1491 Ignatian Newsletter - Friday 10 November 2023
Principal's Report
We are travelling swiftly through Term Four. The VCAA examinations are almost over, and our Year 10 and 11 students are starting to prepare for their examinations.
Prayer for peace
I was particularly moved by an email sent to me by a Year 11 student. The student communicated that she thought it very important for our college to recognise the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the suffering that is taking place in these countries. She stated that she thought it very important that our community understands how fortunate we are to live in a place like Australia while thousands of innocent civilians, children, babies, men and women die every day in the Middle East due to the ravages of war.
I spoke to this at our College Assembly. Without taking a political side, I challenged our students to be advocates for peace. While we at Loyola cannot impact the war in the Middle East, we can be beacons of hope in our own schools and communities. Peace starts with individuals, respecting others.
Some parents may remember that prior to the COVID-19 remote learning period, Loyola College hosted a number of teaching interns from Bethlehem University. Brother Peter Bray from Bethlehem University sent an email to communities in Australia who have built a positive relationship with the university. I share some thoughts below.
Since the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, people in the Holy Land started to lose hope for peace and for a better future. The economic system is collapsing at an increasing rate. Bethlehem went from having fully booked hotels to a completely shut and empty town. You can imagine the impact of this war on Palestinian families who depend on tourism. The least we can say is that it is catastrophic. Consequently, many of our students from families linked to the pilgrimage and tourism sector are unable to pay their tuition and we continue to support them with what we receive from friends and supporters like you.
Here at Bethlehem University, we stay focused on doing what we can, with what we have, here where we are! There is so much we have no control over, but we keep in mind what this university is all about, certainly not politics, but education. We strive to educate the minds and the hearts of the students who are entrusted to our care and stay faithful to our vision, mission, and values.
At Loyola, we are also about education and understanding. I share with our families the prayer of St Francis of Assisi, which will be familiar to many, particularly those students in McAuley House. May we all be instruments of peace, in our own lives and in the relationships, we share with others on a daily basis. Please keep those who are suffering in your prayers.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
New Website
We are very excited to announce that a new and improved Loyola College website will be launched next week. It is with great pride that we invite our families to explore the new aspects of the site. The new design offers smooth transitions, easy navigation and updated content. The website gives a comprehensive overview of our Mission and Values, access to policies and school portals and highlights significant aspects of our co-curriculum, wellbeing and learning programs. The website will be a great resource for our current and prospective families.
I thank Mr Matthew Luczek, Director of College and Community Engagement for leading this project along with all members of Staff for their contributions to this development. Their hard work, creativity and commitment to the College are appreciated.
Forthcoming Events
I remind parents of the following dates:
- On Friday, 1st December the College will host its annual Christmas market and Community Carols event. Two Wolves Hub will be set up to include market stalls, food vans, tables, and chairs. There is ample free entertainment provided for families as they enjoy their dinner. The carols are always a great show of community spirit, and the grand finale will be a wonderful light show.
- The Loyola College Awards evening will take place on Wednesday, 6th December. This is a wonderful celebration of a wide range of achievements within our college community.
Alison Leutchford,
Acting Principal
Ignatian Mission & Identity
"In Flanders Fields" is a rondeau written by the Canadian poet, soldier, and physician John McCrae. McCrae wrote the poem in 1915 as a memorial to those who died in a World War I battle fought in a region of Belgium known as the Ypres Salient. McCrae himself treated many of the soldiers injured in that battle and was particularly moved by the death of a close friend, Alexis Helmer. The poem describes the tragedy of the soldiers' deaths, as well as the ongoing natural beauty that surrounds their graves. It also addresses the question of the next generation's responsibility to carry on the soldiers' battle.
DIAMOND VALLEY DEANERY
MASS TIMES
Our Lady of the Way Parish, Kingsbury
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil | 6:00 pm |
Sunday | 8:00 am & 10:00am |
St Francis Xavier Parish, Montmorency and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Eltham
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil – Montmorency | 6:00 pm |
Sunday | 8.30 am (Mont) 10:00 am (Eltham) |
St Francis of Assisi Parish, Mill Park
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil | 5:00 pm |
Sunday | 9:00 am |
10:30 am | |
5:00 pm |
St. Damian’s Parish, Bundoora
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil | 5:30 pm |
Sunday | 8:00am & 10:00 am |
St Thomas the Apostle Parish, North Greensborough and Sacred Heart Parish, Diamond Creek
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil | 6:00 pm (Nth G) |
Sunday | 9:00 am (DC) |
10:30 am (Nth G) |
St Mary’s Parish, Greensborough
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil | 6:30 pm |
Sunday | 8:00 & 10:00 am 5:00 pm |
St Martin of Tours Parish, Rosanna/Macleod
Day | Time |
Saturday vigil | 5:30 pm |
Sunday | 8:00 am & 10:00am |
Adam Calderone,
Deputy Principal, Ignatian Mission & Identity
Teaching & Learning
VCAA examinations
As parents of our Year 12 students are aware, the VCAA examinations are in full swing,
Our students have been exceptionally well-prepared. The College staff and entire community have been working tirelessly to provide students with the resources, guidance, and opportunities they need to excel in their studies. It is evident that our collective efforts are paying off, as our students have demonstrated outstanding preparation and commitment for their exams. I wish to thank those parents who have supported and given up hours of their time for their children. We hope their results at the end of the year reflect their hard work, dedication, and commitment to academic excellence.
Good luck to all our Year 12 students for the remainder of your examinations.
End of Year Examinations (Year 8-11)
The dates for all examinations can be found below.
