PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Term 4 Week 10

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the final days of the school year, it’s hard to believe that another year is almost behind us. The students are eagerly anticipating the upcoming Christmas break, and I’m sure that many of you as well as our dedicated staff, are equally looking forward to some well deserved time off.

This will be our final newsletter for 2024, and it includes some important information that will help us close out this year on a positive note and prepare for an even more exciting start to 2024.

First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations to all of our students and their families for the commitment and effort that have been poured into making this year a success. Whether it was through academic achievements, extracurricular participation, or simply navigating the challenges that arose, your resilience and hard work have been appreciated. Special mention to our graduating class of 2024 who will participate in their graduation on Monday and then have their final walk on Thursday December 19.

We are incredibly fortunate at Lucas Primary to have such a passionate and dedicated team of staff. Each member of our teaching and support staff has given their best, day in and day out, bringing not only their expertise but also their warmth, enthusiasm, and kindness to the classroom. They’ve truly gone above and beyond to create a positive and nurturing environment for all of our students. I want to take a moment to thank them all for their commitment to our students' success and wellbeing. Your children are in great hands, and I am continually inspired by the work they do.

As we look forward to the new year, I also want to express my gratitude to all of you who have supported the school in so many ways, whether through your involvement in school activities, your partnership in your children’s education, or your ongoing encouragement and care. Together, we have made 2024 a year to remember.

Thank you once again for everything, and I look forward to working together to make 2025 even better.

Last day of Term 4 2024 -early finish.

Our last day of Term 4 will be on Thursday the 19th of December. On this day we will be having an assembly at 12:30pm in the gym. Families are welcome to join us. We will then have our traditional farewell to the Year 6 students as they walk out the Lucas PS gates for the last time. 

*Please note that all students finish at the early time of 1:30pm on this day. 

2025 Staff

We have now confirmed our staffing structure for 2025. 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

As we head into the new year, there are a number of staff who are moving on from Lucas PS in 2025 and also new staff we will be welcoming to our community.

Farewells:

Mrs Chloe Oostendorp begins a period of family leave in 2025. We wish her and Jack all the best over the coming months as they await the arrival of their first child. We look forward to a visit early in the new year.

Miss Samantha Hay has secured a position at Creswick North PS for 2025.

Miss Hannah Down is off to begin her studies in the area of Speech Pathology.

Miss Caitlyn Jones has secured a classroom teaching role at Waubra PS.

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 Erin Lindsay returns from family leave in 2025 and will be co teaching in a Year 1/2 classroom.

Mr Tim Haase comes to us as an experienced teacher from Waubra PS. Mr Haase will be leading our Prep team in 2025.

Miss Madeleine Rosewarne has been a teacher and leader at Gordon PS. We welcome Miss Rosewarne as our Year 1/2 teacher and leader for 2025.

Mr David Collins comes to us from Delacombe PS as an experienced teacher. Mr Collins will be teaching a Year 3/4 class in 2025.

Mrs Hayley Inglis arrives from Buninyong PS where she has been teaching for a number of years. Mrs Inglis will be teaching a Year 1/2 class in 2025.

Mrs Eliza Stebbing has been doing quite a bit of casual replacement teaching for Lucas over the past 12 months and will take up a position in Year 1/2 in 2025.

Mr Will Henderson comes as an experienced teacher from Northern Bay College in Geelong. Mr Henderson will be teaching in a Year 1/2 class next year.

Miss Kirrily Moran has experience teaching in the western suburbs and at Buninyong PS. She will take up a position in our Year 3/4 team in 2025.

Mrs Chanelle Johns comes to us with recent experience in London, Western Australia and as a casual release teacher around the Ballarat area. We welcome Ms Johns to our Year 5/6 team.

Miss Rebecca Cuff joins our Year 1/2 team in 2025 and comes with experience in working with a range of services that support young people.

Mr Darcie Laffin will take up a position as Performing Arts teacher in 2025 and comes to us from Bannockburn PS. 

Mr Noah Shearer will be working as an education support staff member after doing some casual work for Lucas PS during 2025.

Mr Chevy Smart will be working as an education support staff member after doing some casual work for Lucas PS during 2025.

Mr Jonty McCann will be working as an education support staff member after doing some casual work for Lucas PS during 2025.

Mrs Carrie Iisley will be working in the Education Support field after completing her certificate of Ed Support at Lucas PS in 2025.

We welcome our new staff to the Lucas PS family. It was wonderful having all of our new staff at school during Orientation Day and we look forward to welcoming them officially at the first assembly of 2025.

Stationery Packs

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline for 2025 Stationery Packs is fast approaching, and our supplier has extended the deadline until this Thursday December 12.

A surcharge fee of $14.95 will apply to orders after *12th December 2024

*Please note change of date

 Please order online from KaKa Kids School Supplies.

ONLINE ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS:

• Visit:    www.booklistslps.com.au
• Go to: PURCHASE BOOKLISTS in menu heading
• Enter: LPS3350 in the Guest Area
• Select the pack(s) you require for the 2025 school year
• Enter the student’s full name and then add pack to the cart
• Proceed to checkout and complete personal and payment details
• An order confirmation will be sent to your email address

Please note:  Unfortunately, the School Saving Bonus cannot to be applied to stationery packs.

All stationery ordered will be ready for your child in their classroom on the first day of 2025.

In addition, and as a way of building our sustainability practices, some of your child’s stationery will be passed up from this year. Items like scissors, sharpeners, rulers headphones etc usually last longer than a year and there is no need to purchase new items unless they are damaged or broken. Your child’s teacher will be sending home a letter should this be the case so families can source these separately to the stationery packs. You may have a spare one around the house or choose to purchase from the shops. Please note that this practice has been built into the ordering of stationery packs. 

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

This year, the School Council has played an instrumental role in overseeing the continued growth of Lucas Primary School, as well as the significant upgrades to our facilities and operational structure. Some of the key highlights of the year included:

• Enrolment Growth: We have seen an increase in student enrolments, rising from 397 to 504 students.
• Expansion of Staffing: In response to the growing student numbers, staffing levels have been increased, not only to meet the rising demand for teaching positions but also to expand our education support staff and educators to the Lucas LEAP program.
• Lucas LEAP Program: The successful launch of the Lucas LEAP before and after school program has provided families with an excellent and reliable service.
• Facility Upgrades: Two double-storey portable buildings and two modular toilet blocks were installed, significantly improving our school infrastructure.
• Policy Development: The council has also overseen important compliance work related to policy development and updates, ensuring our school remains aligned with the latest regulations.
• Working Parties: We have developed and fostered collaborative working groups in key areas, including curriculum development, building and grounds maintenance, and fundraising initiatives.

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 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 Tegan Ratcliff for your support as Vice President and to Shannon Whittaker for her work as secretary to ensure all meetings run to time and are minuted.

We look forward to another productive year in 2025.

Carols Evening This Thursday 12th December.

We are looking forward to the annual Carols Evening tomorrow night between 5.00pm and 7.00pm. The students have been working on singing performances to share with the community on the night. We also have a few little surprises as well as our monster raffle to draw. 

A huge thankyou to everyone who was able to donate or organise donations for the raffle. We look forward to bringing the school community together one final time before the end of the school year.

Orientation Day

It was wonderful to see the students engage with their 2025 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 2025 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.