From the Principal

It is with great pleasure that we launch our new website today.

Particularly in our current environment, the use of technology and an online presence has become an integral part of a school’s communication with both current families and potential future families.

The new website allows for live calendar updates, provides more straightforward and user-friendly navigation and is far more visual. It will continue to showcase and celebrate the wonderful events that are happening at our College.

I wish to thank Director of Community Relations Kerrie-Ann Matthews and our Communications Officer, Cheryl Kohek, for the extensive time and effort that has gone into creating this outstanding new product.

Return to face-to-face teaching

Our senior students have settled back into face-to-face teaching. Those I have spoken to over the past week are excited to be back at school and very happy to see their peers and teachers.

Today, we welcomed our Year 7 to 10 students back on site. As part of this re-entry, students reconnected with their Homeroom teachers and Year Level Coordinators and were given time to catch up with their peers. They were also advised of the areas their Year level can use at both recess and lunchtimes.

All staff will continue to remind students about the need for appropriate hygiene measures. This includes frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitiser, which is available in every classroom.

Parents are asked not to send their child to school if they are ill or have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Secondary School Immunisation Program for Year 7 Students

Immunisation is an essential health service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The College has been advised by the Health Department that all immunisation providers must maintain routine immunisation services and ensure on-time vaccination according to the current recommended schedules.

The College will, therefore, adopt procedures and practices to comply with measures in place, including physical distancing, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

This will ensure immunisation services can continue to be conducted safely without exposing healthcare workers, vaccinees, their caregivers and the broader community to undue risk.

Importance of maintaining immunisation services

Immunisation protects individuals and the community from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).

If scheduled vaccine doses are missed or delayed, or overall vaccination coverage rates are diminished, there is a risk of a resurgence or outbreak of some well-controlled VPDs, such as measles, during and/or after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will put further strain on the healthcare system.

Melton City Council’s Environmental Health Unit will visit the College on Wednesday 24 June 2020 to immunise Year 7 students against the human papillomavirus, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. This will be the first of two rounds of vaccinations, the second of which will be held in February 2021.

Consent cards were handed out to students today (9 June). We ask that all cards be returned by no later than Friday 12 June. Please note that it is essential to return the completed consent card (Part A), whether you are consenting or not consenting to the program.

Students should wear their sport uniform on the day of the immunisations to allow easy access to their arms.

For more information visit: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

From the Deputy Principal - Students

Refugee Migrant Children Centre Sidekicks Program

Last year the College partnered with the Refugee Migrant Children Centre (RMCC) to develop and deliver a student learning support club. Over time, the program developed into a mentoring program for Year 7 students. It focused on social skills development and academic learning support and was called the RMCC Sidekicks Program.

RMCC worked with our staff to design and implement the RMCC Sidekicks Program at the College.

The Centre recruited and trained volunteer mentors and transported them weekly to the school for the program.

The College recruited students in Year 10 to work as peer mentors. We also worked closely with RMCC to ensure the program content blended with their goals, particularly around supporting the transition of students into secondary school.

We recently received an evaluation of the program by RMCC. It noted that:

"Students displayed more positive behaviours while at school, such as being more willing to participate in class. A significant change for students has been the growth in their social capital and general social connections as a result of attending the learning support club."

"There is also a greater awareness amongst school staff of the refugee experience and how this can impact educational outcomes. Many school staff have increased their understanding of the need for targeted support for this cohort of students."

The program was found to be beneficial for everyone involved and included some very positive comments from participants:

“[It] makes me feel happy. When I feel down, I go to homework club and feel better. If I have a bad day at school, I come to homework club, and it calms me down.” – Student

“We were all studying [in the RMCC Sidekicks Program], then the next day we had a test, and I passed.” – Student

“The project has assisted in building better connections between CRC, their students, families and the wider community.” - Agency worker

The school and the agency are committed to working together in the future.

Student Wellbeing Program – Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families

Parents and caregivers are invited to join a series of webinars with Dr Santino Atem Deng to share ideas on raising children in Australia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

Topics of discussion will include:

• The challenges of raising children in Australia
• Transitioning into a new environment (Australia) - what happened and what to do?
• Children’s needs during childhood and adolescence
• Different styles of parenting and the best way to manage children’s behaviour at different ages
• The importance of active listening in families and in communication with children

For more information contact: Dr Santino A Deng, Community Development Facilitator/Counsellor M: 0408 572 829 E: dengs@ foundationhouse.org.au

African Family Wellbeing Flyer

Uniform reminder

All students are required to be in full winter uniform now that they have returned to school.

