Dear all,

Welcome to winter, the College commemorated Reconciliation Week and took the opportunity to reflect and to look for future ways to enhance togetherness and understanding.

Learning and connections – term 2 highlights

An array of learning opportunities and experiences are open to students with excursions, extra-curricular opportunities, competitions, and guest speakers.

Congratulations for a terrific performance by our drama/dance students in ACTUP at the Canberra Theatre.  The dance students were selected to do the finale for the evening performance. Well done to all the students involved and Dale Thain (Dance/Drama teacher), Kate Beattie and the Arts team.  We are all really looking forward to the school musical “Strictly Ballroom” in July.

Health Medical and Applied Sciences R unit students have had a series of visits to the University of Canberra, exploring options in Medical Radiation Science and Pharmacology.

The Art and Photography Camp and the Writers’ Camp (with Gungahlin College) alike produced some beautifully constructed creative pieces.  Great opportunities for students to pursue their interests, learn new skills, and meet new people.

Our sporting teams are out and about, great success in Girls’ Rugby Union and Girls’ Futsal (see the Sports Report for more action).

Welcome home today to the Lady Musgrave Island trip students and staff - an amazing experience. Outdoor Education continues with winter activities, downhill and cross-country trips in term 3.

Over 40 of our Hospitality students visited CIT’s student-led hospitality and events Open Day. Students took part in interactive activities looking at skills and career opportunities within the hospitality, culinary, events, hotel management, travel and tourism industries. Mini workshops include patisserie and cake decorating, bar and cocktail making skills, and other practical service industry skills.

 

A thank you to Mr David Holly, former Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, who visited the College to talk to students in the Politics, Philosophy, Economics and Global Perspectives R unit, Global Studies and Humanities on Wednesday 24 May.  Students heard firsthand about the challenges and opportunities in diplomacy, working in South Asia and David’s experiences and stories.

Staffing news

The College welcomes the following staff to the team:

Kirk Zwangobani - Deputy Principal

Kirk has held significant leadership roles in several ACT government schools with a focus on senior secondary education at UCSSC Lake Ginninderra, Dickson, Hawker and Narrabundah College. Kirk also worked on policy and projects in the ACT Education Directorate, with a particular focus on student engagement and voice. Kirk has also worked closely with the Board of Senior Secondary Studies in the development of 21st Century Humanities and Social Science curriculum with a particular focus on intercultural understanding

Graham Cassells – Executive Teacher STEM, Quality Assurance and Affiliated Schools.

Graham has extensive leadership experience in the senior secondary sector in the ACT. Graham has previously taught in the NSW and QLD education systems across a range of schools. Graham is a specialist information technology educator, was a course writer for the Industrial Design (H course) and teacher at the University of Canberra.

Sam Davies - SLC English/EAL/Languages and Curriculum Leadership

Sam was recently Head of English at Wodonga Senior Secondary College one of Victoria’s largest senior colleges. Sam led the whole-of-school approach to literacy and the implementation of the new VCE English curriculum.   Sam is an educational leader with a diverse background in film and television, and international political analysis and has a Bachelor of International Relations from the Australian National University

Jim Riley – Acting SLC Arts, Design and Technology

Jim has extensive experience across multiple sectors in ACT Education, more recently as the head of Information Technology Curriculum and IT VET at Gungahlin College, and prior to that as Assistant Director of the Academy of Future Skills. During his time at Harrison School he was the head of Arts and Technology and got to engage in his love of musical theatre to support the schools productions and lead their public events

Mr Cassells, Mr Davies and Mr Riley will commence Semester 2.

 

Chris Main – Chemistry, STEM, Humanities/Languages

Chris began his teaching in Queensland schools and his career included International Baccalaureate science at Queensland Academy for Science, Maths and Technology and leading a science faculty before moving to Canberra in 2021. Chris has led programs for gifted and talented STEM students including international competitions and has experience in outdoor education acting as an assessor in the Duke of Edinburgh program. Chris has an Honours degree in Chemistry and has worked with BP and Alphapharm Pharmaceuticals.

