Attendance Policy

The School requires regular attendance. At the Principal’s discretion, this can be waived where a student suffers a prolonged illness or if prior approval for leave of absence has been granted.

Students must be in school throughout the hours of a normal school day. Students are to attend all timetabled periods. This includes all homeroom, assemblies, house meetings, our Celebration Day, house activities and house sporting carnivals. Students are required to attend a minimum of 90% of classes (unless there are mitigating circumstances). It was most disappointing to see over 220 students not attending the athletics house sports last week. Celebration Day is a compulsory event happening next Tuesday 8th May. We are currently cross checking student absence with the swimming sports to determine if a regular pattern appears.

Whenever a student is absent from school, a written note signed by a parent/guardian is to be presented to the Homeroom teacher on the day of return. For the absence to be approved by the school, parent/guardians need to support the absence with a Medical Certificate or parental note made by the parent/guardian regarding their son/daughter’s illness preventing them from attending school. A Statutory Declaration is permissible as an alternative to the Medical Certificate if the student is unable to secure a doctor appointment on the day of the illness for Year 11 and 12 students. Any student consistently missing class due to illness needs to keep documentation to verify they have genuine reasons, e.g. medical certificates.

Students are to be punctual to school and to class. The day begins with Homeroom at 8.48am. Students are required to be at school by the start of Homeroom. Appointments are expected to take place out of school hours. If this is not possible, advance notice is required.

No student may leave the school grounds without the prior approval of the Year Level Coordinator. If such permission has been granted, the student must sign out at Student Reception and sign in again when he/she returns. In cases of illness, students must attend Sick Bay and permission must be granted to leave the school if appropriate.

For satisfactory completion of a Semester Unit, a student must demonstrate achievement of the set outcomes as specified for each subject and satisfy the attendance requirement of 90%. The key knowledge and skills required to satisfy these outcomes are taught in class and as such it is expected students will attend. A child’s attendance falling below this requirement could result in not being promoted to the next year level.

Students absent on holiday during regular school term.

The College often gets requests from parents re taking students out of school time for extended holiday periods. The following procedures have been in place to meet these requests

• Parents need to write to the Principal providing details of why and when the student will be absent from school. The College will acknowledge this correspondence.
• Teaching staff will not be required to provide work for students who are absent from class and miss teaching/learning due to holidays taken in term time.
• Course outlines will be provided by the subject teacher and available through the school intranet (PAM) if requested so that parents can deliver/arrange appropriate instruction through a tutor.
• It will be the responsibility of the student to arrange alternative dates for assessment task completion prior to his/her departure.
• If the student does not submit the assessment work prior to his/her departure, he/she may receive a grade NS (not submitted) for each task.
• If the student is absent for a period longer than two weeks, the assessment of his/her work will be made on the tasks completed for the period of the semester he/she has been in attendance at school.
• It is not advisable that VCE students are absent from during school for extended periods during the school term

Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews

Our first Parent-Student-Teacher interviews appeared to run smoothly over the first 2 weeks of term. Any feedback on the organisation of these interviews, as we are trialling this new format, is most welcome. Please email me at jchristie@sfcc.vic.edu.au.

Upcoming Events

Just a reminder that next Tuesday, 8th May is the College Celebration Day. All students make their way to the parish Church services in the morning followed by a day of celebrations here at the College. Details are included in other sections of this newsletter.

Friday, 18th May is a Staff Professional Learning day and thus no classes will operate.

Please see attached letter to the CRC Community regarding the Principal Review for Mr Mark Sheehan, to be held 15th and 17th May.

Patricia Cowling

Catholic Education Office, Melbourne

On Tuesday 8th of May, students will start their day at their local parish church for morning Mass with their parish community.

Those attending St Anthony’s and St Bernard’s are expected to make their own way to church and are required 15 minutes before Mass begins. Students celebrating Mass at St Anthony’s or St Bernard’s will return to school by bus for Celebration Day activities.

Darley and Underbank buses will not be operating Tuesday morning as Bacchus Marsh students will meet at St Bernards Church.

CRC staff will be at all parishes and supervise the return to school.

