Principal's Report

Principal’s Report 2nd September

Is it nearly the end of term already? I can’t believe it! We’re coming up to that time of year when we are not only running the school this year, but are also deep in planning for 2023 as well. Prep enrolments are coming in and we are filling our classes, so get in quick! We are also in the midst of staffing for next year and that’s a huge task. We pride ourselves on attracting great staff to our great school and so our employment processes are very important to us. Getting the right staff is a fantastic starting point to ensuring a great school experience for every student. Of course, we all understand the difficulties we have faced with the worst staff shortages I have ever seen. We have done as much as we can to minimize the impact on student learning. Our team-based planning processes here at Lyndhurst mean that we can go a long way towards ensuring continuity of learning for our students, even when staff are absent. Every class in a year level is planned for collaboratively across the whole team and every teacher follows that planned program in a consistent way. That means, that when CRTs come in, the year level team can support that teacher to know what to do and how to do it. Even when we have to split grades when no replacement teacher is available, this consistent approach means that every student continues on their learning path. Of course, not having their own grade teacher is unsettling for some students, but we are constantly aware of how children are coping and we try our very best to ensure that their well-being, as well as their learning, is assured.

Quarters Primary School 2023

As I have mentioned before, a new school will open in Morningside Drive, Cranbourne West next year. It will be a supported inclusion primary school and will enrol students from a newly outlined enrolment neighbourhood (See findmyschool.vic.gov.au for zone details). The school, which was temporarily called Camms Rd PS, has now been officially named Quarters PS and it is open for enrolments. We know that some of our families who live near the school may choose to move to the more convenient location. Of course, if you’re in the new school zone but want to stay at Lyndhurst, we’re very happy to have you stay here! 

To support the new Principal, we are facilitating a “Meet and Greet” event at Lyndhurst PS on Wednesday 7th September from 2pm-3pm. The “Meet and Greet” is for any parents who have already expressed interest in the school, or for any families that might be considering the move but need more information. The meeting will be hosted by the Principal, Liz Davey and the recently appointed Assistant Principal, Penny Denton. They will be available to meet you and answer your questions and will also run a short presentation about the new school. A flyer for the event is attached to this newsletter.

Parking on Lawns and Nature Strips

Once again, I’ve had an email from a local resident expressing concern about school pick-up and drop-off and the number of parents who are driving and parking on lawns and nature strips. I ask again, that you are respectful of our neighbours. Please stay on the road and keep off lawns and nature strips. We are in a neighbourhood where people generally show a great deal of pride in the home’s appearance. Let’s not ruin that with thoughtless parking and driving.

Wellbeing Day

I’m really looking forward to our Wellbeing Day on Friday! It’s entitled “Nothing beats kindness” and I can’t think of a better title. There is so much unkindness in the world and it certainly doesn't hurt to be reminded of the power of kindness. It will be a great day! If you want to hear a moving story to get you started on your kindness journey, check out the link below from Kath Koschel. After a life of amazing ups and devastating downs, she created the organization, “The Kindness Factory”. The leadership team and I heard Kath speak last week at a conference that we attended. It was an emotional roller-coaster and anyone who didn't have a tear in their eye must have a hard heart indeed.

The Kindess Factory – Kath Koschel

Enrolments 2023

A reminder that we are currently in the midst of planning for 2023 and it is that time of year again, when we are asking our community to give us all the information we need to make accurate staffing and resourcing forecasts. If your children are leaving our school, please let us know as soon as possible. If you have or know of a child of school age for 2023, who is eligible for enrolment at our school and who has not yet enrolled, please contact us as soon as possible. Please note that we are under an Enrolment Management Plan, designated by the Regional Office of the Department of Education. We can only take enrolments from within our Neighbourhood Zone, or who already have siblings at our school.

Year 5 Camp – Woorabinda

In the last week of term, I’ll be heading off with our Year 5 students to the wonderful Woorabinda School Camp. The students will challenge themselves, gain independence, build connections and be immersed in nature. One reason I love this camp is that it is a wonderful opportunity to see my future student leaders in action in an environment where leadership can come to the fore. Mostly though, it’s a great week of fun with the students!

Year 4 Camp – Camp Rumbug

Congratulations to our Year 4 students on their experience at Camp Rumbug this week. The reports from the teachers have been glowing about the way they enthusiastically met the challenges of school camp and the way they represented our school. Well done, Year 4! I hope you had fun!

Lyndhurst PFA

A big thank you to the PFA for their work organising the Bunnings BBQ, Raffle and Father’s Day Stall.

Greg Lacey

Principal