Dear Families,

The great start to 2025 has continued, with students settling into their new classrooms, and teachers and students diving into learning programs, and the school buzzing with activity. There’s already been plenty happening, and it’s been great to see everyone getting involved.

During lunch this week, a student made an exciting discovery near the garden beds—a small frog! The little visitor quickly became a topic of interest, with a small group gathering around to get a closer look (from a respectful distance, of course).

After a few moments of observation and some careful detective work about where it might have come from, the frog was gently relocated to a safer spot near the trees. It was a great reminder of the little bits of nature that share our school space and sparked plenty of lunchtime discussions about frogs, their habitats, and the best places for them to hide.

Staff have been busy with professional learning, focusing on our new instructional model, which aligns with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. This includes a stronger emphasis on explicit teaching and structured literacy approaches, ensuring students build solid foundations in reading, writing, and numeracy.

In classrooms, students have been exploring some great topics:

• Foundation: Patterns and early number concepts
• Year 1 & 2: Place value and data collection
• Year 3 & 4: Counting strategies and problem-solving
• Senior School: Analysing data and representing information in different ways

Facilities & Projects

We’re still working through some of the storm damage from late last year, with several projects underway to improve the school grounds. The staffroom deck replacement has been prioritised for safety reasons and is scheduled to be completed over the Labour Day weekend. We’re also looking at improving outdoor learning spaces, including the installation of a Yarning Circle with seating, which will provide a great space for storytelling and discussions.

Wellbeing & Community

Respectful Relationships activities have been a focus in classrooms, helping students develop social awareness and empathy. A recent discussion in some classes explored how emotions can be expressed differently by different people, and why checking in with a friend is sometimes better than assuming how they feel.

A big thank you to all families who attended our Welcome Night—it was fantastic to see so many parents connecting with teachers. If you weren’t able to make it, Parent-Teacher Conferences later in the term will provide another opportunity to chat about your child’s learning.

Looking Ahead

We’ve got a Bunnings BBQ on May 3rd, and we’d love some extra hands on deck. If you can help out, please click the link further down in newsletter to register or get in touch with the office.

It’s been a positive start to the year, and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead. As always, thank you for your support, and we’ll see you around the school.

Kind Regards

Gary Darma | Principal

Bourchier St Primary School

We are excited to introduce our Year 6 Student Voice Leaders (SVL), who are taking on important roles to make a positive impact within our school community.

The Student Voice Leaders play a crucial role in driving positive changes across the school. They work to represent the entire student body, giving their peers a voice in important decisions. Additionally, they help facilitate whole-school events and initiatives, promoting a collaborative and inclusive school environment.

A memorable assembly was held to officially present the Student Voice Leaders and House Leaders with their badges and certificates. We were delighted to welcome Kim O’Keeffe as a guest to join in the special presentation, celebrating these outstanding student leaders.

We are proud of our new leaders and excited to see the positive contributions they will make to our school community!

Last week, our Years 2 and 3 students made a splash at Aquamoves, heading there each day for swimming lessons. It was a big week, and while it was certainly tiring for both students and teachers, the progress we saw was fantastic!

Throughout the week, the children developed new water skills and built their confidence in the water, valuable lessons that will support their safety in and around water for life.

Well done to all our swimmers for their effort and enthusiasm!

We are excited to announce that our Student Learning Conferences will be held on the following dates:

Thursday, 3rd April from 3:30pm to 8:00pm

Friday, 4th April from 8:00am to 1:30pm

It is crucial for every parent/carer to attend the conference with your child. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about your child’s academic, emotional, and social development, as well as to get to know your child’s teacher and discuss how you can collaborate to support your child’s growth.

Booking Details:

All bookings are to be made via Compass.

You will need your username and password to log in and book your appointment. If you need assistance with your login details, please contact the front office for a reset.

Depending on teacher availability, there may be some before or after-school times earlier in that same week. Compass will display all available times.

Additional Information:

Friday is a student-free day, and no school will be held on this day.

TheirCare will be available on Friday for any families who wish to use their service. You can contact TheirCare at info@theircare.com.au.

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you wish to use any portion of the $400 SSB on Camps or Excursions, please note that you must go into the SSB Portal and allocate the money to “Activities”. You are not selecting a specific activity at this stage, rather an amount you wish to have available to use at the school.

