1464 Ignatian Newsletter - Friday 24 June 2022
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Term Two has been a challenging term. As the weather got colder, we experienced more and more illness in our community. Since the beginning of the school year, we have had fifty-five members of staff experience Covid, forty-one teachers and 14 members of support staff, and approximately 480 students had Covid. Some students contracted Covid twice. At its peak, we had 20 - 25% student absence. We have also battled influenza, gastro and other viruses such as laryngitis. Loyola is not alone in the challenges it has faced. It has been a difficult and unprecedented year for all schools. This absence has meant that many classes were without their usual teacher for five days or more and then teachers were teaching without full classes of students.
When I look back across the term, I see the challenge that we have navigated. Teachers have worked hard to ensure that students who were absent have caught on missed work. Students have worked hard to try and catch up on what they have missed when they were ill. It has been tough.
At this point in time, Year 10/11 students have sat their exams and other year levels have completed semester assessments. Teachers have finished writing reports and support staff have stepped up and covered workload for absent colleagues. We faced the demands head on, one step at a time, and we have all managed to get through Term Two.
It is important to acknowledge the service, hard work, determination and grit of our community. Everything in life that is worthwhile takes effort and perseverance. Life often presents us with hardships along the way that tempt us to give up. We build resilience by surviving tough times.
We also celebrate the strength of community, of supporting each other when things are not easy, offering to lend a hand when others are struggling and drawing on the spirit of St Ignatius by using our gifts and talents in the service of others.
It has been a demanding term, but I thank staff and students for their hard work. I hope that all members of the community have a restful and energising break and I Iook forward to working with the community again in Term Three.
Mrs Alison Leutchford
Acting Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
PARENT DROP OFF/PICK UP ZONE
Parents are reminded that they are to drive at a safe speed when entering and exiting the campus via the parent drop off zone. The exit driveway crosses the footpath, so please approach with care to ensure all members of the community remain safe.
When exiting the College, please ensure you do not turn right. This holds up the flow of traffic exiting the College.
Thank you for your support in these matters.
TEACHING & LEARNING
Immediate S for Units 1- 4 SACs
Students will receive an immediate S for a SAC when they have demonstrated the following:
- Producedwork that demonstrates achievement of the outcomes
- Submitted work that is clearly their own
- Observed the rules of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the school. (School rules may include, for example, Attendance or Submission of Work policies)
If any or all of these are not satisfied at the time of the SAC/SAT a student can be awarded a Provisional N.
Students can always redeem a Provisional N to obtain an S for the SAC/SAT in various ways. To be awarded an S, students will need to consult with their subject teacher about the best way to proceed.
Application for Accelerated Subjects in 2023
In Term Three our Year 9 and 10 students will be considering their Year 10 and Year 11 subjects for next year.
Current Year 9 Students
A number of you will consider taking on a Unit 1 and 2 subject (Year 11 subject) in 2023. Acceleration requires demonstrated consistently high academic achievement and an ability to take on the demands of an accelerated subject. Therefore, a student will need to be committed to their studies, be well organised and able to meet deadlines. English will be one of the subjects in which the student needs to demonstrate a consistently high level of academic ability. Semester Two reports will be checked for maintenance of consistency in academic effort.
An invitational letter, from the Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning, will be sent out to our students who meet the selection criteria, and their families, explaining the process for acceleration.
Current Year 10 Students
An invitational letter, from the relevant Head of Learning, will be sent out to students currently studying an accelerated Unit 1/2 subject. Acceptance for Unit 3/4 is not automatic. Letters will be sent to students who have been able to sustain a high level of academic achievement and meet the demands of the accelerated Unit 1/2 units. Students will need to re- apply for acceleration and, depending on results, acceleration may or may not continue.
The subject selection process takes place in early Term Three for all of our students and once again students will be asked to complete their subject choices online, with your guidance.
Senior Transition Evening
Our Senior Information Evening for parents/guardians and students, will be held on Tuesday 2 August, 6:00pm – 8:00pm.
More information will be released closer to the date.
Mrs Suzanne Pola
Deputy Principal,
Teaching & Learning
STUDENT VOICE
LAUDATO SI PICNIC
Inspirational students joined the Laudato Si Picnic last Friday 17th of June. They were joined by three staff members including Mr John Tran, Mrs Andrea Groom and Sr Nelia Llanto. With so much gratitude and delight the group were not only given the opportunity to explore the beautiful place of Tarrawarra Abbey and the Sugar Loaf Resevoir in Yarra Valley, but also blest to reflect the words of Pope Francis “Only when we learn to appreciate something will we take care of it. If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple.”
It was truly wonderful to listen to, and enlightened by, the reflections shared by Fr David Tomlins, OCSO regarding the Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti documents. He said that he rightly sees young people as the hope of the future. The basic dispositions of gratitude and respect for the land/environment, relationship leading to practical care for our common home are important. Creation is God’s gift to us, to be cared for. It is home, food, clothing, and beauty to excite our wonder. It is not ours to be greedily exploted, dominated, or destroyed. God loves what he made; we are to love it also. He also added that the earth is “our common home”. This is an important understanding that Pope Francis emphasised, that it was not just an ecological encyclical but making three points: environmental, social and spiritual. Fratelli Tutti encyclical emphasised that we are all members of God’s family; we are sisters and brothers to one another - including/especially the poor, the suffering, the marginalised/those on the fringes. The common good is what we must seek, appreciate and value in them.
David encourages to do practical things to care: do your bit to protect the environment; avoid a “throwaway mentality”; advocate for better ways of living in our country; share and be generous. The day was concluded by the planting of several fruit trees at the Loyola backyard.
