From the Principal

Walk Against Violence Against Women

Last week, it was a privilege to join a number of our student leaders and staff in solidarity with Kolbe Catholic College, Greenvale, for their Walk Against Violence Against Women.

This significant event, held for the first time since COVID disruptions, saw students and staff walk together through the local community to raise awareness of the need to end violence against women.

Kolbe Principal, Mr Nick Scully, expressed his hope that this visible demonstration of unity will inspire ongoing conversations about respect, safety, and dignity for all women. We are proud of our students who represented St Francis Catholic College with such compassion and dedication to making a difference.

At St Francis Catholic College, we are guided by the words of St Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”. Participating in this walk was one way our students lived out that call - promoting peace, compassion, and justice in our community.

We hope that in the future, St Francis Catholic College students and staff can participate in our own peace walk, providing education and connection to Catholic social teaching that requires respect and dignity for everyone in our community.

Lead the Way Confrerence

Last week, I also had the pleasure of attending The MacKillop Institute’s Lead the Way Conference in Melbourne.

The event provided an opportunity to share ideas and explore new ways to create environments that are safe, supportive, and trauma-aware.

It was designed to provide time and space for learning from others and exploring alternative approaches to caring for and working with individuals in our schools, communities, and beyond.

Several keynote speakers and workshops raised awareness and suggested ways to deepen a sense of belonging for students at the College.

As we grow in numbers and into two campuses, this sense of belonging, which we know is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing, will become very important.

The College leadership team will now consider some of these ideas and work to strengthen our support structures at the College.

Recognition of service

On Friday, the College celebrated the loyal service of our dedicated staff at our annual mid-year dinner.

We also congratulate the following staff who have reached significant milestones and thank them for their commitment and hard work.

Five years service - Suzanne Askew, Jessica Attard, Nathan Belcher, Margaret Fury, Romila Gopalan, Joanne Holmes, Mikaela Hurst, Cheryl Kohek, Wes McDougall, Bao Nguyen, Kylie Nicholl, Alessandra Vono

10 years service - Andrew Crone, Jason Rowley

15 years of service - Belinda Brown, Lydia Fus, Tony Gavran, Lynette Griffiths, Johanna Micallef

20 years of service: Dan Askew, Margaret Rowe-Watts

25 years of service: Trish Griffin

30 years of service: Tania Kremers, Kylie Perry

From the archives! 

Looking Ahead - Melton Campus

Looking Ahead - Cobblebank Campus

Student Study at Home Day – Friday 22 August

A reminder that this Friday 22 August is a Study at Home Day for all students.

Staff will be completing professional learning.

Learning and Teaching

Holiday absences

Families are asked to please note the reminders below regarding the process for missed assessments when students are away for an extended period during the school term.

The Attendance Policy for MACS Schools, which details student attendance requirements and absence process, is available on our website.

Please note the following important academic implications:

• teachers are not required to provide work during absences
• students will need to consult with teachers to catch up on classwork and reschedule assessments if possible
• students can access all class content/materials on the Simon lesson plans.

Academic Procedures – Years 7-9

• Academic Recall sessions are available on Mondays after school for missed assessments.
• Students must arrange to complete missed Assessment Tasks within two weeks of the original set date to receive a satisfactory or non-satisfactory grade.
• Students who are away longer than two weeks from the original set date will receive a zero result.
• We cannot reschedule Time Assessed Tasks (TATS), examinations, NAPLAN, or ACER Pat Testing outside their scheduled times.
• These procedures ensure the integrity of our assessment process and maintain fairness and equity for all students.

