College Updates Term 3 Week 1 - 24 July 2025

Reminders:

Bookweek Celebrations- 21 August - TBC 

Lumen Day - 3 September

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 Parents and Carers

Welcome to Term 3.

As always there is a great deal going on and in prospect, but in looking at the next few weeks I would like to acknowledge and celebrate that this is NAIDOC Week. We held our celebrations at the end of last term (and thank to you Ms Gaudie for her organisation), a feature for me being the great wisdom of Uncle BJ Cruise – like Ozzie, quite inspirational.

Secondly, we have sport all over the place and I won’t pretend to be across it all apart from recognizing the great efforts of Mrs Hergenhan (who probably doesn’t sleep). I’m not sure that we have more sport than in previous years, but my impression is that our students keep progressing to the next round or level more than ever. Snow Sports is happening this week, for example – best wishes to all these students.

The Year 10 subject selection for 2026 is in full swing (thank you Mrs Woods and Mr Lynn), from my experience a few things: a student who gets in over their head is miserable, a student who is not sufficiently challenged is just as miserable or perhaps, regretful. Students should do what they are passionate about and let careers unfold from there. It’s a simple thing, but the happiest kids are always the ones who know they are learning and enjoying that learning.

Photo days are Tuesday and Wednesday of Week 2, Tuesday being the formal class and year group photos and Wednesday being siblings and all the various groups. Your help with uniform is always valued.

And a word before I go… My role in Pastoral Care in the College leads, in my mind anyway, to a few certainties.  The first is the absolutely crucial role of the trusted adult in the lives of our kids. Across all the issues of adolescent wellbeing and mental health, every student needs someone who knows they will listen and help, no matter what is at hand. That doesn’t mean that there will be no consequences or that parents and carers are their child’s non-judgmental best friend. It means that they know that you love them and will always listen and move forward together. Kids who don’t talk about what’s worrying them is always my concern.

Secondly – social media is the major factor underlying many of the issues that our students face. The genie is out of the bottle in terms of the technology, much more important now is our education of our kids in the values and morality of its use. There are many positives of course, but I see (in my investigating/helping/repairing role) most of the negatives – gaming, screen addiction, the lack of awareness of a lifelong digital footprint, sleep deprivation, cyberbullying, isolation rather than connection and of course the exposure to absolutely inappropriate content and views. There is much evidence to suggest that some of the worst things in our society – misogyny and racism for example, are in fact on the rise. Cue social media. Enter the trusted adult.

 Again, in relation to social media, teachers are sometimes dragged into scenarios that can be categorised as cyberbullying or harassment. We are members of the community too and as such might appear on social media as coaches, volunteers, committee members, activists and so on. We also must have the right to a safe workplace where a social media post, for example, is not scrutinised by students and warped into a vehicle designed to denigrate. There are many legal frameworks to ensure that teachers have a safe workplace to which all schools (as employers) are bound. If needs be, unfortunately, students may face exclusion for the targeting of a staff member. There’s no “Be the Light of Christ” or “Shine Your Light” in any of that.

“Shine Your Light” is present and thriving in our relationship with the Sisters of St Anthony in Pontevedra. Mrs Woods , Mrs Bigelow and Mr Lynn have just returned from the Philippines with a group of students. Life affirming. Life changing.

Best wishes

Adrian Wels

Acting Principal

We know our students are amazing, so we’re giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition this year.

What is ICAS?  

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.

 Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

To learn more about this year’s exciting ICAS competition, visit this Link

How to participate in ICAS  

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:  

1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here
2. Read the Privacy Collection Statement below.
3. Read the terms and conditions here
4. Go to the Parent Portal to sign up to chosen subject areas here
5. Enter our school’s access code LNN237
6. Enter your child’s details, select the subject areas your child would like to participate in, then proceed to payment.  

Please note that the ICAS subject areas shown for selection are at the school’s discretion.   

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.  

