From the Principal

Two of our staff will travel to remote northeast Arnhem Land to attend the Garma Festival this week.

Cobblebank Campus teacher Mollie Daphne and our Project Officer – Indigenous Students Daniela Harrington from Melton Campus will join the youth forum at the festival to gain a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, peoples and histories in the hope of leading a group of students to attend the festival in the future.

The Garma Festival is Australia’s largest Indigenous gathering, a 4-day celebration of Yolngu life and culture.

Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, Garma showcases traditional miny’tji (art), manikay (song), bunggul (dance) and story-telling and is an important meeting point for the clans and families of the region.

Click here to read more about the festival.

The youth forum gives a "space for young djamakuli (kids) to come together, explore leadership, discover their Voice and believe in their abilities".

When staff return from the festival, they will share their experiences with the College community and, with the support of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, will look at ways that we can continue to implement and support a broader understanding of our First Nations People.

Looking Ahead - Melton Campus Students

Looking Ahead - Cobblebank Campus Students

College Production Tickets

There are less than two weeks until our production Rags to Riches premieres in our Performing Arts Centre from Thursday 10 August to Saturday 12 August.

Show times are: Thursday 10 August, 7pm; Friday 11 August, 7pm; Saturday 12 August, 1pm.

To book tickets, visit https://www.trybooking.com/CJHYL

This year's production is split into two acts.

Act 1 -  Cinderella, if the shoe fits

First up is the hard-to-resist, all-time favourite fairy tale, told with fun and flair. Our actors take over the stage playing rhyming narrators, singing villagers, friendly animals, charming royalty, energetic messengers, the haughty stepmother and stepsisters, the irresistible Fairy Godmother, and lovely Cinderella. Of course, once the charming Prince discovers the proper owner of that famous sparkling slipper, everyone lives happily ever after!

Act 2 - Celebration of music and dance

This act showcases our talented Vocal ensemble, VET music band, classroom dancers and dance ensembles.

Enrolment Year 7 2025

Families are reminded that our due date for Year 7 2025 enrolments is fast approaching. Please remember to visit our website and fill out your application to secure a first-round interview soon after 18 August.

This process is important for current families as there is a strong demand for places across Melton and Cobblebank campuses. If you need assistance, please email enrolments@sfcc.vic.edu.au.

From the Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

There was a wonderful atmosphere at our recent Melton Campus Subject Selection Expo in the Trade Training Centre.

Students and families spoke to a range of Year 10 - 12 teachers and Domain Leaders regarding subjects in 2024.

The evening also included presentations for Year 10 and Year 11 2024 students about pathways and the many subjects and electives offered at the College, including our new Elite Sports Academy Program, commencing this year.

We are proud of the many opportunities offered to students, and we aim to ensure they find relevant and suitable pathways beyond Year 12, whether in a trade, apprenticeship, university course or other tertiary studies.

Year 8 students will receive information this week on the electives they can choose for their Year 9 Gadal Program.

NAPLAN reports

NAPLAN 2023 Individual Student Reports and Year 9 Certificates of Achievement were posted last week.

We congratulate students who received certificates of achievement in reading and/or numeracy for exceeding proficiency levels for Year 9.

Melton Campus Year 7 camp

I was lucky to attend the Year 7 Camp in Marysville last week, during which students enjoyed a presentation from Cassie Leatham, a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist of the Taungurung and Dja Dja Wurrung people.

Aunty Cass spoke about her culture and shared her many Indigenous personal artefacts and foods. She is also the author of An Important Message from Mr Beaky, and her work decorates the possum cloak pictured below.

Other activities included canoeing, rock wall climbing, initiative courses and bush skills. You can see more photos from the camp here.

I encourage you to talk to your child about their experience and what they learned.

From the Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing – Melton Campus

Approximately two out of three teenagers regularly sleep less than recommended amounts.

Research shows this can be detrimental to a young person’s mood and sleep patterns, and links to depression and anxiety have been identified.

