For the past 3-4 years your School Council has been advocating to the State Government and Minister of Education for additional funding so we can modernise our facilities. All other government secondary schools in our network have been funded over the past 20 years. However, we have not.

In 2023, at our 60 year celebration, our local Member of Parliament The Hon. Ben Carroll announced initial seed funding for the development of a Master Plan, the first step in obtaining significant funding to build. This Master Plan was completed and submitted in 2024 and details widespread investment to modernise and improve the facilities available to our students in support of their learning and futures. The first stage of our Master Plan will result in a 2 storey STEM building with new science labs, wood technology, metal fabrication and collaborate design spaces as well as new basketball courts at an investment of $19.3m

We now need your help, alongside our student community, to advocate for funding in the May 2025 State budget, to turn this plan into reality for our children.

Without significant community activity, vocalisation and pressure, we may miss this significant opportunity.

What you can do

To support you can help or get involved in a variety of ways:

• Visit Ben Carrol’s Electorate office located at 473 Keilor Road Niddrie, and let him know about how important this is to you and your children and why.
• Write to Mr Carroll in his capacity as our local Member of Parliament ben.carroll@parliament.vic.gov.au and/or in his capacity as Minister for Education reception.carroll@minstaff.vic.gov.au, using some of the information and points above.
• Make an appointment to meet with Mr Carroll to discuss Buckley Park College and the importance of this investment to the school and community.
• You can work individually or arrange to visit in groups to show support.

Your School Council needs your support and activism and extend their gratitude in advance. If you have any questions and / or want to confirm your support and the actions you have taken, please contact Chris Wood, the School Council President Chris.Wood@education.vic.gov.au

For more about School Council, visit our page

STEAM Academy Fundraising & Sponsorship

Over the next two terms, the college will be looking to engage our school community in a series of STEAM Academy Fundraising and Corporate Sponsorship opportunities. We are planning to do the following to raise funds for the purchase of 3D Printers and robotics equipment:

• Friends of Buckley Park
• Bunnings Community Sausage Sizzle (Maribyrnong Store)
• Community financial donations

STEAM Academy financial donations:

Funds raised will go directly towards the purchase of essential equipment for student learning in the STEAM Academy:

3D Printers and design materials:

Sphero Coding and robotics equipment:

Virtual Reality Headsets:

We would be grateful for any donations which can be made directly at reception. A public display of support will be used to proudly acknowledge our community.

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities:

We are very fortunate to have a diverse parent/carer occupation profile. We would be keen to hear from any parents/carers who either own a business, or work for a company who may be interested in Corporate Sponsorship opportunities to assist in the resourcing of the STEAM Academy. We are particularly interested in working with businesses with an alignment to: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts (computer aided design), Mathematics. There are a variety of ways in which businesses can support, either through financial sponsorship, equipment donations relevant to the STEAM learning program, or possible educational opportunities.

We are currently engaging in a number of educational programs from the following institutions:

Corporate Sponsorship opportunities can be discussed with Paul Faci, please contact via: fa@buckleyparkco.vic.edu.au or calling (03) 9331 9999

From the start of Term 2, 2025, Uniform Group-Academy Uniforms will officially be the Buckley Park College uniform provider located at 451-453 Keilor Road, Niddrie.

During Term 2, stock from the current provider will be transferred to Uniform Group-Academy Uniforms. Current items of uniform can be purchased from the Keilor Road store from week commencing 19th May 2025 (week 5). We apologise for the inconvenience that this may cause given there will be a short period of time where no uniform can be purchased.

Once stock becomes available to families again from Term 2 week 5, we anticipate the School Saver Bonus being applied to our new provider, Uniform Group-Academy Uniforms. This will assist families in purchasing existing uniform stock.

Please note, as we continue to sell our existing items of uniform, and gradually phase in new items over time, there will be no pressure placed on families to buy the latest design of uniform.

We are really excited School Council is currently working with our new provider in the development in updating our uniform where we have used feedback from students, parents/carers and expertise from our new providers to ensure that future uniform items are modern, comfortable, high quality at affordable prices.

We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available in relation to the sale of our existing uniform via the Keilor Road store, Niddrie.

