Thank you to all the families who attended our Junior School Parent/Teacher Interviews this week. These meetings provided a valuable opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their learning, wellbeing, celebrate their progress, and identify goals for the remainder of the year.

If you were unable to attend an interview, please contact your child’s classroom teacher to arrange a suitable alternative time. We strongly encourage families to maintain regular communication with teachers throughout the year.

Just a friendly reminder about meeting teachers before and after school; if you would like to discuss your child’s learning or wellbeing, we ask that you please arrange another mutually convenient meeting time with their teacher. This allows teachers to give you their full attention and ensures student supervision is not impacted during the busy periods before and after school. Teachers are always happy to make a suitable time to have these important conversations.

We also encourage families to regularly check their child’s Year Level Schoolbox Family Engagement Page for learning resources, curriculum updates and information about upcoming events.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we work together to foster the learning, wellbeing and development of every Junior School student.

Only two weeks to go until Literacy Week!

We are looking forward to making Literacy Week a memorable and exciting event for our Junior School students. Literacy Dress Up day is always a highlight on the Junior School Calendar:

Woodlea Campus: Monday 31 August 2026

Maddingley Campus: Friday 4 September 2026.

Please help your child choose a favourite character from a book they enjoy and assist them in preparing a costume. Creativity and enthusiasm are more important than expense. A simple DIY costume and accessories are welcome and can be lots of fun to create together!

Please remember: no blow-up costumes, no hair colouring, no make-up and no replica weaponry.

We can’t wait to see our students bring their favourite book characters to life!

Melanie Morton – Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School (Maddingley)

Sally Savic – Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School (Woodlea)

Maddingley

On Thursday August 8, Prep students enjoyed an exciting and interactive Wild Action Incursion where they had the opportunity to meet a fascinating collection of Australian native animals while developing their understanding of the natural world.

Throughout the session, students were introduced to an amazing range of creatures, including Stumpy the shingleback lizard, a green tree frog, a black-headed python, Lyle the freshwater crocodile, Gandalf the tawny frogmouth, B1 the boobook owl, Mikey the recue joey from Kangaroo Island and a big cuddly wombat. One of the highlights of the incursion was the opportunity for students to safely touch and, in many cases, hold these incredible animals while learning about their unique features.

As part of the experience, students explored how scientists classify animals by identifying whether they have fur, feathers, scales or skin. They also discovered the special adaptations that help each species survive in its environment and discussed the important role humans play in protecting native wildlife and preserving natural habitats.

The hands-on nature of the incursion sparked curiosity, excitement and plenty of thoughtful questions from our Prep learners. It was a memorable learning experience that strengthened their knowledge while inspiring a greater appreciation and respect for Australia’s unique wildlife.

Kylie McKerrow – Early Years Coordinator (Prep Reception – Year 2): Maddingley Campus

Prep Wild Action Incursion

Year 1 Adventures at Werribee Zoo and Staughton Vale

Our Year 1 students have had a busy and exciting few weeks, enjoying two wonderful excursions that brought their classroom learning to life. These experiences provided students with opportunities to explore, discover and learn beyond the classroom while creating some wonderful memories along the way.

At Werribee Open Range Zoo, students explored a variety of animal habitats. Some highlights of the day included watching the lions being fed, at which time students eagerly observed their powerful behaviours. Students also enjoyed seeing the baby elephants splashing and playing, as well as spotting zebras, giraffes and rhinos out on the savanna during the safari adventure.

At Staughton Vale, students embraced the outdoors by designing and making wind-powered cars, as well as creating beautiful leaf tree collage artworks inspired by nature. Students enjoyed engaging in hands-on activities, working together and making the most of the natural environment around them.

We are incredibly proud of the respectful and enthusiastic way our Year 1 students represented our school throughout both excursions. It was wonderful to see their curiosity, excitement and willingness to participate in each new experience.

Maddingley Year 1 Team

Woodlea

100 Days Brighter

Our Pep students recently celebrated an exciting milestone – their first 100 days of school!

When we think back to their very first day, it is amazing to see just how much has changed. They are 100 days better at reading, writing and Maths, 100 days braver when trying something new, 100 days more independent and 100 days kinder as classmates and friends.

The students were also asked what they thought they were better at after 100 days of Prep. Billy from Prep WD proudly shared, “I am 100 days better at Maths, ALL the Maths!” while Laneya from Prep WE said, “I’m 100 days better at drawing rainbows!”

Their work samples tell the same story. Each one shows new skills, growing confidence and plenty of personality. We are incredibly proud of how far our Prep students have come in their first 100 days and cannot wait to see what they learn next.

