From the Principal

Having just returned from a wonderful three-week tour of the deep south of America, I am very conscious of what a wonderful lifestyle we have in Australia.

One of the interesting contrasts with the United States is that there, voting is not compulsory. At the Montgomery Museum, I learned of the unethical tactics that were used to discourage black people from registering to vote. These included asking them to name the number of jelly beans in a jar or to give an accurate number of how many feathers would be plucked from a chicken. All designed to ensure failure and thus the inability to vote. Compulsory voting in Australia is a blessing and should be cherished by each eligible citizen.

It is surprising then to hear the current slogan “If you don’t know, vote no“ in relation to the upcoming referendum.

As educators, we constantly encourage our students and staff to be lifelong learners. So, to just vote no without finding out the facts, reading widely, listening to podcasts and talking with others, seems to be the complete opposite of what we try to instil.

If you don’t know, why not find out? At St Francis, we encourage our students to be active and informed citizens who can make a difference in their world.

As educators of young people, we need to model this active citizenship and make an informed choice on the important decision that will soon be asked of all Australians.

Looking Ahead - Melton Campus Students

Looking Ahead - Cobblebank Campus Students

New Uniform Shop

Our College uniform is now available at the new Uniform Group Melton Outlet store at:

Unit 4, 18 Harrison Court, Melton. Ph: 9768 0328

Please be aware that you can no longer purchase uniforms for our College at the Academy Uniforms Deer Park store.

The Melton store is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am - 5pm and Saturday from 10am - 1pm.

You can also order online at www.academyuniforms.com.au

Class of 2013 Reunion

Join us for drinks and canapes to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CRC Melton's Year 12 Class of 2013 on Friday 6 October from 6pm in the Performing Arts Centre foyer at our Melton Campus.

Reminisce, reconnect with friends and staff and find out more about what has happened at the College in the past decade.

To attend the Class of 2013 reunion, please RSVP by emailing me at arowley@sfcc.vic.edu.au

Academy Uniform voucher winners

Congratulations to Joanne Zerafa and Rebecca Comini who completed a recent Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools annual survey and won themselves a $100 Academy Uniforms voucher!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey and provide valuable feedback on the College.

Lumination Lab Update

Launching at Melton Campus in Term 4! Our College will become the first school in the western suburbs and the first Catholic school in Melbourne to install a Lumination Lab.

This state-of-the-art smart classroom will be equipped with immersive technology that will enable students to experience the curriculum in ways never before possible.

Watch this short video compiled from footage recorded when our Principal Marlene Jorgensen, VCE Coordinator Carissa Lock and students attended the opening of Lumination’s first Victorian lab in Abbotsford, which has been set up to enable schools to experience the technology first-hand. It gives you a great insight into what’s to come!

SACCSS 2023 Athletics Championships

Almost 100 students from Melton and Cobblebank campuses represented the College at the SACCSS Athletics Championships from 11-12 September.

Students competed in a range of track and field events at Lakeside Stadium, emerging with some fantastic results, particularly in the high jump and discus.

Congratulations to the following students who achieved a podium finish:

Division 1 – Melton Campus

Division 2 – Cobblebank

Getting to know our 2024 College Captains

Elesha Gruis

Tell us a bit about yourself – what subjects are you studying next year, what do you like to do in your spare time?

This year I am completing Year 12 Psychology. Next year I will be studying Drama, Literature, Further Mathematics, Chemistry, Media and Religion. I plan to attend university after I complete Year 12. In my spare time, I enjoy playing competitive soccer. I have a passion for musical theatre, and I like to read. I was a member of the Student Representative Council last year and in Year 8. This year, I was a part of the Student Leadership Team in my role as Faith and Mission Captain. I have been involved in various leadership programs with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation. These include participating in the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’a Leaders of the Pack Program, Youth Leadership Project and Bark for Youth Advisory Committee.

What are you most looking forward to in your role as College Captain?

I am most looking forward to helping make St Francis Catholic College a place where students are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about how we can make the school an even better place to study and learn. I will ensure I am a role model for students across both campuses of the College and I will encourage more students to become involved in student leadership opportunities and activities that benefit the wider school community.

If someone asked you to describe St Francis Catholic College in one sentence, what would you say?

St Francis Catholic College is an inclusive place where students feel they belong, are encouraged to develop and use their talents to benefit the community and where all students are encouraged to strive for their personal best.

Are there any projects/initiatives you would like to see happen in 2024?

I would like to encourage more students to actively participate in, and lead, school events in order to develop a greater sense of community. I would also like to be involved in developing ways in which we can continue to build connections between students at, and across, the two campuses in 2024. I have a particular interest in initiatives that promote respect and concern for the wellbeing of all.

Gabriel Bautista

Tell us a bit about yourself – what subjects are you studying next year, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I will be going into Year 12 next year and have been at the school since Year 7. I lived in New Zealand for seven years before moving here in Grade 2 and attending St Catherine’s Primary School. My favourite pastimes are playing basketball and the piano.

What are you most looking forward to in your role as College Captain?

I look forward to continuing to build on the strong community we have at the school and making a positive impact wherever possible.

If someone asked you to describe St Francis Catholic College in one sentence, what would you say?

St Francis Catholic College is a heavily diverse community that pushes each and every student to achieve academic and personal growth.

Are there any projects/initiatives you would like to see happen in 2024?

