Leadership News
From the Principal
Ms Michelle Brodrick
It has been a wonderful feeling to welcome back the Year 12s for their final week. The sun was shining on our beautiful gardens for their return which reflected the attitude of students and staff. As I walked amongst them at recess and lunchtime, I could sense the joy the students were feeling being with each other.
The College has had to operate like never before. The year has been filled with lockdowns and remote learning and ‘normal’ school days were not ‘normal’. One difficulty has been the events we have not been able to hold and the gatherings we have not been able to have. Coming together has been something that I have missed and it is easy to understand how the Year 12 students were feeling on their return.
The student leaders have played an important role in creating opportunities for our students to experience events and celebrations despite the limitations. Co-College Captains, Casey Dodd and Maddie Palmer, have shown integrity and determination, as student leaders and also in their own pursuits. Casey’s effort and achievements in rowing have been exceptional. She has been Rowing Leader and a member of the 1st crew for the past two years, leading by example. Maddie has shown her talents in the performing arts, including the outstanding production of A Chorus Line this year as well as many other performances throughout her time at Loreto. One of the most memorable for me was the release of the new Rise Up video that features Maddie and the senior students’ vocals.
Our newly elected Co-College Captains for 2022 are Jaime Sergeant-Crowe and Sophie Boyd. It will be an exciting time to lead the College as we will look forward to being able to gather more often, valuing each opportunity to learn together and strengthen bonds.
I would like to thank the Co-College Captains, members of the Senate, House Leaders and leaders within our Year 12 group. They have truly embodied the values of our College: verity, sincerity, justice, freedom and felicity. I wish Jaime and Sophie, the Senate, House Leaders and all our future leaders a great year ahead.
Congratulations to our 2022 Senate:
Co-College Captains: Jaime Sergeant-Crowe & Sophie Boyd
Senators: Stephanie Mornane, Charlotte Kelly, Flick Jones & Holly Gleeson
House Captains: Sophie Gulbin (Barry), Gemma Hanrahan (Mornane), Lana Dodd (Mulhall) & Bella Clark (Ward)
From the Director of Faith & Mission
Mrs Felicity Knobel
Father’s Day Mass
Our Father’s Day Mass was again celebrated online in 2021. One of my favourite aspects of my job here at Loreto is bringing these celebrations to fruition whether it be online or in person. Watching our Father’s Day Mass and seeing our students participate through readings and singing and sending in messages to their Dads or significant males in their world was truly lovely. I hoped you enjoyed watching as we did preparing. If you didn’t get the opportunity to view our Mass please find the links below.
YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/wnHCd4pwU8g
JPIC Junior
Our JPIC Junior students have recently completed a task in preparation for The Day of the Girl Child. Even in online learning, nothing stops this group. This year we are focusing on ensuring that no girl is left behind in our world in regards to access to digital technologies and education. There were several entries from our students that have been sent for possible inclusion in the United Nations celebration of this day.
Year 7 and Year 8 Let’s Connect Day
This year we are looking forward to again having an opportunity to meet with students at Loreto Toorak. Early in Term 4 our students will have the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with students from our sister school in Melbourne. Our Year 7 and Year 8 Coordinators are busily organising this opportunity so that our students can begin to understand the network of schools that they belong to and also have more appreciation of what this means as they are educated within the Loreto tradition. We look forward to bringing you more details in first week of Term 4.
From the Deputy Principal: Learning & Teaching
Ms Linda McDonald
Year 12 students receive a lovely care package and practice exams just in time
As we prepare for another lockdown here in Ballarat, it’s easy to slip into having negative thoughts and conversations. But instead, what we need to do is to maintain a sense of hope especially when we are talking to our young people. If we maintain a positive attitude, then they will too.
We were blessed to have the Year 12 students back at school even for a short time, it enabled them to catch up with their teachers and most importantly time with their friends. The Melbourne school students did not have that opportunity.
It was lovely to see the excitement and joy today on the faces of the Year 12 students when they received their care packages filled with little treats like Posi socks, well-being candles and diffusers, facial masks, lip balms and other fun things. Many thanks to Linda Kinnersly for helping put these together.
While online classes for Year 7-12 students will continue until Friday 17 September at 2.30pm. It would be important for the students completing Unit 3 and 4 to take some time to rest over the coming weekend. Creating a study plan will assist in keeping them on track over the two-week holiday period.
During the current 7-day lockdown the school library will not be open. However, we hope that in the second week of the holidays the library will be able to open so students can come in and use it for a quiet place for studying and completing practice exams. We will be in touch with parents and students when the library will be open.
Please remember, the plan at this stage is that the students will return in time for the GAT (General Assessment Test) on Tuesday 5 October 2021. Hopefully, we will then have a couple of weeks of revision in preparation for the exams.
