Welcome to issue 19 of the College Newsletter! IN THIS ISSUE: - Remembrance Day Reflection - Brain Breaks & Productivity - Crazy Colour Run Update - Helping Your Child Read - Part 3 - Understanding the BYOD program - The Lakes Digital Learning Policy - What’s on at The Lakes
THE LAKES SOUTH MORANG COLLEGE NEWSLETTER 2022 - ISSUE 10 Date 00, 2022
Term 4, Week 7 Issue 19 - 2023
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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.
Principal Report
01
Student Perspective
04
Wellbeing
06
Curriculum Connections
06
Social Scene
07
PRINCIPAL REPORT MARCUS ABNEY - HASTINGS PRIMARY CAMPUS PRINCIPAL
Primary Campus Awards
08
SRC News
09
TechZone
10
Policy Spotlight
11
What ’ s on @ The Lakes
12
Community Noticeboard
17
Dear parents and carers,
What a wonderful year 2023 has been! I would like to acknowledge with genuine gratitude the partnerships that make our school a productive and enjoyable working environment, our parents/carers, students, and staff together. When I think about this year, this being my last Principal Newsletter for 2023, it is with great pride and excitement. Our students have showcased outstanding academic achievements in various subjects, and we have seen as a campus our student ’ s willingness to be stretched from an academic perspective. It is always hard to pinpoint school highlights for a year, as these will inevitably vary between students and families. It is certainly hard to choose from the myriad of engaging learning experiences, our new initiatives introduced this year including greater student access to targeted high ability programs across Prep - Six or the introduction of STEM into our specialist curriculum. There are many examples throughout the year to support enhanced student learning outcomes. Every year level across the school have had extraordinary wins and opportunities to celebrate through camps, excursions, and special celebrations. The hard work and dedication of our teachers have played a significant role in fostering this growth. However, l think the activities that can be grouped under the heading
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE:
• Remembrance Day Reflection
• Brain Breaks & Productivity
• Crazy Colour Run Update
• Helping Your Child Read - Part 3
• Understanding the BYOD program
• The Lakes Digital Learning Policy
• What ’ s on at The Lakes
Secondary Campus 80 Jardier Terrace, South Morang 3752 (03) 9401 3919 Primary Campus 275 Gordons Road, South Morang 3752 (03) 9400 9000
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter PRINCIPAL REPORT
of ‘ building connections ’ would have to be our greatest success or win. Our school concert was simply spectacular in every way, bringing our whole College together. This event you could say, even trumped our 100 days of Prep celebrations, our 3/4 and 5/6 Camps or our Year 1 dinner or Year 2 sleepovers that have happened over the year. I will let the students decide on that. These experiences have enriched our curriculum, fostered teamwork, leadership, and our students ’ social skills. It is heartwarming to witness their growth beyond academics. Another highlight this year has been our ever - improving NAPLAN data in Years 3 and 5. Yes, it is a snapshot of a student ’ s ability on a given day but especially across literacy, this is something that our students continue to have great success in. Our Attitudes to School data which is statewide data continues to be strong compared to like schools and network schools across Victoria. This means that our students love coming to school, feel safe at school and have a connection at school. This is something that l am proud of. These 2 data sets continue to show the strong partnership between our school, our students, and our parents/cares. Thank you for the trust and support you give to your children and the school in turn. 2023 has also brought with it several facility improvements throughout our school. New carpets throughout the learning streets and classrooms, new toilets in the Prep/1 space, continuation of landscaping improvements throughout the front of our school to build a sense of pride and belonging - just to name a few. These improvements will continue throughout 2024 with more planned. We want all our families to love your school and be proud of it. This does not aways mean we get everything right, but we work hard to support our families through providing the best education and facilities available. Thank you and a short farewell to our Year 6 students who are moving onto our Secondary Campus or other educational setting in 2024. We congratulate you on your effort, connection, and sense of enjoyment in your learning. We look forward to seeing you in 2024 as Year 7s. To our parents on School Council, thank you. The support and work you have done across the year has been much appreciated. The organisation of the Father ’ s Day Breakfast, Mother ’ s Day stalls and hours spent at School Council to make our college a better place continues to be much appreciated by school leadership.
