Whole School Messages
Scholarships
Dear families
Over the last months, the College has reviewed our approach to offering scholarships to Year 7 students.
We currently offer a small number of scholarships to both current and new students at the College looking to commence in Year 7.
When the College scholarship program commenced, the prime manner of providing financial support to families in need was through this program. However, in recent times, the College has been able to access government funding to support families, particularly those with a Health Care Card.
During COVID, the College reallocated scholarship funds towards supporting current families rather than supporting families seeking to join the College.
The outcome of this review is that the College will no longer offer scholarships. We will continue to focus on finding ways to support families in genuine financial need to access a Christian education with us.
As with all matters regarding fees, please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any concerns or need assistance.
Blessings
Tom Brennen
Art Donations
Primary Art are looking for donations of the following items:
- Old CD's
- Newspapers
- Old Magazines
If you have any of the above and would like to donate these, please hand them into the office.
Thank you
Leonie Vaughan
Primary Art
Campion Education
Conveyance Allowance
If you live more than 4.8 km’s from Lakeside College you may be eligible for a Conveyance Allowance payment from the Department of Education and Training (DET). The purpose of this allowance is to ensure that schools support eligible families to receive financial assistance with the cost of transporting students to and from school.
To be eligible to receive conveyance allowance, a student attending a non-government school must:
• be of school age (between 5 and 18 years);
• reside 4.8 km or more by the shortest practicable route from the school attended; and
• be enrolled at the nearest primary, secondary or specialist school of the same denomination as the school they attend.
The rate of payment is determined by the distance you live from the College, and the mode of transport you use. As an example, if you travel by private car you may be eligible for a payment of $439.20 per annum if you live between 4.8 kms and 10kms from the College. This payment increases if the distance from the College is greater than 10kms. For an additional student travelling with the same family, the additional payment is currently $219.70 per annum.
To apply for the conveyance allowance you need to complete the application for Private Car travel attached, or, if you travel by public transport, you need to complete the application for Public Transport attached. If your application is successful we are obliged to pass these payments onto you to assist with your travel costs, but there is an option to apply these to your College fees if you wish.
To apply this payment towards your tuition fees you need to sign the last page of the application (PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT FOR SCHOOL TO WITHHOLD CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE). Otherwise, we will need your bank account details to transfer funds as we receive them.
If you think you may be eligible, please complete the relevant application form and return to the Business Manager, Noel Pullen, by email at noel.pullen@lakeside.vic.edu.au or, return the completed application form to the front desk at the College Administration.
Thank you
General
Dear families,
At Lakeside College there is nothing more important than the safety and wellbeing of our students. The College places our commitments under the Child Safe Standards at the top of our priorities as a school.
As part of this commitment, our staff regularly undertake training regarding the standard and the actions to be taken to maintain a Child Safe environment.
Our students are also educated so that they know what to do if ever they feel unsafe. To help with this, these two resources are discussed with our students.
Secondary
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/health/protect/EasyEnglish_SecondarySchool_FactSheet.pdf
Primary
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/health/protect/EasyEnglish_PrimarySchool_FactSheet.pdf
It is important that our families are also aware of the part they play in creating a Child Safe environment. All parents volunteering at the College undertake our online Child Safe training.
In 2022, a number of new changes will require us to amend our practice in a small number of areas and we are beginning to implement these. You may soon notice that our teachers will be guiding our students to offer high fives/fist bumps/handshakes in preference to a hug. While hugging is not a practice that teachers and staff have actively encouraged, in keeping with our obligations and these new standards, we are required to further minimise physical contact with students. There are times when physical contact is appropriate, such as a brief side hug to comfort an extremely distressed child, or holding a child to keep them from danger.
Should any community member have concerns regarding the safety of a child, please act immediately using the details available here: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/safety/Pages/child-protection.aspx
The College has a number of Child Protection Officers who can support community members to make reports as required.
Please don’t hesitate to contact any of the Child Protection officers should you have any questions or concerns.
Student safety
Please ensure that all students cross the road using the crossing outside the administration building. Students should only cross at other points with parent supervision.
