Term 2, Week 10

Our History, Your Future - Master Plan

In 1887, Mother Gonzaga Barry penned words that continue to resonate as we celebrate 150 years of Loreto in Australia: “Leave after you a something on which others may build, and so rise higher still.” This invitation to inspire and uplift has shaped the spirit of our College, reminding us of our responsibility to follow in Mother Gonzaga Barry’s footsteps.

The legacy of Mother Gonzaga Barry—and of all who have followed—is not merely preserved; it is lived every day in our classrooms, corridors, and conversations.

Our vision today is bold yet grounded: to develop courageous students equipped for a changing world. The past five years alone have brought unprecedented challenges—global pandemics, technological leaps, and social transformation. These times call for young people who are adaptable, resilient, and deeply rooted in values that guide thoughtful action.

Building on the master planning undertaken over the past two years, the Board, Leadership Team, staff, and students have been collaborating with architects to imagine a future that honours our past—envisioning new buildings and considered renovations that reflect both our rich heritage and our contemporary mission.

Part of this process involved mapping the many layers of buildings, extensions, and changes accumulated over 150 years. This exploration unearthed charming architectural quirks: doors suspended halfway up walls, mysterious nooks and crannies—physical echoes of eras gone by. Each oddity invites us to wonder what life was like, how education was delivered, and what challenges and possibilities shaped previous generations.

As we continue to commemorate our 150th year, we do so with gratitude for those who came before us, pride in who we are, and determination for who we are yet to become. May we continue to build “a something” that allows all who follow to rise ever higher.

View the Master Plan here: Link

Loreto College Board and Committees Expression of Interest 

As we look forward to the continuing growth and provision of education at Loreto College Ballarat, the Board is welcoming expressions of interest from community minded and values driven professionals for consideration of appointment to our Board and its Committees.These voluntary positions are critical in providing leadership and contributing to the governance and stewardship of the College as we strive to deliver on our strategic priorities to remain an innovative and contemporary College.

A Member Recruitment Pack, including Expressions of Interest application details, is available online at www.loreto.vic.edu.au/employment or by contacting Stephanie Crawford (Principal's EA) on 5329 6126 or eaprincipal@loreto.vic.edu.au.

If we finished Term 1 of our 150th year understanding our roots and rituals, this term has been full of creativity and courage. As our seasons of celebration continue it is great to see the many things Loreto students have engaged in.

Now heavily in the season of the Arts, Newsies in conjunction with St. Pats, was a triumph of creative performance. The House Arts Festival preparations are well underway, and we have enjoyed performances from our Theatre Studies classes and our musicians. In particular, the first Year 7 Da Capo concerts displayed the ongoing strong development of music skills this program is providing for our students

The Art classrooms and Materials Technology (Food) classroom are two favourites to visit. Seeing our VCD students develop models with multiple mediums and creative approaches in Food to the re-imagined Australian lamingtons has been a recent highlight.

When it comes to courage, the Cross Country Team have ventured out to challenging courses for State Championships in difficult weather and pushed themselves to finish achieving some outstanding results. Basketball and Netball teams have been competing in regional and state level competitions and the Girls’ Football – Players for Pink team took it right up to BCC, to just fall short in a friendly fundraiser.

The balance of experiential learning and an academic focus is where we continue to look for opportunities for student growth. We see this in our VM students as they work with many in the community groups to build their skills and develop their creativity and courage.

A few weeks ago at a conference, I heard Simon Kuestenmacher (geographer and demographer) from the Demographics group Australia speak about the future of learning and our workforce. Australia is very much positioned to transform into a knowledge economy where research is growing, but hands on skills are not. And trends are changing fast- agriculture is shrinking and health care is growing. New generations are seeking quicker solutions and short time in work and our students are good at following such trends.

At Loreto we continue to look for ways to equip our students with a wide range of skills, knowledge and attributes that will position them well for their future, a fast-paced and everchanging world. To develop these skills, they need to engage in creativity and courage growing their possibilities for a future of choice.

While the chill of winter has settled in, our classrooms have remained warm and vibrant throughout this longer-than-usual eleven week term.

Our Year 7 students continue to embrace secondary life, having establishing routines while cultivating a genuine sense of belonging. Highlights of Term Two such as the Year 7 Retreat, the Control Your Scroll program, and the DeCapo Gala have offered meaningful opportunities for connection, reflection, and celebration.

Meanwhile, our Year 8 cohort has continued to grow in confidence and independence, thriving on experiences that foster autonomy and curiosity. From exploring the past on Medieval Day, to engaging with innovative ideas at the Science and Technology School excursion, to participating in the Sorry Day Ceremony at Damascus College, their term has had much opportunity for learning and personal growth.

