After a few cold days, we are now starting to see some lovely spring sunshine. I hope that families have some time to enjoy the change in weather over the weekend.

Examinations

We are almost at the end of Year 12 examinations and Year 10, and 11 examinations have commenced. In a few weeks Year 8 and 9 examinations will take place. Throughout the exam period, it’s important to help our students stay calm and focused. Encourage them to maintain a balanced routine with adequate sleep, healthy meals, and short breaks during study sessions.

Offer reassurance rather than pressure, and remind them that effort matters as much as results. Creating a quiet, organized space for study and limiting distractions can make a big difference.

Most importantly, keep communication open, listen to their concerns and celebrate their progress along the way.

As we move toward the end of the school year, we are proud of the resilience and commitment shown by our students during this busy examination period. This is a time to stay focused and finish well, and we thank parents for the vital role they play in supporting their children—providing encouragement, balance, and reassurance.

Together, we continue to build a community that values effort, celebrates growth, and works in partnership for the success of every student.

Celebrating Our Parent Community

We were delighted to host a Parent Thank You Evening on Tuesday 11 November to express our appreciation for the many parents who generously volunteer within our community. From working bees and Friends of Performing Arts to Loyola Parents and Friends, Partnershttps://www.loyola.vic.edu.au/...hip with Parents, School Advisory Council, the canteen, Presentation Ball, and countless other contributions, the efforts and contribution of our parents strengthen the fabric of our school.

This spirit of connectedness and collaboration is at the heart of Loyola, and it is all done for one purpose: the benefit of our students.

Jubilee Justice: Loyola’s Mission in Action

In the spirit of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year—a time of renewal, reconciliation, and hope—our College continues to live out its Ignatian mission through a rich tapestry of social justice programs. Inspired by Pope Francis’ call to “open our eyes to see the wounds of society,” our students and staff actively engage in outreach that restores dignity and builds community.

Key initiatives include the Exodus Community afterschool youth program in Heidelberg West, where students offer mentorship and friendship to young children who love being in their presence. The Exodus Bread Run provides essential food relief to vulnerable families in the same community, while the St Pius X Primary School Reading Help program fosters literacy and connection with younger learners.

In addition, Loyola’s Caritas and Vinnies Winter and Christmas Wishing Tree Appeals, along with House charity fundraisers such as the St Ignatius Day Walk For Others, empower students to respond to poverty and disadvantage both locally and globally.

These efforts complement our ongoing commitment to intercultural understanding through events like Harmony Day, the Long Walk Home with Eddie Betts, and the Ngurra Garden project. Each program reflects the Jubilee themes of justice, mercy, and ecological conversion.

At the College, we walk together—students, staff, and families—responding to St Ignatius' call to be “people for and with others.” Through these acts of service, we embody the hope and healing at the heart of the Jubilee.

VCAA examinations

As parents of our Year 12 students are aware, the VCAA examinations are in full swing.

Our students have been exceptionally well-prepared. The College staff and entire community have been working tirelessly to provide students with the resources, guidance, and opportunities they need to excel in their studies. It is evident that our collective efforts are paying off, as our students have demonstrated outstanding preparation and commitment for their exams. I wish to thank those parents who have supported and given up hours of their time for their children. We hope their results at the end of the year reflect their hard work, dedication, and commitment to academic excellence.

Good luck to all our Year 12 students for the remainder of your examinations.

End of Year Examinations (Year 8-11)

The dates for all examinations can be found below.

Further details will be issued to parents in the next couple of weeks, but a summary can be found below.

Attendance

Students who fail to attend an exam and cannot show a medical certificate will receive 0%. This includes students on holiday. Students with a medical certificate will receive exempt. If a student misses an examination, they are welcome to collect the relevant examination from Ms Freeman (OL127) after the examination window.  Whilst staff are not required to mark the exam, they will provide feedback if requested by the student.

Dress Code

All students must attend examinations in full school summer uniform (including wearing the school blazer). Students not in full school uniform will not be allowed in the examination and will be directed to go to the iCentre to complete revision. These students will then be required to complete any examinations they have missed on 5 December at 1.30pm.  Failure to attend this session will result in 0%.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones and/or smart devices are not permitted in an exam room. If a student has a mobile phone or electronic digital device on their person in the exam, it will be removed from the student, and a 0% recorded.