Below is written work by Tiana in Prep WC in which you can see her writing growth from the beginning of the year to now.

Warwick Grinter – Early years Coordinator (Prep – Year 2) Woodlea Campus

Year 11 ESA Student Leadership Forum

On Monday 17 August, a small group of Year 11 students from both Maddingley and Woodlea had the opportunity to attend an inspiring leadership conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.  The day brought together students from a range of schools across Western Victoria, giving students the chance to meet new people, share ideas and learn about different approaches to leadership.

Please enjoy below a highlight of the day from Year 11 student, Samaira V:

Throughout the day, we took part in interactive workshops, discussions and activities that encouraged us to reflect on our own leadership skills and think about how we can make a positive impact in our final year of school.

It was a valuable and inspiring experience that gave us new ideas and perspectives on what it means to be a good leader.  We are excited to bring what we learnt back to our school and use these ideas to make a positive difference in our school community.

Ainslee Grinter – Head of Year 11 (Maddingley)

Maddingley

Year 12 Chemistry

Year 12 Chemistry students have been studying the classification and understanding of carbon-based molecules, such as fuels, fats and proteins, that make up the world around us.

Molymods allow us to visualise the molecular spatial arrangement of biomolecules, including their bonds, atoms and movement. Being able to physically represent these molecules on a large scale develops a stronger understanding of the reactions between them.

These provide pathways for simple ‘building block’ molecules known as monomers to form complex and larger molecules known as polymers through condensation reactions. For example, we were able to replicate tryptophan (left) – an amino acid that is commonly found in food like bananas that forms peptide bonds to build proteins in the body.

To represent lactose (right), a glycosidic link (Carbon-Oxygen-Carbon) was constructed between one glucose monomer and one galactose monomer to form the disaccharide sugar.

Josh P and Ori D – Year 12 Chemistry Students

Maddingley

Indonesian Cultural Immersion Week

We were incredibly fortunate to welcome Bayu, an accomplished graphic designer, illustrator and cultural educator, to our school in Week 3 as part of a national cultural arts initiative. Bayu is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts Education at Yogyakarta State University and has extensive experience working in schools across both Indonesia and Australia. His passion lies in sharing Indonesian culture through art, storytelling, traditional games, wayang (shadow puppets), batik and creative learning experiences.

Through the Indonesia–Australia Institute, Bayu received a grant to visit ten schools over ten weeks to deliver an immersive cultural arts program and share his knowledge of Indonesian language and culture. We were lucky enough to be selected as one of these schools and have Bayu with us for a full week of rich, hands-on learning.

Across the week, Bayu worked with students from Prep to Year 12:

• Prep students listened to a story he illustrated himself and learned about traditional batik motifs, creating their own patterns inspired by Indonesian designs.
• Years 4, 5 and Prep Reception enjoyed learning an Indonesian dance, and Bayu even ran lunchtime dance workshops for Years 1 to 4, which were extremely popular.
• Year 6 students explored the world of wayang, designing and using shadow puppets to tell stories.

Bayu taught students about Indonesian school life and introduced traditional games such as congklak, bekel and takraw, which quickly became favourites among the Year 5s and Year 7s.

On Thursday 6 August, we were honoured to also welcome the Consulate General for the Republic of Indonesia, along with members of the consulate team. They spent time with our Year 7, 8, 9 and 12 Indonesian students, sharing insights about Indonesia and teaching students how to play the angklung, a traditional bamboo instrument, as well as leading a dance workshop. The Consul General also met with Mrs Ogston and Mr Pate, to discuss the future of Indonesian learning at Bacchus Marsh Grammar.

To conclude this wonderful week, we were delighted to receive certificates for students who participated in the Sayembara Lisan, a statewide Indonesian speaking competition run by VILTA (Victorian Indonesian Language Teachers Association). We congratulate the following students on their outstanding achievements:

Navleen G (5B) – High Distinction

Mithila C (5F) – High Distinction

Rnvir A (6A) – High Distinction

Avyan M (6B) – Distinction

Ivy P (7C) – Distinction

Aadi M (9F) – Distinction

Aleena A (10F) – Distinction

Emma B (10H) – Distinction

Veronica W (11B) – Distinction

Bayu’s visit, along with the support from the Indonesian Consulate, has strengthened our students’ understanding of Indonesian culture and language, and has further enriched our Indonesian learning program. It was a week filled with creativity, cultural pride and joyful learning – one we will remember for a long time.

Kayla Rideg – Teacher

Woodlea

Student Representative Council

Throughout Term 3, the SRC has been proud to accomplish a range of exciting initiatives. The team has worked hard to make a positive contribution to our school community.

