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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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Who’s going to be your Valentine? This is a question you may hear this week.
So, who was the real Valentine and how did this day of celebrating love begin?
Although not much is known about St Valentine, there are several accounts that appear to be consistent regarding his life and work.
It is believed that Emperor Claudius II did not like Christians and needed soldiers. He made a decree that people could not get married because he believed that if men had wives and children, they were less likely to go and fight in his armies.
Many Christian couples approached Valentine during this period and asked him to marry them even though it was illegal.
Valentine empathised with the people and it is widely accepted that he agreed to marry couples secretly. He was eventually imprisoned for doing this, and while he was held captive, he cured the jailer’s daughter of her blindness. From this event, their whole family converted to Christianity.
Valentine was offered freedom if he renounced his faith, but he refused. Knowing he was going to die, he wrote letters to his friends one of which included the jailer’s daughter. On the day of his execution, he left her a note signed “Your Valentine”. The date of his death is believed to be 14 February 269.
Whatever truth there is to these stories, St Valentine’s Day has become a day we connect with romance and friendship.
So, this Friday, let’s remember St Valentine’s legacy and take time to reflect on the loving relationships in our lives.
It is with deep sadness that I share the news with our College community of the passing of Fr John O’Reilly, the founding priest of the CRC Federation of Schools and our esteemed Canonical Administrator.
Fr O’Reilly dedicated his life to the service of Catholic education and the faith formation of our school communities at CRC Melton, St Albans, Caroline Springs, North Keilor and Sydenham, as well as at Cana, Emmaus, and Sacred Heart Primary Schools.
As Parish Priest of Sacred Heart, St Albans for more than 40 years, he was a steadfast shepherd who inspired generations with his wisdom, kindness, and unwavering faith.
His profound legacy will live on in the countless students, families, and staff whose lives he touched. Father O’Reilly would often drop in around Christmas to leave an annual prayer book for the leadership team and to give affirmation and support to me as Principal.
He attended our 40th anniversary celebration and conducted a liturgy in our Melton Campus Chapel.
Details of Fr O’Reilly’s funeral arrangements will be shared with you once they are available.
We give thanks for his incredible contribution and pray for the repose of his soul. Our staff gathered for a special prayer service yesterday at our morning briefing and below is a prayer for Fr O’Reilly and all those who mourn his passing.
Loving God,
We entrust to Your mercy and love our faithful servant, Fr John.
Grant him eternal rest and reward him for his life of service.
Comfort those who mourn his passing, and may we continue his mission with the same dedication and faith.
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Thank you to the Cobblebank Campus parents and guardians who have instigated and supported a petition to open Bridge Road in Cobblebank. Click here to view the petition.
While the closure has been a financial burden to the College since the campus opened in August 2023, it now also poses a major safety concern and is impacting the learning of our students.
The next Melton City Council meeting will be held on Monday 24 February at 7pm in the council chambers at the Melton Civic Centre.
If the road is not open by this date, the College will have lodged a question with the mayor regarding what support the council is prepared to offer the College.
This is a reasonable request given the road was due to open in 2023 and that the current morning and afternoon shuttle service from the Cobblebank Stadium to our campus costs $700 per day.
I understand the public may attend these council meetings to support the College.
I have also invited the Melton Mayor, Mr Steve Abboushi, to meet with me at the Cobblebank Campus on a school day at 2.45pm to view the congestion for himself.
On Thursday we will celebrate the academic achievements of the 2024 Unit 3&4 VCE and VCE-VM students, our VET Dux and our College Dux. The ceremony provides an opportunity to honour and recognise their achievements following the release of the results in December.
Our College Yearbook will recognise all award recipients across Years 7 to 12.
As our students embark on a new school year, we wish them every success in 2025.
| Dates to remember | |
| Thursday 13 February | Campus Opening Mass and Year 12 2024 Awards Ceremony |
| Thursday 13 February | Campus Welcome Evening - 6.15pm. RSVP here |
| Tuesday 25 February | Parents and Friends meeting |
| Thursday 27 February | Campus Swimming Carnival -Years 7, 8 and 12 (and students in other year levels participating in SACCSS swimming) |
| Monday 10 March | Labour Day public holiday |
| Dates to remember | |
| Tuesday 25 February | Parents and Friends meeting |
| Friday 28 February | Campus Swimming Carnival |
| Monday 10 March | Labour Day public holiday |
Year 7 and Year 10 students have now received their new laptops.