On the 1st of April, Buckley Park College was host to its annual career expo. This was an opportunity for students in Years 9-12 to gain access to representatives from the university, TAFE and apprenticeship sector to ask questions and gather information to assist with their future career and pathway decisions.

The BPC Career Expo provides students with a wide range of career opportunities and industries that they may not have considered or even known about before, which can help students make more informed decisions about future education and careers.

We are lucky each year for our students to interact with representatives who are passionate about career and study options and who possess the knowledge to provide students information about the skills, requirements and education required for various study and career pathways. A big thank you to Ms. Dee Hallinan for all of her assistance in organising this event and to staff for supporting the career education program within the college.

Special note: It was great to see one of our Alumni students, and 2024 College Captain, Leticia Asher return after joining the team at Richmond Football Club, to help engage our current students in a possible career in Sport and Recreation. Well done Leticia, and thank you for coming back to support our college!

It’s a question uniting parents around Australia and the world amid a mental health emergency in young people.

How do we help our children become more resilient?

The figures tell a grim story about what’s been dubbed the “anxious generation”. One in seven Australians aged four to 17 suffered a mental illness in the 12 months to April 2024. And mental disorders in 16 to 24-year-olds soared from 26 per cent to 39 per cent between 2007 and 2020-2022, an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report found.

The pandemic, social media, overprotective parenting and too much screen time are among the factors being blamed for what The Lancet medical journal has called “a dangerous phase” for our youth.

Psychologist Maria Ruberto has not seen the resilience levels of children so low in her 31-year career across government, not-for-profit and private sectors. Even kindergarten children are now presenting with psychological distress and anxiety. She is warning that we risk raising a generation with an array of mental and physical health issues if parents don’t take urgent action.

“What we are seeing is a serious lack of emotional competence in children, and a lack of ability to problem-solve for themselves,” said Ms Ruberto, a member of Medibank’s mental health reference group.

“This is leading to some serious issues in schools.

“It can be kids not wanting to do particular things, having meltdowns, crying easily, and yelling and screaming more quickly as they can’t hold these emotions.

“We’re seeing a delay in responding to instruction, apprehension in children wanting to work with or talk to other children.

“Some children are becoming really quiet as they internalise their feelings.”

While there’s no easy fix, she said there were a range of strategies to help boost resilience in children. But she’s concerned families were becoming less likely to stick to treatment plans designed to address emerging mental health issues in children.

“What we are starting to see with some of the families that we work with is a treatment resistance,” she said.

“Parents are busy working, and spending more time away from parenting and kids.

“Social media, screens and devices have a really big part to play.

“The treatment plans that we would put together for some of our families simply are not being adhered to.

“But mental fitness requires repetition.

“We need to stop, we need to be present and we have to reduce our distractions.”

Like many experts, Ms Ruberto feared a lack of optimism amid wars, global instability and political upheaval — and viewing life events through a “pessimism tunnel” — was

filtering down to our children. New research by News Corp Australia’s Growth Distillery with Medibank shows that 70 per cent of Australians believe that society is becoming less resilient amid growing concerns about our collective ability to handle stress and adversity.

“I think, as a society, we are eroding our capacity to be optimised,” Ms Ruberto, the founder of Melbourne’s Salutegenics Psychology, said.

“This is impacting mental and physical illness.

“There’s a rise in obesity, diabetes, asthma … and all sorts of pro-inflammatory diseases that come out of bodies that remain in heightened psychological distress.”

Ms Ruberto said there were a range of strategies to protect children from mental health issues, from healthy diets and physical activity, to teaching them how to manage their emotions. One of the elements in building resilience was the development of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for important cognitive functions such as decision-making and managing emotions. She said it was critical well-meaning parents refrain from shielding their children from challenging situations or struggles, as it “robs” them of their ability to problem solve.

“We are seeing parents own a child’s distress because they are so incensed by what has occurred, but it’s taking away from allowing the child to learn and problem solve,” she said.

“And there is a massive cost to that.

“If you ask any parent ‘What do you want for your child?’ they will say, ‘I want my child

to be successful’.

“Well, if you want your child to experience success, your child has to experience struggle.”