College News
Year 8 News
Mrs Claire Canavan (Year 8 Coordinator)
On Tuesday 7 September the Year 8 students were supposed to be participating in a Health Day program with St Patrick’s College. The aim of this activity is to promote mental health initiatives and to provide an opportunity for social interaction. Well, with things as they are – yet again we had to get creative and think about how we could engage the Year 8 students with these important messages, while offering them an opportunity to take a much needed break from their screens and have some fun! So, on this day we ran IMPROVE YOUR MOOD DAY.
We had no scheduled classes on this day. Instead students were offered activities and challenges in three different sessions:
Session 1 – The Creative Self: Bake it or Make it! It is a known fact that there is an important link with engaging in creative tasks and promoting positive mental health. There is scientific evidence that the arts engage the mind in novel ways, tap into our emotions in healthy ways and make us feel good. So in this session students were required to bake or make something that showed their happy place!
Session 2 – The Physical Self: Move it or Lose it! People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also a powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges. So in this session students were required to get up and get active!
Session 3 – The Spiritual Self: Goodness and Gratitude! Spiritual wellbeing relates to our sense of life-meaning and purpose. It can include our connection to culture, community, spirituality and/or religiosity and includes the beliefs, values, mental models and ethics we hold. So in this last session students were required to find their happy place in the happiness of another!
We were absolutely thrilled with the participation on the day, and the positive feedback we got from the students, with close to 140 entries over the course of the day. All in all, it was great fun.
There were six prize winners for the day (randomly selected from the entries for each session) and they were Caitlin McConchie, Amahli Grigg, Freya Cosgriff, Edie Byvoet, Grace Marshall and Dellah Johnston. Congratulations to these girls – keep an eye out in the post for your $30 gift voucher.
VCAL News
Mrs Jill Wheatland (VCAL Leader)
Today as part of the VCAL program and their VET Hospitality Course, the Year 12 VCAL students prepared morning tea for their classmates and teachers to in order to develop their customer service skills further. Their cafe was certainly filled with a variety of customer service scenarios for them to experience and solve! Soon they will also complete their barista course which they practice for today as well.
Arts Faculty News
Ms Stephanie Greet (Faculty Leader The Arts)
Crunch Time for our Unit 4 Artists!
If you are a parent of a Year 12 Arts student, you are probably very aware that there are a number of important due dates and performance exams on the horizon. Students in the Visual Arts have SAT due dates this week and are madly putting finishing touches on their folios and artworks, in readiness for the VCE Curiouser and Curiouser Exhibition opening Monday, October 11. We anticipate that this event, if it goes ahead live in any form, due to Covid restrictions will only be allowed for students and staff. We would like to thank Narelle Mulrooney from the Development Office who is working hard to prepare a virtual exhibition for family and friends to attend - the exact launch date for this yet is to be confirmed.
Performing Arts students are preparing for their upcoming performance exams, first up will be Theatre Studies students who will be performing for examiners Wednesday 6 October. The Dance students will have their performance exam on October 13 and Music exams kick off on October 17 with the last performance exam on October 25. Students would ideally be driving their households slightly nutty with all their rehearsals, costume preparation, set and prop constructions.
We are so thankful that our students have been able to come back on-site to better access equipment and space as finding a dance space and a 5m x 5m rehearsal space can be a bit tricky. Rehearsing at home has been challenging, for the whole household.
If you have an Arts student and they seem pretty chill and not too busy, it might be a good time to have a chat and show some interest in how their work is progressing. A little encouragement right now can go a long way to getting that work completed.
Thanks to all the parents out there who are persevering with keeping their artists going through all the problem solving and creative and critical thinking tension. We know they couldn't do it without your support.
The Arts Activities - Winners Announced!
We received some fabulous entries for The Arts Activities!
Thank you to all who participated, we hope you enjoyed the challenges and found it as an opportunity to relax and enjoy some time way from the screen.
Congratulations to the winners below (Prizes can be collected when we return to face to face learning)
- Perfroming Arts Challenge Week 8 - Recreate make-up design of a character from a movie or tv show.
Grace Toohey – Corpse Bride - Visual Arts Challenge Week 8 – Spring has Sprung - Capture Spring through visual art.
Winner - Remy Clarke
Runner up - Lily Matthews
Humanities Faculty News
Ms Jayne Carrigg (Faculty Leader Humanities)
VCE Humanities Revision Lectures
At this time of year, our VCE Humanities students are finishing their courses of study and starting to prepare for their final exams. To support them in this process the Humanities Faculty has engaged with quality providers of VCE Revision Lectures to ensure that all students are booked into subject-specific revision lectures. These revision lectures provide invaluable tips for revising for the exam and strategies for writing the final exam. The lectures are presented by experts in their subjects who share their insights with the students in a Covid safe format online.
