26 February 2025

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Families and Friends of the Trinity Catholic College Community,

Trinity Catholic College Vision and Mission

Catholic faith formation and mission at Trinity Catholic College are central to our cultural identity as a school. Our school strives to be authentically Catholic, while engaging with our contemporary culture in a spirit of dialogue. Lessons, procedures, actions and attitudes demonstrate values such as compassion, justice and hope. Each student is valued, and their unique human dignity is respected.

Our college Vision Statement, discerned by our community, with input from staff, students, parents/carers and other important stakeholders, states that:

We strive to be an intentional Catholic faith community:

• Valuing learning
• Respecting the dignity of all
• Leading and serving with courage

Our Mission Statement clarifies the specifics of how we strive to achieve our vision:

Valuing Learning

• Nurturing a holistic approach to wellbeing and growth
• Inspiring faith formation and life-long learning
• Fostering critical thinking in a contemporary world

Respecting the Dignity of All

• Providing a safe environment where all are included
• Acting with compassion
• Seeking opportunities for all to thrive

Leading & Serving with Courage

• Modelling the life and teachings of Jesus with love, integrity and humility
• Advocating for social justice and stewardship of all creation
• Embracing challenges and encouraging others to do the same

Year 7 2026 Open Evenings

We held the first of our Year 7 2026 Open Evenings on Tuesday evening this week. The second of these evenings will be next Thursday 6 March 5.30 – 7.15 pm. Please pass this information on to others you know who might be interested in attending.

Families are invited to discover the many wonderful learning facilities across the Trinity Catholic College campus, including the theatre, recording studio, state-of-the-art library, hospitality kitchens, new flexible learning village, workshops, sporting facilities and more.

Learn about the Year 7 Transition Program, as well as the unique range of courses and extra-curricular opportunities available to students as they grow and flourish at Trinity Catholic College. All prospective students and their families are welcome.

All the best for a great year!

Best wishes,
Robert Emery
Principal

Trinity Catholic College Adamstown NSW 
Nurturing faith, excellence & lifelong learning

SAFEGUARDING

Link to Trinity Catholic College Adamstown Child Protection policy & procedures developed from the Diocesan Safeguarding Framework Policy:

WELLBEING

Positive Behaviours for Learning  

Trinity Catholic College is transitioning to a Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) framework, aligning with the  CSO Behaviour Management Policy. This change is an important step in our commitment to creating a positive, safe, and supportive learning environment for all our students. 

For more information, please see link below:
Positive Behaviours for Learning.

R.A.I.S.E Expectations

The RAISE School Expectations model was developed by the Trinity Catholic College school community for the Positive Behaviour 4 Learning Framework. It focuses on five elements that contribute to our overall wellbeing and aligns with the CSO Wellbeing Framework.

For more information, please see link below:
RAISE MATRIX

NSW SCHOOL VACCINATION PROGRAM

Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program.

In 2025 the following vaccines will be offered:

Schools will distribute a URL and a QR code to all Year 7 and Year 10 parents through COMPASS of the 2025 school year which will provide access to an online Parent Information, privacy statement and consent form. To consent to the vaccination of their child, parents/guardians are advised to:

• Enter the URL into your browser, select the School Vaccination Program tile and follow instructions.
• read all the information provided
• complete the online consent form and give consent for which vaccine/s they would like their child to receive
• ensure that their child eats breakfast on the day of the school vaccination clinic.

To improve vaccination completion, students whose parents/guardians have provided consent while in Year 7 or Year 10 and who miss vaccine doses at any clinic, will be offered these vaccines at each clinic visit throughout 2025 (Year 7 or 10) and 2026 (Year 8 or 11).

Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so by amending their student’s online consent.

The Procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health website at 

A Record of Vaccination will be provided to parents by SMS once a student has been vaccinated. Parents/guardians should not assume that their child has been vaccinated if they do not receive this SMS notification.

NOTE: If you experience difficulty with accessing the online consent package, please speak with the School Vaccination coordinator at your school.

Providing consent for your child to receive a vaccination at school - Immunisation programs (nsw.gov.au)

LIBRARY

Chess 2025

Trinity has an opportunity to field a team in the Hunter Schools' Chess Competition. If your child is a keen, competitive chess player and would like to represent the College, please ask them to see Mrs Strachan in the Library ASAP. 

VISUAL ARTS / DESIGN

Year 11 student Zali Keegan entered her stunning lead pencil drawing into the Maitland Show's Young Portrait Prize, featuring a portrait of her beloved horse, Gemini. While there was some debate over whether a horse could be included in a portrait prize, Zali’s articulate explanation—drawing on her knowledge from last year’s Year 10 Portraiture Unit in Visual Design—persuaded the judges. The result? A well-deserved First Prize! Congratulations, Zali!

CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS

Musical 2025

This year's musical is a particularly special production as it is the first ever Trinity Catholic College major production in our Factory Theatre! Auditions ran over three days last week, and we have been overwhelmed with the amazing amount of talent that we have in Performing Arts here at Trinity. 