Additionally, it can have a negative impact on academic achievement.

Some tips on screen time and sleep are:

• Set boundaries for screen time
• Choose an age-appropriate bedtime
• Practice good sleep routines
• Support mental wellness
• Get educated.

Source: Danielle Pacheco, Sleep Foundation, 14 March 2023, Screen Time and Insomnia: What it means for teens.

To assist with the use of mobile devices, we require students to place their phones in a Yondr pouch when at school.

Students need a block of time when they are not accessing their mobile phones, can focus solely on their school work without distraction and develop meaningful connections with their peers.

We are extremely pleased with the success of the Yondr pouches and how well our young people have adapted to the new system.

Our partnership with The Resilience Project supports our work with mobile devices. Below are some valuable tips for parents and guardians. 

We encourage you to monitor your child’s device usage before bedtime to ensure they are getting a good night’s sleep.

Resources for students

Year 8 Camp

Last week our Year 8 Melton Campus students travelled to Anglesea for a surfing and English camp where they were fully immersed in the setting of the novel The Road to Winter by Mark Smith, which they are currently studying.

Below are some student accounts of their experiences:

“Last week we went to Camp Wilkin in Anglesea. The first thing we did when we got there was to go surfing on the main beach. We learned how to stand up on the board and then were ready to try it for ourselves. On my first few tries, I couldn’t really catch the waves, but after that, I got the hang of it. I didn’t really stand up but I was good at getting on my knees and keeping my balance that way. On the second day, Mark Smith, the author of the novel The Road to Winter, came to speak about the book and his experience writing it. It was very interesting learning how long it takes to write a book and get it published. The Road to Winter is the first book in a trilogy. After the presentation, we went on a long walk around Anglesea and looked at the places mentioned in the book and the path that the two main characters, Finn and Rose, took when running from the villains Ramage and the Wilders. The whole walk took about three-and-a-half hours from start to finish and was a fun way to study a book.” Ned – Glowrey 2

“My experience surfing was one I will never forget. Riding waves while upright really made my day. Of course, I failed now and again, tumbling into the crashing waves, spinning underwater (with) the current. Freezing, but fun! The next day we met Mark Smith, author of The Road to Winter. He told stories about his life that matched with some parts of the book, and we all asked questions about his career as an author. Both answers and autographs were given.” Raphael – Lawrence 6

“Mark Smith spoke about how he grew up and originally never wanted to become a writer. A few people from each group asked questions and if you asked a good one, you were in the running to win the two sequels to The Road to Winter, which is part of a trilogy. I won the two books because I asked the best question!” Annika – Mackillop 5

“On camp, we got to experience a surf lesson run by Go Ride a Wave. The surfing connects to the book because the main character Finn has a passion for surfing and does it to take his mind off the catastrophic events happening in the world. I enjoyed the surfing because I expected not to be that good at it, but I caught quite a few waves.” Anna – Lawrence 6

Kezi Todd

English Domain Leader

Melton Campus Core Wellbeing Awards

Each term, students are recognised for consistently displaying our Core Wellbeing Values of Empathy, Community and Endeavour.

The Term 2 awards for Melton Campus students were presented at our full school assembly on Monday.

Empathy Award

The students who received 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 our community.

Community Award

Community is at the core of all we do at St Francis Catholic College, 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 support various activities, 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.

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 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.

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.

Italian Week

In Week 2, the College celebrated Italian Week at Melton and Cobblebank campuses, with all Italian students enjoying special activities.

Year 7 students from both campuses watched an Italian comedian and magician. Some of them got involved in the show, which made it even more fun!

The Year 8 Melton Campus students participated in a Tarantella dance workshop. It was great to see the students learning the basics of Tarantella, the story behind it and interacting with the presenters. Well done Year 8s for giving it a go!

Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 VET Italian students from our Melton Campus visited the Museo Italiano in Carlton. They learned about Italian migrants to Victoria and their significant contributions to the Carlton area. They enjoyed a walk on Lygon Street and some typical Italian food and desserts.

