Whole School Messages
Reconciliation Week: Reconciliation Week at Lakeside College | 12–16 May.
Lakeside College proudly continues the conversation about how we can support and contribute toward the journey of Reconciliation. During our reconciliation week, we began with a whole school Opening Ceremony that featured a powerful Yidaki performance, traditional dance and cultural workshops that brought our community together in learning and reflection.
These connections continued throughout the week with an exciting Indigenous Dance Incursion and our very own Lakeside Corroboree — a time to honour, respect and celebrate Indigenous culture, identity, history and stories. Together we are bridging now to next, building toward a more united and respectful nation.
Mother’s Day Breakfast & Stall – Thank You!
What a beautiful morning at our Mother’s Day Breakfast!
We were delighted to host such a special event to celebrate the amazing people who support, nurture and inspire us every day.
Thank you to everyone who joined us – we hope you enjoyed the delicious food and warm company. It was a lovely way to honour the important people in our lives.
A big thank you to our amazing PTFA for organising today’s Mother’s Day Stall, we appreciate all the support that made today so special.
Happy Mother’s Day to all!
Positive Partnerships
We provide information to parents, carers and educators of school-aged autistic children. This information is based on research and accessed through workshops and other resources.
One day Autism Workshop for Parents and Carers – Pakenham
Date and time: Wednesday 21 May, 9.15 am – 3.00 pm
During the workshop, you will learn about the diversity of autism, sensory processing and working together with your child’s school.
To register for the workshop, please visit the Positive Partnerships website.
Description Learn about:
The diversity of autism
examines parent’s knowledge of autism and how autism directly impacts their child at home and school
investigates a range of practical strategies to use at home and school to improve learning outcomes
Understanding Sensory Processing
Explores sensory processing and the unique differences autistic individuals may have with processing information from their senses
Shares some strategies that can assist people to cope with sensory input and meet their sensory needs
Working in partnerships
examines ways for parents to strengthen partnerships between home, school and community
increases awareness of support and services for families and how they can be accessed
explores ways parents can advocate more effectively for their child’s needs
helps parents develop a plan for moving forward
Where:
Cardinia Cultural Centre - 40 Lakeside Boulevard PAKENHAM VIC
Cost: Free
Term 2 Music Lessons
If your child is interested in music lessons, we have incredibly talented and professional teachers and opportunities for students to perform throughout the year.
Singing Lessons with Sandra De Reland, flute lessons with Nelle McLean, guitar or drums with Alejandro Aldana Espino and piano with Jess Van Raay.
Please visit the administration office if you’d like to sign up your student for lessons.
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, Brian Trumble, by email at brian.trumble@lakeside.vic.edu.au or, return the completed application form to the front desk at the College Reception.
Thank you
Mr Brian Trumble
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
Primary
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.
Dogs on Campus
Dogs are not permitted on school grounds.
This is in place for two key reasons:
Allergies: Some students have serious allergic reactions to dogs. Even brief exposure can lead to significant health concerns.
Fear of Dogs: While many dogs are friendly, some individuals, both students and staff, have a genuine fear of them. Their presence may cause unnecessary stress or anxiety.
To ensure the safety and comfort of all, we ask that dogs not be brought onto school property at any time, including during drop-off, pick-up, or school events.
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;
Gates open at 8am and lock again at 8:45am.
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