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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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Lord God, Creator of light,
at the rising of your sun each morning,
let the greatest of all lights - your love - rise,
like the sun, within my heart.
Amen
This week I watched a webinar by Dr Catherine Zeisner from Connect Ed 2000. She noted that in response to the pandemic we could look at three things:
One aspect the College will certainly carry forward is its communication with parents.
There is considerable research to support the notion that parent partnerships with teachers improve student learning outcomes. One of the great strengths to come from Distance Learning Mode (DLM) seems to be an improved connection between parents and teachers. I know that many teaching staff have been emailing home to provide affirmation for the hard work of students and to suggest improvements for those who need extra guidance.
I thank the many parents who have provided feedback to staff. Teaching in DLM mode is incredibly tiring and takes time and energy from staff who are continually looking for ways to engage their students.
Many are also juggling their own children working from home. The positive messages we have received from parents are appreciated.
“We all understand that the school and teachers are going way above and beyond to try to help make this process as smooth as possible for everyone. So thank you for all the extra time and effort I know you must be having to put in to deliver school in this way.”
“We also appreciate your continued efforts in maintaining the education of all of the students under your care and we will try our best to support your dedication and efforts at every turn.”
“We know that all the teachers at CRC have put in so much effort with all the online planning and teaching. We appreciate you!”
It is this wonderful community of staff, students and parents that make Catholic Regional College Melton such a special place.
Each week our Chair of the Federation Council, Father Maurie Cooney, shares his parish bulletin with the Federation principals.
This week’s messages included a wonderful guide for fathers that I have included below for all of our fathers and father figures. I hope that they had a wonderful Father’s Day.
In the first week of Term 4, from 5 to 9 October, distance learning will continue for all students.
VCE and VCAL students can only attend onsite for essential assessments during this week, including the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 7 October.
Onsite supervision for children of permitted workers and vulnerable students will continue to be provided consistent with existing guidelines.
From Monday 12 October Year 11 and 12 students will attend onsite schooling full time, and Year 10 students enrolled in a VCE or VCAL program will attend onsite for these classes.
Distance learning will continue for all students in Year 7 to 10, other than for children of permitted workers and vulnerable students.
This next stage of school operations both contributes to the continuing efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and maximises the learning of our students. It again requires the flexibility, adaptability and resilience that have been demonstrated so well by our students, staff and parents.
Dates to remember | |
| Monday 7 September – Friday 11 September | Year 12 SAC Week |
| Wednesday 9 September | Mid-Semester Reports released Parent Student Teacher Interview bookings open |
| Wednesday 16 September | 2021 Re-enrolment response due via Operoo |
| Tuesday 15 September and Thursday 17 September | Parent Student Teacher Interviews |
| Thursday 17 September | Term 3 concludes 1.15pm (end of Period 3) |
| Friday 18 September | Staff Planning Day |
As we move into Week 9 of our 10 week term, some of our VCE Unit 4 students are completing SACs onsite at the College.
The presence of students, even in small numbers, makes the College feel “alive” again. The students have been provided with a learning environment allowing them to undertake SACs under fair and equitable arrangements and following the COVID-safe guidelines.
A reminder that when travelling to the College and onsite face masks are to be worn, social distancing remains in place and our COVID restrictions are being applied. No formal VCE lessons run during this time.
In Week 1 of Term 4 all Unit 3/4 students will complete their GAT at the College on Wednesday 7 October.
Practice exams for Unit 3/4 students are also currently being looked at and more information will be sent out once we can finalise the details. It is important that we provide students with every opportunity to succeed. Students eligible for SEAS consideration, beyond the normal COVID challenges, should make sure they get their applications in. This is even more important in 2020.
Mid semester reports will be released tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday 9 September) and PAM will open for online Parent, Student and Teacher Interview (PSTI) bookings.
