Delagram 27th September 2024

From the Principal

We have had a wonderful couple of days celebrating the graduation of our Year 12 students. The following is a copy of the speech that I made at our Graduation Dinner on Thursday night.
Good Evening Parents/Guardians, Family and Friends, Staff and tonight, most importantly our Year 12 graduates. This is the second time that we have coordinated a Graduation dinner, and we believe that it is important to have an event where the extended family and friends have an opportunity to celebrate this momentous occasion for our Year graduates, so you are all very welcome.
In Pope Francis declaration of Christian education, he stated that parents and families are the
primary and principal educators of their young. It is the parents who will decide as to who they
entrust to share this responsibility. Many of our graduates would have journeyed through a Catholic
education through one of our feeder schools, St Patrick’s Lithgow or St Joseph’s, Portland. Some of
our of graduates may have only commenced this Catholic journey once entering La Salle Academy.
Regardless of what time your family engaged with Catholic education, I would like to thank you for
entrusting your child’s education, care, support with us. It is my hope that you can reflect on this
journey as one that provided your child with a quality education influenced by our catholic faith
grounded in an appreciation of the concern, love and justice for our environment and ourselves,
others within our community, and a constant desire to what is for the common good of all.
Our staff have turned up in great numbers tonight. Although they are not the primary carers of these
young graduates today, there is a sense of pride in the investment that they have made for your child
to reach this point this evening. Teaching can often be a thankless job, a job that is often criticised in
our media and our community. Teachers are valuable, our teachers our valuable. Teaching is more
than the physical direction and setting of classwork in different department areas. There is an
emotional investment, a moral investment. Our teachers have worked alongside your child to ensure
that they are prepared, supported, encouraged, motivated and ready for this next stage in their
journey. Tonight, I thank you the teachers for the part that you have played in the journey of these
young people.
To our Year 12 graduates. Take a deep breath, take in this moment – today you are graduating
secondary school. You may have doubted, you may have considered alternate paths – but you are
here, you’ve done it.
Often we reflect on young people not having the necessary skills to achieve, things like resilience,
maturity, confidence, use of initiative, passion and drive. And whilst you have developed some of
these skills, some of these skills will continue to develop once you leave school. But the one thing you
are not short of - is resilience. Throughout your time at La Salle Academy, you have faced one
challenge after another:
 The end of 2019, Year 7 was met with the bushfires that swept through Lithgow;
 In March, 2020, Year 8 – COVID struck and a series of lockdowns began;
 From and during lockdown, significant teacher turnover at the school and in some cases, the
school through no fault of anyone, struggled to recruit teachers to this area;
 Many of your friends have opted out of schooling on this journey. In Year 10, there were 41
of you, but now just 16. This has resulted in you having to cope without some of your best
friends and having to develop new friendships and relationship.
 From Year 10 to Year 12, you cycled through 3 principals, 3 assistant principal and 3
pastoral/wellbeing coordinators.
You may doubt your ability to adapt to adversity and challenges, but this show that you do have the
ability. You have encountered significant change, and you are here.

Life after school is not always the easiest to navigate. A sense of freedom, independence, lack of
routine, reduced support network. Not what you probably wanted to hear. But it is reality. But I
believe that you have been given the skills, the opportunity and exposure to the realities beyond
school. I believe that within yourselves, you will find the determination, passion and drive to set
yourself a goal and achieve it. I believe that within each of you is the confidence to take this
challenge on. Find your path, your interest, give yourself wholeheartedly to a goal, engage in
community, expand your horizons and discover the world. It is time that you find that self motivation
to achieve – and yes, I had to say it – that includes the HSC exams in two weeks time.
Thank you to parents and families once again. We work in partnership with you to achieve moments
like this tonight. Collectively as a staff, we are proud of your child’s achievements and are delighted
to be celebrating this moment with you. Year 12, I hope that over the course of the next few days,
you take the time to consider the support that those around you have made in getting you to this
point, and thank them for all that they do, and continue to do. Congratulations on your graduation.

Thank you and LSA Proud!

Term Four Announcement
I will be on Long Service Leave for the first two weeks of Term Four. Mrs Holgate will be the acting
Principal for the two weeks, whilst Mrs Wilsmore-Smith will be assisting Mrs Holgate by taking on
some responsibilities of the Assistant Principal role.