Sr Nelia Llanto
Pastorelle Sister
WELLBEING
SPECIAL REPORT: Building Resilience Post Pandemic
Unfortunately, the mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. As many families settle back into pre-COVID routines, there seems to be a pervasive sense of optimism about what lies ahead.
Unfortunately, children and teens are not immune to what is now being termed the “psychological pandemic”. Young people are at risk of not achieving the primary demands of developmental tasks such as procuring independence and identity formation, as well as obtaining and maintaining peer relationships. What kids need most in the current environment is support, understanding, empathy and encouragement from caring adults. They live up or down to the expectations we set for them.
If there is a panacea to the adversity caused by the pandemic, then it is the building of resilience. Resilience is the capacity to face, overcome, be strengthened, and transformed by adversity. Never before have parents needed the skills, the knowledge and the strategies to build resilience in their children as much as they do now. There are 7 integral and interrelated components that make up being resilient that can help young people thrive and develop healthy coping strategies.
This Special Report explores the “7 C’s of Resilience” and includes suggested strategies on how adult carers can best facilitate them. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, 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.
Mr Sal Valentino
Wellbeing & Personal Development Co-ordinator
PERFORMING ARTS
The end of the semester has been a busy time in Performing Arts.
Winter Music Concert
The winter music concert was a wonderful evening which highlighted the diverse range of co-curricular music at the College. All the performers were fantastic; however, the highlights of the evening included the soul band, choir and our senior music ensemble, with individual highlights including Amy Thorley's violin solo, Nathan List on sax and Celeste singing.
Junior Showcase
On June 9th our year seven Drama and Dance students and our year 8 music ensemble class got the opportunity to present some class work to their parents on stage in the Inigo Theatre. It was an opportunity for many students to get on stage for the first time and a chance for our community to see what students have been working on in classes. I would like to thank the following staff for all the work they did to make sure this evening happened when we we were short staffed due to illness. Thank you Matt Mc Farlane, Amy Bryans, Gem Otkay, Andrew Mangano and Peter Keegan. Also a huge thank you to Antonella Dalla-Vecchia and FOPA who also stepped in to help with programs and feeding the masses.
College Musical
The College Musical for 2022, Legally Blonde, is set to be another show of exceptional quality by Loyola College students. The cast and crew have been working hard and they are looking great. A huge amount of work is going on behind the scenes and we know our audiences will love it. As we have added to the season, more tickets have already sold than for any other Loyola Show. There are limited tickets still available so if you're still looking to see this year's show get in fast. The season begins in the second week of the school holidays and extends over two weeks. We wish all involved in this show every success.
Mrs Julie Boyle
Head of Performing Arts
ICT
Crooks Look At Your Social Media Posts
Parents and children who use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to let friends and family know about their holiday plans, or about their birthday or wedding gifts, may inadvertently be catching the attention of would-be burglars.
Don’t be surprised if your next home and contents insurance proposal includes a question asking whether you use social media. Premiums may go up to cover the increased risk of burglary posed by the use of these technologies.
So, especially now with COVID travel restrictions being lifted, if you are about to flitter off to some holiday destination during the term break, don’t tell the world about it through social media channels. You never know who is watching or listening. A safer option might be to email, write a letter, phone, send an SMS text or, if you can, tell them face to face.
When you get the urge for Twitter
To tell the world of your flitter
Remember the crook
Is watching Facebook
Instead, be a phone text emitter.
When you get the urge to gaggle
You don’t want insurers to haggle
So keep holiday pics
From Facebook and twits
And crooks will be kept a-draggle
Mr Victor Dalla-Vecchia
ICT Manager
COMMUNITY
Morning Tours – 2022
Morning Tours for Semester 2 will take place on the following dates from 9.00am – 11. 00am:
- 18th July
- 15th August
- 12th September
- 10th October
- 7th November
Donation of Loyola Uniform – Blazers In Need
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.
2022 Entertainment Books
The LPFA are very happy to continue the promotion of the 2022 Entertainment Book.
If you are interested in purchasing a digital copy (no hard copies) of the Entertainment book, please click the link below:
Please feel most welcome to attend the following:
2022 PWP Meeting
Monday evening – 18 July 2022 at 7.30pm
2022 LPFA Meeting
Wednesday evening – 20 July 2022 at 7.30pm
Next Working Bee
Saturday 24 July from 9am – 12 noon
Mrs Dianna Alonso
Community Liaison Officer
LCAA
The Loyola College Alumni Association (LCAA) hosted the Loyola Captains’ Dinner on Thursday 16 June at Montibello in Montmorency. The dinner was attended by eighteen former College and Vice-Captains, with a great representation of former College leaders spanning the forty-plus years of education at Loyola.
Thank you to Monique Vermeulen (L: 81-86), Charmain Borg (L: 85-90), Charlotte Strantzen Bair (L:89-94), Rebecca Meyer (L: 91-96), John Coghlan (L: 91-96), Adam Barrett (L: 92-97), Michael O'Keeffe (L: 92-97, 09- 12, 17-), Naomi Sheahan (L: 98-03), Rachel Kenny (L: 00-05), Andrew Bressanutti (L: 01-06), Erica Lucci (L: 01-06), Marcello Negro (L: 02-07), Belinda Negro (L: 03-08), Troy Flores (L: 08-13), Dempsey Mills (L: 12-17), Harrison Mills (L: 14-19), Madeleine O’Donnell (L: 16-21) and Matthew Stanton (L: 16-21) for supporting this annual event.
Alumni are reminded to ensure their contact details are up to date to ensure they are informed of LCAA news and events. Details can be updated HERE or contact LCAA Secretary, Monica Agius - phone: 9433 0767 email: lcaa@loyola.vic.edu.au
Ms Monica Agius
LCAA Secretary