Christchurch Terrorist Attack

One cannot find words to express our horror and distress at a terrorist attack in two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, which saw at least 50 people killed.

The last few days have been filled with mixed emotions - shock, horror, lack of comprehension and grief. The tragedy of terrorism and right-wing extremism in New Zealand and the senseless loss of innocent people engaging in worship, many who them came to New Zealand seeking safety and freedom. Jacinda Ardern displayed incredible leadership speaking truth and compassion in the face of evil.

The Catholic Bishops of NZ wrote, “We hold you in prayer as we hear the terrible news of violence against Muslims at mosques in Christchurch.”

“We are profoundly aware of the positive relationships we have with Islamic people in this land, and we are particularly horrified that this has happened at a place and time of prayer."

“We are deeply saddened that people have been killed and injured, and our hearts go out to them, their families and wider community. We wish you to be aware of our solidarity with you in the face of such violence.”

“We assure all New Zealanders, and in particular the Muslim community, of our heartfelt solidarity in the wake of these attacks. We also offer prayers and blessings to those injured, those grieving, those who died and emergency personnel."

“Words cannot convey our distress. Our prayers are with those who are suffering. I invite you now, wherever you are, alone or with family, workmates or friends, to pray together in the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: Lord make me an instrument of your peace…”

On Monday morning, CRC Staff gathered in prayer for the victims and on Thursday a group of staff and students will visit Al Imar School, in Melton South in a show of support for their faith community. Attached is a copy of Archbishop Peter Comensoli’s letter to the Muslim Community addressing this tragedy.

VFC Live Performance at Cultural Diversity Festival

VFC Next Gen perform at Cultural Diversity Festival - Saturday 23rd March at Federation Square, 1:50pm-2:15pm.

Our fantastic students and mentors including Krown, Mo, P-UniQue and DJ Mat Cant showcase VFC tracks.

Hot off the back of their AO and NGV performances, VFC Next Gen are seriously honing their live performance skills.

See the following link for more information: http://fedsquare.com/events/victorias-multicultural-festival-2

Term 1 Reports and Parent Student Teacher Interviews

Interim Reports and Parent Student Teacher Interview bookings will open via the Parent Portal on Wednesday, 27th March. If you have any difficulty accessing the Portal, please contact the College office or email itsupport@sfcc.vic.edu.au.

Parent Student Teacher Interviews will be held on:

• Tuesday, 2nd April Interviews: 4:00pm-7:00pm
• Thursday, 4th April Interviews: 4:00pm-8:30pm

It is expected that students attend interviews with their parents/guardians.

To access P-S-T Bookings:

• Log in to PAM
• At the top you will see the Parent Interviews link (click to enter)
• Then select your child (if you have more than one, each will be listed separately)
• Select the subject
• Choose an available time with that teacher
• Repeat for each class and child as needed
• Use the print icon to print off interview times

Bookings close Monday, 1st April at 4:00pm.

End of Term 1/Start of Term 2

The last day of Term 1 is Thursday, 4th April. Classes will finish at the normal time of 3:20pm.

Term 2 will begin for all students on Tuesday, 23rd April. This will be Day 7 of our timetable.

This week is Cultural Diversity Week, which is about celebrating our many backgrounds, and highlights respect and belonging for people of all races and cultures. We are more similar than we are different, and something shared across our cultures is having a meal and connecting with people. As a result of this common feature among families, the Social Justice Team have sourced a few recipes from a number of cultures, which we encourage you to try out in your homes. This recipe is a great one for dinner and makes for even tastier leftovers - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/artichoke-aubergine-lamb-moussaka.

Further recipes will be posted on our Facebook page.

Rebecca Cassar

Social Justice Coordinator

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Btathena

"A Girl Like That is unlike any YA book I've ever read: a fascinating and disturbing glance into the gender discrimination and double-standards as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl in Saudi Arabia. It raised awareness for me, and is certain to inspire discussion and raise questions about equality, justice, and basic human rights."

- Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Can you love someone you can never touch? Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Five feet apart. No exceptions. The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals. Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly five feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.

What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

Library Team

For the second year running, the CRC Melton Senior Girls Volleyball team has become the SACCSS Senior Sport champions.

The team had 2 girls returning from 2018, but the 2019 group showed no sign of nerves as they raced through the 5 game round robin competition undefeated.

In the Semi Final against Marymede, they produced their best game of the day, winning 53 – 28.

That brought the team up against Kolbe in the Grand Final. This game produced long rallies and desperate saves on both sides of the net. Just when Kolbe looked like they had established control, the Melton girls dragged themselves back in to the lead with consistent, powerful serving from each player. At the end of the Final, Melton had achieved an outstanding win, 46 to 35.

Phillipa Malua was named player of the Grand Final.

The successful team: Malia Amato, Chantel Aquilina, Alexandra Della-Rocca, Sarah Elander, Raelle Grech, Regina Laumata, Bagena Malua, Phillipa Malua, Amberlynn Menezes, Alla Rowley.

Michael Hill

Volleyball Coach

Last Friday, Sr Mary Sarah, myself and 10 students attended the Catholic Education Week Mass for St Patrick’s Day at the Cathedral. Mass was a wonderful affair, with beautiful singing, bag pipes and banners of all attending school's, presided over by Archbishop Peter Comensoli for his very first time.

On the 8^th of March the Year 8s all went on an excursion to Kryal Castle where they learned new things about the Medieval times. There were many interactive activities across the day that students had the chance to participate in. On the day they learned about apothecary and medieval medicine and remedies. They also got to practise their accuracy in archery and got to shoot foam arrows in a dodgeball style game. They got to learn about medieval torture in a dungeon and they also learned about the different armour that was worn by the knights during combat. They found out about how the peasants lived and fought each other with foam swords in close quarters in medieval combat. The highlight of the day for the students was watching a medieval style jousting match. All the students had a terrific time learning about the past and couldn’t wait to learn more in class. It was a fun day and all the students enjoyed it.

Riley Williams

Humanities Coordinator

Djerriwarrh Health Services is the public health service for the communities of Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Caroline Springs.

We are currently engaging with the community in preparation for our 5 year Strategic Plan and would like local families to complete the online survey via the attached flyer.

Our aim is to receive feedback from as many groups within our community as possible.

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Andrea Agius

Executive Assistant to Chief Executive

See attached Learning & Development Guide Calendar from Kinship & Foster Care Education (KAFE).