Weekly Reflection

During the year, we have introduced you to four of our eight new House names from 2023 - Lawrence, Dominic, MacKillop and Bakhita

In our final term as Catholic Regional College Melton and before we become St Francis Catholic College, I would like to introduce you to the four remaining House names that will become part of our new identity next year.

Bernard House is named after St Bernard of Clairvaux.

St Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church St Bernard was born of noble parentage in Burgundy, France, in the castle of Fontaines near Dijon. He was sent to a college at Chatillon to study theology and Holy Scripture. After the death of his mother, he resolved to embrace the austere Cistercian Order.

St Bernard was sent by his superior to establish a monastery in Clairvaux, was appointed as Abbot and began that active life that has rendered him the most conspicuous figure in the history of the 12th century.

He founded numerous other monasteries, composed a number of works and undertook many journeys for the honour of God.

The reputation of St Bernard spread far and wide. He was commissioned by Pope Eugene III to preach the second Crusade. He travelled through France and Germany and aroused great enthusiasm for the holy war among the masses of the population.

St Bernard died on August 20, 1153. His Feast Day is 20 August. He is the Patron Saint of the Cistercians, Burgundy, Gibraltar, Queens’ College, Cambridge, and the Knights Templar.

In St Bernard’s words:

“There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love.”

“What we love we shall grow to resemble.”

“The three most important virtues are humility, humility, and humility.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Saint Bernard was filled with zeal for your House and was a radiant light in your Church. By his prayers may we be filled with this spirit of zeal and walk always as children of light.

Amen.

Shaun Coates

Director of Catholic Identity

From the Principal

We often hear that the point of difference in Catholic education is that it is a holistic education - that we educate not only for academics but that our students’ spiritual, physical and emotional development is also valued and developed.

Last week at the College, there were many examples of this commitment to educating the whole person.

On Tuesday evening, we showcased the talents of our inaugural VET dance students (pictured above). They performed a variety of group and individual dances across a range of genres, including contemporary and jazz. Students commented afterwards that although they were very nervous initially, the experience had been exhilarating. You can read more here.

The creative arts were again in the spotlight on Thursday evening when we celebrated the official opening of the annual VCE Folio and Junior Art Exhibition.

The works on display demonstrated the depth of talent among our students. Ceramics, sculpture watercolour paintings, pencil drawings, digital art, photography and film filled the Performing Arts Centre and the high standard of work made it very difficult to select the Principal’s Art Prize for 2022.

However, there can be only one winner so I take this opportunity once again to congratulate Year 10 student Shayne Manalili on her winning entry (pictured above), which also won the People’s Choice Award on the night. To see more photos from the exhibition and read all about the event click here.

The College is fortunate to have such talented and dedicated teachers who passionately give their time and skills to ensure students achieve the highest possible standard.
Marlene Jorgensen

Principal

Looking Ahead

Dates to remember
Monday 31 OctoberStudent Work from Home Day
Tuesday 1 NovemberMelbourne Cup public holiday
Tuesday 8 NovemberYear 7 English Timed Assessment Task
Year 8 Maths Timed Assessment Task
Wednesday 9 NovemberYear 9 exams (English and Maths)
Year 10 and 11 exams begin
Wednesday 16 November Year 10 and 11 exams conclude
Friday 18 November

Student Work from Home Day

Monday 21 NovemberJump Start program begins
Thursday 1 DecemberTerm 4 concludes for Year 10 and 11 students
Friday 2 December

Junior Awards Ceremony

Term 4 concludes for Year 7-9 students


Parents and Friends Meeting

The next meeting of the Parents and Friends Association will be held tomorrow Wednesday 26 October at the College from 7pm.

The meeting will be held on-site in the conference room and new members are always welcome.

Amy Rowley

Director of Community Relations

From the Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

Our VCE Unit 3/4 students begin their VCAA examinations this week and we wish them all the best.

It has been a challenging three years but being back on site this year, has provided the opportunity to be face-to-face with their teachers.

Both the VCE Coordinator, Carissa Lock and Year 12 Coordinator, Rebecca Cassar were pleased with the number of students who came to school during the study break to meet with their teachers and get extra help.

Secondary Disciplinary Literacy Project

The College is participating in a Secondary Disciplinary Literacy Project (SDLP) through MACS.

The focus is on reading (2022) and writing (2023) to develop these skills across subject areas.

