Dear Parents and Carers,

Our much-loved ‘Family, Food and Fun Night’ is just around the corner, Friday 20th March, and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone for an evening full of connection, laughter and community spirit. This is always a highlight on the school calendar and a wonderful opportunity for families, students and staff to come together outside the classroom.

The evening will be filled with delicious food, fun activities, games and class stalls, creating a vibrant atmosphere where children can play, families can relax and our community can spend time together. Events like this are a great reminder of what makes our school so special – the strong sense of belonging and support we share.

‘Family, Food and Fun Night’ is also one of our major fundraisers for the school, with money raised going directly back into programs and resources that support the learning and wellbeing of our students. Your support genuinely does make a difference.

To help make the night a success, we need the support of our wonderful parent and carer community. Each class will be running a stall, and families can volunteer to help via Compass. The great news is that each volunteer time slot is only 30 minutes, so even a small amount of time can make a big difference in helping the evening run smoothly.

If you are able to lend a hand, please jump onto Compass and sign up for a time that suits you. Your support helps ensure this event remains a fun and successful tradition for our school community.

We can’t wait to see you there for a fantastic night of family, food and fun!

Every day at school matters

I know I’ve shared this message before, but it’s one that is always worth repeating – every day at school matters.

As parents and educators, we all want the very best for our children. A strong education opens doors, builds confidence and creates opportunities for the future, and regular school attendance is a key part of that.

Each day in the classroom is carefully planned so that learning builds on what has come before. When students miss school, even for what may seem like a small amount of time, they can miss important explanations, discussions and learning experiences that are difficult to fully recreate. Over time, these absences can add up and impact both progress and confidence. There really isn’t a “safe” number of days to miss – every day away is a day of learning, connection and growth that can’t be replaced.

Being at school every day also supports children socially and emotionally. Regular attendance helps students strengthen friendships, develop consistent routines and feel a strong sense of belonging within their classroom community.

Of course, we understand that illness and exceptional circumstances do arise, and children should absolutely stay home when they are genuinely unwell. However, wherever possible, we encourage families to prioritise school attendance and try to schedule appointments or family events outside of school hours.

Every day counts. Every lesson counts.

And every child’s future is strengthened by being at school, every day.

NAPLAN Update

Congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students for a fantastic start to the NAPLAN assessments this week. We are very proud of the calm, focused and positive way students approached their testing.

NAPLAN will continue into next week, and we encourage students to keep getting a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy breakfast and arriving at school ready to do their best.

Well done to all of our students for the effort and resilience they have shown so far.

Carpark safety

A reminder to all families that the safety of our students is our highest priority, particularly during busy drop-off and pick-up times. Our pick-up and drop-off areas can become very congested, so we ask all drivers to please move slowly, stay alert and follow all signage and directions. This includes entering via Boneo Road or Limestone Road and exiting via Limestone Road only.

Families may wish to use the parking available along Limestone Road, beside the oval on Boneo Road and at the back of the oval. Using these spaces and walking a short distance can help reduce traffic in the main car park areas. Please do not double park or stop illegally for students to run across the car park. Please also remind children not to walk between parked cars. We also ask families to avoid parking illegally, e.g., double parking in the car parks near the tennis club.

The accessibility parking spaces are reserved for those who require them. Please ensure these parks remain available for community members with accessibility needs.

By working together and taking a little extra care, we can ensure our parking areas remain a safe space for everyone in our school community.

Thank you for your support.

Prep enrolments 2027

I can’t believe that we are already planning for 2027 and are running school tours. If you have a friend or family member who would like to enrol their child for prep at Boneo PS for 2027, please let them know to contact our office on 5988 6253 to book a tour.

