1470 Ignatian Newsletter - Friday 14 October 2022
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Presentation Balls
A big thank you to the presentation ball committee for their work in organising the most recent presentation balls. Two balls took place over the recent holidays. It was wonderful to see the students present themselves so well. There was not an untucked shirt in sight! It was a real honour to share the event with student families and it was particularly moving when students elected a special person to dance with. The event ran exceptionally smoothly and I reiterate my thanks for the very hardworking and committed parents who form this committee.
Enrolments
Applications have now closed for Year 7 2024. I am pleased to share that there have been more applications than any other time in the College’s history. This surely is a measure of the wonderful work that our teachers are doing, our open and cooperative students, our strong parent community and the excellent reputation of our College in the wider community. I am grateful for the work done by all in our community to ensure that we are a great school.
Vale Year 12
We have come to the time of year where we farewell our Year 12 students. We are exceptionally proud of what they have achieved over the last six years. As they leave the school, we hope that they remain true to the Ignatian foundations that have been laid at Loyola, to be a voice for injustice, to care for the marginalised and to see God in all things.
We wish them well as they transition to the next stage of their lives. We offer the Irish Blessing for them at this pivotal and significant and emotional time:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sunshine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
We congratulate the newly appointed 2023 College Committee. At our full school assembly next week, the 2022 college committee will hand over their leadership sashes as a symbolic handover of responsibility. We look forward to working in partnership with our new student leaders, to empower them to be a voice for the student body.
The new committee is as follows:
- College Captains - Celeste Murone & Wesley Mills
- Captains of Christian Service - Charlotte Bugeja & Bella Zhang
- Captain of Drama - Maddison Abela
- Captain of Music - Sebastian Kraus
- Captain of Intercultural - Tallulah Harvey
- Captain of Public Speaking & Debating - Daniel Stanton
- Captains of Sport - Hayley Car & Massimo Frisina
- Captain of Sustainability - Mariah Plizga
- Chisholm House Captains - Bethany Waldon & Kam Assaad
- Flynn House Captains - Alana Tarantino & Jacob Glover
- MacKillop House Captains - Jasmine Elzink & Joshua Bland
- McAuley House Captains - Madison Howes & Jason Remi
- Mannix House Captains - Deanne Groom & Adrian Macawili
- Xavier House Captains - Abbey Wilson & Benjamin Grasso
Strong Finish To The End Of The Year
As we move to the end of the school year, I ask for parent support in ensuring that students focus on their learning to prepare for final assessments and exams. Rather than heightening anxiety as we move to this intense learning period, it is better for parents and teachers to focus on making progress through small steps. Effort equals reward.
Alison Leutchford
Acting Principal
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL - EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Expressions of interest are called for vacancies on the School Advisory Council. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Loyola College School Advisory Council may seek advice from the Acting Principal on the process of appointment. Please submit your interest via email to principal@loyola.vic.edu.au
UPCOMING EVENTS
COLLEGE COMMUNITY & ENGAGEMENT
MACSSIS
Thank you to all our families who participated in the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools School Improvement Survey last month. The data is now being collated and we will receive a report from MACS in the next few weeks. This feedback will assist us in planning for 2023.
Awards Ceremony
Our annual awards ceremony will take place on Friday 2nd December. Students who are to receive an award will be informed by November 15th. The night promises to be a great celebration of our year.
Mr Michael O'Keeffe
Director of College & Community Engagement
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
TEACHING & LEARNING
2023 Year 7 Digital Devices Program
The College will run an introductory session for new 2023 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. 2023 Year 7 Parents and Guardians will receive a letter outlining all the details of these important sessions.
Year 10 and 11 Exams and Units 1 – 4 Orientation
Year 11 exams will run from November 11 with English and Language Orals being the first set of exams. Year 10 exams will commence on November 15. Exams will conclude on November 21. Exam timetables and venues will be sent out to students over the next two weeks via email.
Orientation for 2023 Units 1 – 4 will run from November 22 to November 29.
VCE English and Mathematics Final Exam Tips
Our Head of English and Mathematics have sat down with Mr O’Keefe to give some hints on how to achieve well in these exams. Please enjoy the short videos.
Mrs Suzanne Pola
Deputy Principal,
Teaching & Learning
WELLBEING
This Month on SchoolTV - Online Gaming
Games are an integral part of human behaviour. It is normal and healthy for young people to engage in play as a part of their daily lives, including playing games online. And like most activities, online gaming can have both positive and negative outcomes. It can be intimidating and confusing for carers trying to understand a young person’s online experiences, with many considering that staring at a screen is an unhealthy habit. However, the World Health Organisation does believe that as well as the risks, there are also many positive benefits associated with online gaming and these could be key in nurturing bonds with others.
During the pandemic, there was an explosive growth of gaming as people sought much-needed connection during isolation. In the media, gaming often gets bad publicity because most coverage tends to concentrate on the minority of gamers who play to such an extent that it compromises all other areas of their life. However, online gaming can teach young people many skills including teamwork, concentration, communication and problem-solving. It requires a level of interaction and skill from the player; unlike watching television, which is more passive.
