Please keep an eye out on PAM, the Loreto College App, website and social media for any scheduled events.
For the full Loreto Events Calendar please visit via the Loreto College Ballarat app or Click Here
Leadership News
From the Principal
Mrs Michelle Brodrick
Last week the Loreto community celebrated Loreto Heritage Day, a significant milestone in our history marking the arrival of Mother Gonzaga Barry and her nine companions to Australia on 19 July 1875. The theme for this year’s Heritage Day was The Courage to Dream, which reflects on the enduring spirit of Loreto and the legacy of these remarkable women who risked so much to succeed in their vision and mission to educate and empower young women.
Yesterday the College celebrated the joy of a Loreto education by taking part in festivities that included class stalls, parades and Loreto’s got talent performances with the theme of Aussie Icons. The stalls raised money for the important work of Mary Ward International Australia (MWIA).
This week our Year 10 students were able to meet with mentor group teachers, Faculty Coordinators and Leadership Team members to discuss subject choices leading into their senior years of Year 11 and 12. There have been numerous events held to support and engage students in their future choices. Thank you to all staff and community members who have been involved. Almost 150 years on from the arrival of the Loreto Sisters, encouraging our students to have the courage to pursue their goals, even if they appear unattainable at first, remains fundamental to a Loreto education.
Over the next few months, that Courage to Dream will be on full display with the launch of our new I am Loreto television commercial, which will commence screening throughout the Olympic Games and Paralympics. I would like to thank all our students and staff involved in the filming and I’m sure you will find it as inspiring as I do.
I’m also pleased to share with you that the College has recently commenced work on a new website project. The new site will provide a more seamless user experience, help our community stay informed and complement our current Master Planning and 150 Years Celebrations planned for 2025. Completion is expected early next year to help launch our 150th year, and I look forward to providing further updates as the project progresses.
I will be taking some leave later this term and early next term. In my absence, the College will be in the capable hands of Christine Shaw as Acting Principal.
School Improvement Survey
A group of parents/carers, students and all staff have the opportunity in the coming weeks to provide feedback about different areas of College life. The survey is conducted annually by Insight SRC on the College’s behalf and the Catholic Education Office Ballarat. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents' perceptions of their daughters’ experience of school. The results benefit everyone by providing valuable information about the ways in which the College can use staff, student and parent input to plan and improve programs and activities.
A random selection of parents/carers will be sent an invitation to participate in this survey. Although voluntary, it is important to remember that accurate and comprehensive feedback is very dependent on parent involvement. In previous years we have not had many parents/carers complete the survey, so I encourage all who are sent the survey to take part.
From the Deputy Principal
Mrs Chris Shaw
Sharing good news stories is a way we start many meetings, and this usually centres around our students; improvement we’ve seen, acts of kindness, development of ideas or strengths on display. Schools are inherently focused on student growth, and we see it every day.
Adele Ryan (Assistant Principal: Learning & Innovation), Kerryn Boyko (Director of Years 10-12) and I have been sitting with Year 12 VCE students and discussing their goals and aspirations. Completely voluntary, the objective of these meetings, (whilst based on study scores for an ATAR), essentially meets the students where they are at, exploring what they hope to achieve and understanding how we can help guide them in growth. Aspirations vary from known University courses to vocational training or gap years. The most common thread we are seeing is that students are more capable than they give themselves credit for. We are guiding them to use their strengths back in the classroom, to self-analyse their study habits and to seek out the support structures they can build on and to be aspirational. Primarily we are reminding them that to grow they need to make use of their best resource – their teachers. English help and Maths help are available to all our VCE students, and we encourage them to attend and speaking to all their subject teachers, taking responsibility for their own learning.
The beginning of term Felicity Knobel (Assistant Principal: Faith & Identity) reminded us of the importance of our 150 year history and the growth we’ve seen across all of those years at Loreto. Professional development sessions, tailored specifically for our teachers, continued the exploration of learning and innovation within our context. Expertly led by Adele, staff collaborated in discussion of instructional practices that support our students through each learning phase, aligning actions with research findings from the Australian Educational Research Organisation. This was then followed by our Professional Learning Community TeachMeet sessions, presented by a variety of staff on engaging topics which were rich learning opportunities for us all. Thank you to our amazing educators who willingly shared their knowledge and practice and to Kim Goodwin Watson (Director of Staff Engagement) for her organisation of these sessions.