Year 9 commenced Term Two with the Ballarat Mini Adventure—an engaging practice day for the much anticipated end-of-term Melbourne Experience. In between, students embraced the fun of weekly dance lessons, which culminated in a joyful and memorable Social with St Patrick’s College.

Year 10 students have taken meaningful steps toward shaping their futures. They have organised work experience placements and are reflecting on pathway and subjects choices for 2026 that align with their aspirations and desired career. Two of the three Live4Life Sessions have now been completed, improving students’ skills and confidence with supporting their own and friends’ mental health.

Year 11 and 12 students have locked into the VCE-VM and VCE programs, finishing up Unit 1 and 3 assessments and commencing second semester outcomes.  We have been very impressed with the focused, mature ethic that the Year 11 students have applied to work placements and VCE examinations. Our senior students are becoming more acutely aware of last moments of their secondary journey. The Year 12 Formal was a wonderful celebration of friendship, milestones and a shared journey.

We hope you had the opportunity to view the recent live SchoolTV webinar on digital literacy and safety. Experts Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean shared practical strategies for parents, such as encouraging children to question online content and fostering open discussion at home about manipulation tactics.  As a reminder, the SchoolTV platform offers a wealth of resources on a broad range of topics relevant to teenagers—such as cybersafety. You can explore more at https://loreto.vic.schooltv.me/

As Term 2 draws to a close, it’s a valuable time for every student to pause and thoughtfully reflect on their learning journey so far. This includes celebrating personal achievements, acknowledging growth, and identifying the challenges encountered along the way. Each student’s experience is unique, and taking the time to consider both the highs and the hurdles, is essential for continued development.

The Semester 1 report will be made available on PAM early in the holiday break. This report serves as a meaningful tool to guide conversations between students and their families, helping to deepen understanding of progress and areas for improvement. It’s not just a summary of academic results—it’s a springboard for reflection and goal-setting.

As students review their reports, they are encouraged to ask themselves some important questions:

• Have I shown courage by stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing new challenges?
• When faced with difficulties, have I demonstrated persistence and made the most of my teachers’ guidance?
• Have I actively engaged with my learning, even when it felt tough, or have I held back?
• Am I taking responsibility for my learning by completing tasks and submitting homework on time?

Honest reflection on these questions will help students set purposeful and personal learning goals for Semester 2. These goals will support their growth not only as learners but also as independent, resilient individuals.

We look forward to welcoming students back after the holidays and continuing to support them on their individual learning paths, fostering a strong sense of agency and ownership in their education.

Term 2 can be a challenging term, the weather is progressively getting colder and our days are getting shorter. Living in Ballarat requires resilience at this time of year. Our students at Loreto College do not let this slow them down. In this newsletter we have included our Year 12 captains to report on just some of the happenings at our College throughout this term. Our leadership program is becoming more and more prominent. We ask our students to be emulate an open circle of friends and also an understanding of servant leadership. These elements are all part of who we are as people of Loreto.

Mother’s Day 
By Caitlin McConchie (Liturgy Captain)

On Saturday the 3rd of May, we celebrated our annual Mother’s Day Liturgy - a special afternoon where the Chapel was filled with students, mothers, grandmothers, and other cherished women in our lives. It was a beautiful chance to pause and reflect on just how much they do for us, and how big of a role they play in our lives. After the Liturgy, guests enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea, which gave everyone the opportunity to relax, chat, and share some lovely moments together.

Clothing Exchange
By Summer Ottini (Sustainability Captain) 

A big thank you to everyone who donated a second-hand coat or blanket for the Uniting Winter Appeal. Your kindness from the coat and blanket drive will help keep those in need warm during this winter season. Also, The Loreto Clothing Exchange turned out to be a fantastic success, as students brought in clean, pre-loved clothes to trade with one another. These contributions made a positive impact by reducing fast fashion and giving our old clothes a new purpose for someone else.

By Imogen and Abbie

On the 14 - 16 May the Unit 1 Outdoor Ed class went to the Grampians National Park. The aim of the camp was to improve our camping skills, such as cooking on Trangia’s, being safe on hikes, and looking after the land that we were on. We experienced nice weather, with no rain and warm weather while we were hiking and rock climbing.

On the first day we arrived at Mt Stayplton campground where we set up our tents ready for the nights ahead. We then started our first hike which was 12.1kms around the Mt Stapylton loop. This involved some flat terrain but also some steep bits, but it was all worth it when we reached the top to look out to the view! The hike took around 4-5 hours before we got back and got ready for dinner.

