1451 Ignatian Newsletter - Friday 15 October 2021
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PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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IGNATIAN MISSION & IDENTITY
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2022 MUSICAL ANNOUNCEMENT
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TEACHING & LEARNING
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2021 ANNUAL MUSIC CONCERT
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COLLEGE CAPTAINS' ADDRESS
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WELLBEING
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LOYOLA WELLNESS WALK
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WELLBEING GARDEN
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LANGUAGES
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PERFORMING ARTS
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YEAR 9 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
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YEAR 10 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
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VCE DATA ANALYTICS
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ICT
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COMMUNITY
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LOCAL COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Dear Members of the Loyola College Community,
Welcome back to Advent Term for 2021. I especially welcome back the staff and students who have been working offsite for all or most of last term. It is wonderful to hear the voices of students in the school buildings that have been empty for many months. I look forward to having the rest of the student body back on site as soon as possible.
I hope that all students were able to rest and enjoy the break and have now returned ready for this final term of the academic year.
Student Leaders 2022
I am delighted to announce the College Captains for 2022. We congratulate Alysha Prisc (MNHW) and Daniel Lay (FRLP) on their appointment to this important role. We wish these young people the very best as they serve the College community through their leadership in 2022. All student leaders for next year will be announced at the final Full College Virtual Assembly to be held next week.
E-Learning and Technology Week
Last week we celebrated eLearning and Technology Week in the virtual world and I thank Mr Tran, our eLearning Coordinator, and his staff for overseeing the many interesting online activities for students and staff.
MACSSIS Surveys
Families will shortly receive a survey to complete that provides MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools) with feedback about Loyola College from the Parent/Carers perspective. Staff and students will complete their surveys at school. I encourage families to complete the surveys which will affirm what we as a College are doing well and highlight areas for further development for the College. The survey results will be used to inform future priorities for the College.
Farewell to Year 12 students
As our Year 12 students complete their formal studies with us next week it is fitting that we pay tribute to them in this their final newsletter before their formal classes conclude. We take this time to reflect on their contribution and achievements over the past six years and celebrate the conclusion of their secondary education. Firstly, I thank our two College Captains: Madeleine O’Donnell and Matthew Stanton for their leadership of the student body over 2021. Both these young people have worked hard and have made a wonderful contribution this year. I also thank all members of the College Committee who have exercised leadership in many ways throughout this year.
I have recently spoken to the Year 12 students to highlight the importance of remaining focussed on study in the coming weeks as they approach their examinations. I also emphasised the importance of safety in the post examination celebratory period and to look out for each other during this time to avoid any unpleasant or dangerous incidents. I encourage parents to discuss this with their children if they are going away with others to celebrate.
I encourage the Year 12 students to become active in the Loyola College Alumni Association (LCAA) next year so that they may maintain strong links with the College community into the future. I wish all the Year 12 students every grace and blessing for their future and in particular wish them well in the upcoming examination period.
To those families of Year 12 students who this year will conclude their association with Loyola, I thank you for your commitment to Catholic Education and for your support of Loyola College over many years. May you continue to be blessed in the important role that you play as parents.
Staffing Matters
We welcome to the staff our new gardener, Mr Brodie Baxter, and wish him well as he joins the Maintenance team.
Ms Mulchahy will commence Maternity leave and we wish her well over the coming months.
I wish all every blessing during these important times thanking God for the wonderful opportunities available to our students here at Loyola. May our graduating class of 2021 be inspired by the example of St Ignatius and leave Loyola living out this year’s theme of Seeing all things new in Christ.
Mr Joseph Favrin,
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
MACSSIS
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS), is conducted annually for schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. We are now asking all families in our school to complete the survey to help shape the future of Loyola College. Please check your email for the log in details. The survey is open through to October 28.
Thanks for your support.
Mr Michael O'Keeffe,
Director of College & Community Engagement
IGNATIAN MISSION & IDENTITY
Year 12 2021 – What do we want for our students?
An early part of the process for entry into Loyola involves an interview with the prospective student and their parents. One of the questions asked is ‘why did you choose Loyola?’ The ensuring conversation usually ranges across facilities, values, the Catholic nature of the school, proximity to home, connections with the College, family tradition, reputation, staff and programs. What is often unspoken but clearly underpins all is: ‘I want my child to be safe and happy, make good friends, have opportunities to flourish and realise their potential and grow to be a person of integrity’.
