Annual Report 2018 Contents Chairman’s report 3 Principal’s report 5 Foundation report 7 Introduction 8 Governance 11 Achievements 13 Senior School – Learning and innovation 21 New building projects 27 Life at Howqua 29 Junior School 32 Kindergarten 38 Co-Curricular activities 46 Sport at Lauriston 60 Community service 66 School community 67 School performance 70 Staff qualifi cations 74 Financial Results 77 2 2018 ANNUAL REPORT Foreword Chairman’s report ‘2018 was a great year for RICK BALL teamwork and building a strong Chairman, Lauriston Girls’ School Council Lauriston community.’ Academically, our young Our Sports Strategic Plan is providing The TEDxYouth event organised by a women continue to achieve more opportunities for our girls to small group of Year 11 and 12 girls was incredible results. Across the participate in a broad range of sports a fi rst for our school. There was an VCE and IB programs, 64% and receive excellent specialised impressive line-up of speakers including of our 2018 girls achieved coaching. Our students are already Lauriston students and teachers, and an ATAR of 90 or above. being rewarded with excellent results. inspiring young external speakers such Lauriston seeks to support In Track and Field, Lauriston was placed as Shasta Henry. the growth and development in GSV Division 1 for the fi rst time in of the whole student. Each individual is 10 years and achieved 8th place from The extensive number and range encouraged to fi nd her own strengths 24 schools in the Finals. Our Cross of co-curricular activities and clubs and value the process of learning, which Country squad fi nished in 8th place in available at Lauriston from early will be a necessary prerequisite for the GSV Division 1. Lauriston made GSV learning through to Year 12 provides future. The Class of 2018 supported Division 1 in Swimming for the fi rst time great opportunities for our students to each other and was active across all the in nine years and achieved 7th place in develop their strengths and interests. co-curricular and personal development the Finals. Once again, our SnowSports Not only does participation in varied opportunities available at Lauriston. team had an excellent season of activities enable our students to form racing; our Primary girls achieved 2nd positive relationships with their peers, The school is excited to begin place in Cross Country at both the but it provides them with life skills which construction of our new facilities Victorian Championships and Australian can’t just be measured in their academic in 2019. These facilities will provide Interschools. The launch of the Lauriston results. Throughout 2018, our Junior a strong foundation for the next Netball Club saw more than 100 girls School students were able to participate generation of students. Enrolments from Years 3–8 participate in the local in Chess, Coding, Communication and continue to be strong in all year levels Prahran Netball competition. With the Speech training, French lessons and and the new facilities will enhance the support of our parent committee, we Drama. Our Senior School students learning experiences available for all aim to build and entrench the Netball participated in Duke of Edinburgh Award our students and provide opportunities Club as part of our overall commitment Scheme, Life Drawing, Makers Club, for our teachers to build on their to sport. It provides opportunities for Rowing, Amnesty International, GirlUp, teaching methods. our girls to value physical activity not Greenies and Youth in Philanthropy. only in their school years but into their These activities are all in addition to adult life. our regular sport, debating and public speaking, and co-curricular music Performing Arts shone brightly in 2018, activities. Our Junior and Senior School with the Senior School production girls are also active participants in of The Sound of Music, the annual community service activities where they Years 5–12 concert at the Melbourne work alongside external organisations Recital Centre and the Middle School gaining great practical experience for performance of The Wind in the Willows. their life after School. The high quality of our production and performances continues to underpin the critical importance of Arts, Music and Drama at Lauriston. 3 2018 ANNUAL REPORT Thanks to the Lauriston Parents’ We also deeply appreciate the Association (LPA) and its sub-groups commitment of our staff , who work for a year fi lled with activities and tirelessly at Lauriston for the benefi t parent involvement. Our Lauriston Arts of our students and the wider school Association ran its vibrant Arts Festival community. week, which brought together our students and external artists. Our New The Annual Report for 2018 provides and International Parents’ Association an overall picture of our School, which (NIPA) organised a successful Chinese I hope demonstrates the extraordinary New Year Celebration for our community achievement of our students, but also and off ered a wonderful insight into the extensive and growing role we play some Chinese cultural traditions. The in developing and nurturing young LPA hosted its annual Huntingtower women who will play important roles in Lunch, with guest speaker Kellie Curtain, the wider community in the future. and the annual Mothers’ Day Breakfast. As we move through 2019, we look The Fathers of Lauriston dinner forward to sharing progress about the continued to establish its important construction of our facilities and the place in the annual calendar. continued growth of our students. I would like to thank all those individuals who have volunteered their time and resources to the School over the past year. The School Council, Lauriston Parents’ Association, the Lauriston Foundation and the Old Lauristonians’ Association and many other groups all play a vital role in continuing to strengthen the Lauriston community. To those who have fi nished up working with these groups in the past year, I thank you for your service and contribution on behalf of the current and future students who have the good fortune to attend Lauriston. 4 2018 ANNUAL REPORT Principal’s report ‘2018 was a huge step forward SUSAN JUST in implementing our three Principal strategic plans.’ Throughout 2018 we Our Academic Advisors in Years 7, 8 During 2018 we began implementation continued to implement and 9 continued to meet with students of our Sports Strategic plan. Our broad our three strategic plans on two or more occasions throughout goal is to ensure that our students which we began in 2017. the year. The purpose of our academic understand the value of lifelong Our School Strategic Plan advisors is for our students to establish involvement in physical activity. To that off ers strategic direction their learning and personal goals in the end, sport has been made compulsory for the school and in 2018 fi rst instance, and then to communicate for students in Years 7 and 8. Sport we implemented changes with the Academic Advisor about will become compulsory for Year 10 in our grading and assessment for individual progress throughout the year. students from 2019. Our students must students. Our School has moved to Academic Advisors use a variety of tools participate in either a GSV team sport a developmental model for Years 7 to assist each student in developing or a recreational activity provided by and 8 which provides clear indicators goals and they will communicate our School, or external to the School. of student growth in each subject directly with teachers and Year Level Our Physical Education teachers began discipline throughout the year. During Coordinators about individual students a process of tracking the progress of 2018, each Faculty developed and and their progress. Our Academic students in 2018 by measuring a series utilised detailed rubrics of student Advisors attend academic care meetings of physical activities which are recorded growth across four criteria and provided each cycle with teachers and Year Level each year. Both our teachers and students with an indicator of progress Coordinators where the progress of students will have access to this material in each criteria from 1 to 8. Each student individual students is discussed and in order to assess their progress and is expected to demonstrate growth strategies established for supporting determine goals for future improvement. in each criteria throughout the year. students where required. Detailed feedback and feedforward In 2018 we established the Lauriston was provided to students and parents During 2018, our Digital Intent Netball Club with the objective of on our online reporting system, and document was completed and providing our primary and senior students continued to receive written introduced to our teaching staff . The students with additional opportunities and oral feedback on their tests and purpose of the Digital Intent document for team sport during the weekend. assessment items. is to provide a way forward for off ering We have been encouraged by the professional learning to our teachers continued growth of the Club to more We held parent information sessions on the use of digital technologies in than 100 participants. Our Cross during the year to provide information classrooms and to ensure that our Country team and Athletics squad and enable parents to ask questions students continue to develop their skills saw improved results in 2018 and we about the developmental model for in the use of digital technologies. are pleased with the commitment grading and assessment. In 2019, the demonstrated by our new Athletics developmental model for grading and Signature Projects continued to be Coach. assessment will include our Year 9 implemented in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. students and we will continue to make Signature projects enable students to refi nements to our online reporting in develop competencies in the use of order to provide parents and students digital technologies.