologists, researchers, and teachers. This team consists of representatives from the Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne. The MHiPS initiative upskills experienced teachers to become Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders and aims to increase the capacity of Victorian primary schools to support the mental health of their students.

Why do Victorian schools need MHiPS?

Alarmingly, 20% of Australian children experience mental health difficulties that affect their daily living. In addition to this, 1 in 12 children aged 4-11 years have a diagnosed mental health disorder.

The Royal Children’s Hospital conducted a National Child Health Poll in 2023 and found;

• While 83% of children reported overall high satisfaction or happiness with life, 17% reported low levels of satisfaction or happiness.
• 16% (1 in 6) of children aged 8-13 have symptoms of anxiety. Younger children (aged 8-9) report more anxiety than older children. Anxiety is more common in girls and children in regional areas.
• 44% of parents said their child was “just coping” with life, with 10% struggling to cope or not coping.
• 1 in 4 have symptoms of depression
• Children with a neurodevelopmental disorder such as Autism or ADHD are more likely to experience a mental health condition.

Children’s mental health is fundamental to their development and learning. Students who experience good mental health have a positive sense of wellbeing, can cope with challenges and are able to realise their own potential. Unfortunately, as highlighted above, not all children experience good mental health. Schools are an ideal platform for promoting children’s mental health and wellbeing. Yet, without the appropriate resourcing and dedicated training and support, it can be challenging for teachers to navigate increasing mental health concerns in the classroom.

So, what does the MHWL do?

My job is quite different to a counsellor, psychologist or Student Support Services officer. My role is not clinical, and it is not designed for direct intervention. Instead, my task is to work with school staff to build their capacity to recognise and navigate mental health concerns in their students and aid in ‘getting a child to care’ once a teacher or other staff member identifies a mental health or wellbeing concern in the classroom.

As part of this role, I also participate in comprehensive professional learning, network with other professionals, including schools and community service providers. I participate in some classroom activities and attend meetings with staff, students and families to provide further information about how we can best support our students and families mental health and wellbeing.

I have really enjoyed getting to know the Boneo community this term and I look forward to continuing in this role throughout 2026. Keep your eyes peeled for more MHiPS articles in the coming weeks!

Digital Wellbeing for Families Workshop

I am pleased to invite our parents and carers to a Digital Wellbeing for Families Workshop hosted online by The Resilience Project on Wednesday 11th March, 6:30-7:30pm (60 minutes).

This one-hour webinar guides parents and carers to reflect on their family’s digital wellbeing, before diving into practical strategies to create healthy habits online and strengthen connections at home.

By the end of the session, parents and carers will:

• Understand the latest research on screen time and its impact on individual and collective wellbeing in the home.
• Have a list of strategies to enhance their own digital wellbeing as a parent to role model to their children.
• Feel equipped to support their child’s device usage without screen shaming, banning or removing devices.

Please individually register for the webinar using the link that was posted to you via Compass.

Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email that includes the Zoom link and a calendar invitation.

Womin Djeka Festival

Swimming Carnival

Ngawak Biik Indigenous Junior Ranger Program