Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

Student Led Conferences
On Monday and Tuesday, we proudly held our student-led parent-teacher interviews - and what a success they were! These conferences place students at the heart of the conversation, empowering them to reflect on their learning, share their progress, and articulate their goals in front of both their teachers and parents/carers.

I value the format of student-led conferences for two key reasons.

Firstly, they are more than just a meeting - they’re a powerful learning experience. Students take ownership of their learning journey and develop important skills in self-reflection, communication, and accountability. When students lead the conversation, they build confidence in their abilities and gain a deeper understanding of their learning progress and next steps.

Secondly, student-led conferences strengthen the partnership between home and school. We know that students thrive when families and educators work together. These interviews provide a unique space for students, parents, and teachers to come together, listen, and support one another. Parents heard directly from their children about their learning, while teachers gained insight into how students view their own growth.

As written reports are released to families this Friday, I hope the student-led interviews have helped shift the focus - from comparison to celebration. They allow each child’s progress to be seen and valued in its own right, without being measured against others or standard benchmarks. My hope is that parents walk away with a deeper appreciation of their child’s unique learning story, celebrating the strengths and growth that were shared during the interviews.

Across all year levels, we saw students take pride in their work, speak confidently about their goals, and clearly understand their achievements and areas for growth. Classrooms were filled with meaningful conversations, shared laughter, and moments of pride. I hope parents left informed, encouraged, and - most importantly - connected.

We are incredibly proud of our students for stepping up to lead these important conversations, especially those who stayed well into the evening to do so. Thank you to our dedicated staff for preparing students so thoughtfully and providing coverage in the student waiting area with endless games of Uno, playdough, drawing and Connect Four.

We look forward to continuing this valuable tradition in future terms.

Building Works
We have seen fast progress over the last two weeks – with the frame and some roofing being installed. It is starting to take shape. We have installed new pads around the poles supporting the new basketball court roofs and hopefully will see progress to the retaining walls on the second basketball court soon, as we are currently at a standstill over the design and prices from architects and builders.

Carline Parking
Please do not park in the median strip along Mills Road. This creates traffic congestion, reduces visibility for normal road traffic and will attract large fines from shire or police. I know the build project has created some headaches for families, but please exercise patience and always be mindful of students.

Please also be mindful of parking on nature strips of nearby houses. The lawns are wet and soft and muddy car tracks form quickly.

Supervised Student Crossing
The conversation between Baw Baw Shire and the Department of Transport and Planning is still happening. We will continue to communicate when further information comes to hand.

Foundation 2026 Enrolments
Our Foundation enrolments close this Friday July 4, we will provide further information to families via post on Friday August 1.

Lockdown Drill
On Tuesday, we had a lockdown practice. We had informed all teachers and students and our focus was teaching students what to do when or it required. Lockdown practices are conducted in schools to ensure the safety and security of students and staff during potential emergencies, such as gas leaks, smoke, nearby criminal activity, or other threats. These drills help prepare everyone to respond quickly and calmly if a real situation occurs. By practicing lockdowns, schools aim to minimise confusion and chaos, reduce risk of harm, and ensure clear communication and procedures are followed. Regular practice builds familiarity with safety protocols, reinforcing a culture of preparedness and helping to protect the wellbeing of the entire school community.  

Important Dates
A reminder that the school term finishes this Thursday, July 3 and school will resume for students on Tuesday July 22.

Wishing all our students, their families and our community members a safe and happy holiday break.

Warm Regards,
Stephen Pitt | Principal

All students will be attending swimming lessons during Term 3, with each class allocated a specific timeslot. Students will participate every day throughout the week. We encourage students to wear their sports uniform, as it is more practical for changing in and out of swimwear. Please ensure your child arrives with their bathers already worn underneath their clothing.

Swimming Schedule:

Foundation and Grade 1 | Tuesday 22nd July to Friday 25th July
Grades 3-6 | Monday 28th July to Friday 1st August 
Grade 2 | Monday 4th August to Friday 8th August 

Please refer to your PAM notification for further details.

What to bring: Bathers, Towel, Underwear, Plastic bag for wet items, Goggles and Swimming Cap (both recommended for comfort and safety).

Make sure all clothing and belongings are clearly labelled. After their lesson, students will change back into their school uniform before returning to class.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher.

As Good As It Gets

If we’ve got into the habit of thinking about the gospel figures as remote and inspirational but not us, then today’s gospel makes us sit up. The twelve apostles are specifically commissioned by Jesus and Peter is appointed leader of the church. That was 2000 years ago, and we understand the Pope is the successor of Peter while the bishops are in the line of the apostles.

But what about the rest of us? Today’s gospel (Lk 10:1-12, 17-20) recounts Jesus appointing others besides the Twelve.  These others are to be His disciples too and they represent all of us. We aren’t members of the Twelve but we’re disciples.  Baptism is the ritual by which we become disciples of Jesus who speaks to these “others” and tells them being a disciple won’t always be easy. Again, he is talking about us.  He is talking to us: women and men, old, young, of whatever status, ethnicity, or background.

And we know about it not being easy! How unfashionable it is to be a disciple today - to lead a Christian life, to stand tall behind core Christian values, defence of the poor and marginalised, of refugees and victims of discrimination, defending the rights of the unborn, while at the same time respecting the dignity of those who don’t respect us. It is hard to be faithful to regular participation in Eucharist and reconciliation when nobody else seems to care. It is hard not to be entrapped by the consumerist, care for nothing world around us. Discipleship is difficult.

But, as our gospel today assures us, we are not alone, we are sent and we wield the power of the Holy Spirit, we are spreading the Good News by our Christian lives and we are assured by our saviour that, “our names are written in heaven.” That is as good as it gets!

Deacon Mark Kelly