Mindfulness expert and Monash University Professor Craig Hassed described a “perfect storm” of factors that were causing a “pandemic of mental ill-health in our youth”.

Prof Hassed called for effective mindfulness programs education in every school, to train children in positive skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, compassion and communication.

“All of these things are trainable, but it has to be done properly or you risk making matters worse,” he said.

“When you start running a mindfulness program and you encourage them to start noticing more of what’s going on in their own minds and emotions and bodies, they start to actually realise that when they feel uncomfortable, they just dive for the phone and start scrolling.

“These kinds of behaviours are really handicapping kids.”

He said the issues had been building for years and now was the time to turn the tide.

“The greatest potential for turning this situation around will be when we seriously invest in addressing the underlying causes rather than just trying to mitigate the effects,” he said.

Tips for building mental fitness in children

Move your whole body: At least 40 minutes of strong movement daily, such as climbing on equipment, running, swimming, hockey, basketball or netball, for healthy bodies and minds.

Get outdoors: Sunlight is important for immune health and setting our circadian rhythms, which helps children sleep better and allows the brain to commit learning to memory. Time outdoors can be as simple as playing with the dog, or helping with the gardening.

Brain food: A healthy diet full of clean, nutritious food and brightly-coloured fruit and vegetables not only helps our bodies fight physical illness but fuels the brain.

Playground rules: Teach children how to socialise and build positive relationships. Kids need instruction on setting boundaries and making friends, such as basic introductions and asking “Can I play with you?”.

Don’t step in too soon: If parents immediately intervene in a challenging situation, children can’t learn to properly develop problem-solving skills. They also miss out on the dopamine hit from working through an incident. Let them sit in an unpleasant state and then deploy the 5:3 rule.

The 5:3 rule: When your child is distressed, ask them five questions about what happened. They can be who, what, where, when, and how do you manage it. But don’t ask why, as it invites an emotional story. Let them talk for three minutes about the facts without saying anything, then ask them what they might need to do. Allow them to own the problem-solving process.

Doherty, E. (2025), "Maria Ruberto details how to raise a resilient child", Herald Sun, accessed on 23 March 2025, at: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/h...

Article photography, Josie Hayden

Five ways to support kids' mental health - Ruberto, M. 2025

Our Year 7 students ventured off to Camp ADANAC to engage in a three-day jam-packed adventure challenge which provided lots of opportunities to demonstrate our values of Aspiration, Kindness, Resilience and Community. Our year 7 camp is so important for helping to develop long-lasting friendships which support a successful transition to secondary school and provide a foundation for healthy and respectful relationships moving forward.

Staff and Students got involved in a variety of activities:

• Flying fox
• Camp cooking
• Low Ropes
• Beach volleyball
• Hut building
• Water Action Tower
• Waterslide
• Disc golf
• Arrow soft archery
• Tread wall
• Trampoline
• Cage soccer
• Gaga Pitt
• Orienteering
• Archery

One of the many highlights of this camp is the food. We are well looked after with meals provided by industrial cooks in a fully equipped restaurant dining area. Parents and carers can be assured that students are well fed, with dietary requirements provided for. All students take turns to perform cleaning duties as they lean life skills in being clean and tidy. However, the same can't be said about some of the students' rooms with their belongings scattered everywhere - hopefully everything was clearly named so that we can find any lost property!

With such a large cohort, it was a tight fit, but we managed! Students demonstrated kindness towards each other as they explored new and emerging friendships. Being placed into rooms with others who they didn't know beforehand has helped this process. This might also explain a lot of the 3.00am conversations - getting to know each other!

On the second day, our Year 10 Peer Support students made a visit to continue their relationship building, and helping our year 7s push themselves outside their boundaries. A key component of this camp is to help students develop their sense of resilience. Trying new and challenging activities, some of which they may not have tried before, is what we help students to achieve. We are proud of our Peer Support program where year 7s have someone they can go to for additional peer-support should they need it. This is a cornerstone feature of the college's holistic approach to an effective transition. Thank you to Clair and the wellbeing team for leading our year 10 peer support students.

