Delagram 11th March 2024
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From the Principal
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Assistant Principal
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From the Religious Education Coordinator
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LaSalle's 2024 Youth Minister
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Library News
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Year 7-9 Pastoral Care Co-ordinator
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Sport
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Chess
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Wallerwang Soccor Team Registrations
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Netball Players Needed
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LINC Activity - Trading Games
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Free Autism Workshop for Parents and Carers
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Basic Student Stationary Pack
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Canteen- Flexischools App
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School Zones Reminder
From the Principal
The pope asks us to reflect: ‘do we bear witness to God-as-love? … do our communities bear witness to this? … Do we always leave the door open, do we know how to welcome everyone – and I emphasise, everyone – as brothers and sisters?
Excerpt from the Parish Weekly Bulletin by Nick Brodie
In reading this week’s parish bulletin, it prompted me to consider whether we as a community bear witness to God-as-love? We make every effort at school and I am sure at home to create a environment where we all teach the morals and values of being inclusive, welcoming and non-judgemental. However in our modern society, we as responsible adults can not bear witness to the multiple technological platforms that our children use in their engagement with others, and this is where I think we, as a community, fall down. The e-safety commissioners office reported that 44% of our youth have had a negative online experience within the last 6 months and that 15% of our children have received abuse or threats online. It is easy to engage in this behaviour when you can do it at anytime, without supervision, and without the immediate threat of consequences. For us to welcome everyone and to bear the love of our faith, this remains one of our biggest challenges. I encourage all parents/guardians of our La Salle Academy community, like I do with our staff, to visit the e-safety commissioners website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents and learn more about what we all can do to create a better social environment for our children.
This is just one issue that we need to address in the coming months and years. Some more immediate concerns that I would like assistance with are our uniform and school drop/pick up.
School Uniform
There are four main areas of concern with our uniform currently that students are not following: correct shoes, wearing of school ties, nose piercings and school sport shorts. I would remind all families that a condition of enrolment for all families was adherence to our school uniform policy. These issues have not changed since any of our current students have enrolled. I am often challenged about why we have such a focus on uniform at the school. This is a response that I provided students with at assembly last Friday:
School is more than just your academic learning:
- You learn in the playground how to develop friendships, manage conflict and navigate social issues;
- You learn through our faith and religious experiences about social justice ventures and how/why we should advocate for those less fortunate;
- You learn through work experience and career opportunities about whether the workplace expectations meet your interests and skill;
- With your uniform, you learn to adhere to workplace health and safety practices, company uniform policies and societal expectations. You maintain the good standing of the school in our community that will assist you when you look for post schooling career opportunities. And, on a more practical note, it helps identify our student on and off school grounds, and particularly in an unfenced school site.
School Shoes: The school diaries very clearly articulate the expectation with shoes (the expected shoes are pictured with a green tick). The picture in the diary is the only version that will be accepted. Given that many families have purchased shoes at the start of this year that might not meet this standard, we will have a grace period until the end of Semester One (July). From the commencement of Semester Two, students will not be permitted in practical classrooms that have WHS risks attached to the type of shoes worn.
School Ties: School ties should be worn all day every day with the formal uniform.
Nose Piercings: Nose Piercings are not permitted. Those that do have a nose piercing can change them for a clear stud. Students who do not have a clear stud, will have their nose piercings confiscated.
Sports Shorts: A number of different types of sports shorts are being worn without any notification from the parent/guardian. Students who are wearing the wrong sport shorts will be asked to change into spare shorts provided at the office. Students who fail to bring the shorts back the following day will be charged for the sports shorts on their school fees.
School Drop Off / Pick Up
One area of the school that is of a critical upgrade is our traffic management processes. The school has been engaging with the Catholic Education, Diocese of Bathurst facilities and projects team as well as appointed architects to look at improving this space through a master plan. The school has also been working with the Lithgow City Council, NSW Transport and Lithgow Buslines to look at ways in which we can improve our traffic management systems. With that being said, this process does take time.
One of the biggest areas of concern is student accessibility to our site and the dual nature of the road (pedestrians and cars/buses). I would like to ask for our communities support in not accessing our driveways if it is not needed, so as to increase the safety of our students as they enter and leave school grounds. Our students are already navigating an entry/exit with staff and senior student cars and buses – if we could reduce any further congestion this would be greatly appreciated.
What’s next?