Our growth is multi-dimensional and every day we can focus on ways to develop. As I write and am pondering what I will wear for this year’s Gonzaga Barry Day. With Aussie Icons as the chosen theme, I am hearing lots of conversations about what people will wear. Whilst not a fan of dress-ups generally, I’m working on my costume and growing my courage to join in and salute a true Aussie icon. I can’t help but wonder what Mother Gonzaga would think of our efforts and I’m not sure if Gonzaga ever took up Australian citizenship – but I know for all of us here at Loreto Ballarat, she must be honoured as our most famous Loreto Aussie icon!
From the Assistant Principal: Faith & Identity
Ms Felicity Knobel
Gonzaga Barry Day
It is no secret that one of my favourite Loreto values is Felicity. Not only is it a great name, its meaning is happiness and joy Gonzaga Barry Day encapsulates this value for our Loreto community.
We are a blessed community that has benefited from the strong women that developed a model of education that ultimately said that women in time to come will do much. This has not only stood the test of time it continues to be needed, valued and expected in our world. With a history of 149 years here in Australia, we give thanks to Mother Gonzaga Barry for saying yes, to being courageous and together with many other women building something very special that we have the great privilege of continuously building on into the future.
From the Assistant Principal: Learning & Innovation
Ms Adele Ryan
Term 3 involves a number of deadlines for subject selections for 2025. All due dates are regularly posted in Daily Messages on SIMON and students need to check these carefully. You can also check deadlines with your Year Level Coordinators. In choosing subjects for 2025, it is really important for students to listen to any recommendations made by their current subject teachers and to ask questions. Please refer to the Subject booklets that are on the Loreto College website:
Year 10 Supplement Information (to be read in conjunction with Senior Pathways Book)
Senior Pathways Information Book
Our Mentors, Year Level Coordinators and Faculty Coordinators are always happy to support students in their subject selections, so please reach out if help is required.
From the Director of Years 10-12
Ms Kerryn Boyko
We have certainly launched into Term 3!
Our Year 10 students are excitedly future focused, commencing this term with a Subject Selection Expo for our two pathways of VCE-VM and VCE. Federation University, Australian Catholic University and the Highlands LLEN were also in attendance. Week 2 sees VCE-VM applications being submitted for 2025 and students having meetings with mentors to talk over their subject selections for next year, giving consideration to aspirations beyond school such as career and university.
Year 11 students are currently nominating and voting (with the whole school) for our new College Captains and Senate. The year level is rich with character strengths and gifts and we are certainly spoilt for choice. There is a continued focus on the whole person, with interactive presentations this term for the Year 11s about healthy relationships. Thank you in advance to Grampians Health and Ballarat CASA for facilitating these valuable sessions.
Year 12 students have less than 50 days of classes, and are well aware of savouring every last moment. Our Careers Team are busy reminding students about SEAS application dates, University Open Days and engaging in meetings to refine plans for 2025 and beyond. Our Counselling Team will speak to the year level with reminders about self care and coping with stress. We encourage the Year 12s to show persistence with the final coursework and assessment tasks for VCE-VM and VCE.
College News
Gender Forum
A matter that is close to all of our hearts, gendered violence is a crisis that is affecting people across Ballarat and our entire country. On 11 June, our local community rallied together to discuss the issue in a formal setting, with input from students, teachers, businesses, councillors and local members of parliament. Loreto College was represented in fantastic numbers, with passionate students from across year levels. We discussed the root causes of disrespectful and violent behaviour and how they can best be addressed and prevented for the generations to come. In our Loreto community, we founded a group to specifically address the issue, “The Mavericks”. We also wrote a pledge, promising to “never settle for less” and remain determined in the face of adversity and stereotypes.
On 23 July, a few students, accompanied by Mrs Knobel, attended a follow-up session to present these ideas to more members of parliament, including Juliana Addison, Vicki Ward (Victorian Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) and the newly appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behaviour Change, Tim Richardson (pictured here). Activation of student voice and a shared consent curriculum in schools were established as the clearest objectives.
