In 2023, we have 8 junior leaders – the SRC consists of Holly, Jade, Madeline and Xander.  There is also 2 Maralinga Junior House Captains (Sophie and Callum) and 2 Corinna Junior House Captains (Louie and Madison).

The group have started their meetings, and are full of ideas for fundraisers and fun events.  We were able to attend the leadership conference which was a fantastic experience that has taught us a lot.

Upcoming we hope to have some of our traditional fundraising events (cupcake day and footy colours day) as well as some further morale events.

This is our year 9-10 Catering Class for 2023!!

They have been showing off their culinary skills by catering for the recent Athletic Carnivals and a staff morning tea.

Practicing their knife skills, making garnishes and serviette folding are all part of the program here at Lilydale District. These guys are rockstars and have taken on all challenges with a smile.

Watch out for more exciting adventures from this troupe as they complete their barista course, visit some fancy foody locations and shake hands with future chefs.

As a school we are always looking for opportunities to work with organisations within and beyond our community to support learning and to provide as many varied opportunities for our students and families as possible.

This week we are partnering with local Lions Clubs members from Lilydale and Riverside to undertake a pilot, Eye Health Testing program for students from Year One to Six. This opt-in opportunity will see students from over 80 families participate in testing to determine student’s eye health - colour blindness, depth perception and structural abnormalities. Any issues which are identified will be documented for families so that they can simply organise a visit to an optometrist with the necessary information at their fingertips. We know how important reading is in life and this is another way that we can ensure our learners are best equipped for their learning.

Our early years families are benefitting from our working relationship with the East Tamar Muylatina Child and Family Learning Centre. By utilising programs and personnel from the centre we can enhance the opportunities for families, especially those starting their journey at Lilydale. We will continue to explore how we can not only share programs but more importantly share how learning is being offered and how families can actively engage with their child and the school.

We are continuing to build student understanding around options for their futures. By partnering with the Beacon Organisation, we will be able to offer a range of experiences and interactions with various employers.  We will also be engaging with both Colleges, earlier in 2023, to enable our Year 10 students to fully plan their transition to the next stage of their learning.  Our 22 Year 11/12 students are also engaging in discussions around their preferred employment sectors and career options. Understanding what is available and the requirements to get a start in these fields is critical for all our learners.

Thank you to those families who have been proactive in identifying potential issues for their child and working cooperatively with the school to find solutions. Similarly, we want to congratulate our school community for their support with ensuring students are in uniform. While we still have some work to do the overall success this term has been noticeable.  Our current focus is student attendance. We know that each day a student attends school makes a difference and we strongly encourage families to support their children to be at school. When circumstances don’t allow children to attend please ensure that you contact the office with your reason.

Finally, congratulations to our students in Year 3,5,7 and 9 for their efforts with NAPLAN testing in the past fortnight. While we continue to finalise testing, I want to recognise the resilience and persistence shown by all our students – not only in doing their best but also by demonstrating a mature approach when circumstances have called for changes to schedules or technical difficulties have required patience prior to continuing. We are very proud of your efforts.

Colin Pearson
Principal

It’s not too late to claim ABSTUDY support for the 2023 school year.

We’d like to ensure families know about how ABSTUDY can help support high school students. This includes families whose children are living at home and may not know they’re eligible. When students live at home, eligible families can get support with school fees and school materials like uniforms, textbooks and stationery.

Watch the following video from ABSTUDY Services Australia for more information.

Watch | Facebook

You can also:

• go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/abstudyproviders for more information for education providers about ABSTUDY
• follow us on facebook.com/ServicesAustralia to see future posts about ABSTUDY.

Our School Association usually meets on the second Monday of each month in the Kinder space. Our next meeting will be on Monday, 3 April at 7:30pm. We would love to see more people at the meetings and invite you to attend.