Actors/vocalists and musicians have met the selection criteria through their high-quality audition pieces and are eagerly awaiting the casting announcement this week. Stay tuned for more exciting updates in the lead up to an unforgettable production!

MUSIC

Welcome back in 2025! Here is the list of Extracurricular Music Groups in 2025.

1. TCC CHOIR

Trinity Catholic College Choir is back! We warmly welcome both our new and returning members to the Trinity Choir. A special shout-out goes to our new Year 7 members, who have significantly expanded the group. Mrs. Lunarzewski, the Choir's Artistic Director, is very excited to work with the young singers at the College. New members are always invited to join our choir. The Choir meets weekly and fosters a community of dedicated and caring singers. Rehearsals are every Thursday during Period 5 (Week A) and Wednesdays during Period 5 (Week B) in the Theatre. The singers are diligently preparing for the annual Dio Sounds, which will be held at the Civic Theatre on 5 June, as well as for the upcoming school liturgies and the School Musical scheduled for 21-14 October this year. For more information, please email Mrs Lunarzewski asha.lunarzewski@mn.catholic.edu.au.

2. TCC STAGE BAND

Our school’s Stage Band will be directed by Mr. Jonathan Sharples, who has extensive experience in directing and conducting school bands. The Trinity College Stage Band has been designed to incorporate the sounds of rock and jazz music. This group combines instruments such as brass, woodwind, violin, bass guitar, piano, keyboard, percussion, and drums. The Stage Band practices every Wednesday morning from 7.55 am to 8.40 am in the Band Room. The group welcomes any new members who wish to join, particularly students who play woodwind or brass instruments. For further information, please email Mr Sharples at jonathan.sharples@mn.catholic.edu.au.

3. TCC DRUMLINE

We would like to welcome Mr Brad Rheinberger, the artistic director of TCC Drumline, again this year for his exceptional guidance and dedication to the Percussion Group/Drumline over the past year. The Percussion Group will practice on Wednesdays from 7.55 am to 8.40 am. in the Theatre. We are excited to see everyone there and continue making music together!

All other enquiries about extracurricular music should be emailed to Mrs Asha Lunarzewski asha.lunarzewski@mn.catholic.edu.au.

Learning to Play Musical Instruments at TCC

Our extensive music curriculum is complemented by a peripatetic (private) instrumental lessons program. Specialist teachers offer private lessons in piano, singing, guitar, bass, and drums.

Our school is very fortunate to have excellent music tutors with some availability remaining for lessons during and before school. If you have ever wanted to learn how to play an instrument or wish to progress your talent with an on-site specialist musical tutor (see details below), please get in touch with Mrs Lunarzewski or the tutor directly for further details and booking information asha.lunarzewski@mn.catholic.edu.au 

I have been a well-established private piano teacher since 2009.

I co-manage a local piano studio “Lillian’s Piano Studio” located in Adamstown Heights but also teach at several of the local schools in the surrounding areas. The schools I have taught at over the years are Lambton Public School, Hillsborough Primary, Merewether Heights Primary, St James Primary, St Therese Primary, Hunter School Of Performing Arts, and St Pius X High School. Over the years I have taught students as young as 3 years of age up to 80+ years, many of whom have been with me for many years and are still being taught by me. I am a registered teacher for AMEB examinations and have guided students from beginner levels through to the highest grades both in practical and theory.

Further information regarding lessons can be found on our website:
www.piano-teacher-newcastle.com.au
Ph: 0401-787-997           Email: dj_kao5@hotmail.com

Lilian has been teaching private piano lessons in Newcastle since 2009, when I first established my own piano studio, which is now one of the most well-known studios in all of Newcastle.

I grew up learning the piano in Taiwan and eventually migrated to Australia in 2000. I then commenced immediate studies in higher education at Tasmania Conservatorium Hobart. There I studied Bachelor of Music for four years, completing and graduating from my studies in 2004. I have been tutoring students of all ages and skill levels since arriving in Australia and have moved inter-state to Newcastle, where I run my own music studio providing private piano lessons at my own home. Since 2009 I have established a strong presence in the music teachers community and the local community and now within selected local primary schools and high schools providing private piano lessons and group keyboard lessons. I am also a registered AMEB music teacher and have guided many students through AMEB exams.

James McIntyre is a guitarist, composer, producer, singer/songwriter, touring/recording artist and performer with 32 years playing experience and has been teaching since 1994. His music has been played on numerous national radio stations including triple J, as well as selected for television and independent films. He tours regularly with Progressive Rock Band Grand Master Monk, playing venues from Byron Bay to Melbourne. He has also performed solo classical guitar performance in the main concert hall of Sydney Opera House as part of Encore (2000) also by invitation at a private guitar school in Basel, Switzerland.

His music education took place through Newcastle Conservatorium under Aria award winning guitarist Dr Gareth Koch. He teaches all styles, ranging from rock, folk, metal, ethnic music, classical, jazz and everything in between.

