What’s going on at LTC?

• Dance Students Shine at Youth Dance Festival

• South Training Nominated for ACT Public Education Award

• Literary Lunch Celebrates Stories and Creativity

• Visual Art, Photography and Graphic Design Exhibition

• YOU CHOOSE Presentation with Melissa McGuinness

• CIT Music Students Perform at LTC

• Students Explore TV Production at CIT Screen & Media

• Deanna Joins AFP Through WIC Program

• Young Carer Bursary applications are now open

• Free UNSW ACTivate Cyber Security or Systems Architecture course

• Back to school: term 4 travel tips

• UC Accelerated Pathways Program

• Online Safety Presentations for Parents and Carers

• Deepfake supports

• Explore Student Support @ College Life

• 2025 school year Equity Fund now open

• ACT public school term dates

• Have your say – Period Products YourSay consultation: What do you really need?

• Free Period Products Available at ACT Schools

• Become a Homestay Host

• Menslink – Supporting Young Men in Canberra

• Parentline ACT

• Blog information

Dance Students Shine at Youth Dance Festival

Congratulations to our LTC Dance students on an outstanding performance at Ausdance ACT’s Youth Dance Festival 2025 – Life on Mars.

Their performance showcased collaboration, confidence and creativity, and was a wonderful reflection of their hard work together.

A big thank you to Amelia and everyone involved for their effort and leadership throughout the event.

South Training Nominated for ACT Public Education Award

We’re proud to share that South Training has been nominated for the ACT Public Education Awards 2025 in the Outstanding Partnership of the Year category, alongside North Training.

This award recognises partnerships that reflect the ACT Public Service values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration and Innovation – values that guide South Training’s work with schools and students.

Literary Lunch Celebrates Stories and Creativity

This year’s annual Literary Lunch celebrated storytelling and creativity at LTC.

Students shared readings and drama pieces, Thrive magazine was launched, and our own teacher and author Conor Bendle spoke about his journey to becoming a writer of books on music and culture.

Thank you to our Library team for bringing our community together through stories and creativity!

Visual Art, Photography and Graphic Design Exhibition

You are warmly invited to our annual Visual Art, Photography, and Graphic Design Exhibition – just around the corner!

This year’s exhibition features an impressive range of creative work from the talented hands and minds of our Year 11 and 12 students.

📅 Exhibition Dates: 11 – 17 November
🕔 Opening Night: Tuesday 11 November, 5:00 – 7:00pm
📍 Venue: College Library (Upstairs)

Come along to celebrate our students’ creativity and hard work – we’d love to see you there!

YOU CHOOSE Presentation with Melissa McGuinness

Melissa McGuinness from @youchooseyrs visited LTC to speak with students about the power of choices and their impact on others.

YOU CHOOSE is the winner of the Australian Road Safety Award for school programs. Melissa has also been recognised as Gold Coast Woman of the Year (2020) and Queensland Australian of the Year runner-up (2021 & 2022).

A huge thank you to Melissa for the powerful presentation and for taking the time to speak with students afterwards.

Students and families can learn more or show support by following YOU CHOOSE:
📱 Instagram
📘 Facebook

Students who need support are encouraged to speak with their Year Coordinator or College Life staff.

CIT Music Students Perform at LTC

CIT Music and Sound students brought great energy to campus with a live performance – the perfect Week 1 vibe.

It was fantastic to see LTC alumnus Oscar back on stage with the band.

Students Explore TV Production at CIT Screen & Media

Media, Photography and Graphic Design students visited CIT Screen & Media in Woden for a hands-on workshop in filming a live chat-style TV show.

They toured the new facilities, learned about the Screen & Media course, and rotated through key production roles including directing, camera and audio.

Deanna Joins AFP Through WIC Program

As part of the WIC (Women in ICT) Work Experience Connection Program, Deanna has been matched with the Australian Federal Police – an incredible opportunity to explore real-world ICT pathways.

The program connects Canberra students with local organisations, giving them hands-on experience and insights to help shape their future career goals.