In smaller groups, we discussed ideas including more interaction between schools (especially Loreto College and St Patrick's) and the establishment of inter-school networks (e.g bands, chess clubs and social justice groups) to ensure that students with different interests are catered for. Many students agreed that education surrounding respectful relationships and consent could be delivered in a way that is both more practical and engaging for students (along with being more student-driven).
It was incredibly heartening to witness the energy and drive our community shares surrounding this issue. We can’t wait to see what we can achieve here at Loreto and in broader Ballarat, especially in coordination with local members of parliament.
# ENOUGH 
Sophia Dalton - Year 11
Year 10 News
Ms Emma Kilpatrick (Year 10 Level Coordinator)
Year 10 Work Experience
In the lead-up to subject selections, our Year 10 students recently participated in work experience, venturing to an exciting range of industries, and gaining a hands-on insight into different career areas. With some really interesting experiences, some of our Year 10 students have taken the time to share their experiences:
VCE-VM News
Mr Andrew Blackwood (Faculty Coordinator: VCE-VM)
It’s been great to see everyone back from holidays refreshed and recharged. Let’s have a look at what’s happening in our VM-VCE program for term three.
Hunter Coffee van
Our Hunter Coffee van has a brand new machine which we are very excited for our students to be trained up in and be able to start making coffee and hot drinks for our staff (and possibly soon students) from the van just outside the canteen. Thanks to Karon Farms coffee for supplying and installing the new machine.
VCE-VM Personal Development Skills projects
Our year 11 and year 12 students are currently working on their major projects for Term 3. Our year 11 major project will be a fundraising day at the Little Flower in August to raise money and awareness for the Cancer Council for Daffodil Day. Watch this space for more info. Our year 12’s for PDS have started a project where each second week they’ll be travelling to PS Hobson Aged Care facility to spend some time with the elderly residents and developing intergenerational bonds by creating a Loreto recipe book based on their favourite meals.
VET news
In sport and recreation for term 3 students in year 12 will be running coaching clinics at St Thomas Moore PS and also St Columbas PS as well as looking at strength and conditioning with personal training at Ballarat Aquatic Centre.
In Active Volunteering our students are creating meals to give back to those in need including the Soup Bus and families from various Catholic primary schools including Emmaus and St Alipius PS.
Our Creative Industries students are turning their attention towards House Arts and Arts Fest as the main projects for Term 3. This will involve planning and organizing all of the school events as well as back and front of house roles when they are running.
Learning Diversity News
Ms Ginelle Polanske (Learning Diversity Leader)
Please see below for some really good events/opportunities for families
Performing Arts News
Ms Lindy Crowe (Cocurricular Leader: Performance)
House Arts and Arts Festival
Term 3 is an exciting term for the Arts with our focus on the whole school HOUSE ARTS competition and our Annual Arts Festival performances.
Our HOUSE ARTS theme this year is “Through the seasons” and our 2024 Arts Captains: Ella De Munk, Danika Antonio, Hannah Streulens, Aoise Somers, Zoe Dean, Amber McCarthy, Olivia Jones and Bridgette Andrews have been working since last Term on the Choir, Dance and Art projects which will make up this event. This activity begins in week four, and we encourage students to be thinking about which areas they might like to be involved in. Our HOUSE ARTS competition runs within the school day between Week 4 and 7.
The Arts Festival runs over two nights, Tuesday 10 September and Thursday 12 September and this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to demonstrate their music, performing arts and creative arts skills. Auditions for this event will take place from Week 7, and this year our focus is on group items with a connection to our theme “Through the seasons”. More information about this will be on SIMON in the coming weeks.
This year we have also added and exhibition of creative work that will be displayed in the foyer and the corridors for the week of the Arts Festival until the end of Term. All 2-D mediums including watercolour, coloured pencil, paint, printmaking, photography and collage. We are also looking for any short films or media projects that students may have been working on during the year.
