Learning Across the
Senior School
Burn Bright
On Tuesday 16 May, our Year 9 cohort attended a presentation by the Burn Bright organisation, ‘Spark’ program, whilst the Year 10’s attended the ‘Altitude’ program. Burn Bright is a Sydney based organisation, dedicated to promoting student wellbeing around Australia and helping to inspire young minds to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Ellie and Bella flew in from Sydney and spent half a day with each year level, demonstrating different ways to build and strengthen friendships. The girls watched motivating videos and engaged in multiple activities, helping to restore and better strengthen relationships, whilst also learning strategies designed to step outside the girls’ comfort zones.
Read some student reflections below:
I learnt that I appreciate friendships more than I thought. I feel safe around people I trust and that I can be myself and not be scared to share my opinions. I learnt what my friends cherish in a friendship and how I can help them gain more courage. My friends and I had some deep and meaningful conversations and we all learnt things about each other that we didn’t know before. Looking back at the burn bright presentation, I learnt that to keep a friendship you have to keep working for it. Not stopping and giving up during the rough patches but talking and coming back even stronger than before.
Madeline Eime - Year 10
Our entire Year 9 cohort had the privilege of participating in Burn Bright's Spark program on girls' self-efficacy. Burn Bright is an organisation that was established to assist young Australians to flourish and help them understand that they have the power to make a difference in the world. The presentation was engaging and inspiring, and the various interactive activities allowed me to easily grasp the four main points covered. These included "Find the people that bring out the best in you.", "Think we, not me.", "Comparisons are the thief of joy." and "Barriers are part of the journey." The program has not only provided me with a deeper understanding of myself but has also given me the tools to build on my own confidence and resilience. The program also explored how to foster positive friendships and develop a culture of gratitude. I am so grateful for having the opportunity to participate in such a valuable program and I eagerly anticipate participating in Burn Bright’s Year 10 program next year.
Alize Warner - Year 9
Burn bright was aimed at navigating through life’s challenges. With a key focus on using our strengths, working together, stepping out of our comfort zone to live in the moment and taking a positive approach to barriers we encounter. For many of us, we tend to zone out during long speeches, however, this program was presented in a way that was very engaging for everyone. With each of the topics, we participated in activities and games, that got us working with our classmates and moving around. The opportunity to stretch our legs and have fun allowed us to better understand and engage in the content being delivered to us.
Grace Marin - Year 9
On Tuesday the 16th of May, the Year 10 cohort was fortunate enough to undertake a program run by Burn Bright. Hosted by friendly instructors, Elle and Bella, the session was filled with many fun activities, important lessons, and insightful stories. The program focused on healthy relationships, personal values, and overcoming challenges, along with how to have a healthy and enjoyable high school journey through our friendships and experiences with our peers. We participated in many collaborative activities, including ‘speed dating’, a whole year level skipping rope challenge, and a values reflection. These activities allowed us to unite with our peers and make connections with others who we may not be as close to, whilst strengthening our current friendships. Burn Bright was a positive experience that has allowed us to reflect on how we apply ourselves as people and take the time to explore the foundations of our character. On behalf of the year ten cohort, I’d like to thank Elle and Bella for such a wonderful day and an enlightening experience.
Charlotte Belperio - Year 10
The Burn Bright presentation showed to the year 10s how our values as individuals support in the development of resilience and good relationships. They achieved this through activities that were designed to test resilience and open-mindedness. The seminar was really interesting to me as it taught me more about my peers and how to be the best person I can be.
Kira Polymiadis - Year 10
Burn Bright was a workshop the Year Nine's did to build a framework of values, recognize self-worth, gain confidence, recognize the power of our words and explore strategies that help deal with expectations and pressure. This program made us communicate with girls we wouldn't normally, and helped us with navigating through media influences and body image. The day started off with a quick introduction and some games to get us talking. We were then given a map with Australian landmarks where we had to 'book a date' with someone at each landmark. We were given talking/conversation prompts to talk about with each person at each landmark. We then watched many clips which taught us a range of things; use your mistakes to make you stronger, don't compare yourself to others and we are all beautiful and we look nothing alike.
Olivia Bell - Year 9
Mrs Fi Donnelly
Leader of Student Wellbeing and Academic Care (Years 9 and 10)
WriteNow Festival
As part of the 2023 Dream Big Children’s Festival, a group of our Senior students were fortunate to attend (the first) Write Now Festival, which will become a biennial event celebrating and supporting writing in children to young adults. This year’s event was held in a variety of locations, including the Adelaide Festival Centre and the State Library.
Amongst attendees from across a number of South Australian schools, our students individually selected and participated in a range of workshops – from scriptwriting with presenters from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, illustration sessions with published artists, to how to refine your work and become a published author.
Book signings, lunch in the beautiful Mortlock Library and chats with experts in their field, the day provided many opportunities for us to explore our interests in writing and literature, with our own Alexandra Seal winning the first Write Now Writing Competition in her Years 10-12 category. Alexandra will receive a book voucher and a one-on-one mentoring session with the Head of Young Adult Literature at Wakefield Press, which is a valuable opportunity for any aspiring writer.
The day ended with a ‘panel talk’ from four diverse Australian authors and was an entertaining glimpse into the life of a writer, providing a lot of worthwhile advice and insight around the various forms (and platforms), that this career can take.'
