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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here - the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001.
We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.
Term 3 2020 has been like no other that has gone before.
Never as a new principal did I imagine that our students from Year 7 to 10 would not attend onsite for an entire term. Or that many of staff I was getting to know would also be forced to work from home. And yet the life of the school has continued to bubble along.
We have completed our Masterplan and have commenced design of the first stages. It will include an expansion of our Gadal building to cater for increased student numbers and a complete remodelling of the oldest building on site, our Year 8 B Block building.
Our students completed subject selection and we have almost finalised staffing for 2021. Our future leaders have given their election speeches and performed admirably during interviews with our leadership team.
Virtual tours of the College conducted by our senior students have seen prospective students excited to see the outstanding facilities offered at CRC Melton. Our maintenance crew has continued work to improve the line of sight and child safety through installation of windows in our Trade Training Centre and have developed designs and commenced construction for a cover over our Year 12 kitchenette. Our staff took part in a Faith Day to deepen their understanding of the rich Catholic traditions.
So despite lockdown, the important work of a school has continued. The ability to keep our College functioning is primarily due to the innovation, energy and creativity of our community.
As we approach the end of term, I would like to acknowledge everyone’s extraordinary efforts. Thanks to our students for diligently attending online lessons; our staff who continued to learn and grow and provide new ways to teach and engage our students; and our parents who have supported the learning from home.
I wish everyone a safe and restful term break. Please ensure your children take a break from their screens and I pray that we will see our students face to face early in Term 4.
School Fees
All families should have already received a letter explaining that in 2021 school fees will not increase. While this will require careful budgeting and a close watch on the College finances, a cap on school fees will assist families in recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19. Once again, I thank all families who continue to pay their school fees and urge anyone who is experiencing financial difficulty to contact our Finance Manager Kaye Kennedy to discuss concessions.
The letter sent to all families is available below.
| Dates to remember | |
| Wednesday 16 September | 2021 Re-enrolment response due via Operoo. |
| Thursday 17 September | Term 3 concludes 1.15pm (end of Period 3) / Parent Student Teacher Interviews. |
| Friday 18 September | Staff Planning Day |
| Monday 5 October | Term 4 begins. Distance Learning Mode for all year levels. |
| Wednesday 7 October | General Achievement Test (GAT) for all VCE Unit 3/4 students. |
| Monday 12 October | Year 11 and 12 students return to onsite learning. Year 10 students enrolled in a VCE or VCAL program attend onsite for these classes. |
Thank you to all families for their support in Term 3, particularly in completing the subject selection process while in Distance Learning Mode (DLM).
Year 10 2021 subject selections are still being processed. These have the most complex blockings and due to DLM, student electives will not be finalised until Term 4.
Year 9 2021 Subject Selections have closed and blockings are almost finalised. Again, we hope that families will receive a confirmation of subjects early in Term 4.
End of Term 3
Please note that the last day of Term 3 classes will be this Thursday, 17 September.
Friday 18 September is a staff professional learning day to prepare for Term 4 classes and the staggered return of students.
Term 4
Term 4 classes will begin in DLM on Monday 5 October, which will be Day 1 of our timetable. During this first week, there will be some students on site, particularly those undertaking the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 7 October, and some VCAL students completing required practical activities. All families will be informed of such arrangements.
Our Year 12 Studio Arts students were on site at the College last week to work on their VCE folio. Their teacher Kath Jones reflected on the group’s time in the senior art studio space and provided some images of the students and their stunning work.
“The senior art studio was buzzing as we all painted together, myself included. Sometimes we sat in a silent contemplative manner, other times stopping for in-depth conversations about life, spirituality, racism, with sprinkles of laughter in between. It was terrific and it is days like this that I say “thank God I became a teacher”. If anyone has ever experienced being in a room full of artists working together in one big space, the feeling can be electric as you create, discuss and analyse life and one another’s artworks. As an artist it is the best feeling. However, when you are doing it with your art students, it is even better.
“I think the one thing COVID-19 has taught my students and I, is to appreciate what you have and not to worry about what you haven’t got. The students were expressing this as they talked about missing school and having a greater appreciation of us, their teachers.
“The images below are all works in progress. I hope you will be able to view the completed work at the end of year VCE exhibition.”
After a combination of face-to-face and distance learning for our Year 11 and 12 students and a whole term of distance learning for Year 7 to 10, we should celebrate the positive achievements having navigated another challenging term.
