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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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Last weekend, the Pope visited Malta. He said he had looked forward to visiting this “luminous land”, to follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, who was warmly welcomed there after being shipwrecked at sea on his way to Rome.
He said this Apostolic Journey offered a unique opportunity “to go to the wellsprings of the proclamation of the Gospel” and experience for himself the Christian community there whose lively history goes back thousands of years.
In looking forward to meeting the Maltese, Pope Francis paid them tribute for their modern-day welcome and commitment shown to “so many brothers and sisters seeking refuge”.
Malta, where many of our students trace their lineage, is at the centre of the Mediterranean, a landing point for many migrants and refugees seeking safety and a better life.
The Journey’s theme is They Showed Us Unusual Kindness (Acts 28:2) and highlights the plight of migrants crossing the Mediterranean toward Europe and promotes evangelisation in the country.
The theme also recalls the hospitable and warm welcome St Paul received in 60 AD, when his boat was shipwrecked and washed upon the shores of Malta.
When asked what the Pontiff’s visit meant to him, Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech said: “It is a moment of grace because I believe that the presence of Peter on the island of Paul will confirm us in our faith.”
“And when I say that the Holy Father would strengthen our faith, I also mean that I am waiting that he will send a wake-up call to my nationals because although we are a Catholic nation with a strong Christian tradition, we are part of the world. We are a European country, so what is brewing on the continent is also present in our island.”
“That is why I strongly pray the Holy Spirit will assist Pope Francis to make the most of his visit and to help us in our New Evangelisation. I know my brothers in the episcopate of Malta are committed to this New Evangelisation project.”
God of grace, watch over all refugees.
Embrace them in the pain of their partings.
Into their fear and loss, send love.
Open our eyes that we might see You in them.
Open our hearts that they might see You in us.
Open our arms that we might welcome refugees to new homes.
As You stretched out Your arms and invited everyone home.
Amen
This week I attended the Proactive Policing Principal’s Round Table.
This group meet regularly and bring together principals and wellbeing staff from schools in Melton and Caroline Springs and the Proactive Policing Unit.
It aims to foster police and school engagement to prevent crime and improve community safety.
The Proactive Policing Unit is focused on therapeutic responses to young people who offend, using diversion and support rather than punitive measures to help them avoid criminal proceedings.
A variety of topics are covered including the current prevalence of vaping among young people, the abuse being experienced at school crossings and student safety during drop-off and pick-up times.
Please note that in Week 1 of Term 2, police will take a zero-tolerance approach to illegal parking and dangerous driving around school pick-up and drop-off areas.
As we approach the end of Term 1 we give thanks for all we have achieved - Year 7 camp, Harmony Week celebrations, our whole school assembly and Senior Awards Ceremony, a whole term of face-to-face teaching, Year 11 Aspire Day and Year 10 Reflection Day just to name a few.
It has been fantastic to undertake a relatively “normal” school term for the first time in two years.
Below is a link to a letter for parents and guardians from the Australian Government regarding COVID-19 vaccination for children.
As we commence holidays at the end of this week, I take this opportunity to wish all students and their families a happy and restful break. I hope that the joy of the risen Christ brings your families great joy and hope.
Stay safe and we look forward to experiencing Term 2 on-site in 2022.
| Dates to remember | |
| Tuesday 5 April | Parent Student Teacher Interviews 4pm-7pm |
| Thursday 7 April | Parent Student Teacher Interviews 4pm-8pm |
| Friday 8 April | Student study at home day. Term 1 concludes |
| Tuesday 26 April | Term 2 begins |
| Monday 2 May | School Photo Day |
Thursday 19 May | College Athletics Carnival |
It has been a very busy term as our students continue their learning journey.
We have employed several tutors to support learning across Year 7 to 10. Our students’ PAT Reading and Numeracy results have guided this process and the tutors’ role is to focus on developing skills in students that will improve their learning. They will also be available during Homework Club.
The VCE Galagani Aspire Program tutors continue to work with our senior students to enhance their learning and improve outcomes.
Term 1 PSTIs will take place today and on Thursday. I encourage families to book interviews to discuss their child’s progress. It is important that students attend these interviews to share in the conversations taking place. There is a lot to talk about after nine weeks of learning.
Our Maths Pi competition allowed students to demonstrate their memory recall with Pi being quoted up to 100 decimal places by one of our Year 7 students. Click here to read the story in this week’s newsletter.
