Sowing the SEADs of Success

From the Assistant Principal Wellbeing and Engagement R-12

Splashing Fun and Competition: 2025 Year 7-12 Swimming Carnival

This year’s Senior Swimming Carnival at George Bolton Pool was a day filled with excitement, energy, and joy! The carnival brought together swimmers of all ages, from the youngest Year 7 participants to seasoned champions. A positive vibe with a competitive atmosphere witnessed by families, friends, and community members. It was a lovely walk through the suburb of Tusmore from Loreto College Marryatville to Burnside Pool.

The carnival featured thrilling competitive races, showcasing the talent and determination of our Loreto swimmers. From fast-paced sprints to challenging relays, each event was a true test of skill, fitness and spirit. Congratulations BARRY and to all the age champions who swam their hearts out and earned their well-deserved titles. But it wasn’t just about the competition; the novelty events brought laughter and fun to the pool, with swimmers of all ages joining in the quirky challenges of tyre races and peg pick up.

Our College events are compulsory and this is why…

More than just a swimming event, the carnival was a celebration of our community. It was wonderful to see so many of students participate and cheer our swimmers. The singing, the clapping, the “Nutbush dance” creates memories and a spirit of camaraderie, making it a day to remember.

A big thank you to Ms Mandy Braddock and PE staff who helped make the event a success. Their hard work and dedication is truly appreciated!

We look forward to seeing even more swimmers take part next year. Until then, let's get ready for PAF...only 2 months away – 13 June 2025.

Mobile Phones and cybersafety in SEAD

At the start of the 2025 school year all Year 7 students have been required to hand in their mobile phones, which has been a success throughout Term 1.

Research supports the harmful impact of mobile phone usage in adolescents and young people. These have been highlighted below:

Distractions and Decreased Focus: Mobile phones can easily distract your daughter from her work, with apps, notifications, and messages moving her attention away from explicit teaching. This can impact academic performance and reduce the effectiveness of learning.
Impact on Social Skills: Reduction in face-to-face interactions, which are crucial for developing communication skills and emotional intelligence.
Social Media Pressure: The constant use of social media can create pressure, anxiety, and stress. Your daughter may feel the need to conform to certain online standards, or experience negative communication from peers.
Addiction: Your daughter may become overly reliant on her phone for entertainment or validation, leading to addictive behaviours that can affect their studies, social life, and overall wellbeing.
Safety Concerns: Mobile phones can expose young people to inappropriate content or unwanted online stranger attention, if not used responsibly. Even with parental controls, there is still a risk of exposure to harmful material.
Physical Health Issues: Prolonged phone use can lead to eye strain, headaches, poor posture and neck pain.

For further information, about mobile phone safety please visit Pre-teens entertainment & technology | Raising Children Network

In addition, I encourage you to look at the SEAD resources for Parents “Online Engagement” which has some excellent resources and the Online safety | eSafety Commissioner and register for the parent webinar below.

Webinars for parents and Carers – eSafety

Webinars for parents and carers | eSafety Commissioner

Parental controls can be a useful addition to the strategies you use to help protect your child online. Parental controls can help protect children and young people by preventing access to harmful content, as well as helping manage time spent online and who they communicate with. Join us at this 45-minute webinar to find out about:

the types of parental controls available and how to set them for your child’s safety including smart devices, in apps, gaming platforms and computers
using parental controls with other online safety strategies to help your child build digital and critical skills to have safer experiences online.

It’s suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.

Term 2 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

14 May, 12.30pm
3 June, 3.30pm

School Operational Information

School finishes at 3.20pm (Junior School) and 3.30pm (Senior School) on 11 April (Week 11 Friday). We will sing the Holiday Hymn 😊 before the bell goes.

School returns for Term 2 Tuesday 29 April, Boarders will return on Monday 28 April (2pm)

Students will be wearing Winter Uniform in Term 2 and 3.

Uniform Guidelines: Transitioning from Summer to Winter

As we approach the change in seasons, it's important to familiarise yourself with the uniform guidelines for winter attire.

Students can hang up their hats and pull up their socks!

Emma Searle

Assistant Principal Wellbeing and Engagement R-12