Delagram 30th June, 2023

From the Principal

"Optimism doesn’t mean that you are blind to the reality of the situation.  It means that you remain motivated to seek a solution to whatever problems arise."

Dalai Lama

At our final assembly for the Semester, I challenged our student population to be optimistic and filled with hope for their futures.  I, along with the staff at La Salle Academy, are filled with hope in our school, our community and the opportunities that lie ahead of our students.  We are optimistic that great outcomes and successful post schooling options await our students – if they, themselves believe!

However, I fear we live in a world where pessimism and cynicism if rife.  I asked the students to consider if they are someone that always finds problems with things, can only see the faults in others and can not see the opportunities that are right in front of them.   Do they tend to reflect negatively on experiences, rather than learn from these experiences and be a stronger and more confident person because of it.  For our youth to be optimistic, they must be filled with hope. 

However, having hope alone will not see the realisation of their dreams.  Our students need to understand that they need to work towards these goals.  In doing so, they will make mistakes, they will fail, they may encounter conflict – but this all builds a resolve to keep going, become independent, find a drive and passion, and develop the resilience that we want to see from all of our students. 

This is a timely message, as our reports cards have just been sent home for Years 7 – 10.  It is a timely message because our Year 12 students are about to engage in their HSC Trial exams in Weeks 3 & 4 in Term three.  We encourage all of our students to set themselves academic goals throughout the year.  In doing so, they also need to reflect on their commitment to their academic work, the additional time they put into their study, their engagement in the classroom, their interactions with staff and other students, their ability to be punctual and participate in class.  Work in all of these areas will help students work towards achieving their goals.  If students do not take this responsibility, they might not realise their full potential.  I would encourage all parents/guardians to take the time these holidays and seriously reflect on your child’s results, or for Year 12, your child’s preparations for their trials.  Are they filled with hope, are they optimistic about their future grades and academic outcomes?  What are they doing to address this and how are they maximising their potential? 

We have had a great Semester at La Salle Academy.  Our students have had settled learning environments, consistent academic staff and plenty of co-curricular opportunities.  We have clearly articulated our hope for LSA moving forward and invite our students and our families to be part of this exciting journey that lies ahead.  But for now, we take that breath, the well earned break and we re-charge for another exciting Semester.  I wish everyone a wonderful, restful (and Year 12, purposeful) holiday and I look forward to seeing you all on the first day back at school on Tuesday 18^th July. 

God Bless
Glenn Carpenter

From the Assistant Principal

Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews 

Congratulations to all of our students for the achievements of Term 2. Parents and students can now access their Semester 1 Reports which are available on Compass. Managing time effectively and meeting subject deadlines on a range of tasks can be a great challenge for many of our students. For some, the reports show many examples of success, perseverance and growth and for others the report is an opportunity for some careful reflection. If we are not happy with our results and grades then what do we need to do differently and how we can use the support of our teachers to achieve new goals? We encourage you to have a conversation with your children about their mid-year report and help direct them to discussions and steps that can bring greater success for the semester ahead. 

A reminder that if you are accessing Compass on your phone via the app, you will need to click the ‘view on web browser’ link. From here simply navigate to your child’s report for Semester 1 Report, 2023. 

We are looking forward to welcoming parents and carers to our Term 3 Parent Teacher Interviews will be held for students from Years 7-11 on Tuesday, July 5th from 2.30pm - 7.00pm. Bookings can be made on Compass. If you are having any difficulty please contact the office when school returns and we can provide some assistance. 

Year 12 Trial Preparation Session

Last Wednesday myself and Mr Carpenter hosted a Trial Preparation Session for the Year 12 students. The focus of the session was to provide greater clarity for the students on the NESA regulations for HSC Exams, to explain the assessment and scaling procedures and to give some practical assistance for their Trial Exam preparation. The students can access the slideshow and materials on the Year 12 Google Classroom. The HSC Trial Exams which form up to 30% of the assessment marks for most subjects will be held in weeks 3 and 4 of Term 3. By making use of the next two weeks of holiday time to review previous units and prepare some revision materials students will help create a less stressful start to their final term of schooling. We set out several small tasks for students to attempt which will provide create effective building blocks to a higher sense of achievement and a more positive mindset about the challenges ahead. 

Timetable changes for Term 3

Some students will note a few adjustments to timetables when they return for Term 3. These changes have been made to accommodate the return of Mr Burrell and the conclusion of a part-time contract for Mrs Whybrow along with some temporary classes which were allocated to some staff for Semester 1. The new timetable will be released on the first day of school for teachers which is, Monday July 17th. Students will return on Tuesday July 18th. When making Parent Teacher bookings we encourage you to book with the staff member who wrote the report as they will have the best insight into your son/daughter’s learning thus far. 

