Principal's Report
Principal’s Report Aug 23, 2024
Edupreneur
Unleashing Teacher-Led Innovation in schools
By Aaron Tait and Dave Faulkner
I recently read the above book focusing on unleashing innovation in schools, with our teachers, parents and most importantly the students.
A statement that really resonated with me was “make class time more fun than playtime”.
It made me think about the recent Attitudes to School survey where only 83% of the students (Year 4 - 6) said that learning is fun at LPS. That means that 17% said that learning is not fun!
LPS prides itself on being a strong Walker Learning school where inquiry and investigations are the core to students being active participants in their learning. LPS provides extra curricular activities during break times where students can delve further into preferred pursuits eg. chess, sport, reading clubs.
We have all heard a student / child when asked “What do you love most about school?” their answer is playtime and/or being with my friends. So how can we make class time more fun than playtime?
We have commenced this conversation with students during a Student Forum Wellbeing Day. We cannot wait to dig deeper into this. Watch this space.
VPA - Victorian Principal Association; 2024 Conference
Wednesday 21st - Friday 23rd August, the LPS Leadership team attended the 2024 VPA conference. As the new Principal, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with my new team, correlated with learning from experts in fields of education and leadership and being inspired by moments of awe and futuristic thinking.
A professional highlight was being mesmerised by the futuristic lens of Gihan Perea talking about thriving in the face of uncertainty and rapid change. The key points were how to embrace change, be open to continuous learning, acknowledge current and future trends, be agile, flexible and strategic in planning and lead with a positive mindset and attitude. As a leadership team, we are intrigued to lead with the ten future skills for our students in mind, including cognitive load management, transdisciplinarity and society diversity.
A personal highlight was the standing ovation for James Castission who told the extraordinary story of his expedition to Antarctica. His fusion of leadership and adventure stands as a testament to his commitment to pushing boundaries and embracing the unknown. This venture not only highlighted his adventurous spirit but also underscored his strategic approach to overcoming extreme challenges.
As a leader, it is important to be embraced, motivated and inspired to always thrive and strive for more.
I thank the staff for their support for the leadership to attend, and more importantly, to support us in always wanting to be better leaders, each and every day.
Generosity of Spirit
As I reflect on the success of this year's camp programs so far, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the staff for their unwavering support and commitment in making camps possible at LPS.
Camps are an opportunity for growth, learning, and creating lasting memories. Staff encourage and help our students do things they have never done before, allowing them to engage in activities that foster teamwork, leadership, and personal development.
The Leadership team truly appreciates the time staff take out of their own personal lives to champion the camp experience at LPS. We are indebted to the dedication in enhancing student life and promoting educational opportunities beyond the classroom. This has not gone unnoticed. The positive impact on our students is a testament to our leadership and school vision in ‘taking flight’.
We look forward to hearing about all the wonderful recent Year 4 camp adventures and stories. We cannot wait to finalise the 2024 camp program with the Year 5, five day adventure at the end of Term 3.
Illegal parking at Lyndhurst Primary School
The school is receiving emails from concerned community members, in relation to the parking around LPS (see below one example). Please see below the concerns of one parent who is
“I would like to report a safety hazard. I have seen this happening frequently in the last few weeks. Seems like a lot of parents parking at Boland Drive avoid reverse parallel parking and prefer to drive head in first onto the nature strip before getting into the spot. Seems trivial but is a safety concern considering kids are walking around the naturestrip, frequently getting in/out of their cars during pickup/dropoff time. Also it damages the nature strip (when wet) causing a trip hazard when it dries up for the kids.”
LPS continues to bring their concerns to the attention of the authorities and voiced their concerns. As such, patrols of the local area will be conducted to ensure the safety of our children.
For more information, please visit Transport Victoria.