Small Group School Tours

Wednesday 25th March 9.30am

Thursday 14th May 9.30am

Monday 20th May 5.30pm Parent Information Evening

Tuesday 26th May 9.30am

Tuesday 9th June 5pm

Friday 12th June 9.30am – Story Time with Author Sheila Knaggs

Monday 22nd June 9.30am

Womin Djeka Festival tomorrow

A reminder that tomorrow Boneo PS will be involved in the Womin Djeka Community Festival. Our students have created artwork in response to the text ‘Journey of the Iilk’, and a selection of this work will be exhibited at the festival. Please see below for details. We hope to see you there!

A message from the organisers:

Join us as we gather for the Womin Djeka Balnarring Ngargee on Saturday 14th March 2026 from 10am – 5pm.

This is a fantastic family-friendly community festival, celebrating and honouring First Peoples cultures and contributions. Held under the Stringybark gums at Emu Plains Reserve on Boon Wurrung Country

There will be a Welcome to Country, incredible entertainment, Caring for Country organisations, First Nations organisations, cultural workshops, a children’s area, Schools Project, food and craft stalls.

When – Saturday, 14 March 2026 | 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Location – Emu Plains Reserve, Coolart Road, Balnarring, 3926

Harmony Week

Next week we will be recognising Harmony Week (17–24 March), a time to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity and the importance of inclusion, respect and belonging for everyone.

To mark the occasion, we invite students and families to wear a splash of orange on Friday 20th March during our ‘Family, Food and Fun Night’. Orange is the official colour of Harmony Week and represents social communication, meaningful conversations and mutual respect.

We look forward to celebrating this important week together as a school community.

MHiPS – Dinner Table Chat

Asking open ended questions

Talking together as a family—even if it’s just for a few minutes each day—can make a big difference to children’s wellbeing. These small moments of connection help children feel heard, supported and valued. Over time, regular conversations can build confidence, help children understand their feelings, and strengthen family relationships.

But how often do we ask our children, “How was your day?” only to hear “Good” or “Alright” in return… and nothing more? When we try to dig a little deeper, we sometimes hear that we’re asking “too many questions!” For many children—especially if they’ve had a challenging day at school—the conversation can end as soon as they realise a one-word answer might do the trick.

One way to keep the conversation going is by using open-ended questions. Unlike questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” open questions invite children to think, reflect and share more about their experiences. They help children practise putting their thoughts and feelings into words, while giving parents and carers a better glimpse into what’s happening in their world.

Why not try some of these conversation starters this week? There are no right or wrong answers—just opportunities for great conversations.

· “What was the best part of your day today? Why?”

· “What is something kind you saw or did today?”

· “What’s one thing you’re looking forward to tomorrow?… Why?”

· “Who helped you today, and how?”

· “What was the most interesting part of your day?”

· “What made you laugh or smile today?”

· “Was there something that felt a bit hard today?”

· “Who did you spend the most time with today, and what did you do together?”

· “If you could redo one moment from today, what would it be?”

Tip: Once your child starts sharing, simple follow-up prompts can help the conversation flow:

· “Tell me more about that.”

· “How did that make you feel?”

· “What happened next?”

· “Why do you think that happened?”

· “What was that like for you?”

· “What do you mean by that?”

Taking the time to ask open questions—and really listen to the answers—helps children learn that their thoughts, feelings and experiences matter and gives you further insight into their experiences at school.

-Ash Dorio

Digital Playhouse

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the team at Digital Playhouse for their generous loan of laptops to our school over the past two years. Their support has enabled our students to access valuable digital learning opportunities and engage with technology in meaningful ways.

We are very grateful for their contribution to our learning community.

Family Food and Fun Night

Family, Food and Fun Night preparations are in full swing.

Our priority is to ensure we have enough volunteer support to operate class stalls. Please volunteer for a 30-minute shift via Compass conferences under your child’s class activity.

If you require support, please contact the office.

Wittingslow Amusements will be offering the following rides/activities at the event:

Chair o Plane 

Cup and Saucer 

Giant Slide 

Inflatable Challenge 

Soccer Shootout

Soccer Targets

Ride tickets will be available to purchase from the school office from Monday 16^th March.

