Last week, we marked the start of an incredible new chapter for our Year 7 students at LJBC. We had the privilege of seeing nervous smiles turn into happy laughter as the day progressed. It was a day filled with discovery, friendship, and big smiles.
Throughout the day, they enjoyed a world of discovery ranging from exciting lessons that challenged their minds to untapped opportunities that allowed their personalities to shine.

Thank you to our Connect teachers, who were there to help each student settle in and navigate their way around the College. We are excited to watch the memorable milestones and incredible adventures ahead.

Santie Brink 
Head of House Arcadia

Meet the magic-makers in our 2024 College Production of Matilda Jr! Are you ready to join the wonder?

Meet Miss Honey, played by Year 12 student, Aliyah.

Miss Honey is a caring schoolteacher, who loves to encourage her students to learn and grow!

Aliyah’s recent LJ productions include Puffs, High School Musical and The Little Mermaid.

Meet Miss Trunchbull, played by Year 11 student, Jayel.

Miss Trunchbull is an Olympic hammer thrower, who runs her school with harsh rules and cruel punishments. 

You may remember Jayel from our Senior School Production of Puffs where she was cast as the villain, Xavia.

#LJBCMatildaJr2024

When you start back at school, there can be a lot to remember, like new classrooms, new teachers and just new ways of doing things. One of the best ways to manage this information is to create systems to help your brain. The less your brain has to think about, the more it can focus on learning.

One way you can help your brain is by creating routines. Routines help remove many small decisions your brain has to make, therefore, freeing up space in your brain. You can create routines around when you pack your bag, where you put it at school and home, where and when you study/do homework and how you manage your lunch (putting it in your bag and emptying it at the end of the day). Try to do the same thing every day.

Colour coding also helps to free up your brain. You might make everything to do with English red – timetable, books, files, notepad, files on a computer - so you don’t have to think, “What is that notepad for?” When you get home, you can then group things by colour. Take out all the red things and start your English homework (go on, you can do it).

A slightly boring but very useful way to help your brain is rehearsal. You put them in your long-term memory by practising your reading, times tables, spelling words, chemical names and symbols. This means your brain doesn’t have to think really hard about them anymore as they are 'saved'.  Try to commit to just 10 minutes each day. It will make a huge difference because when you are trying to learn new things, you have more space for them.

Have a great term everyone!

Dr Mandie Shean
College Psychologist

We are overjoyed to share the incredible generosity of our school community initiated by our amazing P&F! Together, we've supported Dandelions, a remarkable not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring hope, resilience, and optimism among young people in Western Australia.

Our Primary school recently made a meaningful contribution by donating essential school supplies to Dandelions. This gesture will undoubtedly empower and uplift the spirits of many young people as they begin their educational journeys in 2024.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who played a part in this act of kindness. Your commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others reflects the values of mercy, wisdom, humility and justice that we hold in common. Let's continue spreading hope and encouragement, nurturing a brighter future for the young minds touched by Dandelions.

Together, we are sowing the seeds of kindness and growing a community that upholds the preciousness of every child. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey and a particular thank you again to the incredible Parents and friends of LJBC.

Much gratitude and respect

Claire Vermeulen
Primary Director of Wellbeing and Formation

On Tuesday 23 January, our Year 12 students attended their Ball at The Westin Hotel. The dresses this year were a rainbow of colours! It was wonderful to see our students celebrate an important milestone of their secondary school journey with glitz and glamour.

Hi! I’m Jayden and I am your 2024 Music Captain.

My hobbies include mountain biking, camping and, of course, playing and creating music. I have been playing the drums for eight years and it is my main instrument. I have also been playing the guitar and the bass for three years. I have been a part of the Alternative Pop Band, the Gospel Choir Band and the VET Music Band, ‘The VETS’. The VETS played at our own gig at the Indian Ocean Hotel last year. This year I will be leading the newly initiated Music Captain’s Rock Band. As Music Captain for 2024, I aim to make Music as inviting as possible and encourage anybody with a passion for music to give it a go.

Congratulations to Jayden for being appointed to this position. We wish him every success as he serves the Music department in 2024.

