From the Pastoral Office
Year 8 Social with Lourdes Hill
On Monday afternoon, we welcomed young ladies from Year 8 at Lourdes Hill College to an afternoon of making connections through games and conversation. The evening culminated with a sausage sizzle and disco. The evening would not have been possible without the willingness of numerous Year 11 and 12 students who facilitated games, cooked the barbeque and led their groups throughout the afternoon.
Year 6 & 12 Netball with Somerville House
On Tuesday afternoon, we again partnered with a girls’ school, this time our neighbours, Somerville House where our Year 6 and 12 students played an entertaining game of netball against the girls. The Year 6 girls were too strong and won the match, but our Year 12s were thrilled to win after a long five-year drought. Thanks to our coaching staff of Mr Danny O’Toole, Ms Lara Dunkley and Mr Blake Taylor for their expertise and organisation.
Engagement and Service
In addition to the students who volunteered at the Year 8 Social, our students in all year levels have given their time and enthusiasm to various events over the past two weeks. Congratulations to all those who performed at last week’s LIZID festival, which was a celebration of musical talent offering students and staff the opportunity to showcase their talents. I would also like to congratulate all of the students who contributed and volunteered at Open Day to welcome visitors into our community.
Riding of E-Scooters to the College
Recently, the College has observed an increase in students riding e-scooters to and from school. While we acknowledge that e-scooters can be a convenient mode of transport, the college requests that students refrain from using e-scooters to travel to school in future. This decision has been made to prioritise student safety and ensure compliance with current laws and school guidelines.
Students have been reminded on whole school assembly that riding e-scooters to and from school is subject to strict legislation under Queensland transport laws. Only individuals aged 16 and over are permitted to ride e-scooters independently; students aged 12-15 may only do so under direct adult supervision, while those under 12 are strictly prohibited from riding e-scooters.
Reminder: Changing into Formal School Uniform After Saturday Games.
Parents and caregivers are reminded that students who wish to remain after their games on Saturdays to support any other teams, that they are required to change into their formal school uniform. This expectation is in line with the College’s standards for student appearance and presentation during all on-site activities outside of scheduled sporting events.
We appreciate the positive example our students set when they wear the correct uniform, and it contributes to the respectful and cohesive atmosphere we value at the College. This requirement has been communicated clearly and on multiple occasions to all students throughout the year, both during House assemblies and whole school assemblies.
We kindly ask for your support in reinforcing this message with your son and thank you for your cooperation and support in upholding the standards that reflect the pride and community spirit of our College.
Guest Presenters
In Week 4, we are extremely excited to have two highly accomplished and respected guest speakers working with our staff, parents and students. On Monday afternoon, we welcome Dr Justin Coulson who is a leading voice in adolescence and parenting. You may have seen him on Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance, listened to his Happy Families podcast, accessed his happyfamilies.com.au site, followed him on socials or read one of the nine books he has published. Dr Coulson will firstly work with our staff on Monday afternoon before presenting to our Parents at our Parent M2L. Space is still available so I would like to welcome you to ERPAC on Monday night at 6pm.
On Tuesday, we welcome Daniel Principe who will work with our Primary, Year 8, 10 and 12 students. Daniel is a passionate youth advocate and educator. He champions boys across Australia to challenge culture and aspire to live courageous, respectful and empathetic lives. Daniel is a regular guest on TV, radio and podcasts to discuss healthy masculinity, consent, respectful relationships and the cultural challenges young people are facing. None of these evolving challenges sway Daniel’s confidence that all young people can flourish if we create spaces for them to be their best selves.
I invite you to have a conversation with your son on Tuesday evening about the key messages and takeaways from the presentation. It is essential that the dialogue flows from the presentation at school to home.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.
MS VANESSA BELL
Dean of Engagement and Wellbeing