LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
NEWSLETTER
02 April 2026
Value of the Term - Humility
'Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.'
1 Peter 5:6
IMPORTANT DATES
Date | Event |
|---|---|
2nd April | Student Free Day |
3rd - 6th April | Easter Long Weekend |
20th April | First day of Term 2 |
25th April | ANZAC Day |
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Reason for the season
Term 1 has flown by in the blink of an eye- what an energetic and positive start to the school year it has been! I trust your child has enjoyed settling into their new class, engaging in learning, and building friendships with their classmates. As a Christian school, we take great joy in nurturing not only academic growth but also spiritual development, encouraging our students to support and learn from one another in a Christ-centred environment.
As we approach the Easter season, our school community has been reflecting on the true reason for this special time. Through classroom discussions, chapel services, and prayers, the students have been reminded of God’s immense grace and love for us, which is most powerfully demonstrated through the extraordinary sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross. On Good Friday, we remember Christ’s suffering and death, and on Easter Sunday, we celebrate His glorious resurrection. When He rose from the dead, conquering sin and offering us new life. After His resurrection, Jesus continued to teach and inspire His followers until His ascension into heaven, leaving us with the promise of the Holy Spirit and the hope of eternal life.
We pray that this Easter, your family will experience the joy, hope, and peace that comes from knowing Jesus and reflecting on His sacrifice and victory. May the message of Easter inspire our school community to show kindness, compassion, and love to one another, just as Christ has shown us.
Wing Leong
Principal
SPORT
CSEN Secondary Swimming Championships
Ten of our talented Lighthouse swimmers had the opportunity to compete at the CSEN Secondary Swimming Championship. Although it was only our second time competing and a brand-new experience for some, our swimmers represented our school with determination and sportsmanship. Against strong competition, our students took to the pool with confidence, giving it their best go in every race and making Lighthouse proud.
Well done to our ten athletes for your best efforts and for coming second overall in Division C! A special congratulations to Kyara Cheah who has been selected to represent CSEN at the Victorian School Associations Competition (VSAC) Swimming Championships following her dominant performance in the pool!
All results from the day can be found below:
Division C Results:
U21
- Elexis Bo – 1st: 50m Freestyle
- Crishen Fernando – 1st: 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 50m Breastroke
U14
- Kyara Cheah – 1st: 50m Freestyle
- Claire Li – 2nd: 50m Backstroke
- Austin Cioccolanti – 2nd: 50m Backstroke
U13
- Louella Guo – 1st: 50m Freestyle, 4x50m Freestyle Relay
- Lily Vijayapalan – 3rd: 50m Freestyle, 4x50m Freestyle Relay
- Tavishi Paranawidana – 2nd: 50m Backstroke, 4x50m Freestyle Relay
- Isabelle Wong – 1st: 50m Backstroke, 4x50m Freestyle Relay
- Keifer Huang – 1st: 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke
Caitlyn Stephens
Sports Administrator
LCC Run Club
LCC Run Club has officially started and is already becoming a great way for both secondary students and staff to engage in activity, social connection, and a positive start to the school day. Held on the school oval every Friday from 8:00–8:30am, participants can challenge themselves each week or take part at a comfortable pace alongside the group. This is part of the school’s ongoing initiatives to support health and
wellbeing across the school community, and it has been great to see strong attendance and a growing sense of community each week.
Ethan Tone
Strength & Conditioning Coach
A Vibrant Start to the Year in Music
Term 1 has been an exciting and busy time in the Music Department, with new instrumental teachers joining our team, many students beginning or continuing their musical journeys, and a range of ensembles getting underway.
Welcome to some of our new instrumental staff
In 2026, we have had several new staff join our Music Department. These have included:
Sophie Winter (Violin)
Sophie comes from a large family of musicians and has been playing violin for over a decade. This has culminated in her commencing her Bachelor of Music at Monash University this year. Sophie has played with the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra for two years, being selected as concertmaster for the opening season of 2025. She is also a member of the MYO reserves, and Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra. She is a talented musician with a passion for teaching and sharing this gift with children.
Meg Pearson (Voice)
Meg is a jazz and contemporary vocalist and passionate music educator. She completed her studies in Jazz and Improvisation at Monash University in 2025 and is soon to be finished with her Science degree as well. Inspired by her own high school music teachers, she feels very privileged to have the opportunity to share her love for music with others and help support the passions of young musicians. Meg brings a welcoming, joyful and encouraging attitude to the music classroom and tailor’s her approach for each individual’s goals. She enjoys singing and teaching a range of genres including pop, musical theatre, jazz and folk. Additionally, she has had extensive choral training and is currently part of a vocal trio that performs regularly in Melbourne.
Joanna Chan (Guitar and Drums)
Joanna Chan is a graduate from the Conservatorium, University of Melbourne where she majored in guitar performance. Since her graduation, she has accumulated over 10 years of teaching experience, she is an approachable and patient teacher who can teach a diverse range of musical styles to students of any age. Joanna is confident teaching guitar and drums, whether you are wanting to learn for leisure or to prepare for exams, she is able to accommodate for your goals. Her aim is to ignite the love of music to the next generation by sharing her passion with others and contribute to the art of music through her ongoing practise and performance.
