Principal's Report

Maximising learning growth to ensure all students can thrive.

Teach the Teacher

This term, our Student Voice Team took on a unique challenge — stepping into the role of teachers for our staff! As part of the Teach the Teacher program, the team began by identifying potential areas for improvement within the College. To ensure their work was meaningful and evidence-based, they designed and conducted both staff and student surveys. From the results, three key focus areas emerged:

• Teacher attention in classrooms
• Expectations of students

• Whole school approach

   

The findings were then brought to life in a professional learning session for staff. During this session, the Student Voice Team introduced the importance of Student Voice in fostering inclusive and engaging learning environments. They facilitated discussions around the three focus areas, guiding staff to reflect on their practice and develop strategies to strengthen teaching and learning across the College.

This initiative not only showcased the leadership, insight, and confidence of our Student Voice Team but also highlighted the power of collaboration between students and staff in driving positive change.

I would like to thank the students from the Student Voice Team for their incredibly engaging Professional Learning. It was wonderful to see the roles reversed, with our students becoming the teachers and our staff becoming the learners. Thank you to Imogen, Gracie, Clover, Gemma, Sienna, Lexie, Layla, Connor, Annika, Hamish, Sophie and Leah. Also, a HUGE thank you to Mr Turner for his leadership of Student Voice and Agency across the College.

Victorian School Music Festival

On Monday 1 September, 31 members of our Intermediate Concert Band represented Lilydale Heights College at the Victorian School Music Festival. This festival brings together schools from across the country, providing students with the opportunity to not only perform but also to listen and learn from other ensembles in their graded section.

Following their own performance, our students received valuable feedback and participated in a workshop with the lead adjudicator, who offered both insightful guidance and praise. We are delighted to share that our Intermediate Concert Band was awarded a Gold Plaque for their performance!

Congratulations to every student involved—you represented yourselves and the College with excellence, and we are so proud of your achievement.

Year 7 2026 Information Night

On September 1, we were delighted to welcome our 2026 Year 7 students and their families to Lilydale Heights College for a special transition evening. The event began with a BBQ prepared by Mr Wright, with the support of our College Student Leaders. Ms Phillips, Ms Gaudion, and several student leaders also played an important role in greeting families and ensuring everyone felt warmly welcomed.

The formal part of the evening commenced with a presentation from our Year 7 Team, designed to provide families with key information to support a smooth and confident start to secondary school. The evening was a wonderful opportunity to meet our newest students and their families, share in their excitement, and begin the important process of helping them feel part of our school community. We look forward to working in partnership with them over the coming months to ensure their transition is a positive and successful one.

Mental Health Days/R U Ok Day?

Last week, we highlighted the importance of mental health and wellbeing with a range of activities, including Puppy Therapy with a visiting therapy dog, mindfulness sessions in SHub, music performances, and even visits from an ice cream van.

On Thursday, we also acknowledged R U OK? Day—a reminder of the importance of reaching out, checking in, and supporting friends, family, and those around us. While this day helps raise awareness, it also reinforces a message that is important every single day.

Year 8 Camp

Our Year 8 students recently returned from an exciting and adventure-filled camp at Camp Howqua, nestled on the banks of the Howqua River. Throughout the camp, students challenged themselves and had plenty of fun taking part in a wide variety of activities, including archery, bushwalking, horse riding, high ropes, flying fox, and team-building initiatives.

Camps like these are such a valuable part of school life, giving students the chance to build resilience, develop new skills, and strengthen friendships. A huge thank you goes to the staff who gave their time and energy to make this camp possible.

Learning Conferences

Thank you to all students and families who joined us over the past two days for our Learning Conferences. These conversations are such an important part of strengthening the partnership between students, staff and parents, and they provide valuable opportunities to discuss each student’s learning progress and growth.

I encourage all students to take some time to reflect on the feedback and discussions from their conferences. Think carefully about the strengths that were highlighted and the areas where further improvement is possible. From this reflection, set yourself some clear and achievable learning goals for Term 4. By setting yourself some meaningful goals and taking ownership of your learning, students can finish the year strongly and continue to maximise their growth.

Wellbeing Support during the holiday break

As we enter the holiday break, we wanted to share some tips and resources for students and families to support the wellbeing of young people during the school holidays. 

Wellbeing support for students during the school holidays: Click here

Information on additional wellbeing supports available to students and families over the holiday break are available on the Wellbeing page of this newsletter.

Thank you.

I would like to thank our students, staff, and families for their support throughout this term.

For our Unit 3/4 students, these holidays are an important time to find the right balance between rest and preparation. With exams fast approaching, we encourage you to look after your wellbeing while also dedicating time to study, revision, and consolidation of your learning.

I wish our entire community a wonderful holiday break. Please take this opportunity to rest, enjoy time with family and friends, and return in Term 4 ready to embrace the many exciting learning opportunities ahead.

Shane Kruger

Principal.