Respect: A Whole School Approach -How can you help?

As a school community we have been working hard this year to encourage the students to recognise the value of others and to develop skills which will better enable them resolve conflict in a healthy way and create more positive relationships with others. The focus on RESPECT is aimed at building young people’s capacity to navigate their way through the teen years by being able to focus more on their learning and personal development and not miss out on the opportunities offered at school. We would encourage parents/carers to help to support us in our work by reinforcing that message at home and in the broader community. 

This respect extends very much into the online community in which our students are heavily engaged. At La Salle Academy we want our students to use their social media skills and communications to shift the conversation and shape the world in a positive way! We invite you to take a look at some of the resources available on the eSafety Commissioner’s website and to explore ways that you can shape positive and respectful conversations with young people. 

Office of the eSafety Commissioner - Parent Resources      

Have a wonderful holiday!

Katie Bennett

From the REC

A prayer for Naidoc Week

God of all creation, as we journey together in this Great Southern Land,

We pray for healing, forgiveness, and unity,

Creating a path of good will, with justice and compassion.

Jesus, through the power of your love,

You have given us the courage, wisdom, and strength

To share our gifts and talents in humility.

In peace and understanding we reconcile with each other.

Creator Spirit, we come together in prayer and thanksgiving

For the many blessings we have received.

Allow your Spirit to wash over us and give us strength to walk together as one.

Praise and Worship

This Tuesday our Year Seven students joined with other students in the diocese to take part in a faith formation day ‘Praise and Worship’. The day was facilitated by Father Rob Galea at St Stanislaus School Hall, Bathurst.

During this one day event, Father Rob shared the Good News in a relevant and meaningful way through the use of prayer, song, music, and reflection.

A message from Charlotte
Hey everyone! It's Charlotte, the Youth Minister here. On Tuesday, Year 7 attended a Praise and Worship event with Father Rob Galea and other schools from the diocese. There was lots of singing and digging deeper into our faith. 
The students have provided some feedback! They were asked to answer the question, 'What was your favourite part of today?'
'All the singing and dancing'
'Meeting kids from the other schools' 
'Charlotte's dance moves' 
'The 'Yes Lord' song and actions' 
We are so glad that they all enjoyed themselves!
Charlotte Edwards
Youth Minister 

AgVision

On Wednesday Yr 9, Yr 11 and Yr 12 Ag went to Sydney Showground for AgVision, a Royal Agricultural Society day aimed at "Cultivating Careers in Agriculture". Our students attended some fantastic sessions, including wool classing and handling, livestock breeding, training working dogs (with Farmer Dave), animal welfare, gap years, apprenticeships and farm skills. It was a wonderful way to experience the huge variety of careers available in Agriculture.
We also met up with some fellow Ag students from St John Paul II in Parramatta Diocese.

Mrs Edwina McCarron
Agriculture Teacher

NAIDOC DAY

On Monday 26th June, we celebrated our whole school NAIDOC Day event. The theme for NAIDOC this year is ‘For our Elders’ and we were extremely lucky to have a lot of our local community Elders along for the day. Aunty Judith Harding, Rick Slaven and Karen Brown led the way in opening the day, with Rick performing a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, and Aunty Judith and Karen allowed our Ancestors to see us through the Ochre they painted on our skin. 
We were also blessed to have Uncle Peter Swain, Adam Towney (AT_Culture) and Brett Groves (Bilingarra) for the day. We got to paint a whole school artwork, learn about Aboriginal artefacts, how to correctly throw boomerangs, and learn about connection stories and songlines. 
We finished the day with a Yidaki (Didgeridoo) performance by Uncle Peter and Adam, and a question and answer session. 
Overall, we had an incredible day, and we are very grateful and honoured to have had our Elders and community members along for the day.

Mandaang Guwu (thank you)
Ms Mikayla DeLosa
Aboriginal Education Worker (AEW)

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Year 10-12 Pastoral Care Co-ordinator

At Assembly this week Mr Carpenter alluded to all the activities that the students have engaged in over Term 2, apart from the core activity of learning. Listening to him, I realised that the students of Years 10 to 12 have been very heavily involved in so much that has been happening.