At our staff briefing yesterday, Year 12 Catherine homeroom teacher Ms Trish Griffin shared reflections from her class on how they felt about distance learning. Positive comments included how the students felt they had improved their self-managed learning skills but also missed the social interactions with their peers.
Parent Student Teacher Interviews
With the release of the mid-semester reports last week, the Parent Access Module is now open for Parent Student Teacher Interview bookings.
These conversational interviews will be conducted via the Teams online platform, with parents/guardians and students logging onto their student’s device or mobile phone. Students could reflect on the challenges they have experienced over the term, including areas they have grown in. Where a teacher is unable to undertake interviews on the night, they will arrange an alternative time.
Successful SAC Week
Year 12 students completed SAC Week and enjoyed an opportunity to see their peers, while following the COVID safety guidelines in place. Many thanks to VCE Coordinator Carissa Lock, Year 12 Coordinator Karina Dunne and their team for organising and supervising the completion of the SACs.
Practice exams
To maximise our students’ performance in their Unit 3/4 exams, and to reduce the anxiety they may face, we provide a simulated experience through practice exams. This is modelled on the actual exam experience by having external supervisors and using the VCE exam space, our Trade Training Centre. The College will hold practice exams during Week 2 of Term 4 and no formal Unit 3/4 VCE classes will run during this time. Staff will then provide feedback, highlighting areas to focus on in preparation for the final exams in November.
From the Domain and Learning leaders we wish you all a safe holiday, with time for our students to relax and be off-screen.
Students and teachers statewide have found remote learning educationally interesting, stressful, a great deal of extra work and responsibility, and above all, very challenging.
However, the vast majority of students and teachers at CRC Melton have given it their best shot. As a result our students have continued to learn and make significant progress during Distance Learning Mode (DLM).
I’d particularly like to acknowledge a Year 10 maths class I teach. This class and many others at CRC have accepted the challenges of DLM and continued to do their best.
This maths class has achieved perfect attendance for the last two terms. Not one of my 25 maths students has missed a single class and it is no surprise that their last test result average was 87 per cent.
This in itself is a wonderful class accomplishment and is by no means a singular example.
Other classes at the College have also achieved way beyond what was expected of them during these difficult times. There are many classes where students have continued to do exceptionally well.
I‘d like to thank my students who have taken such a professional approach towards their learning. I am proud of them and thank them for their hard work, commitment to their subject and for their resilience. In accepting the challenge without hesitation, they went on to achieve something remarkable.
Online Safety
Online safety is vital at this time as parents and guardians are called on more than ever before to monitor their child’s access to the Internet. It is difficult for College staff to follow up on the online activities of students in the current environment.
You will have seen or read news reports last week about an offensive and distressing Tik Tok video that appeared on various social media platforms. Parents were strongly advised to be aware of what their child was accessing online and what apps they were using.
You may be interested in an article that appeared in The Age newspaper yesterday (14 September) regarding this issue: The Age 14 September 2020
A great resource for parents is www.esafety.gov.au/parents
Year 12 student Jarryd Martin has earned a University of Melbourne Principal’s Scholarship for his academic and co-curricular achievements.
The scholarship provides a one-off allowance of $5000 and is guaranteed to all nominated students who receive an offer to study a University of Melbourne undergraduate degree for the year following their final year of high school.
Jarryd hopes to study Science, majoring in mathematical physics, next year.
He was the highest achieving student in Mathematics from Year 7 to 9 and in Year 10 Core-Plus Mathematics. He was also the Science Dux in Year 9 and Physics Dux in Year 10.
By the end of Year 11, Jarryd was the top of his year level in Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
He has also participated in many co-curricular activities including SACCSS golf, tennis, chess, volleyball and football, earning an award for his efforts in both Year 10 and 11.
A number of our past students have been awarded the Principal’s Scholarship in their final year of secondary school, a recognition of their academic achievement and contribution to the College and wider community.
Last Thursday our Year 10 Core Mathematics students took part in an online webinar presented by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Students are currently studying Financial Mathematics, a topic that aims to teach the critical thinking skills needed to make sound financial choices in the future. With many students beginning to enter the workforce casually or part-time, we wanted to ensure they understood the fundamentals of having a job and their pay rates.
The Smart Earning Workshop introduced students to a variety of topics associated with earning money such as getting your first job, rates of pay, taxation and workplace rights and responsibilities. During the one hour webinar, students were shown the Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) website that provides expected pay rates for any given age in any given industry. Students were also introduced to the concepts of penalties, leave entitlements, taxation and superannuation.
