Principal's Report

Term 2 is always a very important time as it brings together much of the learning undertaken throughout term one as teachers check for student understanding and application in major assessment tasks and in the case of our senior students, prepare them for their mid-year examinations. It is also the term in which NAPLAN is conducted in all schools across Australia as well as AToSS (Attitudes to School Survey) to collect student feedback in relation to teaching and learning and connection to school. Both NAPLAN and AToSS provide us with data sets that we use to inform how to improve our practice and tailor our program to address the needs of our students.

It is therefore paramount that as a College we at all times balance our learning values of responsibility, respect, responsiveness and resilience in addition to student wellbeing.  This can only be achieved if our families keep our student services team informed of any concerns that may arise.

As parents you should be proud of your children as they showed great pride and continued to work hard as they prepare for their final assessments prior to the end of semester. Our teachers, tutors and other support staff continued to work with students who needed catch up following last year’s lockdown in addition to extending our top achievers. 

Our staff are responsive to globalisation and use the latest research and innovation in what they teach, they are incorporating the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attributes for the student’s futures and for students in Years 7-10, the changes which will take place in senior secondary education in Victoria from 2023.

Senior Secondary Certificate Reform

Victoria’s senior secondary education is changing. From 2023, the new VCE Vocational Major will replace Intermediate and Senior VCAL. This means the VCE will recognise different students equally. The new Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) will replace Foundation VCAL. Students will have more education choices, a higher-quality curriculum and better workplace experiences – preparing them for further study, training at TAFE or work.

From 2023, more students will study the VCE. That is because the VCE will include the Vocational Major, a 2-year program that sits within the VCE. There will also be the Victorian Pathways Certificate for those who need flexibility in their learning. A new information and awareness campaign, Many Talents, One VCE will roll out explaining the changes.

The changes are a result of the Review into Vocational and Applied Learning Pathways in Senior Secondary Schooling (the Firth review). The review found we needed to improve vocational learning in schools. 

Schools currently offering VCAL will switch to the VCE Vocational Major from 2023. Some schools that do not offer VCAL will expand their options to include the VCE Vocational Major. Teachers and careers counsellors are available to answer questions and to support students as they make decisions about their final years at school. Now students will have greater access to high-quality, relevant vocational education and applied learning opportunities. 

For more information, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/whats-changing-senior-secondary

Our Values in action

The values that guide our school are:

Responsibility: we show strength of character and are accountable for our actions

Respect: we have pride in our school and promote the right to learn

Resilience: we are relentless in the pursuit of success

Our college values are ones that we hold dear and are for all members of our learning community to uphold. As per what is occurring in our State’s health system and in other sectors of employment, schools are finding it increasingly hard to cover classes when staff are away.

So far, we have done an amazing job with the hard work of our Daily Organiser Ms Tania Shannon and our many casual relief teachers who we employ to help fill these gaps, as well as teachers who are taking extra classes and support staff who are picking up extra tasks.

I would ask parents and carers to realise the challenges we face and to think about the way in which you address a member of my staff whether it is in person, on the phone or via email during these challenging times.

We all want the same thing and that is to support your children in their learning, but we cannot control when people get sick or must be absent to care for their own children. Last Wednesday I counted 21 staff members away. Your support and understanding would be much appreciated and can be demonstrated in a respectful and caring way.

Around the College

The best part of being a principal is enjoying seeing students engaged inside and outside of the classrooms. Maximising student engagement and wellbeing is very much needed and over the past few weeks, students have had many opportunities to engage, extend and challenge themselves through interschool sport, music performances rehearsals, lunchtime activities and excursion(s). 

Open Day Success

Wednesday 6th May was our Open Night and what a great success it was. The school facilities, programs, staff and students were showcased to hundreds of visitors. We were very pleased to hear the number of comments about how impressive our students are, how proud our staff were working at Lyndale, the quality of every teaching program, and the positive energy in our College. 

A special thank you to all staff, students and parents who contributed to producing such a dynamic evening, and to our student leaders who led the evening welcome and tours.

Canteen Operations

Our school canteen is run by a company called Jude Fina Foods. Unfortunately the Canteen Manager, Lija, has suffered an injury to her ankle and will be unavailable for the remainder of this term and all of Term 3. Due to extreme staff shortages, the company is not able to replace Lija at this time. To avoid disappointment, we ask all students and their families to please us the school lunch ordering system, QKR, when making a recess or lunch order. This will help to avoid lengthy queues and the chance of missing out on ordering food/drinks. View the instructions on how to use the lunch ordering system, QKR:

https://lyndale.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Canteen-Qkr_howto.pdf

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

Semester 1 Reports

The DET has provided schools with a reporting extension.  As a result of this semester 1 reports will be available via Compass on the evening of Friday 22nd July.  Please make the time to discuss your student’s progress with them, both areas of strength and areas for improvement.  Congratulations to those students who achieved excellent results this semester.

End of Semester 1

It has been a busy time with a lot to get through.  I would like to thank all the teachers for the great work achieved this semester.  Special thanks to the teachers who prepared their students for mid-year examinations.  Many extra classes were held (some out of hours) and this demonstrates the dedication of the staff at this school. 

Have a well-deserved break everyone and enjoy time with your family and friends. Term 3 begins on Monday 11 July.  Stay well, take care and I will see you next term.