Dear Members of the Trinity Community,

Welcome to Term 3! In a particular way I welcome those new students/families and staff who are joining us this Semester. I trust that your time at Trinity will be fulfilling and enjoyable - welcome.

Whilst I was absent for most of Term 2, it was so pleasing to learn of the many highlights upon my return. The College’s NAIDOC Week celebrations continue to grow. On the final day of Term 2 the College hosted many community elders, families, friends, and special guests. The 2025 NAIDOC Week Theme is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.” I congratulate all of the students and staff involved, and thank Uncle Gilbert Laurie, for his welcome and smoking ceremonies. On this day the College dedicated its community mural, announced the recipients of our Deadly Leadership Awards and celebrated the oldest living culture in the world.

Last week I was privileged to listen to 10 x Year 11 students who have put themselves forward as candidates for the four College & Ministry Captain positions. It was heartening to hear students speak so passionately and authentically about their Trinity experience.

Looking ahead to Term 3, our College Calendar is filled with opportunities for our students to be involved. As we move toward Week 3, I take this opportunity to wish Year 12 students well for their Trial HSC examinations, HSC practical examinations and hand-ins.

Thank You

I would like to begin by thanking Ms Alison Unwin for serving as Acting Principal in Term 2 during my absence. She was ably supported by Mrs Tracy Benfield (Acting Assistant Principal), Mrs Sueanne Parker (Acting Director of Learning) and Mrs Vanessa McKenzie (Acting Leader of Student Growth). I sincerely appreciate their individual and collective support throughout the period of my absence.

Student Enrolments

All enrolment enquiries are best directed to our Enrolments Officer via email - enrolments@trinitylismore.nsw.edu.au - or phone: (02) 6627 6647. As we are entering the phase of developing the 2026 timetable I respectfully request that you advise the College if your student will not be returning next year. Thank you to families who have already provided this information.

Updated Details - Parent Portal

A reminder to parents/carers to update any changes to contact details eg. phone number/s, home address, email, emergency contact person/s, medical advice, for your student/s by logging onto the Lighthouse parent portal.  It is essential that the College has up to date information on file.

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. 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.

• 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

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