Welcome back to the 2018 school year and a special welcome to all new students, families and staff to CRC Melton.

Welcome to the following new staff:

• Sister Anastasia - Religious Education and Maths

• Sister Mary Rachel - Religious Education and Humanities

• Jessica Alger – ACU Trainee

• Daniel Attard - Maths and Engineering

• Alison Andrada - Arts Traineeship

• Amy Bandeira - Music and Drama

• Louise Crocitti - Language (Italian)

• Sandra Carey - VCAL and VET Allied Health

• Mollie Daphne - EAL Coordinator

• Justin Farrugia - Maths

• Meryem McLeod - Arts and Humanities

• Bianca Mifsud - VET Coordinator

• Nirasha Pandi - English

• Kezi Todd - VCE English

• Lauren Whitford - English

• Hollie Whitlock – Humanities

We also welcome back Ingrid McRae and Amanda Wall from leave and also welcome to our new Canteen managers Colleen and Debra.

Policy on mobile phones in classroom

Mr Blackley announced to all students at last Friday’s school assembly the ban on using mobile phones in class rooms. Schools across Australia have introduced this policy (see article below) as it assists students to focus on their learning and reduces the opportunity for cyberbullying.

Best wishes to all for the 2018 school year.

An excerpt from the Sunday Herald Sun February 3, 2018

Ban smartphones from classrooms, says Federal Education Minister

Natsha Bita and Grant McArthur

THE Federal Education Minister has called for smartphones to be banned in classrooms. Senator Simon Birmingham made the call as figures show half of children were victim to cyberbullies in the past year.

Mr Birmingham told the Sunday Herald Sun: “There’s almost no reason students shouldn’t have their phones switched off and in their lockers while they’re at school.

“Although learning to work with technology is essential, phones can be a distraction from lessons and a platform for bullying unless schools have the right policies in place.“Those running school systems need to lead from the front with firm policies that ensure the problem isn’t just left to hardworking teachers and principals.’’

University of Melbourne Associate Professor Kay Margetts said smartphones were diluting students’ focus in the classroom and valuable social skills.

“I think it is quite reasonable that they could be banned. The sooner we do these things, the better,” she said. “There is so much research now about the negative impacts of social media on young people’s development that I think we need to put a stop to it.”

Child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg, who sits on the federal government’s internet safety working group, said smartphones must be banned in primary schools.

Young children needing phones for “security purposes’’ should only be given “dumb phones’’ without internet access, he said.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said most of the state’s schools already had bans on phones being used during classes.

“Cyber bullying is complex and doesn’t stop at the school gate. In fact in many cases the most worrying time is when a child is at home and being bullied via social media,” he said.

The recent suicide of 14-year-old Queensland schoolgirl Amy “Dolly” Everett after cyber bullying has put a spotlight on the issue.

“Cyber cop’’ Susan McLean demanded a ban on phones in schools, warning they risked being sued by the parents of cyber bullying victims over messages sent in school hours.

Ms McLean — who advises the federal government as a member of its Cyber Safety Working Group — said she was being flooded with requests from schools, parents and legal firms about the legality of phones in schools.

Welcome back to the 2018 school year and congratulations to our students, who have settled in well to their 2018 classes.

We are continuing to look at upgrading our facilities for students. We have just opened our newly refurbished Art room (previous Woodwork room) and students are now able to use our new Wood Modular Building (Joseph). Both rooms will have further work done to them during this term as we move to final fit out. We are continuing the construction of our Sports Stadium, which we anticipate to 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, whilst having a disabled sticker, have quite able students. With only 2 disabled spots we ask that families support us and give priority to those students who need the close access. 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 us know if you have concerns.

Year 7 Information Evening

I look forward to meeting Year 7 parents/guardians next Wednesday, February 14 at our Information evening.

Year 9 – 12 Subject Changes

As all Year 9 - 12 students undertook a thorough selection process last year and VCE students undertook Jumpstart, no changes will be made after this week unless there are exceptional circumstances. Changes for Semester Two electives at Year 9 & 10 will be considered closer to the start of Term 3.

On behalf of the student welfare team and Year Level Coordinators, I would like to welcome all students and their families to the 2018 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 2018

At our full school assembly last week, I spoke to the students about what is resilience and how we can develop our ability to deal with the many challenges we face. In the context of their school work it was about their:

• Ability to bounce back from adversity
• Skill for coping with life’s inevitable obstacles
• One of the key ingredients to success

During Term 2 resilience workshops will be presented for all students, a parent evening offered and a staff workshop by the Resilience Project team. Click on the their link for more details. https://theresilienceproject.c... copy of the presentation is available on the Knowledge Banks within SIMON.

Term 1 School Uniform

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 the opening assembly last 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 are not permitted, other than ear piercings. 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 wear the PE uniform 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 eg. College Mass, VCE Awards Ceremony.