God Bless.
Mr Glenn Carpenter

Assistant Principal

HSC Exams 
Congratulations to all of our graduating students, especially those who received awards at our Awards Ceremony today. Details and images of the graduation ceremonies will be published in the coming days.
Our HSC Examination period at La Salle Academy will begin on Tuesday, October 15 th at 9:50 am with English Paper 1 and conclude with the final exam for our cohort, Business Services on November 6th. We wish our students the very best in the final phase of their preparation in the coming weeks. I would like to especially thank all of their teachers for their ongoing support of our Year 12 students some of which will be running additional revision workshops in the holidays. 
Staff Development Day – Monday 14th October
Students and parents are reminded that Day 1 of Term 4 which is Monday 14th October will be a staff development day and will be student free.
School Based Apprenticeships
Congratulations to Levi Taylor and Connor Thompson in Year 10 who will commencing their
School Based Apprenticeships in Term 4 in Electrotechnology. This is an exciting time for
these students as they begin working one day a week and attending school for four days a
week. This will allow them to complete some of their apprenticeship while also completing
the HSC in 2026.

Have a great two weeks!
Mrs Jenny Holgate
Assistant Principal

From the Religious Education Coordinator

WE MADE IT! As we approach the end of Term 3, I would like to extend my congratulations and best wishes to our Year 12 students who celebrated their final day today. Let us keep them in our prayers as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.

Thursday night was a special occasion for our Year 12 students about to close the chapter on their schooling journey. As their teacher and someone who has had the privilege of walking alongside them for the past three years, I feel a sense of pride and joy as I reflect on the many experiences we’ve shared. My hope is that the past 13 years have not only given you knowledge, but also fostered your friendships, your growth, and most importantly, your ability to flourish. 

A special thank you to Mr Pierce, Ben, Issac, Perrin, Samara, Glen, Layla and Lachlan who led us in beautiful song during the Graduation Mass on Thursday night. The Mass, centred around the theme of "Being the Light to the World," was a powerful and moving celebration. We are grateful to all the staff, students, parents, families, and community members who joined us for this special occasion.

In Week 9, our Year 9 and Year 10 students participated in Lasallian Retreat Days. I would like to thank Damian, our Youth Lasallian Leader, and Imogen, our Youth Minister, for facilitating these successful and enriching days of reflection. Their leadership and guidance helped create meaningful experiences for our students.

Lastly, a big thank you to Father Reynold for joining us and Imogen Della Bosca and Harry Pottinger for organising our Youth Group gathering on Friday the 20th, where we enjoyed a fun and thoughtful movie night featuring Inside Out 2. It was a wonderful evening, filled with Popcorn and Pizza.

Wishing everyone a restful break and looking forward to Term 4!

Mrs Wilsmore-Smith
Religious Education Coordinator

Youth Minister

As we come to the end of the term, I would like to reflect on a few of the highlights for term 3.

• A successful Vinnies Winter sleepout with around 20 of our students participating
• Year 4, 5 and 6 retreats run by our year 9/10 CSYMI Leaders
• RISE Youth Festival during the school holidays
• Rise Up with our year 9 and 10 CSYMI students
• A fantastic movie night for our Youth group gathering of the term
• Year 9 and 10 LaSallian Retreat Days

I have loved being a part of so many of these wonderful experiences and seen so many of our students get involved and try something new and get outside their comfort zone whether it was running a retreat or even just showing up and participating in these opportunities. I am extremely proud of all the students who have taken part in these events this term but especially our CSYMI students who stepped up and led our primary school retreat days with great leadership, responsibility and pride. 

I would also quickly like to thank Mrs Wilsmore-Smith for all her help and support she has given me over this term.

I hope that everyone has a nice and relaxing two week break and I look forward to seeing everyone ready for term 4!

Imogen Della Bosca
La Salle Youth Minister

Pastoral and Wellbeing Co-ordinator's

As we approach the end of another busy term, I would like to reflect on all we have achieved during term 3 and pass on my well wishes to our year 12 cohort who have had the last of their formal lessons at LSA and approach their HSC exams.

PCYC Programs
This term we have engaged with the local PCYC and Youth Liaison Officer, Jacob Hammonds, who have been delivering two programs for selected students. 

Fit for Change, aimed at students in Years 10 and 11, has been running each Thursday this term. This small group educational program allowed participating students to achieve their senior first aid certificate; gain crucial employability skills and discuss prevalent societal issues in a fun and safe environment. Students celebrated their successful completion of this course with a reward day on Thursday, going to Penrith Narrow Escape Rooms and Flipout. Congratulations to these students!

Our Fit for Life Program has been running for a few weeks with year 7 students. This program is aimed at developing social connections and positively navigating risk situations. This will continue into term 4, with the likelihood of including a second group of year 8/9 students beginning in week 2.

A massive thank you to Harry and Mikalya who have been attending with the students each week. 