After a couple of sleep-deprived nights away at camp, students returned exhausted, but happy! Camps like this are where life-long memories are made and we cannot be prouder of our year 7 cohort, and also the staff that joined us.

A special thank you to Miss Bainbridge and Miss McKenzie who were paramount to the camp's resounding success. A huge shout-out to all of the other staff who gave up their own time away from their family / loved ones, to help supervise students (and function on limited sleep). Well done, and thank you to everyone!

Vincent and James won for their Unit 3 outcome 1 gallery branding presentations. These were part of their first SAC and they have both skillfully used their knowledge in Adobe Illustrator to create unique vector files that depict the visual language of the current exhibition showcasing Italian Design: 'Molto Bello'. Both presentations include wristbands and coffee cup sleeves.

One of the highlights was Harmony Week, where our Student Voice Leaders worked hard to promote inclusivity, respect, and cultural appreciation. Students had a great time participating in activities like Guess the Flag and Guess the Cultural Dish, sparking conversations about different traditions and backgrounds. Music filled the air during lunch, creating a festive atmosphere, and our photobooth was a hit, giving students a fun way to capture the moment with friends.

We also came together for International Women’s Day, where students took a stance for gender equality. It was inspiring to see so many students engage in meaningful discussions and show their support for a more inclusive and equitable world. This event reinforced the importance of standing up for equal rights and celebrating the achievements of women in our community and beyond.

Good Friday Appeal - Casual Clothes Day:

With the funds raised from Term 1 Casual Clothes day, the Student Voice Leaders raised $328 for the Good Friday Appeal. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Looking Ahead to Term 2

As we move into Term 2, we have more exciting initiatives planned:
Do It for Dolly Day – A special day dedicated to spreading kindness and raising awareness about the impacts of bullying. We’ll be encouraging everyone to participate and show their support for a kinder, more inclusive school environment.

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – A fantastic opportunity for our community to come together, enjoy some delicious treats, and raise funds for the Cancer Council in support of cancer research and support services.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated, contributed, and made Term 1 such a success. We’re so proud of our students for their enthusiasm and commitment to making our school a more inclusive and supportive place. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Term 2!

The 2025, Term 1 Interschool Sport Season saw 8 of our teams represent the College at Interschool Sport with 68 students getting the opportunity to play for their school. What a fantastic start for our students and school.

Swimming

We had 23 students represent Buckley Park at the Moonee Valley Division Championships at Queens Park Pool. 12 of these students have qualified for the Western Metro Championships to be held at Kardinia Park Pool, Geelong next week. 2 of these are freestyle relay teams – along with this Aidan Goodwin (11A) and Jasper McNamara (9A) have qualified for individual events.

Basketball

Senior Boys were crowned division champions and progress to the Western Metro Championships in August, the first time we have had a Senior Boys team progress in over 10 years. Senior Girls were division runners-up.

Tennis

Our Senior Boys and Girls teams have qualified for the Western Metro Championships to be held during Term 2 – for some of our Year 12 boys they have finished their schooling undefeated in tennis from Year 7-12 at division level, a fantastic effort. Our Intermediate (9/10) girls team have also qualified for WMR championships.

Volleyball

Our Intermediate boys and girls teams both represented the school well during the Moonee Valley Divisional round for volleyball earlier in March, but did not make it past the semi-final stage.

On Tuesday 29th April we have our School Athletics Carnival at Aberfldie Athletics Track. It is a really fun day for all students attending and don't forget to dress in your House colours and cheer on all your team mates competing.

Michael Knight

Interschool Sport Leader

Buckley Park College

Over the school holidays, the College has benefited from a variety of school grounds maintenance and improvement works in the grounds and classroom/corridor areas. Thank you to the Parent Fees and Contributions made. We value the support our parent/carer community provide to the college so that we can continue to maintain neat and tidy grounds and classroom facilities.

If parents/carers have not had an opportunity to make any contributions as yet, this can be done through billing on Compass. No matter how small, these funds help the College maintain neat and tidy gardens, school grounds and classroom facilities which benefit all students.

