LPS eNews

1 February, 2024


Principal's Message

Happy new year everyone. We look forward to another fantastic year with your children. There has been much excitement about the construction and playground works that started over the holidays.

Our 2024 Preps have had a smooth start to school and will have their first full day tomorrow. Some photos of these excited students are included in this eNews. We hope they sustain their curiosity until finishing their secondary schooling in 2036!

We also extend a special welcome to Term 1 at L.P.S. to the other nine new families who are joining us for the first time, as well as our new staff members. 

We feel very fortunate that we had minimal, but some, staff changes over the break. Our updated staff list can be found here. Ms Felicity Henderson-Wilson joins us as Music specialist this term, along with Miss Emma Carmody, teaching part-time in Year 5B. We are recruiting for another classroom teacher for Year 6. Please understand that we are subject to the ongoing and drastic teacher shortages affecting all Victorian schools and will continue to do what we can to minimise disruption to classroom learning.

The Department of Education has asked schools to start the year with a mobile phone/device blitz. If you believe your child needs to have a phone or smart watch, please understand these must be checked in to the office each morning and collected after school, as per our Mobile Phone Policy. Devices cannot be turned on or used whilst on the school grounds.

Last year, we started to see the impact of the new Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA), which also received significant media coverage around time-in-lieu provisions for staff. Consequently, our school events are held at times that allow us to minimise the need to provide time-in-lieu to teachers, or impact on learning time.

As with all decisions around matters that come under the Agreement, our Staff Consultative Committee has an important role in determining whether school events are 'essential', and their subsequent scheduling. We thank parents in advance for understanding the implications of timing of school events within the 38 hour working week.

New and existing families are directed to our A - Z of Useful Information for Parents, also available on our website under Our Community/Starting at Laburnum. This detailed information booklet was updated in December. The school website has also had its January update, and contains a wealth of information, including the school's Event Calendar.

Assemblies are listed on our website Event Calendar. Parents are most welcome to attend from 2:45 pm in the school hall. We are looking forward to our first assembly for Years 1 - 6 next Friday, 9 February

Kim


Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute 



2024 School Council Election

Schedule 4: Notice of Election and Call for Nominations

An election is to be conducted for members of the School Council of Laburnum Primary School.

Nomination forms may be obtained from the school from Wednesday 21 February 2024. Completed nomination forms must be lodged at the office by 3.00 pm on Wednesday 28 February 2024. Please call or email the office if you would like a nomination form emailed to you, or we can send one home with your eldest child.

Following the closing of nominations, a list of the nominations received will be posted at the main office entrance at the school.

The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:

 MEMBERSHIP   CATEGORY

 TERM OF OFFICE

 NUMBER OF   POSITIONS

 Parent member

 From the day after the date of the declaration of the   poll in 2024

 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the   poll in 2026

 

          4  

 DEd employee   member

 From the day after the date of the declaration of the   poll in 2024

 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the   poll in 2026

 

          2 


If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted at the main door to the school.

 SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION PROCESS AND TIMETABLE

 1.             

 Notice of election and call for   nominations

 by Wednesday 21   February 2024        

 2.        

 Closing date for nominations

 by 3:00 p.m. on
 Wednesday 28   February 2024

 3.        

 Date by which the list of candidates and   nominators will be posted

 Friday 1 March     2024

 4.        

 Date by which ballot papers will be   prepared and distributed (if required)

 On or before  
 Tuesday 5 March   2024

 5.        

 Close of ballot (if required)

 3:00 p.m. on
 Wednesday 13   March 2024

 6.        

 Vote count (if required)

 On or before   Monday 18 March   2024

 7.        

 Declaration of poll

 On or before  
 Tuesday 19 March   2024

 8.        

 First council meeting to elect office   bearers and community member (the   principal will preside)

 On or before
 Tuesday 23 April   2024


Kim Dray
Principal


Are you interested in joining our School Council?

All government schools in Victoria have a School Council; a legally formed body that sets the key directions of the school within clear Department of Education guidelines. Each year in February/March, an election is conducted for members of the School Council for Laburnum Primary School. 

There are three possible categories of membership:

  • A mandated elected parent category. Potential and retiring councillors can be nominated.
  • A mandated elected Department of Education employee category.
  • An optional community member category. Our community member is currently a Parents Group representative.

The term of office for councillors is usually two years. Some members retire each year and this creates vacancies for the annual School Council elections. 

At this time, we thank our retiring councillors for their contributions to improving and supporting LPS during 2023. Last year saw significant progress in our Capital Works project, Junior School playground upgrade and installation of solar panels. School Council continued to review progress against our 2022 - 2026 Strategic Plan.

If you have a desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future, and positively contribute in ways that reflect the best interests of all students, please consider nominating.

If you require further information about School Council or the process for filling vacancies, please contact the school or click here.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

 



Communication at LPS (especially for new families)

Welcome to our school. As we know that effective school communication relies on parents' engagement with clear information, the following is essential reading for new families.

For information about how the school operates, please see our 'Starting at Laburnum Primary School' page, which includes the A - Z of Useful Information for Parents. This important document was updated in December, and can also be located on our website under the Enrolment tab. Everything on our website can be translated into your home language.

To regularly communicate important information, we use both LPS eNews (our electronic newsletter) and Sentral (for most emails to and from parents). Please ensure you read any messages sent by the school. LPS eNews is emailed to all parents/carers fortnightly and contains essential information about important dates and events. The eNews archive is found on our website here.

A reminder to all our new families to create their Sentral Parent Portal accounts as soon as possible, as this is the school's main avenue for  communications to specific families, as well as excursions, student reports and parent-teacher meetings.  You can also email your child's teacher about non-urgent matters through Sentral.