We are looking forward to seeing what our creative and talented students produce for this showcase in 2024. For any queries, please contact Ms Crowe on lcrowe@loreto.vic.edu.au
Co-Curricular Sports News
Mr Liam Gill (Co-Curricular Sport Leader)
Victorian All Schools Cross Country Comp
On Saturday 20 July, we had a great group of 34 students represent Loreto at the Victorian All Schools Cross Country event at Bundoora, producing some outstanding results. All students challenged themselves, tackling a tough course 
Congratulations to Eleanor who came 2nd in the Para U/15 3km! We also congratulate Aria (6th in U/15 4km), Bonnie (3rd in U/17 4km) and Rosie (10th in U/20 6km), who all qualified for the Victorian Team for Nationals. We were also excited to receive two silver medals in the U/17 and U/18 divisions!
BAS Cross Country
Congratulations also to the 40 runners who represented Loreto in the first of the BAS Cross Country races; the Road Relays last Thursday 18 July at Victoria Park. We came away with two first placings in the Senior Division A & B, along with a very solid second placing to Ballarat Grammar in the overall results. We look forward to our next BAS event in two weeks.
BAS Sport for 2024
Please find a link to the list of BAS sports for 2024 below.
Library News
Ms Meghan Douglas (Director of Library Services)
In Term 3, we are fortunate to welcome our Year 7s into the Library for their ‘Lit Laps’ English unit. Library staff collaborate with classroom teachers to model engaged reading of the novel ‘Rabbit Soldier Angel Thief’ by Katrina Nannestad. We love having these enthusiastic groups of young readers in to spend time here, and we also love Katrina Nannestad in our Library! She was a welcome guest speaker a few years ago, and her middle fiction historical fiction novels are always very popular. If you haven’t explored her work yet, add her to your TBR pile as soon as you can.
This year’s NAIDOC Week theme - ‘Keep the Fire Burning: Blak, Loud and Proud!’ - inspired us to shine a spotlight on First Nations authors. Some lucky English classes were able to spend time in the Library exploring this part of our collection, with First Chapter read aloud sessions, and independent reading of other texts. If you’re looking for some great First Nations Australian authors, take a look at our First Nations authors reading list and check out authors like Ambelin Kwaymullina, Ellen Van Neerven, and Anita Heiss.
Our Shadow Judging program continues to spark lively discussion and creative responses, as our group of avid readers “shadow” the CBCA judges and read through and debate the relative merits of this year’s shortlisted novels, in advance of Book Week. In their most recent creative response, the judges spent the session listening to a curated playlist and “painting the unpaintable” as a response to two of the short listed novels - ‘Grace Notes’ and ‘The Quiet and the Loud’ - which both explore the richness that art practice can bring to a life.
We are getting into the Olympic Spirit here in the Library, with screenings of key events at lunchtime and a great display of sports-themed reading material. We look forward to celebrating this event in the coming weeks. In addition, we know that this is a serious point in the year for our Year 12s. We have a wide range of study guides to assist these students as they prepare for their SACs and exams, and we encourage them to make use of these resources. They are available for short term loan - perfect to use over a weekend of study!
Happy Reading!
Library Website: https://libguides.loreto.vic.edu.au/Loreto-Library
Our email: library@loreto.vic.edu.au
Our eBook and audiobook collection: https://loreto.wheelers.co/
Instagram: Follow us @loretoballaratlibrary
Career News
Ms Jodie Howlett (Careers Coordinator)
In this week's Career News:
- Open Days
- Key Event Information
- VTAC Opens 29 July
Finance News
Conveyance Allowance 2024
The conveyance allowance is a form of financial assistance for parents/carers to transport children to and from school in rural and regional Victoria. Allowances are available for public transport, private car and private bus.
In some locations, students are unable to access free school buses. In these instances, students may receive a conveyance allowance to assist with travel costs.
To be eligible for a conveyance allowance, a student must reside 4.8km or more from the College. Application forms are available on the Loreto College website or click on the link below.
Please note that in 2024 parents who successfully applied and received the Conveyance allowance at Loreto College in 2023 are not required to complete a new application form unless their details have changed – address, mode of transport, etc.
However, to submit a claim Myki receipts or statements or other bus company receipts must be received by the end of each term.
For further information visit:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/resources
Any enquiries please email accounts@loreto.vic.edu.au
Any enquiries please email accounts@loreto.vic.edu.au
Community News
Read the latest edition of Our Diocesan Community - community news from the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat.
Communications
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A reminder that our newsletter is now published twice a term.