The values our College promotes within all programs are encapsulated in our Mission and Vision statement. An important aspect of this is the Ignatian charism of the College. American Jesuit schools have a concept that helps focus the programs they offer - “the Grad at Grad”. They identify values and attributes that students who experience life in their schools should exhibit.
We don’t use that term. However, as an Ignatian school Loyola College aims to form graduates who:
- seek the magis – do things in the best way possible – not necessarily more but make the right choices and follow through.
- are reflective, generous and compassionate in the service of others.
- have had opportunities to develop their gifts and talents in a broad range of areas.
- are people of action, not just words.
- understand that God can be found in all things and situations and desire to develop a personal relationship with God through prayer.
St Ignatius always met people where they were in their lives and tried to treat them as he thought Jesus would. This is the model we would like our graduates to aspire to and, having worked with many of them over their time here, I have every confidence that they will. I wish them all the best for the coming examinations and beyond.
November Community Memorial Mass
We are anticipating that the annual memorial mass will be able to proceed on Tuesday, 9 November. Father Gerry Healy S.J. will celebrate Mass (7:30pm) in the St Ignatius Chapel. Prior to this, at 7:15pm there will be a blessing of the plaques in our memorial garden which is adjacent to the Chapel of the Irish Martyrs in our College grounds.
This event will be COVID-19 safe. Details regarding any special requirements will be published in a later edition of the Ignatian and on our social media platforms.
All current and ex-members of the College community are invited to attend. People who would like to have loved ones prayed for can email me the details lynchc@loyola.vic.edu.au or leave details on my phone which has a voicemail 9433 0227.
Mr Chris Lynch,
Deputy Principal
Ignatian Mission & Identity
2022 MUSICAL ANNOUNCEMENT
TEACHING & LEARNING
2022 Year 7 Digital Devices program
The College will run an introductory session for new 2022 Year 7 students at the start of next year. At the Year 7 introductory sessions, students will receive their Surface Laptop, and staff will take them through how to connect to the College network, email system and other learning applications. 2022 Year 7 Parents and Guardians will receive a letter outlining all the details of these important sessions.
2022 Book bundles Year 7 – 9 and Senior Textbooks
In 2022, Year 7 to Year 9 students will have access to a number of their textbooks in two formats, print and digital. The subjects that this option will be available for are Mathematics, Science and Humanities. All bundles will be sent directly to your residential address prior to the commencement of the 2022 College academic year.
All student’s 2022 subject textbooks and additional resource material can be ordered online this year and the relevant information will be distributed to all students later in the year or using the link available on our Parent Portal to be available soon.
At this stage the cut off dates for the book lists are;
- Senior: 2 December
- Years 7 – 9: 10 December
Year 10 and 11 Exams and Units 1 – 4 Orientation
Exams will run for our senior students only. There are no Year 8 and 9 exams. Year 11 exams will run from November 17 to November 24 and a reduced number of Year 10 exams will run from November 19 to 24. Exam timetables and venues will be sent out to students over the next two weeks via email.
Orientation for 2022 Units 1 – 4 will run from November 25 to December 2.
VCE English and Mathematics final exam tips
Our Head of English and Mathematics have sat down with Mr O’Keeffe to give some hints on how to achieve well in these exams. Please enjoy the short videos.
Ms Suzanne Pola,
Deputy Principal
Teaching & Learning
2021 ANNUAL MUSIC CONCERT
COLLEGE CAPTAINS' ADDRESS
Hello Loyola community,
As leaders of the College, we know this year has not concluded the way we all would have expected, with several periods of extended lockdown keeping us on our toes (and in our homes) throughout Semester 2. However, we remain hopeful that 2022 will be a year of rejuvenation for all - although we will not be at the College next year, we have witnessed the strength of the community firsthand throughout the last two years, and we are sure that no problems will be encountered in bouncing back and returning to business as usual.