COVID-19 updates
As we are still under direction from the DHHS, please ensure your child does not attend the College if they are unwell. You may also be required to collect your child from the College should they demonstrate even the mildest of symptoms such as:
- chills or sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- runny nose
- loss of sense of smell or taste
In certain circumstances, headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may also be considered symptoms.
If your child has any of the coronavirus symptoms (COVID-19) outlined above, however mild, they must get tested, and they must remain at home until they receive their results.
For more information regarding the latest requirements, please click the link below.
Student birthday celebrations in Primary School
In previous years many Primary families have provided birthday cakes, lolly bags, other food and toys for each child in the class.
From the commencement of this year, we ask parents not to send cake, food, lollies and/or gift bags to school. This policy has been adopted for the following reasons:
- To ensure student safety. Several students in our community have food-based allergies and some could have a severe reaction should they ingest foods containing allergens, particularly our younger students
- To reduce the financial pressure on families to provide food and gifts for large numbers of students
- To remove the negative impact on student wellbeing when some students feel their birthday celebration is ‘not as good’ as other students
- To ensure parents have control over what their children eat and respecting their wishes if they do not want their children eating high sugar/calorie foods
- To ensure consistency with our mandated ‘healthy eating’ policy and Victorian Government regulations
Birthdays are an excellent chance to celebrate the uniqueness of every child in our community. In each class, teachers and students acknowledge each student’s birthday in their own fashion. We have made this change to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our community.
Communication
Families are reminded that their child’s homeroom teacher is the first point of contact for all questions. If you require the contact details of any of your child’s teachers, please consult the College Staff Directory available on Parent Lounge.
Volunteers
The College is blessed by volunteers serving in many roles in order to provide a number of great experiences and support to our students and community.
If you are able to volunteer in any capacity at the College in 2022, please fill out the attached form.
Volunteer training
If you are a regular volunteer with the College, please ensure you complete your online training module. Please ensure you have completed the volunteer expression of interest form and training will be assigned.
Enrolments
Families are encouraged to submit sibling enrolments for 2024 and beyond to secure placement. Please do this as soon as possible by either filling out the enrolment form online or getting in contact with our Registrar via email or phone below.
** Please note Primary vacancies available in 2023.
https://enrol.lakeside.vic.edu.au/enrolment-applicati…/start
enrolments@lakeside.vic.edu.au or 5941 7544 - ext 1
Parent/Guardian Communication Checklist
There are a number of communication tools the College uses to ensure our families are kept in the loop. Please cross check the list below and contact Administration should you require any assistance.
• Parent Lounge - This is our online portal for families and has a wealth of information including the school calendar and important notices. There is a link to the parent portal on the College website https://tass.lakeside.vic.edu.au/parentlounge
• Facebook - Please like us on Facebook to ensure you see the daily celebration of the great things going on around the campus. Search ‘Lakeside College’ and hit the ‘like’ button
• Student Spotlight - The College loves sharing student news and success stories. If you would like to see your child featured in our newsletter or on facebook, email marketing@lakeside.vic.edu.au with a photo and details.
Parking at Lakeside College
Due to the unique location of Lakeside College, we do not have an abundance of parking available on the school grounds. For the safety of College students, staff and families, please observe the following parking guidelines in the attached images and notes.
- Do not allow your children to enter or exit your car if you are not stopped in a designated zone or fully parked.
- Do not park in areas marked as ‘no parking’ or no ‘standing.’ (Marked in red on the map)
- If using drop off/collect zones (marked in yellow on the map) please do not park. This causes a backup of traffic. If your child is not ready to be collected, please exit the car park and return a short time later.
- Please only use our disabled parking spaces if you are eligible to do so. There are a number of Lakeside families who rely on these spaces and must have access to them.
- If possible, utilise the alternate parking areas (marked in blue on the map) and enjoy a short walk to school.
- Please do not allow your children to cross roads unaccompanied unless you are with them.
- If a park is not available please do not stop - keep moving through the carpark to maintain a safe and orderly traffic flow.
