The Falcon Newsletter

Senior School News

Senior School

As we fight through these cooler months and continue to work towards our goals, I am super proud of the behaviours and commitment our senior school students are displaying. We have had fewer suspensions this term than we have had for a long time. We have had the least number of students on lunch time support sessions for uniform offences and the least number of students on afterschool support sessions for behaviour concerns. Our classes are learning spaces where students are showing more respect to other students learning and the teachers teaching. This is certainly showing in the results our students are producing and, I thank you, as parents for supporting the school and ensuring that our school values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience are followed through.

 

Course Counselling

As we finish our course counselling for the year for students from years 9 -11, I always like to reflect on the work that has taken place and the effectiveness of our processes. 

We issued students with recommendations for their 2025 courses by reflecting on and analysing individual student data to ensure that we set our students up for the best success moving forward. We spent additional evenings at the school running presentation evenings, opportunities to discuss pathways with staff and careers teachers and didn’t feel there was a high attendance of parents at these presentations. We presented this information on Compass and to students throughout Term 2. Further to all this there have been many questions from parents regarding course information and reasons for our decisions. Whilst we welcome parent meetings and feedback, I respectfully ask that families prioritise attendance at our information sessions to avoid requiring the school to repeat each presentation over for each individual family. 

One of the main concerns I have heard is the perception from some of our students and their families that TAFE is ‘not good’. TAFE offers practical, hands-on training and industry-relevant skills that employers highly value. TAFE courses are often more affordable than university courses, and many TAFE courses provide a pathway to further study at university. We have many students that move to TAFE courses from Lyndale and value the continual work that TAFE courses do to up skill people to employment and further study. For many students at Lyndale Secondary College this is a viable and realistic pathway post year 12.

Despite extensive analysis of data, we still have some students who believe that changing behaviours can change results. History and data have typically told us that this may not be the case. Allowing our students to complete subjects/courses that we do not feel they will be successful in is something that we are passionate about to ensure our goal of having all our students successfully complete year 12 is met.

Well done to the students who have come prepared to their course counselling meetings and completed tasks such as finding out about future courses, and different pathway options to ensure they are on track to meet the goals they are looking to achieve in the future.

 

Attendance & Punctuality 

The first month of Term 3 we have trialled removing access to learning during period 1 for those Year 12 students who have not arrived at class on time. Feedback from students has been positive regarding less disruption and classes starting on time. Students were even able to acknowledge how this process had changed other students’ behaviours, and they have seen students arriving on time where they had not in the past. We will now implement this process for all year 10-12 students for Period 1. Parents will be contacted for those students who have consistent lateness.

Well done to our Year 12 students for showing respect for their learning by arriving punctually. A reminder of Lyndale Secondary College’s attendance policy:

  • Students are on time and ready to learn for the commencement of the first scheduled session, every morning.
  • Students are not to leave the school grounds at any time once they have arrived.
  • SIGN IN POLICY: Any student who arrives at school after the beginning of the first scheduled session (for any reason) must report to study hall and sign in and work from there for the remainder of the period. Students may then go to Period 2 on time.
  • Habitual lateness to school or class will incur consequences and may result in a student failing to meet attendance requirements for a specific subject.
  • Unexplained absences are a breach of the College rules 
  • SIGN OUT POLICY: Students who need to leave school early must provide a parent/guardian note (hard copy or via Compass) and see the School Attendance Officer.
  • Year 11 & 12 students leave the school grounds, after the last scheduled session. Students cannot leave the school and then return.
  • In the case of illness, students MUST report to the General Office (sick bay) before leaving the school grounds.
  • Parents contact the school on the day of any absence via Compass, email or phone.

 

Diana KennedyAssistant Principal -Senior School 

School Captains Report

Welcome to term 3 everyone! As we embark on our last semester, we the school captains want to acknowledge the sheer effort, achievements and progress students have applied throughout the year and continue to apply. Through the remarkable dedication to studies and the cheerful morale we witness on the courtyards, it has been awesome. Congratulations to all the students who excelled and demonstrated hard work through their achievements in awards and great results, we know there is plenty more to come. In addition, to the Year 12 cohort well done on the completion of the first semester which included difficult sacs, modules, many practice exams and the GAT. You should all be proud of your achievements and continue bringing the positive attitude into semester 2, our last two terms of school.

