Welcome to Issue 4 of the College Newsletter! This includes: - Principal Reflection - Primary and Secondary Sport Update - Meet the House Captains - Dress Code Policy - Primary Art on show - Easter Raffle Winners! - Term 1 Primary Awards - School Council Report - What’s on @ The Lakes
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter
Term 1, Week 10
ISSUE 04 2025
Welcome to Issue 4 of our College Newsletter. In this issue:
Principal Report Sports Update! Meet the House Captains Dress Code Policy Primary Art on show Easter Raffle Winners!
Image : Prep Students
PRINCIPAL REPORT MARCUS ABNEY - HASTINGS ACTING COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
01 Principal Report
As we reflect on Term One, we can proudly celebrate a Term full of achievements, growth, and enjoyment. It has been a Term where our students have shown exceptional dedication, and our staff ’ s unwavering commitment to excellence has been evident in every classroom, event, and activity. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff, students, and all our Lakes families for their hard work, support, and contribution to making this year a memorable success.
multiculturalism, Harmony Day also provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the rich cultures and contributions of Australia's First Nations peoples, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. At The Lakes, we pride ourselves on fostering an environment where everyone is respected, valued, and included, regardless of their background or culture. Cultural diversity is one of the greatest strengths of our community. It is what makes us unique, and it is what makes us stronger together. Every culture has its own story, traditions, and ways of seeing the world, and when we embrace these differences, we create a richer, more vibrant environment for learning and growing.
04 Student Perspective
06 School Council
08 College Connections
10 Term 1 Primary Awards
12 Sport Scoreboard
14 Bringing it Home
CELEBRATING HARMONY WEEK
15 Policy Spotlight
On Thursday 20th March we gathered to celebrate Harmony Day across the College, which highlights the importance of cultural diversity and the value it brings to our school community and beyond. While celebrating
16 Social Scene
17 SRC News
The Lakes South Morang College respectfully acknowledges that beneath the significant River Red Gums that feature across our school's landscape lay the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri - Willam people of the Kulin Nation.
18 What ’ s on @ The Lakes
26 Community Noticeboard
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter PRINCIPAL REPORT
CELEBRATING OUR STUDENTS ’ EFFORTS FOR NAPLAN
We are proud of our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students for their hard work and dedication during the NAPLAN assessments over weeks 7 and 8. Their commitment to doing their best in literacy and numeracy, and their focus during the tests, is to be commended. One of the benefits of the new NAPLAN online platform, is that testing can be adapted to better match the student ’ s level as opposed to a one size fits all where often there is only one or two questions that stretch students at the top end. The online platform will also mean that in time schools and families will be able to access the data and results in a timely manner. In the past, NAPLAN results have been sent out to schools in September which is well past the used by date for our teachers to be able to use assessments to guide their teaching and planning.
ONLINE SAFETY AND MOBILE PHONE POLICY
A reminder from our mobile phone policy: students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and left in student ’ s bags or given to the classroom teacher who will keep it securely stored during school hours. We also ask that mobile phones are not used on school grounds before or after school.
ANNUAL REPORT DATA
Each year, schools produce an Annual Report and share this information with their school community. The report contains specific data that DET and schools collect to inform decision making and assess progress around strategic plan goals. I am happy to report that our school is strong across several key strategic areas and continues to trend in the right direction. This continues to be a team effort between staff, students and of course our school community. This report has now been endorsed at our School Council meeting on 18th March, and will be publicly available to the school community once final checks have been completed by the Department of Education.
Overall, we are really pleased with our 2024:
•
Parent/Carer Satisfaction Survey Data
•
Student Survey Sense of Connectedness Data
•
Student Survey Management of Bullying Data
PARENT/CARER SATISFACTION DATA
In the graph above, our school is above Similar schools, Whittlesea Network Schools and the State average. In 2024, our percentage of positive endorsement for parent/carer satisfaction was over 70%. This continues our strong percentage of parent/ carer satisfaction over the last few years and is 2% higher than the State average and 14% higher than other schools in the Whittlesea Network. We have been working very hard on ensuring our communication is detailed and timely. Our Principal Team also tries to provide a high level of transparency and accessibility. We take parent/carer concerns seriously and walk the talk when it comes to having an open - door policy. As a team we are highly visible before and after school and send out correspondence as needed to our families.
