From the Principal

Welcome back for term 3

We have all been impressed with the positive way the students have started term 3. Everyone was exhausted at the end of term 2 and this was definitely showing in the behaviour of some students.

We are all looking forward to a fantastic term 3 and being able to share lots of positive stories about the students' successes and progress throughout the term.

Farewell to Scott

I shared via Compass last week and at assembly this week that Scott is moving to Collingwood College for the remainder of the 2024. Scott has worked at Lalor East PS for eight years and has made an indelible mark on our community because of the strong connections he has made with students, parents, staff and the broader community and because of all his hard work over the years. I know he was touched by the lovely comments and farewell gestures made by members of our community. Scott is sad to leave us but it was too good a career opportunity for him to pass up.

We are in the process of recruiting someone to take Scott's place until the end of the year. I will let you know the successful applicant once the process has been completed.

3 Way Conferences - Thursday 1 August

A reminder that 3 Way Conferences will be held on Thursday 1 August. This is great opportunity for you to hear about your child's progress and to get a clear understanding of the steps they need to take to move to the next level with their learning.

Classes are not running on this day but students need to attend the interview as they will be running part of the meeting. The grade 3-6s will be sharing their digital portfolios which include work samples and their reflections on their progress with their families.

If families are not able to attend on the day due to illness, please call the school to let us know so a new time can be allocated to you.

Gendered Violence - Respect starts with you!

A lot has been written in the press about violence, including verbal abuse and physical aggression, towards female staff in schools from students and/or parents. It has become so bad in some schools that staff are resigning rather than continuing to be subjected to these antisocial behaviours. We are pretty lucky at Lalor East PS and have not experienced this very often, but sadly it has happened on a few occasions. 

I am raising this issue now as interviews are Thursday 1 August. Sometimes parents can become upset on hearing that their child should be working harder or has been having issues with friends and this can result in undesirable behaviours being directed towards staff.

The Department of Education has very clear expectations regarding acceptable behaviour in schools. I am including a link to the school's Statement of Values which states that antisocial behaviours will not be tolerated at LEPS. As Principal, I have the power to ban individuals who fail to follow our values from entering school grounds. Just as we expect our students to follow our school values of Respect, Caring, Cooperation, Honesty and Personal Best, we also expect the same of any other individuals who enter our school grounds.

2025 School Camp - Lady Northcote

Numbers permitting, we are hoping to run our popular Lady Northcote Camp at the beginning of 2025. Attending camp with school friends creates memories that last a lifetime. I still fondly remember going on camp to Anglesea with the grade 5/6s at Manningham Primary way back in 1978, some 46 years ago!! 

It seems a long way off to be thinking about camp now, but we need to be able to confirm student numbers with the camp by August 9 otherwise we will need to cancel our booking. We need 40 students to attend the camp to make it financially viable.  Please return your Expression of Interest form and $50 to secure your child's place so they can create memories to last at least 46+ years! 

Linda Richards

Principal