Bernadette will be taking two weeks leave and will be away from March 23rd to April 2nd. Jackie Haines will be Acting Principal. Jackie works with the DET Academy in Bendigo, has experience as a principal, knows and loves our little school and will be a great addition for the final two weeks of this term.

Grade 5/6 Learning Update

This term has been filled with curiosity, creativity, and hands-on learning in Grade 5/6. In literacy, we have been working on creative narratives, with a particular focus on short stories. We have recently read a variety of short stories in class, which have prompted us to explore student wonderings including “How short is the shortest story ever?”, “What is the purpose of a short story?”, and “How can you still be descriptive with a shorter word count?”. Check out these spooky short stories authored by Orlo and Ramona. 

THE WATCHER

I wake up. There’s dirt all over my clothes. I look around and all I see is trees and fog for miles. I stand up and get my bearings, and then I hear a sound. “Oh, it’s just a little squirrel,” I say. I start preparing as I see it’s about to turn night. I climb a tree and see there’s a clearing and a town just over the river. I use some of my spare clothes to make a bed. I pass out because of exhaustion. I wake up. My watch is about to die but it says it’s one o’clock in the morning. I hear a rustle in a bush. I prepare for it to just be a squirrel but then BAM! A five metre tall creature knocks me to the ground, giving me a big scratch on my left cheek. And out comes the Watcher. I start running for my life, every breath I get more tired but my body urges me forward. I see more light. It’s a clearing ahead! If I just get over there I can make it. I get there. I want to check to see if it’s still coming but I pass out. I wake up in my backyard. It’s so strange. One minute I was in a clearing and now I’m back here. I decide to go back to the forest, but when I go there construction crews are boarding it up. But then I see on the far away wall the hole I used to go through. It’s covered up. But then I see a new hole. Maybe it’s a sign to go back.

By Orlo

Midnight 

By: RAMONA

As the evening light had been swallowed by darkness, and the moon beams gleamed through the shadowy, tangled trees, the speckled stars painted the sky with their sparkles, all of the shadows came to life and danced and swayed in the icy breeze. As the frozen air breathed through the woods it made it seem almost dead silent except for the sound of the midnight creatures cries in the now pitch-black darkness of it all. As midnight grew closer the forest grew soundless, and as it struck midnight it became silent… THE END

In maths, we have been having fun exploring the concept of probability. A highlight for many students was playing a chance-based dice‑rolling game, where students had to calculate the most likely number sum of two six‑sided dice and place counters on a mat accordingly. This game was a great link into understanding the difference between theoretical and experimental probability, as students realised that the most likely theoretical outcome did not always align with the sums rolled in their game. Students have enjoyed testing their predictions and coming up with new strategies to win the game. 

We have also been super lucky to enjoy some fabulous outdoor learning experiences with Serena in our sustainability classes. These have included creating our own living compost terrarium for the classroom, birdwatching (and listening), and using microscopes to explore tiny natural treasures. Check out these baby yabbies we got to hang out with last week! Students have loved getting hands‑on with nature and are evercurious about the rich ecosystems right on our doorstep.

Volunteer Inductions

As part of our Child Safety obligations, all volunteers must complete an induction every twelve months. Please come to one of our sessions and bring your Working With Children Check card and drivers licence. Please note the originals need to be sighted. 

If you have not completed a Volunteer induction at the prep transition day or this year, please contact the office to arrange a time as soon as possible.

Brekkie Club 8:30-8:50am sharp!

Thanks to all our brekkie club helpers for assisting us with this!

We ask families who are using this service to make sure your child is at school by 8:40am so they have time to get and eat their brekkie prior to class.

Thanks for helping us!

Strengthening number sense at home  Resources for parents and carers

The Department of Education has developed a set of resources for parents and carers of Foundation to grade 2 students.

The Strengthening number sense at home resources show you what number sense looks like in the classroom. 