Song writing/composition is an area in which he is very experienced, with an approach that demystifies the ‘experience’ making it approachable for even the least experienced student. His lessons are consistently focused on advancing the students ability, be they beginner or more advanced. He is passionate in enabling them to build the skills and personal confidence to become great performers, be that onstage or sitting around a campfire - the only limits are themselves.

Current and ex-students of James, tour and perform locally and nationally – current student Liliana Crane winning the 2016 Rising Talent competition (Nashville bound). Many of his post-HSC students continue to advance musically in their chosen styles/genre.

Jim McIntyre email: jimbones75@gmail.com 

The Michael Nolan Vocal Studio is a vocal/singing studio that prides itself on the quality of singers it produces. However, it measures its successes not only on the performances students give, the awards they receive, the opportunities presented to them, or how loud the applause, but on the confidence built and the fun had along the way.

With eight years of vocal teaching experience, in high schools, primary schools and children's theatre organisations, Michael Nolan has quickly developed a prestigious reputation in Newcastle and the Hunter for getting the most from singers, no matter what level of experience they possess.

Having been awarded a Community Service Award from the NSW Premier in 2016 for outstanding efforts in musical education, nominated for a City of Newcastle Drama Award and Music/Vocal Directed over nine productions, Michael is incredibly respected in his field.

With students ranging in age from eight to 48, his teaching methods are modern and pliable, making lessons fun for anyone who wants to learn.

Email: michael.j.nolan@outlook.com                  
Facebook: www.facebook.com/themichaelnolanvocalstudio

Mr. Brad Rheinberger is a freelance drummer based in Newcastle, NSW. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Newcastle in 2013. Since then, Brad has studied nationally and internationally with some of the most seasoned drummers in the industry. These include John Riley (Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz), Andrew Gander, Darryn Farrugia, and Gordon Rytmeister. In 2013, Brad was a finalist in Drumtek’s ‘Australia’s Best Up and Coming Drummer’ competition, and as a result, featured in issue 74 of ‘DRUMscene’ magazine.

Brad Rheinberger email: brad_458@hotmail.com 

Chris completed his Bachelor of Music in 2021 at the University of Newcastle, with proficiency in guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums and musical production. Chris now works as the Instrumental Specialist for the ASPIRE Stage Band.

Chris has been a private guitar and music tutor for 8 years, teaching music of all styles with a focus on jazz music. He plays in bands locally, including Mishayla, Lilac

Cadillac and Aaron White and the Passengers, as well as doing covers gigs. His skills lie in arranging, music production and sound engineering.

Chris Turner email: christurnermusician@gmail.com 

SPORT

NSWCCC Events

Trinity Catholic College is a member of the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) and a detailed list of all individual and team pathway events / carnivals can be found at the link below.


NB – All individual registrations for Diocesan and NSWCCC sports are completed online https://csnsw.sport/

There is a Diocesan specific website for Sport that has all the dates for Diocesan sport as well as general information about the sports.

• The Maitland Newcastle Secondary Tile allows parents to view basic information for secondary pathway sports including Diocesan event information and details, Diocesan results, the diocesan sports calendar and important notices for sports including wet weather information. The sports that are on the Diocesan website include swimming, athletics, x country, netball, league, football, touch, AFL and gala tennis, golf & basketball. All other sports have information on the csnsw.sport website as students apply directly to NSWCCC for these.
• Any further questions beyond the sport specific information on this website should be directed to your school sport coordinator. 
• No parent should register their child for any sport without seeing the school sport coordinator. Sport Coordinators approve all pathway sports before progressing.

Step 1. Go to csnsw.sport website
Step 2.  MN Secondary Tile
Scroll down to the Diocesan/Associations section of the home page and select the Maitland Newcastle Secondary Tile

A Term-by-Term detailed calendar with all NSWCCC and Dio Sports can be found outside the PE Staffroom.

School Sport

If you have any questions regarding the sports programs offered at Trinity Catholic College please contact me david.pitfield@mn.catholic.edu.au

Upcoming Events

 Updated information and a detailed list of all individual and team pathway events / carnivals can be found at:

COMING EVENTS

School Contact Details

Accounts Office

ALINTA UNIFORM SHOP

Operating Hours – School Term
Tuesday – 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Wednesday – 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Friday – 10.00am to 12.00pm

ALL VISITORS TO THE ALINTA UNIFORM SHOP MUST SIGN IN AT THE ALINTA SHOP

FOR UNIFORM FITTING APPOINTMENTS, PLEASE REFER TO: 

SECOND-HAND UNIFORMS

Trinity Catholic College also runs a parent-to-parent service which enables all parents to buy/sell second-hand uniform items.  The service works in the following way:

1. Parents/carers email details of the item/s required to buy/sell and supply a contact number to admin@adamstowntcc.catholic.edu.au.
2. These details are then advertised in a special “Second-hand Uniforms” section of each Newsletter (last page).
3. The advertisement will run for one month or two editions of the Newsletter.
4. Parents/carers will simply contact the number supplied and deal directly with the person buying/selling.

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