Students of Melton Parish will be celebrating at St Catherine’s and will start the morning at school, arriving by 8.40am and gathering in year level areas for roll taking and will then move across to church.

The College day will have a finish time of 3.00pm. Buses will run as normal after school.

Students are to wear PE uniform.

Mass times:

• St Bernard’s 9.00am
• St Anthony’s 9.15am
• St Catherine’s 9.15am

The College held its ANZAC Day service last Thursday in front of our Lone Pine. The service was lead by the College Captains Madie McGill and Ethan Trethowan, they were supported by Liturgy Captains Shehan Tennakon and Evana Miesen with the reading of the Lord's Prayer and In Flanders Field. Sport Captain Boden Mugridge and Deputy Social Justice Captain Annamariya Praveen laid the wreath on behalf of the school. The ceremony finished with the singing of the New Zealand national anthem by Mrs Joyce, students Philipa and Bagena Malua and Regina Laumata and the Australian anthem by Briannah Mungcal.

This year, the final year of the Anzac Centenary, marks the 103rd anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli and the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux in France, in which 2400 Australians died fighting alongside the British to push back a German spring offensive.

The library wanted to recognise the contribution made to the ANZAC spirit by displaying links staff have to the Australian Armed Services. Contributions by staff were made of personal family treasures.

· Ms Moore volunteered her own slouch hat.

· Mr Attard provided a bayonet from Malta WWI

· Mr Hill’s wife sent in her grandfather’s photos and memorabilia.

· Ms Brown provided a Vietnam service jacket from her step=father and various other pieces of photos from her extended family.

· Mrs Pope gave us some postcards written home during the war to family from her grandfather, a military farrier.

· Mr Iannazzo gave us details of a family member with an interesting story.

· And finally from New Zealand, Mrs Joyce provided photos of her proud kiwi military heritage.

This has made for a very personal display which the children have been enjoyed.

Belinda Brown

Library Technician

On Tuesday 27^th March 38 students embarked on a journey to MSAC for SACCSS Swimming. The students competed in 96 different events for the day. Our students swam exceptionally well with many of them gaining a place. The results for the day were:

Tyler Goudge – three 1^st, three 3^rd

Karlos Nuestro – seven 1^st, two new records and Age Group Champion

James Morrow – two 1^st, one 2^nd, two 3^rd

Angela Molnar – five 1^st, one 2^nd and Age Group Champion

Katrina Nuestro – five 2^nd

Kaila Nuestro – three 2^nd and three 3^rd

Celeste Kenner – three 2^nd and one 3^rd

Ben Wills – one 1^st, four 2^nd and two 3^rd

Jack O’Rouke – three 1^st and two 2^nd

Alannah Morrow – two 1^st, three 2^nd and Age Group Champion

We were also Senior Boys Champions and Overall Senior Champions.

We congratulate Karlos Nuestro, James Morrow, Angela Molnar, Kaila Nuestro, Benn Wills, Jack O’Rourke and Alannah Morrow who have made the All Schools Swimming Carnival to be held on 7th May. Congratulations to all those who participated.

On the 8th of May CRC will be holding our annual Celebration Day. Students begin the day attending mass at their local parishes before coming back to school where there will be fun games and activities for the students to enjoy to help raise funds for our chosen charities.

Celebration day is an annual event where we celebrate being part of the CRC federation and acknowledge our faith by raising money for our chosen charities. This year the funds raised will be shared between our school in Kenya, Brother Beausang; the Gem Foundation, who care for 40 children with special needs in Uganda, and HoMie, which aims to create pathways out of homelessness and hardship for young people in Melbourne. To find out more about these charities please click the links below:

http://thegemfoundation.com/

https://homie.com.au/pages/about

From this week, early bird wristbands will be on sale for $10 at lunchtime to students outside the front of the library. They will then be on sale for $15 the week of Celebration Day and on Celebration Day from 10.30-11.30am. These wristbands will entitle the students to unlimited rides, banner making and entrance to CRC’s got talent.

This year we have four main attractions and rides:

· The Cha Cha- A carnival ride in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience centrifugal force, while spinning on two separate axes.