Interviews can be made for Tuesday 15 September from 4pm to 7pm or Thursday 17 September from 2pm to 8pm. Period 4 classes will not run on Thursday to increase the number of times available. This is also the last day of Term 3 for all students.
PSTI’s are an opportunity to discuss learning progress and identify areas for improvement or growth. The focus is on empowering our students as learners.
Our teachers welcome the chance to meet with you and your children so we encourage you to book a time online. A guide to the booking process is included in today's newsletter. If a teacher is unavailable on the scheduled PSTI evenings, they will arrange an alternative contact time.
The Parent Access Module (PAM) will open for Parent, Student and Teacher Interview (PSTI) bookings tomorrow afternoon.
Interviews can be made for Tuesday 15 September from 4pm to 7pm or Thursday 17 September from 2pm to 8pm.
PSTI’s will be conducted via the Teams online platform. You will be able to logon to your meeting with your child’s teacher using their device or mobile phone.
A guide to booking your interview time is available below.
VCE subjects and blockings for 2021 have been finalised. Current Year 11 students have been sent their initial allocations and our Year 10 students will receive their allocation this week. VCAL students will be notified separately of the outcome of their application.
Year 9 and 10 2021 subject selections are still being processed. We aim to provide students with their subject confirmation by the end of the term.
The last day of Term 3 classes will be Thursday 17 September. On Friday 18 September staff will prepare for Term 4 classes and the staggered return of students.
Re-enrolment 2021
Last week families received information regarding re-enrolment for 2021.
This process enables the College to plan classes and staffing for 2021.
A reminder that families are required to complete the Operoo by Wednesday 16 September indicating if their child or children will be returning to the College next year.
Thursday is R U OK? Day and is being supported and promoted by students from our Social Justice Team and Student Representative Council. It is about checking in on the wellbeing of others. As we know, sometimes people are not willing to reach out for help or admit they are not OK.
To encourage and support the wellbeing of our students we are trialling an app developed by Educator Impact called EI Pulse, with our Year 9 students. It will be rolled this week.
Educator Impact is an Australian business that helps schools improve student outcomes by connecting wellbeing, performance and engagement.
The students download the app on their phone and each week are asked to respond to some questions. The app tracks anonymised student sentiment about their engagement, thus providing a student voice.
It also enables students to individually reach out to their homeroom teacher or level coordinator if they need to. Please contact Year 9 Coordinator Jason Rowley or myself if you have any questions.
To help parents and guardians build their family’s resilience in these difficult times, the Victorian Education Department is presenting a free webinar by renowned child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. The webinar will give families some practical skills, knowledge and strategies for managing the lockdown period and remote learning.
Places are available for the 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
National R U OK? Day will be held on Thursday (10 September) to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with anyone who may be struggling with life.
This year has been challenging for everyone, making it even more important for us all to stay connected and, for those who are able, to support those around us.
You don’t have to be an expert to keep the conversation going when someone says they’re not OK.
By knowing what to say you can help someone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they’re in crisis, which can make a really positive difference to their life.
You don't need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend and a great listener.
Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:
1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in
Below is an activity sheet that takes a few minutes to complete. Students can fill in the captions on a cartoon with what they would say after R U OK? Send the sheet back to Ms Hume by Thursday (10 September). We will then create a CRC Melton phrase collage for R U OK? Day.
On Friday 4 September, the Year 8 student leaders (SRC and Class Captains) took part in Australia’s Biggest Assembly run by Project Rockit.
This exciting online event was about cyber safety and bullying. The host, Lucy Thomas OAM, cofounder of Project Rockit, shared her six tips for helping yourself and others who are dealing with any form of bullying.
The tips included being prepared, finding allies, showing support, using online power for good, owning what makes you different and standing together. These tips were explained in further detail. Lucy also shared reasons why people bully others. Many students and teachers from across the country listened, answered polls and were able to ask questions.
“A world where kindness and respect thrive over bullying, hate and prejudice and all young people are free to realise their potential.”