Madeleine Althaus – School Psychologist

The College warmly welcomes a new School Psychologist, Maddie Althaus.  Maddie is a Clinical Psychologist who has been working with children, young people, and their families for the past 7 years. Most recently relocating back to Canberra from Sydney where she has been working with both the Royal North Shore Hospital in ED/paediatrics and the Child and Youth Mental Health Service for severe and complex mental health difficulties. Maddie will be in the College on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

 

Thankyou to both Mark Clutton and Chris Cutting for their work and leadership in the roles whilst acting in the English/EAL/Languages and STEM Executive roles.

 

Voluntary contributions

The College really appreciates the voluntary contributions families make to assist with student resources, improving learning spaces, library/research centre, equipment, student programs and learning/curriculum initiatives.  A request for voluntary contributions has been sent to families.  Thanking you in advance for your support.

This support helps with projects such as the P&C grant (stage 1 outdoor plinth completed) and Cultural Integrity initiatives. Other initiatives include the re-design of classroom/open areas, library, IT labs and facilities to create contemporary learning environments and welcoming sustainable spaces for students and the school community.  Please refer to information in this newsletter on how to contribute.

Round 1 Enrolments for prospective students close today.

To enrol please go to our website https://www.lakeonline.act.edu.au/ or the Education Directorate site. 

We look forward to welcoming new students in 2024.

I shall host a coffee catchup in term 3, please stay tuned for date and time.  Hoping to show you some of the new projects we have ongoing and to introduce you to our new Heads of Department (Executive Teachers).

Save the date: Canberra Careers Xpo Wednesday 9- Thursday 10 August 2023. 

The College has booked buses and we’ll be encouraging all students to attend the excursion from 11:00-1:00pm on Wednesday 9 August at EPIC. For more information on the Xpo itself please go to https://careersxpo.com.au/

We wish all students well with study, and assessment.

All the best for the break, travel safely if holidaying or skiing! And see you in Semester 2.

 

Melissa Planten

Assessment and Reporting

End of semester assessment will be completed soon. The assessment timetable has been published to students and is available on the college website.

Students who by virtue of illness or misadventure are experiencing difficulties in completing assessment should book at Student Services see  a year coordinator as soon as possible. Students who miss exams because of illness should have a practitioner’s certificate to support the absence.

The teaching and assessment of senior secondary study is governed by ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (ACT BSSS) policy and procedures.

Requirements include completion of a minimum of 70% assessment;  100% is better for the grade and score outcome. There is a parallel requirement for attendance of 90% of the available learning opportunities including online classes. Explained absences for illness and the like do not count against the student for the attendance requirement.

 Reports at the end of semester are summative – grades, scores and performance relative to the academic subject group will be included. Comments were included on the formative mid-semester report and will not be included on this summative report. Any queries about scores or grades on the summative report should be directed to the teacher in the first instance.

BSSS Special Interest Paper on Artificial Intelligence

In April the Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) published a 14-page special interest paper aimed at informing parents, carers and the wider community.

The paper gives a straight-forward explanation about artificial intelligence, large language models, and the potential impact of generative AI on senior secondary studies. It includes a discussion of how parents can be involved, the limits of AI value, how to reference AI usage in assessment, and the inevitable problems around academic integrity. It also shows some positive applications for AI in the classroom.

We highly recommend reading this short publication, particularly if you haven’t had an opportunity to delve into the issue yet.

Voluntary Contributions

Thank you for your support of the school community in the many ways that you do this. While you may see a school is a large budget organisation, much of this budget is pre-allocated for salaries, maintenance and utilities. The college relies on your support to offer curriculum at the standard which creates the best learning environment for your student.