Ms Julie Staley
Information Resources Coordinator
Ethics Olympiad - Case Writing Awards
Loreto has had teams participating in the Ethics Olympiad since 2019. Last year we had a Middle Year’s team receiving the best result so far … an ‘Honourable Mention’. A new dimension was added to the competition this year; schools were invited to write and submit their own cases, to potentially be used in future competitions. The ‘Case Writing Awards’ attracted entries from across Australia and New Zealand.
Emma Choi (Year 10) has been a regular member of Loreto’s teams over the last few years, and she took on the challenge of writing a case for these awards. Her submission, titled ‘Repatriation of Relics’, received an Honourable Mention. Emma was the only participant from South Australia to be recognised in this way.
Ethics Olympiad
This week we have had two Year 10 teams compete in the Ethics Olympiad. Students are scored by a judge on their responses and how they work together when discussing social and political topics. There were 27 teams involved in the event. The teams were divided in two with one of our teams competing in each group.
Our two teams consisted of the following students:
Loreto Light Blue: Sophia Hussain, Aeon Nguyen, Emma Choi, Ashmi Dangi & Karli Yip
Loreto Yellow: Sophie Ali, Lyla Darisie-Hausler, Alice Maycock, Lacey Merrill & Erin Schulz
We congratulate Loreto Light Blue for coming 5th on the day. We also congratulate Loreto Yellow for receiving an honourable mention by the judges.
Ms Tennille Cobb
Gifted and Talented Teacher
Youth Governor's Leadership Foundation Program
Congratulations to Giuliana Blefari (Year 10) who has been selected to represent Loreto in the Youth Governor's Leadership Foundation Program which is designed to help Year 10 teenagers develop into confident, resilient, and empowered young people who will be socially-responsible change-agents primed to make a difference improving their communities. We wish Giuliana well and look forward to hearing about her future plans!
Rostrum Voice of Youth
On Saturday 13th May, we had four Loreto students participate in Round 1 of the Rostrum Voice of Youth Public Speaking Competition. The four students were Lilly Meo (Year 7), Cleo Murray (Year 7), Grace Collins (Year 9) and Alice Maycock (Year 10). The girls were required to deliver a prepared speech, followed by a short notice speech. Congratulations our four students who embraced the challenge of this competition and represented the College extremely well. A special mention to Grace Collins who was the winner of her heat and has progressed to the semi-final which is being held this Saturday at Immanuel College.
Grace’s reflection of her Rostrum experience:
‘There are so many words that could be used to describe Rostrum Voice of Youth 2023. ‘Fun’, ‘Nerve-wracking’, ‘Enriching’, and ‘Interesting’ are just a few examples. Despite this, if I were asked to choose only one, I would have to say ‘Valuable’ - I learned so much from the experience. We were all very nervous when we stood up to give our speeches, but afterwards when all the competitors starting chatting to each other there was a friendly atmosphere. I learned so much about public speaking from Rostrum, and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about entering next year to most certainly do so’.
Mrs Fiona Griffiths
Leader of English and Languages
Year 12 Legal Studies Trip to Parliament House
On Wednesday the 17 May, the Year 12 Legal Studies class ventured to Parliament House in the CBD. The class were privileged enough to go on a private tour of both the lower and upper house with old scholar Hon. Heidi Girolamo MLC (Shadow Minister for Finance and Tax Reform, Shadow Minister for Communities, Disability, and Reform) and Member for Bragg, Mr. Jack Batty. Following this tour, the class attended Question Time in the House of Assembly. The girls were shocked to witness the brutality many members conveyed towards each other, often laughing and making a mockery when a member of the opposite party had a question. Overall, the girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and were able to further understand the topic Sources of Law, by applying it in a real-life situation.
Thank you to Ms. Jenke for organising the day and supervising the group, and Dr. Boots for accompanying her on the tour.
Meg Slade
Year 12 Student
Year 9 Science
The Year 9 Science classes designed and completed a Practical Investigation which helped determine whether colour has an impact on heat transfer via radiation.
Ray lamps proved very exciting for the girls to work with!
Mrs Patty Warrender
Science Teacher
360 Degree Cameras in our Lumination Learning Lab
Year 7B and 7R, as part of Digital Technologies, undertook their first exploration of the 360 cameras as part of the Lumination Lab. Using their mobile phones as the controlling device through the Theta app, students were able to connect and experiment in using the 360 cameras to record an image near a stairwell, in a classroom, with students, and without students. They developed their problem-solving skills in using technology and were focussed on the early stages of the design thinking process. The lesson ended too soon for all!
Ms Ann-Maree Tippins
Rotary Music Awards
Antonia Mazzone (Yr 12) and Amber Hallett (Yr 11) each presented a song at the Rotary Club of St Peter’s Annual Music Night on Tuesday 23 May. Held at St John’s Church, the event recognises music students at local schools. The students are given an opportunity to present their music to an engaged audience and they each receive a monetary award and a certificate. Both Antonia and Amber sang beautifully and represented Loreto professionally and with pride. Congratulations Girls!
Mr Tim de Jong
Leader of Music and Music Production
Year 11 and 12 Formal Photos
The Loreto College Formal 2023 photos have now been loaded to the Festival Photography Website.
Simply click on the link below to log on and view your photos.
Enter the Access Code: LC2023 (case sensitive)
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