Delagram 24th March, 2023

From the Principal

Over my first 8 weeks at La Salle Academy, I have been talking about developing Pride.
This was the basis for my assembly speech on Thursday.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent my time touring local primary schools, visiting community sites and having multiple parent meetings explaining how excited I am about the future of La Salle Academy. If you haven’t already noticed, I wear my heart on my sleeve.
The whole time I have been talking about pride and how we want our students to be proud of themselves and LSA. However, whilst engaging in these talks and meetings, I started to reflect on whether I have actually articulated what that means to you, our students.
There are many times in life that we are proud of ourselves, our achievements, the
achievement of others, the team we support or of humanity.
If you have every watched a children’s running race – you will see how proud the children
are of their performance – it is great to even watch how proud their parents are of their
participation.
There are other moments in our childhood where we or someone we love are so very proud –
when we lose our first tooth, take our first step, utter our first word. The first day of school
every year – and someone has to take that photo.
Then there is pride when we graduate, get our first job, get married, start a family, achieve
great things in our workplace.
There are also times when we are proud of others, like Dylan Alcott, Cathy Freeman, the
Australian cricket teams or Taryn Brumfitt (2023 Australian of the Year) who encourages us
to be proud of our body image.
But you may have noticed there is a period of time in our lives where we don’t talk a lot
about pride. And that is our teenage years.
 Do we stop being proud of who we are or where we come from?
 Is it not cool to be proud?
 Are we afraid of what others will think if I have a little self confidence and
demonstrate pride?
We have a lot to be proud of at LSA!
 We have some iconic and influential alumni – very important people in society that
went to this school;
 We have students that are excelling in their schoolwork and achieving great marks;
 We have the Small School Junior Boys State Rugby League Champions;
 We have a Junior Boys Basketball State Rep team;
 We have a choir that has quadrupled in size in 4 weeks;
 We are investing a lot in improving the facilities of the school;
 We represented and had a ball at the Lithgow Show last week and demonstrated great
community spirit;
 We won the scone making competition at the Lithgow Show;
 We have a National Champion in Tae Kwon Do;

 We have a State Championship Representative in Pistol Shooting;
 We have a student that finished 4 th in the State in 400m at the Track & Field on the
weekend.
 We have a students finishing top 3 in Highland Dancing Championships;
 We have 2 students going to State for Swimming Championships;
 We have students that have aspirations of reaching the Physie National
Championships
 We have a number of Year 7 who have demonstrated great Public Speaking skills at
major events
 Our Year 12 Leaders meet every Wednesday to discuss ways in which they can
support important charities.
Why can’t we be proud? Why do we have to worry about what the person beside me thinks?
What happened to that child that was so proud to run that race?
Having pride in who you are and what you do takes sacrifice and work.
As an adult – you can not be proud of sitting, doing nothing – you need to make an effort and
apply yourself. That is why we are proud – because we have worked hard to achieve it.
What do we need to do, to achieve pride at LSA?
 Celebrate our achievements;
 Support our friends;
 Talk positively about everyone – Respect everyone;
 Dress Appropriately;
 Ensure our grounds are clean;
 Don’t negatively influence other people;
You might be tired of hearing these messages – but we are pushing you to work hard, put in
an effort so that you can be self confident, enhance your self esteem and be proud of your
achievements – knowing that you have done the best that you can.
It is time to demonstrate this pride. Its time to step up.

LSA…………….. Proud!

 Glenn Carpenter 

From the Assistant Principal

Congratulations to all of the students in years 7 and 9 who completed their Naplan testing sessions last week. The schedule was tight at times and the way the students conducted themselves is to be commended. A special commendation must go to Year 7 who had a 99% attendance rate for three days and 100% attendance on the final day of testing! A huge thank you also to the team from Learning Support who provided invaluable assistance to the students and staff coordinating the sessions. 

A focus on RESPECT
At our most recent assembly I had the opportunity to share some of my reflections on the first 6 weeks of my time at La Salle. One feature of so many students that has impressed me has been their warm welcome and friendly greetings as I arrive each day. It has made the transition into a new school very a pleasant experience. Sadly, however, we have become aware of a growing number of students who are showing a great lack of respect; for themselves, for our school property and for their classmates. My challenge to the assembly was to see how we, as a community can improve this! Our list of What is NOT ok at LSA was simple. Rudeness, swearing, attacking others, verbally and physically, damaging property and behaving in ways that prevent others feeling safe or learning will not be tolerated. The response of many students was immediate. Our facilities are cleaner, students are developing the confidence to report poor behaviour and actions of others and classrooms are more engaged in the important work of learning. Earning and building respect in our school community is not something that can be changed overnight. With the ongoing diligence and commitment of the vast majority of students to becoming a safer and more respectful community we expect the disruptions to reduce and and the love of learning and sense of achievement to increase.

