From the Principal's Desk

Term 3 Update

Welcome back to Term 3. It has been fantastic to see so many students making a positive start to Semester 2: uniforms have been looking sharp and on my learning walk across the school last Friday I saw students focusing and purposefully investing in some strong learning opportunities. Great to see some wins for the academies as well. 

The start of Term 3 is always busy with many students starting to think about next year already. For Year 9’s, 10’s and 11’s this has meant course counselling where every student gets personally tailored advice around their next steps and pathways. A huge thank you to all the families who attended and to all the students who have locked in their subject preferences for next year. 

For Year 12’s, this term is all about that final push into the next stage of their lives - for some it is intensifying their preparation for exams and for others it is finalising their apprenticeships and next steps. It’s been fantastic to see our Year 12 study centre being used so readily and hear about some of the placements and opportunities being developed in the VCE-VM space as well. 

In the Junior School, Semester 2 is all about building strong foundations and some good breadth in skills and knowledge. It’s a chance to build on the learning from Semester 1, set some achievable goals and push through to the next level of learning. Families of Year 7 and 9 students will receive their NAPLAN results shortly. It was fantastic to see continuing growth in the overall outcomes of Lara Secondary College as we continue to achieve and often outperform the goals set out in our Annual Implementation Plan. 

It was also brilliant to be able to celebrate all the students finding success in these spaces at the Honours Evening last Wednesday. A huge thank you to all the friends and families that were there to support. It was a fantastic evening. 

In the first week of term we also proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week by recognising and honouring the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Throughout the week, students participated in a range of engaging activities that encouraged learning, reflection, and respect for Australia's First Nations cultures. These experiences helped strengthen our appreciation of the importance of reconciliation, connection to Country and the rich cultural heritage that continues to shape our nation. Some great reads about our First Nations people can still be found near the entrance to the library. 

Have a great week. 

Andrew McConchie

Acting Principal