This year as College Captains we aimed to build bonds between year levels within the College, target diverse demographics of students and place emphasis on co-curricular activities in an attempt to foster positive engagement amongst our community. As part of our goal to re-connect certain demographics within the school, we ran an AFL SuperCoach competition with help from the LSC, which was met with great success, as well as supporting many more activities for students to participate in. Despite the fact that many of our ideas were compromised due to restrictions, we hope that students have been able to take advantage of activities offered to them and we encourage you all to maintain this momentum leading into next year. We would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution to these College events, and we are sure the community’s strong involvement in College Life will continue for many years to come.
We would also like to thank Ms Salmic, Ms Solomon and any other staff who have helped us on our journey as leaders - we deeply appreciate how helpful and open-minded they have been in working with us as we fought for the needs of all of the students, and we wouldn’t have been able to achieve half of what we were able to without their help. We want to say thank you too to the 2021 College Committee for their ongoing support - it has been a pleasure to work with them over the last six years, and they made our lives so much easier this year through their help and dedication. We hope they - as well as the rest of the class of 2021 - have enjoyed this year despite the challenges we have faced, and we wish them all the best of luck for what we are sure will be very bright futures. Additionally, we wish the best of luck to Alysha Prisc and Daniel Lay, and 2022 College Committee as they move into their roles as senior leaders of the College. Loyola will undoubtedly be in good hands next year and we are sure that these leaders will be able to effectively assist the community to reconnect once again to life at the College. We will assist the 2022 Committee in any way possible to ensure a smooth transition and a successful year for them, and in extension the rest of the community too.
Despite the lockdowns throughout our VCE years, we are truly honoured to have been given the privilege to represent the College as your College Captains, giving back to a school which has provided us with personal and academic growth for the last six years of our life. We hope that we have been a positive influence on the school community during these challenges, and that we will be remembered as pragmatic and engaged role models who were able to make life at the College (and at home) a better experience for the entire Loyola community.
Goodbye for now,
Madeleine O’Donnell and Matthew Stanton
WELLBEING
SPECIAL REPORT: Transitioning Back
As lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted to varying degrees, we are entering a time of transition and adjustment. The circumstances of this situation have significantly impacted us all. For some it has been an opportunity to reflect on what is important, whilst others have embraced the opportunity to learn new things.
Many young people may be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted, whilst others may be feeling mixed emotions. Reactions will differ depending on how well they cope with stress and change. Keeping a check on your child’s mental health and wellbeing as they adjust to new routines, will be vitally important.
There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, so focusing on the things you can control, or enjoy doing, can help establish predictability and familiarity for the whole family. Adult carers need to provide young people with reassurance by acknowledging any concerns and fears they may have at this time. Consider this to be a normal reaction, however it may be best to focus more on their feelings and emotions, rather than the practicalities at this stage.
In this Special Report, we share a few ideas about how to help ease this time of transition. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
SPECIAL REPORT: The Wellbeing Barometer
SchoolTV has been supporting families and schools for quite some time now by providing guidance and information to help alleviate some of the challenges faced by young people, especially during the pandemic. Over recent months, many people have been impacted and it has proven to be a difficult time, for some more than others.
However, irrespective of whether your family has experienced many lockdowns or not, the social, economic and psychological impacts over the coming months remain uncertain. There is substantial evidence to show that mental health concerns are on the rise, especially in relation to our young people who may require some extra support. Parents will need to play a vital role in providing this support, helping their kids reframe their worries and focus more on the things they can control in their life. Ensuring the mental health and wellbeing of our young people is important for many reasons, one of which is the direct impact it can have on educational outcomes.
In this Special Report, we are seeking parent participation through a short survey. The survey is designed to assist the school to provide a barometer on the state of wellbeing within the community. The information gathered will assist in focussing on the key issues affecting students and discovering where further assistance may be required.
We encourage all parents and carers to spend a few moments to complete the survey. This will help with understanding the nature and extent of your concerns and determine how best to support our community.
Please reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
Take the Talktober Challenge
The Male Hug is an organisation that promotes mental health amongst men is running a campaign designed to foster connections and build relationships called ‘Talktober’. This campaign is designed to encourage people to phone a family member, friend or colleague every day for the month of October. While this was originally set up as an initiative for men, we would like to invite all members of the community to participate, joining our staff and students in this worthwhile initiative and cause.