Academic Procedures – Years 10-12

• Academic Recall sessions are available on Mondays after school for missed assessments.
• Students must arrange to complete missed Assessment Tasks within two weeks of the original set date to receive a satisfactory or non-satisfactory grade.
• Students who are away longer than two weeks from the original set date will receive a zero result. (Year 10 and Units 1 and 2).
• Failure to complete Unit 3/4 School-Assessed Coursework (SAC) within two weeks of the set date will result in a zero for the task.
• For more details about our VCE and VCE VM attendance requirements, please see our VCE/VCE VM Policy Handbook.
• We cannot reschedule examinations, the GAT, Year 10 Work Experience, or ACER PAT testing outside their scheduled times.
• These procedures ensure the integrity of our assessment process and maintain fairness and equity for all students.

We value our partnership with your family and appreciate your understanding of our academic policies.

Father's Day Celebration at Melton and Cobblebank Campuses

All fathers and fatherly figures in our College community are welcome to join us for our annual prayer service and breakfast at both campuses to celebrate Father's Day. 

Dads, uncles, brothers, and friends are invited to this special event. All the details are available below.

Please RSVP here if you and your child would like to attend.

Class of 2015 Reunion

Join us for drinks and canapes to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CRC Melton's Year 12 Class of 2015 on Friday 29 August from 6.30pm in the Performing Arts Centre foyer at our Melton Campus. 

Reminisce, reconnect with friends and staff and find out more about what has happened at the College in the past decade.

 To attend the Class of 2015 reunion, please RSVP by emailing me at arowley@sfcc.vic.edu.au

Parent Webinar – Technology and Focus

Elevate Education will host its next parent webinar on technology tomorrow, Wednesday 20 August from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!) will focus on apps to help prevent procrastination and technology to enhance your child’s learning.

Sign up for the session below to learn how you can help your child break free from tech addiction before exams and improve the quality of their revision.

Click here to register for free

Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation.

By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Cobblebank Campus Senior Learning Building

We’re excited to share drawings from our architects Baldasso Cortese of the inside of our new Year 10-12 building that is currently under construction at Cobblebank Campus.

We look forward to bringing you updates as the project progresses.

Final week of our Winter Appeal

We are now in the final week of our Winter Appeal. Thank you to everyone who has already donated items - your generosity is greatly appreciated.

There is still time to contribute, with donations of winter clothing, hygiene products, non-perishable food, homewares, socks, scarves, and beanies being accepted until the end of this week.

Every item collected will help support those in our community experiencing homelessness this winter.

We look forward to your continued support in these final days of collection and thank our community for embracing the spirit of compassion and service.

MacKillop House Mass

Last Wednesday, all students and staff from MacKillop House celebrated the feast of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop with a Mass at St Catherine of Siena Church.

Below are reflections from our students about their experience.

The homily stood out to me because Father Alex talked about Mary MacKillop and her life. Like Mary Mackillop, students in the church were respectful throughout the homily, readings and prayers of the faithful.

The Mass was great and the singers had beautiful voices. It made me feel peaceful and happy to join in. Using the value compassion, I'll help anyone who's feeling left out or upset and look for small ways to make someone's day brighter, even if it's just with a smile or kind word. Joachim, Year 7

It was great to see students from Cobblebank and Melton campuses come together to remember Mary MacKillop and honour her efforts by actively engaging in the Mass. This was a special day for all MacKillop House members as we learned how we can live out Mary MacKillop's teachings throughout our lives.

It was also a new experience for students, as previously, the campuses had celebrated Mass separately. Being there together created a sense of unity and connection. Overall, the whole Mass was a great experience and all students enjoyed it. Kanwar, Year 9

Hands-on learning – VCE VM

A group of our 2025 VCE VM students will leave a legacy at the College and have gained valuable skills that will set them up for success beyond Year 12.

The students decided to make the overhaul of the College’s vegetable patch their project. In the last 12 months, they have repaired our garden shed, painted, weeded, dug, planted, harvested, learned to lay paving and artificial grass, removed and added structures and generally transformed the space into a tranquil and beautiful place to be.

Their work will live on as part of the College, and we hope it will inspire students to take on new challenges, work hard and give every opportunity a go.