Contributions are voluntary under the ACT Education Act 2004 and no student will be disadvantaged by not paying their family contribution.  Your school community relies on every family contributing to the financial viability of the school. Should you have trouble paying we are happy to arrange a payment plan or discuss other options to assist you. Please contact the school on 6142 0222 to discuss your circumstances.

Please note: these contributions are voluntary, and the college is understanding of any parent whose financial circumstances are such that the payment of the voluntary contribution would constitute a hardship. Please contact the Front Office if you require assistance. Individual records of contributions are confidential, as specified in the Education Act 2004

Australian Government School Student Broadband Initiative

Do you have access to the NBN at home?

The Australian Government has established the School Student Broadband Initiative to provide free home Internet for one year for unconnected families with school students in the ACT.

To be eligible, families must:

• have a school student at home
• not have an NBN connection
• live at an address with access to a standard NBN connection.

For more information see www.infrastructure.gov.au/SSBI

To nominate, please fill in this form: https://forms.office.com/r/kHUg92YZaR

The recent Information Night (16 May) showcased the college programs for prospective students in 2024. The gallery gives a taste of what was to be seen. Bulk enrolment closes Friday 2 June but enrolment applications will be processed after this date with offers of a place to be emailed on Monday 24 July.

On Tuesday 2 May, six students, accompanied by our teacher Eva Jarvoll, participated in the ACT/NSW Senior School Ethics Olympiad competition. We competed with 22 other schools across four heats, and won the Silver Medal. We have been invited to participate in the International Final in late July this year, along with the top two teams from each of the Senior Ethics Olympiads. 

 In the heats of the competition, we analysed contemporary ethical problems, applying philosophical knowledge and perspectives, with restricted preparation and speaking time to create convincing arguments. We were assessed on the strength and structure of our arguments, as well as etiquette and civility.

 The Ethics Olympiad was an excellent setting to engage in collaborative discussions with other students, which gave us a better understanding of the world, others our age, and the complexities of the issues that we were assessing. We explored topics such as death, wealth inequality, mandatory military service, animal rights, cultural practices, vegetarianism, and unconscious bias. As a team we felt most confident about our argument on 'lookism' and government funding for cosmetic surgeries. Lookism is best described as a prejudice towards those who are perceived by society as visually unappealing. We argued against the proposal for the government to provide cosmetic surgeries to people experiencing lookism, as it would only serve to encourage and engrain lookism in our society — changing the appearance of a person instead of tackling the prejudice itself.

As participants, it was a great opportunity to apply our critical thinking, oratory and teamwork skills, in addition to our philosophical knowledge. The event prompted us to reflect on our own beliefs, our understanding of society, and the diversity of perspectives in the Australian school system.

By Charlie, Nikos, Daniel, Io, Finn & Tane.

Writers Camp was held in mid-May at picturesque Birrigai. Students from UCSSC Lake Ginninderra and Gungahlin College spent three days hearing from published writers, editors and workshopping a project of their own.

A section from each project was shared on the final day with the whole group. The group was a supportive environment and on display we saw everything from a screenplay to a novel, shorty stories and poetry.

Look out in future newsletters as pieces from the projects are polished up to be shared with our school community.

University of Canberra (UC) update

Early Offer Round Applications are open for Year 12 T students

Applications for UC’s Early Offer Round for Year 12 students are open. Students can receive an early admission offer under the Early Offer Round using criteria other than their ATAR.

To apply for an early offer, students must ensure their Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) application includes courses that are available for selection in this offer round. They will then need to complete the supplementary form provided below, ensuring they have uploaded their Year 11 grade results. Link to  Supplementary form

Key application dates for UC’s Early Offer Round:

Applications open: Monday 15 May

Applications close: Sunday 27 August

Please note that course preferences must be finalised in UAC by 31 August to ensure time for assessment. Offers will be issued to domestic students on Thursday 7 September.

Year 12 Student Selection Process

Students must fit one of the categories below and be interested in studying in the UC Connect program to gain entry into a University of Canberra (UC) undergraduate degree.

