LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
NEWSLETTER
29 October 2026
Value of the Term - Tenacity
'...but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
IMPORTANT DATES
Date | Event |
|---|---|
27th Oct - 18th Nov | VCE Exams Continue |
2nd - 3rd November | Melbourne Cup Weekend |
5th November | Compassion Dress-up Day (Secondary) |
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Eric Liddell, taken from Wikipedia
Liddell gave up sporting fame and went to China as a missionary and teacher. During the Second World War, he sent his pregnant wife and children to safety in Canada but remained in China to serve others. He was eventually imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp, where he continued helping and encouraging fellow prisoners. He died in 1945, having remained faithful to his calling through extraordinary hardship.
When Eric Liddell faced obstacles, he did not allow difficulty to determine his direction. He remained faithful to God and kept going.
That same idea sits beautifully at the heart of our Ninth Fleet, an inaugural Year 9 program in 2027.
A ship does not demonstrate its strength while sitting safely in the harbour. Its strength is revealed when it meets the wind, the waves and the storms.
As our 2027 Year 9 students join the Ninth Fleet, they will experience excitement alongside moments of fatigue, discomfort and the urge to give up. Through experiential challenges, we aim to build resilience, leadership, spiritual and personal growth to strengthen their learning in the senior years.
So perhaps the challenge to our inaugural Ninth Fleet could simply be:
When the waters are calm, be grateful.
When the waters become rough, be tenacious.
And through every part of the journey, keep your eyes on the Light.
One Fleet. One Light. One Journey.
Wing Leong
Principal
MUSIC
Year 7 Information Night
Congratulations to the Secondary Choir who performed beautifully at the Year 7 Information Night! Their ability to sing a multitude of canons as families got seated, and then sing two quite different songs – Blackbird (by Paul McCartney) and Hard Knock Life (from the musical Annie) is testament to the fabulous skills these students have developed over their time in the Choir.
Many thanks goes to the members of Secondary Choir who have been an absolute joy to work with this year and have made my heart SING!!!!
Amaya Bhatt 8A
Claire Li 8A
Shenara Wickramarathne
Lily Muhaso 8A
Disha Shashi Shankar 8A
Tanvin Bindra 9A
Angelyn Som 8C
Rebecca Srinivasagar 8B
Sahen Siriwansha
Luca Lin 8B
Meet the Instruments
Last week we held our annual Meet the Instruments afternoon. This is an opportunity for students and families to have a look at the various instruments we offer and meet some of our Lighthouse instrumental staff.
It was wonderful to see the curiosity of the students who came along and to watch them interacting with the instrumental staff.
Term 4 Soiree
Following this event, we held our final soiree for this year and many thanks goes to the following Lighthouse instrumental students who performed.
Levi Ng 2A – Violin
Angel Nyawelo 4C – Flute
Carolin Tan 5A – Flute
Chelsea Li 6A – Flute and Voice
Yug Patel 6A – Trombone
Jordan Ly 6A – Flute
Isaac Soth 6C – Euphonium
Aiden Ly 7A – Euphonium
Noah Campos Vilalba Moreira 7B – Guitar
Amaya Bhatt 8A – Flute
Naomi Pang 9C – Clarinet
Not only did they play beautifully on the night, but they fully displayed our Lighthouse HEART value of Empowerment – using the gifts God is developing in them responsibly and with courage.
So far it has been a very musical term – which means it’s been a great one!
Shari Bhatt
Head of Music
PRIMARY
ELC - Year 2
Our Prep students made a splash during their six-day swimming program from 15th to 22nd October! For many students, this was their first experience attending swimming lessons, and they embraced every moment with enthusiasm and courage. It was wonderful to see them building their swimming skills while also managing their belongings, changing independently, and being ready to hop on and off the bus each day.
We are incredibly proud of how well our little learners rose to the challenge and embraced this new adventure. What a wonderful reminder of how much they can achieve when given the opportunity to try something new! We thank God for a safe and memorable experience and look forward to seeing our Preps continue to flourish.