One of our highlights was supporting Hero for Heart Kids Day in June, which was led by Logan H in Year 8 to raise awareness of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). Through his moving and personal speech at our Middle School Assembly, Logan shed light on the incredible work of the Heart Kids Foundation and its impact so far. The SRC remains committed to this charity and will continue working on initiatives that support their goals, so keep an eye out on Schoolbox for upcoming news if you are interested in supporting too!

Another exciting event currently underway is the Biker Bonanza, a challenge designed to encourage students to make healthy lifestyle choices by riding their bikes to school. This challenge ends on 31 August with an incredible number of students already taking up the reins. All challengers will be entered into a special Bikers’ Raffle to win some cool prizes!

Last week also saw yet another successful completion of the Rainbow Eating Challenge, an all-school healthy eating challenge that encouraged more diversity in diets. It was fantastic to see students getting involved and thinking about their health in positive ways. Thank you to all students who took part. Participants will be entered into a Rainbow Raffle this week so, once again, check on School Box to see announcements!

Finally, a note on our Student Voice Box. This is a tool that provides an important way for students to communicate with the SRC. It allows students to share feedback about our projects and suggest new ideas for future initiatives. You can find this Student Voice Box next to the pigeon-holes in Reception. We are excited to continue listening to student voices and working together to make BMG an even better school community.

Lakshith T 8WC

Free Support for Parents of Teens

ReachOut is recognised as a leader in supporting our young people, but they also provide great services for parents and caregivers. Information provided to parents is based on the latest research evidence with the aim to assist in improving the wellbeing and resilience of young people and families.

ReachOut provides information and advice on a range of topics from managing drinking and drug use, to supporting respectful relationships. Recognising that parenting and providing care to young people can be challenging, ReachOut also offers resources around specific parenting skills such as building trust and effective communication.

Free professional coaching is now available with ReachOut for parents and carers of teens (12 to18 years) in Australia. Book a 90-minute session with a degree-qualified support coach to develop a personalised plan to support your teen. Sessions are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, with the program including 1 to 4 sessions over several weeks. See the FAQs page regarding this opportunity.

Student Wellbeing Team

Woodlea 

Creativity, Exploration and Innovation: Turning recycled materials into Musical Possibilities.

Year 3 students at the Woodlea Campus have been putting their creativity and musical thinking to the test as they explored, designed and constructed their own musical instruments using recycled materials. They investigated how various materials of different sizes, shapes and lengths can change the sound an instrument produces, discovering that music can be created in wonderfully unexpected ways. Their recycled instruments are a fantastic example of how creativity, sustainability and musical exploration can come together to create endless musical possibilities.

The students will now work in groups to compose and perform an original song using their unique recycled instruments, putting their creativity and collaborative musical thinking into action.

Alison Thompson – Teacher

Maddingley

Individual Sporting Achievements

Team Vic Cricket Selection

Jiya D 5A received provisional selection in the Team Vic 12 Years and Under Girls Cricket Team for 2026. Jiya will have the opportunity to represent Victoria at the School Sport Australia Championships to be held in Newcastle, New South Wales, from 24 to 30 October 2026.

Selection for Team Vic is highly competitive, with talented players from across Victoria participating in the trial process. Being chosen for the state team is a significant achievement and reflects Jiya’s dedication, hard work, and cricketing ability.

The Team Vic program includes training sessions, practice matches, and team activities leading up to the national championships, where Victoria will compete against teams from across Australia.

Congratulations Jiya and we wish you all the very best for the championships!

Melissa Pearson – Teacher

Hip Hop International

Summer A (Year 12K) recently travelled to Phoenix, Arizona in the United States to compete on the world stage with her Hip Hop Mega Crew from Dance Nation Academy (DNA).

After winning at both state and national level, the crew qualified for the Hip Hop International World Championships, where they competed against some of the best dancers from around the globe. DNA entered the competition ranked third in the world in their division.

More than 55 countries and 3,300 athletes participated in the event which included opening and closing ceremonies and is regarded as one of the premier international competitions for elite hip hop dance. The standard of competition was incredibly high, with DNA narrowly missing a place in the semi-finals by just 0.01 points.

The crew spent their time in Arizona training and competing in extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching approximately 48°C. The opportunity to perform, train and compete in a world-class environment was an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for Summer.

Summer has been dancing for many years and completed two years in the BMG Elite Sports Program. She also accelerated her studies in Dance, completing Year 12 Dance while undertaking her Year 11 studies.

Well done Summer!

Tenielle Brown – Head of Faculty: Physical Education and Health (Maddingley)

2026 STEM Night – Save the date

Calling All Artists: Design our new Native Nursery Sign

Do you have a creative idea that could become a permanent part of our Staughton Vale Campus? We are inviting all Bacchus Marsh Grammar students to enter our Native Nursery Sign Design Competition!

