Assistant Principals Report
Our 2025 Planning Days and 2026 Curriculum Days provided staff with valuable and purposeful time to prepare for the year ahead. With a clear focus on excellence in teaching and learning, staff used this additional time to carefully plan, collaborate, and ensure every class is set up for success from day one.
Throughout the planning days, teachers worked both independently and in teams to refine curriculum documentation, map out units of work, and align assessment tasks to ensure consistency across year levels. There was a strong emphasis on clarity—what we want students to know, how we will teach it, and how we will measure growth.
Staff also reviewed student data to better understand the learning needs of their 2026 classes. This allowed teams to plan differentiated tasks and targeted support so that every student can be appropriately challenged and supported. High expectations were at the centre of all conversations, with a shared commitment to ensuring students produce their very best work.
In addition to curriculum planning, teams prepared classroom resources, updated learning materials, and discussed strategies to strengthen engagement and positive learning behaviours. These proactive steps mean our classrooms are organised, intentional, and ready for meaningful learning experiences.
The collaboration across faculties was a highlight of the planning days. Staff shared ideas, reflected on best practice, and worked collectively to ensure a consistent approach to teaching and learning across the college.
We are excited about the year ahead and confident that the thorough preparation undertaken during our Planning Days will provide a strong foundation for student success.
At Lyndale Secondary College, we value punctuality and the importance of starting the school day on time. Students who arrive late miss critical instruction and disrupt both their own learning and that of their peers. Our goal is to ensure all students begin learning promptly and to minimise disruptions caused by late arrivals. Punctuality demonstrates respect for others and responsibility for one’s own learning.
Please give your child the best possible start to their day by ensuring they arrive at school and to class on time. We have provided a tip sheet addressing frequently asked questions to support families with this.
Thank you also for your continued support regarding school uniform. Our students are looking fabulous and are wearing their uniforms correctly. It is pleasing to see students taking responsibility by wearing their PE uniform on designated days and the correct school uniform on all other days. We appreciate your support in ensuring your child is organised and ready for school each day.
A reminder that the Junior School and Senior School Handbooks have been published on Compass and can be easily accessed under School Documentation. Please take the time to refer to these documents. Regular year-level assemblies and communications continue to reference the protocols outlined in the handbooks, and we encourage families to remain familiar with the expectations and messages we are reinforcing with students.
VET NEWS
This year, we are very fortunate to be offering six VET courses at Lyndale Secondary College, providing students with valuable hands-on experience and nationally recognised qualifications.
The courses running at Lyndale Secondary College in 2026 are:
- Certificate II in Electrotechnology
- Certificate II in Building and Construction
- Certificate II in Workplace Skills
- Certificate II in Community Services
- Certificate II in Applied Computing
Certificate II in Cookery/Hospitality (Dual Course)
These programs give students practical, industry-relevant skills while supporting clear pathways into further education, apprenticeships, or employment.
Diana Kennedy
Assistant Principal
Student Management & Engagement
WELCOME TO NEW AND RETURNING STAFF
I am pleased to introduce and warmly welcome our new and returning teaching staff members for the 2026 school year. We are delighted to have such a talented group of educators joining (and re-joining) our school community, and we look forward to the expertise, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives they bring to our classrooms.
New Teaching Staff
Eunice Kou – Mathematics / Science
Eunice joins us teaching Mathematics and Science and brings a strong commitment to student learning and engagement. She has particular expertise in Mathematics and will play an important role in promoting the value of mathematical problem-solving across the school.
Viet Nguyen – English / EAL
Viet will be teaching English and EAL, and we are excited to welcome her expertise in supporting diverse learners and developing students’ literacy skills. Having completed a placement with us during her university studies, Viet impressed us with her impact, and we are delighted to have her join our team now that she has finished her training.
Nitzan Ron – Humanities / Science
Nitzan joins the Humanities and Science teams and will be a valuable addition to both learning areas. Like Viet, Nitzan completed a placement at Lyndale, and his combination of Biology and Legal Studies qualifications is a rare asset. We are excited about the opportunities this brings to strengthen cross-curricular connections and further engage our students.
Returning Staff Members
Helen Grey – Science
We are very pleased to welcome back Helen Grey, who returns to the Science learning area in 2026. Helen’s experience and familiarity with our school will be a great support to both students and staff. She is a passionate educator, and we are very fortunate to have her return to our team.
Tayla Shannon – Science and Health & PE
We are very pleased to welcome Tayla back on a more regular basis in 2026. As one of our experienced classroom teachers, she shows a strong commitment to student learning and wellbeing. Tayla also plays an important role as a Year 12 Coordinator, supporting our Year 12 students and working closely with the Senior Sub School team to ensure they are well supported throughout their final year.
MEET AND GREET CONFERENCES
Thank you to the many parents, carers and students who attended our Meet and Greet Conferences on Thursday 19 February, either in person or online. It was wonderful to see such strong engagement from our community and to witness the positive conversations taking place between families and teachers.
The conferences provided a valuable opportunity to share insights into each student’s strengths, interests and goals, and to establish clear expectations for the year ahead. It was particularly pleasing to see students actively involved in these discussions, demonstrating ownership of their learning. We appreciate the time families took to attend and support the strong home–school partnerships that are so important to student success.
Jessica Quinn
Assistant Principal
Staff & Student Learning