College Updates Term 2 Week 1 - 1 May 2025

Reminders

These dates may be subject to change at the discretion of the College. Any changes will be advised to parents and carers via Schoolzine.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

PAT Maths and PAT Reading Assessments

Next week students in Yrs 2-6 and Yrs 8-10 will sit online PAT Maths and PAT Reading assessments.  Yr 7 students completed these in Term 1.  PAT Maths is 40 minutes and PAT Reading 45 minutes and students are scheduled to complete these with their class teacher.  The assessments are adaptive, so they adjust the questions based on a student’s responses.  

These Progressive Achievement Tests are one way of demonstrating student growth over time and can provide insights to the class teacher, the College and Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn.  Results can be accessed immediately and will be shared with you and your child.  

Secondary Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews

Parents will be able to book interview times from 1 May on SENTRAL.  The interviews, for students in Yrs 7-12, are on Wednesday, 14 and Thursday, 22 May. You can book on either day, regardless of what year your child is in. This is a great opportunity to meet your children’s teachers, discuss their recent reports, set goals and work collaboratively to help your child shine their light.

Yr 11 and 12 Reports

Yr 12 Reports are available on SENTRAL now and the Yr 11 Reports will be available on Monday, 12 May.  Thank you to all the teachers and support staff who have prepared students for formal assessments and for their dedication to providing useful feedback to students and parents.  

Sacrament of Reconciliation and Confirmation

If your child is in Yr 4 or above and they are interested in receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please attend the Parent Faith Formation session on Wednesday, 7 May at St Joseph’s Church, Merimbula.  Pizza from 6.00pm with the session going from 6.30-7.30pm.  RSVP to Antoinette.Woods@cg.catholic.edu.au for the pizza.  

There will be a Parent Faith Formation session for students in Yrs 5 and above wanting to be Confirmed on Wednesday, 4 June.

School Immersion trip to New Zealand April School Holidays 2026.

LCCC is inviting parents of interested students currently in Yr 10 & 11 to come along to an information session about the April 2026 trip to NZ.

When: Monday, 5 May at 6.00pm

Who: Interested students and parents of students currently in Yr 10 & 11 2025

Where: Lumen Learning Centre

We will be discussing details of the trip including costs, payment plans and the proposed itinerary. An information pack will be distributed on the night. 

Anyone who cannot attend the information session and is interested, your child can collect the info pack from either Mr Travis Clayton or Mrs Anna Cooke after the evening session at school. 

Contact details for further information: anna.cooke@cg.catholic.edu.au or travis.clayton@cg.catholic.edu.au

Community Council News

March 2025

The Community Council (CC) members met up for their first 2025 executive meeting on 27/3/25. Key takeaways from the meeting are noted below:

Update of Working Groups

• The Uniform Working Group has established some long- and short-term priorities and is developing an action plan to change out some aspects of the school uniform to make students more comfortable, provide better practicality and initiate a better price point for families. With the change over from Pickles to Lowes as a provider of the uniform, there are some contractual obligations that will need to be addressed, and as such the move to changing certain aspects of the uniform will take time.
• New Working Groups have been approved for sponsorship and fundraising activities and for planning the school’s 25th Anniversary in 2026. These Working Groups will be established in Term 2. For any parents/carers/guardians interested and willing to commit, please email lumencommunitycouncil@gmail.com.

• Sponsorship and Fundraising: The Community Council sees an opportunity for raising funds for the school and Catholic Education charitable groups via planning of special events or other fundraising opportunities in the local community e.g. grants.
• 25th Anniversary of LCCC: The school will celebrate its 25th anniversary in March 2026. For this milestone, the Community Council would like to prepare for the event and organise for a function next year.

Parents and Community concerns and feedback

• Screen use and more specifically personal communication devices is a topic the school is working through to establish a strong and sustainable policy. Child development, distractions, requirement, responsibility and trust are all aspects the school is considering in this process. Parent input as well as staff and student input are being explored. Please keep up to date with this through the weekly newsletter on Skoolzine and correspondence on Compass.
• The request for a school social for Year 6 graduation has been considered. The school will continue to organise an event for graduating students that is consistent with the school culture. A Mass, awards ceremony and small function in full school uniform for friends and families of graduating students will continue to be organised. Organisers can adjust dates and timings within reason to accommodate any outside organised events for graduating students, but will not take part in the outside organised event. If any parent/guardian is wanting to assist with the school organised graduation, please email lumencommunitycouncil@gmail.com.

Next Community Council Executive meeting: 19 June 2025 at 4:00pm.

We encourage and welcome your feedback, concerns, and ideas. Please do not hesitate to contact us via email.

Be the Light of Christ.

Steph Parry Secretary

LCCC Community Council lumencommunitycouncil@gmail.com

NSW Community Health will visit the College to provide Yr 7 vaccinations to students on 10 June 2025.

Please ensure consent for your child has been completed prior to the day. Consent for vaccinations is to be completed online via your Service NSW account, please see below flyer for further details. For parents who are unable to provide consent online, paper consent forms will be available at the Front Office.

NESA HSC Examination Provisions - for Yr 12 2025 

If students would like to apply, please contact Helen.Bigelow@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Link for information about Disability Provisions:

The University of Sydney presents Your Path to Sydney: Yr 10 Subject Selection Evening  

"Your Path to Sydney” is designed to help Yr 10 students navigate the subject selection process for their senior years. This event offers a comprehensive overview on how these choices can impact future pathways, including university and career opportunities.   

Hosted by our Future Students Team with presentations by our UAC Admissions Manager, and a current University of Sydney student, we will also share information about:  

• The ATAR and key university terminology 
• The student experiences 
• Tips for admission and scholarships 
• An overview of the University of Sydney. 

Students can also have their questions answered by our expert staff and student ambassadors.  

To register for the session, please click on one of the event registration links below:   

• Online session: Thursday evening, 15 May 2025 - Register here.