Dear Members of the Trinity Family,

Many in our world are inspired by good works that promote ‘social justice.’ It is often said that Australian society aspires to be ‘egalitarian;’ that is, a society that promotes equal opportunity irrespective of gender, class, ethnicity, wealth and so on. I will leave it to the social commentators to judge whether our egalitarian aspiration is reflected in our daily reality.

The Catholic Church observes ‘Social Justice Sunday’ on the final Sunday of August each year. The Australian Catholic Bishops have, since 1940, issued a Social Justice Statement for the community to reflect on and consider. This year the statement’s theme was Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World.

Sadly, our world is dominated by episodes of violence and conflict. Learning to disagree respectfully seems to be the exception rather than the rule. This is reflected in the rise of online bullying, verbal abuse and gender-based violence we see in our society, in addition to the endless wars and conflicts that dominate many countries throughout the globe.

On a recent flight back from a work conference I was struck by the “new” addition to the safety briefing onboard the aircraft. The onboard safety briefing now includes an additional section on passengers being respectful to airline staff and fellow passengers - with non compliant passengers facing offloading. How sad that we must be publicly reminded of the importance of basic civility.

When discussing the seriousness of these issues with our students, I recalled the example above as a way of highlighting that we must work hard to preserve the dignity of others through our deeds and words. In Matthew’s Gospel we read, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” We need more “children of God” spreading peace and kindness in our world. Social Justice Sunday invites us to reflect, in light of the Gospel, on what each of us can do to bring about a more peaceful and harmonious world.

Foundation Day Celebrations

Mrs Annette White, our Director of Mission, is reporting on our recent Foundation Day celebrations held on the Feast of the Assumption. As part of this celebration it is tradition for us to publicly announce our 2025 College and Ministry Captains, as well as recognise those staff who have reached significant milestones in their years of service at the College.

I am pleased to announce that our 2025 College Captains are Keira Higham and Wendall Pointon-Wales and our 2025 Ministry Captains are Olivia Whalley and Zachary Rowswell. 

We also recognised a combined total of 355 years of staff service. Congratulations to the following staff on dedicating some of their time and energy to the College over sustained periods of time. Staff Service Award Photos.

To the fathers and significant male role models of the Trinity community I hope you shared a relaxing and special time with your family recently. This year, in recognition of Father’s Day, Pope Francis wrote:  “Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child. Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person.”

Thank you to the fathers and significant others who attended our Trinity breakfast on 6 September.  I trust you enjoyed the opportunity to firstly support your son/daughter by being present with them, catching up with friends and meeting new people.

Acting Leader of Year 7

Mr Thamm will be on leave from 12 - 27 September 2024 (end of Week 8 - end of Term 3).  Year 7 parents/carers will need to contact Mr Jacob Heffernan who has been appointed Acting Leader of Year 7 during this period of time. 

Year 12 Graduation Celebrations

Two significant parts of our Year 12 Graduation celebrations will occur at the end of this Term. The first is our Graduation Mass at St Carthage’s Cathedral on Wednesday 25 September from 6.00pm. All are welcome to attend this eucharistic celebration. The following morning, Thursday 26 September, we will host “Graduation Day.” This will involve our HSC academic prize giving ceremony and our Year 12 farewell assembly. Due to seating capacity limits, this is a ticketed event for Year 12 students and their two guests. I look forward to celebrating the wonderful class of 2024 and wish them well for their HSC exam preparations.

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. This infographic, published by the NSW Department of Education, 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. 

Student Enrolments

Some enrolment vacancies exist in some year levels.  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.

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.

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

 Key Dates for Term 3

• Year 11 Examinations Week 8 & 9
• Year 12 Graduation Mass - 25 September at 6.00 pm
• Year 12 Graduation Day - 26 September
• Last day of Term 3 - 27 September

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

Year 9 Camp

Our Year 9 cohort ventured out during Week 6 for three days to Tylagum Ridge Retreat. This camp provided the students with the opportunity to interact with their peers, challenge themselves and work collaboratively within a group developing skills that will no doubt be of benefit as these young people continue to grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

Students participated in a variety of challenge activities, ranging from kayaking and completion of a High Ropes course through to ‘aiming up’ in combat archery. Additionally, students had the opportunity to take in their surroundings on a pleasant hike to a designated camp area where they could take charge of preparing their site and organising and cooking their evening meal. From the feedback received there are many accomplished campfire cooks amongst our Year 9 group.

