60th Anniversary Celebrations

The 60th Anniversary Celebrations Day was run on Sunday the 15th of October in celebration of the 60 years Lalor Secondary College has been delivering a quality educational program to the local community. There were 3 main areas of the celebrations day that were equally well attended. The Carnival section that included rides and food sold around 800 tickets meaning that we had many students and local children enjoying the event at an affordable and accessible price. The smiles on the faces of those children were worth the day alone, however they were nearly matched by the smiles of the ex-students who gathered in the decade’s rooms. There were many ex-students who came back to visit and share stories of their time here at the college. We had some of our original Year 12 class attend who shared some wonderful stories of when there were no houses on the eastern side of Dalton Road, and they use to walk through paddocks to get to the college. The school also displayed an Arts / Technology showcase which was well received by everyone who attended the day including the local member for Thomastown, Bronwyn Halfpenny (see photo below). Bronwyn has been a strong supporter of the college, and it was good to have her support the event with her attendance. The showcase highlighted the talent and commitment of our current students in recognition of all previous students who have passed through our college.

It takes an enormous effort from a dedicated passionate team to deliver such an event, and the celebration could not have been any more joyous. I thank all the staff and students involved for their individual efforts and to school council for supporting the event from conception.

The event did highlight that Lalor Secondary College is a great school and means a lot to so many in our local community. We look forward to continuing our improvement journey in particular to using the new buildings.

World Teachers Day

This Friday the 27th of October is World Teachers Day when we celebrate Australia’s teachers for their skilled work in educating, inspiring and supporting our students. The teachers at Lalor Secondary College continue to support every student in our college and I thank everyone of them for their continued dedication towards our school. Please take the time to send some positive feedback to our teaching staff to recognise their continued efforts.

Melbourne Cup – Public Holiday

Tuesday the 7th of November is the Melbourne Cup Public Holiday. Historically, the day before Cup Day holiday has had very poor student attendance here at Lalor Secondary College with around 5-10 students attending. Consequently, and as a way of causing least disruption to the educational program of the school, this year we will be using the day as time-in-lieu for teachers. As expressed in the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022, and supported by the DE, this compensates teachers for the time they allocate beyond school hours throughout the year to provide parents with information related to student progress and transitions.

All parents will have received a letter asking them to communicate their intentions on sending their children to school on Monday the 6th of November. By returning the notice and informing us of your child intentions it assists the college in creating the alternate program that will be run on the day.

I encourage all parents to return the notice as requested by Wednesday the 1st of November.

Scholarships to support students

Scholarships are available for eligible students in Grade 4 to Year 11, and for Year 12 students planning to do tertiary studies in 2024.

Student scholarships

The Department of Education administers a number of scholarships that are available to eligible students who are enrolled in Grade 4 to Year 12 in 2023.

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

· Participation in school activities

· Community involvement

· Academic achievement.

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study.

Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria so please refer to individual applications for more information. Applications are open and close on Thursday 1 February 2024.

For more information and a list of available scholarships, refer to the 2024 Student scholarships for Grade 4 – Year 12 fact sheet [link].

For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au)

SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION WITH 12 MONTHS FREE INTERNET AT HOME

The Australian Government has established the School Student Broadband Initiative to provide free home internet for one year for up to 30,000 eligible families with school-aged students.

The initiative aims to boost education opportunities. NBN Co is leading the rollout of this initiative across the country.

How the School Student Broadband Initiative can help your child.

Children who can access online learning at home as part of their education are more likely to engage in classroom activities.

Access to fast internet at home can also support children to build their digital skills, learn how to safely use the internet and take part in a world that is more reliant on digital technology.

Eligibility

To be eligible, families must:

* Have a child living at home enrolled in an Australian school in 2023

* Not have an active National Broadband Network internet service at their home (having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility)

* Live in a premises that can access the National Broadband Network through a standard connection. NBN Co will check this for you after you apply.

* Register interest with your school and complete a consent form to be assessed for eligibility.

How the School Student Broadband Initiative works.

If you are eligible, your home internet service will be provided at no cost for one year with a participating internet provider over the National Broadband Network. Each internet provider has its own step-by-step process to get you connected, which may involve you providing identification.

Once you sign up, the internet provider will help you set up your connection. The initiative does not include devices such as a computer or tablet. Other members of your household can use the internet service provided through this initiative.

The one-year period will start from the day your service is activated with your chosen provider. At the end of the one-year period, you will not be placed onto a paid service by your internet provider without your consent. The Australian Government is considering options beyond the one-year free period.

How to apply

* Ask your school for a copy of the School Student Broadband Initiative consent form.

* Complete the consent form and return to the school.

* NBN Co will use student address details on the consent form to confirm eligibility.

* If you are eligible, NBN Co will issue a voucher for your family to use to sign up with a participating internet provider. This will be provided to you by your school.

Please note: NBN Co will review the home address for eligibility. No personal information other than your main home address will be shared with NBN Co. Please see the consent form for details about how personal information will be used.

For more information about the School Student Broadband Initiative, visit https://www.infrastructure.gov.au

Dealing with Distressing Online Content

With the tragic and distressing events unfolding in the Middle East, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, eSafety Online safety | eSafety Commissioner has issued guidance to help parents and carers support their children in dealing with distressing online content.

The eSafety website Distressing or violent content | How to get help | eSafety Commissioner has resources for parents and carers about online safety. These include information on extra precautions you can take to protect your children from seeing disturbing content online.

eSafety encourage parents and carers supporting young people who may be more vulnerable to check in with them. If they are presenting with signs of distress, support is available through external services including: ·

headspace: 1800 650 890
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

If there are any questions around the information above, please contact me via the details listed in this newsletter.

Best regards,

Corey Jewell

College Principal

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