They provide simple advice and family activities you can do at home, at the supermarket and at the park to strengthen your child’s number sense. 

To see the full set of resources visit: Mathematics and numeracy at home.

Outside School Hours Care

The service has changed due to lack of numbers and difficulty of staffing. It is currently being run Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. The school has been informed that 6 students are needed to make this service operational on other days of the week.  This is a great concern and Bernadette is working with the company to see if there is anything we can do. If you can check in with other parents to see what you can coordinate so that we can get this happening on other days that would be appreciated. Please contact Bernadette if you are able to assist in organising a coordinated approach for building numbers. We know this is an important service for future parents considering enrolling. 

Sushi

Register for Sushi https://schoollunchonline.com.au/

We have sushi 3 times each term. 

Next Friday is our first one for the year.

Orders must be placed by Thursday 5pm.

Songlines and Seasons Exhibition

Dumawul, Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo  (Finishing soon!)

Gullies Walk

Great news that Post Office Hill Action Group (POHAG) have completed the new walking track named 'Gullies Walk' behind the school within the reserve. This loop track takes you through both Poverty and Golden gullies, with a side track to the indigenous rock wells/rock bridge area at the rear of the school.

The track is marked with yellow capped posts and a map can be found by scanning the attached QR code, or the QR code sticker on the post next to the eastern side school carpark (where the track starts).

There is a range of amazing flora & fauna to be spotted on this walk and it changes so much seasonally and also according to the time of day.

Scan the QR codes to see some of the

observations made within the reserve on eBird and iNaturalist, and feel free to add your own to these project pages.

Enjoy,

Joel Bloom & POHAG

Yoorook: a message from Travis Lovett

Thank you for being one of thousands of people who joined me on the Walk for Truth last year.

From Portland to Parliament, people from all walks of life came together to listen, learn and act in solidarity with First Peoples. It was such a powerful way to amplify the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s truth-telling work: recording the lived experiences of First Peoples in Victoria and charting a course forward for action, healing and justice.

Bernadette, you and I both know that we can only be our best and create a country where everyone can thrive when we listen and acknowledge the truth of our past and present. Now more than ever, First Peoples’ truths must be heard - not just in one community or region, but right across the country.

That’s why this year, I’ll be walking again - and inviting everyone to join the National Walk for Truth from Naarm to Canberra.

Before we lace up our shoes and get walking this April, we’re calling on mob and allies everywhere to help show the huge public support for a national truth-telling process by signing our open letter.

We are a nation built on stories. The ancient stories of this land carried for countless generations and the newer stories, which too often begin in 1788 and leave out the violence, dispossession and survival that followed. A country that turns away from the truth of its own beginnings cannot be at peace with itself. A country that silences the voices of First Peoples cannot claim to be fair or just.

Truth-telling is not about blame. It is about healing. It is about finally listening to those who have carried memory and hurt, culture and resistance, through invasion, frontier war, stolen children, stolen land, prisons and policies that have too often treated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a problem to be managed rather than as sovereign peoples to be respected. Truth-telling is an act of respect and an act of national repair.

When we face the truth with open hearts, we can build a better future together for us all. This is why we are walking.

Truth-telling cannot remain scattered and fragile, held only in commissions, courtrooms, archives, or the memories of those who remember. It must become national. It must be embedded in our laws, our institutions, our schools, our media and our public life, supported by a clear, resourced process that honours and builds on the work already done. 

Making that a reality is going to take all of us.

I look forward to keeping in touch with you over the coming months with more ways to take action as momentum grows.

Wuuwook,

Travis Lovett for the Walk for Truth movement

 First Peoples connections and information

You can find out more about Yoorrook here

https://yoorrookjusticecommission.org.au/ and Four Corners have an excellent program on Yoorrook. 

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/four-corners/series/2025/video/NC2503H008S00 

You may have heard that Djaara have begun Treaty negotiations with the Victorian government.