Twilight Fair
Congratulations to the Training Band, Chamber Trio and Senior Band on their wonderful performances at the Twilight Fair! All groups worked hard to prepare for these events and should be proud of the lovely music they shared with the many people who stopped to watch them.
Year 7-10 Music Excursion to Monash University
On Thursday 19th March, Music students in Years 7-10 visited the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash University. The purpose of this visit was to watch a performance by the renowned Monash Academy Orchestra, who were performing two symphonies. Symphony No. 35 (Haffner) by Mozart, and Symphony No. 2 by Beethoven.
This was a wonderful opportunity for students to hear a live concert as well as experience what it is like to be on campus at Monash University.
Big Sounds at the Keysborough Big Picnic
Over the weekend, several of our Lighthouse student musicians performed with Dandenong Brass at the Keysborough Big Picnic. These hard-working students, now in Years 6 and 7, began their musical journey in our Year 5 Band program and have continued to develop their skills through ongoing instrumental lessons and active involvement in our school ensembles.
We warmly congratulate the following students on embracing an opportunity presented at school and making the most of it - not only within our Lighthouse community, but also beyond it!
Their commitment and enthusiasm are a wonderful reflection of the spirit of our Lighthouse Music program.
Year 6: Evan Jong Year 7: Arnold Sun, Ryan Sun, Aiden Ly, Cynthia Zhang
Mrs Shari Bhatt
Head of Music
PRIMARY - ELC - Year 2
Primary Athletics Day
Last week on 25 April, our Prep to Year 2 students enjoyed a fantastic Athletics Day. Here’s what our Year 2 students had to say about their day!
I like Athletics Day because I like sports and I got 1st place badge on my first try then I got 2nd place on my third try. Eddy 2A
I think Athletics Day is the best because I slipped at running and I got 1st place at running and 1st place in hurdles. Ethan 2A
What I liked about Athletics Day was everyone was cheering for their team and even other teams. 2A Tiana Pubbi
I enjoyed Athletics Day because it was very fun! What I liked the most was the 50 2metre race. What I didn’t like the most was the long jump. Riley 2A
I loved Athletics Day because of the sports and the excitement. My favourite thing is long jump. Sancia 2A
Yesterday we had Athletics Day. I thought that high jump was the hardest because we had to jump on one leg. I liked relay the most because I liked working as a team. Overall, I enjoyed the athletics and I can’t wait to go next year. Chloe 2A
At athletics, I liked everything except long jump. I really liked the relay. Sheshan 2A
On Athletics Day, I really enjoyed how we were working in teams. We all tried our best and had fun. Amira 2B
On Athletics Day, we did so many sports like jumping over hurdles and doing a fifty metre race and I felt so tired after that. Next we did a relay race and we had four teams. Later on we did a long jump in a sandpit and did high jump and vortex where we had to throw a vortex. Mia 2B
On Athletics Day, we did many sports like hurdles, 50 metre race and lots more. I most enjoyed the long jump because it is very fun and amazing. I felt happy but most of all, I was exhausted. The reason I was happy is because my mum came. My mum encouraged me. I didn’t like the high jump and vortex, it was boring. Esther P. 2B
Last Wednesday, we walked to athletics. I sprinted to the finish line. I jumped to the end. Heidi 2C
I sprinted along the green grass. I jumped high so I could go over the rope. I ran as fast as I could to the finish line. Hadden 2C
Last Wednesday, my class and I went on a hot and cool day for Athletics Day. It was so hot I could not even run all the way to the end. I was so hot I needed 8 sips of water to make me go fast like Speedy Gonzales. Tanishqa 2C
Blessings,
Jisuk Lee
Primary Teacher
PRIMARY - Years 3 - 6
Year 4 Camp - Mill Valley Ranch
Year 4 had a fantastic time at camp this year at Mill Valley Ranch! It was a wonderful opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zones, build friendships, and create lasting memories. Throughout the camp, students participated in a range of exciting activities including horse riding, canoeing, archery, the ropes course, and an action-packed Amazing Race. It was so encouraging to see students show courage, teamwork, and resilience in all that they did. A memorable and joy-filled experience for all!
Monica Bassilios
Primary Teacher
Art Room News
I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new students, staff, and the occasional parent around the school. The care, compassion, and respect shown to me in my first few days have truly reflected Lighthouse’s HEART values. Thank you for such a warm welcome. I’m looking forward to a fantastic and creative year ahead in the art room.
Establishing a safe, supportive, and positive environment is key to nurturing each student’s skills, creativity, and curiosity. Over the past week, students have worked collaboratively to develop our Essential Agreement for the art room.
Together, we agreed to:
· Look after tools and equipment
· Take turns and share
· Be safe
· Try your best and have fun
· Listen
· Be respectful
Once our agreement was established, students explored the work of Reginald "Reggie" Laurent, a contemporary American artist known for his vibrant, geometric style. Inspired by his use of colour, texture, and pattern, students created their own individual artworks, which were then combined into a collaborative senior school mural.
