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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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As we prepare for Reconciliation Week, it is timely to remember that 27 May and 3 June are important dates in Australia’s history.
On 27 May 1967, a referendum saw Australians vote to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
On 3 June 1992, the historic Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native title was delivered. It was recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation.
So we acknowledge that we gather today on the land of the Wurundjeri people and pay our respects to their elders, both past and present, for they hold the memories, the culture and the wisdom upon which our nation’s future will be built.
Holy Father, God of Love
You are the Creator of this land and all good things.
We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history and the suffering of our peoples.
Lord Have Mercy
Holy Father, God of Love
We thank you for the survival of indigenous cultures.
Our hope is in you because your son Jesus Christ came to reconcile the world to you.
Christ Have Mercy
Holy Father, God of Love
Teach us to respect all cultures.
Help us to bring about spiritual and social change.
Lord Have Mercy
Last Sunday, 23 May, the sun was shining and the College opened to celebrate more than 40 years of Catholic education at Catholic Regional College Melton.
More than 300 past and present staff, students and families took a self-guided tour through our grounds and facilities and meandered through photographic displays of bygone days.
It was wonderful to see faces light up as students recognised both staff and peers from their high school years at CRC. Several students from the original Year 7 class of 1980 were present, some of whom have become lead teachers.
Father John O’Reilly returned to provide a blessing in the chapel. He reminded us that “without Jesus, there is no Catholic school” and that the church’s mission and hence our mission is to “make Jesus known”.
Thanks to the vision and drive of our early pioneers, Catholic Regional College has grown from humble beginnings to be a thriving community providing a holistic, well rounded Catholic education for families in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Many visitors at our Open Day spoke positively about how our current students presented themselves at each of the buildings they were stationed in, a sign that the College is still producing articulate and well-mannered individuals.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit and help us celebrate this significant milestone in the life of the College.
| Dates to remember | |
| Wednesday 26 May | Parents and Friends Meeting |
| Connected Parenting Workshop - Register here | |
| Tuesday 1 June | College Tour - Register here |
| CRC Melton Cobblebank Campus Information Evening - Register here | |
| Wednesday 2 June | Year 10 and 11 Examinations begin |
| Friday 11 June | Year 10 and 11 Examinations conclude |
| Monday 14 June | Queen's Birthday holiday |
| Monday 21 June | Student free day - Staff Professional Development Day |
| Friday 25 June | Term 2 concludes |
View the full College Calendar
Our 2021 College Production rehearsals are in full swing and the excitement is building with the show set to premiere in our Performing Arts Centre on Friday 23 July.
With only five weeks left of after school rehearsals, our Wildcats have memorised their lines, learned their dances and are singing likes stars.
We are putting the finishing touches on sets and props and costumes have been bedazzled.
The only thing left to organise is an audience, so get your tickets now.
Showtimes are:
Friday 23 July at - 7pm
Saturday 24 July - 1pm
Saturday 24 July - 6.30pm
Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for students, concession card holders and pensioners.
Tickets will sell quickly so get your family together and book your seat to make sure you don't miss this year’s amazing production.
Go Wildcats!
Click here to book your tickets to the 2021 CRC Melton Production.
Melton Parish has confirmed the date for the celebration of Confirmation for Year 7 students from St Catherine’s and St Dominic’s will be Sunday 1 August.
Further details from the parish will be provided to parents and guardians as they are received.
It’s not too late to attend our Connected Parenting Workshop, which due to updated COVIDSafe measures will now be presented online tomorrow evening from 6.30pm.
In this 90 minute workshop, author, TEDx speaker, counsellor and parenting educator Lael Stone will provide parents and guardians with:
More information about the workshop and Lael Stone is available here. Connected Parenting Workshop
If you have registered for the workshop, you will receive a link tomorrow afternoon that will enable you to join the event at 6.30pm.
If you have any questions please email me at cbullen@sfcc.vic.edu.au
The next Parents and Friends Association meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 26 May, at 7pm via Microsoft Teams and will include a presentation from our new Deputy Principal of Student Wellbeing, Mrs Cheryl Bullen.
New families are always welcome.
If you would like to attend, please email kmatthews@sfcc.vic.edu.au for an online link to the meeting.
Last week the Wellbeing team launched the College’s Core Wellbeing Values and the Domestique Awards to our staff.
The embedding of core values and the awards were trialed in Year 8 and will now be implemented across every year level.
CRC Melton’s core student values are Empathy, Endeavour and Community.
A description of each is available below.
Empathy
Endeavour
Community
The core values will be taught through morning homeroom and will continue to be reinforced throughout the day and in pastoral sessions.