The VCE VM is an excellent choice for students who are applied learners, who understand better when tasks are hands-on and self-directed.

During their studies, they design their project, create a budget, engage in community involvement and reflect on the strengths and areas for improvement throughout implementation.

We congratulate Jaye, Sione, Silas, Peter, Zak, Archer, Will, Riley, and Josh, and thank them for their meaningful and lasting contribution to the College.

Bullying – Important Conversations to Have With Your Child

The Bullying No Way national week of action was held last week.

By working collaboratively within our community, we can collectively help reduce bullying.

Families play an important role in helping children understand bullying and know how to respond to it.

If your child tells you about things at school, or you observe something in public that involves conflict or bullying, take the opportunity to talk about what bullying is. You can learn more about what defines bullying at bullyingnoway.gov.au.

Questions you could ask:

• What do you think bullying is?
• Have you seen it? How did you feel?
• Have you ever felt scared at school because of bullying?
• As well as me, who are the other adults you would talk to when it comes to things like bullying?
• Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not?
• Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happens again?

Remind your child that bullying is never okay and discuss how they can respond safely if they experience or witness it.

Encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult and keep seeking support if needed.

By promoting open communication, we empower children to stand up against bullying and create a safer environment where everyone can feel that they belong.

For more information, visit bullyingnoway.gov.au.

Sports Update

Senior Basketball – Round 2

Melton Year 9 Premier League - Round 5

Cobblebank Year 9 Premier League - Round 5

Did Your Child Miss Their Year 7 or Year 10 Immunisation?

Melton City Council will hold a free Secondary School Immunisation Catch Up Session on Friday 3 October (school holidays) between 9.30am and 12.30pm at Melton Community Hall.

All families whose children missed out on either their Year 7 or Year 10 vaccines are welcome to book in and attend the catch-up session. Bookings are essential.

Please click here to book your appointment online and select Friday 3 October.

Your appointment is not secured until you receive the confirmation email.

Please email immunsation@melton.vic.gov.au if you do not receive the email or need assistance with your booking. You can also call 5449 0000.

SFCC Feast Day – Thursday 11 September

Melton Campus

SFCC Feast Day is fast approaching, and Melton Campus students can pre-order their food tickets at a stall outside the library during the first half of Big Break each school day from now until Friday 29 August.

All tickets are $1 each and can be purchased via cash or EFTPOS.

Please refer to the list below for how many tickets students will need for each food item on the day.

Students should be mindful of how many tickets they buy, as they are non-refundable.

They will receive their pre-ordered tickets during morning Mentor Group on Feast Day.

Students will receive a free sausage on bread from our campus sausage sizzle on the day.

Cobblebank Campus

Cobblebank Campus students can also buy coupons for food stalls run by staff on Feast Day.

They can order their coupons from the stall set up in the foyer of the red building during the first 10 minutes of Big Break tomorrow, Wednesday 20 August and Thursday 21 August.

Students should check Simon Daily Messages for further dates.

Coupons

Pink = $1, Blue = $2, Green = $5

Food prices

Popcorn = $1 per bag

Fairy floss = $1 per stick

Baked goods = $1 per item

Pizza = $2 per slice

Hot chips = $2 per cup

Soft drink can = $2 per can (after the first free can)

Students will receive their pre-ordered coupons during morning Mentor Group on Feast Day.

All students will receive a free can of drink and a beef or chicken sausage or veggie patty in bread from our campus sausage sizzle on the day.

On the day, there will also be external companies selling ice cream and crepes (Crepes for Change). Students will need cash on the day to buy items from these food vans.

Community Notices

Ubuntu Youth Wellbeing Program 2025

Ubuntu Youth Wellbeing Program Outline 2025

VIC AUK Melton

Useful Links

Keep updated with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.

PAM – Parent Portal

Enrolment

Parent Handbook

SFCC Careers Website

Facebook

Instagram

Policies

Uniform

Library