Dear Members of the Trinity Family,

The 2024 Lenten Season has now commenced. The name “Lent” came from an Anglo-Saxon word, “Leetem”, which simply means Spring. Easter is always the first moon on or after the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This association of Lent and Spring can carry with it the comparison of our spirituality needing a ‘spring cleaning’ so that we may live up to the ideals of being like Christ to others.

Pope Francis reminds us of the many things we can fast from in 2024 so that a true ‘spring cleaning’ can occur within each of us:

On Ash Wednesday I reminded our students that Lent is not a passive season. Too often Lent is associated with not doing certain things rather than emphasising what we should be doing to make ourselves Christ-like. This Lent I hope and pray that we are all active in pursuing internal renewal so that the Spring of Easter leads to increased faith, hope and love.

Beginning of Term 1

The busy start to Term 1 has continued with numerous College celebrations and opportunities as our students settle into the 2024 academic year.  There continues to be a positive buzz around the campus as we embark on each new day and its offerings. One of my highlights has been the opportunity to share lunch with Year 7 students in their House groups and listen to their stories as they settle into life at the College. Overall our newest community members are adapting well to high school.

Year 7-10, Semester 2, 2023 Academic Assembly

It was a pleasure to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students in Semester 2, 2023. Mrs Robinson and Mr Mayes both spoke about the need to work consistently each day in order to achieve one’s personal best result. Congratulations to all of our award recipients, their families and teachers. 

Student Enrolments

Applications for 2025 are now being accepted and will be processed as per the following timeline: 

All enrolment enquiries are best directed to our Enrolments Officer via email - enrolments@trinitylismore.nsw.edu.au - or phone: 02) 6627 6647. Applications can be made through our College website.

Child Safeguarding

The College, like all child-safe organisations, is investing significant time and resources into the implementation of the Child Safe Standards. Our website contains our Statement of Commitment and further policies and procedures that inform our approach to this important work.

Uniform & Presentation

I ask that all students present in accordance with the College uniform and grooming policy, with particular attention being paid to hairstyles (neat and appropriate) and jewellery (no facial piercings). The College’s uniform policy can be found on the College website. It is vital that we maintain high standards in all areas of College life, including uniform and presentation.

Lantern Distribution in Term 1

The next College Lantern will be distributed in Week 9  of Term 1, 2024.

Lockers

At this stage we have moved the lockers we had at Woodlawn to SCU, but they are in storage until we are able to locate them in our current buildings / spaces. Given the area is not fenced nor is there sufficient area under cover there are security and weather issues with distributing the lockers. Many of the internal corridors in R Block are not wide enough from a compliance perspective to add lockers. We are certainly investigating the issue of the placement of lockers. We have more than enough lockers to go around (including those stored here at SCU and those on the former SJS site). Br John, our Operations Manager, is working on possible solutions with our Architect. I appreciate parent concern and will continue to provide updates on our progress.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the College. May Venerable Nano Nagle, St Marcellin Champagnat and Mary our Good Mother continue to watch over our Trinity community.

Jesse Smith

It is our Duty of Care to provide a safe and supportive environment meaning that we need to be able to identify any adult who comes to the Reception to collect a student. In the worst case scenario a student could leave our school grounds with an unidentified adult and we are not prepared to take that risk for safety and legal reasons.

So we ask our families to follow this procedure:

If you are collecting a student can you please:

1. Send an email to the Leader of Year
2. Ring the Reception on 6627 6600 before you collect the student so staff have time to verify the identity of the person who is collecting the student.

When you present at Reception you may still be  asked for identification. Please remain calm and speak with respect to our staff. They are simply following our procedure and we are doing our best to ensure the safety of our Trinity students.

With this in mind, I hope parents who have chosen to remain in a vehicle and not present physically at Reception realise that this practice will not be continuing.

A last minute request for a student to leave College grounds puts the safety of a student at risk and places undue pressure on our Administration Staff. We simply ask families to follow this procedure.

CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Mackinnon Connelly (Year 12 2023) and Sabrina Ghilhardi who represented Trinity at the HSC Call Back Dance Performance Concert in Sydney on February 17th. Mackinnon was chosen at the end of 2023 as one of only 24 students from 600 nominations to perform her dance and speak to the audience. Each Year 12 Dance has to select a student from a younger year to perform their original piece. Mackinnon chose Sabrina in 2023 and they worked tirelessly throughout the year to perfect the movements. In Sydney both Mackinnon and Sabrina performed brilliantly. Congratulations to both students.

Dear Members of the Trinity Community,

University Roadshow and NESA Information Night for Year 12

Thank you to Year 12 students and parents for supporting this event on Thursday 22 February.  This annual one stop shop provided the opportunity to gather information from seven universities, TAFE NSW and QTAC as well as receiving  important NESA information and requirements to successfully complete the 2024 HSC.  

Academic Assembly

On Friday 23 February we celebrated the 2023 Semester 2 outstanding academic achievements of students from Years 7-10. Thank you sincerely to the 104 parents/carers for joining the College community on this day.

Congratulations to the following students who received five or more A grades in Semester 2, 2023:

Year 7 & 8 Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews

A reminder that  PST interviews for Years 7 and 8 will be held on Monday 18 March from 3.40 pm to 7.00 pm.  The portal for interview bookings will open on 4 March at 4.00 pm.  

We encourage you to participate in this opportunity to meet face to face with your student/s teachers to discuss their academic progress. We firmly believe Learning and Teaching is a team effort between home and the College and it is important to keep the lines of communication open.

Elevate Education

This week, students from Year 7 to 12 engaged in an Elevate Education seminar focused on enhancing their study skills. Additional workshops dedicated to refining these essential skills will continue within the classroom setting in the coming weeks. 

Edrolo

Edrolo is available to Years 11 and 12 across a wide variety of subjects taught in Stage 6. Edrolo consists of online video theory, video solutions and exam-style questions to help each child learn, revise and get assessment-ready. Whether they’re catching up on missed classes, reviewing a lesson or revising for an exam, Edrolo will give them the fuel they need to rocket through the HSC.

In Term 1 there will be an Edrolo webinar with the students in Stage 6 to learn more about the benefits of using Edrolo.

We wish all students and families well for the Term ahead.

Alison Unwin - Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
Tracy Benfield - Director of Learning
Amy Pascoe - Director of Teaching Excellence

Ash Wednesday Liturgy & Project Compassion

Ash Wednesday was marked with a moving liturgy with a focus on what we can do for others this Lenten period. Here is an extract from my Gospel reflection from the liturgy exploring what Lent means for us as Christians.

“When I was with the Indigenous Community of Santa Teresa, in the Northern Territory with our Immersion team last year, the local priest explained Lent simply. He told us that it is time to put ‘your sorry business right with the people in your life.’

Lent is the season for getting yourself straight with whatever is not right in your world. Everyone has an aspect in their lives that they could do better at - a situation we could have handled better, a raised voice, a text message that we shouldn’t have sent, a judgement that was not necessary or a moment of meanness. By trying to heal our relationships we can in turn start to heal ourselves.

As Catholics we are asked to fast during Lent. Breaking negative habits is a way of fasting. During Lent, we can fast from being selfish, fast from holding grudges, fast from bitterness, fast from anger, fast from hurtful words. We also fast from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent.  This helps us to have compassion for the poor, so that it might help us to understand the importance of donating money to help those not as fortunate as ourselves. 

During Lent, Catholics are called to make helping others a priority. Thinking about helping those less fortunate than ourselves is good but doing something about it is better. Donating to the Project Compassion Lenten Appeal is one thing we can all do. Find that change from your lunch order, go without a treat at the canteen and pop that money into the Project Compassion boxes at the canteen or at reception.

So, Lent is not a burden or a pain, it is a chance to heal and work on ourselves. This Lent, ask yourself: What actions will I take to make a difference – in my own life? and in the lives of others?”