Tammy van der Nest
Director of Music K-12

Student Councillors recently participated in an Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt in Perth CBD, putting their teamwork skills and knowledge of the city to the test. Students and their Heads of House had great fun battling their way through the cryptic clues and challenges. It was a great day to build connections between the different year groups and foster their leadership skills.

Week 2 saw the launch of Cadets for 2024 which included a new group of recruits running around the school playing Laser Tag. Being such a warm start, the cadet leaders thought it would be fun to cool everyone down with a few water guns, which went well. The afternoon was rounded off with everyone’s favourite Sausage Sizzle.

Emergency Services Cadets is open to all students from Year 7 to 12. Cadets are exposed to fun and challenging activities designed for them to stretch and grow being exposed to different activities. To join Cadets, students need to return a completed enrolment form and uniform agreement, which can be collected from the House Centre.

Emergency Services Cadets follow the training and service ideal of the Bush Fire Brigade, Fire and Rescue Service, State Emergency Service and Volunteer Marine Rescue Service. We endeavour to provide Cadets the opportunity to learn practical life skills, develop leadership, teamwork and initiative as well as foster community responsibility and service.

Uniforms will be issued once the bond has been received and the Cadet has been checked for size.

Our first camp is an introductory night away at Ern Halliday Adventure Camp. Cadets will be erecting their own tents and catering for their own meals. We will also have some other fun activities for everyone to participate in, with the SES visiting to run an activity in the evening.

To help keep everyone up-to-date, students enrolled in Cadets are entered into an un-timetabled class on SEQTA. A calendar of events is regularly updated and uploaded. This will happen again after our planning meeting in Week 8.  Parents and guardians will be informed of upcoming excursions and camps via email through Consent2Go so please keep an eye out for these and respond by the due date.

If you have any queries relating to the Cadet program, please contact Mrs Jenny Pontarelli on 9300 744 or via email Jenny.Pontarelli@ljbc.wa.edu.au.

Jenny Pontarelli
Unit Leader

This week, on Safer Internet Day, we joined the global initiative to raise awareness about online safety. The internet is part of our everyday lives, impacting workplaces and communities. In Australia, almost half of children aged between 8-17 have experienced online harm, highlighting the importance of promoting online safety education.

Safer Internet Day advocates three crucial actions: Connect. Reflect. Protect. Connect safely by securing your devices and apps and regularly reviewing privacy settings. Reflect on how your online actions may affect others and your own safety. Protect yourself and others by staying vigilant online and reporting any abuse.

At Lake Joondalup Baptist College we’re committed in fostering a safe online community. We encourage our students to Connect. Reflect. Protect. as part of the Safer Internet Day initiative. Guided by our Christian values, LJBC inspires kindness in our diverse community.

Starting from March 1, Secondary student SmartRider cards are mandatory for free travel. Cardholders should ensure their SmartRiders are loaded with a minimum of five dollars to cover any unforeseen fees, like a default fare.

Throughout February, SmartRider cards are issued to students in Years 7 and 10, as well as to any new Secondary students. Students then use their SmartRiders to tag on and off as they travel.

Remember, travelling with a Student SmartRider means tagging on and off consistently. It’s more than just a card; it’s your gateway to smart and responsibility-free travel. 

Stephen Sampson
Head of Secondary Library Services

Making Confident Career Choices

Lynton Smith is the Head of Career Education, the Careers Counsellor and the VET Coordinator in the Secondary School at LJBC. Mr Smith has been guiding Secondary students in their career journeys for over 35 years and welcomes the opportunity to assist you with subject choices or to discuss the best courses and career options.

University and Training Course Information

Although he systematically meets with most students from Year 10 to Year 12 throughout the year, students are encouraged and invited to make an appointment. To see Mr Smith regarding careers or career paths or to obtain more careers/course-related information, please make an appointment by visiting the Curriculum/Careers Office. Mrs Beets can assist you with scheduling the appointment. Alternatively, you can email Mr Smith. Lynton.smith@ljbc.wa.edu.au

We look forward to meeting you!

Yours Sincerely

Lynton Smith
Head of Career Education/Careers Advisor

We understand that situations change, so if there is a possibility that you may withdraw your child(ren) from the College during 2024, please contact us as soon as possible, as our policy requires that we receive written notification of ten school weeks’ notice, addressed to the College Registrar. Registrar@ljbc.wa.edu.au.

Sally Yeomans 
College Registrar