The uniform requirements are set out in our uniform policy attached below and in the student diary. It is clearly stated the College Blazer is the external garment to be worn to and from school.

We would appreciate your support to ensure your child is wearing the College uniform correctly to and from school.

A reminder that Academy Uniforms is open with regular trading hours. They are fully stocked and adhering to social distancing and disinfecting all surfaces between sales. Their online service is also available.

Catholic Regional College Melton Uniform Policy

Transitioning back to school-based learning

Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist and Family Therapist offers advice on the return to school for students and talks about seven priorities. You can read his article below.

Transitioning back to school-based learning

From the Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

This week our Year 7 to 10 students return to face-to-face learning in the classroom.

For many students, this will be exciting, while for others, this may not be the case. They may be concerned about returning to school, not so good at getting up in the morning and perhaps anxious about returning to friends or uncompleted classwork.

As parents and guardians, it is important to spend time talking to your child about their return. The following questions could be useful:

• How are you feeling about returning to school?
• Are you ready to return?
• Are you up to date with your classwork?

Following on from this, you may ask:

• How did the first day back go?
• What did you like about being back at school?
• What challenges did you have?

A regular check-in for the first few weeks will be important. Some students will be requested to attend lunchtime Homework Club because they have not submitted important tasks during distance learning. It is important to encourage your child to attend these sessions. Semester 1 reports will reflect both Term 1 and 2 work habits and assessment tasks.

Semester 2 provides opportunities to “begin again” with students reflecting on their approach to learning in Term 2, highlighting what they did well, and continuing to focus on this next term.

Year 9 Religious Education Studies

Year 9 students have been busy learning about the Virgin Mary and other women of faith in Religious Education studies. A selection of their colourful collages and brochures is displayed below.

Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education students in Year 9, 10 and 11 were able to make the most of the longer days and warmer weather in Term 1.

The Year 9 students participated in a day of orienteering and guided mountain bike riding in the You Yangs Regional Park. The You Yangs offer some spectacular scenery with access to a variety of walking trails and mountain bike riding trails for the more adventurous.

Students’ map reading skills were put to the test as they navigated their way through surrounding bushland in teams with map and compass in hand, attempting to find designated orienteering markers within a set time. Physical fitness and bike riding skills were tested as they explored various riding trails throughout the park and navigated the many obstacles and undulating terrain.

Our Year 10 students had the opportunity to visit Ocean Grove beach to participate in a two-hour surf lesson and further explore concepts associated with the types of outdoor environments Australia has to offer.

It was both exciting and challenging for the students as they learnt to manage their surfboards in the choppy conditions and attempted to catch a wave and ride it into shore. Although tired and a little cold, the students had a lot of fun with some having much more success at standing on the surfboard than others.

In Term 1 our Year 11 students in Unit 3 Outdoor and Environmental Studies had the opportunity to visit the townships of Torrumbarry, Echuca, Moama and Barmah along the beautiful Murray River.

In line with their studies, the students explored the history of the Murray River and surrounding townships. They visited the historical museum and Port of Echuca and explored Indigenous and European history along the Murray River.

A highlight of this trip saw the students paddle two-person canoes along a 24km stretch of the river between Barmah and Echuca with many amazing sites along the way.

The trip concluded with a tour of the Barmah Choke, the narrowest section of the Murray River, where students learned about the historical and ecological significance of the area.

Term 2 brought with it the challenge of accessing appropriate outdoor experiences and making links to the curriculum.

Students across all year levels have been encouraged to get outside as much as possible during this time. We all know how important it is to maintain physical activity, minimise sedentary behaviours and access green space. The physical, mental and social benefits are well documented.

We hope students and their families have enjoyed the opportunities presented during this time to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate walking or riding their bikes around their local neighbourhood or park together.

We look forward to seeing our classes once again and hope that we can supplement student learning with more outdoor experiences throughout the year.