Thank you for all of your support.
THANK YOU to our entire Lakes South Morang College Community for your compassion, kindness and support of Melandre. Your generous contributions have raised $4022 !
Melandre, currently in Year 11 and a member of The Lakes student body
since Prep, was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and has since been
undergoing treatment.
His peers reached out to our school community to support Melandre in his
fight against cancer and invited you all to contribute to this very worthy
cause. The overwhelming response was heartwarming and a true reflection
of our wonderful Lakes community.
All funds raised will go directly towards supporting Melandre.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
REMEMBRANCE DAY REFLECTION SECONDARY STUDENTS & STAFF On Saturday the 11 th of November we were encouraged to pause at 11.00am, take a break from our busy weekends to reflect on the sacrifices that so many Australians have made in the global conflicts throughout the 20 th century and the beginning of the 21st, we also acknowledged the thousands of Australians who are serving overseas as we speak. 11 am on the 11 th of November 1918 was the time that the guns of the Western Front in World War 1 finally fell silent. 60,000 Australian Soldiers would never come home from that conflict, most of them lie there still in cemeteries or in unmarked graves scattered across the French and Belgian countryside. Those who did come back did so with horrific scars, both physical and mental. Unfortunately WW1 would not be “ The War to End All Wars ” as people at the time had hoped. Just over 20 years later the world would be plunged into an even more catastrophic war. Another 40,000 Australians who fought in the Second World War and would never again see home. Australian Soldiers would go on to fight in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and lead peace keeping operations in East Timor and many other conflict zones around the world.
We also acknowledge the enormous efforts of nurses, support staff and families who were left behind in times of war.
This year, the Department of Veteran ’ s Affairs wishes to specifically acknowledge the 287,000 young Australians who were called up for compulsory military service between 1951 - 1972. 212 of these young men died while on active service. This is still very much in living memory. Remembrance Day has become a day where we pause, reflect and acknowledge Australian Service Personnel who have fought, flown, sailed or saved people in the line of duty. So, if you didn ’ t this year, next year we ask that people pause , buy a poppy and take a moment to reflect on how we got here. One minute of silence isn ’ t a lot to ask.
Lest We Forget
If you are interested there a few links below to explore this topic further:
• The National Archives have spent years digitising War Records from the 1 st and 2 nd World War. You may want to research someone and see what their experience was like: https:// recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx
• Interview with Sgt. Ted Smout from 2002 . Sgt. Smout was one of the last Australian WW1 Veterans: https://australiansatwarfilmarchive.unsw.edu.au/archive/1145 - edward - smout
WELLBEING
BRAIN BREAKS & PRODUCTIVITY Educators at The Lakes have long known about the benefits of ‘ brain breaks ’ and have extensively used these breaks with students across the College to support
will regularly encourage students to take a break from their screens, move their bodies, breathe and engage in something that is fun or playful for their minds. Upon returning from these breaks, students are able to re - energise their thinking and focus on their learning. As with all things in life, the regularity and duration of breaks will vary according to the complexity of thinking and sustained concentration period that students have been engaged in. Some breaks may be quick (3 - 5 minutes), some might require longer (15 - 20 mins), what is certain however is that these breaks do benefit learning outcomes and productivity.
teaching and learning. During the pandemic, with many students and families both learning and working from home, the importance of regular ‘ brain breaks ’ and their impact on productivity has been thrown into the spotlight.
How might you use 'brain breaks ’ at home?
When your child is engaged in homework or study (particularly senior secondary students), prompt them to take regular breaks to refresh and refocus.
If you are working from home, model these behaviours by taking regular breaks yourself.
So, how do we use best use breaks to support student learning?
Try taking breaks together. Take turns at deciding what the break activity could be. E.g. going for a walk, dancing around to your favourite song, having a drink/snack, playing with your pet, play Wordle, etc.
The Lakes understands the importance of regularly allowing students to disconnect from the physical and mental pressures of a sustained concentration period in the classroom. As such, teachers
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
HELPING YOUR CHILD READ Part Three: Book Chat
Discussing the content and meaning of books is an important part of reading. Chat about the book before, during and after reading, and encourage your child to share their ideas and to ask questions about the book.