Students also had the opportunity to identify and discuss some of the issues around appropriate behaviours and ways of interacting with others. All in all the students appeared to return to the College a more cohesive group with increased confidence and sense of achievement.

Thanks go to the staff who accompanied the students, allowing for this valuable experience to occur: Mr Lyon, Mr Perry, Mr Wagner, Mr McGregor, Mrs Allen, Ms Smith, Ms Grant, Mrs Robinson and Ms Forshaw-Brown.

With the National Day of Action on 12 September it is timely to flag some conversation tips that may help when asking the important question R U OK?

FOUR STEPS OF AN R U OK? CONVERSATION

ASK R U OK?

• Be relaxed, friendly and concerned in your approach.
• Help them open up by asking questions like "How are you going?" or "What’s been happening?"
• Mention specific things that have made you concerned for them, like "You seem less chatty than usual. How are you going?"

LISTEN

• Take what they say seriously and don't interrupt or rush the conversation.
• Don’t judge their experiences or reactions but acknowledge that things seem tough for them.
• If they need time to think, sit patiently with the silence.
• Encourage them to explain: "How are you feeling about that?" or "How long have you felt that way?"
• Show that you've listened by repeating back what you’ve heard (in your own words) and ask if you have understood them properly.

ENCOURAGE ACTION

• Ask them what have they done in the past to manage similar situations.
• Ask: “How would you like me to support you?"
• Encourage them to think of at least one thing that could help them lighten the load. Something that’s enjoyable or relaxing. Better yet, do it together!
• If they've been feeling really down for more than two weeks, encourage them to access professional support.

CHECK IN

• Pop a reminder in your diary to call them in a couple of weeks. If they're really struggling, follow up with them sooner.
• You could say: "I've been thinking of you and wanted to know how you've been going since we last chatted."
• Ask if they've found a better way to manage the situation. If they haven't done anything, don't judge them. They might just need someone to listen to them for the moment.
• Stay in touch and be there for them. Genuine care and concern can make a real difference.

SPORT UPDATES

Netball

The last 5 weeks has also seen a high level of student participation in representative sporting opportunities at the College. During Week 4 we had a large number of teams participate in the Netball NSW Cup competition, from this a number of teams progressed to the regional finals on 5th September, where two of Trinity’s teams made it through to the NSW State Finals; Congratulations to all teams for their efforts and in particular to the the Year 7 & 8 and Year 9 & 10 girls teams, we wish you all the best for the State finals in Term 4.

Well done to the coaching staff: Mrs Churchill, Mrs Allen, Mr Parrish, Mr Heffernan and Ms Meyer, without the efforts of staff to Coach and accompany students on competition days this opportunity would not have been possible.

Year 7 and 8	Year 9 and 10
Ava Lane Chelsea Gosling Ayla Welch Mya Weekes Sammie Jones Isabella Moretti Ruby Edmonds Evelyn Stocks Marie Stegelmann  Amelia O'Connor	Lilly Comber Eden Flood Emily Thorneycroft Macy Simes Bridie Benfield Amarli Grande Elley Smith Annie Krieg Brylee Wessling

Sports Ability Program Week 5

During Week 5, many of our students had the added opportunity of participating in a Sports Ability program facilitated by Paralympian David (DJ) Johnson. DJ engaged our students with stories of his achievements as an elite athlete and from the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He also spoke about bullying and inclusion, and students were able to develop key skills in custom designed sports wheelchairs. It proved to be a great program for our students, assisting to increase awareness, foster inclusion and improve attitudes toward disability. We look forward to engaging with this program again in Term 4.

