From the Principal's Desk

 Mid Term Update

It has been fantastic to see students continuing their terrific start to the year. This has been evident in in classroom learning walks and observations, where students are actively engaging in the lessons content, thriving on the challenges their teachers are providing them and recognising how the skills and knowledge gained will help them navigate life beyond school.

Outside of the classroom there has been a vibrancy in the yard, with students engaging in a range of physical activities and lunchtime groups or just simply making the most of the incredible weather we have had, utilising one of the many beautiful outdoor spaces we have a available. 

Our Year 7 and 9 students begin their NAPLAN assessments next week. NAPLAN should be a no fuss event, simply, it is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth. We know students will conduct themselves to a high standard and give the assessments their best shot. 

Completing NAPLAN testing benefits students by providing valuable insights into their literacy and numeracy skills, helping to identify strengths and areas for improvement. The results offer a benchmark for individual progress over time and assist teachers in tailoring learning strategies to support student growth.

Additionally, NAPLAN prepares students for future assessments by building test-taking confidence and resilience. While it is not a pass-or-fail exam, it serves as a useful tool, which allows us to enhance overall teaching effectiveness and ensure students receive the support they need to succeed academically. 

Staff at our College use NAPLAN data alongside other information collected by the school to understand student literacy and numeracy needs.

On Wednesday March 24th we welcomed prospective families to our annual Year 7 information evening. 

The evening was a wonderful celebration of the College and our school community and an opportunity to showcase the teaching and learning and extra-curricular program at our College, it was also our most well attended information evening in recent years. It was great to see our local community embrace the opportunity and the evening was a huge success with visitors joining us from Lara and surrounding towns. 

The sense of community was very strong. As the only secondary school, in Lara, it was a great opportunity to highlight the diversity and richness of the College’s program and of how it meets the diverse needs of our community. 

Our new school council met on Thursday March 12th, thank you to all of our School Council representatives, we’re looking forward to working with all of you. 

I would like to personally thank Bree Migao, Lauren Lynch and Paul Wilson who will conclude their tenures on School Council, Paul has been our School Council President for the past 3 years and a longstanding member of our the Lara Secondary College School Council. 

These three parents have selflessly donated their time and energy to all things Lara Secondary College. They have continuously advocated strongly for our students, our school, and our staff. The success and growth of our school that we have all enjoyed in recent years, has not been based on any form of agitation and grievance, but on support and trust we have received, and the desire to see our school improve, thrive, and grow. This has been truly appreciated, and it is with great gratitude I say thank you to Paul, Lauren and Bree.  

I would like to remind families of when they are picking students up during the school day that to minimise disruptions to learning, we kindly ask that student pick-ups be scheduled during our break times to allow continuity of learning. Wherever possible it is best if students know what time they will be picked up. If you do need to collect your child during class time we will not make unnecessary calls to classrooms, as we do not want to disrupt the learning of all students. 

Please see our break times below:

Recess: 10:14-10:35am

Changeover between session 2 & 3: 11:49-11:55am

Lunch: 1:09- 1:50pm

Thank you for your assistance with this.

Lastly, I would like to remind all students and families that electric powered scooters, bikes and skateboards are not permitted on our school site at any point in time. We encourage all students to utilise modes of active transport but for safety purposes electric powered options are not allowed and if onsite will be confiscated. We also ask that students riding bikes to school to dismount at pedestrian crossings, for their personal safety and others also at the crossing, we thank families in advance for reiterating this message at home. 

Luke Skewes

Principal