Our Motto: Friendly Respectful Courageous Learning

Our Commitment: With courage we learn, connecting to people and place. Striving for excellence by being curious, creative, and resilient.

Dear Bicheno Primary School Community,

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming our professional learning partner, Shaz Bailey, to Bicheno Primary School. Shaz has been working closely with our teaching team to support ongoing reflection and refinement of our classroom practices, particularly around student agency and learning through an inquiry lens. Her insights have helped us deepen our understanding of how to empower students to take ownership of their learning, ask meaningful questions, and explore concepts that support our understanding of the world. It’s been a valuable opportunity for staff to collaborate, share strategies, and continue building a learning environment where students feel confident, capable, and engaged.

Across the school, students have also been exploring the concept of perspective, a rich and complex theme that has been the focus through our inquiry units. Whether unpacking characters in literature, navigating social situations, or discussing ideas around democracy and decision-making, students are learning to consider multiple viewpoints and reflect on how experiences shape understanding. These conversations are helping to build empathy, critical thinking, and respectful dialogue—skills that are essential both in and beyond the classroom.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to celebrate the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week in Week 5. This year’s theme, “Book an Adventure!”, is a perfect fit for our school’s spirit of exploration and imagination. Book Week is always a highlight on our calendar, it’s a time when stories come alive with our costumes, and students dive into the magical worlds that books offer. This year’s CBCA feature the work of Jess McGeachin. Jess is an award-winning Australian picture book illustrator whose artwork beautifully captures the adventurous essence of this year’s theme. Her illustration, a whimsical map filled with imaginary characters and fantastical landscapes, invites young readers to embark on journeys beyond the page. It’s a celebration of creativity, curiosity, and the power of storytelling to transport us to new places. Jess’ work reminds us that every book is a doorway to adventure, and every reader is an explorer. We look forward to seeing how our students respond to this theme, through reading, writing, art, and of course, dressing up for our Book Week parade!

Thank you for your continued support. As always, we’re proud to be growing a school community where learning is purposeful, and full of possibility.

Kind regards,

Tom Spykers

Principal