Dear Members of the Trinity Family,

The past three weeks have been filled with many highlights, from our House Chants and Athletics Carnival, through to OnStage, College Photos, our Academic Assemblies, Green & Gold Day, Trial HSC Exams and more. Our students are to be commended for the positive start they have made in this new semester of learning - a semester in which we are challenging students to achieve their personal best “In Word and Deed.” In a particular way I welcome our new students who have commenced with us in Term 3. 

Next week, on 15 August, we will celebrate Foundation Day on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. The Church teaches Mary, "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." In the Gospel reading we hear Mary’s famous words:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour

for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me

and holy is his Name.”

Sr Joan Chittister OSB, in her text “In Pursuit of Peace: Praying the Rosary Through the Psalms,” has this to say:

Mary of the Assumption teaches us to keep our eyes on the things of heaven; to free ourselves from the fetters of anything lesser; to develop a vision outside of ourselves; and to allow ourselves to be lifted up beyond the petty and the transient to the eternal and the unalloyed. Mary of the Assumption is a sign of what we can become if we are willing to let go of what we have planned for ourselves. May these powerful words sit with us as we journey towards next week’s solemnity.

The Assumption also coincides with the College’s Foundation Day in 1886. Under the guidance of a small group of Presentation Sisters from Ireland, Saint Mary’s High School for Girls accepted enrolments and began the task of educating rural girls in the Lismore area, a ministry that has continued ever since. We very much look forward to celebrating our long history and traditions on this day too.

Marist School Australia Biennial Conference

I recently attended the Marist Schools Australia Biennial Conference in Mparntwe, Alice Springs, with Ms Alison Unwin. This year’s conference theme was adapted from the annual Marist theme of “First Light - Reveal the Spirit.” Specific attention was paid to two areas: (i) Catholic indigenous insights and perspectives on Christian spirituality; and (ii) the imperative of Catholic education to identify, value and explain robust measures of student growth to students, parents, the wider community and Australian governments. Our visit to Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa), which our College has had a connection with since 2005, was a powerful reminder to the unity that exists between the east Arrernte people and the Catholic Church. This relationship has been forged and strengthened over many decades and is a source of goodness in the remote community. The conference’s focus on student growth aligns perfectly with Trinity’s 2024 learning and teaching goal.

Student Attendance and Punctuality

Sincere thanks to those families who work with us to ensure students are at school every day except when they are unwell or have a legitimate reason for being absent. Student attendance rates across New South Wales schools have plummeted. This is a source of great concern. The NSW Department of Education published this infographic recently which clearly shows the impact of sporadic attendance - even a single day absence in a fortnight - on a student’s learning and social development over their school life.

Staff members are regularly speaking to students about the importance of consistent attendance, in addition to emphasising the importance of punctuality. Our school day starts at 8.55am and ends at 3.06pm. We consistently see students arriving at 9.10am and/or later, therefore missing Tutor Group and the beginning of Period 1 lessons. I am respectfully requesting the support of parents/carers to ensure students are at school and on time in Term 3, including for our upcoming Foundation Day activities. Thank you for your anticipated support. 

e-Safety Resources for Parents/Carers

Below I include a series of resources produced by Safe on Social. I strongly encourage parents/carers to read through these and discuss them with their children. The language - ‘sextortion, deepfakes, phishing’ - may be foreign to us but it is essential we are informed. In Semester 2 we hope to run a parent information session with Kirra Pendergast so that further education can take place.

• Sextortion - What it is and How to Respond
• Sextortion through Instagram DM’s
• Script for Discussing Sextortion with Teens
• Understanding Sextortion
• Help Lines for Issues Related to Non-Consensual Deepfake Nude Images
• Deepfake Bulling - Student Advice
• Non-Consensual Deepfakes What You Need to Know for Online Safety
• How to prevent  people  from  creating  deepfake  images  of  you
• Understanding Phishing and Tips to Avoid It

eSafety Parent/Carer Webinars in Term 3

Understanding how to support your child with online gaming
Suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and early secondary school.
Tuesday, 3 September, 12.30pm
Register here

Consent and online boundaries: How to support your primary-aged child
Suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.
Tuesday, 13 August, 12.30 pm
Wednesday, 11 September, 12.30 pm
Register here

An introduction to online safety and emerging technologies
Suitable for parents and carers of children and parents in primary and secondary school.
Thursday, 5 September, 12.30pm
Register her

Student Enrolments

First and second round offers for Year 7 2025 have been sent. Some enrolment vacancies exist in other year levels, but not all. 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. As we move into Semester 2, I am respectfully requesting that we are informed if any family knows their child(ren) will not be returning to the College in 2025. This is vital information for our planning.