Equipment

Water bottles and pencil cases must be clear.

• Calculator (Maths & Science)
• Ruler
• Pens
• Pencils
• Highlighters
• Eraser
• Pencil Sharpener

Orientation

Orientation for 2026 VCE Units 1 – 4 will run from 24 November to 4 December. Further details will be issued nearer to the time. Any subject changes made by students will be reflected in the Orientation week timetable.

Booklist Provider

As already mentioned in a previous Ignatian edition and subject confirmation letters, the College will continue to use Box of Books as our booklist provider.

Parents are able to recycle physical books from siblings or purchase second hand physical books (as long as the book has not changed). As part of the College’s eBook levy, Year 7-9 students will automatically receive digital resources for Maths, Science, Humanities and RE and hard copies for English.

What you need to know

From 10 December 2025, new laws will take effect in Australia to protect young people online by restricting access to social media for those under the age of 16. This important change reflects growing community concern about the impact of early social media use on children's mental health, wellbeing and development.

Research shows that social media can expose children to unrealistic comparisons, online pressure and harmful content long before they are emotionally ready to manage it. While regulation is a positive step forward, real safety begins at home. Families continue to play the most powerful role in helping children build confidence, resilience and awareness in the digital world.

These new regulations provide an opportunity to talk openly with your child about their online experiences and what these changes mean for them. It's also a chance to review family technology habits, reinforce healthy routines, and explore age-appropriate ways for young people to connect, learn and express themselves.

This Special Report explains what the new laws mean in practice and offers practical guidance to help families prepare for the upcoming changes.

Here is the link to your Special Report

https://loyola.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-new-social-media-regulations-what-you-need-know

Wellbeing: Mistakes Make Champions

At this point in the year, many families are juggling the familiar end-of-year mix: exams, final assessments and the general fatigue that comes with Term 4. It can feel like a lot, for students and for the people supporting them at home.

It’s during times like these that our wellbeing theme, Mistakes Make Champions, really comes to life.

Rather than placing all the attention on results, we want to help students notice the effort they’re putting in, including the planning, the persistence, the willingness to ask questions and the small steps forward that often go unseen. These habits matter just as much as any score, and they’re what build confidence and resilience long after exam season has passed.

Families are often the first to notice these changes, steadier routines, growing independence or simply the determination to keep going. These are important wins worth celebrating.

In the coming weeks, a simple way to support your child might be to shift the conversation slightly.

Try asking:
• What’s something you worked hard on this week?
• What felt challenging, and how did you handle it?
• What did you learn from something that didn’t go to plan?

These questions help our young people recognise their own progress, not just their performance.
It’s been great to see our students step up, take risks and keep going when things get tough. We really appreciate the support you provide at home, especially in these final weeks.

Year 8 Humanities Excursion to the Melbourne Museum

Last week, our Year 8 Humanities students embarked on an exciting and enriching excursion to the Melbourne Museum to take part in the Investigating the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard Workshop and Exhibition. This immersive experience offered students a rare opportunity to engage directly with one of the most significant Viking discoveries ever made — the Galloway Hoard.

Through hands-on activities and expert-led discussions, students explored the fascinating world of Viking culture, trade, and craftsmanship. The workshop encouraged critical thinking and historical inquiry, allowing students to examine replica artefacts, interpret archaeological evidence, and consider the broader historical context of the Viking Age.

The exhibition itself showcased stunning items from the Hoard, including intricately designed jewellery, rare textiles, and mysterious containers, sparking curiosity and lively conversation among students. It was a powerful reminder of how history can come alive when we connect with the stories behind the objects.

This excursion not only deepened students’ understanding of early medieval history, it also highlighted the importance of museums in preserving and interpreting our shared past. We are proud of our Year 8 cohort for their enthusiasm, thoughtful engagement, and respectful participation throughout the day.

A huge thank you to Melbourne Museum for hosting such a dynamic and educational program — and to our Year 8 Humanities team for organising this memorable learning experience!