Instructions and access codes have been sent home with your children. The Sentral Parent Portal is also used to upload documents, and includes the 2024 School Map and Parents Group minutes each month.

LPS eNews usually contains a combination of these pages:

  • Principal's Message
  • School Council Update from the School Council President
  • What's Happening? from the Assistant Principals 
  • Learn, about academic news
  • Thrive, for wellbeing news
  • Contribute: Parents Group news
  • Contribute: Community information
  • Thrive: Superstars, recognising those who have wonderful achievements to share
  • Parenting Ideas
  • Next Generation Learning, updating families on our capital works program and playground upgrade

As well, all year levels and specialists regularly share their news in these pages:

  • Prep
  • Junior School - Years 1 & 2
  • Middle School - Years 3 & 4
  • Senior School - Years 5 & 6
  • Specialists

We hope that you'll be using these resources to become more familiar with our school.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

 



What's Happening?

From the Assistant Principals, Kathy, Jo and Natalie

Welcome back, LPS families! We look forward to continuing our partnership with you throughout the 2024 school year.

To help keep parents informed, each sub-school will offer a thirty minute Parent Information Session at 3:45 pm on either Monday 12 February (Years 5/6), Tuesday 13 February (Prep and Years 3/4) or Thursday 15 February (Years 1/2).

You will also find this information on the school Event Calendar.

A survey exploring whether these information sessions should be offered onsite or via Webex will be sent home tomorrow via Sentral email. If you have a preference, please add your voice to this important community process and respond in the short timeframe provided. The Google form survey can be translated into various languages in the following ways:

Computer -
Right click anywhere on the survey and select 'Translate to English'; 
Click on the three dots, and select 'Choose another language';
Select your preferred translation using the drop down menu and then 'Translate'.
Mobile device - 
Select text to be translated;
Select 'Google Translate'; 
Text is translated and may also be heard by pressing on the speaker button.


We offer these sessions to provide any general information about the year ahead to all parents in each sub-school, prior to Meet the Teacher the following week. If you are unable to attend, a copy of each presentation will be uploaded to Sentral.

In Week 4, we are offering Meet the Teacher appointments via Webex for Year 1 - 6 parents/carers to meet with their child’s teacher individually. The appointment is an opportunity for you to meet and share any important information you may have about your child.

Prep families have already had their Meet the Teacher appointments.

These appointments will run for 10 minutes, as usual. Change-over time will allow the teacher to be ready for their next Webex meeting. Specialist teachers will have limited appointments (maximum one per family) available for Years 1 - 6 only, so please only register for these if you need to speak to a particular Specialist teacher. As there are two P.E. teachers, please select the one teaching your child, if needed.

If you need more time with a particular teacher for any reason beyond this, you are welcome to arrange a separate meeting or phone call outside of these dates and times.

If you require an interpreter (any language), please notify the office via email by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday 14 February. Meetings with our Chinese interpreter and class teachers will be held during the day on Friday 23 February. These families do not need to book online.

All other families should book online for Meet the Teacher on either Tuesday 20 February or Thursday 22 February:

Visit the Sentral Parent Portal and click on 'Parent-Teacher meetings'.

Opening and Closing Dates:

  • Bookings will open Friday 9 February at 5.00 pm.
  • Bookings will close Sunday 18 February at 5.00 pm.

Parents will receive an email soon about two start-of-the-year documents that need your attention before Parent-Teacher Meetings. Both have been recently updated. They are available as writable PDFs, which can be returned to your child's teacher via their Sentral mailbox:


Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute



Next Generation Learning @ LPS

Our Capital Works has progressed well over the break. Buildings have been relocated, services reconnected to those rooms and classrooms readied for our students. The huge area that is the site of our new building is now clearly visible, with its stunning vista over Blacks Walk.

Additionally, much of the heavy machinery work was completed for our Junior School Playground upgrade, with new paths and access in place for two Year 2 classrooms, the Lab and OSHClub. This is our School Council priority project, proudly supported by Parents Group.

Some progress photos of these works are included below. New families can see plans and drawings of both projects in the office foyer.


Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute



Contribute: Parents Group & Community News

                                      LABURNUM PRIMARY SCHOOL
                                     SECOND-HAND UNIFORM SHOP

OPEN

First Friday of the Month:
next opening Friday 2nd February

Term Time Only:

2.30 pm - 4.00 pm
Please enter the school grounds via Janet Street. Please go straight to the Uniform Shop, near the Performing Arts Centre.

Thank you,
Clarissa, Liz, Lucinda and Kate

 Cash transactions only
All items are $5 (including jackets and jumpers).
 
All monies go to the school to support our students.

ALL DONATIONS VERY WELCOME
We accept donations of pre-loved uniforms.
Please continue to phone the school and speak with one of the office staff if you have uniforms to donate.

Please ensure donations are washed, clean and in good condition. Only school branded clothing (i.e. no Target, Kmart, Big W, etc. brands).

nds).

 


Click on these links  below for Community News or information:                  





OSHClub
- please register your child - it's free to register and you'll always have that option for childcare, even in unexpected circumstances.


Please click here to view information and registration for Digimaker.


Please click on image for Chess Club registration
   

                                                                                             

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute



The Fathering Project

SAVE THE DATE!  Thursday 21 March 5.00-6.00pm

We invite Fathers/Father figures to join us at our next fun 'Card Games' event. More information to follow in our next eNews.

It's never too late to join The Fathering Project!

If you would like to join use the QR code below.
              

   

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute