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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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Loving God, we welcome you to our newly named school, St Francis Catholic College, for a special school year.
We have been many places during the summer and our journey has brought us back to this place and to this time together.
We know that this is not by accident, but by your intimate design for each of us.
As we turn towards you at the beginning of this year as a school community,
we begin by saying thank you -
thank you for this call to service in this community.
Thank you for where we are on our journey and for the journey ahead.
Thank you for where we are on the path of our life.
Be with us as we begin the year.
Steady our hearts and our minds to be open to what is being constantly revealed through your loving presence.
Give us joy-filled hearts - a warm and friendly attitude that is open to the movement of your spirit and to others.
Help us to be open and ready to respond to what is needed by our students, our parents, and the wider community.
In you, we place our trust as we ask these things through Christ our Lord and in the spirit of St Francis of Assisi.
Amen
Welcome back to 2023 and to our first newsletter as St Francis Catholic College.
As we acknowledge 43 years of quality education provided as Catholic Regional College Melton, we also look forward to creating a new narrative as St Francis Catholic College.
This year begins full of promise and fresh hopes with COVID-19 and lockdowns beginning to fade into the background.
Our Year 7 Melton West and Cobblebank students commenced last Wednesday and, for the first time, have been placed into mentor groups (formerly called homerooms) by House rather than year-level for their morning and other regular pastoral sessions.
Our House Leaders have been busy preparing activities to help students understand the charism of their House and build connections with other students.
Our maintenance crew worked hard over the holidays to refurbish and tidy our learning spaces and our newly renovated Gadal building was completed and ready for our Year 9 students.
After several years of social distancing and the inability to gather in person, our upcoming House Welcome Evenings tomorrow and Thursday will mark a welcome return to events that bring our vibrant community together. I encourage you to attend to meet your child’s Mentor and House Leader on the night.
Our staff participated in three days of professional learning last week during which guest speaker Psychologist Maria Ruberto from Solutegenics delivered a valuable session on resilience.
On 26 January, I joined our South Sudanese community from the Dinka Ethnic Language School for their annual Australia Day event in Sheehan Stadium. A smoking ceremony and welcome to country by a Wurundjeri council elder were followed by energetic African dancing. You can read more about the event here.
And so the College is already busy and a hive of activity. There is a real buzz in the air and lots of energy and excitement.
Our Sunday Gospel reading a week ago from Matthew, which has come to be known as the Beatitudes, provides an apt message with which to start our new year.
Jesus sets out for the crowd who are present to hear a new set of guidelines for living a Christian life. He calls us to be meek. To thirst for righteousness, to show mercy and to be peacemakers.
Our new College motto is Faith in Action. If we are to live the Gospels through our actions, we must recognise that we are called to be peacemakers in our school, to participate with energy in our social justice activities, to show forgiveness to those who upset us and to be humble and thankful for all of our many blessings.
May this blueprint presented in our Gospel be our guide throughout 2023.
| Dates to remember | |
| Wednesday 15 February | Year 12 Information Night |
| Thursday 16 February | Opening School Mass - All Melton Campus students. This is a formal occasion - all students must wear their academic uniform. Due to expected hot weather, the blazer is not required. The tie is encouraged but not compulsory. |
| Tuesday 21 February | Year 9 Gadal Information Evening |
Wednesday 22 February | Parents and Friends Meeting |
| Thursday 9 March | Swimming and Multisport Carnival - All Melton Campus Year 7, 8 and 12 students must attend the Swimming Carnival. |
Over the Christmas break, all PAM accounts were reset.
All PAM accounts must be reactivated to enable your child to attend excursions, camps or school activities throughout the year.
If you have not already done so, please follow the instructions below or refer to the attachment below for a more detailed guide to reactivating your account.
Click on this link - pam.sfcc.vic.edu.au
Click on Forgot Password
Enter the email address that you used to set up your PAM account originally. Click Send Link.
Open your email inbox and select the email from noreply@sfcc.vic.edu.au. Click on the link in the email which will take you back to PAM and prompt you to reset your password.
Once your password is reset, login to PAM.
You will be prompted to update your child’s medical information.
Please review your child’s medical information and add new information if necessary. If there are no changes just press Save.
When you have completed these steps, your PAM account will have been reactivated and you will now be able to receive and respond to activity permissions sent from the College.
Please contact our IT Support Team via email at itsupport@sfcc.vic.edu.au if you have any problems reactivating your PAM account.
Welcome to all our new families who joined the St Francis Catholic College community this year.
Education is a partnership between teachers, parents and guardians and the community. At the College, we continually reflect and review how to best support our students during their secondary school journey.
Each year we celebrate student achievement across various academic, leadership and community spheres.
In December we acknowledged our Year 7 to 9 students at the Junior Awards Ceremony.
Next Tuesday 14 February we will celebrate the achievements of Year 10, 11 and 12 2022 students at our annual Senior Awards Ceremony.
Award winners and their families have received an invitation to the event.
The Senior Awards will be celebrated with all our current Melton Campus students and staff.
Award winners who have not replied to the invitation are encouraged to do so for catering purposes. Families are asked to arrive at 9am for a 9.15am start.
The College is introducing a new elite sports program based on strength building. Click here to read more.
Year 9 and 10 students will attend a presentation this week to explain the program.
All Year 7 students (Melton and Cobblebank) are completing Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT) in reading and mathematics.
This data provides valuable information for teachers and helps address the learning needs of all our students.
The dates for NAPLAN 2023 have changed. The new testing period for Year 7 and 9 students is from 15-24 March.
Where possible please avoid making appointments for your child on these days, and in particular between Period 1 and 2. More detail will be available closer to the date.
I look forward to meeting some of our new families at the Melton Campus House Welcome Evenings this week.
The College has introduced new wellbeing initiatives focusing on developing our young people’s social and emotional skills.
Last year we surveyed students, parents and staff on mobile phone use. The results indicated that mobile phones in school were viewed as a distraction, but all agreed there was a need for mobile phones when students were travelling to and going home from school.
To prevent distraction at school and take the temptation away, we have introduced Yondr pouches.
Every student has been given a Yondr pouch that they lock their phone in upon entering the College. It is kept in their locker until the end of the day. The students unlock their phones at the release stations on their way out of the College.
I am extremely proud of how our students have taken this new process on board and are interacting more with their friends throughout the course of the day without concern about checking their mobile phones when at school.
Please click here to watch a short video on the Yondr pouch.
Students have also embraced the new House structure, attending their Mentor Group each morning in their new buildings. It was wonderful to see the Year 11 students helping the new Melton Campus Year 7 students on their first day of school.
We have already begun awarding House points and will continue to do so at many events and activities throughout the course of the year.
Please remember our House Welcome Evenings for Melton Campus families tomorrow and Thursday evening. Staff look forward to speaking with students and meeting their families during our first event for 2023.
We look forward to a productive year of learning for all our students.
It has been a delight to welcome the inaugural Year 7 2023 Cobblebank students to the St Francis Catholic College community. The start of secondary school is an important milestone; something that students look forward to with great excitement and anticipation.
As our foundation students are in quite a unique position, they spent time last week getting to know one another, exploring what it means to be a leader and being introduced to the skills needed to support their learning.
We warmly welcome our 2023 Cobblebank staff who are excited to be a part of the foundation year.
| House Leaders | Terri Curnow and Brad Ryan |
| Teaching Staff | Jonathan Antony, Suzanne Askew, Himarathi Rajan Babu, Meg Bacchin, Mollie Daphne, Charlee Keating, Kayla Stokes, Viviana Stangherlin and Emma Wright |
| Learning Diversity Assistant | Kate Slingo |
| Support Staff | Leanne Azzopardi, Michelle Booth, Michelle De Whys, Mankaran Dhillon, Brad Heeps, Lynette McGuinness, Olivia Rabottini, Vienna Setu |
Annual school photos including sibling photos will be taken by Arthur Reed Photos on Wednesday 15 February.
There is no need to return any forms or money to school.
Unique image codes will be issued to all students on or after photo day so families can register online to view images when they become available in the webshop.
Registration is simple; just follow the three simple steps on your child’s personalised flyer once you receive it and remember to add the codes for all your children attending the school.
When images are ready to view and in the webshop, all parents who have registered will be notified by SMS and email.
Once registered, please wait for notification that 2023 images are online to view before making your purchase.
On Thursday 16 February at 6pm, we will hold a Family Welcome Night for Cobblebank families. It will be an opportunity to meet the House Leaders and Mentors. Further details will be sent out this week. We look forward to meeting families as we begin to work in partnership over the next six years.
While we operate from the Melton site, student supervision for Cobblebank students before school is from 8.10am until classes commence at 8.30am and in the afternoon until 3.05pm.
A reminder that students can access the canteen while we are located at the Melton Campus. Lunch orders can be placed via the Flexischools app. Remember to select Cobblebank when placing your order to ensure lunch is ready at the correct time.
The College has introduced eight new houses and we invite families to join us this week to meet our house leaders, mentors and learn more about the new structure.
The welcome evenings have been organised to help you begin building a positive partnership with your child’s mentor and house leader and get to know students and families in their mentor group.
In our new house system, your child will remain in the same mentor group under the guidance of the same mentor during their time at the College.
This continuity of pastoral care will help ensure your child has an ongoing relationship with their mentor and peers from various year levels as they progress through their secondary education. It also gives you a single and familiar point of contact during your child’s time at the College.
Two evening sessions will be held as follows:
Please enter from Gate 1 and proceed to the lone pine area near the chapel for a barbecue.
6.30pm – Welcome and introduction by College Captains and Principal Marlene Jorgensen. Introduction of House Leaders by Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing Cheryl Bullen.
7pm – Meet your Mentor. Families move to Mentor Group rooms for a short information session.
Please click on the link below to confirm your attendance.
Please enter from Gate 1 and proceed to the lone pine area near the chapel for a barbecue.
6.30pm – Welcome and introduction by College Captains and Principal Marlene Jorgensen. Introduction of House Leaders by Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing Cheryl Bullen
7pm – Meet your Mentor. Families move to Mentor Group rooms for a short information session and chat with their new mentors.
Please click on the link below to confirm your attendance.
St Francis Catholic College school has enlisted the services of Academy Movement to establish an elite-level sports academy to cater for top athletes from all sporting codes.
Students selected for the program will have a unique opportunity to access high-level strength and conditioning coaches, giving them the best opportunity to succeed in the sporting endeavour of their choice.
They will also simultaneously complete a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation, First Aid training and a foundation-level officiating qualification, giving them an excellent pathway into the sporting industry.
We will launch specialist Elite Sports Academy (ESA) classes in Semester 2 for Year 9 and 10 students who apply and are selected. A Year 11 ESA class will be introduced in 2024 followed by a Year 12 ESA class in 2025.
A parent information night will be held on Tuesday 21 February – more details will be available shortly.
The Faith and Mission team is kicking off its 2023 fundraising with a Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast for staff and students to raise money for Caritas’ Project Compassion.
The team needs your donations of pancake mix for the event – any flavour or brand will be gratefully accepted! All donations can be placed in the tub in the College front office.
Shrove Tuesday, which falls on 21 February this year, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
We’re pleased to share the success of three of our 2022 Year 12 students who have received recognition for their studies and community activities.
Our 2022 College Captain Nathan Furtado showcased his Year 12 Visual Communication and Design folio and models at Brickvention in January. Brickvention is the premier convention for the Australian Lego Fan Community.
Nathan’s work was among many hundreds of Lego creations on display and was spotted by one of our staff who visited the Royal Exhibition Building for the event.
We are also pleased to announce that work by 2022 VCE Studio Arts student Amy Seymour will be included in this year’s Top Arts Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
Top Arts showcases the exceptional work of students who completed VCE Art or Studio Arts in 2022, highlighting the resilience and creativity of young artists, who have used art and design to explore and understand the world around them.
Amy’s sculpture titled Cementality expresses her appreciation of the physicality of brutalism. It resembles a male human bust, with strong angular features and a cropped cut
We congratulate Nathan, Ophelia and Amy on their achievements.
Year 12 student, Ophelia Fernando, received a Certificate of Achievement at Moorabool Shire Council’s 2023 Australia Day Awards.
Ophelia was recognised for her volunteer work with the Moorabool Shire Youth Council and with St John Ambulance.
On 26 January, the College hosted the Dinka Ethnic Language School of Victoria’s annual Australia Day event, which recoginsed the many stories that make up Australia - from First Nations people to new Australian migrants.
The day began with a smoking ceremony and a welcome to country. A Wurundjeri council elder spoke about the history of Aboriginal people, which fostered an understanding of the foundational and continuing role of Aboriginal culture in Australia.
We were then treated to an amazing dance from the South Sudanese Yiroli women’s dance group, which connects young women and the community to cultural traditions and heritage. Yiroli represents the passion and spirit of South Sudan.
The day provided an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be Australian and the importance of maintaining a connection to heritage, languages and cultures. It also raised the importance of respect for all the cultures that make up Australia and intercultural connections.
Principal of the Dinka Ethnic School Victoria, Augustino Makuc Deng thanked the College community for hosting the event.
To inquire about enrolling in the language school, please contact Augustino via email at augustino@desv.net
Teacher
St Francis Catholic College has teamed up with Catholic Regional College St Albans in a wellbeing initiative for families who would like to donate their child’s pre-loved CRC uniform.
Blazers, school pants, kilts, shorts or dress donations are welcome to the College office.
Last December, our Languages Domain Leader Alessandra Vono and I visited Italy to meet with staff from our sister school, Convitto Nazionale-Paolo Diacono (CNPD), in Cividale, east of Venice.
Our discussions were about renewing our relationship and planning for November this year when the Italian school will host a group of students from our College. A visit to our College by Convitto students was also planned for July 2024.
CNPD’s new principal, Alberta Pettoello, is very keen to continue our schools’ relationship and will offer our students a range of amazing experiences when they arrive later this year.
A memorandum of understanding will serve to cement our relationship.
There are still a few available spaces for any Year 10 or 11 students who would like to travel with our group in November this year. If your child is interested, please contact Paul Iannazzo via email piannazzo@sfcc.vic.edu.au.
Director of Catholic Identity
Recent wet and warm weather has increased mosquito breeding. Below is information from the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria to help families prevent mosquito-borne diseases.
Mosquitoes can carry diseases that may be passed on to people through mosquito bites. A range of mosquito-borne diseases have recently been detected in mosquitoes in northern Victoria. Mosquito-borne diseases can cause serious illness, including infections of the brain, with children particularly at risk.
The best way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases is to avoid mosquito bites.
In line with community health advice, families can protect against mosquito bites by:
Further information
On Saturday 11 February, Western United returns to AAMI Park for a huge double header with the top-of-the-league Western Women taking on Melbourne City and current championship men up against Adelaide United.
This is a special day for Western United and the fans in the west as it will be the first double header in Victoria and it’s also the 100th match for the Isuzu UTE A-League Men team.
Western United would love to make this a great day of celebration of football and the west, and have the following promotions to offer:
Free Entry for Participants
As it’s a double header, all junior football participants will get free entry to both matches simply by signing up for the Liberty A-League Pass. Head to the KeepUp website to register the participant and make sure you select Western United as your favourite team. The participant will then receive both an e-pass and physical pass which they can use for entry to the double header.
Win for your Club/School/Academy
Our community promotion Show Your Colours returns for the double header, another great reason to be part of the day! Get the kids to wear their club/school/academy or WUFC colours to the match and they will be in the running to win $1500, or a tour of The Hangar and meet and greet with John Aloisi for their nominated club, school or academy. Parents and guardians should complete this form and attend the match with children wearing their colours to be in the running!
Free Ticket Offer
Western United have a complimentary ticket offer for everyone to come and see what the club is all about! Use the code FOREVERWUFC at Ticketek.
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