AFL Gala Day

During Week 5 we also had our representative AFL players attend gala days in Byron Bay. The skill level of players continued to challenge their opposition and all came back from the days with a sense of achievement and feeling of success. Thanks once again to Coaching staff:  Mr McCalman, Mr Parrish and Mrs Churchill.

Diocesan Athletics Carnival Coffs Harbour

The Trinity Athletics Team had a very early start on 2 September, heading to Coffs Harbour for the Lismore Diocesan Athletics Carnival. All students represented the College with pride and demonstrated impeccable conduct throughout the day. All students are worthy of praise and congratulations, the efforts put in on the day could not be questioned, with many PBs and representation in finals there was also a high level of success for many. From all the Secondary schools in the Diocese, the Trinity Team finished a strong third place overall.

Special congratulations and best wishes goes to the following students for excelling in their event/s and progressing on to the CCC Athletics selection trials.

Lilly Comber Jaiden Sanders Hugh Martin Tyler Packham Rigby O’Meara Isabella Moretti Ayla Kowalczyk Indy Lacson Elissa Hills Grace Kavanagh Pippa Kennedy Kailani Millane

Mr Tony Flood 

Foundation Day Mass and Lunch Celebration -15th August

Foundation Day is one of the key liturgical dates in our school year and we were very thankful that Bishop Greg was able to celebrate this important Mass with us. 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 the College’s Foundation Day for two reasons: the day is central to the spirituality of both the Presentation Sisters and the Marist Brothers. It is also the date in 1886 when the Presentation Sisters began St. Mary’s College, an independent school for girls. The Marist Brothers later opened St. Joseph’s High School in 1911 and the two schools operated independently until they amalgamated in 1985 to form Trinity Catholic College, Lismore as we know it today.  It is a day to celebrate our rich heritage but also to give thanks for those who came before us and have helped make this College the great community that it is. Our new College Captains and Ministry Captains for 2025 were announced to the school community and staff were awarded for their  significant years of  service to the College. In the spirit of Nano and Marcellin hospitality followed Mass, as students and staff shared in a school-wide BBQ lunch in year groups.

Nagle Education Student Conference - 20 - 23 August

Year 10 students Stella Burke, Ayla Crotty and Ava Greenshill represented the College at the biannual Nagle Education Student Leadership Conference in Brisbane. St Rita’s College Clayfield hosted a meeting of Presentation Schools across Australia which allowed our students to further  their knowledge of the spirit and contribution of Nano Nagle and her legacy today. Nano was a woman of faith. She chose to love others in the face of adversity and courageously led her community. In striving to live out the Gospel of Jesus more deeply we, like Nano,  are invited to live authentically through our actions, not just words. The Conference also allowed our students to learn more about: the contributions of Indigenous Australians to the Brisbane area, street outreach programs and  the benefits of volunteering  and living a sustainable lifestyle.

SHINE Event- Youth Ministry Year 10 CSYMA - 22 and 23 August

Recently, our Year 10 Youth Ministry CSYMA class attended the two day SHINE event with the other secondary schools of the Lismore Diocese. SHINE combines elements of praise and worship, inspiring keynote speakers, students testimonies , small group discussion, interactive workshops, prayer Eucharistic Adoration and Mass.  This year’s theme ‘Burn’ reflected on how  the Holy Spirit works in our lives. This event is always a positive experience for students as they learn more about their own faith journey while making connections with other like-minded students from across the Diocese.

View the student experience at this year’s SHINE event below. Thank you to the Lismore Catholic Schools Office for sharing this video.

 Year 8 into 9 -  Be part of the CYSMA class next year

Later this Term, I will send out an Expression of Interest to Year 8 students  who are interested in being in a youth ministry class in Year 9  2025, where they can learn more about their faith journey and be involved in youth ministry initiatives. More details soon.

Annette White - Director of Mission

At the conclusion of Week 7 Term 3 many Year 12 students have already completed major parts of their HSC. The Industrial Technology, Dance and Drama students have had their practical works marked by NESA and Visual Arts students have handed in their bodies of work. Congratulations to the Year 12 Music class on an incredible show Performa. We wish them well as they polish their performances for their practical exams in the coming weeks.