”Project Rockit Vision
Project Rockit advocates student ownership as an important way to promote positivity. It suggests things like starting a student action group, peer-led workshops or sharing positivity with other students.
Project Rockit is also launching a #WeGotThis kindness challenge in October. You can subscribe here WeGotThis
For more information head to the Project Rocket website www.projectrockit.com.au or search for @ProjectRockit on any social media platform.
The annual Ignite Youth Conference will hold a virtual event this year beginning at 6.30pm on Saturday 26 September.
The One Night rally will be livestreamed around the country so that everyone can experience this great event.
Join the team from Ignite Youth and Emmanuel Worship for an evening of faith, renewal and worship.
For more information visit www.igniteyouth.com/onenight
You can book your free ticket here One Night
If you have any questions, please email Louise Crocitti lcrocitti@sfcc.vic.edu.au
During Science Week (15-23 August) students and staff were challenged to submit a photo that represented Science or Sustainability.
Pictured below, from left to right, are the winning entries:
Year 8 - Diamond Phan Wind Turbines in New Zealand (Sustainability)
Year 9 - Ophelia Fernando Friction (Science)
Year 11 - Jackson Govic The Moon (Science)
Staff – Mrs Daniela Harrington Worm Farm (Sustainability)
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who entered.
Students can explore the relationship between writing and self-care through the next Stella Prize Digital Writers’ Workshop available to view online from Wednesday (9 September).
Workshops consist 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 Self-Care, is presented by poet and editor Evelyn Araluen. Young people today are living through a time of increasing instability and uncertainty. Yet everyday we see more and more evidence of young people speaking up and out against injustice. This workshop explores tools and forms that can help shape and develop your voice.
The workshop is available to view from Wednesday 9 September to Wednesday 16 September.
For access, students should contact their English teacher or myself ktodd@sfcc.vic.edu.au.
Follow the link for more information Writers' workshop series
As we near the end of yet another term in Distance Learning Mode (DLM), I’d like to congratulate students for remaining engaged and committed to their studies. The Design and Technology teachers are proud of the sustained effort students have shown. Their resilience and adaptability have resulted in some very creative and inspiring design solutions across all Design and Technology learning areas.
Our Year 12 Food Studies and Product Design and Technology Wood students are currently working on completing their final School-based Assessments. They will soon begin important preparation for their end of year examinations.
In Food Studies students have focussed on global and Australian food systems. They are currently examining issues relating to sustainable food production and developing research reports with their proposals for future solutions to food issues such as climate change and global food insecurity.
A recent update to by the Victorian Government to COVID-19 restrictions means our Year 12 Product Design and Technology Wood students can now attend onsite once a week to access the materials, tools, equipment and machines they need to complete their wood products.
Our Year 10 Food Studies students are examining global food security and food sustainability.
As part of Science Week, they took part in a LaTrobe University webinar exploring a range of food science topics. This was an interactive webinar that saw students work on food solutions to improve the nutritional health of global communities. Free food boxes were delivered to their homes containing a range of innovative and on-trend food products.
As students further explore the journey food takes from paddock to plate, they are excitedly awaiting grow your own mushroom kits, which are being delivered to their homes. The homegrown mushrooms will be used to create recipes in response to the requirements of a design brief.
Our Year 9 Food Studies students have been working collaboratively to develop a magazine showcasing how foods from around the world that shape Australian cuisine can be combined with Indigenous ingredients to create nutritious solutions for healthy eating.
In Year 8 Food Studies classes, students have been learning about the foundations of Food Studies, including food safety and hygiene, basic nutrition principles and factors affecting our food choices.
Students have been getting into their home kitchens to practice fundamental cooking skills such as measuring, identifying tools and equipment, and learning how to read and interpret recipes.
They are now working on their assessment task, which requires them to observe the preparation of an evening family meal at home. Parents and guardians are encouraged to engage with their child’s learning - spending quality time together in the kitchen helps build on essential life skills.
