1488 Ignatian Newsletter - Friday 15 September 2023
Principal's Report
Term 3 has flown by and the September school holidays are at our doorstep. Across the term there have been so many opportunities to come together and celebrate the gifts and talents of our students.
ACS All Stars and ACS 25th Anniversary Celebration
Loyola College hosted both the ACS All Stars and the ACS 25th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday 6 September. Both events were exceptionally successful. I congratulate those students whose commitment and sporting talent were recognised in their newly-awarded ACS All Star status.
Past Principals, Deputy Principals, Directors of Co-curriculum, and Heads of Sport came together in the MPAC to celebrate 25 years of sporting competition through the Association of Co-educational Schols (ACS). It was a great opportunity to celebrate all that the ACS competition stands for: participation, commitment to health and wellbeing, a high level of competition and the encouragement of a lifelong love of sport. The values of excellence, teamwork, fair play, courage, respect, and resilience were reinforced as those that underpin the association.
The event also saw the launch of the 25th Anniversary Digital Timeline. Parents might like to explore the history and look at the photographs available on the digital platform accessed at the link below:
https://acssport.org.au/acs-25-year-timeline-intro-to-2001/
Iggy’s Family Thank-you Dinner
It was a great privilege to enjoy dinner at Iggy’s on Thursday 7 September at the annual thank-you dinner for families. I would like to thank the Year 11 and 12 Hospitality Students for their service to the community. It is such a delight to see them develop their culinary expertise across the school year. I would also like to thank their families, who have supported these students to enable them to make such a tremendous out-of-hours contribution at the College.
Trial Exams
Unit 3 and 4 students engaged in their trial exams in the final week of term, Wednesday, 13 September to Friday, 15 September. These exams are a pivotal part of exam preparation. Feedback from these papers should inform the revision program moving forward. We wish our Year 12 students well as they continue to revise for the forthcoming VCAA examinations.
LPFA Working Bee
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to mulch our garden beds at the Working Bee on Saturday, 9 September. As always, the turn out was impressive and evidence of the wonderful community spirit we have at the College.
Presentation Balls
The Loyola College Presentation Balls will take place in the first two days of the school vacation – Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September. We wish all participants well for this event. I thank the Presentation Ball Committee for their ongoing work to ensure that the night will be enjoyed by our students and their families.
I wish all students a restful break and I look forward to seeing our students back on campus in Term 4.
Alison Leutchford,
Acting Principal
Teaching & Learning
Trial Examinations
In response to student and staff feedback, the Trial Examinations have taken place during the school term (13-15 September). The students can look forward to using the break to recover from a busy Term 3 and prepare for the ever so important Term 4.
This year Year 12 students and parents will receive a ‘trial exam statement of results' from Monday, 9 October. Students will then have sufficient time to address identified gaps and act on relevant strategies and interventions.
Kathryn Wilson,
Deputy Principal, Teaching & Learning
Student Voice
Wellbeing
SPECIAL REPORT: R U OK?Day
Understanding the growing challenges related to mental health among young people is an important consideration. Anxiety, depression and self-harm are all causes for concern. Factors like academic pressure, social media, family dynamics, and societal expectations are contributing to these issues. It's therefore crucial for parents and caregivers to take action early, remove the stigma around discussing mental health, and offer accessible support to address these issues and the wellbeing of their children.
R U OK? Day contributes to suicide prevention year by urging people to invest time in personal relationships and empowering informal support networks to identify signs of distress. We urge all families to take part, emphasising the value of genuine human relationships and reminding everyone to ask the important question, “Are you OK?”
Engaging in R U OK? Day activities goes beyond the classroom; it's a commitment to our students' overall development. By talking openly about mental health, schools create safe spaces where students feel understood, valued, and supported. As parents and caregivers, you can contribute by fostering open conversations, normalising feelings and breaking down mental health stigmas. Participating in R U OK? Day promotes compassion and shows our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community, reaffirming that together, we can truly make a difference.
This Special Report provides guidance on how to talk to your child about mental health and engage in meaningful discussions. 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 consider seeking medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report https://loyola.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-r-u-ok-day
Sal Valentino,
Wellbeing & Personal Development
Sport
Recently our winter sport seasons concluded. We had a number of teams in the Grand Finals and some outstanding come-from-behind victories.
The Senior Girls 1st and 2nd Basketball teams completed their excellent season with a premiership, just one loss between them. The senior girl’s Futsal team also won the premiership with just one loss during their season.
The Year 7 Football team came from behind in the last quarter to run over the top of Overnewton by 9 points to claim their first ACS premiership.
An astonishing grand final battle took place at La Trobe University last Thursday, where Loyola’s Intermediate A took on Overnewton. The match was a tough contest which ultimately led to a tie at the end of the four quarters, causing two 5-minute halves of extra time. Nobody scored during the extra time period and it was decided that the game would go to a golden goal. For a further 5 minutes, nobody was able to release the shackles, but it was Dylan Keating who ultimately won the grand final after a beautiful torpedo from 40 meters out sailed through the goals to give Loyola’s Intermediate A team the ultimate taste of glory.
The Intermediate B football team’s win was nearly as exciting, coming from three goals down at three-quarter time, and kicking five last quarter goals to claim victory by one point.
After a very successful season the Intermediate B Basketball team kept the basketball success rolling with another premiership. The girls went through undefeated, and weren’t to be denied in the grand final. They led from the start and extended their lead as the game went on. Whilst the girls were unlucky in offence, their defensive pressure kept them in the game early and once a few goals began to fall, all the girls cashed in with each girl scoring in the grand final. The team was well led by captain Mackenzie Lehman (AMSG) who top scored and intercepted and stole umpteen passes from St Leonard’s. IT was a great end to a great season for the girls
We now switch our attention to the summer season for Year 7 and Intermediates, and the House Sport Competition at the Year 10 level.
