Last week, I wrote to our Primary Dads explaining the difficult decision of moving our Fathers’ Day Breakfast to the last day of term. The main purpose of this shift was in the hope that some of the COVID-restrictions for schools would be eased in time, allowing us to fully embrace the day and put on an open-air breakfast, sporting activities (which is pretty difficult when wearing a mask) and parent classroom visits (which, at the time of writing, is not permitted). The change of date also allows us to include our Year 6 Dads, as Year 6 students are on camp this week. Many of these Dads are experiencing their last Primary School Fathers’ Day celebration so dust off your runners and wear something comfortable. With our fingers tightly crossed, we look forward to welcoming you on campus for a special last day of term. Please click on the links below for further information:
The Primary Student Council have arranged for Primary School students to wear ‘free dress’ on the last day of term. Prep-Year 6 students are asked to bring in a gold coin donation which will go to the ‘Solar Buddy’ program which our school is supporting through Primary Chapel. Click on the following link for information about the Solar Buddy Program. Detailed information will be sent in this week's Communication Day email.
Also, on the final day, due to the COVID-cancellation of the Student Council Disco last month, we have scheduled each Primary School year level to have a special 30 minute ‘Daytime Disco’ in the Main Hall. This action-packed day is a great way for our community to celebrate the last day of Term 3.
Procedure for Extended Absence
Families are reminded that our process for the application of extended leave of absence during term time is explicitly explained in the Parent Handbook (p.7). The Parent Handbook can be found in the Documents section of SEQTA Engage.
Every day of teaching and learning is crucial. If a student takes an extended leave of absence it is likely that their education will be compromised and, in some cases, so is our opportunity to assess and report on their progress. Parents seeking to access extended leave are reminded that permission is needed from the Principal. Families must apply in writing to the Principal, through the Head of Primary, in advance.
Good Punctuality Matters
As highlighted in my last Tidings article, I ask every family to please prioritise their child’s punctuality in the mornings. For Prep and Year 1 parents and carers, we ask that you arrive no later than 8:10am. For our families in Years 2-6 we need your child here before 8:25am, every day. Every child who arrives later than these times in some way disrupts the teacher, or the rest of the class. Please show respect for the learning of other students at TLC by trying your best to be on time every day.
Staff Days
The College has two calendared Pupil Free days in the coming weeks:
- Friday 3 September (this Friday)
- Friday 17 September
So, what do teachers and support staff do on these days? I can assure everyone, whilst the intensity of the day is very different without the students being present, our staff work incredibly hard and purposefully on these days. Our upcoming staff tasks include: an audit and review of English and Maths programs and teaching methods, pre-assessment moderation and preparation, training in classroom behaviour management, Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, College pedagogy coaching, Term 4 planning, resourcing and preparation, class allocations for 2022, camp and excursion preparation and wellbeing committee meetings. The College’s commitment to the growth and development of its staff is more prominent than any other school I have worked in.
Foundation Day Awards
As the Deputy Head of Primary since 2013, many parents often refer to communication with me as a ‘bad sign’. Occasionally, I do need to contact families regarding challenging situations involving their children. Last week, I had the pleasure of doing something immensely positive.
In Mrs Curtis’ absence, I was afforded the opportunity to write the citations and deliver the speeches for our Foundation Day Awards for Primary students, in celebration of the College’s 17th birthday. Sharing this experience with their families goes down as one of the highlights of my time at the College. On Wednesday 25 August I had the pleasure of announcing the following students as Foundation Day Award recipients:
The Foundation Day Award is possibly the highest accolade a student can achieve in their time at TLC. Their names will be forever engraved on the Foundation Day Board in our Main Administration Building for the entire life of the College – possibly for hundreds of years.
Further details on the Foundation Day Award can be found in the Parent Handbook (p.36).
Year 5 Leadership
This week, I will be speaking with the Year 5 cohort about the journey they need to undertake to apply for Primary School Leadership positions for 2022. Every single student in Year 6 is a leader and role model. Some of these students will be elected by their peers and staff to represent the College in the more formal positions of Primary School Captains, Student Council President, House Captains, Chapel Leaders, Music Leaders and Library Leaders.
Year 5 students will be able to take home leadership applications in Week 10, to be completed over the holidays, with a deadline for submittal in Term 4, Week 1.
Sergeant Steve
Our Adopt-A-Cop, Sergeant Steve Barber, made his annual Primary class visits last week. All students, from Prep to Year 6, were engaged in presentations regarding topics such as stranger danger, cyber safety, ‘a day in the life of a police officer’ and unsafe behaviours. Is there a more noble profession than serving the people in the role of a Police Officer? As a community, it is so important that we create a positive image of our police with our children.

Year 6 Camp Reminder
The Year 6 Camp went ahead this week, to the relief of students, staff and parents. For the past two years, our students have missed out on the opportunity to attend the Canberra Immersion Experience. This year they are based in Hervey Bay, exploring Queensland's history and culture as well as visiting Fraser Island and enjoying the magic of whale watching. I’d like to publicly thank Mrs McInnes, Year 6 Coordinator, and the other members of the Year 6 Team, Mrs Smith and Mrs Beauchamp, for the effort, patience and flexibility in their approach to providing their students with an amazing experience.
Here are the latest dates for the remaining Primary Camps:
- Year 3 Camp – Tues 5 October to Wed 6 October
- Year 4 Camp – Wed 10 November to Fri 12 November
- Year 5 Camp – Tues 9 November to Fri 12 November
Our Year Level Coordinators are your first point-of-contact for any camp related questions.
A change in School Bell Music - Update
As reported in the previous editions of Tidings, the current school bell music is being changed and here is an update on the process.
Primary students, led by the Student Council, conducted a student vote of three song clips, which included:
- Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley, 1987)
- We Will Rock You (Queen, 1977)
- Cover Me in Sunshine (Pink, 2021)
So which song won? Keep your ears open for the winning song.
Secondary School students will undertake a similar process to choose school bell music for Term 4. In 2022, we will trial the removal of the school bell music during lesson times. This music will still be played at the start and end of school, as well as break times.
Car Park Issues
A special ‘thank you’ goes out to those Prep and Year 1 families who have embraced the earlier start times that we have implemented due to construction works. Hopefully, they are enjoying a less intense car park experience by leaving at 2:45pm. Community feedback has been largely positive in the first week of this trial. To further ease congestion, Year 5-6 parents are reminded to arrive after 3:10pm, as these students have the furthest to walk in the Primary campus and rarely arrive before 3:05pm.
On Friday 20 August, I attended a meeting with MBRC and Queensland Main Roads to continue a review of some of our car park challenges. From this meeting, it was agreed that there would be an increase in timings of green lights into and out of the College from both Foundation Street and College Street, between 2:30pm-3:30pm each weekday afternoon. The authorities are committed to working with the College to improve the traffic flow situation but noted that our community must be aware that traffic congestion between 15-20 minutes is normal in and around school start and finish times.
Disabled Parking
It has been brought to the College’s attention that cars have been parking in disabled spots without the necessary badge on display. Please be mindful to clearly display your badge if you have one, or refrain from using these spots in future.
Community Conversations
We are pleased to be able to invite our community back on campus to participate in the Community Conversations.
- Year 5 Community Conversations - Thursday 9 September
- Year 1 Community Conversations - Thursday 14 October
- Year 2 Community Conversations - Thursday 28 October
- Year 6 Community Conversations - Thursday 4 November
Please click here to register your attendance.
Mr John Richardson
Acting Head of Primary
jrichardson@thelakes.qld.edu.au