Welcome back to the 2019 school year and a special welcome to all new students, families and staff to CRC Melton. In addition to the new Year 7 cohort, we have 14 new students in Years 8-11.

Welcome to the following new staff members:

• Sarah Rogers - Mathematics/VCAL
• Kristina Stefanovska – Food Technology
• Sam Tammaro - Mathematics/VCAL
• Steven Woolmer – Accounting/Business Management
• Kaylee Jones –Physical Education
• Daniel Smith – Physical Education
• Kristina Hefter – Food Technology Assistant
• Boden Mugridge – Sports Trainee
• Nadia Blanco – Arts Trainee
• Olivia Rabottini - Administration Trainee

We also welcome back Bernadette Lawrence and Gemma Pentony from Maternity Leave.

Staff PD – Andrew Fuller

Last Wednesday, the staff at CRC Melton had the opportunity to work with Andrew Fuller in the lead up to the 2019 academic year. Andrew is a renowned clinical psychologist who has established programs in thousands of schools on neuroscience for education, as well as student wellbeing and mental health. The day focused on resilience, and how to increase resilience in our students. Andrew shared a wealth of knowledge and expertise on brain based teaching, including how students learn, the growth mindset and how we can improve a student’s sense of belonging and ability to form positive relationships in our College.

Sports Stadium

We were hoping to host a whole school assembly in the new Sports Stadium on Monday morning, but alas it wasn’t quite ready for use. Parents are welcome to join us in our first gathering in the new facility on Thursday 21st February when we celebrate our Opening School Mass at 12 noon.

Policy on mobile phones in classroom

Mr Blackley announced to all students during Monday’s Year Level Assemblies the ban on using mobile phones at school between 8:45am and 3:20pm. Schools across Australia have introduced this policy as it helps students focus on their learning in the classroom and also reduces the opportunity for cyberbullying in the school yard at recess and lunchtime. More information regarding this can be found in the Deputy Principal (Students) section of this newsletter.

I wish you all the best for the 2019 school year.

Welcome back to the 2019 school year and congratulations to our students, who have settled in well to their 2019 classes.

We are continuing to look at upgrading our facilities for students. We hope to have our new Sports Stadium open in the coming weeks, however students are now able to access the two new outside Basketball courts. We are continuing the construction of our Resource Centre, which we anticipate will be ready in Term 3.

Transport

We request that only parents/guardians dropping off or picking up students with disabilities/injuries use the Disabled parking spots at the front of the College. We often see vehicles parking there, and whilst having a disabled sticker, have quite able students arriving or going. With only two Disabled spots we ask that families support us and give priority to those students who need the close access. As the entire area is extremely busy at both the start and end of school times, I also ask that families drive slowly and carefully. Students travelling on Bacchus Marsh Coaches and SITA bus lines will have the pick-up procedures monitored to ensure maximum safety and clarity for students. We will be consulting with the companies and bus drivers to see what/if any changes are needed. Please let the bus company and the College know if you have any concerns.

Years 7 and Year 9 Information Evenings

I look forward to meeting Year 9 parents/guardians this Wednesday, 6th February and Year 7 parents/guardians next Wednesday, 13th February at our Information Evenings.

Year 9 – 12 Subject Changes

All Years 9-12 students undertook a thorough selection process last year and VCE students undertook our Jumpstart program. VCE students must see Mrs Dickson before any changes will be authorised and no changes will be made after this week unless there are exceptional circumstances. Changes for Semester Two electives at Years 9 & 10 will be considered closer to the start of Term 3.

Student Welfare

On behalf of the student welfare team and Year Level Coordinators, I would like to welcome all students and their families to the 2019 school year. I trust the Christmas holiday break was a great opportunity to spend time with family members and relax. We extend a welcome to parents who have their first son or daughter starting at Catholic Regional College this year.

Theme for 2019

Our theme for this year is an extension of what we started last year, that being resilience. Our focus will be on how we as individuals and as a community show through our thoughts and actions empathy and compassion to others. Activities, programs and events, e.g. Celebration Day, will be centred around the themes of empathy and compassion.

