Principal's Report

As we move through another lockdown period, I sat down at the start of the week to set out some ideas for how to manage my own personal lockdown experience with 3 young children at home, two of which are doing home schooling and my wife who is teaching Year 12 HHD and Years 8 & 9 Physical Education. 

My advice to myself was to:

• Be mindful and present, focus on what you are doing now not what has been or what we think may be ahead of us.

• Be grateful for even the smallest of things.

• Show acts of kindness – try to fill other people’s buckets.

• Be healthy – exercise, eat healthy food and recognise how you are feeling.

• Connect with others via facetime, phone etc to stay in touch. In particular with family and friends.

However, by Thursday I was struggling to continue my focus on these things, they all seemed too hard and although I know they work if I am consistent, I just wanted to eat chocolate and sleep in, and I wanted to hear something else or focus on something different. My house sibling disputes started to increase, and we backed off on the things we did together, thinking everyone needed space. 

The trouble is by stopping these things we had stopped our rituals and routines which at a time like now is what we all need the most –something we can trust and rely on. Children in particular need routines, boundaries and positive rituals, they crave them even if they say they don’t! They like to push them, and they are reassured when they discover they are still there. 

As we head into another week at least of lockdown here are some ideas to try which hopefully may help keep everyone in a positive mindset. Set or get back to that daily routine, getting up at the same time, knowing when there are breaks, lunch or a daily walk. Get the kids to make a daily timetable so they have some control over it to and can look at it for reassurance of what is to come. Turning up to their scheduled classes via Microsoft Teams, completing their work is all part of this routine. 

Find some family time, eat dinner together around the table, have a family movie night once a week or games night. In our house we eat at the table nightly and discuss our day, we go around the table and state what we are grateful for and have a routine of setting up and packing down the dining area. On the weekend to establish it is the weekend we watch a kid’s movie with dinner in the family room. All of these routines help with making the house a more clam place. 

There is no doubt that our house still has kids fighting and my patience is tested daily, however routine at home with clear purpose for the day assists in helping young people (and old) cope with the circumstances we all face. 

I would again like thank all of our parents who have continued to support their children at home with their learning, and with supporting them through this uncertain time. The ability to set up a calm learning space for your child during remote learning will assist them to continue to engage with the schools remote learning program. Limiting access to electronic devices such as phones and computer games between the hours of 8.30am and 3pm will also assist the student to engage with the learning program set out by their teachers.

I would like to again acknowledge that our students are working hard, in particular our VCE students on remaining motivated and focused through this period. Your efforts have been noticed and while this time is challenging those who remain engaged with the school remain engaged with the community around them, which will support them through this period of lockdown. I was pleased to be involved in the Year 11 and 12 Semester 1 Assemblies on the 12th of August which had to be moved online. We celebrated the success of our students across a range of areas including Arts, Community, Sport and Academic success. I would like to congratulate the 4 Principal Award winners who are working hard to get the best out of themselves during 2021.

Year 11 – Sunny Singh and Izabella Mickoska

Year 12 – Samira Habib and Thomas Tseglakoff

The students who received honours at these assemblies are displaying incredible resilience and are showing that hard work and persistence will still allow you to succeed no matter the circumstances you face.

Our teachers continue to work extremely hard on providing every opportunity for our students to continue their learning. They are collaborating behind the scenes to create new online lessons, working through what is essential for students at this time. I thank them for their efforts and know they will continue with their unrelenting efforts no matter what circumstances we face in the coming weeks.

Lalor Secondary College will continue to deliver its educational program via remote and flexible learning. Information related to the program for the program as of Monday the 16th of August is shown below.

The remote learning arrangements from Monday the 16th of August are the following: 

• All classes from Years 7 to 12 will run according to the scheduled timetable. 
• All classes will run for 15 minutes allowing teachers to mark a roll, do a wellbeing check with all students, and then outline the work that needs to be completed during the remote learning period. 
• All work and resources will be made available via compass.
• For 50% of scheduled classes for each subject, teachers can teach up to 30 minutes online. This will ensure adequate time is provided for the continuity of learning to continue and for students to receive adequate assistance with work set.

Student attendance on site

As with other remote learning periods, our school will provide on-site supervision for students in the categories below:

• Children where both parents and/or carers are authorised workers who cannot work from home, work for an essential provider and where no other supervision arrangements can be made: 

• Where there are two parents/carers, both must be authorised workers, working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision
• For single parents/ carers, the authorised worker must be working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.

• Children experiencing vulnerability, including: 

• children in out-of-home care
• children deemed vulnerable by a government agency, funded family or family violence service, and is assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home
• children identified by a school as vulnerable, including via referral from a government agency, or funded family or family violence service, homeless or youth justice service or mental health or other health service.
• Where a parent/carer indicates that a student with a disability is vulnerable because they cannot learn from home, and/or informs the school the student is vulnerable due to family stress, the school must provide on-site supervision for that student. This may apply to students enrolled in specialist schools and students with a disability enrolled in mainstream schools.

If your child needs on-site supervision, could you please fill out the on-site attendance form and return to me via my email – corey.jewell@education.vic.gov.au

For more information, refer to learning from home information for parents.

Student Access to the College

Any student wishing to the access the college from Monday the 16th of August will need to contact the general office and make a booking to attend the school. Students should call – 9463 7300 to make a booking.

When attending the school to collect resources students will need to sign in at the general office via the QR code on the front door. They can then attend their lockers to collect anything they need and then leave the site. 

IT Support

Any student who needs assistance with their school log in details or passwords will need to contact Luc Labigang via his email – luc.labigang@education.vic.gov.au

Wellbeing Support

Any families or students requiring support at home can contact the wellbeing team via the links listed within the news feed on all student and parent news feeds. If you are having trouble locating this information please email Laz Zaekis our Student Wellbeing Leader via his email – laz.zaekis@education.vic.gov.au

There will be office staff and a Principal class member on site for each of the days next week. Any queries or questions can be directed to these staff via the school office number – 9463 7300.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding during the conditions we all face. I hope that everyone is able to stay home and safe, and we certainly hope that we see everyone on site next Friday the 20th of August.

I will keep everyone updated with information as it is made available. 

Best regards

Corey Jewell

College Principal