Our Year 8 teachers have introduced a specific reading task each term using a common reading template. The use of a common template encourages students to apply the skills required to draw out information and understand the context of the article.

A recent presentation by David Didau to the project team addressed the need to focus on vocabulary.

Students need to understand how literacy is used within a subject area. At our staff professional learning days in Term 3, guest speaker Kirstin Bourne introduced the staff to the three-tier approach to vocabulary.

The second tier contains words that are in high use and found across subject areas. Moving forward we aim to prioritise the Tier 2 high-frequency words. They can have different meanings across subject areas.

Teaching the specific meaning within a subject area is essential for students to understand the context they are used in.

Studies have shown that to read with minimal disturbances from unknown vocabulary, we require a vocabulary of 15,000 words from Tier 1 and 2.

Tier 3 words are taught as the need arises and are subject-specific. We are considering how we can make these words available to students and how to incorporate Tier 2 terms in our lessons.

Joanne Holmes

Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

VCE Exams

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) exams will begin tomorrow Wednesday 26 October for our scored Unit 3/4 students and will conclude on Wednesday 16 November.

To view the exam timetable, click here.

Students are required to wear their school uniform for their VCAA exams and must ensure they have their school ID with them.

All students should meet in the Performing Arts Centre foyer at least 45 minutes before their exam’s start time.

Exams will be conducted in the Trade Training Centre. All students must remain in the exam room until the end of the exam.

Authorised materials and equipment

Students have been provided with the VCE Navigator 2022, which outlines the authorised materials and equipment for each exam. Click here for this information.

Year 11 students

Year 11 students are expected to continue to attend their scheduled Unit 3/4 class. No student has permission to leave school early if they have their Unit 3/4 class during Period 4. Their teacher will be available to assist with exam revision during this time.

Year 11 students undertaking a Unit 3/4 exam are permitted to have a study day (day off) on the day before their VCAA exam unless that exam falls on a Monday.

Students are required to inform their Unit 2 teachers of their absence. Unit 3/4 exams take precedence over Unit 2 exams – please see Year 11 Coordinator Meryem McLeod to arrange an alternative time/day.

Any students or parents and guardians who have questions or concerns can email me at clock@sfcc.vic.edu.au

Carissa Lock

VCE Coordinator

Bandanna Day

It’s National Bandanna Day this Friday and our Social Justice team will be selling a range of colourful scarves every lunchtime this week in the Student Hub to raise money for Canteen, which helps young people impacted by cancer get access to programs, counselling and peer support.

The bandannas cost $5 each and proceeds will support the work of this very worthy organisation.

Trish Griffin

Social Justice Coordinator

Faith and Mission BBQ

Intercultural Expo – Friday 4 November

Since 1945, almost seven million people have migrated to Australia. This rich, cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths. It is central to our national identity.

The 2022 CRC Melton Intercultural Expo is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the diverse cultures at the College.

The Expo will be held at lunchtime on Friday 4 November in the Alexandria Resource Centre.

Students and staff will set up exhibition stands to display objects, food, dances, stories and traditional dress representing their unique culture.

The Expo will also feature a performance by Wendy Nedd, a professional Latin dancer and choreographer.

All students are encouraged to come along to learn, share and connect.


Kimiora Joyce

Pasifika Engagement Project Officer

2023 House Captains

Last week we announced our House captains for 2023 and this week we can reveal which House they will represent in 2023.

2023 House Captains
Anthony HouseChloe Walker and Ebony Raudino
Bakhita HouseAjak Majok and Gabriel Bautista
Bernard HouseLily Muoot and Thinh Nguyen
Catherine HouseCharlize Sygidus and Jackson Wright
Dominic HouseLauren Paproth and Arvin Shinto
Glowrey HouseLauren Martin and Jessica Ferris
Lawrence HouseChantelle McKay and Lucy Closter
MacKillop HouseLeona Guanlao and Mangaar Nhial
Nirasha Pandi

Student Leadership Coordinator

VET Dance Performance

Last Tuesday (18 October), the College hosted its inaugural VET Dance Performance Night.

All students from the VET Dance class performed a variety of routines for family, friends and staff.

Throughout Term 3, students learned two jazz and contemporary routines and created their own dances in a style of their choice. For their original routines, they were required to select music, a costume, choreograph independently, and be performance-ready within 10 weeks.

The students were excited to showcase their routines on performance night, and their passion and commitment to dance shone through. Their confidence has grown enormously over the past year and they should be very proud of their efforts.

