Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you for your support last Friday as we conducted a Curriculum Day for all staff at Lucas PS. It was a valuable opportunity for all staff (85 teachers, Education Support and Administration staff) to complete Day 4 of our Berry Street Education Model. On this day staff spent time exploring practical strategies and shared understandings to better support student behaviour, engagement and wellbeing. It strengthens staff confidence in responding to challenging behaviours, promotes consistency across the school and helps build a positive, predictable environment where students feel supported and ready to learn.

Whole School Events

Apologies for the number of Compass notifications recently regarding the various school activities taking place over the coming week or so.

These events provide valuable opportunities for our students, staff and broader community to come together, build connections and celebrate our school community. We recognise that clear and timely communication is important to ensure everyone is well informed and prepared for each event.

Compass allows us to communicate directly with every household in a timely and accessible way, helping families stay across what is happening at school.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and continued support.

Welcome

We would like to welcome Michelle Roberts to Lucas Primary School. Michelle has joined the administration team. Michelle comes to us with many years of experience working in administration in schools across the Ballarat region. Please pop into the office and say hello to Michelle.

Whole School Events over the coming few weeks:

• Friday August 28 - Book Week Dress Up Day and Parade
• 31/8 - 4/8 - Physical Education Week - Activities at lunch time for students to get involved in.
• Thursday September 3 - Walk/Scoot/Ride to School Day. Join one of the pathways at 8.15am and enjoy a walk to school.
• Friday September 4 - Fathers/Father Figure Day. Lunch and activities at school 1.30 - 2.30pm
• Friday September 18 - Sporting Colours Day. Wear your favourite team colours. 

Parent/Caregiver Opinion Survey

We are conducting the annual Parent / Carer Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The Parent / Carer Opinion Survey will be open online from Wednesday 26 August to Friday 18 September 2026.

All families are invited to participate in the survey. Please look out for a Compass Notification with details on how to complete survey. 

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / carers who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to the school office for survey guides in your language.

Last year we used the survey results to measure growth as part of the School Review which helped create a pathway for the next 4 years. We had the largest response to this survey last year since the school opened… thank you! A Compass message will be sent home with details on how to access the survey. As an incentive students will receive a Free Hot Chocolate voucher which they can bring to school once the survey is completed. 

Book Week Parade

We are looking forward to our dress up day on Friday to celebrate Book Week. Please come along dressed as your favourite book or character and participate in the fun during the day.

Our parade will take place at 9.15am in the gym and will replace our assembly for this fortnight. We are looking forward to this Friday. 

Active Pathways Walk - Scoot - Ride to School Day - September 3

We were fortunate to be selected to participate in the Active Pathways Program, an initiative delivered in partnership with the City of Ballarat and Active Pathways.

As part of the program, our student leaders worked alongside the City of Ballarat and Active Pathways to identify four safe and accessible pathways to Lucas Primary School from across the Lucas area. These pathways have now been professionally designed and printed for our school community. We have a large map displayed at school and a copy will also be sent home for families to keep on the fridge.

On Thursday 3 September, representatives will be positioned at the starting point of each pathway to lead families on a walk, ride or scoot to school. Each group will depart its starting point at 8:15am. 

Please note that our usual Walking School Bus will not operate on this day.

Please take a look at the map below to identify the pathway that is most convenient for your family.

Parents and carers are very welcome to join us and be part of this great opportunity to promote active and safe travel to school.

Fathers/Father Figure Day

On Friday September 4, we welcome our fathers and father figures to the school for an afternoon of games. This event is an important time to pause and value all the wonderful attributes of fathers and father figures in our lives.

We invite our guests to school at 1.30pm for a video presentation in the gym, followed by a hot dog lunch and then some games in the yard. The session will conclude at 2.30pm.

Brick Fundraiser

Thank you to everyone who has supported our Brick Fundraiser. We are thrilled to have sold 190 bricks, which will become a permanent part of a feature in the school ground and create a lasting reminder of our Lucas PS community.

We have been particularly impressed by the creativity that has gone into the brick designs. Each one will become part of our school's story and a wonderful living memory for our students and families for years to come.

A special thank you to the Fundraising Sub-Committee of School Council, who have worked incredibly hard to make this fundraiser a reality. We are very grateful for their time, energy and commitment to our school.