From the Principal, Ms Judith Potter
The 2016 school year is now in full active mode. I thank all parents and students who joined with the Loreto Sisters, staff and members of Council and Council Committees at The Opening School Year Family Mass, celebrated by Bishop Paul Bird CSsR (Bishop of Ballarat).
It is great pleasure to be cheerfully greeted by students as I walk around the school each day. The Academic Assembly in which we acknowledged and celebrated the academic achievement of Year 12 students and students in other year levels studying Year 12 subjects. The common thread amongst the academic award winners was a commitment to their academic studies throughout their secondary school years within a balanced approach that saw them active in the full life of the school. The excellent speech from the 2015 College Dux, Kate Tinney, highlighted the importance of sustained effort and a steady work pattern. You can read more about this in Ms Linda McDonald’s article.
From information evenings to Year 7 Class Dinners, it has been wonderful to witness the strong support of your daughters shown through your attendance and participation. Working collaboratively, parents and staff can support your daughters, our students, in aiming high and working to achieve all of which they are capable. This includes both the joyous celebratory conversations with your daughers and the challenging and encouraging conversations when these are required. If your daughter comes home and says about any task ‘I can’t “do it”’, please respond that ‘you can’t do it yet. Your teachers are only too happy to assist you to learn how to “do it.”’
Today, Ash Wednesday, marks the first day of lent. The theme of Project Compassion this year is “Learning More, Creating Change”. This year a major focus of our fundraising will be to support the building of the new Loreto school in Timor Leste, Loreto Gari-uai. An Easter Picnic is planned for Sunday, 20 March. The Friends of Loreto (our Parent Association), the Senate and the members of JPIC are taking a lead role in the organisation. Lent is a period in which we turn our attention to focusing on working to support others. I understand the busyness of the lives of all parents but ask that you set aside some time to support the Eastr Picnic. Walking around our wonderful school it is easy to see how blessed our students are with the up-graded contemporary facilities, in every corner of the school. It us thus our responsibility to support our Loreto families in Timor Leste.
The first meeting of the Friends of Loreto is at 7pm on 17 February in the Mary’s Mount Centre. For further information, please contact Mrs Judy-Ann Quilliam (development@loreto.vic.edu.au).