Attendance Reminder
With most classes undertaking a period of formal assessment preparation and completion in the coming weeks it is a timely reminder to make sure all students attend each and every school day. While there are certainly circumstances where illness or other commitments prevent students attending for an occasional day it is important that if there is a need for a student to be absent for an extended period that the school is informed. There is much research into the factors behind and impact of absenteeism in Australian schools. The facts are quite clear.
Students who miss even just 10% of school days (that is over 5 per term) , especially in years 7-10 can seriously impact their learning.
The research found that the impact of low attendance:

• can affect academic achievement in future years of schooling.
• accumulates over time
  

The impacts of absenteeism are cumulative

 “ The effects of non-attendance on achievement are cumulative and can impact both academic achievement and attendance in future years of schooling” – Hancock et al., 2013; Zubrick, 2014

NESA Enrolment Year 10
As students who reach the end of Stage 5 in NSW are eligible for a Record of Student Achievement, our Year 10 cohort for 2023 have now all been enrolled in the NSW Education Standards Authority platform. Students have signed confirmation of entries and been given instructions on how to set up their own account and login for the NESA site. We encourage parents to check that your son/daughter has logged on and created their account. The NESA site will hold valuable information about the progress of each student from Stage 5 into Stage 6 and graduation.

A summary if the instructions given to students is below:

• Activate your Account!  
• Make sure your school has added an email to your NESA record or else you cannot activate your account. 
• Go to https://studentsonline.nesa.nsw.edu.au/ 
• Click on – ‘activate your account now’ 
• Write down your NESA number – you will need it to log on  

Have a wonderful week!
Katie Bennett

From the REC

Come join us!!

La Salle Community Mass

On Sunday, March 26, we invite all members of our La Salle community to join us for our Parish Mass.

It would be wonderful to have many students and their families in attendance.

Venue: St Patrick’s Church, Lithgow

Date: 26th March, 2023

Time: 10 am.

What to wear: Smart casual dress

Feast of the Annunciation

Saturday, March 25^th, 2023

The Feast of the Annunciation is a special feast of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ and our Mother too. A famous saying by the second Secretary-General of the United Nations is:

“For all that has been – thanks. For all that will be – yes.”

And that is exactly what Mary did. She gave thanks for God’s work in her life and she said yes to the angel’s call to give birth to Jesus.

“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:32-38)

Because she did that, God was able to come into our world as a special little child.
So today, let us also learn to say yes to the future to which God is inviting us.

Belinda Redden

Years 10-12 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Students of Year 12 last week attended Charles Sturt University for the CSU Explore Day. It was a day designed to give potential university students an idea of what studying at uni is like. Students preregistered to attend workshops relevant to their area of study interest. Some selected were accountancy, engineering, paramedics, social work, business and nursing. All proved to be very popular as they were truly hands-on sessions. It was great to see many of or ex-students who are currently studying at CSU… and Imogen even saw her brother, Dom.

Congratulations to School Captain, Jed Simcoe, who last week was selected in the Bathurst Diocesan Open Football (Soccer) Team which will compete in the Southern Country Football Championship in Week 10 of this term.

We wish two Year 10 students, Emily Dean and Jacob Wilson, success in the upcoming week as they compete at the NSW CCC Swimming Championships.

Congratulations to Noah Green of Year 10 who has been selected in the NSW Pistol Shoot team, to compete at the Australian Championships in Darwin in May. What an achievement!

Year 10 students this week received all the documentation for their upcoming Work Experience Program which will be held over the final two weeks of Term 2. Completed paperwork is to be returned to school by the 14^th May. It is hoped that students will use the school holidays to arrange their placements.

We have been working very hard this year at La Salle Academy to raise the dress standard of the pupils, by accepting nothing less than the proper school uniform. I want to thank parents for their support in ensuring the students abide by our school uniform policy.

I felt very proud seeing so many of our Agriculture students assisting Mrs McCarron last weekend at the Lithgow show. They did themselves, their families and their school, very proud.

If you have any concerns about your son or daughter in Years 10 -12, please do not hesitate to contact me either by email at b.hicks@bth.catholic.edu.au or by phone on 63545100.

Mrs Bernadette Hicks
Pastoral Welfare Co-ordinator Years 10 - 12

CSU Explore Day

Years 7-9 Pastoral Care Coordinator

What a jam-packed last few weeks we have all had. 

I have so many thank you’s and congratulations to write about this fortnight, so I will apologise in advance for the length of my article, however, I feel that it is extremely important to praise the great work that both our students and staff are involved in. 