Excursion Levy is $100 per child

CAMPS

Y 3 - $370

Y 4 - $340

Y 5 - $480

Y 6 - TBA

We cannot allocate SSB monies to Camps or Excursions unless you have reallocated the funds in the SSB Portal beforehand.

This is a critical step in the process and must be done by each individual family using their secure SSB Portal login details.

The money is not tied to any one child - you can allocate it across multiple children in your family if needed.

The SSB Portal is integrated with the school’s administration system (CASES21) and this allocation is required to allow the school to use the funds on your behalf. The SSB Portal works in $50 increments.

Steps:

1. Decide what portion of the original SSB ($400) you wish to use on Uniforms – if any.

2. In the SSB Portal, reallocate the remainder of the $400 to Activities.

3. Email the school bourchier.ps@education.vic.gov.au (or phone 58 213 488) advising how much allocated and if funds going to Excursion Levy or Camp.

4. This will then enable you to use the funds on any school activities, excursions or camps in the future.

Please note: Any unspent SSB funds at 1 July 2025 will sit in your Family account indefinitely, the funds rollover for use in future years.

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE LOGGIN INTO SSB?

When logging in and it comes up link expired, please use the below link.

Copy your password to paste into this link

https://www.schoolsavingbonus.vic.gov.au/s/

Media Consent Forms were sent to every student.

This form is required to grant permission for your child to be photographed or filmed in various settings, including the school environment, the local community, and broader media platforms.

Once signed, this form will remain valid for the duration of your child’s primary school years at Boucher Street Primary School.

If you are happy for your child to be included in media please tick all three boxes and return.

If you do NOT want your child to be included in all media, please tick boxes you give consent for, sign and return asap.

There is one form per child, so we ask that you complete and return it promptly.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Foundation students will have a modified start to Term 1, with the first six wednesday's off.

Their first full week of school will begin on Monday, 17th March 2025

If you have a NEW Health Care Card, please complete the attached CSEF form.

Families who have a HCC are eligible to claim $150 PER STUDENT for camps, excursions and swimming.

We are so excited to announce we have a Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser booked for Saturday 3rd May!

We are needing volunteers to help cook the BBQ and serve customers.

Whether you can spare 2 hours or the whole day, your help will be greatly appreciated.

If you can help, please click this link https://forms.gle/mcfLxzoZ8thjyr7G9

A well-balanced, nutritious lunch helps children stay focused, energized, and ready to learn throughout the day. We encourage families to pack lunches with a variety of fresh foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein. A good mix of nutrients supports brain function and keeps students feeling their best.

It is important to remind everyone that wearing hats during lunch and recess is compulsory. Being sun smart helps protect students from harmful UV rays, which can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. Lets work together to ensure our students stay sun smart this term.

Please note: You can now go onto the portal and allocate the School Bonus payment to cover the 2025 camp.

2025 YR 4 Melbourne City Camp – 17th – 19th MARCH 2025 - $340

2025 YR 3 Billabong Ranch Camp 28th – 30th April 2025- $370

2025 YR 5 Angahook Camp19th – 21st March 2025 - $480

PLANNING IN PROGRESS FOR YR 6

2025 YR 6 Canberra Camp – 24th – 27th NOVEMBER 2025

Every child is welcome to our Breakfast Program each morning from 8am to 8.45am.

Our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Program allows devices to be brought into the school, and connected to our secure network

Our school has an online BYOD portal organised by JB-Hifi where you can access discounted rates on approved devices. The password is BSPS25

Direct Link: https://byod.jbhifi.education/auth?code=BSPS25 or scan the barcode below.

If you would like more information on the program, please visit the BYOD page on our website.

Bourchier Street Netball Club AGM – We Need YOU!

Our Annual General Meeting is coming up, and we need people to step up and nominate for the committee. Without a committee, netball will not be going ahead this year!

If you love netball and want to see the competition continue, please come along and get involved. No experience is needed—just a passion for the game and a willingness to help.

AGM Date: Monday 24th February

Location: The Aussie Hotel

Time: 7.30pm

Let’s keep netball going for our players, teams, and school community. Tag a friend, spread the word, and see you there! #SupportYourSport #NetballNeedsYou

Is your child interested in playing soccer?