Phone Use at School

We accept that parents give their children mobile phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal security and safety. There is also increasing concern about children travelling alone on public transport or commuting long distances to school. lt is acknowledged that providing a child with a mobile phone gives parents reassurance that they can contact their child if they need to speak to them urgently.

There is also concern about students using their phones inappropriately at school to film and post images, bully other students online or be distracted in class thus impacting on their learning.

A change has been made to the use of phones by students whilst at school. I spoke to all year levels today informing them of the reasons for the change in policy. These were firstly, the focus in the classroom is on learning and mobile phones are a distraction when students check or send messages to their peers or post on social media whilst in class. Secondly, the phones can and are used to bully or intimidate others and finally students might actually engage in conversation directly with their peers at recess and lunchtime.

Acceptable Use of Mobile Phones

1. Students are not permitted to use their phones at school between homeroom and 3:20pm. Phones are to be kept in their lockers throughout these times, this includes recess and lunchtimes.

2. Mobile devices may only be used during school times if authorised by College Staff; this includes school excursions, camps and extra-curricular activities (unless the excursion guidelines stipulate that mobile devices are not permitted).

3. Non-observance or breaches of these rules will result in the mobile phone being confiscated for the day and collected from the College Office at the end of the day. A second confiscation will result in the student’s phone being locked in the College safe overnight and collected the next day. A third breach will require parent collection of the phone from the College Office.

4. Parents are reminded that in cases of emergency, the College Office remains a vital and appropriate point of contact and can ensure your child is reached quickly, and assisted in any appropriate way.

5. Any student who is feeling unwell at school and needs to go home must arrange this through the College Office. In some situations, students may need to contact home or parents and it is possible for this to occur in the presence of their Level Coordinator or a Deputy Principal. Any arrangements to leave school must be made through the College Office.

School Uniform - Term 1:

It is pleasing to see the students wearing the correct school uniform. The College has a set school uniform policy and students are expected to wear it correctly. Uniforms are to be kept clean, pressed and mended and school shoes kept clean and polished. The uniform is sold exclusively through the College Uniform Shop. More details can be found in the student diary regarding the uniform and grooming requirements for students. It was made clear to students at their level assemblies this week what is permitted. We look forward to your support in ensuring your son and daughter is in the correct uniform and neatly groomed. Facial piercings, other than ear piercings, are not permitted. Penalties will be issued to students if they are wearing the incorrect uniform.

I wish to highlight some key points regarding the uniform. Students wearing PE uniform must wear CRC sport socks and only when they have PE/Drama/Dance classes, compete at SACCSS or Premier league competition days. Boys in summer uniform are to wear plain navy blue socks. Students will be required to wear their school uniform at all full school assemblies and official events, e.g. College Mass, VCE Awards Ceremony. Students must wear their blazer if they decide to wear their jumper to school as the blazer is the external garment.

A note in the diary needs to be provided if your child is not wearing the correct uniform. Notes from parents will not entitle students to be out of uniform for more than one school day.

Attendance

I remind parents/guardians that on occasions, your child will be late or absent you are asked to contact the College in advance on (03) 8099 6000 and follow the prompt to record your child’s absence (Option 1). A note in the College diary needs to be provided and shown to the student’s Homeroom teachers on their return.

All students who arrive at school after Homeroom MUST sign in at the Student Office. Failing to do so results in parents receiving an SMS from the College indicating their child is absent causing unnecessary confusion and distress.

A very warm welcome to the 2019 academic year. This year, we encourage all students to work hard to achieve their personal best in every subject they study by taking advantage of every learning opportunity presented to them.

The learning of our students involves a partnership between students, staff and parents/carers; with each having a very important role to play in the support of the learning of the students.

For all students, their focus should be on continual academic improvement by setting high standards, believing in themselves and working hard. Students must also set goals and take advantage of the expertise of their teachers and seek help when required.

For teachers, they will know their students and work with them to ensure they are learning in a way that suits the learning style of each student. Teachers will also be informed of current best practice and educational research to ensure they provide the best learning opportunities for students in their classes.