· The Edge Slide- A 10m high inflatable drop slide

· The Eliminator- An inflatable mechanical wipe-out game which challenges 8 contestants on their ability to jump and dodge the rotating arm

· The Bungee Basketball Run- An inflatable competitive game which tempts you to slam dunk the ball only to jerk you back at the last second

Other activities include:

· Talent Show – Students showcase their talents and are in the chance to win one of 3 Woodgrove vouchers

· Bubble Soccer- Students wear a giant inflatable bubble as they compete in a game of soccer

· Banner Making – Each house will create a scrapbook where students can add messages and fingerprints, which will be displayed in the school

· Dodgeball competition - Junior and Senior house competitions will be held in the hall

· Busking – Students will be showcasing their talents around the school.

· Lan Party – The computer labs will be open for students to compete in a gaming competition.

· Community stalls – We have many local and national community stalls coming to talk to students about how they can use their resources or get involved in social justice activities outside of school

Students will receive a raffle ticket which entitles them to a free BBQ sausage or drink. Additional hot food and sweets will be available for purchase throughout the day including pizza, donuts, and potato twisters. A full menu and prices will be released later this week.

We would like parents/guardians to be aware that some of the rides and activities may not be suitable for students with asthma, heart conditions, epilepsy, anxiety, vertigo and low blood pressure. If you have any queries please contact Sue Davies in the office.

We look forward to celebrating this exciting day with all students next Tuesday and hope to raise in excess of $10 000 for our charities.

Shanelle Sertic

Student Leadership Coordinator

The Mary MacKillop Museum at 362 Albert Street East Melbourne tells the inspiring story of Australia’s St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

The Museum has a special Open Day on Saturday, 5th May, from 10.00am-4.00pm with a guided Mary MacKillop Walking Tour at 11.00am and a special morning or afternoon tea available between 11.00am & 3.00pm.

Sisters of St Joseph & the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre

The Clothesline project will be happening at Celebration day on May 8th. We are hoping that many students and staff will come along and get involved.

What is the Project?

The project began in 1990 as a way to address the issue of violence against women. It encourages community members to create messages and images on t-shirts to support women and children who have experienced violence and to inspire a community that is free from Violence.

Hanging out washing was traditionally seen as women’s work and in days gone by in small communities, women would communicate over the fence while hanging out the washing. It was often the only way some women had to reach out to other women in their community.

Since its inception in 1990 community members have gathered to discuss their messages with one another while involved in the t-shirt activity.

On Celebration day we will have t-shirts and pens available for students and staff to write/ draw their messages on. We are adapting the project to be about prevention of violence, especially the prevention of domestic violence.

“657 domestic violence matters are dealt with everyday by Australian Police”.

Marg Rowe-Watts

Social Justice Coordinator

On the last Wednesday of Term 1 Rebecca Carey and myself accompanied 6 students on the soup van experience. We travelled through the city and surrounding suburbs visiting various locations where people gather for conversation and the free food provided by St. Vincent De Paul volunteers. Our role was to give out clothing and toiletries while being a friendly and welcoming face for others to talk to.

The students approached their roles with enthusiasm and showed great compassion and dignity to all that they met. Below are their responses. I would like to thank the students, Rebecca Carey and also the families who donated goods and came out late at night to pick up their children.

Student responses

“such an amazing night that really opens your eyes to the things people who are homeless experience. I’ll never forget the stories I got the privilege to hear and not to mention the amazing hot chocolate.”
- Kate Levett

“one of the most amazing things I’ll ever get to experience. This experience is such an eye opener and it really makes you think about how blessed you are to have a roof over your head and food on your table every night. The people we met were absolutely incredible and they all absolutely destroy the stereotypes of all people suffering homelessness. It’s something I will never forget and I will always be thankful for this experience and the people we met and the stories they told.” - Chelsea Dickinson

“this has been an experience of a lifetime. This has not only been just a volunteer event but something that truly opens your eyes to the different possibilities and circumstances people fight and battle through when facing homelessness.…. I finally realise how many things we take for granted and how privileged we are to have access to lots of facilities that meet our everyday needs.” - Kenrick Mascarenhas

“Although it was a bit daunting at first, it was an overall amazing opportunity that I would recommend to everyone……..this will be an experience none of us will forget.” - Rebecca Chin

The next opportunity for students to participate in this activity will be Wednesday 20th June. Those interested are asked to email mrowe-watts@sfcc.vic.edu.au. I will continue to accept donations of toiletries, tissues, razors, toothpaste, beanies, blankets, jackets and sleeping bags. These donations are distributed to those we meet on the soup van evenings.

