From the Principal's Desk

 Welcome Back!

Welcome back to 2026, it has been fantastic to see the year start in such a positive manner, with students, staff and families settling back into the routine of the school year. I would like to extend a special welcome to our new Year 7 students and their families, we’re looking forward to meeting all of you at the upcoming BBQ on Wednesday February 18. 

Our Year 12 students kicked off their final year in the best way possible, coming together at Federation University for their commencement camp. This camp is a valuable opportunity for students to set their goals, strengthen friendships, get to know key staff and start the year with a positive mindset.

A huge thank you to our staff who dedicated their time to making this experience a success. Their support and guidance ensure that our students make the most of these opportunities, both academically and personally.

We are looking forward to hosting our information evening for prospective students and their families on Tuesday, February 24 from 5.30pm. Families interested are encouraged to register using the below link.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJ6ogIvAXoN10tBWXMJNv3wCLCJbRkNXWYgL851sOzAMAfOg/viewform

2026 presents changes to the Department of Education’s uniform policy, allowing students to wear plain navy blue shorts and pants in place of our Lara Secondary College branded uniform items, the intention of this is to reduce the financial pressure placed on families. Our preference as a school is to have all students in branded uniform and I remind families that we have supports in place for families struggling to purchase uniform items. Please speak to your child’s Year Level Coordinator or a member of the wellbeing team to discuss. 

I would like to remind families that nominations for school council representatives are still open. The school council is essential to our college’s governance and operation, if you’re interested please complete the nomination forms that are available on Compass and feel free to reach out to me if you have nay questions or would like to discuss further. 

Student attendance at school continues to be a priority in 2026 and we need your support to ensure that students are routinely at school. Students cannot learn if they are absent and their learning when they do return is disjointed and can be very challenging. Each day students are absent presents a disruption to their learning. Every day counts as we seek to support students to achieve their full potential. Frequent and extended absences also disrupt friendships and relationships and we see evidence that absences impact on the wellbeing of students as they become disconnected from their learning and their peers. If you need support getting your student/s to school, please reach out to your child’s Year Level Coordinator (YLC) to work together on the issue. In term 1 we are focusing on ensuring that all students arrive to class on time. Students who are late to class will be required to make up the time at the conclusion of the lesson. 

Our termly Student Support Group (SSG) meeting week, has again been a success and I thank staff, students and families for engaging in these meetings with the common goal of improving students outcomes and experience at school. We look forward to implementing the associated Individual Education Plans (IEP) to set all students up for success. 

Lastly I would like to give a friendly reminder to please drop off students to school outside of the school gates, the carpark next to the school can be an excellent spot for this. We have experienced issues of congestion in our staff carpark. Thank you for your assistance with this. 

Luke Skewes

Principal