Chev Need to Knows
16 May 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
I trust this correspondence finds you well as we continue to encounter this mild, yet wonderful late Autumn weather.
Parent/Carer Forum Recap: Teenagers, Social Media and Mobile Phones
Last Thursday 8 May, we were delighted to welcome over 80 parents and carers to our forum on ‘Teenagers, social media and mobile phones’, alongside 15 members of staff. This important gathering marked the beginning of a community-wide conversation in anticipation of upcoming legislation that will ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms.
The evening provided a valuable opportunity to explore the complex and evolving relationship between young people and digital technology. Together, we:
- Reviewed current research on the impact of social media on adolescent mental health, sleep, attention and social development.
- Discussed our school’s mobile phone policy, including how it supports student learning.
- Shared ideas and concerns about how families and schools can work together to prepare for the forthcoming legal changes.
The level of engagement and thoughtful contributions from attendees highlighted the shared commitment across our community to support young people in navigating the digital world safely and responsibly. We are especially grateful for the suggestions made during the forum, which included developing clear, consistent messaging between home and school about expectations and boundaries around phone and social media use.
This forum was just the beginning. We are committed to continuing this dialogue and co-creating a community response that is informed, compassionate and proactive.
Please click here to see a copy of the presentation from the evening. An abbreviated version of some of the slides was presented to students at our student-led assembly on Wednesday 14 May.
The Leadership Team will soon meet to discuss next steps, which will no doubt see further engagement with parents and, most especially, students.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this such a meaningful and constructive event.
Together, we can help our young people thrive, both online and offline.
Further to the above, the Council of Catholic School Parents (NSW/ACT) will be hosting an online webinar titled, ‘Using parental controls to help protect your child online.’ It will be presented by the eSafety Commissioner Team on Thursday 19 June 2025 from 12.30 – 1.15pm. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Year 7, 2027
I know, I know, it seems a long way off. However, I would like to remind families who have a child currently in Year 5 that the due date for applications for enrolment in Year 7, 2027 is in two weeks’ time, 1 June 2025.
To give some context to this reminder, we currently have several siblings of current students on our Year 7, 2026 waitlist, as applications were not received until after the due date, sometimes well after the due date. Unfortunately, by the time we received the application for their child in Year 6, 2026, the enrolment for that year group was at full capacity.
In accordance with our enrolment policy, siblings of current students always receive priority on our waitlist, however, once the year is full we cannot guarantee that a place will be available, and having to be registered on a waitlist can cause stress for parents and children. This can be avoided if we receive applications at the required time.
I therefore strongly encourage our Chev families to submit their application before 1 June so that we can include your child in the interview and enrolment process, which takes place in early Term 3. This will provide the best possible opportunity for them to be offered a place for Year 7, 2027.
Council of Catholic School Parents – Webinars
On occasions, the Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) – NSW/ACT offer free webinars, and you are invited. An outline of some of them is below. For more details, please go to https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/
The parable of the lost sheep – A book reading by Bishop Brian Mascord, Bishop of Wollongong. This is a special Jubilee Year of Hope event in the week of Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly.
Tuesday 27 May
7.00pm – 7.30pm
A parent’s roadmap to careers and pathways – for parents and carers of Years 7–10 students. Presented by Beyond.
Wednesday 4 June
7.00pm – 8.00pm
Supporting your child through the HSC, presented by Beyond.
Wednesday 11 June
7.00pm – 8.00pm
Last but not least, please make sure you read the next section of this Need to Knows, where we ask for your engagement in the process of developing the new College uniform.
Best wishes for the weekend and week ahead.
Regards,
Greg Miller
Principal
New Uniform Survey
Early next week, we will email all parents, staff, and students with an invitation to complete a survey to help choose our new College Formal Uniform. The survey will be accessible via a link in the email.
Commencing next week, there will also be printouts of uniform concepts, along with samples of uniforms from other schools to give you a sense of fabrics and styles. These will be on display in Student Services, and we encourage you to visit during school hours to view the concepts and fabrics.
Our uniform committee, made up of parents, students, and staff, has developed the concepts according to set criteria. It is now up to you to share your feedback and contribute to choosing the new uniform.
We value your feedback; Please keep an eye out for the email and the orbit alert next week!
Ration Challenge
The Ration Challenge will take place between 18 to 20 June, raising awareness and support for refugees. For 3 days, students will eat the same rations as a refugee living in Jordan (just a small amount of rice, flour, lentils, chickpeas, beans, fish and oil). Every student is given a personal fundraising page so they can ask friends and family to sponsor them. The money our school raises will help provide emergency food, healthcare and life-changing support to refugees in Jordan and communities affected by conflict and disaster worldwide.
To participate, students can collect a permission note from Student Services or see Mr Abbey. Permission notes need to be signed and returned to Mr Abbey by Friday 21 May.