STUDENT SURVEY SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS DATA
Wellbeing results around School Connectedness were also positive. This trend has been witnessed over a four - year period, which continues to soar with the average positive endorsement for the school sitting well above the State average with Sense of Connectedness sitting at 88%, Inclusion sitting at 94% and School stage transitions (Year 7 and New Students) sitting at 86%. This data is 15% above Similar Schools at 75% and 13% above the State average of 77.9%. This is attributed to the work of our staff team to build strong connections and relationships built on a positive and inclusive learning environment. All teams employ a systematic and focused approach to tracking student wellbeing. This enables check - ins, follow ups and other actions to be implemented effectively. Our Education Support staff provide a valuable link and an additional point of contact and support. Overall, our students, families and staff report that they have strong positive endorsement for Wellbeing elements across the school. This is demonstrated through: frequent contact and high access to classroom teachers; specialist teachers and Education Support staff and Principal Class; a comprehensive and extensive communications program; a positive and enabling approach to classroom management; additional support programs, social groups and peer mentoring programs.
STUDENT SURVEY SCHOOL SAFETY
As you can see from these graphs, our 2024 positive endorsement for School Safety was 94% (Yrs 4 - 6) and 77% (Yrs 7 - 9) This was well above both Network, Similar schools and State average, meaning our students feel extremely safe at school. This has been achieved through our staff ’ s commitment and level of concern, extensive and comprehensive communications, positive classroom and behaviour management processes, social groups, programs and of course our weekly wellbeing focuses. I wish all our Lakes families a safe and happy Easter! Have a restful break and come back to school safe and happy. Please remember that Week One is only a three - day week with the first day of Term 2 being Tuesday 22nd April 2025 and ANZAC Day on Friday 25th April.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
Hi everyone, we would like to introduce ourselves as your 2025 Primary House Captains.
YAYAL Georgina M & Trinity A
BIIK Harry A & Miah MT
BIAL Thomas B & Sophia CR
NGAWAN Tania FZ & Steven N
We ’ re so excited to be your 2025 Primary House Captains and we can ’ t wait to bring some new opportunities to The Lakes!
HOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL What an incredible day at the Meadow Glen Athletics Track in South Morang for our whole school Athletics Day! Our Primary students caught the bus to the track, buzzing with excitement and ready to try their best. From Prep to Year 3, the younger students had a blast participating in fun events like sack races and novelty relays, laughing and encouraging each other every step of the way. Meanwhile, the Year 4 to 6 students took on the challenge of the track running events and showcased their skills in the field events like long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, and discus. All the students were filled with energy as we proudly cheered on our teammates, waving our house colours and chanting our house cheers loud and clear. We even took breaks to refuel at the canteen, enjoying some well - deserved snacks and drinks to keep us going. Everyone cheered on their fellow students with enthusiasm, no matter the outcome. We loved seeing everyone dress up in their awesome house colours with different costumes and outfits. We also loved seeing the teachers dress up as well! It was a day of fun, sportsmanship, and a lot of laughs.
It was a fantastic display of teamwork and school spirit, and we can ’ t wait for the next Athletics Day!
BIAL
RIANIA K
My Name is Riania and I ’ m a Captain of Bial House. I ’ m in 2 Netball teams outside of school, an under 15’ s Division 1 Team in Diamond Valley and the Thomastown Bears women ’ s team. I love to play Volleyball for interschool sports. My favourite memory of Athletics Day is when I came first in the High Jump, it was my first time trying High Jump! I even made the regional finals and finished second. I ’ m looking forward to Athletics Day and playing interschool basketball in Term 3.
ELLA B
Hi my name is Ella in Year 9, I am the House Captain representing house Bial. I have a long history of playing Netball for interschool sports as well as a club I attend on Mondays and Wednesdays. My favourite memory from the school Athletics day is being able to dress up in my colours and helping the Primary kids out on that day. I am mainly looking forward to joining in with more interschool sports throughout the year.
BIIK
EVA L
Hi my name is Eva, I am Captain of Biik house. I play Basketball outside of school and I played Volleyball for interschool sports. I also help umpire 5/6 Sport. My best memory would be when Biik win first place (unfortunately not this year)! I am looking forward to playing more interschool sports this year.
HAYLEY B
Hello my name is Hayley, I am the Captain of Biik house. I play Football outside of school and I have played Volleyball for interschool sports in the past. My best Athletics day memory would be in 2022 when I was in Year 6 with my friends before some of them moved schools. I am looking forward to more interschool sports this year.
NGAWAN
MELBOURNE T
Hi my name is Melbourne, I am the Captain of Ngawan house. I play Volleyball, and Rugby outside of school. My favourite memories of Athletics Day is when I had fun with my friends. I am looking forward to camp and representing the school in more interschool sports.
KHAN O
Hi my name is Khan I just turned 15 two weeks ago. I am the Captain of Ngawan, which is the best house in my opinion. I play Basketball out of school and volleyball or soccer in school. My favourite memories are when my friend and I were running in a banana suit and of course when Ngawan won 5 times in a row! I ’ m looking forward to Camp and City Experience later through the year. One of my favourite quotes is “ If you focus about the future too much you won ’ t know what ’ s happening in the present ”.