Memory recall and application of knowledge are critical for successful learning. Reading over notes taken in class, completing homework as an independent task, creating glossaries of and learning the definitions for key terms and applying knowledge in different contexts all help to embed understanding. Parents and guardians can help their child by taking an interest in what they have learnt each day.
I would like to acknowledge and thank our dedicated teachers for their commitment to learning and teaching this term. I would also like to thank all our parents and guardians as they continue to support their children in their learning journey.
Wishing you a happy and holy Easter and a restful holiday break.
Yesterday each year level held an assembly to inform students of a significant change to the College’s pastoral structure.
In 2023, the College will introduce a vertical house system. This will replace the current homeroom and house system.
How the new structure will work
Having the same homeroom teacher and head of house from Year 7 to 12 will ensure students are well known and nurtured during their time at the College. It also means parents and guardians will know who to approach if they need to communicate with the school for any reason.
The new house system aligns with the College mission to nurture the personal, spiritual and academic growth of each individual in our community in an atmosphere of faith, care, support and encouragement.
It will foster connections and a greater understanding between year levels and enhance each student’s sense of belonging to the College.
As we prepare for the new house system, we are seeking input from parents and guardians.
If you would like to be part of a parent focus group that will meet during Term 2 and 3, please email me at cbullen@sfcc.vic.edu.au.
We also invite you to complete a short survey to choose new house names and colours. Please follow the link below to make your selections.
I look forward to sharing the results of the new house names when they are finalised and meeting with our parent focus group in the months ahead.
A collaboration of Tongan, Samoan and Aotearoa New Zealand nations was celebrated with song, dance and haka during a fantastic performance at our full school assembly last Thursday.
Inspired by our Harmony Week activities, the students rehearsed for several weeks in preparation for the performance in front of staff, students and their parents.
The moving and emotional act was an incredible way to mark our first full gathering of the College community in more than a year.
The boys performed the beginning of the sipi tau – which is a Tongan war cry. They then transitioned into a faiva titled Mate ma’a Tonga (Die for Tonga).
The boys wore traditional Tongan attire, the focal point being their ta’ovala and fakaha’apai. They also wore two types of ta’ovala, a lokeha (woven mat) and ngatu (tapa). On their heads they wore a teki teki which is worn by all performers and emphasises any head movement.
Year 9 student Dania Malu performed a traditional Tongan solo (tau’olunga), showcasing the beauty of her graceful movements and her teunga (costume). Her arms and legs were covered with Tongan oil.
Throughout the performance, cheers were heard from the crowd, particularly from other Polynesian students and family members. These cheers are a sign of endearment, support, and pride.
Another sign of support is fakapale, when money is placed on the dancers – this is made easy thanks to oil lathered on the dancers.
The haka performed was a story about Te Rauparaha a Ngāti Toa chief and warrior of Aotearoa New Zealand. Sometimes called the “Napoleon of the Southern Hemisphere”, he composed this haka while hiding in a kumara pit to escape and evade an approaching war party. Called Ka Mate Ka Mate, it was proudly performed and shared with our CRC Melton community to represent the Maori people of Aotearoa.
We are so proud of our cultures and are humbled by the overwhelming support we received from the school to showcase a little bit of our heritage.
Although the performance is over, our connection with one another is something we will continue to cherish.
We encourage other students to be proud of their culture and hope we can continue encouraging diversity and unity at our school.
Siale Vaitohi – Year 12 student and Kim Joyce – Student Support Officer
Each term, three students from every year level are recognised for consistently displaying our Core Wellbeing Values of Empathy, Community and Endeavour.
The Term 1 awards were presented at our full school assembly last Thursday.
The students who receive this award have earned it by supporting people, encouraging their peers, taking steps to check on and improve the wellbeing of others, actively considering the feelings of those around them, and generally being positive and upstanding members of their homeroom.
The Term 1 recipients are:
| Year 7 | Koot Thuc |
| Year 8 | Alannah Trovato |
| Year 9 | Emma Ortega |
| Year 10 | Anabel Tarantino |
| Year 11 | Alicia Camilleri |
| Year 12 | Lachlan Caruana |
Community Award
Community is at the core of all we do at CRC, with one of our overarching goals being to ensure that young people feel they are an important part of the bigger picture. The students who received this award in Term 1 have earned it by taking an active role in different facets of school life.