ICAS results and certificates

ICAS results and certificates

All assessments will be conducted online, at school. We will notify you of the date(s) that we will run ICAS assessments, and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. Your child’s ICAS certificates will be delivered to school. Once we have received them, we will present them to your child to bring home. The back of the certificate will show your child’s ICAS results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”. - Use these to enter the  Results Portal

If you have any questions contact Helen.Bigelow@cg.catholic.edu.au

Monday, 4 August is the first day of the Year 12 Trial Examinations which run until 19 August.  Year 12s only need to attend when they have examinations.  The timetable can be found here.  Year 12s are encouraged to continue to work with their teachers as they prepare for these exams, ensuring they know the syllabus and the structure of the exams and have a strategy for managing their time.  If students are sick on the day of an exam or experience a misadventure, please contact the College immediately, so we are aware of why they are absent.  Evidence such as medical certificate is required for any absences.

Lumen Christi Catholic College are seeking volunteers to support students with disability provisions during the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams. Your contribution can make a meaningful difference in ensuring equity and access for all students.  

Roles Available:

• Reader: Reads exam questions and approved texts aloud to the student.
• Scribe: Writes down exactly what the student dictates during the exam.

Attributes Required:

• Clear and fluent English communication skills.
• Strong listening and attention to detail.
• Ability to remain calm and focused under exam conditions.
• Patience, discretion, and respect for confidentiality.
• Must not be a relative, friend, or teacher of the student.
• Must not be familiar with the exam content (e.g., not a current or recent teacher of the subject).

Duties & Responsibilities (as per NESA Disability Provisions):

• Follow NESA and school protocols for the conduct of disability provisions.
• Accurately read from the exam paper without interpreting or explaining content (Reader).
• Write exactly what the student dictates, including punctuation, without correcting grammar or structure (Scribe).
• Maintain test conditions and refrain from offering any assistance beyond your designated role.
• Support the student while ensuring exam integrity and fairness.

 Volunteers must be available during the HSC written exam period (16 October to 7 November). We are also looking for Volunteers for the HSC Trial Exams which take place in Term 3 (4 August to 19 August). 

If you're interested in supporting inclusive education and making a positive impact, please contact:

Helen Bigelow (helen.bigelow@cg.catholic.edu.au)
Antionette Woods (antionette.woods@cg.catholic.edu.au)

Thank you for considering this valuable role in supporting student success.

A reminder that the Retreat will be at St Joseph's Merimbula on Friday, 1 Aug (4-5:30pm) and the Confirmation Mass will be on Saturday, 9 August.   Contact Antoinette.Woods@cg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.

The annual pilgrimage from the Eden Cemetery to Our Lady Star of the Sea Church is on Saturday, 9 August from 11am-2pm.  The Mass at 12 noon will be celebrated by Archbishop Christopher Prowse, marking the Eden Church as one of the pilgrimage Churches during this Jubilee Year of Hope.  Students are encouraged to attend, wearing school uniform, to represent Lumen Christi as part of the diversity of pilgrims celebrating and reflecting on how we can bring hope to others, just like Australia's first saint.

NAPLAN results

This week, students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 will be given envelopes containing their NAPLAN results. Term 1 feels like a long time ago, when students sat these tests.  It’s important to remember that each child, their parents, and their teachers are already well aware of the student’s particular strengths and areas for growth in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, and Numeracy.  Please take the time to look at your child's report to see more detailed information on their strengths and potential areas for development.

These tests are a snapshot in time and provide data about your child. However, it is through thoughtful analysis—and the deep knowledge we have of your child—that we determine the true value of this data.    As a school we look for patterns and growth:

Year 3 - most students achieved the Strong or Exceeding proficiency standard for Reading and Writing

Year 5 - we've seen a significant increase in students in the Strong or Exceeding proficiency standard in Grammar & Punctuation and Reading compared to their Year 3 NAPLAN results

Year 7 - a similar percentage of males and females achieved the Strong or Exceeding proficiency standard in Reading

Year 9 - we've seen a significant increase in students in the Strong or Exceeding proficiency standard in Writing compared to their Year 7 NAPLAN results