• Students who are enrolled in an Accredited Package (A-Package) in Year 12; performing well and wish to gain entry into an undergraduate course at UC.

• Students who are enrolled in a Tertiary Package (T-Package) with a low ATAR estimate at the end of Semester one (1) this year and wish to gain entry to an undergraduate course at UC.

• Students who have almost completed their Year 12 Certificate (15 points) at the end of semester one (1) this year and wish to gain entry to an undergraduate course at UC.

Note: Students meet the following requirements:

• Be eligible for Year 12 Certificate (17 points) by the completion of Year 12 (a student’s Year 12 certificate should not be put at risk in order to fit the UC Connect program in their timetable).
• Demonstrating that they are highly motivated and independent learners.
• Demonstrating ability to complete assessment tasks and manage time.
• Strongly interested in commencing a university degree.
• Ready to make a commitment to UC Connect class attendance and work involved in the course.

Interested? Student appointments are available with Fiona Chester, Career Practitioner regarding this opportunity.

2023 has been a bumper year for Outdoor Education. The gallery sumamrises activities in terms one and two. A full report from the annual excursion to Lady Musgarve Island will appear in a future newsletter and on the college webpage.

Sports teams have been busy throughout the term. Read on for details.

Week 10 Term1

Katrina Fanning Cup 9s (Rugby League Girls) – started the day with two tough games, going down to Erindale Red 22-12 and Erindale Black 18-8. The team ended the day on a high defeating Gungahlin 24-4.

AFL College South Girls – the girls fought hard against Erindale losing 19-16; their next game was much stronger defeating St Claire’s 63-13. The third game against Radford was tight but finished in front 32-25. The day ended with a rematch against Erindale where we finished as runners up after losing 23-17.

AFL College North Boys - the boys began the day with a win against Hawker 26-14, and followied with wins over John Paul College 23-3 and Gungahlin College 28-15. The boys finished runners up on the day losing to St Francis Xavier College in the grand final.

Congratulations to these 3 teams!

Term 2 Intercollege Sport

Intercollege Sport continues on Thursday afternoons with ultimate frisbee and futsal this term.

Team Green came runners up in the ultimate frisbee final against Canberra College, with a very tight 3-4 score.  Team Blue came 3^rd defeating Lake Tuggeranong 3-0.

Futsal is continuing with all 3 teams still undefeated going into finals week 6 and 7.

In round 3 there was a last-minute need for a referee for 2 boys matches at Lake Ginninderra. Without hesitation Reilly Yuen offered her knowledge and skills to get the job done. With authority and confidence, she excelled - demonstrating professionalism and love for the sport. We would like to thank Reilly for her contribution to intercollege sport.

SSACT Golf Championships

On Monday of week 2 three students participated in the 13 and over SSACT Golf at Murrumbidgee Country Club. With all participants placing, it was a very successful event. Huge congratulations to Chris Jones (PE Faculty) for coordinating the championships again this year. He does a tremendous job year after year.

In photo from L to R.

• Amber Tilley – 3^rd in girls stroke event.
• Nathan White 2^nd in boys stroke event.
• Christian Leggett 3^rd in boys nett event.

ACT Colleges Gala Netball Day

24 teams across 8 ACT colleges competed in a mixed netball gala day at ACT Netball Centre on 9 May. Lake Ginninderra entered 5 teams which was more than any other college; every team had wins on the day and 2 teams were undefeated! With positions decided on for and against, Lakers Blue played Erindale Black in the semis and went on to beat Erindale White in the GRANDFINAL! A huge congratulations to all players on the day for their sportsmanship and enthusiasm. A special mention to our volunteer umpires – this day cannot go ahead without officials, and we are very grateful for their time and expertise.