Many of them volunteered to help with school-run charity programs, took part in numerous Swimming Carnival events to help their house, offered their assistance to teachers whenever they saw an opportunity, and were generally the first to get involved in programs in and out of the classroom.
The Term 1 recipients are:
| Year 7 | Olivia Gabriel |
| Year 8 | Julien Ferrer |
| Year 9 | Maribel Makkad |
| Year 10 | Mia Watkins |
| Year 11 | Georgina Bertsias |
| Year 12 | Siale Vaitohi |
Endeavour Award
We celebrate academic achievements on many occasions throughout the school year, but the Endeavour Award is a little different. This award does not always consider the highest grades; instead, students are nominated for their effort, improvement, and tenacity.
The recipients of this award in Term 1 were nominated by their teachers and peers for their consistently strong and positive approach to continual improvement. They may already be at the top of their class but still push themselves, or perhaps there has been a clear change in attitude or achievement throughout the term.
The Term 1 recipients are:
| Year 7 | Ned Lerm |
| Year 8 | Mongboe Jerue |
| Year 9 | Olivia Tong |
| Year 10 | Ryan Craig |
| Year 11 | Clara Thour |
| Year 12 | Monique Wroblewski |
Domestique Award
The Domestique Award is presented to a student who consistently demonstrates all three of our Core Wellbeing Values.
Domestique is a cycling term - the domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of his or her team and leader, rather than trying to win the race. For example, they give up their bike for the leader when theirs is broken or carry their teammates’ water.
The Term 1 recipients are:
| Year 7 | Keighden Esguerra |
| Year 9 | Sa Pilimai |
| Year 10 | Selena Touch |
| Year 11 | Madison Vella |
| Year 12 | Heather Petelo Sauvao |
Annual school photos including sibling photos will be taken at the College by Arthur Reed Photos on Monday 2 May.
There is no need to return any forms or money to school.
Unique image codes will be issued to all students on/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 College.
Even if you registered last year, it’s important that you do again this year using your child’s 2022 image code to link their images for the current year with your contact details.
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 2022 images are online to view before making your purchase.
If you would like to organise a sibling photo, please click on the link below and follow the instructions. Sibling photo requests close at midday on the day before photo day.
Sibling Photo Request Link 2022
Thanks to all students and families who contributed to this year’s collection for Project Compassion. Our total is now more than $1600.
The following homerooms win a slab of Coke for their fundraising efforts:
7 Anthony – our champion collectors who kept their tally a secret until the end and raised $321. An amazing effort!
8 Reed - came in second with a super total of $270.
12 Bernard - our third-highest collectors who raised $162.
Our thanks to the generous 12 Bernard students who opted to forgo the slab and donate to Caritas instead!
Shaun Coates - Director Catholic Identity
This week through Project Compassion we learn about Shaniella who is attending a vocational school in the Solomon Islands supported by Caritas Australia Solomon Islands (CASI).
Not long after Shaniella started, the school was hit by a landslide, flooding, and a cyclone, all in quick succession.
With your kind support, CASI helped install water tanks, restoring clean water access to nearby schools, health centres and the wider community. Training was held in agricultural skills to help boost the school community’s food security, as well as in environmental risk management and emergency responses.
Now, Shaniella can complete her skills training, with enough water and food to eat, and improved sanitation. She is improving her ability to earn an income, learning skills which will expand her job opportunities. Students are also better prepared to respond when disaster strikes.
Watch a short film about Shaniella’s story here.
Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au
Year 9 students have dedicated a wall in the Gadal building where they post random acts of kindness they have performed.
The theme for the Year 9 cohort in 2022 is It’s The Little Things That Are Important.
During Term 1, Rite Journey teachers and students have explored activities around random acts of kindness.
Research has shown that, “an act of kindness can boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism. This also encourages others to repeat the good deed, contributing to a more positive community”.
Some of the acts posted on the wall so far include giving a compliment, holding the door for a teacher, leaving an anonymous thank you note, calling a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while and offering to cook dinner.
The Rite Journey teachers are proud of the work the students have performed and look forward to seeing more acts of kindness appear on the wall in Term 2.
Last week we featured information about The Resilience Project's Parent & Carer Hub.
Throughout 2022, we will work closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of our school community.
The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience.