Bus Interchange - Leycester and Hindmarsh Streets

As parents/carers would be aware, Trinity and many other local primary and secondary schools transit through this interchange each morning and afternoon. This week we have seen an increase in anti-social behaviour by some non-Trinity students at the Bus Interchange which required the attendance of Police on Monday 5 August.

This is not a Trinity interchange, and never has been, even though it was located outside the former St Joseph's Site. Since Trinity’s relocation to SCU in 2022 I have repeatedly raised my concerns with Transport for NSW, NSW Police, local authorities and political leaders about the interchange and the challenges posed to students and the very small number of staff, mainly St Carthage’s Primary School Staff, who are present. Trinity staff are not able to supervise at this interchange on top of the three bus duty venues we have on the SCU Campus.

In early June the NSW Government announced funding of just over $300,000 to upgrade the bus shelters at the Leycester/Hindmarsh Street interchange, despite Trinity’s lobbying for changes to be made. As part of this announcement it was flagged that consideration would be given to extending Lismore City Council’s existing CCTV network. Unfortunately none of these things will proactively address the issues we have seen on display this week.

A large number of Trinity students do transit through the interchange in order to catch connecting buses. To that end, I will be making clear to students our expectations of them. The College expects our students to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with our Student Code of Behaviour. Part 3 of our Code explicitly states that “behaving in an appropriate manner when in public, dressed in uniform” is an expectation we hold. Fortunately the vast majority of our students adhere to this on a consistent basis, and I thank them for their efforts.

I will continue my efforts, and I know the efforts of St Carthage’s Primary School, to bring about meaningful changes to this situation but I need the support of our College community, particularly our students and parents, in ensuring that the standard of behaviour of Trinity students is exemplary as they transit through this interchange. Breaches of our Student of Code of Conduct in this area will be treated very seriously.

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.

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

What an amazing Term 3 we are having so far; great weather and a plethora of announcements about student success and achievement. It is fantastic to see so many of our students taking up the opportunities that are offered at Trinity. Our staff continue to work hard to provide an array of events that cater for a wide variety across the student body and the level of parental support for both students and staff is greatly appreciated.

I take this occasion to remind parents and carers of a significant procedure relating to students signing out of the College during school hours. We recognise that from time to time it is necessary for students to be picked up from the College during school hours and as such the College has a designated procedure to allow for this.

Given our  Duty of Care obligation to provide a safe and supportive environment, we need to be able to identify any adult who comes to Trinity Catholic College Reception Office 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 child safety and legal reasons.

So we ask our families to follow this procedure.  If you are collecting a student before 3.06pm, can you please verify by:

1. Sending an email to their Leader of Year;
   or
2. Provide a handwritten note for your child to have signed by their Leader of Year; 

3. For any last minute and unavoidable situations please telephone the College Reception on 6627 6600 and then present to the Reception on arrival to collect your child.

Please be advised that emails do not always get to the relevant staff in a timely manner and a handwritten note simplifies the process.  This note verifies to the class teacher and office staff that the student needs to leave their lesson and the College and why. 

When you present at Reception, you may still be asked to provide identification.  Please remain calm and speak with respect to our staff.  We are protecting your child.  Our staff are following procedure and we are doing our best to maintain the safety of our Trinity students.

With this in mind, I trust that parents who chose to remain in a vehicle and not present physically to Reception to collect their child realise that College staff will not allow the child to leave.

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 that families follow this procedure for planned pick-ups.

Tony Flood - Acting Assistant Principal - Students and Staff

Welcome to Term 3, we would firstly like to wish Year 12 all the best for their Trial HSC exams and congratulate the Dance, Drama, Music and Distance Education Languages students who have already completed some of their practical exams.

