The Bark 63

Term One 2026

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates

Term One: Thursday 29th January - Wednesday 1st April
Term Two: Tuesday 21st April - Friday 26th June
Term Three: Monday 20th July - Thursday 24th September
Term Four: Tuesday 13th October - Thursday 17th December

Bright Camp

After years of calling our whole-school primary camp "Bright Camp" without actually going to Bright—and not taking the whole school at the same time—we decided to rectify the situation. We took every student and staff member back to the special place that is Bright, and weren’t we rewarded! The weather held out beautifully; despite threatening storms all around and heavy rainfall across the rest of the state, we had minimal rain and plenty of warm sunshine. It was perfect weather to don bathers for the week as we hopped in and out of the creek, paddled among the river stones, hurtled down waterslides, braved the waterpark, chilled in the pool, or ran wildly through the occasional five-minute downpour. We were so proud of how settled, well-mannered, and fun the students were; they were an absolute joy to take away for the week. At camp, the kids were always busy. Whether it was small groups playing board games or chess, zooming around on bikes, enjoying the playground, kicking a soccer ball, fishing, or rehearsing for the talent show, there was always something happening. Some preferred the quieter moments, relaxing in a tent with friends or helping out in the kitchen. The drive up was smooth, including a stop at Benalla for lunch and a play at their incredible Rose Garden and playground—if you ever find yourself in Benalla with kids, it is an excellent place to stretch your legs! Upon arriving in Bright, we were greeted by a sight to behold: tents everywhere. Our Year 7 students, along with Sam Ford, Nat, and Kyle, had expertly set up many of the tents ahead of our arrival. The highlights continued throughout the week. On Wednesday, much of the afternoon was spent at the Rotary Club of Bright Waterslide, the waterpark, and the river. We are lucky that Rotary was able to open the slide again for us this year – thank you, Rotary! On Thursday morning, we took a trip into town to visit the op shop and the lolly shop. The friendly local staff were wonderful, helping the kids count out their money and even slashing prices on little trinkets. You’d be amazed at how far those younger students can make six dollars go! It was truly wonderful to have the whole school together in Bright, enjoying our time together with good food (thanks to Marisa and Sonia), good company (such a joy to have all staff and students together), and great memories! Sam Thorpe

Candlebark and Alice Miller Rock the Library

What a treat to have the Candlebark and Alice Miller bands rock the Library on Wednesday, the 18th of March. With fresh grooves, great moves and sweet tunes, we’ve got some great talent here! Rock on!!! Nat Banks

Year Seven Paddle Camp

The 3rd–5th of March was the annual Year 7 Paddle Camp, with Year 7 students from both Alice Miller and Candlebark attending. The first day started off wet, with a steady drizzle for most of the day. Luckily, the temperature was warm, so it didn’t dampen our spirits. The first day saw us paddling from Cemetery Rd in Cobram East, through Cobram, and travelling about 12 km down the Murray River, where we managed to set up all three kayaking groups on the same beach. We set up tents, cooked dinner, and the students swam, played, and made a small fire on the beach. The second day turned out to be stunning, with lots of sunshine and plenty of opportunities for swimming. Some students chose to swim and push or pull their kayaks at times to cool down. It was such a beautiful way to experience the Murray River, and the students became experts at ‘rafting’ and simply floating along with the river’s currents. We paddled just over 20 km on this day, and we were definitely tired by the end of it. On the last day, we paddled around 10 km to the town of Tocumwal. It was another gorgeous morning, and we watched the sun rise as we paddled this final stretch on the Murray River - an amazing way to end the camp. It was a huge effort to unload all of the kayaks, wash them down, and carry everything up to the bus, but many hands make light work. A huge thank you to Sam Ford for organising such an awesome camping experience. Nicky Russell

Candlebark Surfer Dudes

Our Grade 5 grommets were pretty stoked to be on the beautiful south coast, visiting the towns of Anglesea and Torquay - riding barrels, sitting in the lineup waiting for a cool set, avoiding too many wipeouts, hanging ten, and shooting out of the barrels. No gnarly waves for us! Wendy Powell

Prep Playground Adventures

The Preps have been on a delightful playground adventure this term, exploring six different playgrounds within 30 minutes of Candlebark. Each outing felt like a mini expedition, filled with discovery, laughter, and a touch of magic. After reflecting on their experiences, the Preps shared their favourite features from each location. The water play at Wallan’s Adventure Playground, the climbing frame at Sunbury’s Galaxy Land Playground, and the sandpit at Romsey’s Eco Therapy Park were among the most popular highlights. Sarah Lewis

La Classe De Francais

This term, during one of our online learning lessons, the Year 7 students explored the French concept of la joie de vivre - the joy of living. In France, happiness is often found in small, simple moments rather than in major achievements like buying a new car or becoming rich. It can be something as simple as enjoying a coffee on a terrace, having a good conversation with a friend, or going for a walk on a beautiful day. The students reflected on this idea by writing about what la joie de vivre means to them and illustrating it with a drawing that represents their own special moment of joy.

Fencing

En Garde! Fencing Excellence at Candlebark This term, our Friday Clubs program has taken a sharp turn into the world of “physical chess” with our weekly Fencing Club. We are fortunate to have the club led by Aleksey Danilov, an accomplished fencer with extensive international experience. From his early training at the Dynamo Club in Moscow to competing in World Cups in Tokyo and Shanghai, Aleksey brings a wealth of technical knowledge to our students. As a consistent medallist at the Australian Fencing Championships, he offers a level of expertise that is rare to find in a school setting. Our students have been busy mastering the fundamentals of footwork, timing, and strategy. It has been wonderful to watch them develop the focus and discipline required for the sport, all while having a fantastic time with the foils. A big thank you to Aleksey for sharing his skills with the Candlebark community each week! Stephanie Wood

Cute Creatures and The Creek

In Humanities this term, the Grade 1/2s have been exploring nature by observing and learning about the flora and fauna of Candlebark. During these adventures, we have walked, talked, observed, magnified, drawn, sung, danced, listened, and learned. We have been guided by the wise and knowledgeable Jarno and have been astonished by stories of mistletoe birds, 300-year-old gums, and scorpions. Candlebark is truly a place of wonder, and this term, we have felt incredibly grateful to be part of it. Nat Banks

1/2B Maths

1/2 B have been learning to measure the length of objects in our classroom using both informal and formal units of measurement. They had so much fun with our measurement investigation, building car ramps and measuring how far the cars travelled. Who knew math could be so much fun! Nicky Russell

Friday Clubs

Friday afternoons at Candlebark have been buzzing with energy as our Term 1 Clubs program officially kicked off! It has been wonderful to see students across all year levels coming together and diving into new passions, mastering skills, and connecting with each other in such diverse ways. Our creative spirits have been busy in Art and Card Making Clubs, while those looking for a bit of adventure have headed out into the fresh air with the Hiking Clubs. This term the change agents have also reformed and been out and about picking up rubbish. We’ve also seen some wonderful leadership on display, with our Year 7 students hosting several of their own clubs, sharing their interests and mentoring younger peers. A true testament to the Candlebark spirit! For those who prefer four-legged friends, the Cat Club has been a purr-fect retreat, and we are especially proud to continue our partnership with Hume Valley School. Their students have been visiting us each week, working alongside our students in a beautiful display of community, empathy, and connection. From Skills Clubs to quiet crafts and high-energy sports, Term 1 is off to a flying start. Quote from Jarrah: “I love clubs. I love how you get to choose what you do and how you can show who you are and you can meet new people.” Stephanie Wood