Our partnership program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and the Parent & Carer Hub (which includes video presentations) for our parents and guardians.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing content from the Parent & Carer Hub with you. The videos are 5-10 minutes long and will walk through the key pillars of resilience: gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.
You’ll hear stories and be introduced to activities to show how these strategies can support your child’s learning and development and support you as parents and guardians.
This program is an important part of our school’s effort to look after the mental health of our community.
You can view the second presentation in the series here:
Part 2: Gratitude Click here
We will be in touch fortnightly to share the remainder of the program, including research and wellbeing activities to integrate into day-to-day life.
Last Tuesday, our SACCSS swimming squad headed out nice and early for a full day of swimming at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
It was a fantastic day with our students displaying great sportsmanship both in and out of the water. All students involved raced to the best of their ability and encouraged their teammates along the way.
The following students were rewarded for their hard work, receiving an Age Champion medal at the event:
13-year-old boys: Oliver Dreaver
14-year-old boys: Max Barton
15-year-old boys: Jack Morrow
17 to 20-year-old boys: James Morrow
I commend all students who attended for their hard work and dedication leading up to the event and on the day.
Special thanks to staff members Paul Iannazzo, Stephanie Bertalmio and Nathan Hunter-Gerber who attended and a huge thank you to Annika Miesen, Ella Higgins and Nathan Hunter-Gerber who assisted with before-school training throughout the term.
In Week 8 and 9 our senior volleyball teams played their first two games of the season, notching up great wins over MacKillop College and St Monica’s College. We wish our seniors luck in their final three games. The results from Round 1 and 2 were as follows:
Round 1 – CRC Melton vs MacKillop College
Girls Volleyball: CRC def MacKillop – 3 sets to 1
Boys Volleyball: CRC def MacKillop – 3 sets to none
Round 2 – CRC Melton vs St. Monica’s College
Girls Volleyball: CRC def SMC - 3 sets to 2
Boys Volleyball: CRC def SMC – 3 sets to 1 set
Our Year 10 Volleyball teams and Boys B Basketball team played in their Premier League semi finals last week.
The Volleyball teams headed to our home ground at Cobblebank Stadium to compete against St Monica’s College and earned themselves a place in the grand finals this week. Our girls are undefeated, and our boys are first on the ladder. We wish both teams good luck!
Our Boys B Basketball team travelled to Eagle Stadium in Werribee where they played MacKillop College in their semi-final. Unfortunately, they fell short on the day, losing their last game 41-26. Well done boys on a great season.
The College celebrated World Mathematics Day on 23 March with a competition inviting staff and students to recall the digits of the irrational number, π (pi).
Year 7 student Gabrielle Pilapil astounded the judges and her fellow competitors, reciting all 100 digits! Year 12 student Xavier Millan recited 81 digits while Year 11 student Charlot Tarabene and Year 9 student Basil Baiju both got 56.
More than 20 students recited at least 20 digits and won themselves a delicious meat pie or pastie.
There were many highlights on the day. One student sang out the numbers while another relished that their iPad password has been the first 20 digits for the past five years. There was also a little bit of sibling rivalry, with a brother and sister competing for who could get more digits.
Well done to everyone who took part.
Are you interested in reading over the holidays? Why not join us in the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge.
The challenge encourages children and students to read a set number of books over the year and record their efforts online.
All Year 7 students have been pre-enrolled, and their English teacher has given them their login details.
The challenge is open to students from Year 7 to 10. Students who wish to join can email Ms Wall or Ms Brown who will create them an account.
Why not sit in the sun and enjoy a day of reading or curl up with a good book inside as the weather cools. Lots of prizes will be awarded at the end of the challenge later this year.
Happy reading!
Our Year 12 Drama students travelled to the Arts Centre in Melbourne last week to watch nine performances by inspirational students from across the state who received outstanding grades for their 2021 VCE Solo examinations.
The Top Class Drama Performance highlighted to students the amount of research and dedication needed to receive high scores for their solo exams at the end of the year.
They thoroughly enjoyed the performances and look forward to beginning work on their solos in Term 2.
The Huddle school holiday program flyer
If you have thought about foster care, please get in touch and ask the questions you have always wanted to. Key Assets Victoria is a Melbourne foster care agency that urgently needs new foster families.
Phone Key Assets 1800 932 237 or 1800 WE CARE or email info@keyassets.com.au. You will also find more information on their website canifoster.com.au or keyassets.org.au
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