From the Principal

A number of our leaders from across the College attended the annual Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools Deputy Principals Association (VCSSDPA) Women in Leadership Dinner last week.

This year’s keynote speaker was Rita Arrigo, Strategic Engagement Manager at the National AI Centre.

Rita reflected on her own Catholic education at Star of the Sea College, sharing how it provided the foundation for her future success.

She spoke powerfully about the confidence she gained to believe in herself and the empathy she developed to understand others - two key values she attributed to her secondary schooling.

Rita delivered an inspiring address filled with optimism about the future of work in the age of Generative AI. She highlighted emerging roles such as AI content creators, AI ethics specialists and robotics developers, and shared an exciting example of how AI is being used for good - supporting local Indigenous communities in efforts to prevent the extinction of Magpie Geese.

The Women in Leadership Dinner remains a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues from other schools, to share a meal, and to engage in meaningful conversations about creative approaches to common challenges in education.

Looking Ahead - Melton Campus

Looking Ahead - Cobblebank Campus

National Teacher Certification

National Teacher Certification is a process of recognising outstanding teaching at highly accomplished and/or leading standard against national proficiency standards for Australian teachers.

This year, SFCC has two staff members undertaking the process of national certification: Cobblebank Campus teacher Sophie-Kieu Jewell and Melton Campus teacher Nathaniel Winfield.

The journey

Teachers undertake a 12-month assessment of their practice against national standards for teachers in which they present evidence sets of artefacts against practice achievement standards.

“The HALT Certification program is an opportunity to reflect on practice, considering what works and, in particular, what works well,” Nathaniel said.

“The journey so far has helped me to rethink my teaching and, most importantly, the impact I have on students and colleagues.”

Sophie said: “My experience with NTC to date has been quite engaging. It’s helped me to set expectations as a teacher to grow and strengthen my skills and practice. I’ve also considered and recognised my responsibilities as an educator and representative of the school.”

Lead Initiative

As part of the journey to certification, teachers undertake a leadership initiative within the College in which their expert teaching skills are used to lead others and inspire new teaching and learning practices.

“My lead initiative seeks to help funnel down the high-order, critical thinking skills required for success in VCE into the lower year levels through purposeful assessment tools. The aim is to help all students achieve better results within the subject,” Nathaniel said.

“The lead initiative I have proposed for the school is to improve students' numeracy across our curriculum and enhance our teachers' numeracy practices. The initiative aims to build and enhance instructional practices,” Sophie said.

We wish both teachers success on their journey to national certification and acknowledge the contribution lead teachers bring to our learning community.

Exam Preparation Webinar

Elevate Education's next free live webinar on how to help your child prepare for exams will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 21 May from 6.30pm.

You can click here to register.

The webinar will provide advice on how to study effectively in the lead up to exams and what you can do to help them navigate what can be a daunting time.

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.

Below is a list of other webinars scheduled for Term 2.

New High Ability Program

We are excited to share the tremendous progress of our newly launched High Ability Program at the Melton campus.

The trial program was launched earlier this year, with a view to expanding to Cobblebank Campus.

It is already off to a dynamic and enriching start with our first cohort of Year 7 and Year 8 students.

Using a data-informed selection process based on NAPLAN and PAT assessments, we have carefully identified a group of high-achieving students who show strong potential for advanced learning.

We congratulate the eight students from Year 7 and eight from Year 8 who have been selected to participate.

These dedicated students meet every Thursday after school to take part in challenging, creative, and thought-provoking enrichment activities designed to extend their critical thinking and problem-solving skills across a variety of disciplines.

The College recognises that all students have individual learning needs.

The High Ability Program is provided in addition to the differentiation used by teachers in classes. They provide a learning environment for students that acknowledges and supports different needs and skills through focused and targeted teaching.

Program highlights and upcoming events

The High Ability Program is structured around a series of targeted enrichment opportunities aimed at nurturing curiosity and inspiring academic excellence. This year’s exciting lineup includes:

Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition 

Tuesday 20 May 2025

Our students have been actively preparing for this competition. The CAT competition develops logic and problem-solving abilities through coding-free, algorithm-based challenges.

BrainSTEM Design Thinking & LEGO Workshop

Monday 23 June 2025

A hands-on, team-based workshop encouraging creativity and real-world STEM problem solving through LEGO engineering and design thinking tasks.

STEM Mentoring six-week program

28 July – 5 September 2025 (Term 3)

Students will be matched with mentors in STEM fields to gain insights, receive guidance, and work on projects that reflect their interests and ambitions.

Global Issues Problem Solving (ongoing)

A high-level enrichment opportunity for students interested in tackling real-world global challenges through research and critical analysis.

Da Vinci Decathlon – preparation for 2026
While participation is planned for next year, students will begin early training and collaborative sessions this year to prepare for this prestigious, multi-disciplinary academic competition.

Thank you

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our parents and guardians for supporting their children to participate in this program. Your involvement and encouragement play a vital role in the ongoing success of this initiative.

We also thank our staff for their dedication in guiding and mentoring these students, and most importantly, congratulations to the students themselves – your enthusiasm, collaboration, and commitment have already set a high standard!

Looking Ahead – Want to Join the High Ability Program?

As the High Ability Program continues to grow, we encourage more students and families to consider this exciting opportunity in the future.

With a variety of enrichment activities, the program offers an environment where students can explore advanced topics, connect with like-minded peers, and truly challenge themselves in a supportive and engaging setting.

