Principal's Report
Shane Kruger
Maximising learning growth to ensure all students can thrive.
As we wrap up another eventful month at Lilydale Heights College, I’d like to take a moment to share some highlights that continue to remind me of what an incredible college community we are part of.
A Special Afternoon at the Valleydale Café
Earlier this month, I had the delight of attending our annual Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, hosted at the Valleydale Café. It was a wonderful event where students and staff invited their mothers, carers and mother figures into the school where they were treated to a delicious spread of sweet and savoury treats. The professionalism and service from the students was outstanding. I would like to thank Ms Francis, Ms McCrory, Ms Wilkins and our Year 10 Café students for creating such a welcoming and memorable experience.
Strengthening Our Practice
This month, staff engaged in targeted professional learning sessions focused on student agency, using evidence to inform practice, catering to diverse learning levels in the classroom, our whole school approach and inclusive practices. These workshops offered practical strategies to help shape the next phase of curriculum planning and are part of our broader commitment to ensuring every student experiences meaningful learning growth.
Celebrating Our Education Support Staff
This month we also celebrated Education Support Staff Day — a chance to recognise the incredible individuals who contribute so much behind the scenes. From classroom assistance and IT support to wellbeing, administration, groundskeeping, library services, careers, kitchen support, science support, literacy support, numeracy support and more, our ES staff are essential to the daily life of the College. We marked the day with a morning tea and a big THANK YOU to this amazing team — we’re so grateful for all that you do.
Year 10 Work Experience
Our Year 10 students recently stepped into the world of work through their Work Experience placements. Across a wide range of industries, they explored career pathways, developed new skills, and gained valuable first-hand insight into professional life. We’ve heard such positive feedback about the way they’ve approached their roles and proudly represented our College in the community.
Whole School Athletics Carnival
On Monday 19 May, our community gathered for the annual Athletics Carnival. Despite a cool start, the weather turned out beautifully, allowing students (and even some staff!) to enjoy a full schedule of track and field events. Huge thanks to Ms Alderman, Ms Vance, Ms Tamos and Mr Colaneri for their organisation of this event, and to all staff who supported the event.
Listening to Student Voice
This month, students across the College have participated in the annual Attitudes to School Survey. This survey provides us with important feedback on students' perceptions of school life, teaching and learning, and wellbeing. I spoke with each year level beforehand to emphasise how important their input and voice was — and I was proud of how thoughtfully and respectfully they approached the process. Their feedback is vital in helping us plan for the future and we look forward to seeing the results later in the year.
National Reconciliation Week
This week was National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) — a time to reflect and learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. It is a time to focus on creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian Community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through SELF classes, our students have been learning more about key historical events, including the 1967 Referendum, National Sorry Day, the Stolen Generations and the legacy of Eddie Koiki Mabo. Students undertook activities that encouraged awareness, reflection and understanding — important steps towards genuine reconciliation.
Student Free Day
On Thursday, our staff immersed themselves in professional learning to deepen their understanding on the elements of learning and then applied this knowledge to their curriculum planning. They focused on:
- how students learn and
- the teaching practices that align with how students learn
How students learn | Teaching that aligns with how students learn |
Attention and Focus Students are actively engage when learning | Enabling Foster the conditions of a learning-focused environment |
Knowledge and Memory Learning is a change in long-term memory | Planning Develop a teaching and learning plan for the knowledge students will acquire |
Retention and Recall Student process limited amounts of new information | Instruction Manage the cognitive load of learning tasks |
Mastery and Application Students develop and demonstrate mastery of their learning | Gradual Release Maximise retention, consolidation, and application of learning |
Student Free Days play a vital role in supporting the continuous improvement of teaching and learning at Lilydale Heights College. These days allow our staff to engage deeply in professional learning, reflect on current practice, collaborate on curriculum planning and explore new strategies to enhance student outcomes. The time is focused, purposeful and always centred around one goal: Maximising learning growth to ensure all students can thrive. Investing in our teachers' development ultimately means stronger learning, better engagement and greater success for all students.
As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. I’m proud of the learning, the culture and the community we continue to build together at Lilydale Heights College.
Shane Kruger
Principal.