YAYAL
RUBI A
Hi my name is Rubi and this year I'm the Captain of Yayal. Outside of school I play Netball and coach an under 11s team. I enjoy leading others to be the best they can be. I also used to do Little Athletics and have represented Whittlesea in State finals. I ’ d have to say my favourite memory of school athletics is when my friends and I were cheering on some Preps in a race. I look forward to representing our school in most interschool sports (mainly Netball).
ZAHRA B
Hi my name is Zahra, I am in Yayal house. I don ’ t play sport outside school yet but I played Volleyball for inter school sport. My best athletics memory would be 2023 when Yayal won first place. I am looking forward to playing more sport this year and representing the school playing sport.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter SCHOOL COUNCIL
Hello Parents & Carers,
March School Council Meeting
Amazingly, we are at the end of Term 1 already, feels like yesterday that we were at the Meet & Greets! Lots of events have already taken place including the Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony; Welcome BBQ; Harmony Day; Athletics Day (no rain delays this year!); Cross Country try - outs; Crazy Hair Day; Learner Review Meetings; the Easter Raffle; International Women ’ s Day Lunch at Parliament House and excursions for many year levels. Entering a new School Council term, as reported previously, the urgent ‘ must do ’ items regarding buildings and grounds have been completed after a three - year program of improvements and upgrades. Therefore, our focus for 2025 is on supporting our Leadership team on improving our learning environments. It has been exciting to see the introduction of the digital screens in the Prep to Year 3 classrooms on the Primary Campus that were installed over the summer break. They can transform the classroom into a more engaging, interactive, and effective learning environment. Seeing them in action earlier this month and being used in every single classroom was really impressive. Likewise, the introduction of the Resilience Project initiative this Term has been fantastic to help our student ’ s build mental strength, embrace challenges and develop a growth mindset that will carry them through life, both inside and outside the classroom.
Following the AGM, our regular March meeting commenced. At this meeting we:
•
Heard an update from Mr Panas on the new Kindergarten build, including the plans.
•
Heard a detailed report from our 2025 Secondary School Captains and their aspirations for what they would like to achieve in their role this year. It was wonderful to hear they would like to:
a)
celebrate and showcase more of our community ’ s multicultural backgrounds, and
b)
amplify student voices to have them more engaged with school issues.
•
Discussed and endorsed a piece of advocacy work to the Department of Education on the issue of schools outside the Whittlesea school region running daily student pick up/drop off busses into our region to collect their students. Discussed and endorsed a second piece of advocacy work to the Department of Education addressing the inconsistencies related to the Department ’ s ‘ Find my School ’ website. Discussed Fundraising ’ s upcoming activities (Mother ’ s Day Stall on May 7, Mother ’ s Day Breakfast on May 9 and potential Pie Drive in Term 2/3).
•
•
Annual General Meeting
Our most recent meeting on March 18 began with our AGM. I am pleased to announce that the three vacant parent/carer roles were filled by Anna - Lisa Tewma, Jenny Archibald and myself (all returning) and one student vacancy was filled by Taylor V (there were no staff vacancies).
•
Requested that communication go to the Collingwood English Language School regarding traffic safety along Gordons Road.
Curriculum Charges
Our Council members for the 2025/26 term are:
A huge thank you to families who have paid 2025 Curriculum Charges, it is appreciated. Schools provide students with free instruction to fulfil the standard curriculum requirements and we want to assure you that all contributions are voluntary. Nevertheless, the ongoing financial support of our families ensures that our school can offer the best possible education and support for our students. The school ’ s budget is partly reliant on voluntary contributions – voluntary contributions allows program area budgets to increase and goes towards building and ground upgrades, all for the benefit and enjoyment of our students. It is important that we work together to provide the best facilities.
Parent members:
DE members:
Jenny Archibald
Bill Panas (Executive Officer, College Principal) Bonnie Lee (Secondary Campus Principal)
Josie Benfari
Amanda Farrelly (President)
Bek Sutton
Kathryn Lieschke
Keara McIntyre
Veronica Marsh
Helen Skendaris
Guests:
Anna - Lisa Tewma (Treasurer)
Marcus Abney - Hastings (Primary Campus Principal)
Thank you again for your support and partnering with us in 2025.