Year 7 students have been instructed on how to set up and use their devices and the College expectations when they are in use.
The device has a tech skin which provides a protective layer and allows for easy identification when misplaced.
It is important to make sure the device remains free from graffiti. Please check the condition of your child’s device regularly.
If your child is using the laptop in a public space, we encourage them to use the hard case. It offers both protection from damage and provides an element of privacy.
A reminder that if you have not activated and paid for your child’s Edrolo account, please do so as soon as possible. Click here for instructions emailed to families in Term 4 last year.
This resource is book-listed, and students will be locked out of it unless payment is made.
As we begin the new school year, if you have concerns about your child’s progress or their learning, please contact their subject teacher or their Mentor Group teacher.
We look forward to working in partnership with our families throughout our students’ educational journey at the College.
Melton Campus catch-up, sibling, and student leadership photos will be taken next Monday 17 February.
If your child missed our campus photo day on Monday 3 February, they will have their photo taken next Monday.
Please see the flyer below for details on how to register online once your child has had their photo taken and received their unique code.
School Photos - Register Your Details
If you would like to book a sibling photo, please follow the instructions below. Bookings must be made by midday this Friday 14 February.
Student leaders have been advised that they will also have their photos taken next Monday.
All students require their full academic uniform (including blazer) for school photos.
Please find below a list of Term 1 dates for VCE Unit 1 assessment tasks and Unit 3 SACs.
The Cobblebank Campus Learning Lounge will be available to students every Monday and Wednesday from 3pm to 4pm beginning next Monday 17 February.
Learning Lounge provides students with additional access to teachers and student support officers.
The session is held in the Collaborative/Library Space in the yellow building at Cobblebank Campus.
It was fantastic to see so many families last Tuesday at our annual Welcome Evening.
Our staff enjoyed meeting parents and guardians and providing an outline of activities and expectations for the year ahead.
The weather cooled off just in time for pizza and drinks in the cloister, where students and their families gathered to catch up with friends and meet the newest members of our growing community.
Melton Campus families are strongly encouraged to attend our Welcome Evening this Thursday 13 February to hear important information about their child’s year-level in 2025.
The evening will begin at 6.15pm with pizza and soft drinks in Sheehan Stadium where our House Mentors and House Leaders look forward to meeting with students and families.
This will be followed by information presentations:
Year 7 and 8: Introduction to SFCC and life at the College as a student in the junior years.
Year 9: My Journey, Year 9 Camp, and the Gadal Program.
Year 10: Work Experience and Pathways
Year 11 and 12: Senior School Information Session and Expectations
The Year 11 and 12 Information Session is relevant for all parents and guardians of VCE, VCE VM, and VPC students. It will cover important aspects of senior school, provide guidance and advice for families, and outline programs and policies pertinent to VCE students in 2025.
If you have children in different year levels, please select the information session that best meets your needs. Please contact your child's House Leader if you have any inquiries about additional presentations.
For catering purposes, please click here to RSVP.
Please enter the College through Gate 1 on Bulmans Road and go to Sheehan Stadium
We look forward to celebrating the beginning of the year with you. If you have any questions about the evening, please email the College at info@sfcc.vic.edu.au.
Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options in a bushfire.
School procedures for days of Catastrophic fire danger
Schools listed on the BARR will be closed when a Catastrophic fire danger day is declared in their weather district. The Cobblebank Campus has been identified as being one of those at high bushfire risk and is listed on the BARR, so it will close on any declared Catastrophic fire danger days.
We will provide as much notice of a Catastrophic fire danger day as we can. A Catastrophic day will be declared the day before. Once we are advised of the declaration, we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.
Once a Catastrophic day has been declared, the rating will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child.
It is also important to note that:
On Catastrophic days, families are encouraged to enact their bushfire plan – on such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children. For those in bushfire-prone areas, fire services advise that the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of Catastrophic days.
As part of preparing our school for potential hazards such as fire, the school has a robust Emergency Management Plan, and ensures that school grounds and facilities are well prepared for bushfire.
What can you do?