I would like to develop an initiative that targets the issue of littering and rubbish throughout the school (Melton Campus). Some Houses do encourage their mentor groups to pick up rubbish, but it isn’t heavily enforced. Creating a program that has as little as one or two mentor groups from each house cleaning up a section of the school every day could significantly decrease the amount of rubbish around the school. The school would look better and it would lessen the burden on the maintenance team who shouldn’t be cleaning up the mess that students make.

Faith and Mission News

In the last few weeks of Term 3, we called on students and families to donate various goods to our Homelessness Month campaign.

It was with great pleasure that we delivered the several thousand items to community services both in Melton and Ballarat.

On behalf of the Faith and Mission Team and all those involved in the campaign, I would like to sincerely thank families for their generosity. Many of the volunteers and services who received the goods were amazed at the breadth of donations and also passed on their thanks to our College community.

We collected a total of 1056 items of clothing that were donated to Vinnies Opportunity Store in Melton adding all types of clothing and footwear to their shelves.

More than 600 new socks, beanies and scarves were delivered to Vinnies and the Soup Van, to be handed out during their weekly service.

We donated 323 tins, to the Combined Churches Caring Melton/Food Bank and Vinnies Soup Van/Community Kitchen of Melton.

Lastly, we provided some of the 1989 hygiene products donated to Combined Churches Caring Melton, St Vincent de Paul, and the One Humanity Shower Bus (Ballarat), with products still left for our Christmas hampers for these services.

It was a very humbling experience to deliver these donations, and below are some of the comments and anecdotes from the community organisations and volunteers who so gratefully received them.

Vinnies Past President Maureen Mohr said a few bags of tinned food, socks, beanies and scarves brought smiles to the faces of visitors to the Soup Van, who were happy take a few little extra treats with them. In particular, one visitor was thrilled to find a tin of beetroot which she gleefully took because she really loved beetroot!

Volunteers at the Combined Churches Caring Melton/Food Bank were extremely grateful for our food donations and hygiene products. The demand for both has been high with food “walking out the door”. They were thrilled with our delivery and said it would certainly keep them stocked for a few more weeks.

The One Humanity Shower Bus (Ballarat) were also thankful for our boxes of hygiene products. They are using these products in the Shower Bus and distributing them to visitors. Read their letter of thanks here.

Elderly volunteers at the Vinnies Opportunity Store in Melton were astounded by the four large trolley loads of clothing delivered in two carloads. I assured them that I had not cleaned out my wardrobe, and after hearing about our campaign, they said our efforts were amazing and that they were truly grateful.

Knitting For a Great Cause

Our SFCC Knitting Club has knitted up a storm this year, creating beautiful warm scarves that will be donated to those in need.

Families kindly donated mountains of wool and yarn to the library this year, so the staff decided to start a Knitting Club at lunchtime to share their skills with students.

The result was these handmade scarves that will be distributed to local community organisations by our Faith and Mission Team.

We thank everyone for their generous donations and the students for their commitment to completing a project and learning a new skill. We look forward to repeating our efforts in Terms 2 and 3 next year.

Goodbye B Block

At the end of last term, we officially closed and emptied B Block at the Melton Campus and said a final goodbye to the College’s original building before demolition works began over the holidays.

Staff gathered to talk about the many different memories created in B Block and wrote farewell messages.

Interestingly, B Block was the first and only building on the site when the College opened as CRC Melton in 1980 with 57 students. 

This year, the building’s life came full circle, housing our inaugural Cobblebank students from February while they awaited the opening of their new campus.

Our 40th-anniversary commemorative book Catholic Regional College Melton 40 Years in the Making written by Kezi Todd outlines some of the history of B Block:

“Plans for the first stage of the College comprised of a single building including four classrooms, toilets, a shared area, two seminar rooms, space for lockers and a temporary staffroom with a total estimated cost of $371,000.”

Like our Cobblebank students, the first Year 7s at CRC Melton began their secondary education at a church hall while they waited for their campus to be completed.

This wonderful tale of their move to B Block shows just how much times have changed.

“By 24 March (1980), the new building was ready for occupation. On that day, students and staff made their exodus to the Bulmans Rd site. The Melton Shire Council agreed to load the makeshift ‘lockers’ and the few pieces of furniture onto the back of a truck and, escorted by their teachers, the 57 students walked the 4.5km behind the truck to their new permanent school.”

While most of B Block will be demolished, the brick wall that features a mural of the College’s original motto will be protected and retained as part of a new Junior Hub building.

The Junior Hub will include specialist learning spaces and classrooms, a makerspace, amenities, and an external alfresco balcony area. Stay tuned for building updates over the coming months.

Cobblebank Campus Chalk Art

Cobblebank Campus students started Term 4 with some chalk art in the spring sunshine yesterday. 

They thoroughly enjoyed this fun impromptu lunchtime activity, drawing cartoon characters, flowers, and even our College logo across the blank concrete canvas. 

Several hopscotch games were played and the simple pleasure of chalk drawing highlighted the creativity and talent among our students.

Sports Update

Year 8 Premier League - Melton Campus 

Our Year 8 Melton Campus students began their 2023 Premier League games at the end of Term 3. Below are the results from Round 1.

Community Notices

Soup Van volunteers wanted

Useful Links

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

PAM – Parent Portal

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