With this being our first newsletter for term 2, I’d like welcome everyone back for another term of learning at Boronia Heights. The first three weeks have been filled with plenty of extra-curricular events that enrich the learning experiences of the children. In week 1, we had the Cyber Safety Project visit the school to talk to the kids about staying safe online. This was followed by a professional learning session for teachers. In week 2, the Year 4s went to Cranbourne Botanic Gardens as part of their Geography unit. There are many events scheduled this term so please keep an eye on Compass alerts and the newsletter for more info.
Attendance Tracker update
Here’s how our attendance is tracking so far this year:
ANZAC Service
In my opinion, one of the most important historical and cultural events that children need to learn about is the story of our ANZACs. That’s why this year I decided to bring back an ANZAC Day service at the school. The service was co-lead by me and the school captains, who did a remarkable job of respecting the ANZAC Day order of service.
Each year, I reflect on the bravery of the men and women who serve our country in the armed services. I think about the first ANZAC soldiers in 1915, many of whom were young men in their late teens, who went across the vastness of the Indian Ocean aboard ships not knowing their destination. I often think about their families who saw them off from the shores of Australia, wondering if they’ll ever see their faces again. It’s their sacrifice that is so important to commemorate each year.
If you happen to be around the office area at school, please take a moment to look at the wreaths the children made for ANZAC Day. You’ll find them beneath the flags in the entrance way to the main office. They’ve done an incredible job of showing their respect through the laying of wreaths.
Coffee Cup recycling
We’re lucky to have some lovely little cafes near our school that serve good coffee. Trust me, I’ve had quite a few since I arrived at the school. Something that our grade 3 teacher, Ms Maxwell, noticed when she came to the school this year was that the coffee cups were going straight to landfill. She is a passionate environmentalist and knew we could do better, so she arranged to get three coffee cup receptacles placed around the school so we can send them off to be recycled. If you’re around the school and have finished your coffee or hot chocolate, I’d encourage you to place the empty one in the receptacle in the foyer to the main office once. This will go a long way to reducing landfill waste.
Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy update
Recently the staff participated in a professional learning session with the Cyber Safety Project. In this session, there were discussions about taking photographs and video recordings of the students, which we often do for our newsletters and publicity of school events to our community. The question asked was, “Do we seek consent from the children to take their photo and use it around the school?” On reflection, we always ask parents if it’s OK for photos and videos of their children to be taken, but we didn’t seek specific consent from the children as much as we should.
This issue was discussed at the last School Council meeting, and it was great to hear the perspectives of council members. As a result of this discussion, School Council will be amending the Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy to include a statement about seeking specific consent from children for the use of photo or video and its intended purpose.
School Council also recognised that parents and family members want to capture important moments in their children’s lives while at school. Many happy memories are made at school, and photos/videos are great ways of reliving special events. However, it is important to know that we have children at school who cannot have their photo taken and published. Our message to parents is that we are fine with you taking pictures of your own child/ren, but please ensure you don’t publish on social media or share images of other children. We have a very respectful school community and I’m confident that we can follow this practice in the best interest of the children and their families.
Education Week
Education Week will be happening between Monday 13th and Friday 17th May. This year’s theme is “Spotlight on STEAM”. The main event for Education Week is our Open Morning which is happening from 9am to 10:40am on Wednesday 15th May. Parents and family members are welcome to join us for the morning activities.
Year 6 Camp
Students and teachers in Year 6 head off to camp on Monday morning and returning on Wednesday. As in previous years, the kids will be going to Campaspe Downs near Kyneton where they will do activities such as low ropes, giant swing, flying fox, canoeing and archery. I’m sure they have an absolute ball.
Kind regards,
Mat Anderton
Principal