This week our Melton Sport Captains Emma and Shameka (pictured above) and Cobblebank Sport Captain Amelie share more details about their favourite sports and their aim to increase participation in sporting activities at their campus in 2025.
“We look forward to fostering an inclusive, fun and competitive atmosphere between the eight houses through the different competitions we aim to implement throughout the year. Currently, we are discussing bringing back the inter-house sports competitions in basketball, netball, dodgeball etc. However, we would also love student input about what they want to see happen this year, so we can make 2025 the best year for sport yet!” Emma and Shameka
Emma: I’m SFCC’s Sport Captain for 2025. I love watching and participating in all sports and just being active in general. Outside of school, I enjoy playing netball at a variety of levels, and here at the College I love taking part in the diverse range of sports we offer, including basketball, cricket, AFL, netball and swimming.
Shameka: I am SFCC's Deputy Sport Captain for 2025. I enjoy playing all sorts of sports, and I am very competitive! At school, I compete in athletics carnivals, Premier League netball, SACCSS sports, and much more. I enjoy helping out with teams and sharing my skills and knowledge. Outside of school, I enjoy playing competitive cricket locally and in the state league.
Amelie: I’m thrilled to be one of this year's Cobblebank sport captains. I’m passionate about sports and helping my peers. My favourite sport is AFL, though I’m also a big cricket fan. I play footy, cricket, and netball, and I’m excited to bring my passion for sports to this role.
I’m looking forward to a fantastic year ahead, working together to achieve our goals and have a successful season across all our sporting teams. The athletics carnival and SACCSS Premier League are events I’m especially excited about, particularly after the success our school netball team had last year, winning in our division!
Year 11 Glowrey student Tahleah recently travelled to New Zealand to compete in the UIM World Jetsprint Championship.
Competing alongside her brother Bastian, Tahleah claimed victory in the inaugural LS Class Championship.
Their success was further highlighted by their father, Phonsy, who secured the UIM Unlimited Superboat World Title, making him a back-to-back World Champion. This historic achievement (father and children winning in two different categories) had never been accomplished before. Our congratulations to Tahleah and her family!
During the holidays, Year 10 Glowrey student Tanae was selected to represent the Central Highlanders in the Under-15 Girls Vic Country Cup.
She delivered an outstanding performance, earning both the Manhari Player of the Series and Manhari Player of the Final medals.
Tanae impressed with a stat line of 57 runs and 1 wicket for 10 off 7 overs and finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets.
Following this success, Tanae received a late call-up to the Victorian Country U16 team for the Under-16 Australian Championships, mirroring the achievement of her older sister, Shameka, who did the same last year. She continued her strong form, taking another two wickets for the Victorian Country team.
Well done to both students - we are incredibly proud of you!
During the school holidays, four students (Zoe, Aaron, Chase and Phoebe) and I attended the Australian Scout Jamboree held in Maryborough, Queensland with 10,000 other scouts and leaders from all over Australia and the world - 3000 of them from Victoria.
A Jamboree is eight days of fun (imagine a school camp that goes for 8 days)!
We spent 30 hours on a bus to get there but once we arrived there we had an amazing time. We went mountain bike riding, abseiling and ziplining, played archery tag and tried archery, axe throwing, snorkelling, stand-up paddle boarding, swimming, competed in an amazing race around Maryborough and mud run challenge, visited Australia Zoo, played board games, enjoyed trivia and karaoke nights, and shows in the main arena with acts including Dave Hughes, DJ Havana Brown and the band Sheppard.
It rained a lot, there was mud, it was hot, it was humid, we slept in tents and cooked all our meals on the BBQ. We made new friends, met up with old friends and we would do it all again.
If these types of activities interest you, you may want to give scouting a try.
I am a leader at both Bacchus Marsh and Ballan Scouts and other students at our College are involved too. You can visit the Scouts Victoria website for more information.
Elevate Education’s first Term 1 free webinar for parents and guardians will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 12 February from 6.30pm.
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.
Sign up for the session below to learn how to keep your child motivated throughout the school year with practical strategies like effective goal setting.
Click here to register for free
Below are details of all the free webinars scheduled for Term 1. Register for the series by clicking the flyer below and learn some great practical strategies to help support your child this year.
Dance Workshops
Keep updated with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.
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