Lucas Height Community School Values and Welfare

Welfare Team	Welfare Lessons	Mentor Program
Peer Support	The Student Represent Council	Merit System
Leadership	Reading for Enjoyment and Learning [REAL] Program	I'm ready for the big school now
Careers	Study skills	Years 6 - 7 Transition Program

WELFARE TEAM

The welfare of students is extremely important to all of us at Lucas Heights Community School. We believe that:

student welfare includes everything that the school community does to meet the personal and social needs of students and enhance their well-being. It involves recognising, evaluating and developing each student as a total and unique person.
every member of our learning community has a responsibility for student welfare.
we should have a nurturing and supportive school environment where mutual respect, negotiation and collaborative learning will be fostered by children, teachers and parents working together.

The 'Student Welfare Program' is all of the policies, structures and activities which are planned and implemented by the school to promote student welfare.

The welfare team consists of:

Assistant Principal Welfare - Primary
Deputy Principals - Primary and Secondary
Head Teacher Welfare - Secondary
Year Advisors ... Years 7 - 12
K - 12 School Counselors
Head Teacher Support K - 12
Senior Executive K - 12
Learning Support Team

WELFARE LESSONS
Topics of discussion include Child Protection, Anti-bullying, 'Who am I', and 'Making Friends'. This is closely coordinated with the PDHPE curriculum.

K-6 welfare lessons are an integral part of the PDHPE curriculum. Each year the students participate in Child Protection and Drug Education as well as Peer Support, Safe and Healthy Living.

MENTOR PROGRAMS
Mentor programs currently operate in the school and these include:

Kindergarten Buddies ... kinder and Year 5
Year 7 and Year 11 mentor program
Year 12 and Staff mentor program
Mentors for students of all ages as the need arises.

PEER SUPPORT

Peer Support is an integral part of our welfare program, developing the leadership skills of our Year 8 students as they work on a weekly basis with students from K-4. Training revolves around a 2 day camp and also provides opportunities for the development of leadership skills for Year 10 students

THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL [SRC]
We have a three tiered student representative council [SRC] system. As representatives of fellow students the SRC members become involved in school decision making for a 12 month period. This provides students with leadership opportunities through chairing meetings and assemblies, coordinating fund raising, and promoting school spirit.

LEADERSHIP
Other leadership opportunities exist through our links with a variety of community programs. These include:

Local Lions Club ... Youth of the Year
Zonta Club ... young women in public affairs
Shire Wide Youth Program
Kids Cottage Preschool ... Drop Everything And Read [DEAR] Program

MERIT SYSTEM
The Lucas Heights Community School merit system has been designed in consultation with students, parents and staff K-12. It seeks to reward and recognise both achievement and significant improvement in all aspects of school life e.g. interpersonal, academic, sport, performing arts, and school representation.

The merit system is closely related to the house system and culminates in the Schoer Shield which recognises the most meritorious house.

Reading for Enjoyment and Learning [R.E.A.L] PROGRAM
REAL stands for Reading for Enjoyment and Learning. REAL is recreational reading time when students can read quietly by themselves, read to others, enjoy being read to by other students or participate in literacy activities oraganised for the whole class. REAL provides opportunities for students to meet and work with other students in the school, thus strengthening their personal support network.

At Lucas Heights Community School reading is everyone's concern. We want you to become a successful, happy reader because we believe that reading is the key to understanding the world. Each day [except Tuesday] the whole school reads for a twenty minute period which is set aside because we value our reading so much.

REAL is mainly conducted in vertical groups: Kindergarten - Year 4, Years 5 - 8, and Years 9 - 12. However, a number of special programs operate to cater for the particular needs of individual students. If you need help with your reading or if you are prepared to help others with their reading you may be interested in participating in one of these programs.

REAL is a busy and vital period in the school day. Somewhere in the REAL program is a place for YOU. REAL operates to enhance everyone's reading ... take advantage of it!

'I'M READY FOR THE BIG SCHOOL NOW'

This is an exciting transition program from pre-school to BIG school. Pre-schoolers and their parents vist Lucas Heights Community School over four mornings during Term 4. The children spend time in the kindergarten rooms getting to know their teachers and other new students.

Parents attend various workshops e.g. 'How to help your child in English and Mathematics.' This is also an informal time where new parents get to know each other and the teaching staff.

This program makes coming to BIG school less stressful for everyone!

CAREERS
Careers Education is an important part of the curriculum at Lucas Heights Community School. Every student in the senior school receives individual counseling and guidance during the year. For Year 12 students or Year 10 students who are exiting school, the Careers Adviser can be a vital link in making a successful transition from school to work.

In Year 10 all students have the opportunity to learn more about the world of work and post-school education though Career Education classes. A fundamental part of Year 10 is the Work Experience program, where every student has an opportunity to try out an area of employment of interest to them. Work Experience can confirm in a student’s mind “that’s the job for me”, or “it wasn’t what I thought it would be.” The feedback from our host employers indicate that the program is very successful and Lucas Heights Community School students impress in fields as diverse as nursing, building, teaching, veterinary practice and engineering, to name a few.

All students may make use of the latest in aptitude testing and our career guidance computer software, “Career Voyage” is available on appointment at the Careers Office. Through career education classes each student will be interviewed and an appraisal made of strengths and possible career paths.

All senior students are registered with “Career Central”, an interactive web site with updated bulletins about “where the jobs are”, new courses and lots of useful career information. It’s at www.careercentral.com.au

Another useful site is myfuture

Parents are welcome to call the Careers Office directly to discuss concerns or to ask about students’ career choices, TAFE or university entrance, on 9532 1143.

STUDY SKILLS
Study skills programs operate in Years 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12. We also have a Year 11 study skills camp and a Year 12 mentoring program. It can be quite challenging to actually find time to study effectively, coping with the current load of homework and assignments. Students are encouraged to put plans in place including goal setting and implementation of positive study habits.

Year 7 Transition/Study Skills Camp - The Year 7 Transition Camp aims to enhance the self-esteem of all students and develop a working relationship with their peers, developing organisational skills and self-motivation, equipping the students with the appropriate skills to become competent learners at Lucas Heights Community School.

Year 11 Study Skills Conference is held at Cataract Dam Conference Centre at the end of Term 3. It is a celebration of the completion of the Preliminary Course, coupled with recreational activities, motivation and study skills training for the students as they prepare for the rigors of the Higher School Certificate examinations.

YEAR 6 - 7 TRANSITION PROGRAM
Lucas Heights Community school is a unique school catering for students K - 12. To facilitate the smooth transition from primary to high school we provide a high quality transition program over 3 days [November each year]. During this time the students have the opportunity to explore aspects of the high school which may at first seem different and unfamiliar.
Activities include participation in Year 7 lessons, reading timetables and socialising activities.