From the Principal
Celebrating our Education Support Staff
Tuesday 16 May was Education Support (ES) Day; a day to recognise and appreciate the important work that our Education Support Staff do each and every day.
Our Education Support Staff are an essential part of our school community. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that our school runs smoothly and that our students receive the support they need to succeed. Answering the phones, paying the bills, keeping our facilities and gardens looking clean and safe, ensuring our students are fed and cared for, assisting teachers with the resources they need to teach effectively and translating information for families are just some of the tasks our Education Support Staff undertake and who go above and beyond to support our school community.
At Lalor East, we are incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated and hardworking team of Education Support Staff. They are the unsung heroes of our school community, and we would not be able to provide the high quality education and support that we do without them.
So, to Bev, Robyn, Suzanne, Pauline, Amanda, Nat P, Athena, Manal and Anthony I want to say a heartfelt thank you. Thank you for the work that you do, for your dedication and commitment to our school community and for the impact that you have on the lives of our students every day. Your contribution to our school community is invaluable and we are grateful for all that you do.
Staffing Updates
Adrian Parisi, who currently teaches Art and assists with Wellbeing groups, will be taking leave for the remainder of the school year from the end of this week. I know several people from our wider 'LEPS family' will be sad to see him leave but we wish Mr. Parisi all the best during his leave and as he explores new opportunities.
Dean Elliot will be taking the majority of Adrian’s Art classes for the remainder of this term. Dean will be familiar to many students as he has been providing casual relief support to our school throughout this year.
Student Attitudes to School Survey
Families in Years 4, 5 & 6 would have received information on Compass last week regarding the 2023 Students Attitudes to School Survey.
Held annually, the Attitudes to School Survey is a valuable tool that helps us to understand our students' attitudes towards school, their learning experiences and their wellbeing. By participating in this survey, our school will be able to gather feedback from our students and use this information to make improvements to the learning environment and the support we provide to our students. Past projects based on student feedback have included the construction of our gaga pit, implementation of our wellbeing clubs and the establishment of our recyclining and gardening programs.
The survey will be conducted online and will take approximately 45 minutes for students to complete. It will be administered during class time and students will be provided with clear instructions on how to complete the survey. The survey is anonymous and confidential, and the results will be used for school evaluation purposes. I will be working with classes to continue completing the survey this week.
If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child's homegroup teacher.
School Wide Positive Behaviours Showcase
On Thursday 11 May several staff attended and presented at the Regional School Wide Positive Behaviour Systems [SWPBS] showcase at Melbourne Polytechnic in Preston.
Our staff and students have been working since 2019 to implement the School Wide Positive Behaviour Systems and we were excited to be able to share our journey to date with other schools.
A key feature and point of difference in our implementation has been students and teachers working together to co-create many of the resources for SWPBS such as a our behaviour matrix, positive recognition program (rewards chart) and our response of student behaviours.
At Lalor East, we believe that promoting positive behaviours is essential in creating a safe and supportive learning environment that allows our students to reach their full potential. Through our School Wide Positive Behaviour program, we aim to encourage our students to develop good habits and behaviours that will help them succeed both in their academic and personal lives.
I would like to congratulate Natalie Iverson for her work in leading our SWPBS implementation and thank Brad Jones and Dani De Vincentis as members of our Wellbeing committee for their ongoing support.
SCOTT DUNCAN
Acting Principal