NewsBites - Term 1, Week 2, 2026

College App

We often receive feedback from our parents that the College App is the most convenient source of information for parents. In particular, parents find the notifications to be a quick and easy way to receive updates.

If you're new to Faith this year, or haven't quite gotten around to setting up the app, search for Faith Lutheran College in your app store.

Once you have installed the app, you need to turn on notifications. 

Here are the instructions:

1. Click the three dots in the bottom right hand corner where it says "More"
2. Click "Settings"
3. Toggle on "Notifications".

Faith Primary School

We are looking forward to the building of our new Primary School commencing later this month. Here's some of the latest updates about what our incoming Year 5 and 6 students have to look forward to next year:

• Year 5 Camp to Emu Gully (cost inclusive of school fees)
• Year 6 Sydney-Canberra Camp (cost inclusive of school fees)
• Year 6 leadership program, including leadership shirts (to be designed by incoming students this year)
• Interschool sports competition on Friday afternoons
• Discovery Week - exploring Agriculture, Arts, Sport, and STEM

Next week, we have a group of 45 future Year 5 and 6 students joining us for the day on Wednesday 11 February for an Experience Day. This has been offered to students who have confirmed their enrolment for Years 5 and 6 next year. 

If you would like your child to join the next Experience Day in April, we encourage you to submit their application now!

2027 Scholarships - apply now!

Applications for students entering Years 7 and 10 in 2027 (current Year 6 and Year 9 students) are now open. Applications close on Monday 23 February 2026. 

All applicants will be required to sit the scholarship testing on one of the following dates:

• Saturday 7 March (Open Day) from 12pm to 2pm, or
• Monday 9 March from 4pm to 6pm

Click here to find out more about scholarships and access the application pack.

Bianca Coleborn
Director of Marketing

Culture is Built in the Small Moments

When we think about culture in a school, we often picture the big things: shared values, strong relationships, clear expectations, and a sense of belonging. While these are essential, culture is not built only through grand gestures or major initiatives. 

More often, it is shaped quietly, day by day, through small, consistent actions.

A helpful way to think about this comes from the world of elite sport. Sir Dave Brailsford, former performance director of the British Cycling team, popularised the idea of marginal gains - improving lots of small things by just one per cent. Rather than searching for one major breakthrough, the team focused on preparation, routines, habits, and attention to detail. Over time, those small improvements added up to extraordinary success.

While schools are not cycling teams, the principle translates remarkably well.

At Faith Lutheran College, our culture is built through the one-percenters - the small, often unnoticed actions that collectively create a learning environment where students feel safe, supported, challenged, and known. These moments occur in classrooms, shared learning spaces, playgrounds, and everyday interactions across the College.

As we move into the third week of the school year, this is a particularly important time to be attentive to these small details. The habits and expectations that are established early - after the Christmas break and the return to routine - play a significant role in shaping the year ahead. Getting the one-percenters right now helps set students up for sustained learning, wellbeing, and positive relationships throughout the year.

Some examples of these important one-percenters include:

• students arriving prepared for class, with the right equipment and a readiness to learn
• mobile phones not being used during lessons unless directed by a teacher, allowing students to remain present and engaged
• grooming and uniform guidelines being closely met, supporting a sense of pride, belonging, and shared identity
• respectful language and behaviour in interactions with peers and staff
• repairing relationships when things go wrong, rather than avoiding responsibility
• consistent attendance and punctuality
• families partnering with the College to reinforce routines, expectations, and values

Individually, none of these actions may seem significant. Collectively, they shape the culture our young people experience each day - and culture, more than any single policy or program, influences wellbeing, behaviour, learning, and connection.

As a Lutheran community, we recognise that culture is not about perfection. It is about growth, grace, and responsibility. Mistakes will occur, and when they do, we respond with restoration rather than blame, and accountability rather than shame. Getting the one-percenters right does not mean getting everything right all the time; it means committing to small, consistent actions that reflect who we are and what we value.