Year 11 Examination block

The Year 11 Examination block will take place from 9 September to 16 September, starting in Week 8. During this period,  Year 11 students are only required to attend the College for their scheduled exams. We wish all Year 11 the best of luck during their exams.

Additionally, Elevate Education has provided support and resources to help students prepare effectively. We encourage students to take full advantage of these resources from Tuesday’s workshop to perform their best.

Elevate Education

Last week, students from Years 9, 10, and 11 participated in a series of Elevate Education workshops, each tailored to enhance their academic skills and personal development. The Year 9 workshop focused on strategies for managing both internal and external distractions, helping students stay focused and productive. In the Year 10 workshop, students explored strategies for balancing study with their personal lives and maximising productivity. In the Year 11 workshop, students were equipped with essential strategies for exam preparation and performance.

Elevate Education will be hosting their final Term 3 free webinar for our parents on supporting your child during exams on Wednesday 18th September 6:30pm.

Click here to register for free

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.

Lismore Dance Eisteddfod

On Monday 26 August 60 students attended the Lismore Eisteddfod Schools Dance Day. Congratulations to all the students who performed so well.

1st Dance Company

1st Year 10 Elective Class

1st Year 11 Elective Class

2nd Hip Hop Crew

2nd Year 8 Dance Ensemble

3rd Year 7 Dance Ensemble

The College also received a cash prize for the adjudicators Encouragement Award for any school from throughout the day.

We wish all students and families well for the remainder of Term 3.

Alison Unwin - Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

Tracy Benfield - Director of Learning

Amy Pascoe - Director of Teaching Excellence

Year 11 has had a busy year as they adjust to being senior students and navigating the path that is the Preliminary HSC. And now, they have only 4 weeks remaining until the journey of the HSC begins.

Below is a snapshot of the activities that Year 11 have been involved in during Term 3 at Trinity:

• Participation in the Kokoda Challenge in the Gold Coast Hinterlands
• House Chants - Congratulations to McColl House on their success with the 2024 House Chants
• College Athletics Carnival
• Year 11 Leadership Day facilitated by Tony Leon
• Foundation Day activities run by Year 11 (postponed due to inclement weather)
• 2025 College Captain and Ministry Captain speeches. Congratulations to Keira, Wendell, Olivia and Zachary on their appointments for 2025.
• Year 12 BBQ Breakfast which was cooked by some willing Year 11 students
• Diocesan Athletics Carnival
• Adding photo memories of our current Year 12 students along the walls of B-Block
• 2025 House Captain speeches. Good luck to all those who have applied for these positions as the announcement of House Captains is imminent.

Upcoming we also have Year 11 End of Preliminary Course examinations. We wish Year 11 all the best with these exams.

Year 11 will also be involved in planning for the upcoming farewells for our current Year 12 group. Each House will get to farewell each of the Year 12 students and our Year 11 students will be heavily involved in making the final weeks and days memorable for our class of 2024.

Mr Adam Mayes - Leader of Year 11

As I write this article I am surprised to realise that we are almost at the end of Term 3. I can’t believe where the time has gone.

HSC orals:

As usual August sees our Year 12 Language students having to complete the first part of their actual HSC exams with the conversation test. The Continuers are involved in a 10-minute conversation via Skype with examiners in Sydney and the Beginners exam lasts 5 minutes. This year we have had students complete Italian, French and German Continuers and candidates in Spanish, Japanese and Korean Beginners. Our French students have benefitted from the work Mrs Jessica Robinson has done with them in class during the past 2 years and also they were lucky enough to have Marilou Daviau, a French exchange student with them for the first part of this year. A variety of other languages have been made available to the students through Distance Education.

Next week also sees the End of the Preliminary Course exams which will commence with the Italian students doing their conversation tests this Friday, followed by the written papers early next week that will test their listening, reading and writing skills. We wish all our students well for these exams.

