Welcome

A warm welcome to all Loyola families, particularly to the 270 new students and their families, both new and existing, joining our community in 2025. We look forward to sharing many exciting events and initiatives throughout the year to connect our community with the College.

Throughout Term 1 there will be various events to welcome our new students including the College Assembly where Year 7 students along with new students Years 8-12 will be received into the student community and presented with their College Pin.

Year 7 Picnic

Year 7 students and their families had the lovely experience of sharing a picnic lunch with their families on the first day of school, January 30. It was lovely to see parents, carers, grandparents and siblings enjoy the beautiful weather in our wonderful Old Loyola gardens and to watch the sharing of “first day” experiences, the reuniting of existing primary school connections and the formation of new friendships. Thank you to the PWP and LPFA members who joined us to welcome our families to the school year.

2024 House Masses

We invite students and families to their House Masses in Term One, celebrating the Eucharist and fostering faith and connection within our Catholic community. Parish Priests will bless our new Year 7 students and their senior Mentor buddies as they embark on their academic journeys at Loyola in 2025. It is therefore compulsory that Year 7 students and their Senior Buddies are present at these Masses, however students and families from all year levels are welcome.

Each Mass concludes with a shared morning tea, and we encourage families to bring a plate to share. Join us for this meaningful community celebration!

Host Families Required – Short Term Cultural Experience

We are currently looking for volunteer Host Families to welcome one of the twenty visiting students, aged 15-18 years from Santa Laurensia School in Indonesia, into their homes from 14-21 February 2025; and to give these students the opportunity to experience Australian family and school life by providing a home and buddy experience.

Whilst the short-term cultural experiences are a rewarding learning experience for the visiting students, we have also seen how host students and their families benefit from these programs. Hosting offers opportunities to learn about and experience another culture and improve language skills at the family level through the visiting student, as well as assisting guests with their English speaking skills. Forming lifelong friendships is an added benefit to hosting. There have been many past host students and their families who have remained in contact with the visiting students and, in some cases, have even visited their host brother or sister during their own travels.

Interested families can contact Monica Agius at community@loyola.vic.edu.au or 9433 0228 for more information.

Working Bee – Friday, 14 March

Join us for our Twilight Working Bee on Friday, 14 March, from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. We warmly welcome and greatly appreciate the assistance of our parent community to help with various tasks around the College.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved, meet other parents, and contribute meaningfully to the College by helping to beautify our grounds.

To ensure the safety of all, we kindly ask that only parents attend the Working Bee.

As a token of our gratitude for your hard work, dinner will be provided at approximately 6:00pm.

To help us with planning and catering, please let us know if you can attend by emailing Monica at community@loyola.vic.edu.au at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your support—we look forward to seeing you there!

Donation of Loyola Uniform

Thank you to all the families who generously donate second-hand uniforms throughout the year to support our Good As New Uniform Sales. As we prepare for 2025, we are accepting donations of washed uniforms. If you have any items that you no longer need and which are in excellent condition, please leave them with Reception. Your contributions help support families in need and are greatly appreciated.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE OLD STYLE SPORT UNIFORM CAN NO LONGER BE WORN BY STUDENTS AND MUST NOT BE SENT TO RECEPTION. Parent co-operation in this matter is kindly appreciated.

For more information, please contact Monica Agius at community@loyola.vic.edu.au or 9433 0228.

Parent Involvement at Loyola

There are many opportunities for parents to be involved in various aspects of College life. Studies indicate that parental involvement in a child’s education is one of the most important factors in raising a student’s self-esteem and academic achievement by nurturing an environment of partnership between home and school. A number of volunteer opportunities are available to Loyola parents including various committees such as Loyola Parents & Friends Association (LPFA), Partnership with Parents (PWP), Loyola College Alumni Association (LCAA), Friends of Performing Arts (FOPA), Co-curriculum Reference Group (CRG), Development of Welfare at Loyola (DOWAL), Development of Curriculum at Loyola (DOCAL) and PACUR (Principal’s Advisory Committee for Uniform Regulations (PACUR).

Other vital areas in which we encourage parent involvement are working bees, hospitality assistance, canteen duty, general administration support and donations for fundraising activities. Parents interested in learning more about any of the opportunities mentioned can contact me on 9433 0228 or at community@loyola.vic.edu.au

I look forward to meeting with parents and working together throughout this year.

Partnership With Parents

The Partnership With Parents (PWP) group supports Loyola College in developing a strong sense of community amongst our six Houses with a special focus on parent engagement. The group meets on four Monday evenings throughout the year to discuss, organise and assist with various events including: Year 7 Family Picnic, Annual House Masses, Parent Dinner, House Eisteddfod, Year 7 Orientation Evening.

The first meeting for 2025 will be held in the Tony Chirico Staff Centre in the Old Loyola building this Monday, 3^rd February at 7.30pm. All parents are welcome to attend.

Any parent interested in joining the PWP in 2025 is asked to kindly email Monica Agius at community@loyola.vic.edu.au or call 9433 0228

Loyola Parents and Friends Association

The Loyola Parents & Friends Association (LPFA) are a group of likeminded parents, guardians and friends of Loyola College working in collaboration to support the community development of our school. Monthly meetings are held on Wednesdays to discuss, organise and assist with various events and activities including Year 7 Get Together, Working Bees, Open Day BBQ, St Ignatius Day Celebrations, Community Christmas Events and other fundraising activities.

The first meeting for 2025 will be held in the Tony Chirico Staff Centre in the Old Loyola building this Wednesday, 5^th February at 7.30pm. All parents are welcome to attend.

Any parent interested in joining the LPFA in 2025 is asked to kindly email Monica Agius at lpfa@loyola.vic.edu.au or call 9433 0228

2024 Entertainment Guide

Support LPFA fundraising efforts and enjoy hundreds of everyday savings!

Entertainment Guide is the easy to use App packed with incredible savings of up to 50% off and 2-fr-1 offers, so you can save on takeaway, dining, shopping, groceries, gift cards, activities and more! And what’s more, 20% of every membership purchased via the following link goes towards supporting the College through the Loyola Parents and Friends Association (LPFA)

Digital memberships can be purchased HERE

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