Online communities provide opportunities for young people to feel socially connected and have a sense of belonging. At healthy levels, gaming can increase their self-esteem and social acceptance. However, any behaviour, when taken to extreme, can also have a negative impact on a young person’s everyday life. Understanding what your young person experiences online, and knowing the warning signs if they are at risk, will help nurture a more positive relationship with online gaming and help your family find the right balance.
If you are concerned about your young person’s online gaming habits, it’s important to consider a number of factors. This edition will provide strategies in how to deal with any issues you may be experiencing. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always 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.
Mr. Sal Valentino
Wellbeing & Personal Development Coordinator
PERFORMING ARTS
Experiencing Live Performance
One of the important areas of Performing Arts is seeing live performance work. Students get to watch high quality performance pieces where they can be inspired by the skills and creative work presented.
A part of all senior performing arts course is the analysis of performance work, then being able to use appropriate terminology to discuss the nuances of the work and skills they view.
Our students have had the opportunity of late to attend many shows. Our Year 11 Dance students were able to see Hamilton. One of the dance works within this is to be studied in the VCAA Dance study design. Seeing the work live enabled the students to evaluate it more accurately place it in the context of the whole performance.
Our Year 10 and 11 Theatre Studies students were able to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The 'magic' of theatre, and in particular the theatre technologies employed in this work, will be deconstructed in class as they evaluate the compositional elements of the performance.
Our Year 11 Drama students and Music students are going to attend Come from Away. This show incorporates sound and uses song in an imaginative way.
We don’t always need to go out to watch live performance, however, as our own students are creating performance work which will be showcased in the Inigo Theatre. In fact, our two classes of Year 9 Drama students will attend and evaluate the performance put on by the year 11 Theatre Studies class, Wolf Lullaby.
Finally, our Year 10 Theatre Studies class will present a performance of Alice in Wonderland on October 24th at 7pm in the Inigo Theatre. Again, tickets can be booked on the College website.
Mrs Julie Boyle
Head of Performing Arts
ICT
Optus Cyberattack
Over 10 million past and present Optus customers have been affected by the recent massive data breach. Information about the Optus Data Breach (https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/alerts/optus-data-breach).
Whether or not you or a family member has had any private information stolen as a result, this incident is a timely reminder of the importance of securing your identity.
If you believe a cybercriminal may have stolen or may be trying to steal your identity, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) provides the following guidance:
Visit the IDCARE website (https://www.idcare.org/) and complete the Get Help Form (https://www.idcare.org/contact/get-help#) or call 1800 595 160 to access IDCARE’s Identity and Cyber Security Case Managers.
IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity support service. An IDCARE Identity and Cyber Security Case Manager can work with you to develop a specific response plan for your situation and support you through the process. IDCARE’s Learning Centre (https://www.idcare.org/learning-centre) is also a key resource to learn how to prepare, prevent, detect and respond to identity and cyber security concerns.
If your identity has been stolen, apply for a Commonwealth Victims' Certificate (https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/criminal-justice/cybercrime-identity-security/identity-protection-recovery) - a certificate helps support your claim that you have been the victim of identity crime and can be used to help re-establish your credentials with government or financial institutions.
Mr Victor Dalla-Vecchia
ICT Manager
COMMUNITY
Morning Tours – 2022
The final Morning Tour for Semester 2 will be take place on the following date from 9:00am – 11:00am:
- 7th November
Presentation Balls
In the first week of the holidays, 80 students participated in the Presentation Balls at the Manor in Epping. After weeks of dance rehearsals, all the hard work paid off, as the students did a great job in displaying their dancing skills. A fun night was experienced by all those in attendance. Bby far, my personal touching moment is when the students request the hand of a special person to join them on the dance floor, the beaming smiles on the grandparents / parents is just priceless. I would like to thank the Presentation Ball Committee who volunteer so much of their time in organising this event and ensuring the success of this very important event. A special thank you to Head Co-ordinators, Kellie Waldon and Natasha Mills.
As Good As New Uniform Sale – Friday 25 November at 5pm
Loyola College will be holding another as good as new uniform stall on Friday 25 November at the LPFA Community event in the foyer of Loyola Companions Hall. Good quality clothing will be sold to families. All money raised will go to Charity.
2022 Entertainment Books
The LPFA are very happy to continue the promotion of the 2022 Entertainment Book.
2022 LPFA Meeting
Wednesday 9 November 2022 at 7.30pm - AGM
All members of the Loyola community are invited to the LOYOLA COLLEGE LPFA AGM MEETING
Wednesday 9 November 2022 - Old Loyola (follow signs once inside) at 7.30pm
The Loyola Parents and Friends Association Annual General Meeting
- President’s Report
- Treasurer’s Report
- Property & Maintenance Report
- Elections*
- Other Business
*Nominations are invited for all executive positions
Mrs Dianna Alonso
Community Liaison Officer
LOCAL COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Weekend
“Live Your Best Life in Love”
This experience gives married couples the tools to keep your passion alive in a gentle, nurturing environment, away from pressures and distractions of daily living.
The weekend is based around Catholic values but couples of all faiths are welcome.
Please check our website for more details.
22- 23 October 2022 at St John Bosco, Niddrie
(Book early to avoid disappointment)
Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or
Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au Website: wwme.org.au