SECONDARY

Body Image Campaign Presentation

During Chapel, the Gravitate students Anastasia, Mikayla, Shawish, Daniel, and Toby presented their insightful campaign on body image. The group highlighted the biblical perspective that we are all created in the image of God, grounding their message in scripture to emphasize the inherent value and dignity of every individual. They referenced Genesis 1:27 and other relevant verses to reinforce their view, encouraging their peers to embrace their unique God-given worth rather than succumbing to societal pressures.

In addition, the students encouraged everyone to observe the posters placed around the school. These posters, created in a variety of formats to maintain interest and enhance awareness, share key messages about positive body image and healthy living with a Christian perspective. Most importantly, the team showed empathy towards those struggling with body image issues, inviting them to discuss their concerns in a safe and understanding environment.

The students deeply researched the topic to gain a biblical insight into how God sees everyone. They emphasized that our bodies are not our own but were bought with a price, referencing 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 to highlight the importance of looking after them. Through their dedicated efforts and compassionate approach, the students have created a supportive space for meaningful conversations and positive change.

Christopher Surendra

Head of Christian Studies

YEAR 7C HOMEROOM - Authenticity

During the 7C homeroom, we have been learning about the HEART value authenticity. Nowadays, everyone wants to follow the trend and alter themselves to fit the new ‘norm’ but as we learnt in homeroom, being authentic is very important for numerous reasons. So, what is authenticity? Being authentic to the class of 7C is:

• “Being yourself and who God wanted you to be.”

• “Being your true self even when someone else is trying to lead you in a bad direction,”

• “Being honest so that you are trustworthy.”

• “It’s ignoring what other people say about you and not changing yourself to be like them.”

So why should we be authentic? Well first and foremost, if you are fake and dishonest, people would tend to think you are untrustworthy and unreliable. Secondly, as the Bible says in Psalm 139:14: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” This verse reminds us of the essential value and uniqueness in each person, encouraging us to embrace our true selves. We should all strive to be as authentic as possible because God created us all to be different and by trying to hide our true selves, we are indirectly calling his creation not worthy of being seen and as we all know, God can only do good so instead of wearing a mask, we should proudly display our true selves the way God would have liked.

Some ways to be authentic is to not be obsessed with the new trends IF you are only following it to be like everyone else. Unless, if you actually like the trends then you are simply expressing your true self. Another way is to simply speak your truths. Don’t let other people put words in your mouth and manipulate you into being someone else. Obviously, you should think before you say something, but the same principle applies; Say what you believe is right, not others.

Marian Kurian

7C Homeroom Student Representative

VICE CAPTAINS REPORT

We are now in our second last term of the year (Term 3), and the end of the year is swiftly approaching!

This term, we are looking forward to many events. We plan to implement a breakfast club that is open to all primary and secondary students. This club will run on specific days in the morning before school has begun. We hope that all students who have missed out on the opportunity to eat breakfast, due to an early arrival at school, come to the club to fill their stomachs. With a full stomach, you’ll feel more energised and ready for the school day!

We would like to remind everyone of the HEART values: humility (H), empowerment (E), authenticity (A), respect (R) and tenacity (T). Following these values will lead us all closer to Christ, as He too displays all of these values. These values are critical in not only our walk in faith but amongst each other in friends and family and school. Having these qualities makes you come to understand others, along with understanding yourself as you grow to learn who you are to become. Being able to exhibit these characteristics and traits would also make a fine leader (if you’re willing to take on that challenge).

As year 12 student leaders, the time for us as captains is ending soon. The community here at school has been more than just peers we study along, but instead like a second family to us. In due time, the new student leaders will be chosen and a new student body will be leading the students here at Lighthouse. We hope that thus far, all the students are enjoying the excitement brought to them through all the various events and that the upcoming events will be even more impactful for them.

This month’s value is ‘authenticity’, which is to be truthful and genuine. A small Bible verse that you can ponder on, which centres on this value, is Proverbs 11:3.