Young Carer Bursary applications are now open

The application process for 2026 Young Carer Bursary is now open and will close on 7 November 2025. The Young Carer Bursary program supports young carers to continue with their education and reduce their need to undertake paid work at the same time as their study and caring duties. The program offers over 1500 bursaries of $4,000 each year to assist with education needs and resources. Applications are not income tested and are assessed by an Independent Assessment Panel.

Young carers may be eligible for the Young Carer Bursary Program if they are:

• aged between 12 – 25 years old
• an Australian citizen or permanent resident living in Australia
• studying at school, or studying other approved courses which include TAFE and university
• not receiving another scholarship or bursary for 2026.

More information about the Young Carer Bursary program, eligibility, and application process is available on the Young Carers Network website.

Free UNSW ACTivate Cyber Security or Systems Architecture course

Students starting years 11 or 12 in the 2026 school year at an ACT school are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for entry into a free UNSW ACTivate Cyber Security or Systems Architecture course.

A total of 32 places are available to study the UNSW courses which are considered as an ‘H Course’ for the purposes of senior secondary study. They are approved by the Board of Senior Secondary Studies. A successfully completed course will provide 6 Units of Credit when applying to an approved UNSW bachelor’s degree. UNSW will assess the EOIs, these will be assessed with an equity focus.

UNSW ACTivate is part of the ACT Government’s H Course initiative which gives year 11 and 12 students the opportunity to have a successfully completed course recognized towards and undergraduate degree with UNSW.

Students will attend the UNSW Canberra campus in Reid.Visit www.unsw.edu.au/canberra/study-with-us/city-campus-programs/unsw-activate to find out more.

Back to school: term 4 travel tips

Term 4 has begun, which means all regular bus services and dedicated school routes are back!

To ensure a smooth start for the final term of the year, here’s a quick checklist for students and families:

• have your MyWay+ travel card or other tap on/off method ready
• make sure there is sufficient balance in your MyWay+ account
• remember to tap on and off for the cheapest fare
• check your school’s bus routes and timetable
• don’t forget to carry your student ID while travelling on public transport.

Primary school parents and carers can refer to their school’s information pack for additional travel guidance.

A reminder for all drivers, please slow down and stay alert in school traffic zones to help keep our students safe.

For more information, please visit Transport Canberra website.

UC Accelerated Pathways Program

The University of Canberra’s Accelerated Pathways Program is open to eligible students interested in starting university study while still in college. For more information, visit: https://shorturl.at/y35Ip

Online Safety Presentations for Parents and Carers

Help your family feel more confident and safe online. Learn about current online safety issues, how to support your child, and where to find further help and resources. Afternoon and evening sessions available.

RSVP to access video content and resources: bit.ly/2025_PC_OnlineSafety_RSVP

Deepfake supports

Australian reports have shown an alarming rise in incidents involving ‘deepfake’ images, where realistic but fake intimate images of students or staff are created and shared without consent.

These digitally altered images of minors are generally considered child sexual abuse material. To understand the risks of deepfake technology and learn what to do if your child receives a deepfake image or becomes a target, read the eSafety advisory on the impact of deepfakes in schools.

Explore the Student Support @ College Life Website

Hey LTC students!

Need resources or support? Visit the Student Support @ College Life website for helpful information:

2025 school year Equity Fund now open

To ease the pressure of back-to-school costs, eligible Canberra families can apply now for 2025 Future of Education Equity Fund payments.

The Equity Fund supports eligible low-income families and independent students from preschool through year 12 with a one-off, annual payment to help cover the costs associated with schooling such as uniforms, sport equipment and activities, tuition and music lessons.

The 2025 school year payments for eligible families are $400 (preschool), $500 (primary school), and $750 (high school and college).

Payments of completed applications will begin earlier than previous years, with the first payments to families expected from 6 January 2025.

Families will have until the end of November 2025 to apply for the Fund. Check your eligibility and find more information about supporting documents on the Equity Fund webpage.