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 that on occasion that students will be late or absent you are asked to contact the College in advance on 8099 6000 and follow the prompt to record your child’s absence. A note in the College diary needs to be provided to be 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 not here which causes unnecessary confusion and distress.

Canteen

2018 sees new managers, Colleen Morrow and Debra Kenny, with a new menu and ordering system. It is now possible for parents and students to pre-order their lunch on line by creating an account on http://ultimateschools.com.au/. By ordering before 9am, students will be guaranteed what they want off the menu for lunch. A copy of the menu can be found on SIMON by clicking on the link Canteen menu 2018

Students at all year levels are not permitted to organise for takeaway food deliveries to be made to the College during school hours. Students can order their lunch from the canteen. We also ask you as parents to not organise this for them. If food is delivered it will be confiscated and can be collected at the end of the day from Student Reception.

Robert Blackley

Deputy Principal - Students

A very warm welcome to the beginning of the 2018 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 2017 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 to 150 minutes (6 evenings per week)

Year 12 150 to 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 students 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 2018. 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 student choice- it can not be a novel we are studying as part of the curriculum. 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 which students have full access to if they have a library card. Please visit the Library with your student for more information.

Narelle Layton

Director of Learning

Congratulations to the following students who were acknowledged for their efforts in 2017 at our Awards night held on Wednesday 6th December 2017.

Year 7

Academic Consistency

Chloe Benedetti, Cate Cimerelli, Isaac Dalumpines, Antonio Di Giulio, Nathan Furtado, Tahnee Giordmania, Mitchell Jarosinski, Ellie Martin, Lauren Morgan, Luke Pace-Rinaldo, Heidi Pardinas, Heather Petelo Sauvao, Allan St Martin and Lucy Taylor

Academic Excellence

• Angelah Bala, Art
• Tenisha Bartolo, Materials Technology: Wood
• James Bertsias, Digital Technologies
• Joel Grech, Music
• Sarsha Kerton, Digital Technologies
• Amulya Madanu, Humanities
• Vasudha Mahajan, LOTE: Indonesian
• Ellie Martin, Digital Technologies
• Lauren Morgan, Religious Education
• Heidi Pardinas, Music
• Anuji Peramuna, LOTE: Italian & Mathematics
• Zac Ramsey, Health & Physical Education
• Lucy Taylor, English & Science
• Monique Wroblewski, Art

Year level Dux Lucy Taylor

Citizenship Award Charlotte McNab

Sport Award Lucy Taylor

Year 8

Academic Consistency

Mystique Ardley, Arop Ayuel, Lance Cacao, Aaron Cimera, Sebastian De Courcy, Jackson Govic, Ayja Grigg, Jill Kung, Charlee Macklin, Ruby Mawson, Tyler Prosser, Grace Smith, Czarliz Vanguardia and Bonnie Wilkie

Academic Excellence

• Ryan Cran, Materials Technology: Fibre
• Yenuli Dompearachchi, English
• Emily Heffernan, Art
• Snigdha Mahajan, Religious Education
• Solomon Miesen, Mathematics
• Andrew Nguyen, LOTE: Indonesian
• Dongrin Poundak, Drama
• Grace Smith, Science
• Trinity Steele, Physical Education
• Ayla Williams, Art, Health, Humanities, LOTE: Italian & Materials Technology: Food

Year level Dux Ayla Williams

Citizenship Award Ayla Williams

Sport Award Trinity Steele

Arts Award Junior Alla Rowley

Year 9

Academic Consistency

Chantal Bala, Blake Camilleri, Tileah Downs, Madeleine Ferre, Chelsea Gould, Madlen Hill, Danica Klasic, Elizabeth McKay, Damien Pendleton, Cecilia Riak, Shara Richards, Alana Sammut, Lachlan Serpell and IIlana White

Academic Excellence

• Siobhan Bradford, Art
• Blake Camilleri, Media
• Maddison Fenton, Drama
• Mitchell Fino, Sport and Leadership
• Maree Hodkinson, Outdoor Education
• Connor Laurilla, Visual Communication and Design
• Bridie Lewis, Human Development: The Early Years
• Paul Llanes, Health & Physical Education and Music Performance
• Victoria Makin, Materials Technology: Wood
• Jarryd Martin, Mathematics and Science
• Briannah Mungcal, English and Music Performance
• Damien Pendleton, Digital Technologies and Science
• Charlotte Robinson, Dance, Humanities, Science and Religious Education
• Aleisha Sneddon, Materials Technology: Fibre
• Mikayla Wroblewski, Materials Technology: Food

Year level Dux Charlotte Robinson

Citizenship Award Ivana Giannakoulis

Sport Award Madeleine Hodge

Knights of the Southern Cross - Music Scholarship Paul Llanes

Year 10

Academic Consistency

Terence Arambulo, Georgia Campbell, Ruby Carr, Jayden Cran, Denise D'Souza, Taylah Farr, Raelle Grech, Chloe Hadley, Vansh Narang, Simone Newton, Liam Orr and Nicole Portelli

