PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we reach the final days of the school year, it’s hard to believe another year has flown by. The students are very excited for the Christmas break and I’m sure many parents, carers and staff are also ready for a well-earned rest.

This is our final newsletter for 2025 and it includes some key information to help us wrap up the year smoothly and get set for an exciting start to 2026.

I want to congratulate all of our students and their families for the effort, growth and resilience shown throughout the year. Whether it’s been classroom achievements, taking part in school events or simply pushing through challenges, your hard work has been an essential ingredient of the school’s success.

We’re incredibly lucky at Lucas Primary to have such a dedicated and caring team. Our teachers and support staff consistently bring their best, supporting students, creating welcoming classrooms and going above and beyond every day. I’d like to sincerely thank them for everything they do.

Thank you once again for everything and I look forward to working together to make 2026 even better.

2026 School Captains

It was a real pleasure to announce our 2026 School Captains at last week’s assembly. Our current captains played an important role in supporting applicants through the selection process, which included delivering a speech to their peers and participating in an interview where they could share why they would make effective leaders.

With so many impressive applicants demonstrating confidence, creativity and a strong commitment to our school values, the decision was incredibly difficult.

Congratulations to Max D, Adeline M, Cameron F and Aislinn O. We are confident they will do a wonderful job representing our school in 2026. Our newly announced captains will now join our current captains to help plan and lead our final assembly for the year.

2026 Staff

We have now confirmed our staffing structure for 2026. We have spent considerable time working to ensure we have the best mix of staff to take the school forward into the new year. The structure is as follows:

Welcome and Farewells

There are a number of staff who are moving on from Lucas PS in 2026 and also new staff we will be welcoming to our community.

Farewells

Cathy Tapscott: Cathy has made the decision to retire after a long and dedicated career in education. Throughout her time in a range of schools across Victoria, she has made a positive and lasting impact on thousands of students and their families. We extend our warmest wishes to Cathy as she begins this new chapter and hope her retirement is relaxing, fulfilling and thoroughly enjoyed.

Cass Jackson-Lee: Cass has accepted a role as Head of Wellbeing in the Junior School at Ballarat and Anglican Grammar School. We thank Cass for her leadership of the Mental Health in Primary School initiative at Lucas PS and wish her all the best for the new challenges that lie ahead.

Hannah Thewlis: Hannah has begun family leave and is eagerly awaiting the birth of her first child. We wish Hannah all the best as she and Tom begin an exciting new chapter of their lives.

Marcia Read: Marcia has accepted an Education Support role at St Thomas Moore. Marcia has worked at Lucas P.S over the past few years supporting students with their learning. We wish Marcia all the best for the years ahead.

Jamie Cooper: Jamie is moving on from his role at our school at the end of the year. He is taking some time to explore new opportunities and directions. We thank Jamie for his efforts and we wish him every success as he embarks on this next chapter.

Bella Ness: Bella will be finishing up with us at the end of this year as she takes some time to consider her future opportunities. We are grateful for her contributions and wish her all the very best for what comes next.

We wish our departing staff all the best for the exciting times that lie ahead and thank them for their service to Lucas PS.

Welcomes

Mrs Briony Oldaker: Briony comes to us as an experienced classroom teacher from Mt Clear PS. Briony will be teaching Foundation in 2026.

Mrs Sarah Linke : Sarah has been a regular casual relief teacher for Lucas PS and will be teaching Foundation in 2026.

Mel Leviston: Mel returns after a period of family leave to be teaching Year 2 in 2026.

Mel Young: Mel comes as an experienced teacher to join our Year 2 classroom teaching team.

Ailsa Webb: Ailsa is from New Zealand and brings a wealth of knowledge to join our Year 3 classroom teaching team.

Shane Harricks: Shane is an experienced teacher and has been a sought-after casual relief teacher across Ballarat. Shane will be teaching a Year 5/6 class in 2026.

Michelle Jacobs: Michelle comes to us from Beaufort PS and will do a fantastic job with our Year 5/6 students. 

