Principal’s Report Wk 2, Tm 4, 2024

Developing and fostering relationships

As Principals, we can easily get caught up with the busyness of our days and suddenly we have not left our office through all the meetings we have to be a part of or lead. So I have set myself a challenge. I have made a commitment to the students and staff that I will randomly visit 8 classes a week, posing an investigative question.

This week I ‘nearly’ met my challenge. I visited 6 classes with the question “What is your favourite colour?”

The results were interesting. The classes represented their data in graph form with bar and pie graphs being the most popular. Five out of six classes’ favourite colour was blue. Wow! I found it fascinating the hues and shades of colours students spoke explicitly of. A student stated “This is like being at Bunnings with the paint samples’. The Year 1 students were fascinated with their bar graph and learning about the terminology of Y and X axis. The students were extremely eager and excited to extend their data literacy knowledge and skills. I look forward to seeing where my magical, mystery tour will lead me next week.

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2025 School Structure and Workforce Planning

We are well underway in discussions about School Structure and Workforce Planning. Our aim is always to have the highest quality teachers and support staff in front of every student every day. Staff will commence student groupings based on academic, wellbeing and social considerations.

On rare occasions, a parent may like to forward a request for consideration. Requests are only considered by the Principal on educational reasons.

Already, there have been parents making enquiries as to which teachers will be in what grades or roles next year so that they can make requests for particular teachers. Please know that it is my firm policy NOT to take requests for particular teachers. Certainly, there are a very small number of children who may have particular social or academic needs and these will be considered when deciding on grade placements. These requests should be submitted to me in writing by Friday 22nd November when we are allocating children to grades.

Please also note that we do not have confirmed grade allocations for teachers until at least early December so I ask that you do not start asking teachers which grade they will have next year. They probably will not know and are not allowed to tell you anyway. Factors such as the employment of new teachers, means that there may even be uncertainties about grade allocations during the Christmas holidays.

The placement of children in grades is a complex task, taking into account the academic and social characteristics of each child, friendship groups, grade arrangements and special circumstances. A change of grade after they have been allocated is normally difficult and rarely accommodated. Please understand that allocations are arranged with the best interests of each child in mind. This may or may not coincide with your personal preferences as a parent.

Learning comes in all shapes and sizes

On Saturday 14th September, select students from Year 4 - 6 represented LPS in the State Schools Spectacular. As the new Principal of LPS, I was overwhelmed by the professionalism, enthusiasm and sheer joy of our families and what I heard in the voices of thousands of students, staff and families from across Victoria. This was my first time seeing this first hand. I was incredibly proud of the talent shown in the choir, through dance, acrobatics, musicians and cultural displays of colour. It was a dazzling showcase of student talent, celebrating the hard work, creativity, and dedication of our young performers.

The State School Spectacular is not just about the performers. A huge shout out to the teachers, choreographers, and backstage crew who worked behind the scenes to make this event possible. Their commitment and hard work ensure that everything runs smoothly, allowing the students to focus on delivering their best performances.

The performance highlighted that learning comes in all shapes and sizes. We celebrate academic progress. We celebrate sporting achievements. We celebrate our mathematicians and scientists.

A big applause to the performing arts and singing talent at LPS.

What does extracurricular activities mean?

There is a wide range of extracurricular activities offered at LPS. In short, these are activities that are outside the regular academic curriculum. These activities are not part of the core academic subjects but are designed to complement and enhance students’ educational experience.

Two examples I would like to highlight are lunch clubs and camps.

There are a variety of lunch clubs offered at LPS such as Board Games, Yoga, Art, Crocheting, Dancing & Reading. The clubs run for half of lunchtime and provide an additional space and opportunity for students to learn something new or do something they love, all while connecting with other students across a range of year levels. For some students, lunch club activities are an alternate space for when the yard gets too busy and overwhelming.

Lunch clubs are all run by teachers, with the occasional club supervised by teachers and run very efficiently by Year 6 student leaders.

The Year 3 - 6 camps programs provide opportunities for students to grow outside the comfort zone of the classroom. The camps usually involve outdoor adventure activities filled with learning, personal growth and teamwork. In addition to activities like the Flying Fox, Giant Swing, Orienteering and Archery, 2024 has seen some groups also experience a range of new outdoor activities such as horseback riding, camel riding and bush first aid! Each experience encourages students to work within different groups, challenge themselves, support one another and on the whole, come away with some essential life skills and memories that stay with them for years to come.

The LPS camps program could not be possible without the generous staff. Staff forgo their personal lives to ensure your child/ren have a positive and worthwhile experience. I would like to thank the staff for their continued dedication to ensure our students thrive as well rounded people.

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