- “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”

On behalf of the leadership team, we pray for blessings on everyone as we all continue through our own respective journeys.

Gabriella Tam and Melwin To

College Vice Captains

VCE Legal Studies: The Legal Beagles in court

The annual mock trial took place where VCE Legal Studies students battled it out in a court setting. Coincidentally, Year 10 students were studying ‘Twelve Angry Men’ in English at the time and some got to experience first-hand what it would be like to sit in a jury to decide a case.

The winner of the duel this year went to the Plaintiff’s team! Well done to the lawyers Nyagoa and Tiya!

A solicitor's role is to represent and defend a client’s legal interest. During the trial in court, I felt pretty fine, at first I was a little bit stressed when we were starting the trial but overall it was really fun and interesting to learn and see how a trial runs, I hope to experience a mock trial again soon. Mercy Puoch

Since the defendant in this case was sued for defamation, it was my responsibility as the defendant, along with the defendant's solicitor and barrister, to prepare a defence that would adequately represent us. We carefully selected witnesses who could completely assume their roles as part of our preparation process. Jyolzna Sunil

I felt very nervous to play the role of barrister because I had to present most of the evidence and examine and cross examine the witnesses from both parties. I had to think really fast to come up with things to say and also questions for the cross examination. Vanessa Nguyen

I felt nervous being the solicitor in the court trial due to the pressure of not knowing what the defendant's party was going to say. We tried our best to make up arguments for the defendant’s team but at the end of the day, it was unknown what they were going to say until we got into doing the actual court. Tiya Joseph

My role in the trial was a barrister. The barrister has special skills and are trained to appear in a courtroom. It was really exciting to see the witnesses I was examining become nervous and confused. Nyagoa Rut

Exciting Updates from the Technology Faculty

Welcome to Term 3 Week 4! Our Year 8 Makerspace students have already been hard at work, channeling their creativity and skills into making props for our upcoming High School Musical Production. The enthusiasm in the Makerspace classes has been contagious, with students eagerly crafting set pieces to intricate props, all contributing to what promises to be a fantastic show later this month. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and creativity as shown below.

We apologize for missing the previous newsletter entry. Our Technology Faculty leader was attending the 11th Annual STEM Conference, a valuable opportunity to gain new insights and strategies for enhancing STEM and Technology education in our school from experts in the field as well as Australia Chief Scientist – Dr Cathy Foley. The conference was an inspiring experience, and we are excited to share a few key takeaways that will shape our future initiatives:

Introduction of a Technology Club: Look out for the possible kick off in Term 4, the launch of a new Technology Club for students who have a keen interest in STEM and Technology. Students are encouraged to write to Ms Wong about their interest in this club. This club will provide a space for students to explore their passions, work on exciting projects, and collaborate with like-minded peers.

Partnership with Parents and Industry Experts: We believe in the power of community and real-life applications of classroom concepts. We are planning to partner with parents in our community to bring in industry experts who can share their knowledge and experiences, helping to raise awareness and engage our students with real-world applications of what they are learning at school. Parents, if you would like to partner with the school on this matter, please reach out to Ms Wong to find out more.

More Competition Opportunities: Competitions are a great way to challenge and motivate students. We aim to provide more opportunities for our students to participate in various competitions, fostering a spirit of healthy competition and innovation.

On that note, we would like to remind students about the upcoming Informatics Olympiad. Any students interested in participating should sign up with Ms. Wong by this Friday, 9th August. The Australian Informatics Olympiad (AIO) is a prestigious competition that recognises and challenges students with an interest in computer programming. To participate, students will need some programming experience and the ability to write code in one of the allowed languages: C, C++, Java, or Python 3. This is a fantastic opportunity for our budding programmers to test their skills and gain recognition for their talents.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more exciting updates and achievements from our Technology Faculty in the coming weeks.

Esther Wong

Head of Technology