Week 7 and 8 saw all the Year 7 and 8 students across the Nation participate in the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).  NAPLAN  helps to test the skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, including reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. I feel that it is important to remind our students and parents that NAPLAN is not about passing or failing, but about assessing learning progress. 
I wish to congratulate all our La Salle students that tried their best and additionally thank Mrs Bennett, Mr MacKinnon and our Learning Support Staff for all their organisation in the lead-up to NAPLAN. 
The 22nd March was a massive day for La Salle Academy as we opened our doors to sixty Year 6 students from St Patricks, St Josephs, Cooerwull, Zig Zag, Lithgow Public, Meadow Flat, Wallerawang and  Regentville Public School. It was an amazing day full of games, science experiments, Japanese appreciation and of course, a delicious BBQ lunch to end the day courtesy of our Year 10 Peer Support and Year 12 School Leaders. I hope that all the students that attended had a great day and were able to see how truly amazing La Salle Academy is. A special thanks to Mrs Walker, Miss Millar, Mrs Hodgkinson, Mrs Doohan, Learning Support, Year 10 Peer Support Leaders and our School Band who graciously volunteered their time on the day.
That evening we welcomed all our Year 6 Parents and Carers to an information evening where we discussed our school expectations, the new 1 to 1 program that commences for our Year 7’s in 2024, our student support networks within the school and most importantly what it means to be LSA proud. I again wish to thank Mr Carpenter, Mrs Bennett, Ms Redden, Ms Cassar and Mr Devine for helping with the orgainsation and smooth running of the night. A special little shout out to my Year 7 Students that gave up their evening to assist on the night. I feel it was a great success. 

On the 23rd March our Year 7-9 students celebrated Harmony Day during our Pastoral Care lessons. They learnt about the importance of diversity and inclusion within our community and celebrated the beautiful culture that we have at La Salle Academy. We finished off our session by joining together, united as one. This circle represented the neverending need for inclusiveness and respect for everyone. 
Our Year 7 Camp is fast approaching with only 5 sleeps to go! Our students are so excited (as am I) to take a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of school life and reconnect with nature while continuing to build upon the connections with their peers. I wish to thank Mr Miller, Miss Millar, Mrs Legge, Miss De Losa and Mr Pottinger for offering to join me on this great camp. May our coffee be strong and our students sleepy.
Only two weeks till the holidays! I hope to see you all on Sunday at 10:00 am at St Patrick's Church for our Community Mass. 
Please remember that if you have any concerns regarding the welfare of your child, please reach out and contact me at La Salle Academy on 02 63545100 or email me at A.wilsmoresmith@bth.catholic.edu.au

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

Year 6 Experience Day

Sports Report

Recently our School Captain, Jed Simcoe trialled for the Bathurst Diocesan Open Football Team. Jed was successful and was named in the squad. Jed will represent Bathurst and compete in the Southern Country Football Championships in week 10 of this term. This will be another chance to make another squad to compete for the NSWCCC Championships a little later this year in Sydney. We wish Jed all the very best for these upcoming games. 

At the recent Lithgow show, Macy Brown of Year 9 performed on her horse, Marvel in the hacking events. Macy finished with 5 firsts and was named overall champion. Congratulations Macy and Marvel on your achievements. 

There are a number of students trialling for the Southern Country Under 15 Rugby League squad. We wish them all the best for their coming trials and I will report on their success in the coming weeks. 

Stephen Carroll

Jed, Macy and Marvel

La Salle Students take 1st 2nd and 3rd at Lithgow Show in Scone making!

This year Mrs Holgate’s Year 9 Food Technology class entered the Lithgow Show Junior Scone class in the cooking section. It was a busy Wednesday afternoon cooking 13 batches of scones before they were safely delivered to the Lithgow Showground for judging on Thursday morning.

It was a nervous wait to find out the results but a huge congratulation to our winners:

1^st Place: Leah Hawkens

2^nd Place: Violet Younger

3^rd Place: Alexis Reid.

All students who didn’t receive a place were awarded with a Highly Commended certificate and ribbon.

Well done to all of the students and these excellent results.

Mrs Holgate

TAS KLA Coordinator

Scone Results

School Counselling Corner:

Hello Students, Parents and Carers,
Did you know?
According to The Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2017-18, 3.2 million Australians (13.1%) had an
anxiety-related condition. This was an increase from 2014-15 when 2.6 million people (or 11.2%)
had such a condition. Females had an anxiety-related condition at one and a half times the rate of
males (15.7% compared with 10.6%). One in 14 children and young people (4 -17 years) experience
an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Itcan be problematic when it is intense, happens frequently and it can make day-to-day life difficult.
Please see the attached information sheet on anxiety for more information.
If anxiety is something you believe your young person struggling with, there are some very effectiveways of managing this, including physical activity, a healthy balanced diet, relaxing activities such as listening to music or mindfulness and speaking to a psychologist or counsellor.
If you believe your young person would benefit from talking to someone about their anxiety, I am
available Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
If you wish to discuss your young person’s mental health, Please don’t hesitate to phone the school.

Take care of yourselves and each other,
Tegan Kiely

Canteen News

Flexischools will be operational as of Monday 27th March 2023!

From the Bursar

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 arrange a payment arrangement, can contact the school office. Payment arrangements can be paid via BPAY or Direct Debit. Payment plans of up to 52 weeks are available. Please to 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.
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