Students will be formally recognised for living our core values by being nominated for Year Level Awards for Empathy, Endeavour, and Community each term.
The student who encompasses all three of the core values combined will be nominated for the Domestique Award.
Domestique originates from road bicycle racing. A domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of their team and leader rather than trying to win the race.
The awards will recognise students for their selfless acts, thinking of others and contributing for the good of their class, even when their actions seem to go unnoticed.
Our Year 10 and 11 students are finalising Semester 1 assessment tasks and beginning their preparation for examinations.
Our Year Level Coordinators send out exam timetable information to students and families, which includes attendance expectations.
It is important for students to begin preparing for their exams now.
Our Year 12 VCE students and Year 11 students undertaking Unit 3/4 VCE subjects will sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 9 June. No Year 11 exams will run on this day. Ms Carissa Locke, VCE Coordinator, has provided students with information on how to prepare for the GAT. Further information is available in this week's newsletter.
The Semester 2 change of subject process is open for Year 9 electives and Year 10 and 11 subjects.
Students should complete the Change of Subject form and obtain all required signatures (including parent/guardian approval) before the form is processed. Students are notified by email of successful changes. Deadlines apply and changes are possible if class numbers and the timetable allows.
Families are required to obtain all equipment for a new subject by the beginning of Semester 2.
I wish all students the best as they prepare for the coming examinations and timed assessment tasks (TATs).
Any student undertaking a Unit 3/4 subject will be required to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 9 June from 10am to 1.15pm.
The GAT is a test of general knowledge and skills in these broad areas:
GAT results:
The GAT will be held in Padua and students should wear their winter uniform. Year 12 students will not have access to their lockers in Padua before the GAT.
All students are required to stay in the examination room until the completion of the GAT at 1.15pm, even if they finish early.
Students need to be at school no later than 9.15am and are to assemble in the rooms in the Siena building prior to the exam.
No VCE Unit 3/4 classes will be scheduled on this day. Year 11 students are not expected to attend their Unit 2 classes on this day either. Buses will run as usual.
Approved materials for the GAT include:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the GAT, please contact me via email at clock@sfcc.vic.edu.au
Every Wednesday at lunchtime in the Alexandria Resource Centre, staff from the maths department open the upstairs space for students who require help with their maths work.
There are at least two teachers on hand to help answer all student queries.
Many students often come to complete their homework, catch up with their work or get ahead in the unit.
I strongly encourage students struggling to balance homework with their extra co-curricular activities outside of school to come and receive help from the maths team.
Students have benefited from the one-on-one time they’ve received and it is always helpful to hear a concept explained again or shown differently.
Year 8 students Isabella and Thomas attend regularly and were keen to share their thoughts and experiences of Maths Help this semester.
“I enjoy coming to Maths Help because it is a calm and friendly environment and once the (maths) strategies are broken down it’s easy to understand. I encourage others to come along on Wednesdays because the teachers are helpful, and the work is far more understandable when the maths problems are explained. It is also a fun and happy place.” Isabella - 8O
“I love coming to Maths Help because the teachers are great whenever I get stuck. This club benefits my friends and I more than any other club I go to - I have stopped disliking maths and actually look forward to class. The teachers make time for every student so they get the help they need.” Thomas - 8B
If your child is struggling in maths, please ask them to consider attending Maths Help. We look forward to seeing new faces every Wednesday.
Mathematics Domain Leader
On Thursday 20 May our boys and girls AFL teams played Emmanuel College in the senior competition.
Both teams fought hard, but unfortunately, Emmanuel College was tough to beat and went home with the win.
Our next Senior AFL games will be on the 1 June against Salesian College. Good luck to all involved.
Following Round 4 and 5 of Year 7 Premier League, our girl’s basketball team remain undefeated, making them serious finals contenders, along with our volleyball teams that continued their winning streak for the third week in a row.
Well done to all students who participated in the last two rounds. We hope to get a few more wins on the board before finals begin.
Although our netball team (pictured below) were defeated this week, coach Miss Emma Van Wees said they put in a great effort, particularly Mia who showed great agility on the court and Aleisha with her goal shooting.
On 13 May our 12S VCAL class visited the Melbourne Zoo.
We participated in a private tour with zoo staff that took us behind the scenes and walked around, interacting with the animals and learning about the zoo’s waste management system.
We also observed the orangutans and how they have perfectly adapted to their habitat. Their long arms and feet allow them to grasp branches which means they can travel with ease. It was mesmerising to watch.
We also learned about the palm oil industry and how their activities destroy rainforests, making the orangutans an endangered species.