Grant Voss (Vice President)
Dale Saliba (Secretariat)
Community Issues & Parent Feedback
Student members:
Finally, Council is here to represent the whole school community, so as always, if you have any issues, ideas, questions that you would like raised at our next Council meeting, or any other support, please feel free to approach any of our members or send an email to amanda.farrelly@education.vic.gov.au. Likewise, if you have any suggestions on how parents/carers can partner better with the school with regards to their child ’ s learning, or how we can enhance the school in general and our community relationships, we would be keen to hear from you too. Council meets twice per term on a Tuesday and visitors and observers are always welcome.
Tijana M
Taylor V
The three Executive Roles were declared vacant and nominations held and accepted for the President, Vice President and Treasurer roles. School Council rep membership of the two sub - committees, Finance and Fundraising, was also decided. We discussed the purpose of the subcommittees and what they try to achieve, outside of regular School Council meetings. Finance is a mandatory subcommittee as per the Department of Education, but as a school we can decide what other subcommittees we hold and we decided that Education will not be run again this year. Lastly, the 2024 Annual Report to the School Community was also presented by Mr Abney - Hastings and endorsed. This report celebrates our school ’ s highlights in the 2024 school year and is a public document that will be published on our website.
Have a wonderful Easter break,
Amanda Farrelly School Council President
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
HOPE ARTS FESTIVAL
On Tuesday the 18 th and 25 th of February, we were fortunate to have a professional artist from the Whittlesea Council provide an amazing workshop for our Lakes artists. The exquisitely designed artworks represent the theme of “ HOPE ” These artworks were displayed at the Plenty Ranges Convention Centre foyer during the Whittlesea Community Festival on the 16 th of March.
Here are reflections from some of our young artists who participated in the Hope Arts festival mural:
“ I liked how we used nature with it. I liked also how we used nature to make the animals ”
Elise S
“ It was fun using the natural materials for a change and I liked the aboriginal style ”
Amelia V
“ I found it very inspiring and really enjoyed it. I ’ m happy that I learnt new things and I enjoyed using new materials ”
Aria B
“ It was a fun way to connect with nature ”
Kathy N
“ I liked it because we were making things out of nature ”
Eleftheria G
“ Liked that we used natural features. I learnt how to draw on leaves. ”
Evelyn M
“ It was really fun and it was really nice to work with natural things ”
Misha
“ I liked how we got to use nature as a medium ”
Amani
“ We stepped out of our comfort zone by using natural materials ”
Aleen
“ I though it was very fun and inspiring and I was very happy to learn how to use paint pens ”
Athena M
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter PRIMARY LEARNER OF THE TERM AWARDS
LEARNER OF THE TERM AWARDS
PREP:
For consistently showing a positive mindset towards her learning in all areas and modelling a love of learning for her peers.
Prep A
Natalie V
For making a great effort in Literacy to begin developing her reading skills by thinking about letters and sounds.
Prep B
An M
YEAR ONE:
1A
Arjan S
For making a great effort to complete all set tasks and being a kind friend.
1B
Jasper S
For making excellent progress in all learning areas throughout the term.
YEAR TWO:
For making a great effort to always show the school values in his role as SRC rep for Year 2
2A
Gavin F
For setting an example of excellence to her peers. Anastasia comes to school ready to learn and applies herself fully to all classroom tasks.
2B
Anastasia M
For making a great effort to always do her best in her learning, showing respect to her teachers and seeking ways to improve herself.
2C
Anorah C
YEAR THREE:
For displaying a high level of dedication to her learning and doing so with a positive attitude.
3A
Eleftheria G
For consistent hard work, dedication and positive attitude towards learning. Always strives to do the best, persist through challenges and helps peers.
3B
Audrey L
YEAR FOUR:
For making a great effort to always do her best and to complete her work to a high standard as well as being a positive role model to her peers.
4A
Charlotte S
For being an all - round positive and enthusiastic student. Ariyah is always making a great effort in the classroom and always lending a helping hand to all her peers.
4B
Ariyah C
For making a great effort in actively participating in class discussions and impressive growth in confidence. Ava consistently contributes valuable insights and has shown great improvement in both class engagement and work tasks.
4C
Ava M
YEAR FIVE:
For consistently demonstrating enthusiasm and engagement in class discussions by actively contributing thoughtful insights, asking meaningful questions, and encouraging collaborative learning among peers.
5A
Leila J
For making a great effort to do her best in all learning tasks and taking on teacher feedback to improve her learning.
5B
Aubrey W
For making a great effort to extend herself across all subject areas by consistently completing tasks, taking on additional challenges, and embracing new learning opportunities.
5C
Neve L
YEAR SIX:
For consistently demonstrating the school values, setting an exemplary example for others and for approaching every task with dedication and a strong work ethic, making him a valued member of the classroom.
6A
Levi B
For making positive choices to stay engaged and for working diligently to complete all learning tasks.