Unlimited ride wristbands will be offered at the early bird discount of $25 if purchased before Friday 20^th March.

Ticket prices on the day of the event will be:

Unlimited ride wristband $30

Individual ride tickets $7

Cash and EFT are available for ticket purchases.

The Ranch are very generously supporting our event again this year providing pony rides. Please note that pony rides are not included on the Wittingslow tickets.

The following stalls will be running:

BBQ – sausages

Hot Dogs

Nachos

Chicken Schnitzel Burger Roll

Desserts – Frog in a Pond, Strawberries with chocolate sauce

Fairy Floss/ Popcorn

Drinks / icy poles / choc tops

Fresh Produce

Donut Decorating

Crazy Hair

Lucky Jars

We have been very well supported by our community and will have the following Silent Auction items on offer:

Sea Life Melbourne – family pass valued at $146

Melbourne City Football Club – Jersey & mini soccer ball (2 available) valued at $150

Peninsula Cinemas – Double pass valued at $40

Enchanted Adventure – Family pass valued at $140

Top Fun Shack – 4 person mini golf valued at $56

Moonlit Sanctuary – Family Pass – day admission (2 available) valued at $90

Peninsula Hair studio – De Lorenzo pack – valued at $60

Eagle Ridge Golf  – 4 people with carts (no weekends/ school/public holidays) valued at over $400

Ginger Fox Photography – voucher valued at $200

Searoad Ferries – Return trip with vehicle 2adults/3child valued at $241

Mitre 10 voucher – valued at $250

Ella Bache Rye – skincare and facial valued at $250

MP Glass – mirror valued at $150

Terry White Chemmart Rosebud – hamper valued at over $150

Olive oil hamper – valued at $150

Auction items will carry a reserve bid of 50% of value.

All stalls will be cash only. No cash out facilities available.

EFT available on ride tickets and auction items only.

We also require additional marquees. If you are happy to offer your marquee for the event, please bring it to the office before Thursday. All marquees will be labelled and returned to the office for collection.

We are seeking volunteers to assist during the day on Thursday and Friday prior to the event. If you are available, please visit the office.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school fundraising efforts.

Year 4 – SAKG 

This week in Year 4, some lucky students were chosen to give our school vegetable garden a splash of colour. The students created new signposts for the herbs and vegetables growing in the garden, making it easier to find the ingredients we need when cooking in the Kitchen Garden program.

Students began by designing their signs on paper before painting their designs onto recycled pieces of timber. It was wonderful to see their creativity come to life while also using sustainable materials.

A big thank you to Tyson for supporting the students with their designs and providing the materials. We appreciate your help in bringing this project to life!

4. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In another bowl, mix:

 White sugar

 Brown sugar

 Eggs

 Vanilla

 Greek yogurt

Mix until smooth. It’s okay if it looks a little lumpy.

5. Combine

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir gently until you don’t see flour anymore.

Don’t mix too much — just until combined.

6. Add the Extras

Stir in:

 The grated zucchini

 The chocolate chips

7. Fill the Muffin Cups

Spoon the batter into the muffin liners.

Fill each about 2/3 full.

8. Bake

Bake for 20–24 minutes. To check if they’re ready: Stick a toothpick into the middle, If it comes out

clean, they’re done.

9. Cool

Let the muffins cool before eating.

Enjoy your chocolatey muffins!

Year 6

Year 2 Lighthouse Excursion

On Tuesday, the Year 2’s visited the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. They toured the museum and learnt about the role of the lighthouse keeper, how the lighthouse operated in the past and how it operates now. A highlight was climbing the steps of the lighthouse and imagining what it was once like out at sea.

Year 1 McCrae Homestead

On Wednesday the Year one students visited the McCrae Homestead, where they learned about what life was like for the McCrae family in 1844. During the visit, students discovered how daily life in the home was different from life today. They had lots of fun playing old-fashioned games such as the egg and spoon race and the sack race and even had the opportunity to make their own butter.