Headspace New Leaf Program
We have another program running at school each Tuesday through Headspace, called the New Leaf Program. This program is aimed at year 9 students and focuses on:

• Identifying strengths and things that bring JOY

• Support with learning and goal setting

• Job seeking and career exploration

• Safe space to learn some missed basics

This group has been up and running for only three weeks, so I am really looking forward to seeing what this group can achieve in term 4!

Year 12
Congratulations on (almost) finishing 13 years of schooling! Continue to work hard as you approach your exams, but remember that this is just one chapter in your journey. Embrace the challenges ahead, knowing that they will shape your future. Beyond school, exciting opportunities await you, whether in further education, the workforce, or exploring your passions. Stay curious, keep learning, and trust in yourselves. Wishing you all the best for your exams and the incredible adventures that lie ahead!

Wishing all families a safe and restful spring break. I look forward to hearing all the holiday stories when we return in term 4.

Ms Tahni Isedale
Pastoral Wellbeing

Upcoming Visual Arts Opportunities

Library News

Blanket Donation
As we continue in our endeavours to reorganise and revitalise the library space, some interesting discoveries of items long forgotten have been made. One of the more interesting discoveries made was of two boxes containing knitted/crocheted squares. Staff have indicated that these were completed as a part of a school social justice project. They are beautifully made and still in great condition, so we organised for Mrs Devine (my mother -in- law) to join them together to make some knee blankets. A talented knitter and crocheter herself, she willingly accepted the challenge and the results are amazing. These beautiful blankets will be donated to the residents of Three Tree Lodge.

Returning Year 11 textbooks
Our Year 11 students will be transitioning into their Year 12 courses of study next term, therefore, it is now time for them to return any preliminary textbooks not required for their HSC work. If students are unsure whether to hold onto their textbooks or not, they are encouraged to speak with their class teachers to get clarification.

Spring into Reading Display
To celebrate the changing of the seasons, we have created a colourful display to encourage students to engage with the great new texts we have on offer this month. Here is a sample of what is available:

The Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan
This is an enlightening and entertaining period novel that showcases the opulence of the time and place. It contains themes of revenge, working together and unlikely success against the people who hold all of the power that teens everywhere will be drawn to. There is enough romance, action and audacity to keep readers aged 13 and older turning the pages right to the end.

Anomaly by Emma Lord
This is a page-turning apocalyptic novel with an underestimated heroine, very scary monsters and questions of fate versus preordained destiny, and how far you would go to survive. The first in a new series that readers aged 13 to 17 will devour!

Holiday Reading
Students are encouraged to maintain the great reading habits they have developed throughout the year by continuing to read regularly throughout their holiday break. Most students will be continuing to read their Accelerated Reader novel from their English classes, however, if they find they need more reading material, there is always SORA! 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.

Wishing all of our La Salle Academy students and their families a happy and safe holiday. I look forward to seeing you in the library in Term 4!

Happy Reading,
Mrs Devine

Water Night

On the 24th of October, our school will be participating in Water Night 2024, an event dedicated to the conservation of water. We ask that you wear a touch of blue to school and bring a gold coin donation. 

To participate in Water night, please fill out the following form and list La Salle Academy as the organisation.  https://waternight.com.au/

Ally Crane
Mission Captain 

STILE ESCAPE ROOM

Students currently in Years 7 to 10 at La Salle Academy have been using the online
Science learning platform known as STILE during at least some of their lessons. On
Monday 16th September, two representatives from STILE, Dimity and Mark attended
our school to engage a group of 26 Years 7 to 10 students in an alternative activity
known as an Escape Room. The event was held in Lab 2 during Period 1.
The purpose of the Escape Room was to provide the students with an immersive,
hands-on experience to have them problem-solve as they moved around the
classroom. The students viewed a video about a fictional wildlife conservation park
then completed eight challenges related to the science behind conservation work
and the survival of species. The activity lasted 1 hour.
Students were provided with a wilderness warrior vest for the event only and worked
in teams of 2-4 to complete puzzles set up around the room. They moved around the
room to find each of the eight Challenge Cards and their corresponding Activity Cards.

Students used the instructions on the cards and the materials located at each activity
station to solve each challenge. The challenges were independent of one another, so
students could complete them in any order. The first team to complete all 8
challenges was declared the winning team.

Thank you.
J. MacKinnon
Co-ordinator of Sciences, Agriculture and Languages

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ALL THINGS ATTENDANCE

It is law in NSW that all school age children must attend school every day that the school is open.
There is a direct relationship between learning success and excellent attendance

EVERYDAY COUNTS

LET’S CELEBRATE – 100% ATTENDANCE

As we come to the end of Term 3 let’s celebrate 100% attendance for 20 students this term and congratulations to 67 students who had no more than 2 absences this term.