For parents and carers, we encourage you to be engaged in your student’s learning. Ask questions, have them teach you what they learnt at school, read their English texts, provide a space conducive to study and supervise their home study. Learning feedback from 2018 will also guide you in what specific support your student needs; perhaps it is to limit social activities to allow students to complete their work at home, or to ensure that the iPad contains largely learning materials and not only games and movies or even ensure that work is simply proofread before submission.

Home Study

Home study is an important part of the learning process and it is expected that every student complete some home study at least five evenings per week. The recommended times for home study are:

• Year 7 45 minutes
• Year 8 60 minutes
• Year 9 75 minutes
• Year 10 90 minutes
• Year 11 120-150 minutes (6 evenings per week)
• Year 12 150-180 minutes (6 evenings per week)

Home study provides students the opportunity to consolidate the knowledge and skills learnt in classes that day. Revision is also a very important component of home study with research speaking to the fact that regular revision of content and skills is far more effective than ‘cramming’ before the assessment task. Please note that your student should never claim they have no home study- regular revision is a constant task and should be a focus from Day 1 of classes to the final day of school. Similarly, if your student is doing excessive amounts of home study, please contact your student's Homeroom Teacher. Balance is important, so although we do expect some home study to take place, we also recommend students spend time with family, friends and hobbies each night.

Reading for Enjoyment, Encouragement and Development (R.E.E.D.)

The educational benefits of reading for pleasure is well documented and in an effort to support our students in reaching their personal best, we are continuing with the Reading for Enjoyment, Encouragement and Development (R.E.E.D.) program in 2019. This program requires all students in Years 7 to 10 to read for pleasure for 15 minutes in period 2 each day. Reading materials must be hard copy and a book of the student's choice. The College Library has resources available for students to borrow all year round.

We encourage all parents/carers to supervise their student reading for pleasure at home each evening. Melton Library carries a large selection of materials of different genres that students have full access to if they have a library card. Please visit the Melton Library with your student for more information.

Narelle Layton

Director of Learning

Welcome back to 2019. Our Summer Menu continues and will be uploaded onto the relevant College portals shortly. In the meantime you can pick up a copy of our menu at the College Office or at the Canteen.

The online ordering system worked well last year so we have continued to use the Ultimate Schools app. If you have not set up an account, it is easy to do so, Simply Google Ultimate Schools and follow the prompts under ‘Create an Account’.

Once you have registered and loaded some money onto your account, you can begin to place your lunch orders via this system. Orders need to be placed by 9:00am for that day.

If you have any difficulties with setting up or logging into your account, you can contact Ultimate Schools directly on (03) 9020 1473.

The Ultimate ordering system is easy to use, and it means you do not need to have cash on you to place an order. You can also pre-order your lunches days or weeks in advance. If you need further information, you can pick up a flyer from the canteen or the office.

If you are unable to use the online ordering system, you can still place your lunch order directly at the Canteen with your paper bag and cash. We accept lunch orders up until the end of Recess.

All lunch orders are to be picked up from the Canteen at the start of lunch time. The first 5 minutes of lunch is reserved for serving lunch orders. So, if you place a pre-order, not only are you guaranteed to get what you would like but you also get priority service!

We’re looking forward to serving you delicious food again this year.

2 Cookies Catering

Please see attached Melton’s Young Communities Term 1 FREE Program, available to the young people of our school.

A brief description of each program and flyers are attached. Should any families require further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or the workers listed on the program flyer.

Stephanie Serret

Youth Development Officer | Melton City Council

As you are probably aware there is a great need for Foster Carers in our local community. Anglicare Victoria is holding an information session at Melton South on 7th February to raise awareness in the Community.

Please download the flyer for further details.

Deb Lord-Webster

Volunteer Recruitment & Support Worker | Anglicare Victoria

Reclink Melton and Specialist Hoops are excited to deliver our Community Basketball Program to engage our youth.

We welcome youth from 12 to 18 years old of all genders to participate and develop new skills and make new friends in a friendly environment.

For more information please don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance.

Address: 159 Coburns Road, Melton (Melton Recreation Centre)

Day & Time: 5pm - 6pm, Wednesdays

Michael Walsh

Reclink Sports Coordinator