Year 7-10 Academic Assembly

Congratulations to all of our Year 7 to 10 students who received an Academic Award at Friday’s Assembly. It was wonderful to celebrate the Semester One academic achievements with the College community. Thank you to the students who led and participated in the Assembly.

Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Please see linked the timetable for the Year 12 Trial HSC Examination period which commenced on Monday, 5 August 2024. All Year 12 Students are also encouraged to read The NESA 2024 Rules and Procedures guide in relation to the exam period.

HSC Exams

HSC written exams will start on Tuesday 15 October 2024 with English Paper 1 and finish on Friday 8 November 2024. Please find here the link to the complete 2024 HSC written exam timetable with additional information including the Exam Equipment List. Each Year 12 student will have access to their personal exam timetable through studentsonline.nesa.nsw.edu.au. This timetable lists the students' written exams. It also lists any other exams they are entered for, including oral exams for languages, performance exams and submitted works.

The Junior Thriving Minds Excursion

We were all excited to start our journey to North Brisbane (Genesis Christian College). We got on the bus at 5:30 am! It was so early. As soon as we got on the bus, I fell asleep. I was only asleep for maybe about 30 minutes. First, we were going to go pick up Miss Mathie. Miss McKenzie was doing some amazing driving. 3 minutes after we picked up Miss Mathie, she started blasting country music on the speakers and woke me up. Personally, I don’t like country music.

Five students attended: myself (Isaac Wicks), Pippa Simpson, Sam Pascoe, Bonnie Hogan and Savannah Perin. Just before we arrived, we made sure to look sharp with our blazers on. All the other kids were dressed Really nicely and wore fancy hats. We went through the main entrance and were escorted to the theatre where we would be seated. The first Lecture was about Epigenetics and how we all carry our parent genes.

We had a short 15-minute break, and then we went back to another activity. What we did next was a little bit of history from ancient Greece. We learned about Plato, the Greek Philosopher. At the end of the day, we had a debate about the universe and God. It was a good way to finish the day. Thank you to Mrs Pascoe for organising this amazing experience. We all loved it.

By Isaac Wicks (Year 7)

The Junior Virtual Debating Team

The Year 7 team secured their place in the semi-finals of the Australian National Virtual Debating Competition. The team, consisting of Sarah Robinson, Anneke Inglis, Bonnie Hogan, and Caitlyn Maxwell, triumphed over St Edward's Christian Brothers' College in an engaging debate on the topic of "that companies should be held accountable for their impact on the environment."

The negative team skilfully argued its position, demonstrating not only a deep understanding of the subject but also exceptional teamwork and communication skills. This victory, their second consecutive win, highlights their growing reputation as a strong and cohesive team in the competition. The entire school community is proud of their accomplishments and eagerly anticipates their continued journey in the semi-finals. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The Australian UN Youth Evatt Competition: Queensland State Grand Finals

Congratulations to Year 12 students Jesse Alexander Gordon and Charlotte Goodwin for advancing to the Queensland State Grand Finals of the UN Evatt Competition! Representing Guyana, they demonstrated exceptional diplomatic skills and a deep understanding of international relations. Their impressive performance has earned them a spot among the top contenders in the state. The top teams in each State and Territory will be invited to participate in the UN Youth Australia’s Evatt National Finals held in late November or early December. We wish them the best of luck as they prepare for the Queensland State Grand Finals and look forward to their continued success.

Jesse Alexander-Gordon	Charlotte Goodwin

We wish all students and families well for learning throughout Term 3.

Alison Unwin - Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

Tracy Benfield - Director of Learning

Amy Pascoe - Director of Teaching Excellence

During Week 1 this Term, we were blessed to have Br Tony Leon from the Marist Mission and Life Formation Team to lead our Year 11 Leadership Reflection Day. The day allowed students to reflect on what it means to be a servant leader as Trinity’s Class of 2025. This day sows the seeds that will encourage our current Year 11s to be positive role models and live a life that encourages service to others. In putting their new skills into action Year 11s helped to cook and serve at the Year 12, 100 days til Formal breakfast and will mark their official first leadership experience on Foundation Day afternoon on August 15th, as they lead the rest of the College in activities on the oval.