These are the details for the VCE Humanities Revision Lectures:
- Unit 3&4 History: Revolutions – presented by the History Teachers’ Association Victoria (HTAV) on Sunday 12 September, 2021
- Unit 3&4 Sociology – presented by Social Education Victoria (SEV) on Saturday 9 October, 2021
- Unit 3&4 Legal Studies – presented by The Legal Hub – this is a Legal Studies Masterclass – on Sunday 26 September, 2021
- Unit 3&4 Business Management – presented by ACED Revision lectures with the key presenter Simon Phelan – Leader of VCAA Assessors for Bus Man since 2015 is presenting – on Monday 27 September, 2021
Please note that your daughter’s subject teacher will have already provided her with information regarding the above lectures including the relevant login information.
These revision lectures provide a much need boost of enthusiasm and insight into the exam revision process and will greatly assist your daughter in her preparations for the end of year exams. If you have any questions about these revision lectures, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Library News
Mrs Sarah Lane (Library Officer)
The term break is almost here! Usually, we’d be inviting you to come and have a chat with us about all your holiday borrowing needs, however with most students still learning remotely we will instead continue to offer our click and collect service. For those who like surprises or are not too sure what they’d like to read next, we are creating Holiday Book Bundles! Email us at library@loreto.vic.edu.au to secure your mystery ‘Book Bundle’ containing 3-4 titles specially chosen for you by the Library staff.
Keep reading!
Career News
Ms Jodie Howlett (Careers Coordinator)
In this week's Career News:
- 16 quick STEM career challenges to tick off these holidays
- Year 12 – key tertiary dates (September – October)
- Students applying for nursing/midwifery or undergraduate teaching courses
- Upcoming events
Inspiring Women in Tech
Each of the speakers will use graphics as they:
- Explain what they do in their job on a typical day
- Share what they like about their work
- Provide a summary of their career journey summary since leaving school
- Speak about challenges faced along the way & how they tackled them
- Provide a word of advice to young female students embarking on their career journey
There will be an opportunity to send in questions to the speakers toward the end of the session.
The online session joining link will be sent to you within 24 hours of the session commencement.
To register, click here.
Loreto Community Notices
Prospective Families:
Open Day 2021 - Wednesday 13 October, 2021
Open Day is an opportunity for prospective families to experience Loreto College. Enjoy a guided virtual tour of the College grounds and facilities with current students who will also share valuable insight into being a student at Loreto College.
Registration is essential
Year 7 2023 Information Evening
Join us for our Year 7 2023 Information Evening! We welcome you to come along and learn about a Loreto education, our Year 7 program, important dates and to ask any questions you may have.
This event is for all prospective families looking to enrol for Year 7 2023.
Registration is essential as this event will most likely be conducted via an online link.
Events will be conducted according to State Covid regulations at the time.
ReConnectEd Art Project - Diocese of Ballarat
In times where social distancing, isolation and separation have been necessary, let us take time to pause, reflect and look towards the future possibilities with hope. Sharing our experiences and feelings, to know we are not alone and gather strength and wisdom from each other.
Art in all mediums provides the opportunity for students to explore and express some of their feelings, worries and fears in a powerful and engaging way. It also acts as a mindful and relaxation activity. Catholic Education Ballarat invites your child(ren) to participate by sending in a drawing, photo, poem, short stories, song, painting, or small clip inspired by the last 18 months and/or looking towards the future.
A selection of the works will be displayed via an online art exhibition for Mental Health Week later in the year.
For more information on how to submit artwork and submission closing dates, please download the PDF below.
MENtal Brekky
St Patrick's College Ballarat invites you to our annual MENtal Brekky on Friday, October 15 from 7am in the St Patrick's College Old Collegians' Pavilion.
The MENtal Brekky helps raise money for the Chris Yeung Fund which supports families in our community where the father is suffering mental illness.
Tickets for the breakfast are now on sale at $50 per person and can be purchased at the following link: www.trybooking.com/BRVZI
In the event of numbers being restricted due to COVID regulations, those who purchase their tickets early will have priority access to the event.
Drummo Dragons Basketball Club - Register now for Summer 2021/2022 season
Drummo Dragons Basketball Club has opened registrations for the upcoming summer 2021/2022 season. New players welcome!
We are a community focussed club who offer playing opportunities for children of all abilities. We train at both Delacombe Primary School gymnasium (u8’s and u10’s) and St Patrick’s College gym for our u12’s up to u21’s.
Drummo have opened registration opportunities for the summer 2021/22 season for new and existing players with a discounted club registration fee (our acknowledgement of the hardship our community faces due to COVID-19).
Registration link: https://www.playhq.com/basketball-victoria/register/94b777
For further enquiries please contact drummodragons@hotmail.com
Check us out on www.facebook.com/drummodragons, or www.drummodragons.com.
Finance News
Conveyance Allowance 2021
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.
Important Dates
Due to the unpredictability of the current COVID-19 situation, please keep an eye out on PAM, the Loreto College App, website and social media for any updates to scheduled events.
For the full Loreto Events Calendar please visit via the Loreto College Ballarat app or https://pam.loreto.vic.edu.au/Login/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f
Friday 17 September
- Term 3 concludes
Monday 4 October
- Term 4 commences
Tuesday 5 October
- GAT