6B
Ashwin P
CITIZENSHIP AWARDS
Respect
Learning
Teamwork
Leadership
Prep
Maddie M
Patrick H
Dinethmi
Milan
Year One
Taona C
Evan M
Cormac L
Mercedy J
Year Two
Marley T
Hunter B
William P
Mia C
Year Three
Norton P
Makayla Q
Channy N
Martin R
Year Four
Trisha S
Viana S
Jasmine B
Amelia V
Year Five
Katelyn B
Oscar L
Hamza Z
Thaemela S
Year Six
Isaac H
Charlotte M
Mehreen K
Kyle W
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter SPORT SCOREBOARD
5/6 SPORT REPORT
SECONDARY INTERSCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
This Term our grade 5/6’ s competed in weekly Friday morning sports. The sports were Cricket, Basketball and Soccer. All students participated showing our school values, with teams getting a few wins throughout the season. Our boys Basketball did an outstanding job, finishing second overall, only losing one match for the Term! Awesome work Lakes! Next Term students will compete on Friday mornings in either Netball, Handball or Football. With a few Gala whole day events in there as well. These include Tee - ball day, Cross Country day, Hoop Time, girls AFL and boys Netball day. Always a fun day out for our students.
SENIOR BOYS AND GIRLS INTERSCHOOL VOLLEYBALL We are incredibly proud of our senior students' outstanding performance at the recent interschool Volleyball tournament! They represented our school with exceptional spirit, embodying the values we hold dear, on what was truly a magnificent day. Our girls' team displayed remarkable passion and teamwork. They secured two impressive wins and, despite a couple of narrow losses, played with infectious enthusiasm. More importantly, they discovered a valuable lesson: their best performances came when they focused on enjoying the game, rather than solely on winning. This is a powerful reminder that the joy of the journey is just as important as the destination. The boys' team showcased extraordinary resilience and skill. Facing significant challenges with only six players, including three who were injured, they achieved a thrilling victory in their first match, demonstrating some of the finest Volleyball of the day. They came agonisingly close to reaching the finals, missing out by a narrow margin in their final game. These students demonstrated not only athletic ability but also incredible determination, sportsmanship, and the ability to learn and adapt. We are immensely proud of their achievements and the valuable life lessons they have gained.
PRIMARY CROSS COUNTRY
Big congratulations to all our Year 3, 4, 5, and 6 students who participated in the Cross Country try outs! You all ran with amazing energy, determination and sportsmanship. More details to come at a later date of Cross Country teams representing our school.
YEAR 8 BOYS AND GIRLS INTERSCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Our Year 8 Volleyball teams had the privilege of participating in the highly anticipated interschool sport tournament at Diamond Valley Stadium. Due to the incredible enthusiasm from our Year 8 students, we were thrilled to enter two girls' teams and one boys' team. Each team displayed remarkable talent and determination, making our school proud with their performance. All three teams were highly competitive, and it was inspiring to see how they represented our school values, particularly Teamwork and Leadership, on the court. The dedication and effort the players put into their training sessions were evident throughout the tournament, as they worked seamlessly together, supporting one another in every match. Beyond their skills, it was the players ’ commitment to embodying the true spirit of sportsmanship that stood out the most. They showed immense respect not only for the game but also for their opponents and the referees. This level of integrity and respect was a testament to their character and the values instilled by our school community. YEAR 7 BOYS AND GIRLS INTERSCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Well done to the students who participated in the Year 7 interschool Volleyball tournament this week! Keep an eye out on our socials for team pictures in the coming weeks.
INTERMEDIATE BOYS AND GIRLS INTERSCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Our intermediate boys and girls Volleyball teams recently took to the courts for an exciting day of interschool competition, showcasing their skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The intermediate girls played a fantastic series of matches, demonstrating strong communication and determination. With some impressive plays and well - executed teamwork, they finished third in their pool , narrowly missing out on a spot in the finals. Their resilience and effort were evident in every game, making the school proud. The intermediate boys also put on a strong performance, playing some high - quality volleyball throughout the day. Despite their best efforts and some standout moments, they were unlucky to miss out on the finals. However, their dedication and positive attitude never wavered, and they competed with great spirit in every match. Both teams embodied the school ’ s values of Respect , supporting each other and demonstrating excellent sportsmanship. Their commitment to representing our school with pride was clear, and they had moments of outstanding Volleyball throughout the competition.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter BRINGING IT HOME
HOLIDAY FUN OUTDOORS Are you ready to go on a nature scavenger hunt? There are so many wonderful things to discover! Do you have bugs in your backyard? I wonder what they are? Look for tracks, scat and evidence of animals in your local area. Perfect for parents/carers to share time with their child in nature, for children to do alone or for teachers to use as a teaching resource. This Australian themed nature scavenger hunt has been hand illustrated and painted by artist and Eco Explorers bush playgroup facilitator Kate Rijs.