Canteen Update

The College canteen will operate its usual breakfast, recess and lunch service from today (9 June) now that all students have returned to classes on site.

Pre-orders are strongly encouraged and can be submitted via the Ultimate Schools website. To set up an account visit http://ultimateschools.com.au/ and follow the prompts. Pre-orders can also be submitted direct to the canteen by the end of recess.

For the first 10 minutes of lunch, the canteen will only be open for order collection. Year 7, 8 and 9 students can pick up their orders from the old canteen and Year 10, 11 and 12 students will pick up from the new canteen

A maximum of 10 students will be permitted in the canteen at any one time and students must use the hand sanitiser at the door before they enter. There are also crosses marked on the canteen floor to show students where they should stand. Only students who wish to buy food should enter the canteen (friends need to wait outside).

Students waiting to enter will queue outside the canteen. Apple Pay and Eftpos are accepted to minimise the use of cash.

Canteen staff are cleaning high-touch surfaces at the end of end each service period and following all Health Department guidelines. These arrangements will continue for the rest of Term 2 and will be reviewed prior to the beginning of Term 3.

Rejuvenate in June Challenge

Rejuvenate in June is a new campaign that will begin on Monday 15 June and all students are invited to take part.

Following on from the success of the Active April and Move in May challenges, students are encouraged to keep the momentum going – being back at school is even more incentive to keep active and healthy.

During our last two challenges, we had a great response from students. We are constantly increasing numbers but there is always room for more! Some of the motivation and enthusiasm that has been shown by students has been fantastic.

Rejuvenate in June follows the same simple format of previous challenges - complete one achievable task a day. The tasks include stretching and exercises, healthy eating, meditation and mindfulness, walking, jogging and just simply getting outside to move about. There are also bonus challenges that change each week.

Students participating in the challenge will have access to Sheehan Stadium during lunchtime to complete the task of the day if they choose to. Of course as with all the challenges, you can earn house points for all the tasks you complete.

We hope everyone will join the fun. If you are interested in getting involved, please email Ms Pandi.

The Hunger Experience

A group of students and staff will be going without food for 24 hours this Friday to raise money for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Footscray.

The centre is facing challenging times, with COVID-19 stretching its frontline services to the limit. Right now, it is a lifeline for thousands of people who need help. Each day, caseworkers are seeing increasing numbers of people who need the basics, including people who had lived independently in the community before the pandemic.

To raise money for the centre’s Winter Appeal, students and staff have volunteered to take part in the Hunger Experience, starting at 9am on Friday. They are calling on the College community to sponsor them via a GoFundMe fundraising page set up to support their cause. You can follow this link to donate. www.gofundme.com/the-hunger-experience

The Importance of Literacy

Literacy is a fundamental human right and the basis for any individual’s ability to learn. It is essential for social and human development and empowers people to transform their quality of life.

The ability to read, write, and understand information can hugely affect your employability.

Achieving an acceptable level of literacy and numeracy can lead to improvements to your social life, education and career prospects.

Literacy has been defined in various ways over the years. Previously, being able to sign your name was considered a reasonable sign of literacy. Today though, we live in a society where what it means to be literate has altered.

A more recent definition of literacy is the understanding, evaluating, using and engaging with written texts to participate in society, to achieve personal goals and ambitions and to develop knowledge and potential.

Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in ways that will allow us to communicate effectively with a variety of different audiences and to make sense of the world.

Reading and writing, when integrated with speaking, listening and viewing and critical thinking, constitutes valued aspects of literacy in modern life. Literacy is an essential component to ensure all students have the best chance to succeed in their studies and everyday life.

For example, to understand what a question is asking you to do in Maths, Biology, Physics, Health or a VET subject, you need to be able to identify the keywords, and remove the unnecessary words. This is literacy.

Additionally, literacy is language-specific. Literacy is not just English – instead, it is the words we use daily that help guide us all in our lives.

What about numeracy?

In our exceedingly technical world, good numeracy skills are becoming increasingly more significant and are hugely sought after by employers. An absence of mathematical confidence and poor numeracy skills can be obstructions to employment as numeracy tests are increasingly becoming a routine part of the recruitment process.

Numeracy is defined as the ability to access, use and interpret and communicate mathematical information and ideas, to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of various situations in adult years.