The coming weeks remain a busy time for the staff and students at La Salle Academy. We wish our Year 7 & 9 students the very best as they start their NAPLAN testing this week. A reminder to all students and parents/guardians – we want all students to try their very best – there is no more pressure than that. We use the information from this testing to inform us about how your child is travelling and what additional supports or areas of focus we need to consider to enhance their learning further.
The Lithgow show is on at the end of the week and I thank our administration and agricultural teams for their preparation in supporting the Lithgow Show Society and promoting our school. I hope to see you at the show on Friday night.
I wish St Patrick’s Primary School community a wonderful feast day for St Patrick on Sunday 17th March. They will be celebrating their mass on Friday and we hope to have representation at this wonderful celebration – I might have slight bias here!
Just a reminder to any prospective Year 7 families for 2025. Our enrolments have opened, enrolment packs can be taken from our office – this will close at the end of term. We are looking forward to having our Year 6 Taste of Secondary School day on Tuesday March 26th followed by a parents information night that evening.
As always, I would like to thank our staff for their contributions to camps, yearbook production, promotional activities, excursions and activities, masses/liturgies and faith formation practices, fundraising. All of these things are done further to their responsibilities of teaching in the classroom. Their continued hard work and dedication is providing the enriching experiences that builds character in your children.
Finally, I ask that our community keep Father Reynold in our prayers and thoughts. Father Reynold has returned home to the Phillipines to support some members of his family who are having some health difficulties at the moment. We ask for God's healing influence to support Father Reynold and his family through this time.
Have a great week.
God Bless
Mr Glenn Carpenter
Assistant Principal
Another two weeks have flown by, and it is incredible to think that we are already up to week 6 of term 1! We are past the halfway point and many students would be getting stuck into their assessment tasks for the year. Year 12 should have already completed or be very close to
completing their second HSC assessments which will contribute towards their mid-course report which will be distribute at the end of this term. It is important that students check in with their teachers if they are unsure about what they need to do in assessment tasks. It is far better to ask ahead of time rather than get it completely wrong at submission time.
Uniform
The uniform is improving but we still continue to have some issues regarding facial
piercings, which should be clear and the LSA PE shorts. For students not wearing the correct
shorts, we have spare shorts in the office for students to wear and if they are not returned the
cost of the item will be added to the school fees.
There also seems to be some confusion regarding practical subjects and the schools shoe
policy. Students studying any practical based subject in TAS or a Science subject need to be
wearing leather shoes when participating in practical work. If students are following our
school uniform policy, they already have the correct shoes. For days when students also have
PE, they are expected to bring their shoes with them.
Subject Changes
Students in Stage 5 & 6 will no longer be permitted to change subjects and electives after this
week to ensure that course hours are being met.
NAPLAN for Year 7 9
NAPLAN is fast approaching for Year 7 & 9 students in Writing, Reading, Conventions of
Language and Numeracy. We will commence the tests on Wednesday 13 th March to Monday
18 th March. A timetable has been distributed to parents and students this week, through Compass.
There have been a number of amazing activities that have been organised for our students
recently especially for our Year 7 and 8 sport groups where for the first time we gave our
students different choices for their double sport lesson every second Friday. Fishing at Wang
Dam has been very popular and the space just outside my office resembled a fishing tackle
shop last week with all of the fishing gear students brought with them to try their luck at
catching a trophy rainbow or brown trout. This has been well organised by our Sport
Coordinator Miss Millar and supported by our excellent sport/leisure teachers from all areas
of the school.
Mrs Jenny Holgate
Assistant Principal
From the Religious Education Coordinator
As we approach the vibrant celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I am excited to announce that our school will be hosting a special stall for students and staff during recess on Friday, 15th March. We invite our creative students to contribute to this festive occasion by making or baking something with a touch of green to sell at the stall. It's a wonderful opportunity for our school to come together and share in the spirit of generosity. Payments can be made on the day via cash or card, with all proceeds directed towards Project Compassion, a cause that reflects the compassion and kindness at the heart of St. Patrick's legacy.
It is important to take a moment to reflect on the significance of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. His life exemplifies the power of faith, resilience, and the commitment to serving others. As we honour his memory, let us draw inspiration from his journey and strive to embody his virtues in our daily lives.
