From the Principal
Jump Rope for Heart
Last Tuesday (6 June), our school community came together for our annual Jump Rope for Heart event, and from all accounts it was a great success! Not only did our students have a blast jumping rope and playing games, but we also raised $78.85 for the Heart Foundation.
In addition to raising funds, this event also reinforces our vision of every child being ‘literate, numerate, happy and healthy’. By encouraging physical activity and showing our students that they can make a difference in the world, we are helping to set them up for success both now and in the future.
Thank you again to everyone who participated or attended the Jump Rope for Heart event; with a special acknowledgement to Dean Sharples for his organisation and leadership of the day.
COVID and illness
As we approach the colder months and the end of term, I would like to remind everyone of the importance of taking precautions against illness and COVID as we have seen an increase in rates of illness at school over the past few weeks.
Hand sanitizer is available throughout the school and we encouraging frequent hand washing throughout the day.
We ask that you do your part by keeping your child home if they are feeling unwell and getting them tested for COVID-19 if they are experiencing any symptoms. Should you require an additional RAT tests, we do have a supply available at the office.
We also want to remind families that if your child is feeling unwell, it is important to keep them home from school. We understand that this can be difficult for families, but it is necessary to prevent the spread of illness in our school community.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work together to keep our school community healthy and safe.
Child Safety Commitment
At Lalor East, we take the wellbeing and safety of our students very seriously and we are dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing environment for all our students. As part of this commitment, we adhere to the Child Safe Standards; a set of seven standards developed by the Victorian government to ensure the safety of children in schools and other organisations that work directly with young people. These standards help us to create a safe and supportive environment where our students can learn, grow, and thrive.
In future newsletters, we will provide families with further details on each of the standards and the steps we take at Lalor East to implement and comply with these Standards.
To meet these standards, we have implemented a range of policies and procedures designed to promote child safety. This includes regular training for our staff, risk assessments, and a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that puts our students at risk.
We also encourage open communication with our students and their families. If you have any concerns or questions about child safety, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can also find further information about Child Safety on our school website.
Professional Learning Communities
Since February, members from our School Leadership Team have been completing training in the establishement of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). These modules covered topics such as developing a common vision, creating a culutre of collaboration, analysing student data, and developing a plan for targeted interventions.
The PLC model is a proven framework for collaboration and continuous improvement among educators. By working together in teams, teachers can share best practices, analyse student data and develop targeted strategies to meet the needs of every student.
Moving forward, our team will continue to support staff in their professional learning with a focus on data analysis. We are confident that this approach will support better learning outcomes for our students and contribute to the ongoing success of our students.
This training program finished last week with staff sharing the work and learnings to date. I would like to congratulate Stephanie Chan, Shona McCulloch and Linda Richards for their work in completing these detailed and extensive modules.
Brainstorm Productions
Our Annual Cyber Performance from Brainstorm Productions is scheduled for THIS THURSDAY (15 JUNE).
Our performance for this year is titled "Zanna and the Lost Code" . The performance focuses on the adventures of Zanna and Eddie who arrive at coding camp and have the opportunity to create an app that will make the internet safer for everyone.
The cost of this activity is covered by the 2023 Student Contributions (Book List).
A reminder to families if you wish to make payment for this to contact the office.
Semester Reports & 3 Way Conferences
Semester reports will be released via Compass on Tuesday 20 June at 4pm. These reports will include a visual summary of your child's academic progress.
The report will also include a breakdown of all learning tasks completed throughout the past six months. These tasks have already been published and shared with families throughout the school year. I strongly encourage you to take the time to read through the report carefully and discuss it with your child.
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLANS
A more recent addition to our reporting cycle has been the inclusion of Individual Learning Plans (ILP) for selected students. If you child has an Individual Learning Plan, a statement reflecting this will appear on your child’s report. You can view this separate document through the ‘reports’ tab on your child’s profile page in Compass.
An ILP is a document that outlines specific learning goals and strategies tailored to a student's individual needs. It allows us to identify areas where a student may be struggling while also providing opportunities for other students who may require extension to be challenged and engaged in their learning. Goals may relate to academic performance, social and emotional wellbeing or other areas of development. Plans are currently developed by the homegroup teacher, however, our plan for the second half of the year is to involve students and families in the co-creation of future goals and strategies.
3 WAY CONFERENCES
Due to upcoming leave for Bradley Jones (P0A) and Natalie Iverson (12A), we have scheduled mid year interviews\3 Way Conferences for these homegroups on MONDAY 19 JUNE from 10:30am till 6:00pm.
Interviews with Brad will be held in the Conference Room in the Admin building. Interviews with Nat will be held in the Student Support Services Room in the Admin building. If you are attending your interview during school hours, you will be required to sign in at the office before making your way to your interview location.
Students in these homegroups are to attend school as normal during the day. Classes will be covered by replacement teachers.
Families from these homegroups can make their booking by logging in to Compass and clicking on Book Parent Student Teacher Conference next to your child’s photo. This will take you to the Compass Interview Booking page where you can select your time. This process is ‘first in, best dressed’, so be quick to secure the timeslot you want.
Advanced noticed that interviews for all other staff\homegroups will be held in Term 3 on Wednesday 19 July. Students only need to attend school on this day with their family for their interview session. Bookings for these sessions will open to families in the first week of next term.
Out of Uniform Day - Wednesday 21 June
The Junior School Council (JSC) will be holding an Out of Uniform Day on Wednesday 21 June to raise money for State Schools Relief. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to show their unique sense of style and support a great cause while having a little fun.
In order to participate, students are asked to bring a gold coin donation on the day.
Students will need to wear sensible footware (no thongs or sandles).
Make up, jewellery, cropped shirts, skirts or short shorts are not permitted.
All money raised will go to State School's Relief; an organization that provides uniforms, shoes and other essential items to students in need. Our school frequently seeks support from State Schools Relief so we hope you can support this important and vital cause.
Student Voice & Agency
Our Junior School Council has also been hard at work seeking feedback from all of our students. As part of their efforts, they have been running a series of classes and workshops with our younger grades to gather input and insights about what they love about our school and how we can continue to improve. This initiative is a great example of our students taking a leadership role in our school community and I am incredibly proud of their efforts. By actively seeking feedback from their peers, our JSC can ensure that our school is meeting the needs and expectations of all our students.
Each term, our School Leadership Team holds a ‘Student Leaders Summit’ with all of our student leaders (Cyber, JSC, Gardening) to review the term; identifying highlights, areas of concern and possible solutions. The feedback gathered by the JSC will be shared at this event and will inform our ongoing efforts to improve our school.
Student Pickups for After School
We have noticed an increase in the number of students being picked up well after the end of the school day at 3:15pm. We understand that unexpected things happen, and that there may be times when you are running late. If this occurs, it is important that you let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to pick up your child on time. This helps us to ensure that your child is safe and cared for while they wait for you to arrive.
If you are more than 15 minutes late without contacting the school, we will follow our late pick-up procedure which may involve contacting your emergency contacts, placing your child into After School Care (at your expense) or contacting the local police.
A reminder that our After School care service is available to families if you require assistance with the supervision of your children. Details on how you can book are included in each edition of our school newsletter.
Last Day of Term 2
The last day of Term 2 is FRIDAY 23 JUNE. On this day, students will be dismissed from school at 1:45pm. Please ensure you have made arrangements to collect your children at this time or made a booking with After School Care.
Students return for Term 3 on MONDAY 10 JULY.
SCOTT DUNCAN
Acting Principal