Individuals need to develop logical thinking and reasoning strategies in their everyday activities. We need numeracy to solve problems and make sense of numbers, time, patterns and shapes for activities like cooking, reading receipts, reading instructions and even playing sport.

Literacy and numeracy help people gain the fundamental skills necessary to achieve success in life. They are crucial for accessing the broader curriculum because they are used in many aspects of our lives. Workplace numeracy, literacy and employability skills are often used in conjunction with one another. These required skills often overlap and are necessary for any task.

Therefore, it is important to continue to support your child in developing good literacy and numeracy skills.

Happy reading!

Art Club News

During Distance Learning, our Art Club members started a collaboration space on TEAMS to share the projects they were working on.

This week there were some especially exciting pieces submitted (pictured below). Students who would like to join the Art Club TEAMS page can email jsegrave@sfcc.vic.edu.au and they will be sent an invitation.

The Club is always looking for new members and looks forward to meeting at lunch times again in the future. It provides a supportive and encouraging environment for young artists.

Push-Up Challenge

Staff and students completed almost 6000 push-ups in 21 days to raise awareness and much-needed funds for Headspace Melton.

From 11 to 31 May, 20 staff and students, who made up several teams, took part in The Push-Up Challenge and almost doubled the goal of 3046 push-ups during the campaign. The target set by the organisers represents how many lives were lost in Australia to suicide in 2018.

Our College teams completed 5998 and raised $90 to support Headspace.

Donations are still being accepted and can be made using this link. www.thepushupchallenge.com.au

Congratulations to Ms Naumcevski who led the staff team and completed 701 push-ups in three weeks despite a shoulder injury. The student team’s highest achiever was Ophelia Fernando who completed an incredible 1290 push-ups making her the top contributor to our College effort. I would like to thank everyone who got involved and encourage those who can, to donate. We hope to see everyone signing up and participating next year.

Online Events for Young Artists

Students thinking about a career in the arts are invited to join a series of free online events that connects them with artists and industry creatives.

Run by the National Gallery of Victoria, the Industry Connections series is targeted at teenagers aged 13 to 18. It gives young people access to artists and gives them the chance to ask them about their careers and work.

The next two sessions will feature Melbourne painter Olana Janfa and artist Atong Atem. Bookings are not needed just follow the links provided below and log on 10 minutes before the sessions start.

NGV Teens: Industry Connections Olana Janfa - Wednesday 24 June at 5pm.

Olana Janfa is an Ethiopian-Norwegian painter based in Melbourne. Self-taught, Olana’s art is influenced by the traditional Ethiopian Orthodox art from his childhood as well as being inspired by music, sport and popular culture. Olana paints on timber and recycled and found materials. His work recently featured in a collaboration with Melbourne fashion label Obus.

Follow this link for the session Webex code and password www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/ngv-teens-industry-connections-olana

NGV Teens: Industry Connections Atong Atem - Tuesday 7 July at 5pm

Artist Atong Atem combines photography with hand painting, video and projection to explore migrant stories and identity. Using pattern and colour, Atong’s work is inspired by her South Sudanese background. In 2017, Atong was the recipient of the inaugural NGV and MECCA M-Power scholarship.

Follow this link for the session Webex code and password www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/ngv-teens-industry-connections-atong

Community Notices

Melton City Libraries re-open

Melton City Libraries will re-open today (9 June) with limited service for borrowing books and DVDs through a new Click and Collect service.

Only 20 customers at a time will be allowed to enter the libraries, as per Government restrictions.

Opening hours will be 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 12pm to 4pm Saturday, and 1pm to 4pm Sunday. Access will be limited to collecting reserved items only.

The libraries, in Melton and Caroline Springs, will not be accessible for students as a meeting place before or after school.

Following Government advice, the libraries plan to commence normal operating hours at both branches from Monday 22 June. The number of customers allowed onsite will be adjusted accordingly.

School crossing supervisor awards

Nominate your Lollipop person for the 2019/2020 School Crossing Supervisor of the Year Award.

Jump online and complete a nomination at www.schoolcrossingsvictoria.com.au.

Your participation will help ensure your school crossing supervisor is shown the appreciation they deserve for their commitment to the ongoing safety of children.