Our junior students were also busy in their classrooms, completing an art and craft activity with pasta shapes and glue. What messy fun!

Italian week would not have been complete without some soccer. Thank you to our Sports Coordinator, Claudia Alp, for organising our soccer clinics with Avondale Football Club Senior Assistant Coach Andy Vargas.

We also hope everyone enjoyed our canteen's gelati and special menu and listening to Italian music.

The Language Team thanks all staff who contributed to this fantastic week and congratulates the students for their active participation and commendable behaviour.

Student reflections on Italian Week excursion

“We had a great time at the VET excursion to Carlton. We really enjoyed learning about Italian history and culture, but most of all loved the food we got to try and the ice cream and pastries we got to purchase afterwards. It was a fun experience and we hope to do something similar again next year.” Breana and Calliah, Year 10

“The Italian excursion was a fun experience as we learned about history that we don't cover in Italian or History classes and also ate amazing desserts!” Samira, Year 10

“I had a great day on the excursion. The museum was interesting and taught me new things about Carlton and Italian immigration. The restaurant was great, the pizza was really cheesy and the pasta was great as well. We went to Brunetti afterwards and it had so many amazing desserts that it was hard to choose.” Samantha, Year 12

“The Italian excursion was great. We got to learn more about the historical context of Italy as well as enjoy amazing food. I would definitely go again!” Charlie, Year 11

Our junior students were asked to review their Italian Week experiences. Below are some of their comments:

"I enjoyed the Tarantella Dancer incursion because we could watch the professionals dance and have a go ourselves."

"I enjoyed the architetti di pasta because it was fun trying to remake the bridge.”

"The magic show was really good, the guy was funny and very entertaining.”

"I enjoyed the incursion because it was fun and good to have someone else come in and show us some new things about Italy.”

"The Incursion was enjoyable because Luigi Zucchini showed us very cool tricks like making his bird Freddo come out of a painting."

Melton Campus Homelessness Campaign in August

Our Melton Campus Faith and Mission Team is calling on the College community to support its Homelessness Campaign in August.

Along with raising awareness about homelessness in Australia, the team has assigned each House items to collect, which will be donated to organisations in the local community.

They will also hold a BBQ fundraiser for Melton Campus students at lunchtime on Wednesday 16 August. All proceeds will be used to purchase products to help those in need.

As members of our Catholic Community, the act of giving and giving back is very important on two levels. Firstly, it raises awareness of the needs of those experiencing hardship and, through this, develops empathy. Secondly, another person can feel valued through giving, and their dignity is reaffirmed.

The Faith and Mission Team is gratefully accepting donations of the items below up to Wednesday 23 August. Please ensure all products are kept in their packaging. Students can bring donations to school and place them in their House collection tub or leave them at reception.

Dominic and Lawrence House

Seeking donations of:

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Small packs of tissues
• Deodorant
• Shampoo

All items included must be new and in sealed packaging for health and safety reasons.

Catherine House

Seeking donations of:

• Conditioner
• Soap
• Body wash
• Band-aids
• Hand sanitiser
• Combs/brushes

All items included in the bag must be new and in sealed packaging for health and safety reasons.

Glowrey House and Year 12

Seeking donations of good quality clothing. The rule is, if it is good enough to give to a friend then it is good enough to donate!

MacKillop and Anthony House

Seeking donations of:

• Tinned soups – tomato, chicken and vegetable, beef and vegetable, pumpkin
• Tinned vegetables – carrots, corn, peas, mixed vegetables
• Tinned fruit – peach, pear, fruit salad

Bakhita and Bernard House

Seeking donations of socks, beanies and blankets. All sizes of new children's and adult's socks are needed and must be left in their original packaging. Beanies and blankets can be new or second hand.

Melton Campus Student Leadership 2024

Applications for the 2024 Student Leadership Team are now open!

