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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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What a time it is for our wonderful school community. We were blessed with teachers and students participating in various tasks for our Staff Service Day. This week’s newsletter features several sharing their moments of joy in the service of others.
Also, our St Francis Catechesis Program has now officially launched. We are guiding a small group of students to receive their Catholic Sacraments of Initiation. This is a very exciting time for them, their families, and the whole school community. The sacraments will take place during a school mass in Term 4.
The College looks forward to Celebration Day next week, which will begin with a whole school mass, a significant occasion given it will be our first since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach you as one who is sick approaches a doctor,
remove from me all stain of sin
and make me clean through the fountain of your mercy.
I ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Last Sunday, the Gospel reading had a similar message to that of previous weeks. The theme of humility seems to be a common thread that calls us to place others before ourselves.
“No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” Then, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured.
For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up.”Luke 14:7- 14
This concept seems counter-cultural to the prevailing messages on social media and television that call young people to be first or the richest, the most beautiful and most popular.
The work of a Catholic school is to show our community what a Gospel view might look like and our Winter Sleepout last week did just that.
It was wonderful to see the large number of students and staff who attended last Thursday night’s sleepout at the College. The experience of sleeping on a cold hard floor develops empathy and understanding of the plight of others.
Not only did our students raise much-needed funds and material resources for Vinnies and Hope Street Melton, they were also able to listen to the stories of those less privileged than themselves.
Our Staff Service Day on Friday also saw many move out of their comfort zone to help others.
| Dates to remember | |
| Wednesday 31 August | Parents and Friends meeting - 7pm |
| Thursday 1 September | Father's Day Liturgy and Breakfast - 8am |
| Tuesday 6 September | Celebration Day |
| Friday 9 September | Year 7 and 10 immunisations |
| Tuesday 13 September | Parent Student Teacher Interviews |
| Thursday 15 September | Parent Student Teacher Interviews |
| Friday 16 September | Term 3 concludes - students dismissed at 2.30pm |
We're celebrating all fathers and fatherly figures with a morning liturgy and breakfast at the College this week.
Students and their dads or fatherly figures are invited to the event on Thursday 1 September from 8am in the Performing Arts Centre foyer.
Fathers and fatherly figures are different for everyone and may be biological, an uncle, brother or family friend.
All the details are below and you can click here to register.
The next meeting of the Parents and Friends Association will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 31 August.
The meeting will be held on-site in the conference room, but you can also join us online via Teams. New members are always welcome.
Please contact me via email arowley@crcemelton.com.au for the Teams link. You will automatically be sent the new link if you joined the last meeting.
The College is planning classes and staffing for 2023.
A reminder that families are required to email enrolments@sfcc.vic.edu.au if their child/children will not return to the College in 2023.
Exit paperwork will be emailed to families by the end of October.
Students will not be formally exited from the College until all relevant paperwork is returned.
Our annual Celebration Day is back after a two-year interruption and the excitement is building for next Tuesday’s event.
The day will begin with the school community coming together for Mass in Sheehan Stadium. It is important that students arrive by 8.43am to ensure we can start Mass on time.
Following our morning celebration, students will go to their homerooms, where they will share morning tea.
The Year 7-9 students will then head back to the Stadium for the Junior Variety Show until the start of lunch.
The Variety Show combines the former CRC’s Got Talent with a few additions. There will be four acts beginning with live performances by individuals and groups.
The pre-recorded second act allows students to submit a short video showcasing a talent or unique creation.
During the final two acts there will be lip sync battles and a special staff performance!
Signs-ups for the Variety Show will close this week and students can find all the details on Simon.
While our Year 7-9 students are in the Stadium, Year 10-12 students will enjoy the rides and amusements organised for the day. These include the Cha-Cha, The Meltdown, Mini-golf and the Xtreme Obstacle Course, just to name a few.
After lunch the Year 10-12 students will watch the Senior Variety Show while Year 7-9 students enjoy the carnival rides until 2.30pm.
The day will end with a quick clean-up and assembly before students are dismissed at 3.20pm.
Students must purchase tickets for $2 each or an All-Access Wristband for $12 to enjoy the rides and amusements.
Money raised from these sales will be donated to school-supported charities. Students are permitted to wear their correct school PE uniform on the day.
We hope you are all as excited as we are!
Any student undertaking a Unit 3/4 subject will sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 7 September.
The GAT has two sections this year.
After the completion of Section A, Senior VCAL students may go home. All other students must remain in the Padua building between Section A and Section B. The canteen will open during this time (11.45am to 1pm).
All students enrolled in one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3/4 sequence are expected to sit Section A and B of the GAT (including Senior VCAL students).
All Senior VCAL and unscored VCE students are expected to sit in Section A.
The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a test of general knowledge and skills in these broad areas:
GAT results:
determine scores in school-based assessment, external assessment and if a derived examination score is required due to illness, accident and trauma.
The GAT will be held in Sheehan Stadium and students should wear their school uniform on this day.
All students must stay in the examination room until the completion of each section, even if they finish early.