These were just some of the interesting facts we learnt at the zoo alongside their energy-saving practices.
The aim of the Melbourne Zoo excursion was to learn about sustainability and how we can try to implement it more strongly at our school.
The students of 12S very much enjoyed this excursion and found the information very valuable and enriching.
VCAL students
More than $500 was raised for the Cancer Council by our Year 11 and 12 VCAL students at their recent Mother’s Day stall.
The students made items such as dream catchers, cards, terrariums, bath salts and candles for the lunchtime sale and were thrilled with the support they received from students and staff on the day.
Students chose to donate the money raised to the Cancer Council in honour of all those in the CRC Melton community who have suffered and are fighting this challenging disease.
The VCAL class 12S is also designing and building a pop-up shop. It was displayed during the Mother's Day stall and students look forward to using it later in the year when it is fully completed.
The first after school Master Art class was held at the College last week, attracting an enthusiastic group of students who have begun painting their landscapes.
Students learned about oil paint, setting up their paints, brushes, and glaze and using a wash to cover their canvas. They also started learning about layering the paint, touching on the alla prima technique.
It is hoped that at the end of this series of masterclasses, students will finish with two beautiful landscape paintings, one of which will be directed step by step and the other their own choice. I cannot wait to see the results.
Watch this space!
As a parent, caregiver or significant adult in a young person’s life, we often question some of their judgements about friends, fashion, screen time and risk-taking behaviours.
In the Year 9 Rite Journey course of study, we explore many of these questions with our students.
To do this effectively, we need to understand what is going on for our young people physically, especially when it comes to the construction of parts of the brain.
The fact is, our young people’s brain continues to develop until they turn 25, well after they leave school.
The University of Rochester offers some very informative advice for parents and a small section is available below. You can also follow this link to read more.
Understanding the Teen Brain
"It doesn’t matter how smart teens are or how well they scored on the SAT or ACT. Good judgment isn’t something they can excel in, at least not yet.
The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until age 25 or so.
In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdala. This is the emotional part.
In teens’ brains, the connections between the emotional part of the brain and the decision-making centre are still developing and not always at the same rate. That’s why when teens have overwhelming emotional input, they can’t explain later what they were thinking. They weren’t thinking as much as they were feeling." Source: University of Rochester.
In addition, I have included a letter from a young person explaining in their words what is going on for them and asking their significant adult to stick with them. It is excellent reading for all adults with young people in their lives.
Dear Mum, Dad, Caregiver, Significant adult in my life,
Please stick with me.
I can’t think clearly right now because there is a rather substantial section of my prefrontal cortex missing. It’s a fairly important chunk, something having to do with rational thought. You see, it won’t be fully developed until I’m about 25. And from where I sit, 25 seems a long way off.
It does not matter that I’m smart; even a perfect score on my math SAC doesn’t insulate me from the normal developmental stages that we all go through. Judgement and intelligence are two completely distinct things.
And the same thing that makes my brain wonderfully flexible, creative and sponge-like also makes me impulsive. Not necessarily reckless or negligent but more impulsive than I will be later in life.
Please stick with me.
So, when you look at me like I have ten heads after I’ve done something “stupid” or failed to do something “smart,” you’re not really helping.
You adults respond to situations with your prefrontal cortex (rationally) but I am more inclined to respond with my amygdala (emotionally). And when you ask, “What were you thinking?” the answer is I wasn’t, at least not in the way you are. You can blame me, or you can blame mother nature, but either way, it is what it is.
At this point in my life, I get that you love me, but my friends are my everything. Please understand that. Right now, I choose my friends, but, don’t be fooled, I am watching you. Carefully.
Please stick with me.
Here’s 7 things you can do for me:
Model adulting - I see all the behaviours that you are modelling, and I hear all of the words you say. I may not listen, but I do hear you. I seem impervious to your advice, like I’m wearing a Kevlar vest, but your actions and words are penetrating. I promise. If you keep showing me the way, I will follow even if I detour many, many times before we reach our destination.
Let me figure things out for myself - If you allow me to experience the consequences of my own actions, I will learn from them. Please give me a little bit of leash and let me know that I can figure things out for myself. The more I do, the more confidence and resilience I will develop.
Tell me about you - I want you to tell me all the stories of the crazy things you did as a teen, and what you learned from them. Then give me the space to do the same.
Help me with perspective - Keep reminding me of the big picture. I will roll my eyes at you and make all kinds of grunt-like sounds. I will let you know in no uncertain terms that you can’t possibly understand any of what I’m going through. But I’m listening. I really am. It’s hard for me to see anything beyond the weeds that I am currently mired in. Help me scan out and focus on the long view. Remind me that this moment will pass.
