Harmony Day 2025

Harmony Day celebrations will take place next week on March 21st. This important day provides an opportunity for us all to acknowledge and embrace the rich cultural diversity within our school community and broader Australian society.

This year's theme, "We All Have a Role to Play," encourages each of us to reflect on how we can contribute to a more harmonious and inclusive environment. To celebrate this theme, we invite all students to wear a splash of orange, symbolising our commitment to inclusivity and unity. This simple act of participation will serve as a visual reminder of the importance of diversity and acceptance in our community.

In addition to our dress code, we are excited to host an incursion that will enhance our understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. This engaging program will involve interactive activities and discussions that aim to foster respect and understanding among students of all backgrounds. We believe that this experience will not only enrich their learning but also strengthen the bonds within our school community.

We kindly encourage you to talk about the significance of Harmony Day with your child and to support their engagement by discussing the various ways we can all contribute to promoting inclusivity. Your involvement is vital in reinforcing these values outside the classroom.

Thank you for your ongoing support in nurturing a compassionate and respectful learning environment. Together, we can celebrate our differences and work towards a more harmonious future.

Seussical the Musical

We are so excited to announce our 2025 musical production of Seussical! Our musical is open for students from Year 5 to Year 12 and is a great opportunity for students to develop confidence, teamwork, responsibility and have fun!

We are currently auditioning students, for rehearsals to begin in Week 8, and all students are welcome to join in.

The musical will be performed at the Cardinia Cultural Centre in September, on Thursday 11th, Friday 12th and Saturday 13th.

More details will be shared closer to the event.

If students are interested in auditioning but have missed the auditions, please contact Mrs Williames or Miss Davine and we can help.

‘You’re off to great places, today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!’Dr Seuss.

School Savings Bonus

Conveyance Allowance

If you live more than 4.8 km’s from Lakeside College you may be eligible for a Conveyance Allowance payment from the Department of Education and Training (DET). The purpose of this allowance is to ensure that schools support eligible families to receive financial assistance with the cost of transporting students to and from school.

To be eligible to receive conveyance allowance, a student attending a non-government school must:

• be of school age (between 5 and 18 years);

• reside 4.8 km or more by the shortest practicable route from the school attended; and

• be enrolled at the nearest primary, secondary or specialist school of the same denomination as the school they attend.

The rate of payment is determined by the distance you live from the College, and the mode of transport you use. As an example, if you travel by private car you may be eligible for a payment of $470.00 per annum if you live between 4.8 kms and 10 kms from the College. This payment increases if the distance from the College is greater than 10 kms. For an additional student travelling with the same family, the additional payment is currently $235.00 per annum.

To apply for the conveyance allowance you need to complete the application for Private Car travel attached, or, if you travel by public transport, you need to complete the application for Public Transport attached. If your application is successful we are obliged to pass these payments onto you to assist with your travel costs, but there is an option to apply these to your College fees if you wish.

To apply this payment towards your tuition fees you need to sign the last page of the application (PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT FOR SCHOOL TO WITHHOLD CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE). Otherwise, we will need your bank account details to transfer funds as we receive them.

If you think you may be eligible, please complete the relevant application form and return to the Business Manager, Noel Pullen, by email at noel.pullen@lakeside.vic.edu.au or, return the completed application form to the front desk at the College Reception.

Thank you

Mr Noel Pullen

Business Manager

2025 Student Residential address and other information collection (Address Collection)

General

Dear families,

At Lakeside College, there is nothing more important than the safety and wellbeing of our students. The College places our commitments under the Child Safe Standards at the top of our priorities as a school.

As part of this commitment, our staff regularly undertake training regarding the standard and the actions to be taken to maintain a Child Safe environment.

Our students are also educated so that they know what to do if ever they feel unsafe. To help with this, these two resources are discussed with our students.

Secondary

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/health/protect/EasyEnglish_SecondarySchool_FactSheet.pdf

Primary

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/health/protect/EasyEnglish_PrimarySchool_FactSheet.pdf

It is important that our families are also aware of the part they play in creating a Child Safe environment. All parents volunteering at the College undertake our online Child Safe training.

