2025 CLASS STRUCTURES

Each year when we begin the process of setting class lists for the following year we invite parents to let us know if there are any particular educational needs their child has which might impact class placement.

School is the formative place for young people to begin to explore a world beyond the home. They begin to discover the differences between being friends and being friendly, how to work with people that might have different views and skills, how to develop positive, respectful relationships with a broader range of people and how to deal with change.

The hope for all parents and educators is that we can best equip our young people for a world where they can be effective and affective, can work to bring change in the world and demonstrate a respect and care for all.

For a child changing classes the end of the year brings uncertainty, a little reluctance, a little excitement, a little nervousness and a little anxiety. It also brings opportunity to practice the skills they will need to enter a new workplace and form effective working relationships with co-workers.

As adults we are aware that a change of workplace means leaving those friendships we have developed in our work life. Some friendships are strong and continue outside of our work life and are nurtured and maintained in our social life. Others are replaced by new working friendships which support and engage us in our new workplace but may or may not last beyond that placement.

This is exactly what children have an opportunity to learn as they change class. Being kept with only the same group, or the same teacher robs them of the learning about how to experience change, to grow relationships, to become more quickly comfortable in new situations and to take control of what is possible in their environment.

We hope that our parents trust that we know our students well; both individually and collectively. We plan classes with great care and discuss balancing the wellbeing, learning and social aspects of each child and class. We consider teacher skills and styles, support requirements and opportunities as well as the requests of the children as to their preferences for people they can learn well with in their new class.

When the conversations in your house turn to next year, please look for the opportunity to discuss how changing workplaces is a reality and how we grow as people each time we form new working relationships. Talk to them about your experiences, about the things that worked well.

At Columba we use a program called Class Solver to assist us with our grouping of children each year. It is a highly complex task sorting grades as we need a shared balance of academics, gender, emotional and social needs. In the cming weeks, your child was asked by their teacher to nominate 3 children that they work well with (not 3 of their best friends). Best friends doesn’t always equate to best learning.

The grade structures for 2025 will be

2 Prep Grades

2 Grade 1 Grades

2 Grade 2 Grades

2 Grade 3 Grades

1 Grade 4 Grade

1 Grade 4/5 Grade

3 Grade 5/6 Grade's

so

Prep A & Prep B

1A & 1 B

2A & 2B

3A & 3B

4A & 4/5B

5/6A & 5/6B & 5/6C

13 Grades in total

2025 CLASS REQUESTS

Class requests for the 2025 can be submitted to me personally principal@bunyip.catholic.edu.au or your child's classroom teacher through email. I ask that you  please  not make assumptions that previous years requests will be honoured. It is best to put everything in writing again. Please understand that these requests are always listened to, but not guaranteed due to the complex nature and limitations on how we can spilt students.