From the Principal

As I write my first newsletter piece as Principal of Lakeside College, I am reminded of why I am here and how I can make a valuable contribution to this great school of ours. I thought that my first newsletter contribution would be an opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself and my beliefs. 

Although I am relatively new to Lutheran education, I have a strong Christian faith based on Gospel values. I attend service at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Box Hill where I have been warmly welcomed into the community and look forward to my further involvement in Parish life. 

As Principal of Lakeside College, my commitment to Lutheran education and the rich traditions of the Lutheran Church is steadfast, consistent and heartfelt. I have a strong  belief in the importance of servant leadership, as reflected in the way I lead and interact with the Lakeside College community and this is integral as how I see myself as a leader in a Lutheran school. I would describe my style of leadership as collaborative, discerning, inclusive and respectful. I have worked across a number of faith-based Christian schools throughout my career and have felt that the Lutheran theological and philosophical approach to education is closely aligned with my own values and beliefs. 

I am committed to ensuring that each individual student within our school is engaged in a learning program that is aspirational and appropriately challenging. I have a very strong understanding of ways in which we can improve learning outcomes for students, based on sound research and practices.  Imperative is the role teacher’s play in the learning process and the need to build positive and trusting relationships with students. 

As an experienced leader of learning and teaching I have always focused on the importance of growth in learning and ensuring that data is used effectively to measure improvement in learning outcomes. I have a strong conviction about the importance of providing teachers with the opportunity to collaborate, reflect upon their practice, learn and grow through their conversations and interactions. I model this behaviour and ensure my vision for this approach is shared with all. As educators, we must never cease to learn and grow in our understanding of curriculum content and pedagogy. In my leadership of learning and teaching I have worked hard to facilitate the opportunity for teachers to enhance their collective efficacy. I have done this through implementing Professional Learning Teams, peer observation and engaging student voice as a source of reflection, goal setting and improvement planning. This approach has reaped benefits shown through improvement in learning outcomes, higher levels of student engagement in their own learning and staff collaboration and morale.  

Throughout my career I have led several significant changes to both the curriculum, pedagogical and reporting process. In particular, I oversaw the implementation of a progressive online reporting system, the establishment of a Year 9 Program called Making Connections, the integration of Thinking Routines into the Middle Years curriculum, the transition to the Victorian Curriculum and using the PEN (Psychology, Education and Neuroscience) to improve student learning.  

As a leader of student wellbeing within a Lutheran educational context, I recognise the importance of providing our students with a safe, nurturing and supportive environment in which they can learn and thrive. In my oversight of the development of Student Wellbeing Support Plans and Individual Education Plans, I have ensured that families are involved in the process from the very beginning. I have also introduced a comprehensive Pastoral Care program at Lakeside College based on the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program and individualised for our particular needs. One of the significant initiatives I have overseen at Lakeside College is the introduction of student wellbeing surveys. The surveys are used to measure baseline data and then carried out on a regular basis so that we can be alerted to any individual issues that need immediate attention and to identify trends in the data that require a broader change to pastoral programming. 

I am committed to ensuring that all of our students have a sense of agency and voice in their learning journey and I look forward to working with our dedicated teachers to implement student voice surveys designed to reflect a students experience of learning at the College. As we continue to grow and develop as a school, it is my desire that students are provided with more and more wonderful opportunities to engage their passions and interests through a comprehensive co-curricular program and external events and excursions. 

I am both humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead Lakeside College into its next exciting stage of development and I look forward to meeting all members of our community as the year progresses. 

Blessings

Robert