Mini School Updates

Junior School 

Welcome to 2022 from the Junior School team:

L-R: Ms Tammie Percivall (Administration) 

Mr Riley Baldi (Student Support Officer) 

Mr Joe Licciardello (Year 7 Coordinator)

Miss Melissa Logan (Year 8 Coordinator) 

Mrs Kristy Bannister (Junior School Leader) 

It has been a busy start to the year, and we have loved having all our students back onsite without the interruptions of the last few years.  

We have settled into the new Junior building and students have been loving the outdoor areas with extra spaces to sit, basketball courts and new outdoor table tennis table.  

Year 7 camp to Phillip Island was a great success. The weather was perfect, and we all enjoyed a few days in the sunshine getting to know each other outside of the school environment. It was amazing to see students challenge themselves and push out of their comfort zone with many of the activities. The surfing seemed to be the highlight for most students. I think the staff were just as excited to see them as the students who managed to stand on their boards.  

As part of our student wellbeing program our Year 7 and 8 students have attended workshops presented by Headspace and Project Rockit. Students have showed a high level of engagement with these workshops. This work will continue with activities and further discussions in home groups as we work to give students a range of strategies to deal with issues such as stress, bullying and self-care.  

This week each home group has voted for the student that will represent them. It is great to see so many students express interest in these leadership roles. We look forward to working with the leaders to continue to improve students' school experience. Homegroup leaders will be announced during assemblies over the next few days. I look forward to sharing the names with you in the next update. These students will also have the opportunity to nominate for Year 7 and 8 captain. We will begin this selection process next week once home group leaders have been announced.  

I would like to congratulate all students who have received ‘posi slips’ and green chronicles over the last few weeks. We are working with our students as to what is expected of them in the classroom and how to live our college values. The Junior Team is thrilled to see so many students being acknowledged for their efforts. This week at assemblies we will be presenting the first round of RIDGE awards to those students with the most 'posi slips' in the first 4 weeks of term.  

The first round of GPAs are being released this week. This is a great opportunity for you and your child to discuss what is working well and set some goals for small improvements that can be made between now and the next round of GPAs at the end of the term.  

If you wish to discuss your child and/or their progress at school, please contact either the Junior Office on 5127 9240 or email the appropriate member of the team.  

Kristy Bannister – Junior School Leader: kristy.bannister@education.vic.gov.au 

Joe Licciardello – Year 7 Coordinator: Joe.Licciardello@education.vic.gov.au  

Melissa Logan – Year 8 Coordinator: Melissa.Logan@education.vic.gov.au  

Riley Baldi – Student Support Officer: Riley.Baldi@education.vic.gov.au  

Kristy Bannister  

Junior School Leader  

Middle School

Welcome to 2022 on behalf the Middle School team.

Mr Darren Mitchell (Middle School Leader)

Mrs Kerrie Logan (Year 10 Co-ordinator)

Mr Phillip Berends (Year 9 Co-ordinator)

Mr Ross Magnuson (Student Support Officer)

Ms Andrea Coad (Administration)

Absent: Mr Harry Pepper (Student Support Officer-Interim)

We would like to welcome the Year 9 students to the Middle School and a warm welcome back for the Year 10 students.

A very big congratulations to our Middle School Captains for 2022. These students will be fantastic ambassadors for Middle School students. Part of their duties will be listening to the students regarding their concerns and changes they would like to happen in the Middle School. 

Overall Captains- Year 10 students; Jessica Mangion & Lachlan Wallace

Year 9 Captains -Alaynna Abuan & Allirah Watson

We would like to congratulate the students who volunteered to be the Homeroom Captains.

These students can report any concerns or achievements to the Middle School Captains to address at formal assemblies.

Homegroup Captains

Part of the improvements in Middle School is the introduction of the table tennis table in the courtyard, it has been pleasing to see the students enjoying playing and the respect they have shown each other in sharing the table and fairness of the games.

Our Year 10’s will be having some exciting guest speakers in the coming weeks; hopefully the students will take away some positive insights into different career paths.

The first GPA scores have been released and I urge parents and students to look at them. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the relevant teacher to discuss them.

We would like to remind students of the phone policy; all student phones need to be in their lockers turned off between 8.45am until 3pm or they can be placed in the phone lockers in the Middle School and picked up at the end of the day. If their phone has been confiscated 3 times it will need to be picked up by a parent. Parents will also need to pick the phone up every time it is confiscated from that time. Students are more than welcome to use the office phone if they need to contact home.