Academic Excellence

• Megan Baselmans, Chemistry in the Environment, Core Plus Mathematics and Newton Sparks a Star War
• Angelica Bautista, Business Commerce, Cells to Creatures, English, History, Hospitality, Media, Physical Education: Active 2 and Visual Communication and Design
• Liam Beck, Digital Technologies: Game Design
• Curtis Boyle, Pre Foundation Mathematics
• Sarah Clewer, Materials Technology: Wood and Religion and Society
• Jayden Cran, Drama
• Claire Dennis, Vincit-VET
• Denise D'Souza, Core Mathematics, Political Law
• Taylah Farr, Vincit
• Raelle Grech, Geography
• Dylan Hassan, Physical Education: Advanced
• Nikita Jarosinski, Art and Outdoor Education
• Nicole Mercieca, Engineering
• Evana Miesen, Political Law
• Josephine Mwaka, VET: Early Childhood
• Vansh Narang, Core Plus Mathematics and Science
• Liam Orr, Physical Education: Active 1
• Annmariya Praveen John, Psyched
• Samantha Stone, Materials Technology: Food

Year level Dux Angelica Bautista

Citizenship Award Luke Heaney

Sport Award Montana Djatschenko

Andrea Closter Award Kody Boyle

Year 11

Academic Consistency

Meg Bacchin, Kaitlyn Dando, Joshua Eagle, Renee Lancaster, Macy Le Huray, Cheyanne Llanes, Jessica McGuffie, Natasha Paproth, Madeline Rizzo, Jacinta Sciusco, Luke Spiteri, Danielle Sultana, Ethan Valentine and Benjamin Wills

Academic Excellence

• Meg Bacchin, English & English Literature
• Christopher Campagna, Media
• Madeleine Connell, Allied Health
• Erin Crowe, General Mathematics
• Kaitlyn Dando, Materials Technology: Food
• Kayla Davis, Business Management
• Joshua Eagle, Physical Education
• Emily Flack, History
• Natalie Folker, Materials Technology: Wood
• Natalie Fry, Foundation Mathematics
• Dayna Govic, Health and Human Development
• Meg Holt, English
• Dennielle Lastra, Studio Art and Visual Communication and Design
• Macy Le Huray, Biology
• Harris Leiataua, Foundation VCAL
• Apoorva Mandanu, Psychology
• Kenrick Mascarenhas, Legal Studies
• Jessica McGuffie, Accounting
• Madeline Rizzo, LOTE: Italian
• Corey Schembri, Foundation VET
• Braydan Shalders, Computing
• Veronica Smith, Text & Traditions
• Luke Spiteri, Chemistry, Physics and Specialist Mathematics
• Ethan Trethowan, English Language
• Isobel Turnball, Drama
• Harmonie Wegener, Sport and Recreation

Year level Dux Luke Spiteri

Citizenship Award Rebecca Chin

Sport Award Jack Watkins

Arts Award Senior Culain Ardley

Marita Miesen Award Khaw Ti Ling

Father Brian Glasheen Scholarship Lauren McKay

Statements will be posted this week. If you have completed a direct debit form for 2018, payments will commence on 21st February unless otherwise requested.

Kaye Kennedy

Business Manager

2 Cookies Catering is pleased to be offering the canteen services to CRC Melton’s students and staff in 2018.

2 Cookies Catering is run by Colleen and Debra. Colleen has previous experience operating a food business and has in the past provided food to the CRC Community at Celebration Day, and Debra has worked as a commercial chef and she also works with Grade 5 students at St Dominic’s Primary School in their café program.

We aim to bring to the School community a menu and food service which is healthy and tasty. We will be trialling several new menu items over the course of the year and we will welcome feedback regarding menu items. We will run a summer menu with healthy salad options and our winter menu will include soups and pasta options. We will be making these foods in the canteen, so they will fresh and delicious.

We are also implementing an online ordering service via an App which can be downloaded onto any internet enabled device. This App, serviced by Ultimate Schools means that you can order and pay for lunch orders or snacks online. Either, the parent/guardian can have one main account for their children or you can download the app onto each child’s phone or iPad. The easiest and most cost-effective way to pay for food is to transfer money into the App account, there is no fee for a money transfer, but it can take a couple of days. Once there is money in the account, your child can then order their snacks or lunch online and you can then top up the account as needed. Alternatively, you can pay via credit but there is a bank surcharge to cover this option. The Ultimate Schools App is an easy system to use and it removes the need for loose change to pay for school foods.

All the information regarding the App is available both on the College website and leaflets are available from the office or the canteen.

Lunch orders can still be placed via a paper bag, these orders need to be given direct to the canteen in the morning before 9am. All lunch orders are then picked up from the canteen windows at the start of lunch service.

We look forward to working with the School community to provide a quality food service in 2018.

2 Cookies Catering