Principal's Report

Welcome Back to 2026

It has been wonderful to welcome our school community back for the start of 2026. Our students have returned beautifully, and it has been a joy to spend time in classrooms this week seeing so many happy faces as students reconnect, get to know their new classmates and settle in with their teachers.

In my visits across the school, I have been particularly proud to see our students demonstrating our values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness and Persistence, showing care for one another and engaging positively in their learning as they begin the year together.

We were also thrilled to welcome our 2026 Prep students, who commenced on Thursday. As I begin to get to know them, I am already learning so much about the wonderful individuals in our Prep cohort, their personalities, interests and smiles have certainly brought a special energy to our school.

We are looking forward to another fantastic year of learning, growth and community at Golf Links and thank families for your continued support as we begin 2026 together.

Staffing Updates at Golf Links

As we begin 2026, I would like to share a small number of staffing updates with our school community.

As previously communicated to families in 6B, Mr Evan Butler is continuing his recovery following significant surgery at the conclusion of last year. In order to prioritise his health and wellbeing, Evan has made the decision to reduce his time fraction in 2026. As a result, Evan will no longer be teaching in a classroom role this year. We are very pleased that he will remain a valued member of our staff, continuing to work in Mathematics enrichment and supporting students across the school, including some from 6B.

We have been fortunate to appoint Ms Anika Lingam to replace Evan as a three-day-a-week classroom teacher in 6B. 

I am also pleased to share that Denisse Lobos has accepted a 12-month position as a Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS) Coach within the Department of Education. During her appointment, Denisse will gain valuable system-level experience and deep expertise in evidence-based classroom management practices. This learning will be incredibly beneficial for Golf Links upon her return, further strengthening our work in student wellbeing and engagement.

We thank our staff for their professionalism and flexibility and look forward to the positive opportunities these changes will bring to our school community.

Meet the Teacher Evening

Please save the date as there will be a meet the teacher evening on the 11th of February from 3.30 – 7:00 for our Prep, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 5 and Year 6 cohorts. The date for Year 4 will be Monday the 9th of February. Other sessions will be available throughout the week so do keep an eye on Compass as booking will be open early next week.  This is an opportunity for you to have a brief chat with your Childs’ new teacher. These will be 10 minute sessions held to ensure that our classroom teachers have all the information they need to support your children. Our Specialists Team will also run information sessions on Monday the 16th of February.

Communication Expectations for Families at RGLPS

At RGLPS, we value our families as active partners in student learning. To support effective communication, we use a range of tools to keep everyone informed and engaged.

1. Compass
   • Our primary communication platform.
   • Key information about events, ticketing, parent-teacher interviews, and semester reporting is shared here.
   • Parents can directly email staff and provide consent for camps, incursions, and excursions via Compass.
2. Seesaw
   • Used for continuous reporting on student learning.
   • Annotated portfolio tasks are uploaded each term.
   • Parents are encouraged to review these tasks with their children, discussing demonstrated skills and upcoming goals.
3. Electronic Notice Boards
   • Located at each school gate.
   • Display important upcoming event dates and reminders.
4. Newsletter
   • Provides detailed information about school activities, key dates, and reflections on our achievements.
5. Principal Update

• A fortnightly communication through Compass with a brief outline of everything that is happening at Golf Links

   

We encourage all families to regularly engage with these platforms to stay connected and support their child’s learning journey.

Evolving How We Communicate With Our Community

For many years, our school newsletter has been a key way we have shared updates, celebrations and important information with our community. It remains something we value greatly, and we know many families enjoy taking the time to read through all that is happening at Golf Links.

Over time, however, we have also recognised that as the newsletter has grown, critical information can sometimes be missed amongst the many updates we share. We are mindful that our community engages with information in different ways, and we want to ensure our communication methods are accessible, clear and responsive to everyone.

From 2026, we will be introducing a slightly different approach to school communications. The newsletter will move to a fortnightly publication, continuing to showcase learning, events, achievements and community highlights. For families who enjoy sitting down and reading about all things Golf Links, this opportunity will remain unchanged.

On the alternate fortnights, important and time-sensitive information will be shared via Compass through a Principal’s Update. This will allow families who prefer to receive updates directly to their personal devices to access key messages quickly and clearly.

We see this as a complementary approach, not a replacement, ensuring that important information is delivered in multiple ways, while still preserving the newsletter as a valued record of our school community.

Thank you for your continued support as we refine how we communicate to best meet the needs of our families.

Child Safety and Visitor Procedures at RGLPS

Our school is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all students by adhering to the 11 Child Safety Standards developed following the Victorian Betrayal of Trust Parliamentary Inquiry.

To support these standards:

• Visitors: All visitors must sign in at the office upon arrival during school hours.
• Parent Volunteers: Volunteers are vital to our school community. To ensure compliance with child safety standards, all volunteers must:
  • Complete a mandatory Parent Helper Induction Session (offered in Term 1).
  • Renew this training annually.
  • Provide a valid Working with Children Check before volunteering.

Student Drop-Offs and Pick-Ups

• If your child is late or needs to leave early, please visit the office to sign them in or out.
• For forgotten items like lunches or jumpers, deliver them to the office, and we will ensure they reach your child promptly.

Thank you for supporting our commitment to child safety and smooth school operations.

Thanks for helping us keep everyone safe and cool!

Take care,

Kirrily Lamers

Principal