We are looking for an original artwork or design for the sign that will be installed on the front of our new Native Nursery at Staughton Vale.

The Native Nursery will be home to native seedlings as they grow and develop before being planted across our property as part of National Tree Planting Day 2027. It will play an important role in growing native plants, supporting biodiversity and helping to create habitat for wildlife for years to come. Your design could celebrate Australian native plants, wildlife, sustainability, land care, growing or our special connection to the Staughton Vale environment. Let your imagination grow!

There Are Prizes!

• The overall winning design will be professionally printed and installed as the permanent sign on the front of the Native Nursery.

• The winning artist will also receive a special prize to recognise their creativity and   contribution to Staughton Vale.

• Every student who enters will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the competition.

How to Enter:

Create your design and submit it to Mr Gorton, Head of Staughton Vale Campus, in one of the following formats:

JPEG, PowerPoint (PPT) or Word (DOC) to gortond@bmg.vic.edu.au

Entries close at the end of Term 3.

This is your opportunity to create something that will become a permanent part of Staughton Vale Campus and be seen by students, staff and visitors for generations to come.

So, sharpen those pencils, fire up your creativity and design a sign that will help tell the story of our Native Nursery. Remember, this is an opportunity to show your creativity, so avoid using an AI generator.

Native nurseries play an important role in revegetation by growing plants for future restoration and biodiversity projects.

David Gorton – Head of Campus: Staughton Vale

Maddingley

Year 6 Chemical Science

Recently, our Year 6 Maddingley students participated in an excursion to Staughton Vale designed to strengthen their understanding of key concepts in Chemical Science, with a particular focus on observing physical and chemical change.

Despite determined rain throughout the day which required several activities to be relocated indoors, students embraced the experience and remained highly engaged in the hands-on learning activities.

Working alongside their Science teachers, students rotated through four practical investigations throughout the day. These activities included making honeycomb and pancakes, both of which demonstrated chemical changes as ingredients underwent reactions to form new substances with different properties. Students also investigated bubble formation, exploring examples of physical change where materials change form without creating a new substance. A further highlight of the day was a series of lemon-based experiments in which students observed both chemical and physical changes. These investigations encouraged students to apply their classroom learning in a practical setting.

We thank the staff at Staughton Vale for their flexibility in adapting the program to the wet weather conditions and the students for being so excited to participate in the activities, regardless of the weather.

Sarah Thomson – Head of Science (Maddingley)

Maddingley

Horse Shepherd Excursion

Recently, a group of our students had the opportunity to visit Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary, spending time checking in on our sponsored pony, Frodo, while also rolling up our sleeves to lend a helping hand around the sanctuary.

Our connection with Horse Shepherd has continued to grow over the past 12 months, with the BMG Equestrian Team developing an ongoing relationship with the sanctuary and supporting the important work they do caring for horses and ponies in need. This year, that partnership has grown even further with the introduction of our Horse Shepherd Enrichment class, giving more students the opportunity to become actively involved.

These visits are about much more than horses, they provide students with a meaningful way to contribute to their community, see firsthand how their actions can make a difference, and put our school values of respect and kindness into practice. We are incredibly proud to see this partnership continue to develop in supporting Horse Shepherd and the wonderful work they do.

Below are student reflections of our excursion:

Horse Shepherd is a sanctuary full of horses and other animals like camels, donkeys and goats. When we first entered the Horse Shepherd grounds, we were greeted by a group of animals.

This sanctuary was amazing, and the camels were probably the funniest animals. They kept nibbling my shirt thinking that I was a carrot.

At Bacchus Marsh Grammar, we sponsor a pony called Frodo. We got to meet him and he was cute as well. He was a gentle pony with a quiet personality, and he gently took the carrot that I offered him.

I really want to contribute to helping the farm thrive and I also want more people to learn about Horse Shepherd and the work they do!

Zariya 6A

Having this opportunity was a wonderful and rewarding experience. Visiting the sanctuary was a very different encounter because we have never gotten to see most of the animals that were there up close. 

The highlight of our day was seeing all the different animals, especially getting to meet and feed the famous Frodo, and enjoying the company of a small group of students and teachers on the bus journey there and back. 

Overall, our first experience at Horse Shepherd was incredible! It was filled with amazing animals and memories worth keeping! 

Dia 7I 

Georgia Low – Assistant Head of Year 7 (Maddingley)

August Book Club News

Issue 6 of the Scholastic Book Club catalogue is now available to order from.