A special thank you to the staff who supported the students on the night and generously offered their time to help the evening run smoothly.

Annika Miesen

Dance teacher

VCE Folio and Junior Art Exhibition

Paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, short films and visual designs created by our students over the past two years filled our Performing Arts Centre last week during the annual VCE Folio and Junior Art Exhibition.

Hundreds of students, families and staff visited the two-day exhibition, which showcased artwork by students at all year levels. The creative works were completed either during formal studies or during art clubs and classes run at the College at lunchtime or after school.

Several awards were announced on opening night to recognise students who produced exceptional work and showed outstanding commitment to their studies and their craft.

The award recipients were:

VCE Studio Art – Amy Seymour (sculpture)

VCE Media Award – Isaac Dalumpines (The Collector – short film) and Ellen Kerr (Apotropaic - short film)

VCE Visual Communication and Design – Andria Jojo (interior store design, logo, invitation and poster)

Principal’s Award and People's Choice Award – Shayne Manalili

Congratulations also to our Year 10 Hospitality Class who prepared and incredible feast for guests on opening night. Students spent the day in our kitchens ensuring every item was baked fresh, full of flavour and beautifully presented.

Students Enjoy History Month Activities

October has been filled with a range of activities for History Month. Below is a snapshot of the events enjoyed by students and staff.

1000 Steps

Today, a group of students and staff climbed the 1000 Steps Memorial in Bacchus Marsh and enjoyed some spectacular views from the top overlooking the local area.

The memorial and those like it across Victoria, were created to remind us of those who served on the Kokoda Track. The 1000 steps represent the “Golden Staircase”, a name given by Australian soldiers to the 2000 steps cut by the Australian Army Engineers and others into the track between Uberi and Imata Ridge.

Stretcher relay

Last Tuesday students and staff took part in a stretcher relay. Teams carried weighted backpacks on laps around half the soccer pitch before picking up a teammate on a stretcher for their final round.

Although the relay was far from what troops experienced on the battlefield, students quickly realised that good communication, teamwork, strength and stamina were needed to win the race.

A huge thanks to all who came along and the fantastic school spirit shown by the teams.

Mystery boxes

Students had a great time guessing the historical event inside mystery boxes on the green during lunchtime on Monday 17 October.

They used clues to help them uncover the answer and also had a history lesson about the artefacts brought in by our staff.

It was an entertaining way to spend a sunny Spring afternoon at the start of the school week!

ANZAC Bliss Balls and Poppy Making

On Wednesday 12 October, students made delicious ANZAC bliss balls, and poppy-making sessions continued in the library on Thursday. The poppies will be used in a display to acknowledge Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day.

Daniela Harrington

Humanities Domain Leader

Armed Forces Visual Story

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our Armed Forces Visual Story. All contributions will soon be displayed in front reception.

Below are some submissions we received last week.

Teacher Stefan Subasic shared this story about one of his relatives Mihajlo Subašić.

CRC Melton Graduate Josh Seymour is currently serving in the Royal Australian Air Force.

And teacher Alan Snare shared this story about his father David Snare.

Ashlee Hughes

Humanities teacher

Empowering our Year 10 and 11 Students

Year 10 and 11 students listened to a powerful presentation by a representative from the Pat Cronin Foundation yesterday.

The goal of the foundation is to “empower young Australians to handle conflict, look after their mates and make wise decisions—so that we can End the Coward Punch, together”.

Presenter Ben outlined Pat Cronin's life and his tragic story – the 19-year-old passed away after being punched in the head while attempting to help a friend.

Ben also shared his experience of violence, having been the victim of a coward's punch that resulted in a brain haemorrhage.

Through both stories, Ben encouraged students to explore the impact the action had not only on the victim, but their friends, families, local communities and the perpetrator.

Our students were actively engaged and asked insightful questions during the presentation.

Wristbands will be sold for $2 to support the foundations' efforts. There is also a BeWise app that provides helpful tips, reminders and facts.

Be Wise. Think carefully. Act kindly.

Jordan Reithofer

Lawrence House Leader

Community Notices

Western Bulldogs Youth Leadership Project

Useful Links

Keep up to date with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.

PAM – Parent Portal

Subject Selection Guide 2023

What's new in 2023

Parent Handbook

Enrolment

Cobblebank Campus

Facebook

Instagram

Policies

Uniform

Library

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