• Sophie Weaver
• Kirra Lee Brennan
• Katie Taylor
• Amber Lawson
• Caitlin Weaver
• Katherine Pajuczok

ACT 13 and over Swimming Championships

On Friday of week 3 Lake  had two representatives at the ACT 13&O Swimming Championships at the AIS. We would like to congratulate and wish these two students well on their progress through to the SSA 10 – 19 Years Swimming Championships in August at Sydney Olympic Park.

Thomas Menzies-Stegbauer (17-19 male)

• 10^th in 50m freestyle
• 5^th in 100m freestyle
• 2^nd in 200m freestyle

Dakota Thorne

• 3^rd in 50m freestyle
• 3^rd in 50m breaststroke
• 7^th in 50m butterfly
• 6^th in 50m backstroke
• 5^th in 100m freestyle

NRL Girls League Tag

The girls league tag team had a glorious autumn day in Phillip for their gala day to begin week 5. Their first game against Erindale red resulted in a 16-4 win! The second game against Queanbeyan High resulted in a 42-0 win. Coming equal first in their pool, they went on to the semi-finals against Erindale black which was their toughest game of the day resulting in a loss. We want to thank the girls for participating in the gala day with excellent sportsmanship and enthusiasm.

Individual Student Success

• Hayden Todd travelled to QLD for the Australian Open and Under 20 Athletics Championships where he ran the 800m with a time of 1:49.56 which resulted in him receiving a GOLD medal. As a 17-year-old competing in the under 20 age group this is an amazing achievement! We can’t wait to see what your future hold Hayden, well done.
• Hannah Leitch competed in the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in the April school holidays. We would like to congratulate her on her Heptathlon results – ending the championships with 4,178 points - 6th overall, 5th in Australia! Hannah also achieved a personal best in Shot put: 9.39m and the 800m run: 2:41.11. Congratulations Hannah!
• Csongor Keszei represented the ACT in the Australian Gymnastics Championships 2023 - Men's Artistic Gymnastics as a 16-year-old in the level 9 under 18 category he had a tough field to compete against. He came 5^th out of 24 in the floor, 5^th out of 27 in the pommel horse and 4^th out of 8 in the vault. Congratulations Csongor and all the best for your future gymnastic endeavours.
• Gabi Rooks travelled to Florida for The Cheerleading Worlds as part of the Sirens Cheerleaders team ‘Anthem’. Ranking 6^th in the international open large coed – level 5 competition. Congratulations to Gabi and her Sirens teammates this is a huge achievement on the international stage.
• Marqaylar Tere represented the ACT in the 2023 Australia Cup Tennis Tournament in week 4. Playing in a very competitive girl’s singles draw Marqualar finished the tournament with 3/5 wins. Asa year 12 student we thank you Marqayaler for your contribution to school sport ACT’s tennis team year after year. All the best for your future tennis endeavours.

• Ben Slater was a part of the ACT Boys Softball team who attended the School Sport Australia Championships in Victoria. His standout performance has resulted in him being selected in the All-Australian Softball team! Congratulations Ben this is a huge achievement.

Open Boys and Girls Futsal Championships (South Coast) 

Leaving at 5.30am Andre and Graeme travelled to the NSW Futsal Championships on the South Coast with three (3) teams. All teams demonstrated high level skills and determination throughout the day. The year 11 boys were eliminated in the semi-finals; the year 12 boys went on to finish the tournament as the regional runner up. The girls are NSW REGIONAL CHAMPIONS! They have qualified for the Sydney finals in term 3.

3 v 3 Basketball

Lake entered 7 boys and 1 girls team in the college 3v3 Basketball Gala Day at Belconnen Basketball Stadium on Friday week 5. LGC7 claimed the boys 3x3 college championship (A.Culver, M Beard Browning, J Hickcock, L.Harris and A.Dau). Congratulations to all those involved.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply

or update their details as soon as possible.

In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they
receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact
their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

New Student Opal cards (including new Term Bus Passes) will be sent to the student’s
nominated postal address within two weeks of their application being approved.
Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their
nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them
at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes.
Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a
pass.