Youth Ministry Update

The Year 10 CSYMA class started the reading program with the K-2 students at Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School last week. This is a valuable leadership and community building opportunity for our students and one they are all eager to be a part of. This class has also been helping raise monies for Trinity Lenten's Appeal for Project Compassion at each Monday's Assembly.  It is wonderful to see students keen to put their faith into action.

Youth and Family Mass - St Carthage's Cathedral

The first Youth and Family Mass for 2024 will be held on Saturday 16th March at 5:30pm. The Youth Mass is held on the Third Sunday of every month. Mass will be followed by a BBQ and all are welcome to attend.

Mrs Annette White - Director of Mission

Dear families and community members,

The year has begun well for Year 9 at Trinity. We commenced the year with a large intake of 18 additional new students - just in Year 9! As the largest year group in the school, we have been focussing on the richness of the diversity that this brings, and hence, the strength that we have in that diversity.

The College has three goals in 2024, which we are enacting together each time we meet as a year group, or spend extended time together as a tutor group. I will speak about two within this article.

Mission Goal

The aim is to have each member of our group be able to confidently say that they know someone who knows their name and something about them. A place where everyone is known and loved. This goal relates to the inherent dignity of the individual - an important value at Trinity. Last week students reflected on the meaning of their own names, where their name comes from, and shared one interesting fact about themselves.

Pastoral Care Goal

Our first outcome is to co-create a shared understanding of what makes a school ‘safe’ and ‘supportive’. Together, we collected some data on what makes a safe school - what we want to see, and what we don’t want to see. The students are now undertaking a challenge to create a safe schools infographic that summarises what makes our school safe. Year 12 will select the winners and the winning group will win a $20 canteen voucher and their infographic will be used throughout the year.

Year 9 Pastoral Team

Year 9 is a fantastic year group, and I give particular thanks to the Year 9 Pastoral Team who guide these young people every day:

Good News

These are just some of the good news successes that I am aware of in recent times:

• Congratulations to Sienna Silk who has been dancing for 10 years and travels to the USA in April to compete.
• Congratulations James Cittolin - currently competing in the Australian Go-Kart Championships and doing well. In a couple of weeks he will be representing Australia in New Zealand for Go-Karting.
• Congratulations to Brooke Wilson for her growing involvement in Air Force Cadets. Brooke was chosen to attend Williamtown and was lucky enough to fly in a C-130. Her next experience looks like being a trip on HMAS Albatross.
• Congratulations to Will Hensley, who is achieving great things in the swimming pool! Will represents Alstonville Swimming Club and has recently competed at the QLD State Championships in Brisbane, the NSW State Championships in Sydney and he is training for Nationals.

Will specialises in middle and long distance Freestyle. His current rankings (in 15yrs age group) are:

• 1500m Freestyle: 5th in NSW, 10th Nationally
• 800m Freestyle: 4th in NSW, 14th Nationally
• 400m Freestyle: 5th in NSW, 16th Nationally
• 200m Freestyle: 7th in NSW, 15th Nationally

His favourite events are the 400 and 800.

I also congratulate all those named for their sporting achievements and successes, as well as those who received an academic award last week. Congratulations to all those striving to be their best - particularly in their words and deeds. As Mr Smith often reminds us: The founder of the modern Olympic games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, first stated the Olympic creed in 1896, and it is as much a cherished ideal today as it was more than a century ago: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part."

I wish all our families and community members well for the second half of the Term.

Travis Lyon | Leader of Year 9

DRAMA AND VISUAL ART

In Week 2 our Year 12 Drama and Visual Arts students flew to Sydney for 3 days of opportunities that prepares them for their HSC studies. Both groups got to see their respective HSC showcase events of the previous HSC cohort with visits to ArtExpress and Onstage and immersed themselves in galleries and theatres. Drama students also participated in group improv workshops and art students visited a variety of commercial and public galleries and had talks presented by curators.  We stayed at the YHA in the Rocks , which in itself is inspiring as it is built around an early colonial archaeological dig and also has a rooftop balcony with the most stunning views of the harbour. Students definitely came back full of stimulating experiences and inspired to aim high in their creative pursuits.