When students, staff, and families each contribute their one per cent, the impact is powerful. Over time, these small actions build trust, strengthen relationships, and create a culture where every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Culture is not something we simply have - it is something we do. And it is built, one per cent at a time.

James Hallas
Director of Communities and Culture

Shaping Confident Digital Citizens at Faith Lutheran College

In 2026, Faith Lutheran College is excited to launch its new Digital Citizenship Course, a purposeful and forward‑looking initiative designed to help students navigate the digital world with confidence, integrity, and wisdom. As technology, artificial intelligence, and online spaces continue to shape everyday life, the College is taking an intentional step to ensure students are equipped not just to use digital tools, but to use them well.

At the heart of the Digital Citizenship Course are a series of digital modules, carefully designed and delivered across the year at each phase level. These modules provide students with structured learning around key areas such as digital safety and wellbeing, information literacy, academic integrity, online collaboration, and the ethical use of AI. As students move through the College, the learning becomes increasingly sophisticated, building the skills and understanding required for senior schooling and life beyond the classroom.

Supporting this core learning are two important digital licences that students will have the option to complete: an Academic Integrity (Plagiarism) Licence and a Responsible Use of AI Licence. These licences help elevate expectations around digital responsibility, giving students a clear understanding of what is required when working with information, sources, and emerging technologies. They also create opportunities for reflection and growth, reinforcing that responsible digital behaviour is something that is learned, practised, and strengthened over time.

Digital Literacy Week launches in Week 3 of this term and provides a shared moment of focus across the College. Each morning, students will engage with short, engaging, phase‑specific videos played at the start of each day. These brief daily touchpoints are designed to spark awareness, conversation, and reflection, reinforcing key ideas introduced through the Digital Citizenship modules. We encourage families to take the opportunity to continue these conversations at home. Some of the topics include phishing, fake news, large language models, passwords, cloned shopping sites, digital laws and more. The week also aligns with the eSafety Commissioner’s eSafety Day, highlighting the importance of online safety, respectful digital behaviour, and wellbeing in connected spaces.

Digital Literacy Week acts as a unifying moment for the College - a chance for students across all year levels to pause, refocus, and engage with common messages about digital life. While the modules do the heavy lifting across the year, the week helps keep digital citizenship visible, relevant, and connected to everyday school experiences.

Together, these elements form a cohesive and practical approach to digital formation at Faith. The Digital Citizenship Course reflects the College’s commitment to educating the whole student - supporting young people to become thoughtful, ethical, and confident digital citizens, prepared to engage purposefully with technology now and into the future.

Aaron Teeling
Head of Digital Learning

Leadership in Action - Serving with Purpose.

At our Opening Assembly on the first day of school, we proudly acknowledged our Foundation and Exploration student leaders who will serve our community throughout the year as Student Leaders, Faith and Service Captains, and House Captains. This moment marked the beginning of an important journey of leadership, service, and responsibility, and it was wonderful to publicly affirm these students as role models within our College.

In support of the development of our College and Faith and Service Captains, Pastor Nathan and I were fortunate to recently attend the LYQ Momentum Leadership Camp just prior to school returning. Momentum is designed to equip emerging leaders with skills, confidence, and a strong sense of purpose, grounded in faith and service. It was pleasing to see the connections that Kylah, Kiana and Charlotte had made with other student leaders from the other schools in attendance. It was also encouraging to hear their ideas about how to build community within our setting at Faith. Isabella Lehmann was able to attend Enthuse in the September holidays last year and also found it to be very beneficial and was empowered by the experience.

Throughout the year, our student leaders of each phase will play a vital role in shaping the life of the school. They will represent the College at a range of community events, assist in the organisation and leadership of our sporting carnivals, and work collaboratively to foster school spirit and connection. Our Faith and Service Captains, in particular, will take on the important responsibility of helping to organise and facilitate chapel services, supporting worship and reflection.

I look forward to working with our Student Leaders this year and we look forward to seeing them grow, serve, and lead with integrity and compassion as they contribute to a vibrant and connected school community in 2026.

Richard Miegel
Deputy Director of Communities and Culture