School Review

The official work related to our school review is now complete. In the coming weeks the reviewer will forward a full report. From this report the School Leadership Team will create a four year Strategic Plan which will set out our broad direction; this will then be segregated into a yearly Annual Implementation Plan (to begin in 2026) which will list specific goals, targets and actions we will undertake to further improve student learning and wellbeing across the school.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the staff for their support and hard work during the entire review process (which actually began in Term 2).

Also thank you to Daniel Portwine, our School Council President, who formed part of the review panel and provided valuable insight from the point of view of not only a school councillor but also a parent. Thank you to the couple of parents who were able to attend the Parent Forum and provide their thoughts and insights into our school.

Curriculum Days This Term

We have two pupil free days this term. The first one is fast approaching, it is Monday November 3rd (the day before Melbourne Cup Day). Teachers will be at school on this day and completing curriculum work in preparation for the 2026 school year. Please note that the following day is Melbourne Cup Day and a public holiday- there will be no school for staff or students on that day.

Theircare has advised us that they are unable to run a day program on Monday November 3rd.

The second pupil free day is Friday November 28th. On this day staff will be finalising assessments and reports. Students do not attend school on this day. If you will require Theircare on this day please let us know as the program will not be able to run with insufficient numbers and a decision will be made on this by the end of next week.

2026 Classes

As we move through Term 4, preparations are underway to organise the teaching and learning arrangements for next year. Whilst teachers are yet to be allocated to specific levels this will happen in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, we will be allocating students to their 2026 class groupings. I have been in contact with some families who have siblings that are in the same year level or could potentially be in the same composite classes to seek their preferences. If you have a genuine reason for requesting a specific class grouping for your child, please contact me to arrange a time to discuss. Whilst we do our best to ensure that everyone's opinions are considered, we are not able to accommodate everyone's request for particular groupings.

Students will find out their 2026 classes and teachers on the State-wide Transition Day (December 9th) and they will spend the morning in these new classes to familiarise themselves with their 2026 teacher and classmates.

Well Wishes

As many of you will already know, one of our Year Six students, Ryder, had an awful accident nearly two weeks ago. Ryder fell from his mountain bike whilst warming up to compete in a competition. Ryder sustained multiple head fractures and has spent time in the Royal Children's Hospital. I am happy to report that Ryder is now at home recovering and that he has been cheered up by calls, visits and gifts from his classmates. We hope to see Ryder back with us later in the term.

Boys To The Bush Program

Yesterday we had ten boys from Years 3-5 participate in the first day of a 5-day program facilitated by an organisation called Boys To The Bush. This program aims to provide participants with building life skills, confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose through various activities, including mentoring, community interactions and mateship. A huge thank you to the Moama Bowling Club and the Lockington-Bamawm Football-Netball Club whose generous donations made this program possible.

See below for a wrap up from Day One sent by one of the facilitators.

Changes to Digital Devices in Classrooms

From 2027, the Victorian Government is introducing changes to the use of digital devices for students from Prep to Grade 6.

Under the new guidelines, schools:

schools will not be able to invite families to purchase and supply devices called a BYOD program (LCS does not use this approach)
will follow new recommended digital device times, including minimal device time for Prep to Grade 2; and a maximum of 90 minutes per day for grades 3 to 6.

These changes are intended to support students by reducing screen-time which can reduce the risk of eye strain, sedentary behaviour, and reduced peer interaction. These reforms complement Victoria’s nation-leading mobile phone restrictions, ensuring an integrated approach to addressing digital distraction and the inappropriate use of technology.

What this means for our school

As you know, we already provide school-owned digital devices for student learning, so there is no impact on our school’s BYOD programs.

Students with disability who use a digital device as a reasonable adjustment are exempt from these changes.

These changes are intended to support families with cost-of-living pressures and reduce student screen time.

You can read more about the changes on the department’s website: Digital Learning: Policy.

School Council

A reminder that our next school council meeting will be held onsite on Tuesday 28th October, commencing at 6pm.

That is all for this week, Lisa Duffy.

The Resilience Project