Principal's Report 

Dear Colleagues, families and students of the LNSC learning community.Another academic year has come to and end for our staff and students. 

We all have time now to rest, reflect and re-energise. What a wonderful time we have had together this year - learning, growing and realising new strengths as well as receiving support where needed to flourish as learners and as people. 

On behalf of school Council, our leadership team, and all staff, I wish everyone a great holiday period with lots of good times with loved ones. This year has seen our college continue to grow across all of its programs, bringing excellent learning experiences to our students. 

We have also grown in student numbers for a second year running, and in our number of staff - all of whom build upon our caring culture that brings outstanding learning opportunities for our young people. 

We look forward to our new year 7s who are joining us for 2024 - a group that has nearly doubled in size, and we have waved off another crop of fine young senior students as they make their way into tertiary courses or employment - continuing to build and lead in their communities. 

We wish all of these young people the very best and very much hope they will be back to visit and share their adventures. 

Until we see each other again in the new term, all rested for a new year of learning (we will be busy preparing for your arrival both in planning learning and also upgrading/maintaining our facilities), take care and stay well...we all look forward to being together again.

It was an honour last week to speak to our community on the occasion of the 2023 college valedictory and congratulate students upon this milestone in their lives. Please see reproduced below the address

2023 Valedictory Ceremony, 13th December 2023

 Principal Address

Lalor North Secondary College

College Council President, Robyn Bogoevski, and members of college Council, Assistant Principal, Selen Atilla, College Executive, School Improvement and Consultative Team members, Senior Education Improvement Leader, Anthony Simone, our wonderful teachers and education support staff, families, and friends of our students, and – most of all – to our graduating class of 2023.

You all look magnificent. You are wonderful, wonderful people. It is a privilege to speak to you tonight.

What does it mean to graduate? I believe that, first and foremost, it means you are here. You have found a way…persisted enough and found sufficient support to reach this point to be here with your peers. 

Beyond any current statistic that you have on paper, you’ve been able to secure an important foothold, and draw upon others…you’ve created connection to be here for this milestone in your lives.

I would like every one of you to personally acknowledge and honour this important truth about yourselves.

 A thousand times congratulations for this.  Honour, also, that some of your peers have achieved this milestone in part because of your belief in them, and your influence upon them. That is a very special thing. 

This evening, we join as a community to rejoice in you, and we wish that you…every one of you…honour yourselves also for reaching this milestone.

When thinking on tonight, I kept coming back to some basic stuff – such as how much my colleagues and I are going to miss you all. Your humour, quirkiness, individuality, your strengths, passions, and your vulnerabilities.

I feel this strongly after only a bit over 20 months of meeting you – so you can imagine how many of my colleagues feel who have known you much longer. 

I reflect that I wish I had the chance to know more of you more fully before this evening and to listen more to your dreams and ideas for the future – these are things to trust and believe in…because, in your hands, they can have a way of becoming reality – and we will all be the better for it.

What is education if it is not development of understanding, an ability to - while taking good care of ourselves – avoid judging others. To be possessed of an ability to reflect long enough so that connections are made, to celebrate difference, and to understand that – despite challenges – we are a community that can strengthen one another and rise together.

You have all demonstrated these qualities in many ways over your years at our college. Even today, Sue Brownbill - our very own careers guru  - has spoken to me about how gracious you have all been with her advice since results were posted – and how you have listened to her counsel with regard to preference changes for your next steps – congratulations again for this, because advice you can trust will always help you find your way – even open another window that you didn’t realise could be prised open.

What is education if not an understanding that our human quality of Imagination can picture a brighter, fairer, more harmonious world, and to Believe that we can create new realities if only we can have the Courage to link our Imagination and our actions. 

I’m not sure why I love quotes so much – it’s partly because I’m often uplifted and sustained by the wisdom of curious people who have thought about things a lot.

So when I trot out that…(as many here have heard me do)….’The future is not somewhere we are going, it is something we are creating, that the paths are not to be found, but to be made, and that the action of making them changes forever the maker, and the destination’ (John Schaar)….it is because I know with all my heart that we can create our futures – as individuals and a community  - despite our hurdles – all of us -  with determined and positive action in our hearts.

Be brave, be bold, be yourself. Build the positive self-talk and avoid unhelpful negativity. Listen to wise, trusted feedback and reflection from people who know you and care deeply about you. Learn something new about yourself every day…and treasure your uniqueness.

Goodness knows we need you. Make mistakes - plenty of them if necessary - fail miserably at times – for you can’t create if you don’t - but believe in yourself and enlist those others to assist you in your quest for a meaningful and empowering future….what ever that may hold…You have your own way to do this because you are the only one of you…don’t you think that’s an incredible thought?!...there is nobody quite like you.

And always remember that we are all so much better off because you are simply…here…among us.

Tonight is indeed a wonderful milestone. It is for you to determine what your numbers mean. The numbers don’t (actually) know you personally. Yet they are a useful reference for the future. Some of us will feel good, some disappointed, perhaps others neutral. However, what really counts is what comes next…your actions to create.

It’s not helpful to either dismiss results, or to rest upon them.

The task is to use them as one piece of information to inform those next steps…It’s you that is important now. So be out amongst it…create paths, build them   - new ones – and in the process learn about yourself.Friends, this is another day in Paradise. We are so, so fortunate in many ways. We have much to be grateful for. I don’t say everything’s perfect, it’s certainly not, but we have so much.

I can remember times when I’ve wished I could just pause time for just a day…or maybe a week…so I could get everything just right before continuing…

We know we can’t turn back time, or pause it, but I do promise that you can slow it right down by appreciating the beauty in the million small things around you – the simple things – the kindnesses, the creativity, the individuality of others – and in the taking time to acknowledge and reflect on this to build your understanding, the time to reaffirm yourselves, your strengths, and your plans.

We do have responsibility to be the change we want for a safer, kinder world and to create those paths that are unique to us and boldly walk down them. Others will follow you, trust me in that.

As a 60 year old – this fact is not lost on anyone this year, what advice would I give to my 18 year old self? 

Probably the same that you would now give to your grade 6 self (it was wonderful to have our new grade sixes (your replacements) at school yesterday.

It’s ok. You’re ok. You’re – actually - great. Go for it. Be bold. Be yourself. Don’t Judge. Be curious. Reach out. The world is a better place with you in it.

You are not departing a community tonight – you are further enriching and expanding your community. 

You are always Lalor North – you are family. You won’t want to rock up for another year…sure…but know that we are here for you and would always dearly love to see you and hear about the adventures…naturally be sure to sign in at the office first😉

When we are that shining beacon, a jewel of educational light in the North - as we will soon surely be – as sure as night becomes day – know that you, friends, are in the walls, the floors, and on the rooftops. You stood for something, you put in effort, and you have prevailed.

We have been so lucky to have you for these six years of your lives, and you have been so lucky to have one another.

So come and say hello and make sure we are looking after the place.

Thank you to our families that have come out in such strong support, and pride, and thank you to our wonderful staff that are here tonight in such large numbers, or here in spirit.

Timothy Cottrell

PRINCIPAL

LALOR NORTH SECONDARY COLLEGE