Keep me safe - Please remind me that drugs and driving don’t mix. Keep telling me that you will bail me out of any dangerous situation, no anger, no lectures, no questions asked. But also let me know over and over and over that you are there to listen, when I need you.
Be kind - I will learn kindness from you and if you are relentless in your kindness to me, someday I will imitate that behaviour. Don’t ever mock me, please and don’t be cruel. Humour me - I think I know everything. You probably did as well at my age. Let it go.
Show interest in the things I enjoy - Some days I will choose to share my interests with you, and it will make me feel good if you validate those interests, by at least acting interested. One day when the haze of adolescence lifts, you will find a confident, strong, competent, kind adult where a surly teenager once stood. In the meantime, buckle in for the ride.
Please stick with me.
Love,
Your Teenager
The Year 10 Geography class travelled to Phillip Island recently to complete fieldwork for their Coastal Management Unit.
We visited two main fieldwork sites at Cape Woolamai and Summerlands where students observed and took note of changes to the landscape resulting from natural and human causes.
They also had to identify the management strategies being used to preserve the landscapes and prevent further degradation.
The students listened to a presentation from a Phillip Island Nature Parks Ranger who walked them through the history of Phillip Island and the work underway to make it habitable again for our native species.
They also took part in a program where they were asked to collect a range of data about certain animals for Phillip Island Nature Parks. This data will assist the rangers in tracking animal movements and ensuring that the Summerlands remains a safe place for our native species.
Overall, it was a very successful and relaxing camp that even included a very cold and windy viewing of the Penguin Parade!
Lastly, a huge thank you to Mrs Dunne, who assisted and presented at this camp. We look forward to returning in Semester 2 with the next group of students.
Language students have been busy both in and out of the classroom this term with more incursions and excursions in the months ahead.
Year 8 students will visit the Royal Melbourne Zoo on Thursday 3 June. To ensure your child can attend, please complete the permission request via PAM as soon as possible.
Our Year 7 to 10 Italian students will participate in Italian Day on Thursday 5 August. The Year 7 and 8 students will enjoy a drama show titled Mission Gnocchi while Year 9 and 10 students will take part in a dance workshop run by Phil Carroll and Into the Groove.
Another successful session of the Italian club was held last week. We had an enthusiastic group of Year 7 and 8 students attend and they enjoyed watching the Italian movie Benvenuti al Nord, which highlights the differences between northern and southern Italy.
Each student is awarded house points for participating in the club and for the last session of the semester, students will also be given an Italian Certificate.
We look forward to seeing many more students attend the next session on Monday 7 June at lunchtime in Room B101.
A new Pop Up Art Club began in the Year 7 area at the College last week.
Our students embraced the idea and asked lots of questions about what I was doing while enjoying the fresh air and drawing what they saw.
A bit of en plein air never hurt anyone!
The City of Melton plans to upgrade the Bulmans Road Corridor from High Street to Centenary Ave and would like your feedback on the proposed changes.
Bulmans Road is an important link within the City of Melton. It connects the suburbs of Harkness and Melton West to the township of Melton, Woodgrove Shopping Centre and the Western Freeway.
Currently, our College and St Catherine of Siena Primary School, generate significant traffic volumes resulting in safety and congestion concerns. This project will help address these concerns for all users, including pedestrians.
Click here to have your say on the proposed works and keep updated on the project's progress. Submissions from the community on the upgrade to Bulmans Road close on 31 May 2021.
Melton City Council is offering free Community Waste Education Workshops for residents.
If you are interested in reducing your waste at home, then these workshops are for you.
Follow the links below to register.
Waste minimisation workshop - click to register
Date: Wednesday 23 June 2021
Time: 7pm to 8.30pm
Location: Caroline Springs Library – Meeting Room 2
This workshop will help you begin reducing your waste at home or even achieving zero waste! Although your zero waste journey may not happen overnight, there are many small steps you can take to achieve it. You will be surprised how much difference a few small changes can make to the amount of waste you make!
A free six-week program to help parents and guardians teach their teenage children to control, understand and express their emotions in healthy and positive ways will be run by headspace Melton beginning on Tuesday 25 May.
The Tuning into Teens Program also helps parents and guardians recognise, understand and respond to their teens emotions, which in turn helps their child manage their own emotions.
You can can register your interest by contacting headspace Melton’s reception team on 8065 5600 or via email info-headspacemelton@orygen.org.au
Keep up to date with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.
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