I am also pleased to share an update on our ongoing efforts to support Caritas's Project Compassion program. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we have already raised over $700 towards our $1000 goal. This achievement showcases our dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of those in need. For those who wish to contribute further, you can simply scan the QR code below to make a donation. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us move closer to our goal of creating a more compassionate and equitable world.
https://schools.projectcompassion.org.au/o/la-salle-academy-lithgow
With warm regards,
Mrs Wilsmore-Smith
Religious Education Coordinator
LaSalle's 2024 Youth Minister
It has been a busy few weeks here at La Salle with many things happening for the students. Last Monday to Wednesday I got the privilege of attending the year 7 camp at Yaramundi, which was a fun few days filled with fun, excitement and little sleep. I enjoyed getting to know the year 7’s better and watching them learn and grow over the three days.
I have also had the opportunity to go to Canberra last weekend for four days with the other Youth Ministers in the Diocese. Over these days we attended seminars and workshops about how we can bring faith back into schools and the wider community. I look forward to using some of these skills I have learnt around the school over the upcoming weeks and terms.
Have a good fortnight!
Imogen Della Bosca
La Salle Youth Minister
Library News
A big hello to our wonderful La Salle parent and student community. My name is Mrs Melissa Devine and I have taken over the role of Teacher Librarian for 2024 while Mrs Hicks is on leave. I look forward to getting to know you and working with you over the next twelve months.
New Furniture
We have been busy updating our reading area in the library. As Lithgow Library is undergoing refurbishment, we were fortunate enough to acquire some of their excess furniture. Not only does this furniture look great, but it has also provided more comfortable seating and modern shelving to house our fiction collection.
Premier’s Reading Challenge 2024
The Premier’s Reading Challenge has begun and a number of our keen readers have joined the challenge. The aim is to encourage a love of reading and to enable students to experience quality literature. All students in Years 7-10 are encouraged to participate. The challenge runs until August and students can sign up at the library. More information on the rules and tips for completing the challenge can be found at https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html
Stage 6 Study Skills Lessons
Once a fortnight, students in Years 11 and 12 engage in a study skills tutorial which is designed to assist them in refining their study and research skills so they can confidently organise their workload, develop better study habits and successfully navigate information sources. In the most recent tutorial, students were shown how to evaluate sources to ensure reliability and authenticity and were given the opportunity to join the State Library of NSW. This will enable them to broaden their information research skills through accessing international databases.
SORA
La Salle Academy is a member of the Australian Catholic Education Network, which enables our students to access the amazing digital library provided through the SORA platform. This online library provides access to a range of fiction and non-fiction ebooks and audio books as well as a range of magazines. This allows students to read even when they cannot access our physical library at school. Students can access SORA through https://soraapp.com/ and by using their CENET login. More details can be found through the La Salle Library Google Classroom page.
New Books
Each month we receive a delivery of new fiction titles for our collection. Some of the wonderful texts on offer this month are:
Smoke and Mirrors by Marie Lu
A tender, thought provoking story filled with magic tricks and the reality of life and family relationships. A great read for students in Year 8 and up.
Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah
A fantasy novel filled with action and adventure that explores themes of poverty, exploitation and fighting against oppression. Students in Years 7-10 will enjoy the epic plot twists in this novel.
Best wishes
Mrs Melissa Devine
Teacher Librarian
Year 7-9 Pastoral Care Co-ordinator
I write this as I arrive at school on Thursday morning after spending an exhausting but incredibly fun three days at year 7 camp. We spent the start of this week climbing up, abseiling down and swinging off incredibly high structures at Camp Yarramundi. Students participated in a number of team and individual challenges throughout the three days, and I could not be more proud of the positive manner in which they approached these. I believe the students have built new friendships, strengthened existing ones, challenged themselves and come home with a toolbox full of skills they can utilise both at school and outside contexts. A huge thank you to the staff that came along to support year 7 on their camp. Without these teachers, camp would not have been possible.
Something that I want to make parents aware of is the importance of attendance, which was also discussed by Mr Carroll in last fortnight’s delagram. This is imperative particularly today, when we have over 30% of our year 7 students absent the day after they return from camp. Across ALL year groups 7-9, we are starting to see some concerning patterns of absenteeism now we are halfway through term one.
According to the CEDB policy, parents are responsible for:
Enrolling their children of compulsory school age in a government or registered non-government school or registering them with NESA for home-schooling or distance education
Ensuring that their children attend school regularly
Explaining, to the school, the reasons for the absence of their children promptly and within seven days of absence
Taking measures to resolve attendance issues involving their children
Working in cooperation with the school to improve student attendance
I cannot express enough the crucial role attendance plays in your child's academic success. Attending school regularly ensures that students stay engaged, keep up with lessons, and build vital social connections with their peers and teachers. A number of students and staff are bringing my attention to increased social issues, missed assessment tasks and increased learning support requirements, all due to student absenteeism. Consistent attendance lays a solid foundation for learning, enabling students to grasp concepts effectively and participate actively in classroom discussions and activities. Moreover, it cultivates a sense of responsibility and discipline, which are invaluable skills for life beyond school.
