From the Principal

Dear Parents and Friends,

It has been a little quieter around the school this week, with our grade 6 students in Canberra on their grade 6 camp. The grade 6 camp is very different to our grade 4 and 5 camps, which are both outdoor education camps. The Canberra camp is what we term a curriculum camp, where the focus is on educational activities. Students spend the week exploring Canberra, with the curriculum focus being history and civics and citizenship. Students learn about the development of Canberra as our capital, the history and structure of government in Australia, our voting system, our part in conflicts around the world and many other things. We'd like to say we planned it so that this would be the week leading into a Federal election, however, that is just very good luck!

Some of the places our staff and students will visit are:

• The Royal Australian Mint

• Old and New Parliament House

• The Australian War Memorial

• The Australian Institute of Sport

• The Australian Electoral Commission

• The National Gallery of Australia

• Questacon- National Science and Technology Centre

• National Capital Exhibition

• Lake Burley Griffin

• Mount Ainslie Lookout

• National Arboretum

Whilst it is a fantastic time away for students, it is both a valuable experience and a strain for our staff. I think you can all appreciate how challenging it is for your families when you don't have your regular supports available, so for our staff to give up their time and take a week away from their families, it is much appreciated. It is not mandatory for staff to attend camps, and we are fortunate at LPS that our staff are both willing and able to provide these opportunities for our students.

Buildings and Grounds update

As I am sure you have noticed, work is well and truly underway with the updates to our school ramps. This will continue throughout the term, with all ramps expected to be finished by the end of term 2.

The tender has been put out for the work on our new kinder, this should be finalised within the next few weeks. Our school does not have a part to play in awarding the tender, this is all managed by the architects and the VSBA. The plan regarding the moving of our portable is still that this will be completed around the term 2 break, although it is likely that 5M and 5MA will have to leave their classrooms for a short period. The importance of minimising this time has been made clear to those tendering for the work, and we will continue to push to ensure that the disruption to our students is minimal.

The final big building project we have planned for 2025 is the upgrade of our gym toilets. We are currently finalising quotes and seeking approval from the VSBA before starting on this work. Once we have accepted the successful quote, we will communicate with families regarding the plan and timeline for the work.

Uniform

From time to time, non-uniform items tend to drift into common place, and it is necessary to remind students and families of the correct uniform. Below is a link to our uniform list, the items on this list are the school uniform for Lysterfield Primary School, with one exception. Last year, the school council approved the wearing of long navy blue leggings, which have not yet been updated on the uniform list. We thank you for your cooperation in maintaining the school uniform at our school.

Lysterfield Primary School Uniform List

Have a great weekend!

Adam Wight, Principal