Provided below are some pictures of some of the works that have taken place:

• Painting throughout office administration building, classrooms, corridors
• Carpet tiling throughout a variety of classrooms and administration areas
• Refreshed reception foyer
• Chip bark in garden beds
• Astro-turf grassed areas
• Installation of Kitchen Garden / Orchard

Thank you.

House Points are earned through the demonstration of our College Values: Aspiration, Kindness, Resilience, Community, through active participation in House Sporting and Arts events, and also representing the school publicly within our community. Everyone can contribute.

Points as of 28th February (including Swimming Sports tally):

Come on, Croft!!! Let's catch up to Graves! There's a free BBQ Lunch at the end of the Semester for the winning team!

This term, the Wellbeing Team has been focusing program support on our new Year 7's through the Year 10 Peer Support program and the Friendship Saver Program for a small-group of identified students. Chill Out Space, a welcoming lunchtime space on Thursdays and Fridays for students in Years 7 - 9 to join with low sensory games and mindful activities has also run through all of Term 1 and will continue into Term 2.

While the Peer Support program will continue throughout the year, moving into Term 2, the Friendship Saver Program will wrap up and we will begin running a Year 9 ‘BOUNCE’ small-group program and Year 10 Sex & Relationships workshops for the whole cohort.

Parent contributions have supported the training and facilitation of all programs and continue to enable the Wellbeing Team to offer extended care and support for students across the College.

Victoria University Placement Program

The Wellbeing Team has partnered with Victoria University to further extend the reach of Wellbeing Team support for students and families. The College hosts a number of Master of Counselling students completing their placement hours in a supervised and monitored capacity, to engage in one-on-one student counselling support, classroom support and observations, parent support and small-group program work. This will run throughout 2025.

Peer Support program

Our Peer Support program sees an enthusiastic and caring group of Year 10 leaders facilitate classroom activities and lessons in Year 7 classrooms to support the social and emotional learning of Year 7 students and their transition to high school.

Our Year 10 leaders have delivered three engaging sessions in the Year 7 classrooms this term and also travelled to ADANAC Camp on Tuesday 25 March to support our Year 7's with encouragement and engagement on our Year 7 Camp while continuing to build on their relationship with the Year 7's.

Our Year 10 Peer Support leaders are trained through our partnership with the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Aristotle program, supporting the program’s implementation in the Year 7 curriculum.

Friendship Saver Program

The Friendship Saver Program is a research-backed, universal intervention aimed at improving students' friendships and minimizing peer conflict. It focuses on teaching key social and conflict-resolution skills. Studies show that stronger peer relationships contribute to overall well-being, increased school participation, greater self-esteem, and can lead to better academic performance. Through group work activities and games, designed to be challenging, students connect with other Year 7 students in a creative and meaningful way. The program runs for a small-group of students at a time through 7 weekly sessions.

Community Engagement Program

Following an application process, a group of elected students across Years 7 - 11 have been meeting to discuss and plan initiatives to enhance community engagement throughout 2025. The team have been working on planning visits to Arcadia Aged Care, charity work and school events to connect students from different year levels.

School holiday programs

Looking for something fun to do over the school holidays? Moonee Valley Youth are hosting a bunch of FREE and fun activities that you can sign-up for via their website. https://mvcc.vic.gov.au/youth/youth-events/

Thank you to the amazing support of our community. We are always looking for more support by way of voluntary Parent Payments and Contributions towards our wellbeing activities that help to pay for external guest speakers and programs to assist our students in making healthy life-long choices. If you haven't had a chance yet, please head over to the Parent Payments portal on Compass to make a contribution. Thank you.

First Aid updates 2025

Infectious disease policy:

To ensure the safety of all students and staff in our school community; any students presenting with infectious diseases must stay at home, until symptoms are no longer present.

If students present to school with the following infectious diseases, parents will be required to collect their children immediately.

• Conjunctivitis
• Measles
• Meningitis
• Ringworm
• Whooping cough
• Gastroenteritis (vomiting/diarrhoea
• Flu like symptoms

Winter viruses:

As we approach winter, staff and students are reminded to be mindful not to spread viruses within the school community.

Influenza cases peak during the winter months and severity varies from year to year, depending on the viruses circulating, immunity of the community and effectiveness of vaccinations.