THANK YOU - TRINITY WINTER APPEAL

Thank you to the many generous families who supported our Trinity Winter Appeal. We received many useful donations which will be shared between Lismore Vinnies and The Lismore Winsome Soup Kitchen. Ms Meike Bell, President of the Winsome, spoke to our students at our Winter Sleep Out last term and explained that our donations are crucial in supporting the needs of local people living rough during the cold of winter. Thank you to families for being wonderful ambassadors of living out the Gospel in service of others.

FOUNDATION DAY MASS AND ACTIVITIES - 15 AUGUST

The College will once again celebrate Mass together on 15th August at St Carthage's Cathedral. An information note will be emailed home to families soon. Each year on the Feast of the Assumption, we come together to remember and celebrate the rich history which is Trinity. The Feast of the Assumption of Mary has been chosen as the date on which we celebrate Foundation Day for two reasons: The day is central to the spirituality of both the Presentation Sisters and the Marist Brothers, and it is also the date that St Mary’s College Lismore and St Joseph’s High School amalgamated in 1985 to form Trinity Catholic College, Lismore. The day will start with a morning Mass, a return to Trinity for some lessons, a shared lunch and activities on the SCU oval.

Annette White - Director of Mission

DRAMA

In Week 1 our talented Year 12 Drama class showcased their dance works in ‘Onstage’. A wonderful display of their Individual Projects and Group Performances. The works explored a variety of themes that were relevant to their life experiences today. Our HSC Drama class demonstrated commitment and dedication to their artform in each work and in the numerous rehearsals leading up to it.

Thank you to the wonderful Year 9 Drama class who helped as backstage crew and supported the show to be smooth and successful! Congratulations to the Year 12 Drama Class and Mr Damion Hunter on a wonderful showcase.

MUSIC

In Week 2,The HSC music class performed their chosen repertoire of up to 4 pieces each for their Trial exams. The day went very well. The pieces are all developing rapidly and the students have done a great job preparing for this.

Next stop is the annual Year 12 Performa concert in Week 6 where a selection of these works will be showcased to a public audience (Friday 30th Aug 6.30pm). Many students from younger years have also been busy assisting in the preparation of these pieces and will get to have the valuable experience of performing at the concert as well as the HSC exams in Week 9. Tickets will go on sale in Week 5.

Recently we have seen the brave appearance of several younger students stepping up to perform to the school community for the first time. At the recent academic assemblies, Year 7 student Hayden Ellem stunned the audience with his own original piano composition and Year 8 Elijah Hogan played classy classical pieces as people came in, as well as an amazing performance later on.  We also saw Year 9 Ella Cooper, Bella Harris and Morgan Nicholas wow the audience with their heartfelt version of ‘Hallelujah’. It is great to see such young talent emerging and building their confidence as we start to anticipate the departure of our talented Year 12s.

Staff and Students are also busy preparing music and singing for Foundation Day Liturgy in Week 4. Again some new soloists and accompanists will be leading singing for the first time.

The Music Block continues to  be a vibrant, creative and busy place. Students are regularly using the facilities to practise individually and in groups before school, at lunch and after school. We hope to see some of these artists perform at lunchtime concerts later this Term.

DANCE NEWS

Inspirations 2024:
In Week 10 our talented Year 12 Dance class showcased their dance works in ‘Inspirations’. Inspirations showcased their Core Performance, Core Composition and Practical Major Study Works. It was incredible to witness their commitment and dedication to the artform. We wish them all the best for their HSC Practical Examinations that are approaching in Week 6. We wish them all the very best for the road ahead and may you continue to value and immerse yourselves in the beautiful artform of Dance.

Thank you to their Composition Dancers (ranging from Year 8 to Year 11) who have dedicated much of their time to support their Year 12 students in the Core Composition component.

Lismore Dance Eisteddfod:
Our extra-curricular dance groups have been working hard for the lead up to Lismore Dance Eisteddfod. The following groups Hip Hop Crew, Dance Company, Year 7 Dance Ensemble and Year 8 Dance Ensemble as well as elective classes will be travelling to Bangalow in Week 7 to compete in the Secondary Schools Section.

These students give up numerous lunch times a week to be involved and work hard. Well done to all our dancers and we wish them luck in the upcoming Eisteddfod at the end of August. 