Mr Sal Valentino,
Wellbeing & Personal Development Coordinator
LOYOLA WELLNESS WALK
WELLBEING GARDEN
While we have been away, our Gardening team have been working on this magnificent wellbeing space. When back on campus, take a moment to step out the back of Old Loyola to explore this beautiful new area. It provides staff & students with an opportunity to take time out during the day and be one with nature. A great space to enjoy your lunch or a cuppa at recess! Thank you to Dave and Chris for providing this wonderful wellbeing spot.
LANGUAGES
Last Friday our Indonesian students completed their Oral Examinations. We had a chat with a few students before and after the exam...
Georgia Christou
Hi I’m Georgia. I study year 12 Indonesian and I’m about to go to my Oral Examination. Just to explain it a little bit: the first section is a conversation which goes for seven minutes and the second section is a discussion about your chosen topic, which is 8 minutes. My topic is air pollution in Indonesia and how it affects their daily life.
We have done practices online, on Teams. We’ve called Mr van Leest and Ibu Justiana to prepare our conversations and discussions.
I am feeling so scared. But that’s OK. Scared is good.
15 minutes later
So I just came out of my oral exam, and I feel relieved. I don’t know if I did as well as I wanted to, however we can make those marks up in the written part. I have got to study for that.
Alyssa Marazita
Hi, I’m Alyssa and I do year 12 Indonesian.
I’m about to do my Indonesian oral at 1:25. My topic is about animals in Indonesia. At the moment I’m feeling scared. Very nervous.
15 minutes later
So I’ve just done it and, uh, it was intimidating. Very, very intimidating.
Mr van Leest: What are you going to focus on now?
I’ll focus on the written part, which is up next.
Ollie Simmonds
Hi, I’m Ollie Simmonds. I’m in year 12 Indonesian and I’ve just done the year 12 Oral exam.
I’m feeling great! There were a couple of questions that I messed up there a little bit, but they were OK. They helped me through it.
Now I’m going to focus on the future. My future exams.
We wish all languages students the very best for their upcoming oral exams!
Mr Jason van Leest,
Head of Languages
PERFORMING ARTS
While the extended lockdown has meant we have needed to re think many of our performance tasks it has enabled students to think creatively about what they can do with the resources they have at hand. Year 7 Drama students have been creating interesting stagecraft work as part of their Horror unit and our year eight students are looking at ways they can re-enact famous movie scenes. They have also been developing interesting scripts on moments in history to develop into performances upon their return. Year 7 Dance students are filming themselves dancing and are researching famous dances in the evolution of dance, to develop into dance pieces when they return. Year 10 Drama students are creating solo performances which they will present as they arrive back. We thank the students for the way they have embraced these tasks.
Ms Julie Boyle,
Performing Arts Teacher
YEAR 9 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Our Year 9 students have been working very hard in Digital Technologies during remote learning. Their first task was to research and write a report on various emerging technologies in the world today. The students thoroughly enjoyed this project, and were amazed by some of the innovative products that are on the horizon.
The second assessment task was to 3D design a plan for our proposed STEM building. The plan is for the new STEM centre to connect K-Block to the iCentre. The images provided are the designs by year nine student, Nathan Maddela. The red roof building represents the current i-Centre and the cream building is K-Block.
The students are now embarking on their third assessment task, which is to plan a road trip around Australia. The students are very excited because they are all planning to take their parents on an adventure, once the borders re-open. The students will be using Mirosoft Excel to plan their itinerary, and their budget in terms of fuel, accommodation and food.
Mr Jonathan Prout,
Digital Technologies Teacher
YEAR 10 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
This semester, our year 10 Digital Technologies students have completed three projects covering a variety of topics namely Computer Systems and Hardware, Databases, Data analysis, Infographics, Spamming, Computer Viruses, Crypto-currency, Piracy and Digital Divide. Their final project is to develop their own website for a client. Students will continue to learn about web technologies, domain names and hosting, web programming languages including HTML, CSS, PHP and ASP, as well as how the world wide web works as an inter-connected wide area network.