If you are a student who enjoys critical thinking, thrives on creative problem-solving, or simply wishes to go beyond the standard curriculum, this program is for you.

Keep an eye out for future selection opportunities, and don’t hesitate to talk to me about getting involved.

Together, we are fostering a culture of excellence and aspiration at our College – and this is just the beginning.

Youth Road Safety Reminder

Below is a Victoria Police fact sheet with some important reminders about road safety when using e-bikes and e-scooters.

Students who are not at least 16 years old should not be riding e-scooters to and from school.

Any student who arrives at school on an e-scooter and is under 16 will not be allowed to ride it home. Parents and guardians will be contacted to collect the e-scooter.

Please ensure your child is following the road laws to keep themselves and others in our community safe.

Melton Year 10 Food Studies

As part of the Year 10 Food Studies program, students engaged in a hands-on assessment task focused on designing and preparing their own Freak Shake.

This assessment enabled students to explore food presentation, flavor combinations, and nutritional considerations while showcasing their creativity.

They researched current food trends, experimented with various ingredients and toppings, and created a design that balanced visual appeal and taste.

The task culminated in preparing and presenting their Freak Shakes, which were evaluated based on taste, aesthetics, originality, and hygiene practices.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to express themselves through food. The assessment was both fun and educational, fostering teamwork, planning, and critical thinking skills.

SMILE for Wellbeing

Each week, our Student Wellbeing Practitioners will share some practical tips to support student wellbeing.

Today, we’re introducing SMILE – a helpful acronym to remind you of ways to take care of yourself. SMILE stands for:

S: Sleep

M: Mindfulness

I: Interests

L: Loved Ones

E: Exercise/Eat Well.

S for Sleep

Getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night helps your brain stay sharp, improves your mood, and boosts your focus. Avoid screens 30 minutes before bed to help your brain wind down and get the rest it needs!

For more tips and helpful information, click here to check out the complete guide from the Black Dog Institute.

Sports Update

SACCSS Open Badminton

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to represent SFCC Melton at the SACCSS Open Badminton tournament held at Eagle Stadium. The atmosphere was energetic and full of excitement as we competed against students from other Catholic schools.

My doubles partner, Agnel and I played in the Boys Doubles B division and made it all the way to the semi-finals. It was a challenging game, which we unfortunately lost, but I’m really happy with how we performed. Overall, it was a fantastic day filled with great matches, teamwork, and school spirit. Shishir, Year 11

Being able to participate in a badminton tournament is always fun, and this time was very exciting.

After playing seven games, including a semi-final matchup against our own school, my partner Shreeya and I made it to the grand final. Although we lost, it was incredible to have all of our teammates and friends cheering and supporting us during the match.

I'm so proud of everyone for giving it their best shot and displaying amazing sportsmanship and teamwork.  A big thank you goes out to Ms Banu, Ms Holmes, and Ms Alp for their organisation of tryouts, training sessions, and their motivational coaching. Mariann, Year 10

Equestrian news

St Francis Catholic College was represented by Year 12 student Alice riding Bel Attrait at the Victorian Equestrian Interschools Series (VEIS) at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre on Sunday 11 May. 

The pair participated in two show jumping competitions during the day. 

Alice and Bel were successful in a class of 44 horses to have a podium finish, placing sixth in the 95cm class. The team will head to Riddells Creek VEIS show jumping day this weekend and we wish them all the best.

SACCSS Cross Country Championships

St Francis Melton’s Intermediate boys have gone back-to-back, securing the Division 2 15-16 Year Cross Country Aggregate Trophy for the second year running.

Warm conditions made the hilly terrain much harder to overcome, but the dedicated athletes pushed through to bring home three pennants and claim an overall aggregate.

Congratulations to all our students who finished on the podium and to those who participated this year. We hope to see the team back in 2026!

13-year Junior Boys (3km)

3^rd Place – Benji Peelman (11:45.8)

14-year Junior Boys (3km)

1^st Place – Emmett Locke (11:58.1)

15-16-year Intermediate Girls (3km)

1^st Place – Harlow Lesko (13:51.1)

2^nd Place – Tanae Grero (13:59.2)

17-20 Senior Girls (3km)

3^rd Place – Shameka Grero (14:18.3)

15-16-year Intermediate Boys (4km)

1^st Place – Caleb Hurst (15:51.8)

2^nd Place – Evan Dando (16:13.8)

Division 2 Junior Boys Pennant

Division 2 Intermediate Boys Pennant

Division 2 Intermediate Boys Aggregate Trophy

Melton Campus – Round 3 – Year 7 Premier League

Host Families Wanted for Visiting Italian Students

Every year, the College hosts students from Convitto Nazionale “Paolo Diacono” in the Friuli region of Italy.

Students from this school will visit us for about four weeks at the beginning of Term 3.

The students all speak English and are escorted by a teacher from their school, who is generally hosted by a staff member. The students will attend classes at the College on all school days during their visit.

If you would like to know more, please contact me via email at piannazzo@sfcc.vic.edu.au.

Hosting a student from another country:

• enriches cultural experiences by introducing new customs, traditions and perspectives
• encourages tolerance, open-mindedness and intercultural respect
• provides a chance to learn new languages or improve language skills
• creates lifelong connections and international friendships
• offers your children a chance to develop global communication skills while sharing their way of life.

Community Notices

Africa Day Festival

Melton Young Communities

The Melton Young Communities Term 2 newsletter is available below and is packed with events and activities.

Term 2 2025 - Melton Young Communities Newsletter

Job Hub

Launch Pad

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

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Policies

Uniform

Library