From the Principal
Our Vision
Each child has a gift or talent. It is our job to find it and to show it to them.
Our Mission
Identify the talent, develop the confidence and create the leader.
What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
Last term students participated in the 2023 Fishy Stories Festival. Over 750 student entries were submitted and one of our amazing students is one of twenty who will have their story read as part of the festival. Madison F in 34B wrote a story, What I Can and Cannot See, which is going to be featured in an e-book published by Cambridge University Press. Well done Maddie on becoming a published author! We are so proud of you!
In term 3 we had 10 students participate in the Mathematical Association of Victoria’s Maths Talent Quest. First held in 1982, the MTQ is an annual activity open to all primary and secondary students. Students select their own investigation topic based on their personal learning interests and apply mathematics in context. They understand and discover how mathematics is used and found in the world around them, providing a positive experience that reduces the barriers to learning in mathematics and often reduces student maths anxiety. Submitted projects are marked by teachers from across Victoria and given an average score. Projects are then awarded one of the following categories - high distinction, distinction, credit, participation. Our results for 2023 were
Jake L and Kai B - A Trip to Paris received a distinction
Quinn C - Cooking Investigation received a distinction
Sai A and Clement L - Rubiks Cube Investigation received a credit
Sally Z - Chinese Landmarks received a distinction
Charlie W and Seb P - Golf Investigation received a credit
Lucy G - Productions in Melbourne received a distinction
Sahana A - Mental Health Statistics received a high distinction
Sahana was invited to an award ceremony at RMIT University to receive her high distinction. We are so proud of all their hard work and can’t wait to participate again in 2024!
The official last day of school for students this year is Tuesday the 19th of December. All of the end of year activities will happen in the week before this. Our last assembly will be held on Friday the 15th of December where we will farewell our year 6 students and any others leaving Le Page. On Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th alternate programs will be provided for those students attending. We understand that some families could be travelling close to Christmas, which is why all end of year activities will be held in the final full week of term 4.
Our amazing social and fundraising committee co-leaders Monique and Sally have decided to take a step back in 2024. They have done an incredible job in supporting our school and building our community. The entire school community thanks them for their tireless work. They will be looking for people to support in 2024, in any capacity. Please reach out to lepagesocialandfundraising@gmail.com if you can get involved next year.
In the last newsletter I mentioned that we had some visitors from Franklin Covey and the Leader in Me team from interstate. One of the representatives, Claire Massingham wrote something about her experience and our school that will be published in their nationwide newsletter. Here is what Claire wrote:
A day in the life of a Leader in Me school
“How will I know the difference between a Leader in Me school and a non-Leader in Me School” I kept saying to my work colleagues. I hadn’t been in a school environment for many years so I wasn’t sure how I would know the difference if I didn’t have something to compare it to. The answer was a very definite “oh you will know”. I still wasn’t convinced, that is, until I visited Le Page Primary school and then I had no doubt in my mind.
From the moment I walked through the school gate I knew I was visiting a school with a distinct difference. The first give-a-away was a huge Leader in Me sign painted on the pavement telling me that ‘Great happens here’. Really, I thought, well we will just have to wait and see.
As I opened the front door, the school was buzzing with activity. A rogue alarm was going off somewhere and the students were very proactive in coming forward to report it. Habit #1 Be Proactive and they were certainly doing that. Teachers were coming and going and each one took the time to say hello and to welcome me with a smile.
Principal George Danson then appeared on the scene, and it was all systems go. Straight away I could tell how passionate he was about his school and his positive energy was infectious. He ushered us down the hall into a classroom where we witnessed Leader in Me in full swing. The children were leading the morning session and it ran like clockwork. Before we had even entered the room a student was at the door welcoming us “Hello welcome to Class 3/4, my name is **James and I am a Leader in goal tracking.”
We stood at the back of the classroom, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The teacher sat in silence, whilst the students took over, in a very organised and orderly fashion. They welcomed everyone to Country, said good morning to each other, checked in on how they were tracking with their classroom mission statement, recorded the results on a whiteboard and then discussed what they could improve on.
It wasn’t until this was finished that the teacher joined in the session. She outlined what the rest of the day looked like and then once again the students took charge.
This scene was replicated in every classroom throughout the whole day. Each child was allowed to use their voice, to practice The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to unleash their greatness and to shine in their own unique way.
It was an extraordinary day and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. Whilst I know there were still the everyday issues that a school faces there was also an atmosphere of hope, of joy, of confidence, of kindness and compassion and a deep sense of knowing that this school provided a place within where every child could shine.
In 2017 Le Page Primary School only had 19 students and was going to close. In 2023 under the leadership of George Danson and the Leader in Me process the school has grown so much that numbers in 2024 will be capped at 250. Leader in Me has certainly built leadership skills in Le Page students, created a high-trust culture where students and teachers are thriving and has improved academic achievement.
**Real student name hasn’t been used
Finally, here is Madison’s award winning short story!
BANG! CRASH! “The night is just getting worse!” Melody muttered to herself in bed that night in May in 2001. She lived in Los Angeles with her mum Ruby and her dog Pickles in a small apartment that was more than enough for all of them. Sadly her dad died when she was young but she hadn’t forgotten all the loving memories she had had with him.
One day Melody was washing her hands, she looked up and she couldn’t see herself in the mirror! She told her mum about this but she didn’t believe her. This kept happening and she tried to ignore it but the thought of why is this happening? kept popping up in her head. That night she went to bed but in the morning she woke up in a totally different place! “How did I get here?” she said to herself it then echoed all around the place she was in. “Wait a minute. I know this place, It’s my bathroom but from my mirror’s view!” she finally realised she was inside her mirror! “HELP! ANYBODY! HELP!?” She shouted as loud as she could but the only person that could hear her was herself no one could even see her when they looked in the mirror. She was stuck in the mirror for many nights and she had nothing to eat or drink and she only had a little bit of life left in her. One night her mum surprisingly took a shower in Melody’s bathroom which she normally doesn’t do. Suddenly the fog started to fog up the mirror and an idea popped into her head “I could draw a hammer out of the fog and smash the mirror and get out!” and she did just so. “SMASH!!” The mirror was smashed into tiny little pieces, but at least Melody got out safely. Even though she was covered in blood her mum was glad to see her. Melody told her the whole life and death story, how she got stuck there and all was forgiven.
The End!
Courtney Mason
Assistant Principal