Year 11 | Year 10 | Year 9 | Year 8 |
Fri 10 Nov – Wed 22 Nov. | Tuesday 14 Nov - Wed 22 Nov. | Fri 1 Dec – Tues 5 Dec | Mon 4 Dec – Tues 5 Dec |
Further details have been issued to parents. A summary can be found below.
Absence
- Absent students are required to have a medical certificate and given to their Programs Coordinator.
- Students who fail to attend an exam and cannot show a medical certificate will receive 0% (NA).
- If a student misses an examination, they are welcome to collect the relevant examination from Ms Freeman (OL127) after the examination window.
- Whilst staff are not required to mark the exam, they will provide feedback if requested by the student.
Uniform
- All students are expected to wear their full school uniform.
- Students not in full school uniform will not be allowed in the examination and will be directed to go to the iCentre to complete revision.
- These students will then be required to complete any examinations they have missed on 6 December at 1.30pm.
- Failure to attend this session will result in 0%.
Equipment
- Water bottles and pencil cases must be clear.
- Mobile phones will not be permitted. Any student found with a mobile phone will receive 0% for that examination.
Orientation
Orientation for 2024 Units 1 – 4 will run from 23 November 30 November. Further details will be issued in the next edition. Any subject changes made by students will be reflected in the Orientation week timetable.
Booklist Provider
As already mentioned in a previous Ignatian edition, the College has moved from Campion to Box of Books for the provision of physical and digital resources. Parents will now be able to recycle physical books from siblings or purchase second hand physical books (as long as the book has not changed). Students can already access the Box of Books icon on their LMS. Further details will be sent to parents once subject preferences have been confirmed.
As part of the College’s eBook levy, Year 7-9 students will automatically receive digital resources for English, Maths, Science, Humanities and RE and will not be required to purchase them.
Awards Evening
Our annual Awards Evening will be held on Wednesday 6 December in the Loyola Companions Hall.
Kathryn Wilson,
Deputy Principal, Teaching & Learning
Student Services
Processes When Investigating Diagnoses
As the broader community becomes more familiar with neurodiversity and the notion that neurological differences between people should be recognised and respected, schools are seeing a rise in the number of students and families investigating diagnoses. At Loyola, the Student Services Department supports this growing number of students through case management, advocacy, academic adjustment, assessment provision, and counselling where appropriate. If you are investigating a diagnosis such as ADHD, ASD or a Generalised Anxiety Disorder for your child and require teacher input into this action, the College has some processes in place to ensure this is done uniformly and fairly. Accuracy of information gathering, and the time teachers must take to complete lengthy questionnaires and screeners needs to be co-ordinated. We request, therefore, any documentation shared by an external specialist for diagnostic purposes be sent to the Head of Student Services at husseyk@loyola.vic.edu.au This will be followed up with further contact and the screeners disseminated to the appropriate, agreeable staff members before being forwarded directly to the treating external professional.
Please do not directly approach subject teachers with questionnaires or screeners relating to your child’s presentation in class. It is very important for the department that oversees student support be aware of those undergoing a diagnostic process in order to initiate adjustments and supports efficiently and accurately.
Kelly Hussey,
Head of Student Services
ICT
Cybersafety Part 10: Protecting personal data in the digital age
We live in a ‘Brave new [digital] world.’ How can you be sure that news items, social media feeds and advertisements you receive on your phone and browser are not part of a highly orchestrated attempt by state or private actors to influence your political or social views, not just your purchase preferences?
Governments across the world are concerned about the unprecedented volume of user information companies like Facebook and Google collect and the risk that this data could be monetised and used by third parties for targeted advertising or scams (no doubt many of you have been getting scammed off the back of the Optus and Medibank Private data breaches), or by nefarious actors to influence the political or social decision making of unsuspecting people.
Australian and New Zealand governments would dearly like law enforcers to be able to police the algorithms companies like Facebook and Google use to determine what shows up in search results and newsfeeds, and be able to see the encrypted text messages exchanged between criminal organisations under investigation.
In this brave new digital age, our personal data is a commodity which we are increasingly forced to hand over to corporate interests in exchange for increasingly essential services. Our hapless selves at one end, the data behemoths at the other, and our elected leaders floundering the middle trying to stem the privacy degradation flow.
Add to this concern, your mobile phone is possibly listening to your every word and sending back data that is being mined for targeted advertising. Or consider the Orwellian prospect that your digital footprint could, as is being experimented with in China, be used along with facial recognition technology to build a social credit registry. The system rewards with social benefits those who act as good citizens and takes social benefits away from those who are not deemed to be acting in the best interests of society.
Then more recently, add AI: the era of ‘deep fake’ impersonation for political, commercial or social gain, and the increased risk of data breach from your personally identifiable information (PII) being triangulated from disparate data sets (including prompts you add into generative AI apps like ChatGPT) by cyber criminals/state actors.
What can we do to protect the privacy of our personal data, some of which we have control over, but also other data that is gathered without our knowledge or consent? How can we protect ourselves against our personal data being harvested for social manipulation or commercial exploitation? Regulation and legislation are one part of the solution, but equally we need service providers to be good corporate citizens and enforce socially responsible rules.
Ultimately, it is up to us to think carefully before handing over our personal data when subscribing to online services, or when using generative AI apps to help us with our everyday domestic or professional tasks.
Victor Dalla-Vecchia,
ICT Manager
Community
Morning Tours – 2023
The final Morning Tour for Semester 2 will take place on the following date from 9:00 am – 11:00 am:
Monday, 13th November
Expression of Interest – Stall Holders for Community Carols & Food Truck Event, Friday, 1st December
Loyola College will be holding this annual Community Event on Friday, 1st 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 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 -
2024 PWP Meeting
Monday, 12th February, 2024 7:30 pm
Dianna Alonso,
Community Liaison Officer