LOTE Day, Activities Week:

Our junior classes also have been enthusiastically involved in all activities and producing fine work in class. The spirit of the new syllabus focuses on Interaction which requires students to speak with each other in the target languages of French or Italian and to build understanding and confidence in their communication skills.

A highlight at the end of Term 2 was the LOTE Day held in Activities Week which saw Year 8 spend a full day working through all skills areas and adding to their cultural knowledge. Students developed their conversation across class groups, and created posters in their target language about their favourite celebrity. They played games to build their vocabulary and numeracy skills, as well being involved in mixed language groups to compete in a French/Italian language and culture kahoot. Probably the highlight for the students was the pizza lunch and the prizes of Italian imported chocolates that many students enjoyed as part of their rewards for the day’s participation. In all, the students were highly motivated and cooperative and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Future excitement:

After a 7 year pause on in-country travel, consideration is being given to an 11th trip to Italy for Elective language students. We hope to be able to offer our next “Giro d’Italia” Trinity style towards the end of 2025. The itinerary is comprehensive with some of the most iconic destinations in Italy being included. More news will be available about this opportunity later in Term 4.

Mrs Beth Grace - Leader of LOTE

Year 10 Child Studies excursion to Wilson Park School-Student Reflection

I enjoy learning about the students' needs and school based programs. Being able to interact with the children has helped me realise what I want for my future. I find it truly amazing, the work they do and the impact they have. 

I enjoy Wilson Park School because the staff are so great with the children.The children all just come up to you and want to show you everything they are learning.

The staff are very welcoming and the children are so kind and smart.

I love the children’s positive attitudes and they are always happy.

The teachers and children are very welcoming and make you feel appreciated.

The teachers are very welcoming and will talk to you and answer any questions that we have.

Year 10 Child Studies Students

Year 9 Child Studies

Year 9 Child Studies students would like to thank Bumblebee Early Education Centre and Southern Cross Children's University Centre for the opportunity to engage with the children and learn from the educators this Term. The students have been able to build their understanding of the centre's practices, child nutrition, health and wellbeing of children.

Richmond Valley Council Job Opportunities

Richmond Valley Council are currently advertising a number of jobs that are available to students who live in the local government area.

Please see the attached flyer outlining the positions that they are advertising.

CATCHUP VACCINATIONS

Thursday, 19th September

Any Year 7 or 10 Students who missed out on vaccinations earlier in the year will be able to receive their vaccinations next week.

Parents who have not registered for these catch-up vaccinations and would like their child to receive them please make sure you go online and register permission via this LINK.

Dear Parents / Carers of Year 7 students

The North Coast Public Health Unit are seeing high levels of confirmed Pertussis (Whooping Cough) cases across the North Coast region.

Adolescents are at risk of infection because pertussis immunity wanes after their childhood dose at 4 years of age. Older children and adults are often the source of pertussis infection to vulnerable infants. For these reasons, a booster dose of Pertussis is given at High School which provides immunity into adult life and reduces the likelihood of outbreaks.

A Vaccination clinic for Year 7 students will be at your child’s school on 19 September 2024 and we encourage you to complete the on-line consent to ensure your child receives the two recommended vaccines that are given on the same day. These vaccines include the tetanus-pertussis-diphtheria (dTpa) vaccine for protection against pertussis as well as tetanus and diphtheria, and the HPV vaccine for protection against the human-papilloma virus (HPV).

A pertussis fact sheet is available at:  Whooping cough (Pertussis) fact sheet - Fact sheets (nsw.gov.au)

A human papilloma virus fact sheet is available at:-

Human papillomavirus (HPV) - Fact sheets (nsw.gov.au)

 

We thank you for your assistance and support.

North Coast Population & Public Health Unit

 

31/05/2024

Free Workshop about Parenting Teens

Don't miss this amazing opportunity to learn more about parenting teens in the complex world they are growing up in. Chris Hudson, a highly regarded teen parenting coach will present - Parenting Teenagers in a Digital World at Trinity Catholic College - R Block at 5.30pm (refreshments) 6pm start on Tuesday, 17th September.

To register CLICK HERE  or to read more see flyer below.