PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents and Carers, 

It has been great to see the students start to find their learning routines over the last few weeks as we begin to increase the academic rigour. There is a lot happening in our intervention space to support students at their point of need to either assist with their learning behaviours or extend their learning challenge. With intervention sessions, tutoring programs, hands-on learning and high ability programs all starting to take shape, we hope to see the students to continue building on their skills and knowledge.

Please feel free to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher for support or information as to how they are supporting learning in the classroom and beyond.

RECYCLING PROGRAM

Our recycling program has hit the ground running this term with every classroom now having the ability to recycle our paper and plastic items. Every Friday afternoon, student monitors will empty these bins which will in turn support their understanding of how we can be more sustainable as a school.

Student Leadership

Last week, we presented our school leadership badges to students who will be leading the various teams across the school. Our student leadership program is an important element for our school to help build student voice into our strategic direction but alo to assist with establishing life long skills of communication, collaboration, problem solving and strategic thinking. Congratulations to the following students.

Student Leadership Positions 2025.

Junior School Council Members

Meet and Greet Evening

Last week, we held our Meet and Greet afternoon, providing parents and carers the opportunity to sit down with their child’s teacher and discuss valuable information to support future learning plans. We are pleased with the excellent turnout and want to thank everyone for their dedication to this important event. We look forward to working together to create a positive path forward for all our students.

Child Safe

As a school we work hard to ensure child safe standards are established and maintained. As part of this process there are a number of policies and guidelines that underpin our actions. The diagram below highlights these policies and guidelines, and they can all be found on the school website.

Please find below the Child Safe Standards in Plain Language Guide 

Attendance Reminders

Regular school attendance is crucial for student success. Each day in the classroom presents an opportunity to learn, engage with new concepts, and participate in activities that foster growth. When students miss school, they fall behind—not only academically but also socially and emotionally. Consistent attendance helps develop strong habits, supports a sense of community, and prepares students for future responsibilities.

Parents and guardians play a key role in encouraging attendance, reinforcing the importance of being present both physically and mentally in class. Remember, everyday counts!

As such, the following guidelines are in place at Lucas Primary School:

• Students should arrive at school between 8.40 and 8.50am each day. We have staff on duty at these times to supervise students in the yard. Should you require earlier supervision, our Lucas LEAP program is available. Please contact the school office for more details.

   

• Students who arrive after 9.00am must enter through the office to get a late pass.

   

• We should avoid early departures unless absolutely necessary. All early departures must go through the school office.

   

• Reasons for student absences must be recorded by:
  • Entering an attendance note on Compass
  • Contacting the school office by phone or email.

Photo Permissions

With the new Photographing, Filming and Recording policy being ratified at School Council, all families will be asked to complete a new permissions form in the coming week. This policy asks parents and carers to choose a level to which their child’s photograph can be taken and used within or beyond the school. There are 3 levels to choose from:

Level 1: Your child’s photograph can be used within the physical school environment. This includes displays in the classroom, student portfolio, school foyer and shared learning spaces.

Level 2: Your child’s photograph can be used within the school community. This includes our protected online communication, learning and teaching tools such as, emails, Compass and Seesaw, all of which are protected by passwords. This level also includes inclusion in the School Magazine.

Level 3: Your child’s photograph can be used beyond the school community. This includes publications and platforms which are accessible to the public including our school newsletter, website and school Facebook page. 

Any use of photographs that are to be used in the media beyond what is included above will require separate permission from those students involved. 

In addition to the photo permission, this policy covers images and film taken by our school community during events. The following statement was agreed upon by School Council and requires a high level of trust from our school community.

Lucas Primary School permits parents/carers, students and invited guests to photograph, film or record school performances, sporting events and other school-approved activities. 

Lucas Primary School requests that parents/carers, students and invited guests who photograph, film or record school activities only do so for their own personal use and do not publish the images in any form, including on social media, without the prior consent of persons whose children also appear in the images.

Neither the school nor the department own or control any images of students taken by parents/carers, students or their invited guests at school activities.

School Council

Our current School Council team met for the final time on Monday night before our Annual Reporting Meeting in March. We have a number of members finishing up their tenure and over the next week we look forward to conducting our election that will formalise the new council for the next 12 months.

At School Council on Monday the following items were discussed:

• Financial reports for December, January and February.
• Staffing updates.
• Enrolment updates
• A buildings and grounds update on work from the holidays.
• A teaching and learning report to outline the focus to assist in improving student outcomes.
• A wellbeing report that included updates on Disability Inclusion funding and intervention programs happening across the school and allied health support for the year ahead.
• We had a special guest, Justin Staggard who spoke to council about a grounds master plan and playground development for the school.
• The photograph, film and Recording policy was discussed and approved 
• The Annual Implementation Plan was discussed which includes goals, actions and activities to guide the work of the school in 2025.

Our thanks goes out  to all current and retiring members of the School Council for their dedication to forging a direction for the school.

Playpod/Art Storage

Over the past week, we have moved around the shipping containers which have been situated at the back of the gym for the last 12 months. One has been placed next to the Art Room for storage of our ever-growing art program and the other will become a Play Pod. 

A Playpod is a container full of materials that will be available to students to play with at break times. The materials include milk crates, reels, plastic pipes, tarps, bread racks etc and are conducive to creative and collaborative play. Over the coming week, the Play Pod will be introduced to the students as an extra activity available to engage with at break times.

If you have any of the following to donate to our Playpod, we would be happy to receive the donations.

Lucas LEAP - Quality Standard Report

Over the last month Lucas LEAP staff have been working through the service's first assessment and rating cycle. The purpose of the assessment and rating process is to determine the rating level of the service against the National Quality Standards (NQS), and the National Law and Regulations. 

This process involved a comprehensive review of policies and procedures, discussion about key achievements for the service and a visit from an authorised officer. 

The final assessment and rating report recognised the programs successes, with an emphasis on the service's strong links to the wider school community and an overall rating of Meeting NQS.

School Crossing Attendant

It was wonderful to meet our new crossing attendant this week, Fiona. This is a very busy part of the school around drop off and pick up times, so we appreciate Fiona helping our students and families safely cross O'Shannassy Pde.

Some rules for the crossing:

• We must remember to use the crossing, even if it means waiting a few minutes or walking a little further.
• The whistle indicates that it is safe to cross. 
• Walking is the only acceptable way to cross the road.
• Use your manners and thank Fiona for her support.

BUS STOP

You will have noticed the new yellow lines at the front of the school to outline the bus stop. This upgrade is partly due to this space being used for a public bus service throughout the day. It is important to know this as the rules for using this space have changed. As there is an hourly service, this space will not be available for drop off and pick up parking throughout the day. The parking inspectors regularly inspect this area to ensure it is being used lawfully. The last thing we want is for our parent community to start receiving unwanted fines. Thanks in advance for your support.

Begonia Festival Art Competition

Our Art teachers, Mrs Glanville and Mrs Hodson have been working with our Art Captains to create Lucas Primary School’s entry into the 2025 Begonia Festival Art Competition. As you can see, once again, the quality of work is outstanding and is a credit to the Art program.

Please look out for instructions on how to vote for our entry.