Here are some questions you can ask before, during and after reading the book:
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Look at the cover. What do you think this book might be about?
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How would you describe the character at the beginning of the story?
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How does the place the book is set in make you feel?
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What is happening in the pictures?
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What do you think is going to happen next?
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Why might a character have done this? What would you do in the same situation?
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Who was your favourite character in the story? Why did you like that character?
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What was your favourite part of the book?
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Can you retell the story in your own words?
Book chat develops language, comprehension and pleasure. Watch the following videos which model this relaxed interaction through the use of open questions, comments and prompts to initiate Book Chat.
SOCIAL SCENE
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WEEK 2 PRIMARY CAMPUS AWARDS
LEARNER OF THE WEEK
Prep A
Prep B
Prep C
Logan H
Ellie M
Tina F
1A
1B
Rocco N
Mason B
2A
2B
Haadi Z
Lovya D
3A
3B
Selena V
Deon M
4A
4B
Yasmin F
Tyson C
5A
5B
5C
Lily G
Zak T
Jagger B
6A
6B
6C
Zak J
Kristian D
Harry S
LIFESTYLE AWARDS
Sport
Art
STEM
Prep
Daksh S
Gavin F
Savannah W
Year 1
Cooper Z
Rylee G
Mason B
Year 2
Arjun B
Haadi Z
Ella A
Year 3
Neve L
Avery E
Rhys D
Year 4
Yasmin F
Miah MT
Charlotte M
Year 5
Anitej S
Madeleine RJ
Daniel E
Year 6
Imogen J
Ethan Z
Alexia P
SRC NEWS
CRAZY COLOUR DAY THURSDAY, 30TH NOVEMBER
WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD WEAR TO THE EVENT? Students should wear white or light sun safe clothing to get the most colourful experience. Its best to also run in old running shoes.
Well done everyone, so far, we ’ ve raised $12,700!! Remember our goal is $20,000.
Always remember to Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide!
ABOUT THE DAY
The Crazy Colour Day is all about Fun! It will be a huge colourful mess and is undoubtably one of the most exciting days on our school ’ s calendar, with everyone ’ s participation the aim, so please make sure they attend of the day and cheer the other kids on!
WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD BRING TO THE EVENT?
A few things you should pack are:
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•
A Water Bottle
A Towel
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Hat
Snacks and lunch
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A Change of Clothes
Sunglasses (if preferred)
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Sunscreen
A pair of Joggers
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter TECHZONE
The Lakes South Morang College believes that the use of digital technologies at school allows the development of valuable skills and knowledge and prepares students to thrive in our globalised and inter - connected world. Our College ’ s vision is to empower students to use digital technologies safely and appropriately to reach their personal best and fully equip them to contribute positively to society as happy, healthy young people. Through increased access to digital technologies, students can benefit from learning that is interactive, collaborative, personalised, engaging and transformative. Digital technologies enable our students to interact with and create high quality content, resources and tools. It also enables personalised learning tailored to students ’ particular needs and interests and transforms assessment, reporting and feedback, driving new forms of collaboration and communication. The Lakes South Morang College operates a Managed BYOD Program from P - 12. Classes at our school are delivered with the use of iPads or notebook computers. The Lakes South Morang College has established Edunet and JB HiFi as our preferred partners for our Managed BYOD Program.
ON THE PRIMARY CAMPUS
ON THE SECONDARY CAMPUS
There are a variety of iPads available on the market, however only devices which meet the following specifications will be enrolled onto the school network.
If you are unable to purchase a device through our preferred partners, you may bring your own from home. Please be aware that school - based support may be limited, and full compatibility cannot be guaranteed. Devices should support Microsoft Windows 11 or later, Apple MacOS 14 or later, or Google ChromeOS 118 or later. iPads and Android devices are not compatible with this program and a physical keyboard is required.
It must be an iPad (an iOS device). No other tablet brands will be accepted
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Minimum 32GB storage
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Must support iPadOS 15 or above.
