Principal's Report
End of the Year
Welcome to the final newsletter for 2016. It’s been another fantastic year at Lyndhurst PS. We are a very big school and we will continue to grow over the next few years.
The school continues to have a strong and well-deserved reputation in the community and pressure for enrolments will continue for some time to come. As we close the door on 2015, plans for 2016 are well and truly in our mind as we set ourselves to provide the highest quality education for more than 850 students next year. That number is likely to grow to over one thousand in the next couple of years.
A new school has been announced for opening in 2017 over in Hall Rd, near the Clarinda Estate. This will be a public/private partnership school like Lyndhurst and will service much of the Cranbourne West, and Skye communities. It is unlikely to have much impact on our on-going enrolment projections.
Step Up Day
On Tuesday, we had our step up day, along with an orientation day for our new Preps for 2016. The operation went particularly smoothly, with most children meeting their new teacher in their new room for 2016. The new Preps were really settled and had a great introduction to their first formal school experience.
Year 6 Orientation Day
On the same day our year 6 students, who will be attending government schools, attended their Orientation Day in their new secondary school for next year. It was, as I said to them prior to the day, their first chance to make a positive first impression and represent our school and themselves well. After all, first impressions are lasting impressions.
Parent Helpers Morning Tea
Yesterday we had our thank you morning tea for all of the parents who help around our school. Parent helpers are such a vital component of school and there are so many programs around the school that would not run or may not be as successful, without the dedicated volunteer parents. Their work and their contribution is highly valued and the morning tea was a small token gesture of thanks from the teachers for the support the parents provide.
Summer Celebration Concert
I hope to see everyone at our Summer Celebration Concert. It’s become an annual event and is a highly anticipated date on the school social calendar. We have a new location and stage setup this year so we hope this will assist with viewing so that everyone can enjoy the show equally. So bring your picnic, settle down on the grass of the school oval and enjoy a wonderful evening of entertainment.
uLearn Music Concert
On Friday evening in the hall, many of the students who learn with uLearn in the after school instrumental program will perform for their families and friends. I wish them all the very best of luck. Performing takes a lot of courage but I am sure they will all shine and make their parents and teachers proud.
Pod Break Up
Yesterday after school, our Pod Monitors had their annual break up celebration with the now traditional water pistol battle.
The Pod Monitors do such a fantastic job every year, organising the Play Pod for other students and their leader and mentor, Mandy Vorster is always very proud of them. Mandy organises the watery battle every year and quite a number of staff join in the fun. What a great way to finish off the year!
School Leader Speeches
Next week, I am looking forward to hearing the speeches of the prospective student leaders for 2016. Children have been busily preparing their speeches to explain why they deserve to be selected as School Captain or SRC Chairperson. It’s always impressive to see these young people speak so eloquently about leadership, what it means to them and what qualities they might bring to a leadership role. I wish them all the very best of luck.
Graduation
Next week too, we will be holding our graduation ceremony for our Year 6 students as we send them off into the big, wide world. It’s always a wonderful and very emotional experience and I am sure it will be a proud moment for our students and their parents.
Exchange Teacher
We are most pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Canadian Exchange Teacher for 2016. Our ICT teacher, Greg Thomas, we fortunate enough to receive an International Teaching Fellowship Exchange to Canada. In return, we will host Michael Griffith-Morison for a year. Michael will take up a grade teaching position in year 3 and I am sure the Lyndhurst community will make him most welcome.
New Staff
In the past few weeks, we have appointed a number of new school to the school in readiness for 2016. Nicole Tolikas will join the team in the Year 1 area and Shantelle Rizzo joins the Prep team, coming to use from Kilberry Valley PS. Olivia Sonn will join the staff in a dual role, taking some grades for Spanish, as well as grade sharing the year 5/6 area. Sean McEachern comes to us from Kilberry Valley PS and will take up the ICT role in place of Greg Thomas who is on exchange. Finally, Julian Flanagan comes to us from Romsey PS in place of Craig Sketcher in the music position.
Early Last Day Finish
Don’t forget that we finish early on the last day of school with children being dismissed at 1.30pm next Friday. OSHC is available but we expect bookings will be high so I suggest parents get in early to secure a place.
Staff Farewells
Of course, there is always the sad issue of saying farewell to some of our staff. Firstly, we farewell Lyshae Watt and Meg Oudshoorn who are going on family leave in anticipation of the birth of their babies. We all wish Lyshae and Meg the very best of good fortune and look forward to welcoming them back some time in the future. Ingrid Shepherd and Heidi Roberts, two of our integration aides will be moving on as well.
Special Farewell
Saddest of all is that we say farewell to our amazing music teacher Craig Sketcher. Craig leaves for a new position at Mt View PS and the new role will allow him to teach close to home which will be great for his young family.
Craig has been with us since the school opened, being a year 3/4 teacher in the first year before taking on the music position in 2012. He is the first of our foundation teachers to leave the school and, in fact, the first of any of our permanent staff to leave for a position at another school (an enviable record I must say).
Craig has done an incredible building such an outstanding music program in such a short time. He has constantly contributed above and beyond and has been a most popular and respected member of staff. I am sure he will be fondly remembered by the whole Lyndhurst community for his dedication, amiable manner and innovative teaching. He will be sorely missed and he leaves big shoes to be filled.
We all wish Craig and his family all the very best of good fortune and thank him sincerely for five incredible years of service to our school and community.
Best Wishes
Finally, can I wish everyone in our community and happy and refreshing holiday break. I hope you all get the opportunity to spend quality time together with friends and family. Can I wish the very best of good fortune to those families who will be leaving our school, especially to our year 6 students who begin an exciting new chapter in their lives at secondary school.
I trust that we have prepared you well for your journey forward and that you will all be proud ambassadors of our school. To those families who will be returning for another fabulous year at Lyndhurst, stay well and we look forward to seeing you again in the New Year.
Finally
As a final note, it has occurred to me in recent days that the school is now 5 years old! In the hubbub of the last weeks of school, we haven’t given much thought to celebrating what has been a tumultuous 5 years since we first opened our doors to 150 students and a small staff team of only 11.
It’s quite extraordinary to think back to that time that in some ways seems a lifetime away and in other ways, seems like only yesterday. For those families who have been with us all the way through that journey, I am sure you will appreciate just how far we have come in those 5 years. Certainly it staggers me when I think back over the most exhilarating and challenging period of my nearly 40 years in education.
We will have a small celebration of our 5th anniversary at the final assembly next week and you can see a short photo montage on LTV tomorrow as we cast our minds back to 2011 when it all began. Thanks is such a small word but there are no other words to express my gratitude to the staff, parents, community members and students who have come together to grow this school into one of, not only large size, but of envious reputation in the wider community.
I am proud; we are all very proud; of what we have been able to establish here for this wonderful community and I look forward to setting and the path forward for the next 5 years.
Greg Lacey
Principal