HOLIDAY LEARNING Over the school holidays students can continue to consolidate their understanding of skills learnt in Term 1 through games, helping with shopping or planning family trips and continuing to read each night. Students with BYOD iPad ’ s have apps that can support holiday learning and engagement in areas of Literacy, Numeracy and the Arts.
Here are some apps your child can try:
~~
LITERACY:
ABOUT THE ARTIST Kate Rijs is an artist, qualified and experienced Primary School Teacher, Art Teacher and bush playgroup facilitator who is passionate about creativity and nurturing creativity and imagination in both children and adults. She believes that nature is the best classroom that there is.
Epic!
Epic is a digital library of books that students can read and listen to.
Book Creator This app can be used by students to make stories, information texts or even a journal of their holidays to share back at school.
NUMERACY:
Times Table Rockstars
Numbots
BeeBot
This app is a beginning step in developing students understanding of computational thinking by using directional and instructional steps.
ARTS:
Arts at The Lakes
This website has been created by our Primary Art teacher Ms. Duong to engage students in a range of skills and techniques.
Source: https://www.ecoexplorers.com.au/downloads/free - australian - scavenger - hunt - print - out
POLICY SPOTLIGHT
STUDENT DRESS CODE POLICY
https://www.thelakes.edu.au/uploads/8/3/9/0/83901006/student_dress_code_policy_2024.pdf
COMPULSORY
The Student Dress Code aims to:
•
foster a sense of community and belonging and encourages students to develop pride in their appearance
•
School logos on pants, shorts, polos, hoodies, and jackets.
•
Navy, aqua and white check dress or skirt of appropriate length.
•
support The Lakes South Morang College ’ s commitment to ensuring that our students feel equal and are dressed safely and appropriately for College activities
•
Black shoes, including black soles and laces. These may be in the form of runners or closed - toe dress shoes.
•
reduce student competition on the basis of clothing
•
The Lakes SunSmart hats
•
enhance the profile and identity of the College and its students within the wider community.
•
Plain navy blue, black or white socks/tights/stockings
School Council require the Parent/Carer Community to be responsible for implementation of the dress code in a manner consistent with the Student Code of Conduct. Parents/carers will be contacted in the event of their child being out of uniform and will be asked to bring a correct uniform to the school. If this can ’ t be accommodated, alternative uniform will be provided for students to wear on the day. Students who are not in school uniform will not be allowed to represent the school in any external activities. Students wearing non - compliant uniform items will be asked to change into compliant uniform items.
OPTIONAL UNIFORM
•
Navy blue bucket hat
•
Navy blue beanies or headscarves (no logos)
•
Navy blue gloves and neck scarf (no logos)
•
Navy blue scrunchies, hair ribbons, hair baubles
•
Plain navy blue or white undergarments (skivvy – no hood, thermal, singlet)
•
The Lakes schoolbag
•
UV approved Sunglasses
Policies are available to all families via our website http://www.thelakes.edu.au/policies -- reports.html
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter SOCIAL SCENE
SRC NEWS
EASTER RAFFLE WINNERS!
1 ST
26 TH
Rocky Lago 11C
Jayden Jackson 5B
2 ND
27 TH
Carter Martin 2A
Murphy Bleackley 4A
3 RD
28 TH
Savannah Whittaker 2C
Maria Cook
4 TH
29 TH
Gabriella Simonovski 2C
Ryan Egan 12B
5 TH
30 TH
Ryan Longhurst 5B
Erica Dite 4C
6 TH
31 ST
Eloise Smith 4A
Logan Henwood 2C
7 TH
32 ND
Savannah Whittaker 2C
Lisa Muscat
8 TH
33 RD
Tobias Vo Reynolds 1B
Harper Bulman 1B
9 TH
34 TH
An McLean 0B
Archer Paterson 7A
10 TH
35 TH
Eloise Smith 4A
Charlene Thom
11 TH
36 TH
Narelle Edwards 11A
Sierra Tewma 10C
12 TH
37 TH
Sienna Kosaros 8B
Macie Ware 5A
13 TH
38 TH
Macey King low 0B
Georgina Maroun 6A
14 TH
39 TH
Ella Archibald 4B
Cohen Voss 5A
15 TH
40 TH
Arnav Gulliya 1A
Levi Buchan 6A
16 TH
41 ST
Matzu Chin - Holt 2B
Cohen Voss 5A
17 TH
42 ND
Jasmine Boyd 2B
Ethan Farrelly 4B
18 TH
43 RD
Aleks Petrovski 5C
Scarlett Gilchrist 5A
19 TH
44 TH
Mason Baxter 3B
Lexie Rutter 11B
20 TH
45 TH
Ivy Longhurst 2A
Emmy Dodd 0A
21 ST
46 TH
Dianne Andrews 6B
Rhyder Taylor 3A
22 ND
47 TH
Theo Chapman 1B
Connor De Mather 2C
23 RD
48 TH
Katelyn Bobadilla 5A
Jackie Wheeler
24 TH
49 TH
Deaken Jorgen 10A
Tyson Cleaver 6A
25 TH
50 TH
Isla Wickham 1B
Isaac Al Mansouri 5A
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
Breakfast Club on Primary Campus Every Wednesday 8.15am - 8.45am (Except for the first week and last week of the term)
