Dear Parents, Staff and Students,

We are your 2026 (first ever!) Acutis House Captains - Natty and Samuel!

This has been such an exciting year for our House. We started with a blank page, and three-quarters of the way through the year, we can confidently say that everyone has helped fill it. From the very beginning, the drive and determination of our House has been so evident in everything we have done. Our House theme this year, “We Write Our Own Story,” couldn’t be more fitting for our first year.

We began the year by proudly placing second in the House Reading Challenge, narrowly missing out on first place by just one book! Eisteddfod was definitely one of our highlights, where we performed, We Will Rock You the Musical and placed third. Seeing everyone come together and pull it off on stage was truly something unforgettable. We would like to extend our appreciation to our backstage helpers, ensemble, teachers, Mr Simpson and all the families who came along to support us.

We are also so thankful to everyone who has represented Acutis at our Swimming and Athletics Carnivals, where we placed fifth and third respectively. Whether you competed or cheered along from the sidelines (or were a Year 12 flooding the grounds with orange), the House spirit was amazing to see.

At the commencement of Term 3, we were awarded our first official shield for Cross Country, followed by second place in Public Speaking. As captains, we are immensely proud of how our House has got involved, stepped up and given their best efforts across every event. Looking forward we still have House debating, e-sports and chess so good luck to those competing.

A massive thank you to our entire House and families for donating to our house charity, St Vincent de Paul. Together, 100% of our House was able to put forward a donation, helping us break a previously set fundraising record! This is such a fantastic achievement, and it has been so great to see our House come together when it matters most — helping others. We also had a sell-out of the famous ‘Simo’s Snags’, so thank you to everyone who purchased a snag!

On behalf of all Acutis students, we would like to thank all of our mentor teachers for being positive support systems every single morning and starting our days with positivity. We would also like to thank our Head of House, Mr Simpson, for all his hard work behind the scenes to keep Acutis going, as well as being our biggest hype person!

Thank you again to everyone for making the start of this year so positive and successful. We’re so proud of what we’ve already achieved together, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings for Acutis!

Natty Pascuzzi & Samuel Hage
2026 Acutis House Captains

Our Student of the Fortnight is Lucas Sapardanis (12/TMSU), an enthusiastic Year 12 student who has certainly made himself known throughout the Acutis House community.

Lucas has given his all in everything he has been able to contribute to our House this year. A standout moment was seeing Lucas come along to our Friday night rehearsals straight from trade school to help our backstage crew create the incredible backdrops for Eisteddfod. His willingness to give up his own time and help wherever he was needed really stood out to us.

Lucas has also gone above and beyond at our Swimming and Athletics events. He put the House first and stepped up to fill events that he wasn’t originally entered in, showing exactly the kind of attitude and commitment, we want to see throughout Acutis. His willingness to step up, even when it wasn’t expected of him, truly reflects the values we hope to build within our house.

Beyond events, Lucas comes to school every day with such positivity and a smile, always greeting those around him and bringing a great energy to the people he is with.

We are so lucky to have Lucas as part of our first-ever Acutis cohort. The effort, positivity and willingness to step up that he has shown this year is something we hope other students will look up to and carry forward in the years to come.

Thank you, Lucas, for everything you have contributed to Acutis!

Sustainability Update

Dear Parents, Teachers, and Students,

For those who may not know me, I am the Sustainability Captain for 2026, Sarah White.

I am incredibly proud of Sustainability this year, as the efforts our community has put into creating a more sustainable college environment have certainly not gone unnoticed.

In Term 1, we started the year by introducing 10-cent container bins around the campus, particularly in the hotspots for rubbish, so to speak. Since their introduction, the bins have been received very well by both staff and students. This dedication to creating a more sustainable environment demonstrates the care our college community has for our common home.

In Term 2, the Sustainability Portfolio hosted the first annual Lettuce Eating Competition: an event where one representative from each of the seven Houses tackled a full head of lettuce to see who could polish it off the quickest. A huge shout-out to Brock De Thomasis, who won first place, and the bragging rights, for MacKillop House. Again, a massive thank you to all seven competitors for taking part! We had an excellent turnout for both the competition and the accompanying sausage sizzle, raising money for Bundoora Farm and their sustainability efforts and initiatives.

In Term 3, we were very excited to welcome the six newest, feathered members of our college community: Gertrude McFuzz, T-pecks, Nugget, Hei Hei, Chick-ira, and Dolly Part-hen — our new chickens! The girls are very happy in their new home, and the Sustainability Club is very proud to finally have them move in. The entire pen, coop, feeders, and swings were all sourced with sustainability in mind, making sure our chickens will be safe and happy, and hopefully laying eggs soon!

We look forward to seeing what Term 4 will bring for Sustainability, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone — staff and students — who participated in any aspect of the club or portfolio. Your involvement and enthusiasm make me hopeful for the legacy Sustainability will carry on at Loyola College.

A big thank you to Ms Buser, who has supported the club and every element of our work throughout the year. I am also so thankful to have had the opportunity to take on this role, and I wish the best for the future of Sustainability at Loyola College.

Kind regards,

Sarah White
Sustainability Captain

My student of the fortnight is Will Hartigan (8/CMBM), who is a key member of the sustainability club. Without Will, who checks on the chickens every morning, helped us empty bins whenever asked, and who always offered his support and ideas to the club, we would not be as successful as we are now.

And I know I leave the chickens in good hands with Will, and the future of Sustainability will be kept alive with him. He is an invaluable member of the club, and his contributions throughout his time at Loyola have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.