You can still order from Issue 5 until the end of the term.

Click here to visit the ‘How to order’ page.

Click here to be taken directly to the issue page to place an order.

Please note that for our Maddingley community, orders are to be placed under Year level Coordinators, not class teachers’ names.

Scholastic Book Club Coordinators:

Diane Dunn – Maddingley

Feona West – Woodlea

Private Bus Travel 2027

We are now rolling over current 2026 students private bus stops to 2027 private bus stops.

If your child/ren’s current bus travel arrangements are going to change (e.g. moving house, will not require private bus travel) for 2027, please contact the School Bus Services Administrator on 5366 4800 or email bus@bmg.vic.edu.au to discuss this change. If your child/ren will not require a private bus service in 2027 and parents do not advise us, your child/ren will be allocated to a private bus and full year bus fees will apply.

Allocated Roll Call Stops

If you have changed your child/ren’s stop where they board or disembark as a permanent change and have not notified the school, please contact the School Bus Services Administrator on 5366 4800 or email bus@bmg.vic.edu.au.

This information needs to be up to date on Roll Call for emergency services and will assist in the planning for 2027 stops, routes, times and timetabling.

Wrong Stop Alert

If you are receiving a notification of “wrong stop” in your Roll Call app, please contact the School Bus Services Administrator on 5366 4800 or email bus@bmg.vic.edu.au so the correct stop can be updated. This is to ensure your child is allocated the same stop for 2027.

Late Bus Allocation – Student Sign Up

• Students are required to sign themselves up for the relevant late bus by adding their names under the stop at which they will disembark. Sign-up must be completed before 1.30pm on the day of travel.
• Students who have not signed up by 1.30pm will not be permitted to travel on the late bus. Parents will be contacted and asked to collect their child from school at 4.20pm. Students are still expected to attend their scheduled after-school class or activity.
• Any student presenting at the bus quay after their after-school activity without being allocated to the late bus will not be permitted to board. The student will be taken to Reception, and parents will be contacted for collection.
• Late bus sign-up sheets are located in Reception.
• The late bus fee is $15.00 per child, per trip, and will be charged to family school fee accounts at the end of each term.

ID Cards

Students must use their Student ID card to tap on/off any BMG private buses.  Student ID cards are compulsory when boarding a private bus or attending any school excursions/camps etc and they must be always carried.

Students who board the bus repeatedly without their ID cards will receive a detention or further consequences.

Afternoon Bus Arrangement & Permission Notice

Students in Prep Reception to Year 6 require a green permission tag on their bag if they are to be picked up by someone other than their parent/guardian.

Students in Years 5 and 6 can disembark the bus on their own if they have a green permission tag on their bag for the driver to check. Student Afternoon Bus Arrangement & Permission Notices are available on Schoolbox under School Letters.

Please return Student Afternoon Bus Arrangement & Permission Notices to bus@bmg.vic.edu.au.

Leanne Robertson – School Bus Services Administrator

Coughs and Colds

Coughs and colds are persisting across these winter months, with a cough that is lingering for some weeks. One of the best helpers to recovery for colds is simply resting with a day or two at home. The majority of colds don’t need a GP review or antibiotics; resting allows our bodies to recoup and bounce back and prevents the spreading of germs that cause the cold.

The lingering cough that comes with the colds at the moment is annoying; however, this too abates but a simple throat lozenge and sipping water allows the throat to stay wet. The heated home and classroom conditions we are living in dries us out and we don’t often drink enough water to keep our bodies hydrated – this doesn’t help the cough. So, if you can supply some throat lozenges for your child to suck and encourage them to drink water, at least at mealtimes, this will provide some help to keep them in learning time in the classroom.

Health Centre Staff

Term Dates

2026 and 2027 Term Dates are published on the school’s website. 

Events Calendar

All upcoming events feature on the Schoolbox Calendar for both students and parents/guardians to view.

Uniform Shop

Uniform information and shop business hours for both the Maddingley Campus Onsite Shop and Rushfords in Werribee are listed on the school’s website.

Please note that uniforms can also be purchased by clicking here

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) – The Y Ballarat

The Y Ballarat operates the Out of School Hours Care at Bacchus Marsh Grammar.  Enrolments are completed online. For full information please visit the School’s website.

Email: chrissie.ashmore@yballarat.org.au
Phone: 0490 178 638
Website: https://yballarat.org.au/

Regular Contacts

General School Email: school@bmg.vic.edu.au

Bacchus Marsh and Darley All-Girls Auskick and Superkick Program

Breast Cancer Documentary – Reading Cinemas, Melton

Bacchus Marsh Theatre Company’s Production – Tickets on Sale!