The Department of Health recommends a flu vaccination for everyone from 6 months of age, and it is free for high-risk groups.

If students present with acute viral symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, fevers, chills, and/or sweats, they must stay home.

All staff, students and visitors to schools should practise good hand hygiene, particularly on arrival to school, before and after eating, after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the toilet.

Anaphylaxis:

Families of students with anaphylaxis will be contacted this week if their autoinjector is due to expire, please ensure a replacement is organised for next term in a timely manner.

Admin:

Please ensure your contact details and emergency contact details are up to date. It is preferred that the emergency contacts are available at short notice on weekdays and reside or work within reasonable distance from the school.

If you have any questions, please give us a call on 9331 9999

Congratulations to our students who competed at the Western Metro Swimming Championships

Aidan Goodwin:

2nd in 17-20 Year 100m Breastroke

3rdin 17 Year 50m Breaststroke

3rd in 17 Year 50m Butterfly

Mathilda Rizzo, Kobie Rea, Piper McNamara, Molly Davies:

3rd in the 17 Year 4 x 50m relay

This year 50 year 9 and 10 students went on an excursion to the Moonee Valley Racecourse to attend the MMVLLEN’s “Try a Trade”, which was a huge success. This event provided attendees with an exciting opportunity to explore hands-on trades and discover career paths students might never have considered before, by offering hands-on, practical experience in a variety of industries including: construction, health, beauty, animal care, forensics and sport.

Students were able to try their hands at various trades under the guidance of experienced instructors and tradespeople. They learned new skills, such as building a phone holder and applying CPR, all while gaining insight into the growing demand for skilled workers.

The “Try a Trade” event wasn’t just about discovering new skills—it was also an opportunity to challenge outdated perceptions about skilled trades. With many industries experiencing a shortage of workers, these events are helping to change the narrative and encourage more people to explore these essential and rewarding fields.

Congratulations to our Winners of the Artwork of the Month- March, Vilara Wickramasinghe, Vivian Ngo, Jamesen Macdonald and Thenumi Hewawithana.

These students have done an exceptional job at rendering their one-point perspective shop designs for their Year 9 Visual Communication and Design Interior design unit.

I wanted to update you on last night's ( Monday 31st March) debate, where our student team in the A grade faced off against St. Bernard's on the topic, “Should we hold company directors & CEOs criminally responsible for security breaches (e.g. data breaches)?"

Unfortunately, despite our team's exceptional efforts, we lost by just one point to St. Bernard's.

Please take a moment to congratulate Karunya Kamalanathan, Divya Kilapathy, & Hamish Watt for their hard work and dedication in crafting outstanding arguments throughout the debate. They put in countless hours of preparation and their passion was evident in their performance.

Additionally, I’m pleased to share that Hamish Watt was named Best Speaker of the night, a well deserved recognition of his exceptional contribution to the debate.

Once again, thank you to all the students for their incredible effort.

Regards,

Nurbanu Istar

STUDENT VOICE AND DEBATING COORDINATOR

Friends and Parents of Buckley Park (FoBP) will be conducting a raffle to support the upcoming launch of the College's exciting new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) Academy in 2026. FoBP are seeking to contribute funds towards the purchase of two 3D printers which are vital tools to facilitate the development of our future innovators.

FoBP and are asking parents/carers/friends associated with various businesses and companies for donations which will be part of the prize packs for the raffle.

We are specifically looking for a variety of gift cards, voucher donations (restaurants, grocery stores, movies, hardware stores, cafes etc) or getaway/holiday packs to put toward the raffle.

All funds raised will go towards the purchase of the 3D printing / STEAM Academy equipment.

If you are able to donate, please email friendsofbpc@gmail.com OR drop off your donation to the front office of the College, clearly marked FOBP Raffle Donation,

We'd like to have all donations collected by end of April so that we can start the raffle in May.

We thank you kindly and look forward to the school community getting behind the raffle and ensuring the successful launch of the STEAM Academy.

Friends of Buckley Park College

The Benalta yearbook is published every year to include class and staff photos, events and camps, and BPC news. It is an important record and keepsake of your child's year at Buckley Park College.Orders can be placed up until Monday 13 October.

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