As one Year 12 Art student wrote:

Two weeks ago the Year 12 Drama and Art students went on an excursion to Sydney, in order to view Onstage, and Art Express- the previous year's best art and drama major works from the state. Our days were ‘jam-packed’- I think we visited about eight galleries, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Banksy Interactive experience, and many others. All of these galleries had something different to offer, all varying in artistic styles, with individual expressive forms and varying conceptual ideas that I imagine offered inspiration to all of the year 12 students who came, and spoke to all the different mediums and concepts being explored for our own major works. Even though I am an art student, I found great enjoyment in the Onstage performances, and the various displays of creativity they encompassed- whether it be through expressions of comedy, nostalgia, horror or loss. To be able to see the creative expressions that exist in spite of the pressure of year twelve, and of the sometimes stifling expectations of NESA, was inspiring, and personally, reminded me that there is more to our major works than the marks- and that is the impact they create upon other people. Which to me, is all that matters when it comes to art- its impact. Usually, when an artist wants to make an impact, they have something they want to say, and there are so many things that that could be. An aim of this trip was to find further inspiration on what that could be, or how to express it, through the artistic expressions of countless successful, talented artists and their works. but to me, I found it in other areas, outside the gallery walls. Personally, my favourite moments were the most mundane- the way the light reflected on the harbour, blinding, the contrast between the glow of the old Sydney buildings against the sky clouded by air pollution, conversations with friends about our major work processes, and our life experiences that are reflected in that, and the new perspective I gained of a city I have been to a million times before. It struck me that while yes, seeing the major work process displayed in Art Express helps give one an understanding of their own process, and seeing displays of other artists is informative and inspiring, the most impactful is in the everyday. The things we look past, the things that make us laugh, our interactions and perspectives- all the little things that make up our world and who we are. So, while this trip was immersive and informative into the world of art, inspiration and expression may be found in the everyday- you need only look outside, and hopefully, you will find it.

Ash MacGregor-Shaw Year 12 Visual Arts

MUSIC 

We have been busy in the Music Department!

In the music department there has been many extra curricular activities including performing at assemblies as well as our commencement liturgy in Week 2. Thank you to all the students in Year 12 and emerging younger students who are always willing to step up and have a go and lead the Masses. The performance skills students gain from this is invaluable. A special thank you to the Year 12 music students who will be focusing more on their studies as the year goes on; we appreciate all the work you’ve done for liturgical music over the years as great role models.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ENSEMBLES: Mr Reade and Mr McDermott have been ramping up the work on bands; working behind the scenes in the planning stages; developing how the bands will look in 2024. We hope to engage students in extracurricular music that enhances skills and develops a range of styles. Students have been making good use of the music rooms at lunch times to develop their own small bands. They will be rewarded with solid songs ready for concerts when they arise. The lunch time music for Sport is in full swing too with a range of students opting to spend Wednesday afternoons developing skills in small groups or solo. If you would like to join a band/ ensemble please express your interest with one of the music teachers Mr Aaron McDermott or Mr Daniel Reade. The types of ensembles we will run depends entirely on the types of instruments and interests of students at the school, however we certainly have an interest in developing specialised ensembles as well as mainstream ensembles like rock/ pop bands.

In the music room Year 7’s are making a solid foundation; learning basic skills in rhythm, body percussion and composition. They are working towards performing their own group body percussion pieces in front of their class.

Year 9 Music has a new influx of the next wave of elective music students and it’s a large group of motivated and excited students; eager to perform in big and small groups. Year 9 are working on music of other cultures this term. The main song so far has been a latin rock song which the students can really sink their teeth into.

Year 10 are honing in on the knowledge and skills they developed in Year 9, making excellent music as a group and gaining skills in composition too. Currently they are working on their Jazz chops, improvisation and theory as part of a whole term Jazz unit. Some pretty cool musos are developing as a result!