APRIL:
Monday 7th - Friday 18th
School Holidays
WEEK 1
Monday 21st
Public Holiday
Tuesday 22nd
Term 2 Begins
Thursday 24th
Year 7 & 8 Museum Excursion
Friday 25th
Public Holiday
WEEK 2
Primary Assembly 9.15am in Gym
Monday 28th
Year 8/9 VIA Excursion
Year 11 Podcasting Workshops
Year 8 - 12 Badminton
Tuesday 29th
Year 3 - 5 Cartoon Drawing Workshop
Year 4 Scienceworks Excursion
Wednesday 30th
VCE Art Excursion
Friday 2nd May
5/6 Interschool Sport
Book Now for Primary or Secondary Tours on
9404 9000
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
WELCOME TO THE 2025 VICTORIAN PREMIERS ’ READING CHALLENGE
The Victorian Premiers ’ Reading Challenge is now open, and The Lakes South Morang College is excited to be participating. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:
• Access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
A modern user - friendly interface
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• Rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
• The option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review.
It is not a competition; it is a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 5th September 2025.
Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘ experience ’ 30 books with their parents/carers and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books. All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.
To log on please go to: https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home
Sign in with VPRC LOGIN
You can also contact our school ’ s Challenge coordinator Laura Adams with any questions you may have!
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
PARENT INFORMATION Schools | Providing Consent
Secondary School Immunisation Program
Dear Parent/Guardian,
The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 authorise schools to release parent/carers and student information to local councils enabling councils to follow up with parents/carers after consent has been requested. This means that we will provide the City of Whittlesea with your contact details and a member of their Immunisation team may contact you if they have not received notification of consent or non - consent for immunisations for your child. Council WILL NOT contact you if you have provided a NO consent unless they require verification. If you do not wish for your details to be provided to the City of Whittlesea, please advise me in writing before close of business 28 February 2025. If you cannot contact me by the above date you will need to contact the Immunisation Administration Programs Supervisor at the City of Whittlesea on 9217 2170 if you have queries about your contact details. Immunisation is an important public health initiative. It protects individuals and communities from preventable diseases. All Victorian secondary students can receive these vaccines for free through the school - based program.
The Secondary School Immunisation Program offers free vaccines from the National Immunisation Program schedule to all eligible students in Year 7 and Year 10.
Year 7 students
Diphtheria - tetanus - pertussis (whooping cough)
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Human papillomavirus (HPV)
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Year 10 students:
Meningococcal vaccine
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Local councils deliver the program and schools provide student and family information to the council, this enables families to register with Vitavo, our online immunisation registration program, and provide consent.
Year 7 Immunisation Date: Monday August 4th 2025 Year 7 Vitavo App Link: https://
whittlesea.book.vitavo.com.au/school/ TheLakesSouthMorangCollege - sp7OJx
Year 10 Immunisation Date: Monday May 12th 2025 Year 10 Vitavo App Link: https://
whittlesea.book.vitavo.com.au/school/ TheLakesSouthMorangCollege - sp7OJx
Thank you for assisting in this important Health program,
Bec Young - School Nurse
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
OFFICE HOURS AT THE LAKES Parents/carers are welcome in our office areas when they are making payments, bringing a child in late or picking up a sick child from sick bay.
BELONGINGS, AMBULANCE & INSURANCE
Private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department of Education does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage. Parents and carers are reminded that the Department of Education does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents and carers of students who do not have student accident insurance/ ambulance cover are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs.
Students are not to use these areas before school or after school.