On the 2nd day we drove around 45 minutes to Halls Gap where we started our second hike up the Pinnacle. It was 10kms long and we passed the Venus baths and the Grand Canyon. The walk was so fun as it had lots of different terrains including steps, steep ascents and downhill parts. Surrounding it also had lots of flora which made it very calming and tranquil. Once we got back to Halls Gap, we had the famous ice cream at the bottom! We then drove to Mackenzie Falls before we headed back to the camp.  Mackenzie falls was stunning, and it was so cool seeing such an amazing waterfall, the walk to and from the waterfalls was fun but difficult as there were 260 steps one way.

On our last day we packed up our tents and set off to look at the Ngamadjidj Shelter Indigenous rock artwork. This was amazing as we got to learn about the artwork and the meaning about the work. It was behind fences so it would preserve the artwork to keep it in its natural form. We then travelled to rock climbing at Summerday Valley. Our instructor Hugh showed us how to belay someone, act as an emergency brake, and place the ropes in the bucket correctly to prevent damage. The person placing the rope in the bucket would also feed it to the person managing the emergency brake, ensuring the climber could rock climb and abseil safely and comfortably. We also learnt how to climb the rock face. This was an amazing opportunity as many of us have not done rock climbing outdoors.

Overall, the camp was a new, enjoyable experience. In this camp we learnt lots about the environment we were in and all about how to camp. We discovered things we could improve like looking after ourselves better for example bringing enough food and water.

Ms Janine Quick

Reconciliation Week

We began our 2025 Reconciliation Week Assembly with a traditional dance by our Dhurrung students, Mok Borrinyn Narro, which means "Proud Female" in Wadawurrung language. Created by Year 10 student Evie and her cousin, the dance tells the story of the everyday lives of Aboriginal women, celebrating cultural knowledge, women’s strength, and cultural connection.

We were honoured to welcome Brenda Matthews as our guest speaker. Brenda is an author, speaker, and film director who shared her powerful story of being stolen not once, but twice. Her journey of belonging, love, courage, and healing moved us all. Brenda's strength was truly inspiring to our audience, and we recommend you check out her book and documentary 'The Last Daughter'.

This year’s theme, "Bridging Now to Next," calls us to reflect, connect, and take meaningful steps toward a future that is just, inclusive, and grounded in truth. As we celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of First Nations people, we continue our shared journey towards reconciliation, living out our school values at Loreto.

Students participated in a full week of activities that were led by our FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) Carriers. The new program brings together students and staff who are allies of First Nations people and who share a passion for learning about Aboriginal culture and promoting reconciliation.

Throughout the week, our FIRE Carriers organised a range of activities, including collaborative art projects, puzzles, and special Reconciliation Week ribbons. A special thank you to our JPIC and Sustainability groups for their support throughout the week.

Possum Skin Cloak

At our Reconciliation Week Assembly, our Dhurrung students proudly presented their Possum Skin Cloak, a powerful expression of shared cultural identity and connection. Created with contributions from past and present Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, each section tells a personal story. The circles represent Lake Wendouree, a gathering place that has always brought people together.

Guided by Aaron Clarke from BADAC, the cloak was completed and then cleansed in a smoking ceremony, symbolising spiritual protection and ancestral presence. Now, it will be worn at significant events as both a learning artefact and a symbol of reconciliation, representing the respect the Loreto College Ballarat community holds for all First Peoples of this land.

National Sorry Day

Our Dhurrung students and Year 8s joined Damascus College and St Patrick’s College to commemorate National Sorry Day.

The ceremony opened with a Welcome to Country by Macaylah Johnson (Class of 2019), a proud Wadawurrung woman and valued member of our Loreto community. First Nations Captain Isabella Jungbauer proudly represented Loreto College as co-MC, joining student leaders from all three schools to lead the ceremony.

Those in attendance also heard from Brenda Matthews, author of The Last Daughter who shared her powerful story. We look forward to welcoming Brenda at our Reconciliation Week Assembly later this week so all students can hear her story.

Thank you to Damascus College for hosting this event. Together, our Ballarat Catholic secondary schools continue to walk the ongoing journey of healing and towards reconciliation.

Congratulations Bonnie, Ailish, Amali and Aria on securing the bronze medal in the U/18 3km at the Victorian All Schools Cross Country Relay! These impressive runners had a fantastic run in a competitive division, building on their U/18 3km bronze from the Victorian All Schools Road Relay. What an incredible team!