 

As for the Year 12s, this term is all about making big decisions that will shape the future. We are all deep in thought, weighing options about the future, and seeking advice from teachers, counsellors, and peers. Whether we are aiming for a specific university, considering a gap year, or exploring alternative pathways, there's a shared sense of purpose among us all. Semester 2 brings exciting and new things to our eyes and with term 3 being our last official term before we sign off and depart, we ask you to enjoy and savour every moment. Furthermore, as the weather gets warmer and the year gets more stressful, we encourage students to take breaks from studying and enjoy the sun outside. Outside of exams, SACs and CATs, there is a lot happening around the school, from our new Yarning circle near STEM, to our sports teams gearing up for interschool competitions and our school production ‘High School Musical’ in its final stages of rehearsal! We are all so proud and thrilled of the productivity of this year and want to depart with a message to keep positive attitudes and lock in before we leave.  

 

As school captains it has been fun participating in the events the school has and the events to come with Movie night, Valentines’ Day, Harry Potter day and soon to come Crazy Sock day! And as a message to our fellow Year 12s, we want to remind you that while this term is intense, it's also a time to celebrate how far we've come. The decisions we're making now are significant but remember that there are many paths to success. Lean on each other, take care of your mental health, and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. To the rest of the school, we encourage you to make the most of this term. Whether you're preparing for exams, participating in sports, or taking part in a club, give it your all. Let's finish the year strong, together! 

 

Larissa Cheysoth, Nathaniel Hetharia, Milicia Popovic, Charavi Gowda

Lyndale Secondary College - Interact Club – Newsletter Article

Lyndale Secondary College has its first interacted club sponsored by Rotary Endeavour Hills & Dandenong. A group of year 11 students have begun some fantastic work.

 

WHAT IS INTERACT?

Interact is a service club for youth ages 12 to 18 who want to connect with other young people and have fun while serving their communities and learning about the world. Clubs, which meet at least twice a month, are sponsored by local Rotary clubs. Interact clubs organize two projects every year, one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding. Members of sponsor Rotary clubs mentor Interactors as they carry out the projects and develop leadership skills. (R.I. Interact Handbook)

 

WHAT IS ROTARY?

Rotary was created by Paul Harris, born on the 19th of April 1868 - 27th of January 1947. Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million people who looks for solutions and then creates them to modify our world into a better planet for the future generation. Even after his death, Rotary has grown and thrives more than ever till this day.

Rotary was introduced to our school early this year and we have officially been recognized as Rotarians through a ceremony held with Lana Formoso, Mayor of Greater Dandenong City Council and other important features of the Rotary community.   

Our Year 11 students have been slowly understanding their role and purpose as interactors at Lyndale Secondary College. The support of Leanne Byron from Rotary has continued to inspire and provide support for the group in understanding how they can make a difference in the world.

Part of the Lyndale Secondary College Interact team, our goal is to seek out local groups in need and create a fundraiser through planned events held at school, and our current project is a Wheel-Athon, where the plan is to raise money for the manufacturing and parts for wheelchairs, specifically for kids, through gathering 40 students at Lyndale Secondary College to race on wheelchairs with another 40 to push them.

It will be a fun and inviting experience for students to have whilst also spreading awareness of the importance of the wheelchairs and how it could benefit a kid somewhere out there in the world!

 

CHARTER CEREMONY

On Friday 28th June, Lyndale Secondary Interact students were inducted into the rotary charter. An official welcome by Dandenong Lana Formoso Mayor of Greater Dandenong City Council. A range of other guests joined the ceremony where students were presented with badges and wished well for their journey within the program.  

 

Meet the Interact Team

 

President

“My name is Savana, I enjoy going to the gym and going out, my career aspirations is to own my own business as an electrician.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vice President

“My name is Lily; I enjoy dancing and dancing. My career pathway is being a Kindergarten Teacher.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secretary 

“My name Is Natasha; I enjoy watching horror movies in the cinema and my career aspiration is to be a chef.” 

 

Treasurer

“My name is Ceedyn, I enjoy playing guitar, ukelele, and piano. My career pathway is being a carpenter.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Committee 

My name is Kesley, I enjoy watching movies and learning about history, my career aspirations is to be a carpenter.” 

 

 

 

 

 

“My name is Ajdin, I enjoy playing games, my career aspirations is to be a carpenter.” 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hello, my name is Reza, I enjoy watching movies at the cinema and drinking all types of juices. And my career dreams are to be a builder.” 

 

 

 

 

 

“My name is Jessica; I enjoy reading and doing art. And what I want to do for my career is to be a chef/ work in hospitality.” 

 

 

 

 

 

“My name is Alisha, I enjoy movies and baking, and my career aspiration is to be a pastry chef.” 

 

 

 

 

 

“My name is Selena; I enjoy spending time with my friends and going out for acai. My career aspiration is to be a social worker, working with either youth or people with drug and alcohol problems.” 

 

 

 

 

 “The names Robin, I enjoy sports, Love Christ. My career pathway is to be a Carpenter.”