Overall, it was a very positive experience for our students to see the connection between maths and real-life. More importantly, we hope that it empowers our young people to understand their rights and responsibilities when entering the workforce and make the experience of getting their first pay cheque a lot easier to understand.
“I found this workshop extremely helpful. Most of the topics such as how much you should get paid, questions to ask your employer and tax file numbers I had no idea about before. If it weren’t for this information, I would have had no idea about how to manage my future earnings. This will definitely help us in the future.” Wanwue Tarpeh
“It was really good to learn more about what goes with getting a job and about pay rates. I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot” Dyllan Mungcal
“The meeting was very interesting and I appreciate the presenter sharing her wisdom and knowledge with our class in relation to fair work and seeking employment. I enjoyed the information that was shared as I was originally unaware of my rights. Overall, I feel the incursion was very intriguing and educational in a number of ways.” Natalie Jones
Distance Learning has created many challenges for the Art department but has also pushed us to think outside the box.
Within the Art faculty, we have the subjects of Art, Media, Visual Communication Design, Dance, Drama and Music. These subjects rely heavily on interactions between students or the use of specialised equipment, which can make things difficult when students are learning alone in their home.
Our creative Art staff have stepped up and developed activities to engage and empower their students. Art classes are now about using whatever materials can be found around the house. Tin foil becomes the basis for sculpture and kitchen utensils become the inspiration for designing new creatures. Dance classes are about teaching mum or dad a TiK Tok dance while Drama students perform solos that are recorded and uploaded for assessment.
Art in all its forms has been a reason to put the devices down and get creative. Rather than working within the constraints of 75-minute classes, students have been indulging in their art for more extended periods. Finding their creative flow has led to hours of enjoyment and the work teachers have received reflect this.
I want to thank our dedicated Art staff for their commitment to reinventing the curriculum to keep students engaged during this difficult learning experience.
Most importantly a huge congratulations to our amazing students who have shown that nothing gets in the way of creativity.
In Year 9 Media this semester students have been discovering different forms of media, starting with photography.
Students were challenged to use household objects to create unique images from different angles and embrace their creativity.
Our talented students submitted some fantastic entries for the recent College House Mascot Drawing Competition.
Winners will be announced by our Arts Captain at the College Assembly on Thursday (17 September). Watch our Facebook and Instagram pages for all the details.
Below is a selection of the entries received.
A story on our College’s 40th anniversary appeared in last week’s edition of The Melton Moorabool Star Weekly.
The College was also part of an Education Choices feature on page 10. You can read both articles in the edition attached below.
Catholic Education Melbourne also featured a story on our anniversary on their News and Events page. You can follow this link to read more.
Students and staff had plenty to say after R U OK? judging by the response to our activity last week. There were many great suggestions of how to keep a conversation going with someone who was struggling with life. The day highlighted the empathy and compassion in our College community and was another way to connect while we are apart. House points were earned for each contribution and the tally at the end of the day was: Fitzgerald 80, Daffey 70, Reed 70 and Glasheen 30.
Over the last 5 weeks our staff have been busy accruing kilometres by walking, running and/or cycling in our Staff Active Challenge.
Health and wellbeing was at the heart of this team event, as staff worked together to try and win the weekly challenge using their daily hour of activity.
The challenge brought out the competitive streak in many staff but most importantly it helped to get us outside and active during lockdown.
Staff posted some amazing totals and the distances travelled over the five weeks were equivalent to running to Newcastle, cycling to Airlie Beach and overall travelling to Darwin and back!
Thanks to all for their participation and we look at launching another student version of the challenge in Term 4!
Congratulations to Ayla Williams who won the Year 11 Italian Who Am I Quiz by correctly guessing famous actress Sophia Loren.
This week, the quiz will wind up with Year 12 students called on to use the clues on SIMON to guess the name of a famous Italian poet. Students can email their answers to crusso@sfcc.vic.edu.au by Friday 18 September to receive a prize and 5 House points.
Djerriwarrh Health Services is celebrating International Day of the Girl on 11 October with a competition that invites all girls and young women to share their ideas and solutions for positive social change and gender equality.
Melton City Council’s Community Connector Hubs are providing food relief to those in need. The hubs also provide information on how to connect with other emergency support services. Available only to City of Melton residents.
Find out more here. Connector Hubs Food Relief
Melton City Council is offering parents a free online information session with important tips on how to keep kids safe when they use popular online gaming platforms.
Find out more here. Keeping Kids Safe Who Game Flyer 2020
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