Students must be at school no later than 8.45am and assemble in the Padua building rooms before 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 normal.
Students may bring an English and/or bilingual printed dictionary into both sections of the GAT, but not a thesaurus or a combined thesaurus dictionary. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted.
A scientific calculator is permitted in both sections of the GAT.
Students will need pens (blue or black), pencils (2B or HB) and an eraser.
A water bottle (label removed and no larger than 1500ml) is permitted.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please contact me via email at clock@sfcc.vic.edu.au
Our Social Justice Team had a busy but fabulous week, putting on a lunchtime bbq for staff and students, followed by the annual Winter Sleepout on Thursday night.
In the lead-up to the sleepout, the team organised a bbq and raised $400 for Hope Street Melton and St Vincent de Paul.
We had 27 students from various year levels participate in the sleepout event and nine staff. Everyone was eager to learn more about the issue of homelessness and the organisations assisting the Melton community.
We heard insightful presentations from Gary Humphrey and Kylie from Hope Street Melton, Stephanie Payne from 6801 Youth Outreach/Melton City Council and Maureen Mohr President of the St Vincent de Paul Melton Branch.
Students then moved to the food room for a dinner of warm soup, sandwiches and a muffin to replicate the Soup Van scenario.
The delicious dinner was prepared by Margaret Rowe-Watts, her Senior VCAL class, Joanne Tissera, Joanne Boyd and Kylie Nicholl.
Later in the evening, the students enjoyed a reflection of thanks by Andrew Sciberras and built their cardboard shelters to sleep in (which displayed such creativity and a lot of tape).
A big thank you to students and staff for their fantastic support of the Winter Sleepout and to all in our College community who donated socks, scarves, beanies, and blankets - a truly magnificent collection of supplies that will go a long way.
Below are some thoughts from students who attended the Winter Sleepout.
"I liked the soup and the sandwiches that we had for dinner. I also liked it when we wrote down our gratitude cards. I really enjoyed that we got to build our cardboard shelter, my group built a fort. Lastly, I liked it when we got to light the candles on the cross for our reflection." Lexie - Year 7
"I liked learning about what homelessness was all about. I also enjoyed feeling like a homeless person and seeing what they must go through. I also liked the soup that was made for us." Amelia - Year 7
“I was shocked to learn that 1100 people sleep rough every night in greater Melbourne and I was surprised to learn about the factors that can lead to homelessness. It was great building shelters with fellow students, but it made me realise how lucky I am to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in every night.” Alannah - Year 8
“The Winter Sleepout was a very educational and beneficial evening that raised awareness of homelessness in Victoria, particularly among youth. Throughout the night, we heard from representatives from organisations such as Vinnies and the experiences faced by the homeless. We engaged in activities such as building a shelter for ourselves and having to sleep in them afterwards. Overall, the night truly opened my eyes to the struggles homeless people endure every day and hopefully helped us all to want to do our part - small or big, to help those in a similar situation." Deputy Social Justice Captain Ashok - Year 11
"It made me reflect on what I had been taking for granted." Shanessa - Year 10
"This was my fifth and final time participating in the Winter Sleepout, and I am glad it could be held in person. The night itself was a great experience that furthered my knowledge and understanding of homelessness and how it affects the people of Victoria, especially the youth. My favourite part of the night would have to be the cardboard fort building and seeing everyone’s creations, although my group had the greatest one." Social Justice Captain Darcy - Year 12
Last week the Alexandria Resource Centre (ARC) hosted Book Week and plenty of fun was had by all.
Our poetry competition was won by Abbey Phelan 8R with her poem Dreaming with both eyes open, which was the theme for Book Week this year.
Year 12 student Illyana Baraci won the bookmark competition with her beautiful drawing titled Reading Owl.
Both students won a $30 Booktopia book purchase courtesy of the ARC.
A fun game of Book Bingo and a very competitive Book Quiz also took place with Ajouk Good (7F), Martha Poundak (8O) and Youseff Kolta (7R) also taking home a $30 Booktopia book purchase.
On Wednesday, the ARC was bristling with energy as four teams of students wrote and illustrated their amazing books during the Write a Book in a Day (WABIAD) competition.
The annual competition promotes literacy, collaboration and creativity and is run by The Kids’ Cancer Project.
This year the College entered three junior teams and one senior team. Students were given a brief and within 12 hours they wrote, illustrated, and submitted a storybook targeted to a youth audience. Completed books are uploaded to an online library to give access to children undergoing treatment in hospitals across the country.
Here is Year 9 student Alanis Furtado’s account of the day.
“We started at 8am, with a run-down of the day and then went straight into planning, writing and illustrating, ending at 8pm.
Once we broke into teams, there was a really positive collaborative vibe in the room as everyone worked out the structure of their stories. It was fun to work out an overarching plot line with my friends and establish a distinct oceanic aesthetic for my team’s story Coastal County.
