Principal's Report

 Principal’s Report 21st June

As we approach the end of term and my final week as a Principal of Lyndhurst Primary School, I wanted to say a sincere thank you to you, the community of Lyndhurst, for your commitment to our school and your support for me as Principal. It has been an amazing 14 years since I first took the role in 2010, when the school buildings were little more than a concrete slab and some steel. Look what we have now, a mature and vibrant learning community, in partnership, bringing quality education to the children of Lyndhurst. We are a school with an enviable reputation for high-quality teaching and wonderful students. This reputation is justly deserved and I know our local secondary colleges love getting Lyndhurst students! 

The new Principal has been selected and announced. In term 3, Monique Corcoran, currently Principal of Cranbourne South PS will move into this office and will take over as the second Principal of Lyndhurst Primary School. My sincere thanks to the School Councillors and staff who volunteered to be part of the process. The parent and staff perspective is such an important part of the Principal Selection procedure. You bring the voice of the community that is so essential. Having been on a number of Principal Selection Panels, I know how time-consuming the process can be and how much burden the panel members feel to ensure the right selection is made for the community, the staff and particularly for the students.

I am confident that, given the quality staff and leadership we have in the school, Monique will feel very fortunate to be the new Principal of Lyndhurst PS. 

Having dedicated 14 years of my professional life to the establishment and development of the school, the last Friday of term will be a very sad day, not only because I’ll be leaving Lyndhurst PS but also because I’m leaving the profession that has filled my days for the last 45 years. There’s also an extra tinge of sadness leaving Lyndhurst behind, as I recall those first days when the school first opened for business in 2011. 

Of course, those students from back in 2011 are long gone. Many of the staff from that first year are here though. It’s hard to believe that we began with 150 students, with three Prep classes, three Year 1/2 classes, two year 3/4 classes and a 5/6 class. We rattled around with about 15 staff and 150 kids in a building built for 450. Of course, there were no relocatable buildings. The first of those arrived in 2013, by which time we had grown to nearly 500 students.

In those early days, the school had a wonderful small school feel about it, and I think it still has that to this day, despite the fact that we have 90 staff and 930 students. It’s always been a happy place, and the classrooms have always been calm with a learning buzz about them. 

Although there have been many challenges throughout my 14 years here at Lyndhurst, my 24 years as a Principal and my 45 years as an educator, I still love coming to work every day. I love the buzz of the place and the interactions that are going on all the time. In our original vision, we said that “the school will be characterised by the smiles and laughter of children” and that is what I will miss most of all. 

In my time as an educator, it has been the children that have brought me the greatest joy. Of course, as a Principal, most of my work is with adults, particularly in the development of teachers and leaders in our school but in the end, it has been the joy of watching children learn and grow that has fulfilled me most of all. As I leave Lyndhurst, and as I leave the profession, I take with me so many amazing and beautiful memories of the hundreds, probably thousands of children upon whose lives I have hopefully had a positive impact. 

I wish the Lyndhurst community all the very best for the future, as you embark on the next chapter of the Lyndhurst story. I know that the strong culture of collaboration and respect that we have built here will carry on as you go on to meet the many challenges that will inevitably arise.

What we have built here, together, is a place for children to learn and grow in a supportive but challenging environment. It is a school that embraces the rich cultural mix that makes up the Lyndhurst community and values the uniqueness of every child and the wonder of childhood. With our school values of Optimism, Respect, Integrity, Responsibility and Empathy, this school will continue to develop “Inquiring Minds” into the future.

Sincerely,

Greg Lacey

Prinicipal