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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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God our Father, we read of the commandment “do not kill” and think it doesn’t apply to us because we don’t take anyone’s life.
Yet there are times when we take life from others by cruel words, sarcasm, putting people down, and gossiping.
Lead us to choose to bring life to others and not death. Inspire us to break the cycle of whatever is negative or violent or evil whenever we encounter them.
Let us not look for vengeance to get our own back - but lead us to be generous and ready to conquer evil with goodness.
Amen.
Take time out this week for a three minute retreat to reflect on being in awe before God. Click here to begin
Director of Catholic Identity
In 2012, the State Government commissioned an inquiry into the way religious and non-government organisations respond to allegations of child abuse within their organisation. Significant changes to how schools operate have occurred as a result of the Betrayal of Trust Commission.
One crucial change was Ministerial Order 870. The order came into effect in 2016 and requires that every Victorian school establish a culture of child safety which embeds a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse.
All schools must also comply with all seven of the Child Safety Standards.
A second significant recommendation of the Betrayal of Trust Commission was the Victorian Government's legislation to change the governance structure of Catholic schools.
As of 1 January 2021, the Canonical administrators and parish priests will not be the employers of staff working in Catholic schools.
Instead, a new company will be formed called the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).
The planning for this transition is well underway and has involved a consultative process with principals and parish priests since October last year.
Dr Paul Sharkey, from Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) spoke recently to all principals about the process, which is illustrated in the diagram below.
Currently, three critical documents are being developed:
Working towards Mission
This paper articulates the ongoing duties and responsibilities of the parish priest, the principal and the advisory council.
Agreement Documents
This will outline the transfer of assets and liabilities to the new company including the Right to Use Land and Buildings Agreement.
Due Diligence
These documents will see financial information transfers to MACS via Business Managers.
This new model will give increased agency and voice to the parent body and the wider community and will maintain the strong relationships between the principal, parish priest and the wider parishes.
I will keep families informed as further information becomes available.
| Dates to remember | |
| Thursday 3 September | Student Free Day/Staff Faith Day |
| Monday 7 September - Friday 11 September | Year 12 SAC Week |
| Tuesday 15 September and Thursday 17 September | Parent Student Teacher Interviews |
| Thursday 17 September | Term 3 concludes |
As I write this article today, I am reflecting on how quickly the term is going, despite all the challenges of distance learning. We are now in Week 8 of our 10-week term.
Our Parent, Student and Teacher Interviews (PSTIs) will occur in the last week of term.
Parents will be able to make a booking for Tuesday 15 or Thursday 17 September.
The interviews will be conducted via Teams, with parents and guardians booking through PAM.
It provides a chance to reflect on what has worked well across the term so far and identify areas for improvement or growth.
This is a dialogue that focuses on learning and ways our students can be empowered moving forward.
Our Term 1 interviews were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we welcome this chance to meet with families and I encourage you to make bookings with your child’s teachers.
More information about the booking process will be sent to families via Operoo. If a teacher is unable to undertake interviews on the night, they will arrange an alternative contact time via phone or Teams.
Changes to classes in Year 7 to 11 implemented last week were made to ensure engagement in learning continues and student wellbeing is considered.
Please contact your child’s Homeroom teacher, Year Level Coordinator or Subject teacher if you have any further concerns.
Parents and guardians and students in Year 7 to 9 have received a copy of the general timetable with the unstructured lessons listed. We hope these changes are helping provide a break from screen time or allowing students to catch up or complete extension tasks.
To enable our Year 12 (Unit 4) VCE students to complete their final SACs with equitable and fair arrangements, a SAC Week will be held next week. Information has been sent to parents and students.
If students are unwell or have a family member living with them who has contracted COVID-19 they will not be required at the College to undertake their SACs and must remain at home. Alternative arrangements will be made with their VCE teacher.
When students travel to the College and are onsite, face masks must be worn. Social distancing must be adhered to and our COVID-19 restrictions are being applied.
No formal VCE classes will run during SAC Week. Students will have Unit 4 study or SAC preparation to complete. Please contact Mrs Carissa Lock, Mrs Karina Dunne or myself if you have any questions regarding SAC Week.
I would like to thank all students, parents and guardians for their efforts in meeting 2021 subject selection timelines and following the processes outlined, especially given the COVID-19 restrictions we are currently operating within.
We are at different stages of processing the initial selections for each year level, allocating subjects and informing families of 2021 allocations.
Our 2021 Year 10 to 12 students will receive confirmation of their subjects this term. VCAL students will also be notified of the outcome of their applications.
A reminder that Year 9 2021 subject selections close this Thursday 3 September.
Our annual Staff Faith Day will be held this Thursday 3 September. It is a student-free day and the College will be closed while staff undertake various faith development sessions.
We continue to receive advice, strategies and tips on how the College can support students and families in this extraordinary and challenging time in education.
This week there are further resources, webinars and websites you may find useful.
I particularly encourage you to watch psychologist Andrew Fuller’s YouTube clip, A Pledge to my Child.
After talking to thousands of parents and families about dealing with tricky behaviours, Andrew developed this pledge. He felt many would like to use it with their children. A Pledge to my Child
Not just applicable to teenagers, these simple strategies may be useful when restrictions ease and parents and guardians want to regain some non-screen time with their families.