It has been very pleasing to see the majority of students in full uniform with very few having to go to Uniform Exchange. Please note out of uniform notes will not be accepted; if a student is out of uniform for any reason they are required to go to the uniform exchange where correct uniform will be provided to them.

We are again running the Middle School Camp to Queensland to visit the theme parks and

other attractions. The camp is a fantastic way to celebrate a busy year and to reward students who have great attendance and behaviour which reflects Lowanna’s values. The camp is planned to run from the 31st of October until the 4th of November.

Please contact Mrs. Logan if you have any questions.

The Middle School Team would like to thank Ross Magnuson for all his assistance to students and staff throughout the College. Ross is leaving and looking forward to a more relaxed environment. He will be greatly missed by all.

Upcoming dates:

14th March – Labour Day

15th March- Photo Catch Up Day

31st March- Athletics Carnival

Darren Mitchell

Middle School Manager

Senior School

A very warm welcome to the Senior School for 2022! 

There has been a lot of positive energy with the return to school as we knew it way back before “covid” became part of our daily vocabulary. This is especially true this week with the removal of the need to wear masks indoors at secondary schools. It has been so nice to see everyone’s fresh, happy face and with so many of the nuances of social interaction carried in non-verbal cues, this will only serve to deepen the connections between students and staff, as they work together this year. Although there are still bumps, with many students needing to isolate at various points, I have been impressed by the way students have overall settled back into a routine. For your efforts, thank you and well done. 

Students in the senior School are this year, as in all their other years at Lowanna, supported by a dedicated, caring and enthusiastic team, committed to ensuring the best outcomes for your child in their senior pathway. This year the team is: 

L-R: Mrs Julie Jeffrey (Administration) 

Mrs Emily Vernon (Student Support Officer) 

Mrs Sarah Giessler (VCAL Manager) 

Mr Norm Trewin (VCE Coordinator) 

Ms Nicole Taylor (Senior School Leader) 

As a team we feel very privileged and excited to be working with and assisting, encouraging and sustaining students through their studies this year. We know that the return to school after the disruptions of the previous two years comes with its challenges and that as students start to plan for life beyond the safety and security of Lowanna that this can create stresses and anxieties. Please do not hesitate to be in touch so that we can utilize the many supports we are fortunate to have for students here at Lowanna – Wellbeing, Careers, and academic tutors just to name a few. 

It's been a busy and productive start to the year. Our Year 12 students kickstarted their year with a team-building activity at Gumbuya World. Our Year 11 students have also been treated to a pizza lunch and afternoon Escape Room Activity. Both of these were designed to encourage students to work collaboratively in teams. There is much research to show that the ability to work as part of a team is vital for student development and success – it teaches essential social skills, improves self-confidence by showing students that their voices are heard, respected and valued, reduces bullying and sets students up for future success since these skills are valued by employers. 

It has been pleasing to see our senior students wearing their uniform with pride and setting an excellent example for the younger students. I would like to thank all students and their families for supporting Lowanna’s uniform policy. Year 12 students have received their jackets and t-shirts and are looking exceptional in these! 

Our 2022 student leadership group has been elected. Our 2022 School Captains have been introduced to the whole school community at assemblies and we thank them for their efforts so far. They worked overtime at the swimming carnival to feed the hungry masses with a barbecue, and there are already plans for other activities and events in the future. Our Year 11 student leadership group has also been elected and we look forward to working with them to learn more about the ways that we can continue to improve Lowanna and the experience for our students during their time here. 

School Captains L-R: Libby Hunter, Josh McQuade, College Principal Mr Adam Hogan, Jack Van Den Dolder and Paris Troughton.

Year 11 Leaders L-R: Jacob Ashworth (11A), Mya Dickeson (11B), Sophia Heyblom (11C), Ashley Paul (11D) and Bree Wearne (11E) 

I will finish with a reminder about a valuable resource for our senior students. Academic results are achieved by consistent small daily efforts. It is not so much about putting in a huge effort just before a test or exam, but rather daily effort to remain organised, listening attentively in class, taking detailed notes and regular revision. Together, these efforts all contribute to terrific learning outcomes. To support students with these small efforts, there is a supervised study session that runs every Wednesday from 3.15 pm – 4.30 pm in A4. This is in addition to the whole school Homework Group that runs on a Monday in the library. Both sessions are attended by a variety of staff as well as tutors and are a really great opportunity to get some extra help with any class work, SAC preparation and revision strategies.  

Nicole Taylor

Senior School Leader