Bourchier Mail

Dear Parents and Carers,

Where is the year going!?

As we head into our September school holidays I want to take a moment to reflect on the successes that I have had the privilege of witnessing in our classrooms and through our many community events.

We were thrilled to welcome some of our future Foundation students for 2026 as part of our transition program. Over two afternoon sessions families and their children had the opportunity to connect, ask questions and familiarise themselves with our school. In Term 4 our more formal transition sessions will begin with the first one scheduled for Friday, October 10th.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS:

• Senior Production: Thank you to all the students, staff and families involved in making our Senior School production such a huge success. I was blown away with the enthusiasm and confidence that the Year 5 and 6 students displayed in front of a packed out Eastbank. With over 600 tickets sold online and more sold on the night, the atmosphere was electric and the performances of songs through the decades did not disappoint!

• Athletics: All term students have been honing in on their athletic skills during our Physical Education program and last Friday we saw the culmination of all this practice in a terrific showing at our whole school athletics carnival. Not only were there many notable performances on the track and field but the sportsmanship and encouragement from all participants was something that I was extremely proud of. The house result came down to the wire once again, with Bradman (Blue House) just coming out on top.

• Literature Units: The junior school (F-2) joined our middle and senior school in some rich learning of English through thoughtfully planned and structured literature units. All our staff had the opportunity to participate in learning walks with a continued focus on strengthening teaching and learning strategies. To hear some of the vocabulary that our students are using while demonstrating their understanding of various texts has me very excited about the growth in learning that has occurred from the start of the year.

Thank You

Finally I want to thank all of our parents and carers who continually support their children and our school to make our community such an amazing place to be a part of each and every day. I wish everyone a relaxed, safe and happy holiday period and look forward to seeing you all on Monday, October 6th.

Dare I say it….

Go Pies!

Warm regards,

Patrick McMullan

Assistant Principal

Bourchier Street Primary School

What a fantastic day filled with energy, teamwork, and school pride! A big thank you to our dedicated staff for making the day run so smoothly, and to the wonderful Bourchier community – parents, families, and friends – who came along to cheer and even take part in our relay.

House Results

1st - Bradman – 1106 points

2nd - Fraser – 1080 points

3rd - Perkins – 1000 points

4th - Freeman – 928 points

Age Group Champions

Foundation – Murphy Vanderway, Sonny Cuthbert, Sophie Hamilton, Jugaad Kaur

Year 1 – Lachie Power, Tait Neilson, Mia Jaeschke, Zunairah Khan

Year 2 – Phoenix McNeil, Spencer Faamoe, Felicity Best, Piper Fothergill

Year 3 – Lenny Campbell, Narlah Wright

Year 4 – Jedi Moananu, Ava Bogdan, Alysa Stewart

Year 5 – Jibriel Pata, Hunter King, Harper Campbell

Year 6 – Joseph Faamoe, Tommy Hueston, Hannah Sloots, Steph Manning

Congratulations to all of our students for their enthusiasm, effort, and sportsmanship – you made us all proud!

A group of our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander students from Years 1–6 proudly represented Bourchier Street Primary School at ASHEFest 2025, held on the 10th and 11th of September at the Rumbalara Football and Netball Club (RFNC).

ASHEFest is a vibrant event that brings together students from across Greater Shepparton to celebrate culture, sport, and education.

Our students embraced the opportunity to connect with others, participate in a range of engaging activities, and celebrate their culture with pride. It was a memorable and enriching experience for all involved.

Over the past eight weeks, Bourchier Street Primary School has been fortunate to host Moeko, a visiting teacher from Japan, through the International Educational Exchange Program.

During her time in Shepparton, Moeko made the most of her Australian experience. She visited Echuca, attended an AFL game in Melbourne, and enjoyed dining at our local Japanese restaurant.

One of the things she loved most was the wide open spaces and large houses, which she found very different to Japan. She also admired our beautiful nature and unique Australian animals.

At school, Moeko joined classes with our students and shared aspects of her Japanese culture. She introduced children to origami, calligraphy, and the Japanese alphabet. She commented on how friendly our students were, noting that students in Japan tend to be much shyer.

Moeko said she truly enjoyed her time in Australia, and we have been just as fortunate to learn from her. We thank her for the wonderful contribution she made to our school community and wish her all the very best for the future.

バイバイ

Congratulations to our very own Trini Atkinson from 5EP for making it through to the semi-finals of the Lions Junior Public Speaking Competition!

Today we were proud to host the semi-finals here at Bourchier Street, where students from across the district in Years 3–6 presented their speeches in front of the Lions club, teachers, parents, and peers.

A big thank you to the Lions Club for organising this fantastic initiative, and well done to all students who spoke—you should all be very proud!

All families are invited to attend our next Assembly Friday 17th October.

Assembly is a great way to celebrate student achievements, share in the fun, and stay connected to school life and we’d love to see you there!

Where: Basketball courts or school hall depending on weather.

When: Friday 17th October - 2.45 pm

Enjoy delicious homemade baking with a different treat every week!

Check Newsletter and FB each week for our yummy specials. Order via QKR app under snacks.

Please make it a priority to arrive at school on time.

8.45am - music starts & students make their way to class.

8.55am - Class begins.

If your child/ren arrive to school after 9am they MUST come into the front office to get signed in otherwise our records could show them as absent.

It is extremely important for our school to keep strict attendance records.

When students are punctual, they are more likely to enter the classroom with a clear and open mind, ready to absorb information and engage actively in the day's curriculum.

Free Playgroup at Bourchier Street – Everyone’s Welcome!

Come along to our free playgroup, held every Wednesday of the school term from 9:15am to 11:00am.

It’s a relaxed and friendly space with tea and coffee provided, and it’s run by the Shepparton Council with our lovely facilitator Syeda, who makes everyone feel welcome.

The playgroup is open to children aged 0–5 and their families — mums, dads, grandparents, carers — everyone’s welcome! Bring the kids along to make new friends and enjoy a fun morning of art and craft, educational play, block building, with story and rhyme time to finish the session.

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

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.

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 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

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!

Woolworths Cricket Blast (Age 5-8)

Commences: Thursday 23rd October 2025

Until: Thursday 11th December 2025

Time: 5 – 545pm

Cost $100

All equipment provided

For further information please contact the Woolworths Blast Coordinator:

Luke McPhillamy

0476 148 552

luke.mcphillamy@gmail.com

Register on: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/16ae4b

Program will be held at Kialla Main Oval

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xTf6ABASjFCpEYdP9

Bourchier Street Policies

Our school regularly reviews and updates its policies to ensure they reflect current practices and support our students and families. We invite parents to read through our policies, which can be accessed via the link above. Your feedback is always welcome — please contact the front office

on 58 213 488 if you have any comments or suggestions.

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.

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