Principal's Report

May has been another exciting month at Lilydale Heights College, with many wonderful things taking place both within and outside the classroom. Some highlights have included:

Staff Professional Learning

Student Free Day - While students were away from school, our staff spent the day engaged in important professional learning designed to continue building their knowledge and teaching practice. The first session of the day focused on Checking for Understanding, where staff explored a range of strategies to help identify how students are progressing in their learning so that teaching can be adapted to best support students at their point of need. This was followed by a session on Next Steps, which centred on supporting students to use their Learning Pathways and Progress Tasks to reflect on their learning, recognise their successes, and set meaningful goals for future growth.

It was fantastic to hear staff sharing examples of the innovative ways these approaches are being implemented in classrooms across the College. The day was another reminder of the dedication, expertise, and care our staff bring to their work each day, and the wonderful teaching and learning taking place at LHC.

VCE Teachers Professional Learning - Our VCE teachers participated in an afternoon Professional Learning session that included valuable insights from three of our VCE students about their classroom experiences. Sita D., Mya R. and Ceili A. spoke thoughtfully and confidently, sharing the strategies they find most effective and offering perspectives on how teachers can continue to support their learning. Their reflections provided wonderful insights into the ways we can continue to strengthen teaching and learning practices to support students in achieving academic excellence. 

Active Schools – Student Voice

Lilydale Heights College has received a $14,000 Active Schools Grant. To decide on how to best to use this money, approximately 60 students took part in three Student Voice workshops, sharing their thoughts on how the funding could best support physical activity. Students spoke openly about their experiences, identified barriers to participation, and put forward ideas for more inclusive opportunities, showing great maturity throughout. Their input will help guide how we use these funds to encourage students to be active. 

NEVR Youth Concert – Hamer Hall

On Wednesday 13 May, I had the pleasure of attending the NEVR Youth Concert at Hamer Hall. This concert is a showcase of student talent, with performances highlighting the dedication, skill, and passion of young musicians from right across the North Eastern Victoria region. Two of our students, Harry F and Jade S represented LHC, playing as part of the Symphonic Band. It was an incredible opportunity for these two students to perform on a world class stage such as Hamer Hall. Congratulations to Harry and Jade for this incredible performance. Thank you to Harry and Jade’s instrumental music teachers for supporting them throughout this experience. 

Athletics Carnival

On Monday 4 May, we held our Whole School Athletics Carnival at Knox Athletics Track. We were fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather throughout the day, although the wind certainly added an extra challenge at times!

Students participated in a range of track and field events and it was fantastic to see students getting involved and supporting one another.

Congratulations to Olinda (Blue House), who were overall champions for the day! 

I would like to thank Clare Vance and Sonya Tamos for their organisation of the day as well as all our students and staff who contributed to another successful and enjoyable Athletics Carnival.

Year 10 Work Experience

From 11-15 May our Year 10 students completed a weeklong Work Experience Program. Students had a rewarding and enjoyable experience, gaining valuable insights into the workplace, developing new skills, and exploring potential future career pathways. I would like to thank Emma Steeper (Y10 Learning Leader), Courtney Jordan (Careers Practitioner) and Athena Aligizakis (Careers Practitioner) for all their work and support in organising and preparing our students for their Work Experience. 

Year 8 Camp

Our Year 8 Camp to Camp Howqua took place from 20-22 May. This camp provided students with valuable opportunities to strengthen friendships, build independence, and challenge themselves through a range of engaging activities outside the classroom. A sincere thank you to our Year 8 Team, Emma Stevenson (Year 8 Learning Leader), Tom Murphy (Student Liaison), and Fariba Riazati (Student Liaison) for their organisation and support in providing this wonderful opportunity for our students. I would also like to thank all our staff who attended the camp so that our Year 8 students could have this wonderful experience. 

The 39 Steps

I had the pleasure of attending our VCE Theatre Studies performance of The 39 Steps on Friday May 22, and it was truly fantastic. After months of preparation, designing and rehearsals, students brought the production to life with creativity, energy, and professionalism.

Students were involved in all aspects of the production, including acting, directing, and design areas such as costume, hair and make-up, props, set, lighting, and sound. The performance was a wonderful reflection of the collaboration, dedication, and teamwork required to deliver a successful production. I would like to congratulate all students involved for the incredible effort they put into the performance and thank Ms Clark who supported them throughout the process. It was truly a delight to watch. Congratulations!

The Highlights continue...

Other highlights from May are listed below. You can find out more about these in a detailed article within this newsletter. 

• New Playground
• Singapore Leaders Delegation
• Lilydale Flight School

Shane Kruger

Principal