Children of all ages and abilities are welcome and encouraged to play for Bourchier Street Soccer Club.

The 2025 soccer season officially kicks off in Term 2 but sign up needs to be completed before the school holidays.

Keep an eye out here for more information on registrations and fees to come in early March.

Arriving to school on time is crucial for both students and staff. It sets a positive tone for the day, ensures that you don’t miss important instructions or activities, and demonstrates respect for the school community’s time and schedule. Here are a few tips to help ensure timely arrival:

1. Prepare the night before: Lay out clothes, pack your bag, and prepare lunch the night before to avoid morning delays.

2. Set an alarm: This will help give you ample time to get ready and commute to school.

3. Stay organized: Keep track of your schedule and any special activities or events that might require you to arrive earlier than usual.

Being on time helps create a structured and efficient learning environment for everyone involved.

If a parent/guardian needs to pick up their student early from school for an appointment or any other significant reason, please notify your child’s teacher or the front office, with as much notice possible.

Often students are in a specialist program or out of the classroom, so if no notice is given it puts pressure on the office staff when trying to find students whilst answering phones and tending to sick bay.

Please be mindful as we have quite a few students leaving school early which interrupts the classroom as well as their learning time so please avoid this when possible.

Attached below is the costs of the 2025 Parent Payment Arrangements.

Excursion Levy has been increased to $100 which will include a “Major Excursion” so there will now be no extra payment requested. CSEF can be used to cover this – for those who don’t receive CSEF they can use their School Saving Bonus.

Parent payment can be made via QKR

Parent payment $220 per student

Excursion Levy $100 per student

If you have a Health Care Card and claimed CSEF, you will receive $150 credit which can be used for camps and excursions only.

The wearing of school uniform helps children develop a sense of identity with the school community.
The school uniform helps promote a positive image of both students and the school to the general community. The wearing of school uniform promotes equality.

The school uniform is to be worn during school hours, while traveling to and from school, and when the students are on school excursions.

All school uniform must be clearly named so that lost items can be identified.

Jackets and hats can be purchased from the school. Shepparton retail shops stock the entire uniform. The school endeavors to provide pre-loved items at the cheapest possible cost.

Please refer to our Student Dress Code Policy

Please ensure that your child’s, clothes, lunch box, drink bottle and property are CLEARLY named. All named property will be returned to the student in the classroom. Unnamed items will be sent to lost property in the hall foyer.

Please note that the Balaclava Road Child Care Carpark is a private carpark, please avoid parking there at all times.

When your child is absent from school, please log onto the parent portal, COMPASS and enter the absence along with the reason.

You need a username and password which has been distributed to families, but we can easily resend you the logon details by phoning or emailing the front office Bourchier.ps@education.vic.edu.au

Refer to the instructions below

Did you know Bourchier St. has an e-library?

Students are able to borrow books to read on their ipad.
You can access the e-library via the website below:

Search Bourchier St. Primary School
Visit our library
Sign in details will be your child’s cases code and the password is ebook01
Or download the App

Often Bourchier Street communicates to our families via the Compass app, important information of what is happening within the school. Sometimes you are prompted through your email to open important news items. Please make sure your email is up to date, so you do not miss valuable information. Please phone front office 58 213 488 if your email address needs updating. If your child is absent from School, please logon to Compass to document this.

Every family needs to download the Qkr! app which will enable you to pay school payments, purchase hats/jackets, order lunch through the canteen and purchase tickets for special productions etc.

Simply download on your phone and you will see how easy it is to manage!

TOUCH FOOTY - REFER BELOW ATTACHED PDF FOR FAQ'S

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools "Privacy Collection Notice below.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy below, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

Bourchier Street Primary School has a zero tolerance of any form of child abuse. The school is committed to acting in children’s best interests. The safety and wellbeing of children at this school is our highest priority. We want children to be safe, happy and empowered.

Bourchier Street Policies

Email: bourchier.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Website: bourchierps.vic.edu.au
Location: 1-19 Bourchier Street, Shepparton VIC, Australia
Phone: (03) 5821 3488
Facebook: facebook.com/bourchierps
Twitter: @bourchierps