Year 11 and 12 are getting ready for a huge 3 day Music Excursion to Sydney this weekend to see ENCORE; a concert at Sydney Opera House featuring the best HSC high school performers in the state from 2023. This will be a source of inspiration for the students; especially for the Year 12’s who are working towards their own HSC music performances. Whilst there, they will also see a concert by the Sydney Youth Orchestra playing contemporary works, undertake a tour of the Australian Institute of Music, tour the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, meet the local Mob for a ‘Dreamtime Tour’ (Illi Langi) of The Rocks and finish off with an ‘Opera Australia’ contemporary production  of Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ (in English!) at Sydney Opera House! An action packed excursion which we are so pleased to bring back to the school calendar after several years of absence.

We look forward to showcasing our amazing music students in concerts and events for the school as well as the wider community. Ensure you try to come to some of our major events like PERFORMA and EMERGE. See you there!

MIP- Music Instrumental Program has hit the ground running this year with an influx of new students from Year 7. We are now quite full but still have spots for drums and piano. Please email amcdermott@trinitylismore.nsw.edu.au for a form.

DANCE

Callback 2023

Congratulations to MacKinnon Connolly (2023), who’s HSC Major Dance Composition was selected out of almost 600 nominations from across the state to perform in Callback 2023! Callback showcased exemplary works from around NSW from the 2023 HSC year at the Seymour Centre Sydney/ In the program, only two Major Compositions were showcased along with being the only North Coast school!

MacKinnon along with student dancer Sabrina Ghilardi (Year 12) performed exceptionally well and we are so proud of the hard work, commitment and growth demonstrated.

MacKinnon wrote a special email to us this week that we would like to share;

A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of representing Trinity for the last time as part of my involvement in the 2023 Callback production. I was very honoured to do so and was extremely grateful for this opportunity as it was a wonderful experience.

I would like to express my gratitude to my dance teacher Miss Unwin and Miss Geoghegan for travelling to Sydney to come and watch me perform. I am so appreciative of their support in Sydney, but also during the entire HSC process. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the dance program at Trinity as it inspired me and helped me grow as a dancer, and I will be forever grateful.

I wish the current Year 12s much success this year, and to reach out if I can offer any guidance.

Dance Ensembles 2024;

It has been an incredible start to the year for our Dance Ensemble groups! Ms Unwin and I were grateful to welcome so many dancers sign ups to the range of ensemble groups we have on offer!

• Hip Hop Crew (Yr 8-11) on Mondays at lunch
• Year 7 Dance Ensemble on Tuesdays at lunch
• Dance Company during Wednesday sport
• Year 8 Dance Ensemble on Fridays at lunch

Each group has already demonstrated commitment and passion for the art form in our rehearsal times. We are very excited for the year ahead.

Miss Angela Geoghegan | Dance Teacher & Leader of Creative and Performing Arts

Recently in Science classes 803 and 804 we modelled how the human digestive system works with bananas, orange juice, water, plastic bags, stockings and some cups. This experiment is an amazing way to gross out your friends before lunch and have some fun squeezing bananas. Who knew orange juice is now your stomach acid! Squeezing bananas and crackers into a stocking and into a cup with a hole in it is really fun!

Ashlinn Tuthill - Year 8 Student

On 19th February, ten members of the SRC from Years 8 to 10 travelled to Brisbane for the National Youth Leadership Convention. We were spoken to by four speakers who touched on ideas concerning self-confidence, resilience, positivity and aspiring to one's goals. We had the opportunity to meet and discuss with Australian memory champions, authors, and the youngest solo flyer to fly around the world. It was an amazing day full of connection and motivation. It was so lovely to meet such inspirational and world changing speakers, who all overcame obstacles in order to grow and achieve their best. Thank you to the teachers, Mrs O’Reilly and Mr Baldwin, who took the time out of their busy schedules to take us up to Brisbane.

For the last couple of weeks, the SRC has been selling roses for Valentine’s Day. We managed to sell 320 which was amazing!

Thank you to everyone who came and bought a rose and to all the teachers that helped organise getting the roses.

Mia O’Reilly and Ayla Crotty - Year 10 Reps