Every lesson missed represents missed opportunities for growth and learning. Let's work together to prioritise attendance and develop good habits to set our students on the path to academic excellence and future success. Thank you for your support on this matter.
Ms Tahni Isedsale
Year 7-9 Pastoral Welfare Coordinator
Sport
Celebrating Sporting Success at La Salle Academy
It brings me great joy to share the remarkable sporting achievements of our students over
the past 6 weeks. From spirited competitions to outstanding individual performances, our
students have exemplified dedication, sportsmanship, and talent.
The recent Swimming Carnival was a great success, showcasing not only our student's
talent in the pool but also their vibrant house spirit. It was a sight to behold as students adorned themselves in their house colours, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event.
A special shoutout to Benildus House for their stellar performance, claiming victory in the cheer-off and igniting the carnival atmosphere with their infectious energy.
Our athletes have also been making waves beyond the confines of our school grounds. At the Diocesan Netball trials in Dubbo and the Diocesan Soccer trials in Bathurst, our students showcased their skills and sportsmanship, representing La Salle Academy with pride and determination. Congratulations to Year 12 student Gabrielle Dray who made the Diocesan girls soccer team!
NSW Hockey – Centre of Development
Jasmine, Addisen, Chevy, Vann, Connor (Year 9) and Tyler (Year 7), participated in a 3 day Hockey Regional Challenge in Newcastle as part of the NSW Hockey – Centre of Development program from 8-10 March. The La Salle students had an awesome time, played exceptionally well and came away with new skills, friendships and some well earned goals across the weekend.
One standout athlete, Jacob Wilson, has truly made a splash in the realm of swimming.
Jacob's exceptional talent and hard work have propelled him to the next level, as he recently
competed in the Bathurst Diocesan swimming carnival in Dubbo. Jacob's remarkable
performance earned him 1st or 2nd place in all his events, showcasing his mastery of the
sport. What's even more impressive is that Jacob, representing La Salle Academy as a team
of one, secured a commendable 3rd place overall against all other schools in the diocese.
Jacob's achievement is a testament to his dedication, perseverance, and the unwavering support of our school community. But Jacob's journey doesn't end there. He will now be continuing on the NSWCCC Swimming Championships in Homebush later this year.
Away from our diocese events Yr 11 student, Emma Rushworth has been training with the South Sydney Rabbitos Lisa Feolala Cup Team. On Saturday 2nd of March Emma traveled to Cronulla competing against the Sharks at Point Bet Stadium. Unfortunately, her team lost 26-6, but are hoping to redeem themselves next week at Redfern Oval against North Sydney Bears. Good Luck Emma!
Upcoming events to look out for this term:
CCC u16 & u18 girls Rugby Leauge trial
Western Rugby League Boys trial
Warm regards,
Keely Millar
Sports Coordinator
Chess
This Wednesday, La Salle played host to St. Stanislaus College in the first round of the Country Secondary Schools Chess Tournament. Our team, comprised of Glen Okon, Ayden Bayer-Barrow, Kaiden Beckett, and Patrick Maish, engaged in closely contested matches, showcasing their competitive spirit. Despite not securing victory against the more seasoned opponents, our club considers the experience gained in this competition invaluable. Looking ahead, La Salle is gearing up for the upcoming Secondary round of the Country Secondary Schools Chess Competition.
Kind regards
Helen Johnston
Wallerwang Soccor Team Registrations
Netball Players Needed
LINC Activity - Trading Games
LINC in Lithgow is start a new activity for both children and older people in two different sessions. One for young people 10-17 and a later one for 18+.
We are starting a Trading Card Game (TCG) afternoon at LINC on Friday afternoons for children and young people. It is for playing the TCG games such as Pokemon and Yugioh etc.
We will be providing some Pokemon playable desks for children without cards to come and play or learn to play and are hoping to grow that number as we go along.
Free Autism Workshop for Parents and Carers
Basic Student Stationary Pack
Canteen- Flexischools App
We have the flexischools app for your convenience order online - See the flyers below with instructions on how to order