Message from the Principal
Dear Lumen Families,
Welcome Term 2, which is typically a busy term as we work our way toward Semester 1 reporting.
Winter Uniform
The new term brings with it the start of our Winter uniform Season. Please adhere to our uniform requirements so that Lumen students are well dressed, presenting themselves as ready to learn in school, and representing our College in the community. We are proud of our College, and our distinctive uniform, is a visible aspect presence in the Bega valley.
Personal Mobile Devices (Phones and Headphones)
The College along with the Community Council has conducted a review of our procedures for managing student use of personal mobile devices. The local practices are based on CECG policies (Click this link)
Lumen Christ Catholic College understands that many students own a mobile phone or other communication device. These can be important before and after school, for students to contact parents and engage with the wider community. However, personal communication devices can also represent distraction within the College and limit educational and social engagement. Schools have a duty of care for students during school hours, and for student and staff privacy.
For this reason, we have updated our practices to manage and balance student use of devices. The basic rule is that devices are OFF AND AWAY FOR THE DAY- except at the Café.
This means that students must switch their phones to OFF at the commencement of the day. Many students slide their phones to sleep mode or silent. This is not enough. We know that while a phone remains on or buzzes alerts, student attention is quickly drawn away from their studies. Please remind your children that they must switch their phones to OFF.
Students who are seen using their phones and headphones at school will be directed to surrender the phone to the Pastoral Team. For repeated breaches, consequences become increasingly restrictive.
Listening to music on personal devices is not permitted while at school.
Confiscated devices will be returned to students according to the following schedule.
- First confiscation: students are directed to carry their phone with them to the Pastoral Care Office where their phone will be secured for the remainder of the day. The confiscation will be recorded in Sentral by the directing teacher.
- Second confiscation: will result in parental contact. A lunchtime detention will be issued. The confiscation will be recorded in Sentral by the directing teacher. Detention Issued by the Head of House.
- Third confiscation: will result in the student’s phone being secured in the College safe until a parent or caregiver collects the phone. Ongoing use of the phone may be monitored and regulated further.
- Following multiple confiscations parents will be asked to ensure students' phones are not brought into the College for a period of not less than two weeks. Further breaches may result in ongoing or annual restrictions of phone use in the College.
A failure to hand in a mobile phone when instructed will result in contacting home by the Head of House and the student's phone must then be checked in at Pastoral Care at the commencement of each school day for a period of TWO school weeks
If devices are suspected to have inappropriate material or illegal content, the College will inform the student’s parents/carers and the Catholic Education Office. Devices will be returned in line with advice by the Catholic Education Office legal/child protection teams.
Exemptions
Approval may be granted for a student to use personal communication devices where necessary, for example:
- to monitor a health condition
- for students who are the primary carer for a child or family member
- when needed to support an individual learning plan,
- where the device is used for translation by a student with English as an additional language or dialect.
Educational Use
Teachers may seek principal (or delegate) approval for students to use personal communication devices during class, where they consider the device adds value to the learning program that cannot be supported by a student’s schoolwork device.
Primary Students
It is generally understood that primary students do not bring or use phones at school. If a student is required to have or use a phone at school, then arrangements must be made between the parents and the Primary coordinators.
Seniors in the Senior Study
The College recognises that in senior years, students may have greater maturity and need for mobile phone use. Under limited circumstances, students may use phones in the senior study to check timetables, text message a workplace, or other necessary business-like uses. Students are to seek exemption from a supervising teacher, Head of House or AP to make voice calls, especially of a personal nature.
Student Drop off and Pickup
College Grounds
The preferred mode of travel for students is by bus, cycle or walking. Where this is not possible, parents who drive their children to school are required to use the Kiss and Drop zone on Culgoa crescent unless they are coming into the College for College business. Our carparking situation is tight, and we are only able to set aside six parking paces for visitors. Additionally, traffic in the carpark must flow through, making this a busy traffic way. Visitors are not permitted to park in spaces other than the 6 designated spaces. If a visitor space is not available, rethink your need to park, move through the one-way system proceeding to Kiss and Drop, or return to see if a space has become available.
Kiss and Drop Zone
The Kiss and Drop Zone is staffed morning and afternoon. When using the Kiss and Drop Zone, please move to the front of the bay so that traffic flows are optimised. There is a turning bay available on the College grounds. This can regulate the traffic flow in busy times and provides easy access to the zone. U turns are not permitted in School Zones, and expensive penalties apply.
Sports Complex
For parents who wish to pick up or drop off at the oval must use the paved parking area at the sports complex. The area along the College fence line is not a designated and regulated parking area. It is not appropriate to have unregulated vehicle traffic alongside children on foot, and we all have a responsibility to keep our children safe.
Under no circumstances are students to be dropped off in any roadway area of the carpark or College grounds. It is dangerous to children.
Kiss and Drop is staffed daily and is the safest, fastest and most convenient way to deliver your children to school.
Best wishes for the Term
I wish all student and families the very best for the coming term. As the autumn weather settles in, enjoy the colours and cooler days, taking the time to focus on studies, enjoy the camaraderie and friendships of this College community, and become involved in some of the sports clubs and outdoor activities that the Bega Valley has to offer.
Be the Light of Christ
Shane Giles.