Reflections from some Year 8 students

“The most intriguing exhibition I’ve been on! The presenters gave a lot of detail about each artefact which made it interesting.” – Charleigh Patterson (8MAML)

“The interactive workshop, where we were able to feel the artefacts from the Hoard, put us in the shoes of the Vikings.” – Archie Roche (8FJJM)

“The excursion gave us a new insight into what the Vikings were like, in particular how they were not just raiders but also traders.” – Noah Sinclair (8XJAR)

“I liked all of the sections in the exhibition because they were fun, interactive and educational at the same time.” – Lauren Marney (8KMLE)

There can be no denying that Generative Artificial Intelligence, or GenAI, has become pervasive in our day-to-day lives. It is almost impossible to browse online without seeing advertisements for the latest app that is “powered by AI.” As educators, Loyola College staff understand that this bombardment requires guidance and instruction. Then our students can be equipped with the skills and knowledge to evaluate and critically use AI as part of their education.

In this landscape, as a Microsoft Lighthouse School, Loyola College students have access to the full suite of Microsoft Office apps under the cyber protection of their student accounts. Microsoft’s version of GenAI chat, Copilot, is a safe and secure way for students to access the benefits of GenAI with the reassurance of keeping their data protected.

Loyola staff mentor appropriate use of Copilot, but ultimately, we want our students to be independent users of GenAI. To guide them in this process we have created the GenAI Guidelines for Students and the accompanying poster. These resources provide an overview of how and when students can use Gen AI in a safe and responsible manner to ensure it maximises the potential of their learning.

Because true understanding comes from the process of thinking and creating, our GenAI guidelines include one essential rule:
Generative AI is not to be used by students to produce work

This rule is not about restricting our students; it is about preserving their learning.

At Loyola College we value authentic learning. We want our students to produce work that reflects their own thinking, a skill that will remain relevant from VCE exams to real-world problem solving. Students who bypass the drafting process miss out on the valuable opportunity to build their own individual perspective, voice and confidence.

We encourage students to be critical users of GenAI by crafting prompts that inspire the students to be responsible for their own thinking, drafting and workload. GenAI can be used to answer questions and provide insights but, as it is a tool that hallucinates, learning to cross-check AI output is itself part of developing digital literacy.

Technology changes daily, and at Loyola College we all aspire to be lifelong learners by adapting to change and understanding it. By using secure GenAI tools, learning how to appropriately incorporate them into our learning and avoiding using them to produce work for us, GenAI does not replace learning. It amplifies it.

https://schoolbox.loyola.vic.edu.au/homepage/50896

Cybersafety Part 5: Don’t scratch the ‘ish’

An ‘ishing’ attack is not fun
Click on the link and you’re done
Beware of the phish, vish and the smish
And keep the criminals a-shun.

They say, ‘knowledge is power’, and ‘ignorance is bliss’. But in the case of cyber safety, ignorance is the opposite of bliss! It’s like crossing the road with your eyes closed!

There is no point wishing cybercrime would go away! Nefarious cyber actors wishing to steal your credit card or eBanking login details or corrupt your hard drive with ransomware are employing an increasing range of methods, so broad in fact that these methods have attracted their own family of ‘ish’ sounding descriptors: phishing, vishing and smishing!

Click on the links above to find out what these words mean. Don’t worry, trust me, these links are safe! You can test the veracity of my claim by hovering over each link and checking where the link takes you: it should have a URL (ie web address) beginning with ‘https://en.wiktionary.org’.

Similarly, always check the URL of any link sent you via email or phone message. If the link looks like a bit ‘ishi’, don’t scratch it! Never give personal details over the phone, unless you are absolutely sure you know to whom you are talking!

Report criminal communications to the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

Report suspicious communications, particularly in relation to abuse, bullying and child safety to the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner..

Parent Thank You Dinner

Earlier in the week, the College hosted its annual Parent Thank You Dinner in the beautiful Via Max at Old Loyola. The event was graciously hosted by our Principal, Mrs Alison Leutchford, as a gesture of appreciation for the dedication and time given by our parent volunteers throughout 2025.

Across the year, a multitude of programs, activities, and initiatives thrive due to the active involvement of our parent community. From assisting with events to supporting College activities and programs, our volunteers have been instrumental in enriching the experiences of our College community. While we are grateful for all of our parent volunteers, we were pleased to share this special evening with those who joined us for an evening of gratitude and celebration.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all parents who have contributed to the College this year, and we look forward to seeing many involved again in the year to come.