Careers wise, the following opportunities have been given to students…

• Trade Taster Days for Year 10
• Successful Pathways Careers Expo for Years 10 and 11
• Skillset presentation for Year 10
• HSC & Careers Expo to Randwick for Years 10 and 11
• HSC & Careers Expo to Homebush for Years 11 and 12
• Try-a-Trade for Years 9 and 10
• Visit from representative of HVTC and Centennial Coal for Years 10 to 12
• 2 week Work Experience Program for Year 10
• access to online platform “The Careers Department”  for Years 9 to 12
• receipt of information regarding work and study opportunities

Pastorally, Year 10 have spent time together in “retreat” run by the Young Lasallians. Years 11 and 12 have engaged in the Pastoral Care/Wellbeing program, The Learning Curve.
Year 12 recently held a very successful fundraising event, La Salle Trivia Night, which I’m sure will become an annual event. Over $2000 was raised, the proceeds of which will be directed to their charities, Beyond Blue and Breast Cancer Research. Year 12 have advertised their next fundraising event which will be a Krispy Kreme Donut Drive. A notice and order form were published through Compass earlier this week. Order forms are to be returned no later than Monday, 24th July (Wk 2). Donuts will be available for collection in Week 6 of Term 3. More information about the collection process will be posted as the time approaches.
Year 12 will be sitting their Trail HSC exams in Weeks 3 and 4 of Term 3. Unfortunately for them, the next two weeks are not a holiday period but an intensive study period. Mrs Bennett gave a presentation to them this week on the exam process and the scaling of the HSC subjects. She has also given them access to a four-week study planner, which can be found in the “Year 12, 2023 Stuff” Google Classroom. In Pastoral Care this week, I gave them a calendar with exam dates and hints on how to use Atomi for study revision. 
Year 11 will be sitting their Preliminary Exams in the final couple of weeks of Term 3. Having completed two thirds of their Prelim studies, they too are encouraged to spend time in the holidays revising what they have already studied this year.
We look forward in Term 3 to beginning the process of electing our new Student Leadership Team for 2023/24. 

Parents and Carers of Year 10 are asked to be aware that early in Term 3, the process of Subject Selection for Year 10 will occur. This will require parental involvement at both information sessions and interviews about their child’s subject choices. More information to come on this.

I would like to wish everyone a safe and restful holiday.

Mrs Bernadette Hicks
Pastoral Welfare Co-ordinator Years 10 – 12
Careers Adviser

Work experience

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Year 7-9 Pastoral Care Co-ordinator

As we reach the end of another successful term, it is with great pride that I reflect on the accomplishments and efforts of all our Year 7-9 students. The dedication and hard work demonstrated by each and every one of them have truly been inspiring and as their Pastoral Coordinator i couldn’t be more proud. 
As you are all aware, reports for this term are now available to access via Compass. Please take the time to review your child's progress and celebrate their achievements with them. These reports provide valuable insights into their academic performance and overall growth.

Throughout the term, we have continued to acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional achievements of our students. Each week, numerous students have received merit, demonstrating great commitment and excellence in their studies and extracurricular activities. Their accomplishments reflect not only their individual talents but also the supportive environment that exists within our school community.

I would like to publicly recognise certain students who have consistently received recognition throughout the term and have displayed exceptional efforts, perseverance, and dedication to their studies, assessments and our school community. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and commend them for their hard work. 

Achievement Awards (5 Merit Awards)

• Year 7: Beau Hughan, Evie Whittaker, Isaac Bajanov, Dante Fitzpatrick, Blake Griffiths, Ruby Moss, Toby Robinson and Charlie Ryan.
• Year 8: Kaedynce Boyd, Connor Bryne, Jasmin Cole, Lucia De Losa, Patrick Maish, Parker Moloney, Addisen Welsh and Arwen Coombs.
• Year 9: Macy Brown
• Year 10: Ashlee Cooper, Ally Crane, Alirah Dunleavy, Mia Nicholls, Cailin Houston-Case and Alexis McNamara.
• Year 11: Aiden Blackman, Finn Marjoram and Hannah Golan.
• Year 12: Jordan Berry, Audrey Papadatos, Brianna Gee and Will Drengenberg.

Last Tuesday, our Year 7 students had a truly memorable experience as they embarked on a journey to Bathurst. They were fortunate enough to participate in a prayer and formation day run by Father Rob, which brought together numerous Catholic schools from the surrounding areas. The day was filled with enriching activities, music and thought-provoking discussions, allowing our students to deepen their relationship with faith. It was an incredible opportunity for our young ones to connect with their peers, discover the importance of prayer, and strengthen their spiritual growth. We are immensely grateful to Father Rob and all those involved in making this day a resounding success. I even got to sing ‘My lighthouse’ one of my favourite songs off key, while incorporating what I remember to be the actions.  One of my favourite sessions of the day was Father Rob’s reference to our ‘big buts’ that get in the way of our success and achievements. Although the play on words is incredibly funny, the idea behind our ‘buts’ keeping us from achieving our best was not only thought provoking but couldn’t be closer to the truth. Success starts with our belief in ourselves.