Jacqueline Wade,
Head of Sport
Mathematical Association of Vic Games Day
On Monday, 28 August two teams of Year 7 students represented the College in the Mathematical Association of Victoria Year 7 Games Day, with 43 teams representing 22 different schools from around Victoria competing against each other to solve as many maths challenges as they could throughout the day.
The Loyola teams were made up of Team 1: Marco Parpinel (KMLE), Dimitrios Lakkas (XSVA), Sheehan Yelburga (XJGA) and Lucas Mao (XBAM) and Team 2: Andrew Groom (MDHT), Madelyn Wee (KMLE), Oscar Tan (FFCH) and Gurshaan Garcha.
The day was divided into three problem solving sessions. In session 1 the student teams solved a series of puzzles and problem-solving questions with points awarded for correct responses. Session 2 had the students compete in head-to-head games against students from other schools with points awarded based on the number of head-to-head games team members won. The final session of the day was the exciting problem-solving relay. Teams would start with a single problem and once they had the solution would then run it to the judges and if correct would receive the next problem with the aim of solving as many problems as possible in 30 minutes.
At the conclusion of the day Team 2 finished in 7th place overall and Team 1 finished just outside the top 20, both impressive efforts.
The day provided many challenges for our students, but with great teamwork and enthusiasm they were able to successfully solve many problems and are to be commended for their efforts.
Anthony Lynch,
Mathematics
ICT
Our Family’s Device User Agreement
As families head into the Term 3 break, it is an opportune time to consider how technology should best be used in the home.
Some time ago I was privileged to listen to Richard Culatta talk on the theme, “Digital for good: Rethinking our relationship with technology in a post-COVID world”.
One of the things he said that struck me was that, when it comes to children and technology, parents may be focussing too much on the DON’Ts at the expense of the DOs. For instance, we should be teaching kids to be a good cyber friend, rather than teaching them how not to be a cyber bully – in other words, we should be reframing the question as a positive.
So it was great when Richard presented his own family’s ‘Device User Agreement’, which has been reframed in the positive. Here it is for consideration in your family:
- When should you use your device?
- You need to finish your jobs before using your phone
- At mealtimes your phone takes a rest in another room
- When using your phone the door stays open
- What should you do with your device?
- Help us capture family memories
- Use your phone to help you learn new things
- Have fun (read, play games, listen to good music)
- Who should you interact with?
- Stay in touch with your friends, teachers and family
- Let Mum or Dad know before you start a conversation with someone who is not part of our family
- Ask Mum or Dad before sending a picture/video to anyone
- What happens when something goes wrong?
- When you do something with your device that is not in line with this agreement, let us know and we’ll help you figure out how to make it right
Victor Dalla-Vecchia,
ICT Manager
Community
Morning Tours 2023
Morning Tours for Term 4 will be take place on the following dates from 9:00 am – 11:00 am:
- 9 October
- 13 November
Working Bee – Saturday, 9 September
After a very cold day on Friday, the sun came out and it was nice to see around 30 people attending the final Working Bee for 2023. It seemed like the pile of mulch would never end; however, with persistence and lots of hard work, all was dispersed and garden beds freshened up. Thank you to David and Trevor, our amazing gardeners, and Alex for providing such nice food to consume after the morning's work.
Expression of Interest – Stall Holders for Community & Food Truck Event, Friday, 1 December
Loyola College will be holding the annual Community Event on Friday, 1 December.
We are requesting an expression of interest for businesses who may be interested in having a stall at the event. The aim of stalls at this event is to sell products that are potential Christmas gifts. We are expecting over 1000 people to attend this event.
Whilst there is no cost for having a stall, all stall holders would be asked to donate goods from their stall (or make a small financial contribution if preferred).
Set-up would commence at 4 pm and pack-up at around 8 pm.
As we would like to ensure that we have a good range of varied items, please email Dianna – alonsod@loyola.vic.edu.au.
You will then be notified if your stall has been approved.
All stall holders are required to have a current Working With Children Check.
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 overseas students. Donation of blazers and girls' school dresses would be much appreciated.
Please feel most welcome to attend -
2023 LPFA Meeting
Wednesday, 11 October 2023 7.30 pm
2023 PWP Meeting
Monday, 9 October 2023 7.30 pm
Dianna Alonso,
Community Liaison Officer
School Advisory Council
Expressions of interest - School Advisory Council
Parents interested in being part of the College School Advisory Council are invited to put forward an expression of interest to the Acting Principal, Alison Leutchford, via email to the Principal’s Personal Assistant, Natalie Scott (scottn@loyola.vic.edu.au).
Involvement in the Council is an opportunity to offer support and advice on matters such as:
- The strategic direction of the school
- Religious Education program
- Curriculum
- Enrolments and enrolment policy
- School resources
- Improvements in the school
- Annual Report to the School Community
- Family partnerships
Expressions of interest are due Friday 13 October.
New Crossing in Bungay Street
We wish to share some important news regarding the upcoming changes near our school campus. To enhance the safety and accessibility for our students and the community, we are pleased to announce the construction of a new school crossing located near the intersection of Kenmare and Bungay Street in Watsonia. The crossing will be operational at the beginning of term four and will be supervised to ensure the safety of all those who use it.
With the introduction of a new school crossing, there will also be changes to parking restrictions. We kindly request all parents and visitors to take note of these changes and adhere to the new regulations. These changes are aimed at improving the flow of traffic and ensuring the safety of our students. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work to create a safer environment for everyone.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the new school crossing or the parking restrictions, please do not hesitate to contact our school office.