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POLICY SPOTLIGHT
Policies are available to all families via the the Sentral Portal (under Resources) or via our website http://www.thelakes.edu.au/policies -- reports.html
DIGITAL LEARNING POLICY
Policy— http://www.thelakes.edu.au/uploads/8/3/9/0/83901006/digital_learning_policy_2023.pdf
At the College, we support the rights of all within the College community to access safe and inclusive learning environments, including digital and online spaces. This Acceptable Use Agreements (available through the policy) outline the roles, responsibilities and expected behaviours we have of our students when using digital or online spaces.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
Breakfast Club on Both Campuses Every Wednesday - 8.15am - 8.45am
(Except for the first week and last week of the term)
NOVEMBER:
Monday 13th - Friday16th Monday 20th - Friday 25th
Year 11 Exams
2024 Year 12 Step Up
Tuesday 21st - Wednesday 22nd
Year 10 Exams
Tuesday 21st
5.30pm School Council Meeting
Wednesday 22nd
2024 Prep Transition - Session 2
Year 10 Funfields Excursion
Friday 24th
2.30pm Primary Assembly
Wednesday 29th
2024 Prep Transition - Session 3
Crazy Colour Run on Secondary 12.00PM - 3.15PM
Thursday 30th
DECEMBER:
Friday 1st
Curriculum Day
2024 Prep Transition - Session 4
Wednesday 6th
Song, Dance and Drama Showcase
Year 9 City Experience
Thursday 7th
Year 6 Graduation
Year 7 & 8 Funfields Excursion
Friday 8th
2.30pm Primary Assembly
Tuesday 12th
Year 7 Transition Day
Thursday 14th
Whole School Awards Night
Book Now for Primary Tours on 9404 9000 for individual 2023 School Tours
Book Now for Secondary Tours on 9401 3919 for individual 2023 School Tours
A reminder to our current families who are planning to enroll siblings for Prep 2024. With Prep orientation
sessions fast approaching.
Please see the office for information about enrolling your child for 2024. All new enrolments receive a free T shirt!
THE LAKES COMMUNITY FEEDBACK PRIMARY & SECONDARY CAMPUSES
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.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
Thursday 30th November 12.00pm - 3.15pm Taking place on the Secondary Campus
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter WHAT ’ S ON @ THE LAKES
COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
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:
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. CURRICULUM CHARGES We can see that many parents/carers have began to make financial contributions towards the 2023 Curriculum Contributions through QKR Payments. The College is most appreciative of the continued support and commitment shown by families through their contributions. Your financial contributions are what enables our College to operate and deliver the best possible education and support for our students. With exciting upgrades happening throughout both campuses this year including new carpets, sporting facilities, fencing, lockers and upgrades of toilet facilities, it is important that we work together to provide the best facilities for our wonderful students.
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Placing a future Absence Request through the Parent SENTRAL Portal;
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Calling the office;
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Sending an SMS on 0427 226 537.
As required by the Department of Education, all schools must notify parents/carer informing that their child is absent. Please inform the office of absences before 10:00 am each morning.
STUDENTS LEAVING AT THE END OF 2023
If your child / children are not returning to the Lakes in 2024, please ensure that you have notified either the Primary Campus office or the Secondary Campus office.
NO HAT - NO PLAY We will be enforcing our ‘ No Hat, No Play ’ policy in Term 4 on the Primary Campus. Wide - brimmed hats (with the school logo), are available at the uniform shop.
STAY CONNECTED The Sentral Parent Portal is the primary method for home - school communications at The Lakes. We are excited to say that most families have access to the Parent Portal. The portal allows students and parents\carers to keep up to date with important information and communication.
Thank you for your support and partnering with us in 2023.
Sentral Portal
Please call Karen on 9404 900 to discuss further, if you have a service or upcoming event you would like to promote through our Newsletter.
The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
Scan the code to setup an account and select The Lakes South Morang College. Orders need to be in by 9am on the day.
The Lakes South Morang College Primary and Secondary libraries will be closing on November 30th.
Please start looking for any books that need to be returned.
Book Club issue 8 due date: 30/11/2023
We are always looking to build new or foster current connections within our community!
Please call Karen on 9404 900 to discuss further, if you have a service or upcoming event you would like to promote through our Newsletter.
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 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: 9401 3919 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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