This is a fantastic commitment by our students and I congratulate them on their commitment,
reliability and punctuality. I would like to congratulate the parents, for instilling in your child
the value of regular attendance.
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE ATTENDANCE
We understand that at times students need to be absent from school. But in the long run we
need to address that at times is it necessary to stay away from school. Parents we need your
help to improve the overall attendance of your child.
Parents are responsible for:
 Enrolling their children of compulsory school age in a government or registered non-
government school or registering them with the NSW Education Standards Authority
(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 measure to resolve attendance issues involving their children
 Working in co-operation with the school to improve student attendance
If I can please remind parents that many students have unexplained absences and parents
are reminded that all absences need to be explained to the school. Could I please ask that
parents take the time to keep the school informed and update compass when your child is
absent or contact the front office on 6354 5100.
If you are having problems, please contact the school and we will be happy to help fix the
problem. Also remember lots of information goes out through the Compass Parent Portal
and you may be missing important information pertaining to what’s happening at school.
Enjoy the break and we hope to see you all back next term ready to tackle the last term of 2024.

Finance

SCHOOL FEES REMINDER
A quick reminder that we have only 14 weeks until the end of the school year to ensure that the School Fee Accounts are fully paid up for 2024. Due to our fee structure being set up as three payments over three terms, Instalments 1, 2 and 3 should now be paid and if not, are now overdue. Now is a good time to 'check in' with your fee balance to work out your plan of action before the end of year is reached. We will be sending out Statements shortly to provide you with the latest up-to-date balance on your account.
3rd Installment Billing and Due Date:
Term 3 Billing date: 02/08/2024 and Installment Due date: 16/08/2024If you have not received your School Fee Statement via email, please contact the school
office to ensure that we have the correct email address on our system.

Just a reminder that payments can be made by the following payment options:
 Account balances can be accessed via Compass and payments can be made on the App.
 BPay Payment References are readily available on the Fee Statements.
 Direct Debit Forms are available at the school – just call or email to enquire.
 EFTPOS is available in person at the office or you are welcome to make payment over the phone.
 Centrepay Forms are available from ServiceNSW or call / email and we can arrange one to be sent.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the office by calling (02) 6354 5100 or by emailing the
school on lasallelithgow@bth.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions relating to your
account or if experiencing any difficulty so we can do our best to find a suitable solution.


Kind regards,
Narelle Lee
Office Manager

Statement by the Bishop of Bathurst

CEBD Community Charter

Atomi Resources for Parents and Carers

Junior Cricket Muster Day

Community News and Events

PCYC Safe Drivers course

This course counts towards 20 hours towards the participants log book, and they learn with professional driving instructors.
The Safer Drivers Course aims to provide learner drivers with the knowledge they need to reduce road risks and prevent accidents by becoming a safe driver. As an Accredited Provider of the transport for NSW Safer Drivers Course, PCYC NSW know that our students will complete the course with a greater of understanding of how to be a safe P-plate driver.Statistically, the first six months after receiving your provisional license are the most dangerous. New P-plate drivers can find it challenging on the roads without the support of an experienced instructor by their side. Our course equips young drivers with the tools they need to manage the transition to a full license.I have attached two tiles which can be used, or alternatively, if you can advertise hyperlinks, you can use this as well. PCYC Safer Drivers Course
I really appreciate any support in advertising this to our local kids and can be contacted on the below details if you need any further information. 

Karate Classes

We are a local karate school who have been operating for over 25 years with experienced, qualified instructors.
We provide fun, affordable karate classes for kids, teens and adults to develop fitness, determination, focus and self defence in a safe, welcoming environment.
Our karate school is a traditional school that follows the virtues of respect, peace and perseverance and helps to develop students in the dojo as well as in their daily lives.
We are offering a FREE trial lesson to all new students.

Kind regards,
Tamara Snow
Blue Mountains Karate Admin and Instructor

Phone: 0425 370 859
Email: info@karatensw.com.au
Website: karatensw.com.au
Facebook: chito ryu karate blue mountains

Student stationery pack

Becoming a foster carer

Canteen- Flexischools App

Canteen cut off times for order are as follows:

Recess:10am

Lunch time : 12pm 

If you are interested in helping in the canteen please call our office 6354 5100

Thank You

Regards
Leanne
Canteen Manager

We have the flexischools app for your convenience order online - See the flyers below with instructions on how to order

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.