Kind regards,
Sarah Chung
Primary Teacher
PRIMARY
Years 3 - 6
Congratulations to all our students who participated in the 2026 ICAS Assessments! Your willingness to challenge yourselves, apply your knowledge and strive for excellence is commendable, and we are proud of your efforts and achievements. A special congratulations goes to the students who achieved Distinction and High Distinction across various subjects, recognising their outstanding performance and dedication to learning.
English
Year 2: Chloe Ly, Tiana Shen
Year 3: Henry You
Mathematics
Year 2: Isaac Dela Cruz, Kyen Yang, Tiana Shen
Year 3: Henry You
Year 6: Aarav Tandon
Science
Year 2: Isaac Dela Cruz
Year 3: Henry You
Spelling Bee
Year 2: Tiana Shen
Year 3: Henry You
Year 5: Gabriella Jabin, Jake Ly
Writing
Year 3: Henry You
Year 4: Claudia Yang
We would also like to give special recognition to two exceptional students who achieved the highest score in their respective subjects and year levels across the state and will be receiving ICAS medals. An outstanding accomplishment!
Year 2 ICAS Mathematics medal winner: Tiana Shen
Year 3 ICAS Science medal winner: Henry You
Well done to all students involved, and we look forward to celebrating your continued growth and success!
Alice Yang
Co-Director Teaching & Learning (Primary)
Confident Voices
Congratulations to our students on securing fifth place at the CSEN Debating Competition! This achievement reflects their dedication to preparing arguments, developing their speaking skills and working together as a team.
In the lead-up to the competition, students devoted much of their lunchtime to practising. They welcomed feedback with a positive attitude and showed resilience as they refined their arguments and strengthened their delivery.
Competing against students from other schools provided a valuable opportunity to think on their feet, listen carefully and respond respectfully to different perspectives. We are proud of their commitment, teamwork and willingness to challenge themselves.
Well done to our debaters for their hard work and enthusiasm! We look forward to seeing them continue to grow in confidence and use their voices with wisdom and respect.
Kiranmayi Appikatla
Primary Teacher
Year 3 Swimming
The year 3 students had a hoot participating in their annual swimming lessons at Toby Haenen Swim Centre this year. Over the six lessons the students grew in confidence, used a variety of different swimming techniques and skills, and had opportunities to practise water safety skills. Here are some of the students’ highlights from the program.
“I like swimming because I get to do diving” – Amy
“My favourite part of swimming is how the teachers are very motivating” – Ananya
“We had fun learning how to rescue our friends.” – Christian
“We got to learn how to use flippers to improve our dolphin and had races to see who could stay underwater without breathing the longest.” – Paul Anh
Mrs. Porter
Primary Teacher
Primary China Study Tour 2026 – A Journey of Discovery and Growth
What an unforgettable 11 days our China Study Tour students experienced! From the historical wonders of Beijing to the vibrant streets of Shanghai, our journey was filled with adventure, laughter, cultural discoveries and opportunities for personal growth.
One of the most meaningful experiences was visiting Jiefang Road Primary School in Lianyungang. We received a warm welcome from teachers and students who were eager to connect with us. It was eye-opening to experience a typical school day in China and discover the school's strong emphasis on art and culture. Our students enjoyed traditional paper cutting and calligraphy, while friendly basketball and soccer matches brought plenty of excitement. During a penalty shootout against the school's trained players, our students put up an impressive fight, saving three shots and scoring five goals!
Shanghai Disneyland was undoubtedly another highlight! Despite waiting 60–90 minutes for some rides, the students agreed they were worth it! After 12 hours of excitement and adventure, with an astonishing 27,000 steps clocked, the spectacular nighttime fireworks were the perfect way to end an unforgettable day, making every aching foot worthwhile!
Beyond all the sightseeing and fun, one of the best parts of the trip was seeing how much our students grew. They learnt to look after themselves, manage their time and get ready for each day's adventures. Even when they were tired or missing home, they kept going with a positive attitude. It was wonderful to see them step outside their comfort zones, whether it was trying unfamiliar foods, using chopsticks, speaking Mandarin or even bargaining at the markets! One particularly impressive moment was seeing our students help Ms Ng bargain the price of an item down from ¥450 to just ¥80! Along the way, they gained a greater appreciation of Chinese culture and a different way of life. But perhaps the most heartwarming part was seeing how they looked out for one another, helped each other through difficult moments and built stronger friendships along the way.