Reginald Laurent
During this process, students were encouraged to recognise and highlight peers demonstrating our Essential Agreement—an excellent way to reinforce positive behaviours in action.
Students have also been engaged in their year-level projects. Year 3 students explored form and value through 3D still-life drawings of bananas—some impressively realistic! Year 5 students further developed their shading and blending techniques, while Year 6 students drew inspiration from Vincent van Gogh and The Starry Night, experimenting with texture and its impact on the viewer.
It has been a pleasure to see students already demonstrating enthusiasm, creativity, and a willingness to challenge themselves. I look forward to sharing more of their work throughout the year.
Thanks,
Mrs. Downard
Visual Arts - Primary
Minecraft Club - Australian Esports League
Lighthouse has launched our inaugural Minecraft Club across the upper primary and secondary school this term. It's open for all students to participate on Thursdays, our teams aiming to be shortlisted in Term 2 with selected projects submitted to the Minecraft Build Challenge.
Students are currently collaborating in teams to research, build and problem solve based on the following themes;
Year 5/6 - Ancient Echoes
Students explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dreaming stories (sourced respectfully) to understand cultural connections to Country. Teams represent their understanding of these narratives in digital formats, honouring indigenous heritage.
Year 7-9 - Medieval Marvels
Students investigate how Medieval societies designed complex systems to withstand nature's fury. Teams must engineer creative structures from flood barriers to fortified keeps that protect their communities from environmental disasters.
Year 10 - Structure Collapse
Students will research a major real-world structural failure to understand the physics and mechanics behind the collapse. Teams use Minecraft to demonstrate their analysis of the engineering flaws and proposed solutions.
It's been a fantastic opportunity for our students to build on their design process skills to fulfill the project brief. An example is our Year 5/6 Teams exploring the Boonwurrung County and exploring the creation story of Bunjil the Eagle and the Carrum Carrum Swamp. They are creatively using the Minecraft world to tell the story of how our land at Lighthouse in Keysborough has changed in the past 200x years due to the Patterson River being created to drain the wetlands.
We look forward to the development of their projects over the holiday break and their presentation submissions in Term 2.
Adrian Webster & Christian Morabito
Secondary Team
CSEN Virtual Public Speaking Championships
We are proud of five of our Year 5/6 students who participated in the CSEN Virtual Public Speaking Championships for the first time.They completed an impromptu speech and received feedback on their prepared speeches, showing great confidence and skill. Our students did an excellent job representing our school!
Shaila Nagel
Primary Teacher
Treshaya Kerner, Hope Fernando, Zoe Dickson, Pete Kachappilly, Carolin Tan
SECONDARY
Gravitate Camp
The recent Gravitate Camp at Phillip Island was a valuable and encouraging experience for our students. Throughout the camp, students engaged in a range of activities designed to strengthen their faith, build community, and develop their confidence in sharing the Gospel.
It was particularly encouraging to see how well our students represented Lighthouse Christian College alongside other Christian schools. Their conduct, participation, and attitude reflected positively on our school community.
Students were actively involved in group discussions, thoughtfully contributing and engaging with key ideas, while also developing their ability to communicate and defend their faith in a respectful and meaningful way.
It was also great to see students step up during worship. Ashleen joined in with singing, and Isaac played the bass, both contributing in a natural and meaningful way to the atmosphere of worship.
Christopher Surendra
Hear ye! Hear ye! A day of medieval merriment
Our Year 8 students recently stepped back in time during an engaging Medieval Day incursion as part of their Humanities studies. The day was filled with hands-on activities that brought medieval history to life, allowing students to deepen their understanding beyond the classroom.
Students participated in a range of interactive workshops, exploring aspects of medieval life such as warfare and social structures.
A highlight of the event was the involvement of our Japanese exchange students, who enthusiastically joined in the activities and experienced this unique aspect of Australian school life. Their participation added a valuable cultural dimension to the day, fostering connections and shared learning among students.
Chin Ee Lor
Head of Humanities
VCE Business Management - It’s Market Day!
Our Year 11 VCE Business Management students recently took part in Market Day at the school Twilight Fair, where they designed and operated their own small businesses. Working as sole traders or in partnerships, students sold a range of goods and services while applying their classroom learning in a real-world setting. The activity provided valuable insights into entrepreneurship, including planning, budgeting, marketing, and profit-making. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to build practical skills and engage with the school community.
Chin Ee Lor
Year 11 Business Management Teacher
NOTICES
Dear Parents and Guardians,
If you’ve recently changed your phone number, email address, home address, or emergency contact details, please inform us. Keeping your information up to date helps us make sure you receive important school updates and that we can contact you quickly if needed. Please contact the General Office if anything has changed.
Holiday Activities
Where: Various locations across Greater Dandenong and beyond
When: Every school holiday period
Ages: 12–25 years
Cost: Free or low-cost activities