The Lakes South Morang College ’ s grounds are supervised by College staff from 8:45am until 3:15 (Secondary Campus), or 3:30pm (Primary Campus). Outside of these hours, College staff will not be available to supervise students. If a student is not collected before supervision finishes at the end of the day, the Principal or nominee staff member will consider whether it is appropriate to:
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attempt to contact the parents/carers
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attempt to contact the emergency contacts
CSEF (CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND)
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place the student in an out of school hours care program (Primary Campus only)
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps, and sporting activities. If you have a valid means - tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card, or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families. Payment amounts this year are $150.00 for eligible primary school students and $250.00 for eligible secondary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions, and sporting activities for the benefit of your child. Prep and Year 7 government school students who are CSEF recipients are also eligible for a uniform voucher. Schools are required to make applications on behalf of parents, so please register your interest at the school. It is important that funding made available in 2025 supports students to participate in school trips, camps, and sporting activities this year rather than being held for future years. This funding can also be used in conjunction with any funding accrued from previous years. If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. If you would like to apply for the first time, please contact the College on 9404 9000 and ask for an application form. You can also download the form, and find out more about the program and eligibility, on the Department of Education and Training ’ s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund web page. Check with the school office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.
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contact Victoria Police and/or Child Protection to arrange for the supervision, care and protection of the student.
Please also be aware that both the Primary and Secondary Campus offices will close at 4:00 pm each day.
Please support us in making sure all students are safe.
ATTENDANCE - EVERY DAY COUNTS If you are aware that your child will not be attending school due to illness or other circumstances, please contact either office to ensure our attendance records are accurate.
Ways of communicating absences include:
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Placing a future Absence Request through the Compass Education Portal;
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Calling the office;
As required by the Department of Education, all schools must notify parents/carers informing that their child is absent. Please inform the office of absences before 10am each morning.
NO HAT - NO PLAY We will be enforcing our ‘ No Hat, No Play ’ policy in Term 1 on the Primary Campus. Wide - brimmed hats (with the school logo), are available at the uniform shop.
Please call 9404 9000 if you have a service or upcoming event you would like to promote through our Newsletter.
PHOTOGRAPHING, RECORDING AND FILMING CONSENT
thelakes.edu.au/uploads/8/3/9/0/83901006/photographing_filming___recording_of_students_policy_2024.pdf
The Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Consent Form is provided by The Lakes South Morang College at enrolment. Recent Departmental changes to this policy mean that this now only has to be completed once during your child ’ s educational journey at The Lakes. As a component of our transition to Compass, all families across the College will be sent a message on Compass or contacted by a member of staff in regards to Permission to Publish for your child provided at enrolment. If at any time parents/carers wish to give or withdraw their consent, they can by contacting the College or completing the form below.
To update or make changes to your Photographing, Filming and Recording consent, please download and complete this form before returning to the front office.
SCHOOL SAVINGS BONUS (SSB)
Department of Education will email you twice:
In Term 4, 2024 families with a child enrolled in Government schools from Prep to Year 12 in 2025 will have receive the one - off $400 School Saving Bonus. The $400 School Saving Bonus provides families with support for education - related costs, such as school activities and/or school uniforms and textbooks. The School Saving Bonus is not available for full fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.
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October to verify you email address
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November, providing details on how you can access the $400 bonus.
Please check your junk email regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email. To learn more about the SSB please see attached sheet for government school parents and carers or visit https://www.vic.gov.au/school - saving - bonus
Actions for parents and carers
Parents and carers of children who meet the School Saving Bonus eligibility above are required to do the following by Friday 18 October 2024:
Click here for more information.
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Complete enrolment If your child, or children are changing government school for Term 1 2025, or starting Prep or Year 7 in 2025, please complete enrolment. For more information, read about Enrolling in School. Check your contact information Ensure your contact information is up to date with your school. You can check this information by contacting your school directly.
Your feedback is valued. Please use the following link to provide our College Council and Leadership Team with feedback to help make The Lakes a positive learning community for all.
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THE LAKES COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
CANTEEN ORDERS
Scan the code to setup an account and select The Lakes South Morang College. Orders need to be in by 9am on the day.
This year the school canteen is offering lunch orders through the Flexischools app. Follow the steps below to setup an account and select The Lakes South Morang College.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
To thrive, children need a safe and supportive environment at school, at home and in the broader community; no exceptions. At The Lakes South Morang College, we believe meeting the physical and emotional needs of our students is paramount in laying the foundations for a fulfilling future. We pledge to provide an environment that has zero tolerance to child abuse and will strive to work in partnership with our parents/carers and community members to keep our students safe every day, in every way.
The Lakes South Morang College Child Safety Statement
PRIMARY CAMPUS: Telephone: 9404 9000 275 Gordons Road South Morang 3752 SECONDARY CAMPUS: Telephone: 9404 9000 80 Jardier Terrace South Morang 3752 ABN 52 938 171 499 PO Box 207 South Morang 3752 lakes.south.morang.co@education.vic.gov.au
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