Current Year 10 and 11 students interested in becoming a voice for their peers and a College representative should submit their application to me via email by 11 am on Monday 14 August 2023.

The application form and all relevant documents have been emailed to all Year 10 and 11 students.

Students can contact me or their House Leader with questions or concerns.

Audience with the Pope

Two of our Melton Campus teachers Paul Iannazzo and Jessica Meegama were among 133 pilgrims who experienced an incredible private audience with Holy Father Pope Francis in Rome last week as part of the lead-up to World Youth Day in Lisbon.

During this once-in-a-lifetime meeting, His Holiness encouraged the young leaders in their faith journey and happily answered questions on topics ranging from education to evangelisation, the environment and caring for our common home.

Paul and Jessica are part of the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Emerging Leaders Program, designed to open participants to leadership in the life of the Church.

We cannot wait to hear more about this amazing encounter upon their return!

Click here to read more

2023 Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premiers' Reading Challenge has been running since the beginning of the year. Students are encouraged to read at least 15 books of their own choice to meet the challenge.

To date, we have four students who have met the criteria and one who set a higher target of 30 books.

In total, a mammoth 357 books have been read and logged by participants, with one month left to log completed books.

There is still time to reach the target, with some students very close. A certificate of achievement is issued to all participants who record 15 books read.

Happy reading.

Year 10 Hospitality

Our Melton Campus Year 10 Hospitality students have been busy learning plating and presentation skills.

They used a range of fruit, vegetables and edible flowers to create floral arrangements to garnish the food they will cook.

It was great to see the determination and creativity they put into their garnishing skills.

Olive Making

Students from our Melton Campus Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) Numeracy class have picked, brined and bottled the olives growing in the College veggie patch.

This required weighing olives, creating a brine mixture using ratios, budgeting for ingredients and changing the brine solutions almost daily during Term 2.

“When the olives were ready, we put them into jars and added garlic, pepper and chilli to the mix. We also had to add vinegar and oil to help preserve them. We gave some jars of olives to our teachers.” Ajak, VPC student

Narelle Layton

Applied Learning Leader

Year 8 Geography Fieldwork

A geography unit took our Melton Campus Year 8 Humanities students out of the classroom recently to conduct fieldwork around the College.

Students were placed in small groups to find locations using a grid map. They took group shots at each place, and the first group back were the winners.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the activity showing their competitive side while learning a new geographical skill.

Ashlee Hughes

Humanities teacher

Sports Update

Year 9 Premier League - Melton Campus Round 3

Most of our Year 9 students had a bye during Round 3 of the SACCSS Premier League competition.

Senior SACCSS Sports - Melton Campus Round 3

Melton Campus Senior Boys Soccer Win 

The Senior Boys Soccer team consolidated their Division 1 placing for 2024, recording a dominant win against MacKillop College in gusty conditions last Thursday. 

Led by a solid performance from team captain Jake, the team never looked like losing. Saidi received the man of the match award after scoring a hat trick, and Deng scored one goal contributing to the 4-2 result. 

Overall it was a fantastic performance by all of our players. Tony Gavran, Senior Boys Soccer Coach.

House Tally Board

There hasn't been much movement in the House tally board since our Athletics Carnival in May with Lawrence sitting comfortably in first place.

With many opportunities to earn house points this term, will another House be able to take the top spot?

Community Notices

Foster carers needed

Soup Van volunteers wanted

Butterfly Body Kind Youth Advisory Group

Students aged between 13-17 who are curious about social media and body image are invited to apply for Butterfly’s Body Kind Youth Advisory Group. It's your chance  to influence decision-making and share insights and ideas to inform a brand-new education program for Australian Secondary Schools, Body Kind Online Education. Visit butterfly.org.au to find out more.

Mental Health First Aid Course

Mental Health First Aid Course

Useful Links

Keep updated with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.

PAM – Parent Portal

Enrolment

Parent Handbook

Cobblebank Campus

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Policies

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Library