Every team came up with a story or thematic elements that made their book stand out. We learnt a lot about collaboration, time management and leadership skills through this program, as well as developing our language skills. Not to mention a lot of laughs and team bonding. Write a Book in a Day was a great way to express creativity and imagination for a great cause!"
You can read all the Write a Book in a Day entries below.
Coastal County - Junior Team 1
Timeless Ensemble - Junior Team 2
Owner of a Lonely Heart - Junior Team 3
Our Book Week celebrations culminated in a secondhand book stall to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Project. More than 100 books were sold and $100 was raised. Plans have been made to host the event again in summer.
The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s annual Book of the Year awards were also announced this month. This year’s Older Reader category was won by author Rebecca Lim for her book titled Tiger Daughter. The Younger Reader category was won by Shirley Marr for her book A Glasshouse of Stars. These books and other nominated titles can be borrowed from our library.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to all the staff and students who made Book Week so successful and we invite all students to keep visiting our wonderful ARC as often as possible for other events.
Belinda Brown, Head of Library Services, on behalf of the Library, English and Literacy departments.
Here is a snapshot of how our staff spent last Friday’s Staff Service Day.
Donating non-perishable items to the Combined Churches Caring Melton Foodbank.
Charlee Keating
Helping my mum on the farm after helping with jobs around the house.
Daniela Harrington
Giving blood. I was a regular donor when I was a young single girl. After living in the UK during the early 90s, I could not give blood because of the Mad Cow Disease outbreak. The ban lifted recently and so my blood was a-okay again. It was so good to be able to do this again.
Carolyn Howard
Sorting bags and bags of resources into tubs for my son’s kindergarten teachers. It was a nice morning.
Violette George
Knitting for donation - so this is how knitting goes in my household. Apparently, Chevy and Cyrus think they can help!
Belinda Brown
Baking for essential workers and the elderly.
Mikaela Hurst
Visiting my aunt and helping out at her nursing home.
Claudia Russo
Students and staff travelled to Richmond Football Club on Friday 19 August to take part in the Watta Watnanda Day organised by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools where they enjoyed Indigenous art and cultural activities, listened to guest speakers and got the chance to watch a training session in Tigerland.
The day was supported by Australian Catholic University and the club’s Korin Gamadji Institute. Our students made traditional possum skin wristbands and created Aboriginal tile art.
Year 12 student and FIRE Carrier Nicholas was asked about the significance of the day and his responses featured in an article on the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools website last week. You can click here to read the full story.
The rescheduled information night for parents and guardians regarding our 2023 Cape York Indigenous immersion will be held online tomorrow, Wednesday 31 August, from 6pm.
Click here to join the online meeting.
The trip is open to all current Year 9 and 10 students and will run from 10 to 19 April next year.
More details and a full itinerary are available below.
This year marks 10 years since our first Year 12 students graduated from the College.
To celebrate the milestone, a reunion will be held in Sheehan Stadium on Saturday 29 October from 6pm to 10.30pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and entry for children is free. There will be food, soft drink and music along with tours of the school (between 6pm and 7pm).
We would love to see as many former students on the night so please start spreading the word!
To secure your ticket, please click here.
Change and loss are issues that affect all of us at some stage in our lives. At Catholic Regional College Melton we recognise that when changes occur in families through death, separation, divorce and related circumstances, young people may benefit from learning how to manage these changes effectively.
To help our students with this, we are offering a very successful education program called Seasons for Growth which will begin in the first week of Term 4 for Year 7 to 9 students.
The program will be offered to students in Years 10 to 12 in 2023.
Seasons for Growth is facilitated in small groups and based on research that highlights the importance of social support and the need to practise new skills to cope effectively with change and loss.
It focuses on self-esteem, managing feelings, problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication and support networks.
If you think your child would benefit from the program, we encourage you to talk to them about participating.
The College is pleased to offer this important program and confident it will be a valuable learning experience for all involved.
If you would like further information, please contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to download the Simon Everywhere smartphone app to gain access to PAM, the College online parent portal.
The app is designed to streamline the communication process for families. It allows you to conveniently access your child’s reports, grades and attendance, update medical information, log student absences and give permission for excursions - all the functions found in PAM.
Simon Everywhere can be downloaded from the Apple Store or the Google Play store. Below are guides to help you. Please email itsupport@sfcc.vic.edu.au if you require further information or assistance.
Venturers scouting group seeking new members
Venturers is a great opportunity for 14 to 17-year-olds to make lifelong friendships, learn valuable life skills, create amazing memories and have a great time doing it.
The Djerriwarrh Venturer Unit meets at 7pm on Wednesdays, at Bacchus Marsh Scout Hall.
For more information please contact Katelynn Condon via email krcondon112783@gmail.com or phone 0448 350 961.
Looking to learn something new? The Eynesbury Discovery Centre has a range of programs and workshops running in Term 3. You will find their newsletter and all the options below.
Eynesbury Discovery Centre Newsletter Term 3 2022 | Social Crafting | Art 4 Kids
Melton Central Community Centre Term 3 2022 Programs and Activities Guide
Keep up to date with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.
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