We returned home exhausted but with wonderful memories and a deeper appreciation of another culture. More importantly, our students came back a little more independent, courageous and capable, with greater confidence in themselves and what they can achieve.
Evelyn Siew
Primary Teacher
SECONDARY
Gravitate Graduation
A huge congratulations to our Year 11 Gravitate students, who have all successfully completed their Certificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology!
Our students proudly represented Lighthouse Christian College at the Gravitate graduation ceremony, celebrating alongside students from other schools.
A special acknowledgement goes to Ashleen Kaur and Isaac Taj-Ud-Din, who also served as part of the worship band during the graduation ceremony.
We are especially proud that both students received prestigious awards recognising their achievements among students from the participating schools.
Ashleen received the Community Spirit Award in recognition of her servant-hearted attitude, encouragement of others and outstanding contribution to the Gravitate community.
Isaac received the VET Personal Growth Award in recognition of his growing confidence, initiative and willingness to step outside his comfort zone to serve others.
We are incredibly proud of all our Gravitate graduates for their dedication, achievements and the wonderful way they have represented Lighthouse Christian College.
Christopher Surendra
Head of Christian Studies
Year 9 Incursion: Business and Enterprise
The Year 9 Business and Economics students spent the day experiencing process of starting a business. Facilitated by enthusiastic and knowledgeable instructors from Tripod Enterprise Education. Students were taken through the steps of planning in the context of establishing a smoothie bar business, culminating in a Shark Tank like pitch to potential investors at the end of the day.
Students enjoyed collaborative work in conceptualising, testing and refining their range of smoothies, conducting market research and costing and budgeting for their business. Along the way students addressed universal business questions such as, what is the gap in the market my product addresses? who is my customer? how can my business gain competitive advantage? Jemima Fernando from 9A appreciated the opportunity to work with peers and learn at the same time and it was a welcome change from regular lessons.
Activities were aligned to an upcoming assessment for the students, and many found the experience informative and valued the hands-on experience in practicing learned concept. Andrada Musat from 9C pointed out that she appreciated the experience in getting hands on with understanding the steps in establishing a business and was able to link her learning to her coming assessment project.
Overall it was a welcome opportunity for students to engage in collaborative and experiential learning, whilst uncovering knowledge and skills relevant to their humanities learning.
Bryden Chew
Secondary Teacher
Students Explore Chinese Culture at the Chinese Museum
Our Year 7 and Year 8 students enjoyed an exciting and educational excursion to the Chinese Museum on separate days.
During their visits, students had the opportunity to explore Chinese history, culture and traditions through the museum’s fascinating exhibitions and displays. They discovered more about Chinese heritage, traditional customs and the stories of Chinese Australians, helping them develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.
The Year 7 students explored the Chinese Museum and Chinatown through guided tours, while the Year 8 students explored the Chinese Museum independently under the supervision of their teachers.
As part of their visit, Year 8 students searched for answers to questions by observing the exhibits and reading the information provided, helping them develop a deeper understanding of the exhibitions and Chinese history.
It was wonderful to see our students engaging with the exhibits and learning about the richness and diversity of Chinese culture. We hope this memorable experience has inspired them to continue exploring the Chinese language and culture with curiosity and enthusiasm.
Ms Tang
Head of LOTE
VCE VM Road to Zero Excursion
Our VCE VM students recently visited Melbourne Museum for the Road to Zero: My First Car program.
Students took part in an immersive experience with a variety of hands-on activities focused on road safety, vehicle safety and making informed choices when considering a first car.
The excursion gave students a practical opportunity to connect their classroom learning with real-life situations and decisions they may face in the future.
A big thank you to the staff who helped make the day possible, and to our students for representing Lighthouse Christian College well.
Christopher Surendra
Head of Christian Studies
LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH NEWS
NOTICES
Withdrawal Policy
Please be reminded of the Term Notice Withdrawal Policy at Lighthouse Christian College. If you are planning to withdraw your child or children from the College, a full term’s written notice is required. The Withdrawal Form can be accessed via SEQTA or collected from the school office.