Marg Rowe-Watts

Social Justice Coordinator

VTAC will again be one of the presenters at the "Study With Your Health Not Against It" Forum on Wednesday 16 May 2018 organised by Royal Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald Learning Program, Capital City LLEN and Starlight's Livewire Program. This free event is for young people with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities and their support networks (parents and teachers).

More information is available at the event registration page.

VTAC/Royal Children's Hospital, Ronald MCDonald Learning Program

CRC Federation

Dear Mambourin Community,

RE: We want you to be fully prepared for the NDIS!

To help you prepare, we are again running our NDIS Community Sessions. We have also listed dates where you can book in an individual NDIS pre-planning session with our NDIS team. All the information you need about these sessions is listed below.

NDIS COMMUNITY SESSIONS
The community sessions will take place at Altona and Braybrook. At these sessions we will go over the latest NDIS information and answer any questions that you may have. All of this information will help you through your NDIS journey and assists you to be as prepared as possible.

NDIS Community session dates and times:

Monday 14th May
6pm – 7.30pm Altona: 130 Queen Street Altona VIC 3016

Wednesday 16th

2pm – 3:30pm Derrimut : 159 Derrimut Drive Derrimut 3030

Thursday 17th May
6pm – 7.30pm Braybrook: 1 Ravenhall Street Braybrook VIC 3019

To rsvp to either of the above NDIS Community sessions, please call Head Office 9731 9200.

INDIVIDUAL NDIS PRE-PLANNING SESSIONS
We have opened up a number of dates for you to book in an individual NDIS pre-planning session. At your session, we will discuss your goals and explain what information you will need to collect before your NDIS planning meeting.

Depending on demand, your initial session may be limited to half an hour. To assist us in preparing your Information Pack, please RSVP by the 21st May .

Individual Sessions Dates and times:

*These sessions will start at 9am and run until 5pm of each day. Sessions will run in half hour time slots.*

Mon 28th May Deer Park: Cnr Mile and Ballarat Rd Deer Park VIC 3023

Fri 25th May Derrimut: 159 Derrimut Drive Derrimut 3030 9am – 4pm

Wed 30th May Altona: 130 Queen Street Altona VIC 3016

Fri 1st June Sunshine: 50 Stanford St Sunshine VIC 3020

Mon 4th June Braybrook: 1 Ravenhall Street Braybrook VIC 3019

Wed 6th June Werribee: 11 Walls Rd Werribee VIC 3030

Tues 12th June Melton/Bacchus Marsh: 1 Collins Rd Melton VIC 3337

To book an individual session please call Head Office on 9731 9200 to see what times are available.

Can’t make these dates? Don’t worry! We are happy to discuss your NDIS pre-planning with you at another time. Also, we will run these sessions again if there is heavy demand.

Lavinia Tukuafu

NDIS Transition Manager

Next Tuesday is Celebration Day so regular canteen services will not be offered on this day. There will be other lunch options available and we will instead be operating a sweet/bake stall.

Our favourites are back from previous years, so pop in to our stall and satisfy that sweet tooth craving. Here is what we will have for sale on the day.

$2.00 options

Choc caramel slice

Chocolate brownie

Gluten free Chocolate brownie

Oreo fudge

Chocolate cake

Banana Cake

Rainbow Cupcakes

Sour lolly bags

$1.00 options

Truffles (3 for $1.00)

Honey Joys

All goods are baked on our premises in the canteen and we will be donating a percentage of sales to the nominated charities.

2 Cookies Catering

Spartans Basketball Club are looking for players. Please see attached flyer if you are interested.

Spartans Basketball Club