Dear Families,

I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable school holiday period, whether you stayed local or ventured further afield. It has been wonderful reconnecting with so many students this week and hearing their stories about the holidays. It seems like everyone has settled back into school really well.

Term Four is traditionally a busy term, although it feels like we say that about every term! We have so many fun activities planned. The school calendar is full of events, and you can find all the details on Compass and our website. This morning, some staff were already discussing our Christmas evening, which is planned for December 4th. It will also be the night our Year Five students host their Kidpreneur Market. I’ve seen some of the students' ideas, and I’m confident it’s going to be a fantastic and fun evening for all!

We are also very pleased to welcome Krissy Hall to our Year Five teaching team. Krissy was most recently at Orrvale Primary School, and we’re thrilled to have her join us this term. She’s enjoyed getting to know the students and staff and is looking forward to ensuring our Year Five students have a strong finish to the year.

Over the holidays, we started some minor maintenance work on our Middle School building. We’ve installed new windows and external doors in three classrooms. The contractors are still finishing up this week, installing concrete landing areas and stairs to allow direct access to the classrooms from outside. You may notice some temporary fencing around this area over the next couple of weeks. However, we’ve planned the work carefully to minimise any disruptions.

Our front oval hasn’t bounced back as quickly as we’d hoped following the recent laser leveling and reseeding work completed before the holidays. As a result, the front oval will remain out of action for at least another week to give the grass the best chance of re-establishing itself. Despite this, we’ve noticed that the other areas of the school haven’t felt crowded, which really highlights how fortunate we are to have such spacious grounds for our students to play in.

I’d also like to remind everyone that, due to ongoing safety concerns, the two access gates at the front of the school will be partially closed to allow pedestrian access only between 2:30 pm and 4:00 pm. Please remember to follow the signs on Bourchier Street and ensure that vehicles are not left unattended in the Kiss and Go area at both pick-up and drop-off times.

Thank you for tuning in to our first newsletter of the term. I hope your children are settling back into school smoothly. If you have any suggestions on how we can further improve our school or would like to chat about anything, I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to get in touch to arrange a time to catch up.

Take care,

Gary Darma

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.

In week 10 the grade 1 and 2 students enjoyed a puppet show as part of our inquiry unit on light and sound where we have been learning about shadow puppets.

Dear Families

As Spring approaches our Kitchen Garden is blooming and the Grade 3/4s are working hard producing yummy vegies to use in our kitchen!

We have been incredibly fortunate this year to have secured Bunnings as a major supplier, with thanks to Sarah Batho, and our garden is looking amazing!

We are seeking some help! Firstly we are on the hunt for some large tubs ( thinking fruit bins or large barrels) to put some of our larger trees into. If you have any that you could donate we would be so grateful!!

Also if anyone in our community who has a green thumb would like to be involved in our garden

(weeding, planting, advising) please contact our front office for more information!

We would love your help to further establish our community garden!

Thank you

Grade 3/4 Team

Dear Parents and Families,

Our school is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair on Monday 14th to Friday 18th October before and after school in our school library.

Book fair opening hours:

8:15am - 8:45am

3:15pm - 4:00pm

Monday 14/10/2024 - Friday 18/10/2024

Our Book Fair is a family event and we would love to see you there!

You and your child will have the opportunity to explore a huge range of affordable books featuring characters and subjects kids love and want to read about. From newly released books and bestsellers to award-winning titles and perennial favourites.

This is also a great way for you to learn about and discuss your child's interests and every book sold benefits our school, adding resources to our library and classrooms.

Scholastic Book Fairs help us show students the wonder of reading. After all, when kids choose their own books, they will be more excited to read, and they will naturally read more!

The School Saving Bonus provides a one-off $400 to help Victorian families cover the costs of their kids’ school uniforms, textbooks, excursions and activities.

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS MUST BE UP TO DATE

We need to ensure your contact information is up to date as the Department of Education will email you twice:

• in October, to verify your email address
• in November, with your $400 School Saving Bonus.

Please check your junk mail regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers or visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.

To help with budgeting, we've included a suggested payment schedule. You have the option to pay the full camp fee upfront or follow the payment schedule, as long as the camp is fully paid by final payment date.

This plan makes it easier for families to plan ahead and help manage finances.

Year 6 camp details are still to be finalised, but dates of camp are listed below for you to mark on calendar.

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

• $ 128.00 – 11th October 2024 - Deposit

• $ 90.00 – 8th November 2024 – Second Payment

• $ 90.00 – 6th December 2024 – Third Payment

• $ 62.00 - 21st February 2025 – FINAL PAYMENT

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

• $115.00 – 20th September 2024 – Deposit

• $115.00 – 8th November 2024 – Second Payment

• $110.00 – 21st February 2025 – FINAL PAYMENT

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

• $150.00 – 20th September 2024 – Deposit

• $120.00 – 8th November 2024 – Second Payment

• $120.00 – 6th December 2024 – Third Payment

• $90.00 – 21st February 2024 – FINAL PAYMENT

PLANNING IN PROGRESS FOR YR 6

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

As the cold weather arrives, so do coughs, colds, stomach bugs and other respiratory illnesses.
It is important that we practice good hygiene, such as washing our hands, hand sanitiser, and using tissues when we cough or sneeze.
If your child is away due to sickness, please update their absence via our Compass App.

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.

Parent payment can be made via QKR

Parent payment $220 per student

Excursion Levy $80 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

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 BSPS24

If you would like more information on the program, please visit the BYOD page on our website or open the attached BYOD toolkit for parents.

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!

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