Mr Dinh Tran,
Head of Digital Technologies
VCE DATA ANALYTICS
In unit 4 Data Analytics, students focus on determining the findings of a research question by developing infographics or dynamic data visualisations based on large complex data sets and on the security strategies used by an organisation to protect data and information from threats. Students have studied about the key legislation relating to data and information including the Copyright Act 1968, Privacy Act 1988, Australian Privacy Principles, Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, Information Privacy Principles, Health Records Act 2001 and Health Privacy Principles. Students have completed numerous case studies requiring them to apply the disaster recovery plan to assist organisations to recover from a disaster that affects their information systems infrastructure caused by a range of accidental, deliberate and event-based threats including viruses, hackers, and natural disasters.
Student’s have been set 40 past exam papers to complete over a 15 week period. On average, students should be aiming to complete two practice exams per week for homework and another two during class time. Success in the exam will require speed and accuracy in student responses. Best wishes to all the year 12 VCE Data Analytics class of 2021 with their upcoming exams.
Mr Dinh Tran,
VCE Data Analytics Teacher
ICT
Digital devices for Years 10 – 12 students from 2022
Year 10 to 12 students are required to use an approved digital device (Choose Your Own Device, CYOD) from the following list:
Windows Notebook or Surface Device (carried over from Year 9)
- Windows 10 or later
- Core i5 Processor or greater
- Minimum 8Gb Memory (RAM)
- Wireless Network Card with AC (5Ghz)
Apple Macbook (VA students) or Macbook Air (not recommended for Visual Arts students)
- Apple OSX Mavericks or later
- Core i8 Processor or greater
- Minimum 8Gb Memory (RAM)
- 2013 model or later
Note that Android devices are not supported on the College’s ICT infrastructure.
Recommendations for CYOD
- Anti-Virus: This should be installed and kept up to date.
- Warranty/Care: It is highly recommended that the device is maintained under warranty and that consideration is also given to protecting the device from physical damage.
- Support: Please bear in mind that as the device is parent owned, Loyola College is not responsible for diagnosing hardware issues with the device, repairing the device or replacing the device should it be lost or destroyed.
Mr Victor Dalla-Vecchia,
ICT Manager
COMMUNITY
2021 Morning College Tours
Morning Tours will be take place on the following dates from 9.15 am – 11. 00 am:
- Monday, 8th November
Presentation Ball
Due to the current COVID restrictions, the decision has been made by the school to postpone the Presentation Ball until 11th & 12th April, 2022 for our current Year 11 students. Communication regarding rehearsal dates will soon be sent to families.
Loyola College Carols & Food Truck Night – Friday, 26th November
The LPFA are happy to announce that this event will go ahead in the Loyola College grounds from 5.30 pm – 9 pm. A big night of entertainment and food will be organised and an opportunity to do some fun Christmas shopping. A range of food trucks will be there on the night …. Kebabs, Banh Mi, Tacos, Potato Swirls and Coffee trucks. Fun activities for children with a visit from Santa 😊
2021 LPFA/FOPA Online Wine Fundraiser
Due to popular demand, we have continued to run the fundraiser in 2021. Not only is wine nice to drink, they also make a great gift idea. There are 7 different types of wine that can be ordered through Prospect Wines. Orders can be made online and processed in lots of 6. Delivery is within 7 working days and come to your front door. The bottles range in price from $13-$16.
All money raised will be distributed to LPFA and FOPA to purchase goods for the Loyola Community.
2021 Entertainment Books
The LPFA are proud to promote the 2021 Entertainment Book.
Loyola College Accommodation
Just inside Gate 4, on the corner of Bungay and Kenmare Streets, sits our Aurrupe House and Manresa Cottage which are used for accommodation on a short-term basis for both overseas visitors and members of our school and local community. Accommodation rental is ideal for family members or friends who would like to attend a function or appointment in Melbourne and require an overnight stay or longer at a very reasonable price. Some of our families have extended family who live interstate and rent the house on a regular basis when planning a visit to Melbourne for 1 or 2 weeks. Loyola’s close proximity to shops and the train makes it ideal to be independent and yet close to relatives as well.
Donation of Loyola Uniform
If you have any Loyola uniform items that you no longer require, please leave them at Reception. They are great to have for families in need, student accidents and our Exchange students. Blazers no longer required would be much appreciated.
Important Dates
2021 LPFA Meetings
Wednesday Evenings – 10th November
2021 PWP Meetings
Monday evenings – 18th October
Mrs Dianna Alonso,
Community Liaison Officer