Wean your teen off the screen Andrew Fuller
Join Elevate Education for the Smart Work webinar where you – as parents and guardians – will be shown the crucial study skills your child needs to achieve their best and how you can reinforce these at home.
Students need to have effective ways to revise and prepare for the months ahead. This applies across all year levels.
The webinar begins at 6pm today (Tuesday 1 September), runs for one hour and is free to join.
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT
“Coronavirus has turned the lives of many Victorian families upside down, asking them yet again to navigate a new reality of remote learning, working from home and for some, financial hardship. Never has it been more important to provide families with simple, practical and evidence-based strategies to help them maintain the family’s wellbeing and build resilience.”
”Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
To help parents and guardians build family resilience in these difficult times, the Victorian Education Department is presenting a free webinar by renowned child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. This webinar will give families some practical skills, knowledge and strategies for managing the lockdown period and remote learning.
Places are available for Managing the Coronacoaster – Tips for building resilient families webinar on Tuesday 15 September at 7.30pm. For more information and to register, visit: eventbrite.com
Last week Year Level Coordinators and Homeroom teachers acknowledged students who had achieved a Certificate of Excellence in the subjects they studied in Semester 1.
These students received an average of 85% or above in their formal assessment tasks – an achievement that shows a dedication to their studies, despite the challenges of distance learning during most of Term 2.
We congratulate these students, many of whom received excellent results across more than one subject. Under normal circumstances, these awards would be presented during a whole school or year level assembly; however, this has not been possible due to COVID-19 restrictions. Certificates will be presented to students on their return to the College.
Earlier this term, Homeroom teachers also acknowledged students who received a Certificate of Endeavour. These are for students who consistently work to the best of their ability during a semester. Students who did not receive their certificate will also receive it upon their return.
Full lists of Certificate of Excellence recipients in each year level are available below.
Year 7 Semester 1 2020 Certificates of Excellence
Year 8 Semester 1 2020 Certificates of Excellence
Year 9 Semester 1 2020 Certificates of Excellence
This week, families will receive information regarding re-enrolment for 2021.
This process enables the College to plan classes and staffing for 2021. Families are required to complete the Operoo by Wednesday 16 September.
Tomorrow (2 September) is National Health and Physical Education Day, and our teachers are challenging students in Year 7 to 9 to a 100-point physical activity challenge.
Students will complete as many activities as possible during their PE class to earn points and keep active using various fundamental movement skills.
Students are also encouraged to get family members to join in. A full list of activities is available below.
Year 7 Reed held a My Kitchen Rules Baking Challenge last month to see who could bake the best cookies or biscuits.
Students submitted photos to Mr Tammaro (who played the role of the judge Manu Feildel). Mr Tammaro scored how well our creations were presented, while family members taste-tested and gave a thumbs up or down.
Most of the class took part, including our other Homeroom teacher Miss Segrave. Photos of the delicious cookies and biscuits were posted on a Teams page and all looked scrumptious.
The winner of the challenge was Deandra Fernando, followed by Mary Romanos and Lucy Thompson.
Deandra won the title with her vanilla and lemon zest cookies, which were shaped into small watermelon slices, scoring her a 10 out of 10 for presentation. The challenge was a great way for everybody to have fun, connect and learn new skills.
Students who want to develop their creative writing skills during lockdown can access the Stella Prize Digital Writers’ Workshops.
Each workshop consists of a 45 minute pre-recorded video presented by a professional writer and supporting activities for students to complete. Publication and feedback opportunities are also available for students who submit work to their teachers.
This week’s workshop, Writing for Performance, is presented by writer, comedian and performance-maker Vidya Rajan. Using a range of stage, screen, comedy writing and improvisational techniques, students in this workshop will learn to use their instincts and details from their lives to create scenes and stories for performance. The workshop is available to view until tomorrow (Wednesday 2 September).
For access, students should contact their English teacher or myself ktodd@sfcc.vic.edu.au.
Another workshop will be available to view later in the week.
Follow the link for more information Writers' workshop series
Accessing outdoor experiences and making links to the curriculum has continued to challenge staff and students during Term 3.
Students across all year levels have been encouraged to get outside as much as possible during this time. We all know how important it is to maintain physical activity, minimise sedentary behaviours and access green space. The benefits to your physical, mental and social health are well documented.
Recently, Outdoor Education students in Year 9 and 10 have used the Strava app to record their outdoor experiences. Strava is free, easy to use and enables individuals to track and record their physical activity including location, distance travelled and the time taken to complete their circuit.
With access to their device’s camera, students have been encouraged to share their experiences with their class and take photographs of the green space that is available to them during this time.
Year 11 students studying Unit 3 and 4 Outdoor and Environmental Studies had the opportunity to engage with a Phillip Island Nature Parks Ranger via Teams earlier in the term.
This was an excellent opportunity for students to hear and learn from an expert about the challenges of balancing tourism and maintaining the integrity of the surrounding environment.
We hope students and their families have enjoyed the opportunities presented during this time to get outdoors and appreciate walking or riding bikes around their local neighbourhood or park together.
The next Marriage Encounter Online Weekend will be held from 9 to 11 October. For more information visit www.wwme.org.au.
Bookings can be made by phoning 0409 183 676 or email vicbookings@wwme.org.au
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