Year 7 Product Design and Technology Wood students have been learning about mechanical systems and working with a design brief that required the creation of a catapult using everyday items found at home.
Students explore how force, motion, kinetic and potential energy can be manipulated to optimise the distance a load can be propelled by adjusting angles.
Our Year 9 and 10 Design and Technology Wood students are working through the design process to create a small piece of furniture. Students are using this term to design their products and will create them when they return onsite.
Year 10 Design and Technology Metal students have investigated the characteristics and properties of various materials and applied measuring techniques to create engineered solutions involving orthogonal drawings and designs of their own homes.
Year 8 Design and Technology Fibre students have investigated four natural fibres including cotton, silk, linen and wool and examined the production and sustainable use of these fibres.
Students used this knowledge to design a ‘soft monster’ using sustainable or recycled materials.
Our Year 10 Design and Technology Fibre students have designed and created sock toys using recycled materials from home. They are now completing a brief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that calls on them to design and produce face masks.
I would like to thank our Design and Technology teachers who have continued to develop and deliver innovative and engaging curriculum programs for students during DLM.
It has been a busy term in the Languages Domain with students showing confidence using Microsoft Teams and submitting work seamlessly via Assignments and Class Notebook during Distance Learning Mode 2.0 (DLM).
Year 7 students are learning about the differences between school life in Australia and Italy. In their unstructured lessons, they raided craft boxes and kitchen pantries to create an Italian monument or traditional dish. There were some fantastic Colosseums, Leaning Towers of Pisa and culinary skills displayed to impress their teachers.
Our Year 8 students enjoyed a virtual tour of the Ravenna Zoo in Italy as part of their learning about animals in the wild and captivity. Students produced PicCollages of their favourite animals or beloved pets. They also honoured special people in their lives by producing a card or mini poster for Father’s Day. Year 8 students now face an important decision about whether to continue their study of Italian in 2021. Our language teachers are encouraging them to recognise the power of being bilingual.
Birthday celebrations (post lockdown) have been the focus for Year 9 Italian and Indonesian students whose assessment task has been to read and write invitations.
We are pleased to announce that we will once again have a VCE Italian class in 2021 thanks to our Year 10 students who have chosen to continue their language studies.
Our Year 12 Italian students are showing outstanding commitment and motivation towards their studies. They speak Italian with their peers online, have provided the class with a quote and joke every lesson and approach their assessment tasks with diligence and optimism.
Although assessment tasks have been completed online, students have performed exceptionally well. They have written a personal blog about volunteer work, a letter of complaint to a travel agent and are working on a brochure about city tours. We wish our VCE class every success in their final exams and future endeavours.
Year 10 student Nathan Furtado used last week’s Who Am I clues to correctly name famous astronomer, physicist and engineer Galileo Galilei in our ongoing Italian Quiz.
In the previous week, Ophelia Fernando identified well known opera singer Luciano Pavarotti to become the Year 9 winner and this week it’s over to Year 11 students to name a famous film actress.
The independence and organisational skills of our students continues to grow despite the challenges of distance learning.
Students are setting goals and learning how to structure their day to make the most of their time and maximise their efficiency.
Our staff have been flexible and tailored their lessons to suit their learners by adapting the content and length of their classes to follow our current distance learning model.
Some subjects have seen the introduction of brain breaks and brain activities to stimulate thinking and motivate learners.
Students have engaged in these brain teasers and quizzes either at the beginning of a lesson or as a break in the middle. These tools help keep students’ minds active and motivate critical thinking.
Students need brain teasers and puzzles to:
Try some of these fun brainteasers with your child.
Engaging students online
Our teachers have trialled different questioning techniques in their online lessons to encourage participation and get students chatting.
You Tube clips, ClickView and Kahoots are just some of the tools being used in our classrooms to drive content and engage learners.
We are sure that whatever Term 4 looks like, staff and students will continue to give it their all and make the most of it.
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