As we approach the holiday break, it is important for our students to remember the importance of taking time for themselves. While it is essential to rest and recharge, it is equally vital to engage in activities that bring joy and fulfilment. Encourage your child to explore their hobbies, spend quality time with loved ones, and embrace activities that promote physical and mental well-being.

I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. May this break bring about great food, great company and great joy. We look forward to welcoming all our students back in the new term, ready to continue their educational journey with enthusiasm and determination.

Positive reinforcement changes behaviour for the better, while criticism stabilises negative behaviours and blocks change. 
Virginia H. Pearce

Mrs Wilsmore-Smith 

Year 7-9 Pastoral Welfare Coordinator

Sport News

On Monday, 19th of June 2 teams represented LaSalle in the Diocesan Netball Gala Day, held in Orange. We had a year 7 and 8 squad and a year 9 and 10 squad. The girls began training earlier in the term and gave up their recess to ready themselves under the watchful eyes of Miss Millar, Mrs Bennett and Miss Grace. Both teams played with spirit and determination and most importantly had a great day of netball representing LSA. A special thankyou to the teachers for their time and efforts in training and to Mr Burrell for transporting the team to and from the venue. 

On Thursday, 15th June our under 16 rugby league team began their campaign to defend their 2022 state title! Not all plans go to plan and the team suffered a great deal of injuries and only just managed to scrape together a team to compete on the day. Despite some players playing out of position they were brilliant. The team won their first game against Wellington 12 - 0, their second game against Orange Anglican 34 - 6 and unfortunately lost the final game 18 - 6 against a very smart and well organised Gilgandra High School. Unfortunately this ends the season but the boys never gave up and held Gilgandra to 6-6 with only 5 minutes left. 

On Tuesday, 27th June Emma Rushworth of year 10 competed to gain a position in the Southern NSW Country Rugby League Team. This trial took place in Canberra and Emma  along with another 14 girls represented the Diocese of Bathurst. Emma was close but unfortunately did not gain selection to further compete for a NSW jersey. 

Finally, On Friday of Week 1 Term 3 will be our Athletic Carnival. This will be held here in Lithgow at the Jim Monaghan athletic field. It is a compulsory school event and it is expected that all students attend on the day. The day will have a mixture of both competitive and non competitive races and events as well as a number of novelty style events. The emphasis will be on fun, building school spirit and of course for those wanting to compete and represent LaSalle at the Diocesan Carnival it is a chance to run jump and throw as fast and as far as you can!

"Keeping up with the Year 7's"

Over the past few weeks, a group of students have been writing a student newsletter for Year 7's. The Newspaper, named 'Keeping Up with the Year 7's', was a massive hit as soon as it was printed. The Newspaper Club tries to make it a fun, interesting way to let Year 7's know what's happening around the school. From interviews with Mr. Carpenter to, well, trying to find him, this Newsletter is an engaging way to get to know what's happening at LSA. It was handed out to members of Year 7 yesterday (Thursday). Does your child love interviewing and writing stories? Well, luckily, The Newspaper Club is looking to recruit! Ask Ms. Redden about it at Recess or Lunch or send her an email at b.redden@bth.catholic.edu.au!

Noah Fitzpatrick
Year 7

Year 12 Fundraiser

From the Finance Officer

2023 School Fees
Any family that does NOT receive their School Fee Statement via email is asked to contact the school office to ensure that the correct email address is listed in our system.

2023 Billing Dates
Term 1 billing date 03/03/2023 and instalment due date 17/03/2023
Term 2 billing date 05/05/2023 and instalment due date 19/05/2023
Term 3 billing date 28/07/2023 and instalment due date 11/08/2023
Please note that school fees are charged over the first three terms, therefore no school fee charge in Term 4.

Payment Arrangements
Families wishing to make a payment arrangement can contact the school office. Payment arrangements are made by Direct Debit. Payment plans of up to 52 weeks are available. Please obtain a copy of the Direct Debit Authority Form to set up a direct debit payment.

For your information:
Payments can be made by the following payment options:
Account balances can be accessed on Compass and payments can be made via the Compass app.
BPAY Payment references are printed on the statements.
Direct Debit Forms are available from the school office and a copy is attached below.
EFTPOS is available in the school office and  can be used for payments over the telephone.
Centrepay Forms are available from the CentreLink Office
Please do not hesitate to contact Mary Cassar, School Finance Officer, if you would like assistance with any matters in relation to school fees.

Mary Cassar

July School Holiday Activities

School Zones Reminder

A reminder to all our parents that school zones remain in place for the safety of our children and families. School zones operate on all gazetted school days, which are all the days the school is open, even pupil free days. School zones for our school will end on Friday 30th June and resume on Monday 17th July.

Lithgow Community Sports Day