From the Principal

Dear Parents and Friends,

I hope everyone has had a great week. You wouldn't know summer starts on Monday, the weather continues to be chilly and wet! Having said that, please be aware of the sun's UV factor. With students spending a lot of time outside, it is wise to have them apply sunscreen in the morning before they come to school. On very hot days, we will continue our practice of keeping students inside for part of lunch to prioritise their wellbeing and safety.

ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (AIP)

Over the past fortnight, our leadership team of myself, Kristine Roose, Neil Butler, Zahra Harvey, Lex Fisher, and Kayla Pepper have been reviewing our progress on the 2025 AIP and developing our goals and actions for the 2026 AIP.

This process involves deep reflection and analysis of the many data sources that guide our school improvement work, including:

Student Attitudes to School Survey
Parent and Staff Opinion Surveys
Assessment data (including DIBELS, screeners and classroom assessments)
NAPLAN
Planning documentation
Classroom practice and consistency across the school

We are incredibly proud of the progress this year. Staff have implemented a significant number of new programs and instructional approaches—from our Literature Units and Knowledge-Rich Units, to PhOrMeS Word Work, Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI), engagement norms and The Pegasus Way behaviour curriculum. Our teachers and students have embraced these changes with purpose and positivity, and the impact on learning and school culture is clearly visible.

As we finalise the 2026 AIP, we continue to work towards our Strategic Plan goals:

Optimise the learning growth of all students in Literacy and Numeracy
Enhance students’ social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing

The AIP will be submitted to our Senior Education Improvement Leader, Justin Butler, before the end of term. Once approved, it will be shared with our community early next year.

UP SESSIONS

This year’s UP sessions are almost complete, with the final one being this afternoon. These sessions have helped students learn about what to expect next year, particularly some of the books they will read for their Literature Units and also the learning they will do in our Knowledge Rich units.

The next 2 sessions realtyed to our tramnsition to 2026 are:

9/12 – Meet new class and teacher
12/12 – Session with new class and new teacher

These sessions support students to build early connections with teachers and classmates before the holidays, helping them start the new year calmly and confidently.

CLASSES FOR 2026

In 2026, Lysterfield Primary School will operate 21 classes, with three classes at each year level.

Our projected enrolment for next year is approximately 450 students, including 50 new Prep students. Interest in Lysterfield PS continues to be strong, we have already begun conducting tours for 2027, supported by the excitement around the new kindergarten.

Class planning is a thoughtful and highly detailed process that takes into account:

The needs of individual students, including teacher and peer relationships
Cohort sizes
A balance of academic and wellbeing needs
School budget and staffing allocations

We understand that class announcements can bring a mix of excitement, nerves and big feelings for students and families. These emotions are completely normal. Change can feel enormous in the moment, especially for children, but it is often far less overwhelming once the new year begins.

We talk a lot at Lysterfield about resilience, how new experiences, even challenging ones, help us grow into stronger, more confident and more adaptable people. A class change can be a powerful opportunity for students to practise these skills. With our consistent routines, strong relationships and the support of caring teachers, students settle quickly and flourish in their new environment.

Please be assured that significant time, care and professional judgement go into every class placement. Our decisions are always made with the goal of supporting each child to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Adam Wight

Principal

Lysterfield Primary School