A special congratulations to Mark Monteneri and Julie Gardner who were inducted as Life Members of the Loyola Parents and Friends Association. These two individuals have contributed to the College community in so many ways – Mark as general member in 2018 then President 2019-2025, and Julie as a very active member since 2022. As Julie completes her time as a Parent member, with her daughter Caitlin (12/XEJS) completing VCE, we thank the Gardner family for their contribution to Loyola College through LPFA and FOPA while Mark will continue to support as a general committee member.

Loyola Parents and Friends Association

Thank you to the Loyola Parents and Friends Association for their hard work and support of the College throughout 2025. The LPFA held social events such as the Year 7 Family Get Together and the ever-popular Winery Tour as well as supported the wider community and College events including the Xavier Maytime Fair, Open Day, St Ignatius Day and the upcoming Community Carols and Market night.

The major fundraising event for the year, Trivia and Games Night was a standout success, and assisted the Association in their contribution of funds towards the purchase of a new bus shelter at the Grimshaw Street carpark, as well as sponsorship of 20 academic awards and a number of Elite Performance Grants during in 2025.

I would like to congratulate and introduce the continuing and new members to the LPFA Executive with whom I look forward to working towards another fun filled, successful year in 2026.

Community Carols & Market

The Loyola Parents and Friends Association will be hosting the annual Community Carols & Market event. Join us for a festive evening of fun, early Christmas shopping and celebration at our annual Community Carols & Market on Friday, 28 November from 5.00pm to 9.00pm. There will be something for everyone, with food trucks, children's entertainment, and a variety of market stalls to explore.

As the sun sets, gather in front of Old Loyola for an enchanting night of Christmas Carols presented by our students, capped off with a special visitor who’s sure to bring some holiday cheer! Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate the festive season with our community.

Good As New Uniform Sale – Friday 28 November

As part of our Community Christmas Market & Carols Night, families will also have the opportunity to visit our Good As New Uniform Sale, taking place in the Loyola Companions Hall (LCH) from 5.00pm - 7.00pm.

This is a great chance to purchase quality second-hand Loyola College uniform items at affordable prices - perfect for preparing for the 2026 school year. Whether you're looking for spares or updating your child’s wardrobe, we encourage you to come along and browse the range. Please note that stock variety and sizes are limited.

Two Wolves Coffee Co.

Earlier in the year, parents may have taken part in our Coffee Survey designed to determine the taste preferences of our school community. We are now excited to introduce Two Wolves Coffee Co. - our new Loyola College Coffee Fundraising Program.

Crafted to the taste preferences of the Loyola College Community, proceeds from sales are donated to the Loyola Parents & Friends Association's fundraising campaign which contributes items and services back into the school community each year. 500g and 250g bags of 'Two Wolves Coffee Co.' beans are available for purchase via Main Reception or by clicking the link below. This is a great way to support our school and also perfect for gift hampers with Christmas just around the corner. Order online at: https://bit.ly/47wj7tb Online orders can be collected from Main Reception the following business day.

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. We continue to welcome donations of freshly laundered uniforms in excellent condition. If you have items that are no longer needed, please leave them at Reception.
Your contributions directly support families in our community and are sincerely appreciated. All funds raised at these sales support the fundraising efforts of the Loyola Parents and Friends Association.

Please note that we are unable to accept items that are not in wearable condition (e.g. torn, heavily soiled, or missing buttons), as the College incurs costs to dispose of these items responsibly.

Important: The old style sports uniform is no longer part of the approved College uniform and must not be sent to Reception. We kindly ask for your co-operation with this matter.

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

Return of Unused ACS Player Uniforms

Parents are requested to return any unused ACS player uniforms to the Sports Office as soon as possible.
If your child has been issued a uniform and no longer participates in the program, returning the unused items helps us maintain accurate stock and ensures availability for future teams.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

2025 Entertainment Memberships

Entertainment Guide

Save up to 50% on dining, shopping and things to do.

Unlock over $20,000 in value and savings with an Entertainment Membership. Redeem Members only offers at over 15,000 locations across Australia and New Zealand, with new offers added daily.

Please click HERE to purchase your Membership.

Entertainment Memberships really do help us help each other – you save on the things you love, and we keep supporting our community with the funds raised.

Looking to attend upcoming Melbourne United home games? Through our partnership with Melbourne United, Loyola students and families have access to the exclusive discount code ‘UNITED26092’ for 15% off all tickets. This code is valid for all regular season games at John Cain arena throughout the 2025-26 NBL season.