VISUAL ART

We are eagerly anticipating our showcase event for our cohort of Year 12 art students, which occurs in Week 5. This year it's been named Arte Vida, meaning the art in life. The students create the name of their exhibition each year, the only stipulation being that it contains the word ‘art’. The name this year is such an apt name as so many of the students have made very personally meaningful artworks that represent aspects of their lives. We are very excited to bring these works out into the open after months of dedicated practice and refining of their skills. The opening is on Tuesday 20th August and all are invited. The exhibition is in the SCU library lobby and can be viewed by the general public from 8 am - 5 pm, Tuesday 20th through to Thursday 23rd August.

Other elective classes have been delighting us with their commitment and their output. Year 11 are working with figurative expressive works, Year 10 with portraiture and Year 9 with the still life genre. Some of these artworks will be able to be seen in ‘Emerge’ our 7-11 CAPA event in Term 4. Our art rooms are lively, vibrant spaces, with dedicated students often found in there at lunch times eager to keep working on their creations.

Another creative pursuit that is coming to fruition is a mural project. This Is a collaborative work bringing together aspects of the College’s rich spiritual and cultural history, the landscape of the Wollumbin caldera and the Wilson River catchment areas as well as significant Bundjalung totems and creation figures. It is going to be 12 metres long once completed and will grace the back wall of our amphitheatre. We are fortunate to work with local elder and artist Uncle Gilbert Laurie as well as a bunch of elective art students. Two of our art teachers, Mrs Michelle King and Mrs Danielle Lovatt are bringing this to life.

Year 9,  10 and 11 elective photography students are all pushing creative possibilities in this medium. Year 9 students are working towards creating a portfolio of images in the nature genre showing mastery of camera exposure controls. Year 10 have been using studio lights and photoshop composite skills to create portraits that tell stories and Year 11 have been creating surreal images manipulating photographs with high end editing skills.

All elective photography classes participate in fortnightly photo challenges that are above and beyond the actual assessed units. This has been implemented so they are regularly using their world for creative ideas and pushing themselves. These challenges are peer reviewed and voted on and the winning ones are printed out for a display wall. We have been absolutely delighted to see our photography students so self motivated in this way.

Around the grounds with sport…

It is only week three, but already we have had opportunities for students get out, be active and represent our College. First day back this Term was our College Athletics Carnival held at Riverview Park. The day started with House Chants in the Whitebrook Theatre, the atmosphere was electric and the Mighty McColl House was awarded the Spirit Cup. The carnival was an excellent display of House Spirit, participation and encouragement. Congratulations to all students for their involvement and behaviour on the day and a big thank you to all staff for the smooth running of all events.

The Rugby 7’s Alex Gibbon Cup was held over two weeks at Evans Head and we had 50 students participating. Both days were filled with team spirit, commitment, hard hitting tackles, line breaks and tries. The Under 16’s Girls team faced some tough competition, but won the playoff for 3rd and 4th. The Under 14’s Boys team came up against some big opposition, they played with heart and as the day progressed their team work improved, as did their execution of skills. The Under 16’s Boys team had a mixed day finishing the Pool Stage with two wins and placing 6th overall. This meant that they faced Maclean High School in the Plate Semifinal. The boys won the semifinal and went on to defeat Byron Bay High School in the Plate Final, finishing the day 5th out of 11 teams. The Under 18’s Boys had a tough day, playing five round games with mixed results. Overall a great effort by all students and a big thank you to Mr Flood, Mr Mayes, Mrs Allen, Mr Parrish and Ms Meyer for attending.

DOGS NSW Junior Handler Competition: Two of our students; Pippa and Eva Tulk competed at the State Finals for DOGS NSW Junior Handler Competition in Sydney on the weekend and achieved some amazing results. Eva (Year 10) won NSW State Champion and will compete in Brisbane for the National Champion Title in October 2024. If she is successful at the National level she will travel to England to represent Australia at CRUFTS in March 2025. Pippa (Year 7) was shortlisted to the top 6, after handling well in very tough conditions. Congratulations to both students and goodluck in future events.

Congratulations to Mitchell Gillett who has been selected to be part of the North Coast Academy of Sport 2024 Future Stars Program as a UAA Indigenous TID Athlete. Mitchell recently attended the Indigenous Talent Identification Day at SCU and was selected from this day.

Upcoming sporting opportunities;

Mrs Cassie Allen and Ms Gemma Meyer