Rachel Middlin: Rachel will be teaching a combination of PE and Japanese in 2026. Rachel has been working at Buninyong PS for the last few years.

Mattayah Gobi: Mattayah will be one of our Performing Arts teachers in 2026 and comes to us with plenty of experience from South Africa.

Jess Andrews: Jess returns from a period of family leave and will be teaching Performing Arts in 2026. 

We welcome our new staff to the Lucas PS family. It was wonderful having the vast majority of our new staff at school during Planning Week and the Orientation Day. We look forward to welcoming them officially at the first assembly of 2026.

School Council

Our School Council met for our December meeting on Monday evening, which also served as a special dinner gathering to thank the council members for their dedication and hard work throughout the year.

This year, our School Council has played a vital role in guiding the ongoing growth and operations of Lucas Primary School. 

Some of the key achievements for 2025 include:

• Overseeing major operational areas such as the Lucas LEAP program, launching the Java Nice Day Café and supporting the organisation required for our growing enrolments and staffing.
• Leading our whole-school review, a three-day process of reflection and planning that has positioned us in a strong position for the next four-year strategic cycle.
• Managing buildings and grounds improvements, including playing a central role in the design and development of our new playground and contributing to the school’s broader master planning.
• Supporting significant fundraising events and establishing key planning documents to ensure these days are purposeful, well organised and strategically aligned.

• Reviewing and developing school policies to ensure we remain compliant and continue to operate at a high standard.

   

We have also received confirmation that our School Council will expand in 2026 to include 8 parent members, 4 education employees and 2 community representatives. As a result, we currently have several casual vacancies. If you are interested in joining the School Council, please contact the office for more information.

We would like to extend our thanks to all of our school council members for their ongoing commitment and passion for maintaining and growing our school. Their efforts ensure that Lucas Primary School continues to thrive as it evolves into an even stronger community

To Marc Oliver, our school council president, thank you for another year of calm and considered leadership. Thank you to Stephen Francis for his support as Vice President and to Shannon Whittaker for her work as secretary to ensure all meetings are minuted. I would also like to extend thanks to Jenifer Plews who works tirelessly to ensure our financial commitments and processes are second to none.

We look forward to another productive year in 2026.

Carols Evening

We had a wonderful evening last night at our carols evening. The students worked hard on their singing performances to share with the community on the night. We also had a few little surprises, as well as our monster raffle draw. 

A huge thankyou to everyone who was able to donate or organise donations for the raffle and to those who volunteered for BBQ duty. Attendance on the night was a clear indication of how we are growing as a school and a community. 

IMPORTANT KEY DATES & INFORMATION

First day of school 2026 - Year 1- 6 students Thursday 29th January

                                                  Foundation Students Monday 2nd February

Foundation Student Rest Days - Wednesday 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th February

Student Stationery Packs - parents/carers order stationery packs for their child. Packs are delivered to school and will be ready for the students in their classrooms on their first day of 2026. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

Teachers will send the students Art Smocks and Hats home for a wash. Please ensure they are clearly labelled with your child's name and that they are returned with your child on first day of 2026.

Please see our Term 1 2026 Planner in the "School Planner" page of the newsletter for a more detailed calendar. 

Orientation Day

It was wonderful to see the students engage with their 2026 teacher and classmates on Tuesday as part of our Orientation Day. The day was incredibly busy, with the kindergarten students joining us for an extended day filled with activities, our current Year 6 students visiting their future secondary school, and all other students taking part in a "Meet Your Teacher" session during the middle of the day.

Transitioning into new class groupings can be both exciting and challenging, but it also offers a valuable opportunity for personal growth and development. Parents play a vital role in supporting their child through this transition, helping them navigate any challenges that may arise, while fostering a growth mindset. By focusing on the positive aspects and the opportunities a change can bring, parents can help their child embrace new experiences with confidence.

Our teachers have dedicated a great deal of time and effort over the past month to carefully establish the 2026 class groupings. The goal has been to create well balanced learning groups that will offer the best possible opportunities for each child’s growth and success in the year ahead.