ACT public school term dates

The ACT public school term dates for 2026-2030, including student-free days, are now available on the Education Directorate’s website.

Each year, the first day of every term is a student-free day. We use student-free days for staff development, enabling us to plan in a student-free environment.

Use these dates when planning your future holidays.

Have your say – Period Products YourSay consultation: What do you really need?

The ACT Government Health and Community Services Directorate (HCSD) has launched a new initiative to improve access to free period products, to reduce period poverty and promote menstrual health across the community. This initiative is about more than just products — it’s about supporting women and girls, reducing stigma, and promoting dignity for all.

Free pad and tampon dispensers are now available in locations across the ACT, including public libraries, courts, hospitals, health and community centres, selected government buildings, and more than 30 public schools. HCSD is working closely with the Education Directorate on the roll out in ACT public schools. The Education Directorate is working directly with students to better understand their experiences.

HCSD is seeking input from the broader community through a YourSay consultation – whether you or have used the service or not – who has ideas for improvement or suggestions for new product locations across the ACT. You can tell HCSD what you think by:

• completing a short survey
• leaving a comment
• using an interactive map to tell us where free products should be available.

Tell us what you think about free period products in the community, at yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/period-products-project.

Feedback closes on 10 November 2025.

Free Period Products Available at ACT Schools

All ACT public schools are stocked with free period products so students can access them no matter their circumstances. This is part of the ACT Government’s commitment to ensuring students feel comfortable and confident within our schools.

Free period products are available at our school’s front office. Students can access them at any time by talking to our helpful front office staff.

Sanitary pads are available from the front offices of primary schools, while pads and tampons are available at the front offices of high schools and colleges.

Because menstruation is a fact of life, we believe free access to period products should be too.

fTo learn more about this equity initiative and other places where free period products are available, please visit: https://www.act.gov.au/community/women/free-period-products

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Become a Homestay Host

Are you interested in broadening your family’s cultural experiences and forming lifelong friendships?

The ACT Education Directorate is seeking Homestay hosts for international students planning to study at an ACT public high school or college.

By becoming a Homestay host, you’ll not only provide a room and meals, but you’ll also welcome a young person into your family and support their growth as they gain new perspectives, confidence, English fluency, and academic and essential life skills.

International students participating in the Homestay program are aged 16 years or above. If you have the time to support a student’s social wellbeing and academic endeavours, and have an interest in other cultures, we would love to hear from you.

A weekly payment will be provided to help cover the costs of living expenses.

Find out more at bit.ly/HomestayCanberra or email ieu@act.gov.au, or call 02 6205 9194.

Menslink – Supporting Young Men in Canberra

Menslink has provided free counselling to young guys throughout the Canberra region for 20+ years.

If your young guy is having a hard time, is anxious, uncertain or fearful of his future and could really use someone to talk to, get in touch!

Our wait times are relatively low so we’re ready to help when your young guy needs it.

We provide a welcoming and supportive environment for young guys to share their concerns and worries and we provide tips and strategies to get them through those tough times that many of them are facing right now.

Menslink Counselling sessions are completely confidential and are available to any young guy aged 10-25. There are no fees or charges, and no limits to the number of sessions. You don’t need a mental health plan and we are available during school terms and school holidays.

Do you think your young guy would really benefit from a counselling session? If so, have a chat with them and head to www.menslink.org.au, hit the ‘Get Help’ button, fill in the form and we’ll get back to you, generally the same or next business day.

If you need more info on how to have that chat with them, just email admin@menslink.org.au or call 6287 2226 and we will send you some information.

Parentline ACT

Parentline ACT offers free and confidential telephone counseling for parents and carers in the Australian Capital Territory. This service provides guidance and assistance on various parenting issues, ensuring you have the support you need with no appointment necessary. Parentline ACT is open on Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. For support, call (02) 6287 3833.

Blog information

Do you have a positive story to share about our students, alumni, staff, or the wider college community?

We’re excited to showcase stories, photos, and artworks on our blog.

Please send your submissions to scott.montoyaval@ed.act.edu.au