You may soon notice that our teachers will be guiding our students to offer high fives/fist bumps/handshakes in preference to a hug. While hugging is not a practice that teachers and staff have actively encouraged, in keeping with our obligations and these new standards, we are required to further minimise physical contact with students. There are times when physical contact is appropriate, such as a brief side hug to comfort an extremely distressed child, or holding a child to keep them from danger.

Should any community member have concerns regarding the safety of a child, please act immediately using the details available here: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/safety/Pages/child-protection.aspx

The College has a number of Child Protection Officers who can support community members to make reports as required.

Please don’t hesitate to contact any of the Child Protection officers should you have any questions or concerns.

Student safety

Please ensure that all students cross the road using the crossings outside the administration building and near the Primary oval. Students should only cross at other points with parent supervision.

Parents should not be stopping in the no-standing zones to drop off / wait to pick up their child/ren.

Student birthday celebrations in Primary School

In previous years many Primary families have provided birthday cakes, lolly bags, other food and toys for each child in the class.

We ask parents not to send cake, food, lollies and/or gift bags to school. This policy has been adopted for the following reasons:

To ensure student safety. Several students in our community have food-based allergies and some could have a severe reaction should they ingest foods containing allergens, particularly our younger students
To reduce the financial pressure on families to provide food and gifts for large numbers of students
To remove the negative impact on student wellbeing when some students feel their birthday celebration is ‘not as good’ as other students
To ensure parents have control over what their children eat and respecting their wishes if they do not want their children eating high sugar/calorie foods
To ensure consistency with our mandated ‘healthy eating’ policy and Victorian Government regulations

Birthdays are an excellent chance to celebrate the uniqueness of every child in our community. In each class, teachers and students acknowledge each student’s birthday in their own fashion. We have made this change to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our community.

Communication

Families are reminded that their child’s homeroom teacher is the first point of contact for all questions. If you require the contact details of any of your child’s teachers, please consult the College Staff Directory available on Parent Lounge.

Volunteers

The College is blessed by volunteers serving in many roles in order to provide a number of great experiences and support to our students and community.

If you are able to volunteer in any capacity at the College in 2025, please email student.services@lakeside.vic.edu.au and this can be arranged.

Volunteer training

If you are a regular volunteer with the College, please ensure you complete your online training module. Please ensure you have completed the volunteer expression of interest form and training will be assigned.

Parent/Guardian Communication Checklist

There are a number of communication tools the College uses to ensure our families are kept in the loop. Please cross check the list below and contact Administration should you require any assistance.

• Parent Lounge - This is our online portal for families and has a wealth of information including the school calendar and important notices. There is a link to the parent portal on the College website https://tass.lakeside.vic.edu.au/parentlounge

• Facebook - Please like us on Facebook to ensure you see the daily celebration of the great things going on around the campus. Search ‘Lakeside College’ and hit the ‘like’ button

• Student Spotlight - The College loves sharing student news and success stories. If you would like to see your child featured in our newsletter or on facebook, email marketing@lakeside.vic.edu.au with a photo and details.

Parking at Lakeside College

Due to the unique location of Lakeside College, we do not have an abundance of parking available on the school grounds. For the safety of College students, staff and families, please observe the following parking guidelines in the attached images and notes.

Do not allow your children to enter or exit your car if you are not stopped in a designated zone or fully parked
Do not park in areas marked as ‘no parking’ or 'no standing.’
Do not park or drop off in the bus / delivery zone /
Do not drop children off at the bend of Portobello Rd.
If using drop off/collect zones please do not park. This causes a backup of traffic. If your child is not ready to be collected, please exit the car park and return a short time later
Parents should not be stopping in the no standing zones to drop off / wait to pick up their child/ren.
Please only use our disabled parking spaces if you are eligible to do so. There are a number of Lakeside families who rely on these spaces and must have access to them
Gate access from the College carpark;
1. Gates open at 8am and lock again at 8:45am.
2. Gates re-open at 2:45pm and lock again at 3:30pm.
If possible, utilise the alternate parking areas around and enjoy a short walk to school
The College has received several complaints from Aldi regarding families using their loading area to drop off and collect students. We request all of our families to not use this area for pickup.
As spoken of elsewhere in this newsletter, please do not allow your children to cross roads unaccompanied unless you are with them

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