Vinnies Winter Appeal
This week, home rooms will begin collecting items for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. Each house will receive a suggested list of items to bring. Items need to be brought to school by Sacred Heart Day (13 June). Let’s all work together to support vulnerable families in our community this winter.
Laudato Si Week - Together let’s care for our common home!
ISA Round 3
ISA Round 3 is tomorrow, Saturday 17 May. Team fixtures and bus information can be found in the Parent Lounge and Orbit app under School Links / Extra Curricular.
WET WEATHER: Please continue to check the fixtures tonight and tomorrow morning for updates. There have already been some changes and we may be advised of more overnight.
All buses will leave from the bus zone on Charlotte Street. Students leaving the College should be dropped off in the JFC car park.
The BBQ and Coffee van will be situated at the Main Oval tomorrow from 9.00am. Please see below for the link to volunteer.
IMPORTANT: We aim to have fixtures and bus times uploaded to School Links by Wednesday each week. Please check the fixtures every Friday afternoon/evening for any last minute changes to bus times and/or game cancellations.
Parent Volunteers
We’re seeking parent volunteers to help make our home game hospitality a success by assisting at the Sports BBQ or helping with Netball game scoring.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Click here to view the BBQ volunteer roster
Click here to view the Netball Scoring volunteer roster
Coach Phillips
Extra Curriculum Administrator
Chevalier School Play 2025: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
BOOKINGS ARE OPEN AND SELLING FAST!
Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter faces new challenges as a father. Meanwhile, his son Albus begins a thrilling, time-twisting adventure that will shake the wizarding world once more.
Brought to life by the incredible talent of Chevalier College’s students and staff, this production marks a magical milestone: Chevalier is the first theatre in NSW and only the third theatre in Australia to perform this acclaimed play!! This play is written by playwright Jack Thorne – the same writer as the Netflix series “Adolescence.”
Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic!
Bookings are now open, with showtimes at 7.00pm on Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June, and a 2.00pm matinee on the Saturday. Seats are selling very quickly for this wonderful production - don't miss out!
BOOK NOW at https://events.humanitix.com/chev-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child
Monday 2 June: Daniel Principe – Talk to parents and carers
We are excited to welcome youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe back to the College on Monday 2 June. Following a day engaging with our students, alongside Emma Tabacaru, through the workshop ‘Championing young people in a digital world’, Daniel will also speak to parents and carers in the evening, where he will unpack what the latest academic research reveals about how current social and cultural forces are affecting young people’s wellbeing and their relationships. Daniel will discuss what really matters to young people, and provide clarity and tools to help young people analyse and challenge the culture around them.
We strongly encourage you to come and hear from the person who will have been working with your children that day - this could also prompt important conversations at home around building respectful and empathetic relationships into adulthood.
Reserve your free space here https://events.humanitix.com/daniel-principe-talk-to-parents
📅 Date: Monday 2 June
🕖 Time: 7.00 – 8.30pm
📍 Location: Sacre Coeur Centre, Chevalier College
Saturday 2 August: Sports Winterfest
Save The Date!
Join us for our annual Sports Winterfest! Come cheer on all our winter sports teams at their home games, enjoy food trucks and beverages, live music, and a dazzling fireworks display!
Saturday 2 August
8:00am – 6:15pm
Book your FREE TICKETS!
Chevalier College Careers website
In celebrating National Careers Week I would like to reintroduce the College’s Careers website https://careers.chevalier.nsw.edu.au/.
Our careers website is a dedicated resource for our school where students can explore fully interactive pages encompassing everything they need to know about specific careers, jobs searches, and study options.
There is also a section dedicated to Parents/Carers, who are often heavily involved in career decision making. You will find plenty of useful resources to assist you in contributing to your child's career journey.
University of Wollongong - Year 10 Subject Selection Webinar
UOW will be offering a webinar for students, parents, carers and teachers focusing on providing students and their families accurate and informed knowledge on UOW degrees and their HSC subject assumed and recommended subject requirements. This webinar will be a valuable opportunity to ask questions and get quality insights into how students should be structuring their subject selection decisions for 2026.
Families can register now via the link here:
https://www.uow.edu.au/study/events/
Apply Now for Year 7 2027!
If you have a child currently in Year 5, now is the time to submit your application for enrolment in Year 7, 2027. Applications are due 1 June 2025.
We are receiving a high number of applications for this year group and we don't want our current families to miss out on a place. If you know any friends who are also hoping to enrol their children, please encourage them to submit their application now.
Click here for a link to the online application form.
- ISA Round 3 - 17 May
- Merino Wether Challenge - 19 May
- Year 9 Wilderness Excursion - 19 May
- Year 10 Study Skills Day - 19 May
- Year 11 Studies of Religion 1 Excursion - 19 May
- Year 12 Physics Excursion - 19 May
- Mock Trial Round 2 - 22 May
- Debating Round 6 - 23 May
- ISA Round 4 - 24 May
- Daniel Principe Talk for Parents and Carers - 2 June