PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone enjoyed some quality time with family and friends over the break and most importantly, took the opportunity to recharge for the busy term ahead.

We know this term is a long one, 11 weeks can feel like an eternity, especially as it is the final term of the year, however we have many learning experiences to look forward to.

We have had an action-packed start to the term with the Prep and Year 3/4 swimming program getting underway, Year 5/6 Earth Ed Excursions and the exciting Year 5 Sovereign Hill costumed school experience. Our thanks go out to all parents and carers for supporting the busy start to the term.

Some other highlights we can look forward to this term include:

• Welcoming new staff and students to the Lucas community.
• Our main fundraiser for the year - the Colour Run.
• Participation in the Energy Breakthrough competition.
• Sporting events, including division cricket and the P-2 Athletics Day.
• The Foundation Transition Program, which will introduce our 2026 Foundation students to our routines and rituals.
• Assessment Weeks in Weeks 5 and 6.
• Planning Week in Week 9.
• The Year 6 Graduation celebration.
• A variety of excursions and incursions.

• And finally, our Christmas Carols evening.

   

It’s going to be a busy and exciting term!

Lucas Primary School is Here to Support Every Child and Every Family

 At Lucas Primary School, we believe every student has the right to feel safe, supported and inspired to reach their full potential. We care deeply about your child’s learning, wellbeing and future, and we value the partnership we share with families in achieving the very best outcomes for every student.

We know that students thrive when schools and families work together with trust and open communication.

If you ever have questions, concerns or ideas about your child’s education, we encourage you to reach out to us. Talking things through early often helps us to respond quickly and effectively which can mean better outcomes for our students.

What if you have a concern?

Start with us. Contact your child’s teacher or the school office to arrange a conversation. We welcome feedback and see it as an opportunity to improve and better meet the needs of our students.

If you’re not comfortable speaking directly with the school, or you feel your concern hasn’t been fully resolved, there are clear steps to follow. All Victorian government schools have a Complaints Policy that explains how issues can be raised and escalated, if needed. You'll find our complaints policy here https://lucasps.vic.edu.au/images/documents/2025/2024_06_LPS_Complaints_Policy.pdf. 

Should you feel your concern hasn’t been resolved after speaking with the school, the Department of Education's Regional Office can assist families in working through concerns.  

Lucas Primary School is committed to listening respectfully, acting fairly and working together in the best interests of your child. Whether it’s celebrating achievements, solving problems or planning for future learning, we are committed to being a school community where every voice is valued.

Your feedback matters and your child matters the most. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Sunsmart

This is a reminder that all students are required to wear their broad brimmed sun hat at all times they are outdoors in Term 4. Not having an approved hat means that students will be asked to play in a designated shade area at the front of the gym.

Lucas PS hats are available to purchase from PSW, our uniform supplier.

Year 2 Sleepover

At the conclusion of Term 3, our Year 2 students and staff spent the night at school as part of the Year 2 Sleep Over. This event signals the beginning of our school camping program. The students came together to participate in an evening of fun activities, share a meal and sleep at school for the night. I am pleased to report that the event was highly successful with students showcasing their independence to organise themselves for a night away from parents. (I bet there were a few parents enjoying the extra quiet time as well)

The students participated in a number of activities throughout the evening and enjoyed each others' company during the event. 

A huge thankyou to the hard-working staff for dedicating time away from their families to provide this valuable learning experience.

Sporting Colours Day

The last day of Term 3 was Sporting Colours Day, a chance to don the favourite sporting team colours as a way of celebrating all the wonderful sports that we have the chance to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who joined in the spirit of the day and donated a gold coin for a good cause. 

Playground Update

After meeting with our playground designer, we are confident that the construction can now be completed all at once rather than the staged approach that was initially planned. This is great news but will delay the start if construction until the beginning of 2026 as designs and tenders are sought for the project.

We are still looking to keep costs down by utilising some of the expertise and knowledge from inside the school community. If you are able to help with supply of product or labour, we would be very keen to hear from you. Please contact the school office.

Colour Run

The Colour Run is back again for 2025, and we have 3 more weeks to raise funds for our school playground. We have been able to get off to a flyer with $12000 already raised in the first week.

Congratulations to 1/2F, G and H who won the icy pole party last week for the classes with the most registered students. There is still time to register, so jump on the following link or use the QR code to get your fundraising off and running. 

Incentives this week:

• All students who raise $20 will go into the draw for a hot chocolate from Java Nice Day.
• All classes that raise $1000 will have their teacher nominated for sliming at the Colour Run event. 
• The number of teachers we slime at the colour run depends on the amount we raise. For every $5000, another teacher is added to the sliming list. We currently will have 2 staff on the list.
• A colouring competition will be sent home this week for students to get involved with. 

Safe Traffic Behaviours

The safety of our students is paramount in and around the school, especially at drop off and pick up times where traffic can become quite congested. We regularly have traffic officers out and about in our area issuing fines to families who are using unsafe behaviours. We would like to ensure our school precinct remains safe for all and therefore offer some suggestions to assist. 

In the diagram below, there are some reminders for everyone.

Some other strategies that can be used to assist with the congestion around the school at drop off and pick up times includes:

• Park and walk - we are lucky to have lots of parks and wide pathways around the school. Please consider parking away from the school and enjoy a stroll in the morning and in the afternoon. (This could calm some nerves)

• Drop your child at the Lucas Park at 8.30am so they can join the Walking School Bus. Departing each day at 8.35am. Look for the adults in fluoro vests.
• Ride your bike: The wide pathways are conducive to safe riding to and from school. The bike shed has lots of space and bikes are secured during the day. 
• Use the Children’s Crossing - Please ensure you use the school crossing when crossing O’Shannassy Pde. This street is very busy before and after school as cars are parked on both sides of the street. As adults, we must also model safe pedestrian behaviour. Braden, our school crossing supervisor will be pleased to see you. 
• Use the bus service - There is a ‘student only’ bus service that drops off and picks up at Lucas PS. It has many stops between the school and Cardigan Village. Please contact the office for a schedule. Please note, a Myki card will be required.
• Have a pickup plan - discuss with your child where to meet you after school away from the school gates.

The bus stop at the front of the school is a no parking zone between 7.30am - 9am in the morning and 3.00pm - 4.30pm in the afternoon. Outside of these times, parking is permitted in the white marking zones. The parking officers are regularly in and around Lucas issuing fines for people parking illegally. They are targeting school zones.

Performing Arts 

Dear Lucas Families,

For our Performing Arts room we are looking for donations of would toy xylophones. (METAL plate xylophones, not wood.) If you have any at home that are no longer needed or know of anyone who has one, we would appreciate them for our school. It’s okay if you no longer have the mallets/sticks, we                                                           can still use the xylophone.

                                                      Thank you.

                                                      Ann Reynolds Performing Arts Teacher