On the 16 February, 7 very keen members of the Junior Leadership team (Jade, Holly, Madeline, Louie, Xander, Callum and Sophie) along with Mrs Beament attended the Grip Leadership conference, held at the Tailrace Centre in Riverside.  The group were one of the first there, and ended up in the front row, which gave us a great view of all that was going on.  The day was split into 3 sessions.  Each session was designed to give us leadership inspiration to lead ideas back at school. 

The first session was called “How to be an other’s first leader”.  This section was for the group to explore about the 4 ‘H’s” – Hear others opinions, Help with the little things, Happiness and Humility.  The activities in this session had us mixing with other leaders in other schools and getting to know them.  As individuals and groups we reflected on what had been done by our past leaders, and found out what had happened with other schools past leaders.

Session 2 was about the people a leader can impact the most (which was how to be a strong leader, and putting others first) as well as Ideas that impact everybody.  We each came up with our own ideas, and then shared them with other people, and combined ideas.  Some of the things were looked at were a place to brighten the school, a way to help brighten how students feel and a way to help brighten students with their learning.   As a group we were brimming with ideas!

Session 3 was “How to get Everybody on Board with a New Idea”.   We first came up with an idea and work out exactly how to enact it.  We look at how to talk to a teacher to get the idea started, as well as take on student and adult feedback in order to improve and implement the idea.  We also wrote some ideas as to why we lead, then had the opportunity to ask the conference leaders a question to get to understand more.

It was a fantastic day, and we all learned a lot about leadership, and how to be a good leader in a school.  The opportunity to meet grade 6’s from other schools and discuss ideas certainly helped us come up with some great plans for our school.  Madeline, Holly, Louie, Callum and Sophie  all got to go onstage to represent the school and their ideas and did a great job!

On Friday, 17 February the Senior Student Leaders attended the GRIP Leadership conference at the Tailrace. GRIP Leadership is an independent organisation that exists to train and develop leaders with a special focus on school students and the educational sector. Our Lilydale leaders attended the conference for the full day and were able to collaborate with leaders from other schools as well as listen to the GRIP speakers. The students came away from the conference with new skills, new perspectives and new ideas for making a positive contribution to our school.

“I think the GRIP conference was a great way to meet other Student Leaders from other schools, and to learn about new leadership skills. Being a leader is harder than it looks, and I hope it taught everyone simple leadership skills and rules.” – Marissa.

“The GRIP Leadership conference was a fun experience. I showed us ways to become better leaders.” – Stacey.

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 15 and 27 March 2023.

The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

This is the first year NAPLAN will be held in March, having previously taken place in May. This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year, so they can be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do.

Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging.

Please note that students in Year 3 complete the Writing Test on paper.

Parent information brochures and other resources

Your questions answered on NAPLAN and what it means for your child:

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website.

Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

As a staff we wanted to extend our gratitude to those people who attended the Open Afternoon and BBQ last Tuesday.  We understand that creating opportunities for families to come into the school to connect and reconnect with staff remains critical to our working relationships. We will continue to look for further opportunities to involve families and share the learning that is happening within our school. A huge thank you to our Lilydale Lions Club members who volunteered their time to cook and support our evening.

On Wednesday and Thursday this week we will be hosting our Junior and Senior Athletics Carnivals. Our PE staff have made some changes to our programs to ensure that there are participation opportunities for all. Please encourage your child to dress in house colours and to have a go at as many events as possible – walk a race if you don’t want to run, step if you don’t want to jump and make a difference for your house. We strongly encourage families to come along and support your child/ren as they do their best. This all contributes to the atmosphere and sense of community.

As part of the Department for Education, Children and Young People’s improvement agenda all schools undertake an external review each 4 years. Currently we are working with an External School Review team to assess our practices and gain insight from all staff and student groups as well as School Association members and parents. This enables us to gain an independent viewpoint against our inquiry lines to support our planning for our future directions. This information combined with our school data sets will enable a targeted School Improvement Plan.

We understand that communication between the school and home is very important.  If you haven’t already received a call from your child’s home room teacher, then if won’t be far away. Similarly, we will be reporting to families in Week 8 of this term. The report will focus on work habits and provides a basis for any further communication around student engagement and progress.

As part of ensuring that there is a conduit for parent and community voice, the School Association is keen to have new members. This group ratifies major decisions for the school and is the opportunity for us to receive feedback on matters such as reporting to parents, redevelopment work and any external concerns. It is a relaxed and supportive environment where we can discuss ways of ensuring that the direction of the school is on track. We meet twice or three times a term for one to one and half hours each time. Please contact the office if you are interested in nominating.

Colin Pearson
Principal

Welcome back for another school year – we’re excited for what’s ahead!
Start the year right by making every school day count.
Check out this new video.

There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for success:
Make sure your child goes to school, every day.

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.

Get them excited for school

If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that.

The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:
» spend time with their friends and teachers
» create new and fun experiences
» find their interests
» learn new things
» open up their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world).
Share these positives with your child.

Talk to your child about school. Open up a conversation with your child about what’s happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they’ll know that getting an education is important and valued.

Celebrate the milestones

Big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it.

Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or principal. If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.

Know when to seek help

There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school.

For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website.

Our School Association usually meets on the second Monday of each month in the Kinder space. Our next meeting will be on Monday, 6 March at 7:30pm. We would love to see more people at the meetings and invite you to attend.