Senior Girls AFL

Congratulations to the Girls AFL team who won the SACCSS Grand Final held today at Arnolds Creek reserve.

Scores: CRC Melton 7 5 47 defeated Antoine College 4 4 28 Best players – Darci Evans, Aleisha King, Holly Van Meel & Emma Winzar.

Resilience Project

On Monday afternoon, the staff heard a presentation from Martin Hepall for the Resilience Project. Martin continued with a presentation to parents in the evening.

Martin spoke about four key principles:

GRATITUDE, EMPATHY/ COMPASSION, MINDFULNESS, and EMOTIONAL LITERACY

People in society might say these principles are not new as such and that’s true from my point of view.

But in a society where there are mental health issues, especially anxiety and depression, there is an urgent need to use these principles to nourish our resilience as human beings.

Please see Rob Blackley’s section on this program in past newsletters this year.

Parents & Friends Meeting

Parents & Friends Meeting is on this Wednesday night starting at 7pm. All welcome.

Resilience Project – Staff/Parent workshop Monday 25 June

Martin Heppell from the The Resilience Project team delivered an emotionally engaging presentation to staff and parents on Monday. The Resilience Project has delivered programs to over 500 schools around the country. The team seeks to help all Australians become mentally healthy through the values of Gratitude, Empathy, Emotional Literacy and Mindfulness

The staff and parents heard stories from Martin and saw statistics on mental health. “With one in four adolescents having a mental illness in today’s society and one in three girls and one in five boys suffering from an anxiety disorder, the need for guidance and direction is essential,” Mr Heppell said.

Martin said the key word is “failure”, that is, how do we teach our students to be resilient if we don’t let them experience failure. As parents we do it all for them, failure is nothing but growth. We need to go through adversity to develop resilience.

“Alarmingly, in today’s society 65 per cent of adolescents do not seek help for mental illness so we must be proactive in making a difference to our youth”. The question is who is providing the environment to allow adolescents to seek help.

“It’s important to spread these messages because the kids don’t know the strategies they can use to support themselves when they are dealing with hard times. It’s about giving kids positive mental well-being strategies that they can use when they are in a need or a part of their world can benefit from it.

Martin spoke of the importance as adults we need to model behaviours for our children and students. Every time we do something kind for someone else, your brain releases oxytocin, this increases self-esteem, confidence, energy, happiness and positivity.

The students will have the opportunity to hear Martin on July 17.

Find out more information on their website https://theresilienceproject.c... and the science and research that sits behind the four principles that they teach in their programs https://theresilienceproject.c... copy of Martin’s presentation can be found on the link http://theresilienceproject.co... Out Resources

ReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents.

Struggling to know how to support your teenager with tricky issues like bullying, anxiety and relationships? Whatever the issue, you’re not alone. Thousands of parents across Australia are wondering how to support their teenager through tough times.

Reach Out provides qualified coaches to help you plan your next steps. There coaches will chat online and by phone about what could work for you. They’ll provide you with professional online tools to help you build your own action plan to try out at your own pace.

Whenever you’re stuck in this situation, you can share their free online and phone service, ReachOut Parents Coaching.

Any parent of a teenager aged 12–18 can access this free service.

Robert Blackley

Deputy Principal of Staff

As Semester 1 comes to a close, I wish all our CRC families a restful and safe break and thank all staff for their care of our students and commitment to assisting them achieve their personal best in their studies, the performing arts, and sport throughout the semester. I hope that our VCE students commit some time for study and revision in addition to time for rest and relaxation.

We farewell some staff at the end of term. Mr Michael Sirko leaves to take a position at Caroline Chisholm College, Braybrook – much closer to home for him. Mrs Lauren Spearman will leave in Week 3 of Term 3 on Maternity leave. Mrs Marion Jackson will be on Long Service Leave during Term 3.

Term 3 starts for all year levels on Monday, July 16. All Year 7 - 10 students will receive an updated copy of their Timetable with their new electives / rotations listed and we will begin with Day 1 of our Timetable.

Last Day of Term 2 and Buses

Please note the following information regarding bus service pick-ups for next Friday June 29.

Classes will finish at 2.30pm.

Melton Town services will run their regular times. Students who normally catch the two SITA Buses may wait until the normal scheduled pickup time of 3.30pm or make other arrangements, such as catching other town buses, to get home.

All Bacchus Marsh Coach Services will run to the earlier pick up time.

Semester 2 Subject / Electives Changes

Year 11 students are now able to investigate any Unit 2 subject changes Requests for Semester 2 Subject changes must first go to Mrs Dickson. Once a pathway plan has been approved students can complete a Change of Subject Form. Students must first talk to their subject teacher before requesting a time to meet with Mrs Dickson. All changes must be applied for and processed by June 28.

Reports

Semester One Reports will open Friday, June 29. Reports will only be available through the Parent Portal.

Watan

A small group of students attended the World Premiere of the screening of Watan, a film by James L. Brown and Bill Irving. The film featured a series of interwoven portraits of Syrians living out lives in the major refugee camps and cities of Jordan. Their struggle shows the human face of the refugee crisis, the first steps beyond their escape from imminent danger.

Watan was a portrait of the refugee experience that showed the tragedy of the limbo that the victims of global conflict must endure.

Student responses.

It was very eye opening for me, and it gave an insight into their lives now and their lives before. I really enjoyed the experience, to watch and listen to the people tell their stories, and I thought it was depicted beautifully.

Michelle Tennakoon Arachchiga

The film introduced a firsthand experience into the life of Syrian refugees which really opened our eyes and finally added an image to the much talked about issue. It highlighted how we are privileged in our standard of living and encourages people to want to do more to help.

Ivana Ginnakaulos

It was a real eye opener and made me think about how we take our privileged lives for granted. The film encouraged us to want to do more to help the refugees get a better standard of living.

Charlotte Robinson

I learnt that refugees aren’t like us, they are us.

Chloe Laurel

The movie Watan was extremely thought provoking and gave an accurate insight into the conditions faced by refugees in refugee camps in Jordan.

Annmariya Praveen John

The following account is the personal story of one of our parents. It highlights the very real struggles that refugees face.

I was 7 when we arrived in Australia. We arrived on a ship with my dad’s sister and her new husband and daughter and lots of other people. Everyone who didn’t have anywhere to stay was taken to Bonegilla. We were lucky because my granddad’s cousin was taking us in and my Aunts family too. They took everyone in and helped them find work and accommodation. I slept in a single bed with my cousin in a room with a man I didn’t know. The house was full of people but at least we didn’t have to go to Bonegilla where, it was said, the men slept in different cabins to the women and children.

It wasn’t long before they enrolled me to school. I remember the other children asking me questions, but in a weird way I understood them but I didn’t know how to reply. There was no one that spoke my language except for my cousin but we were forbidden from playing together because they said we wouldn’t practice English but no one wants to play with you if you can’t talk to them.

Lunch was eaten in the class room. I was looking forward to lunch. Mum made me a sandwich with dad’s salami and it was delicious. I opened my lunch box and took a bite. Some kid yelled out “what’s that smell?” And I quickly closed my lunch box and put it back in my desk. The teacher opened all the windows in the class room and when she came past my desk she asked me where my lunch was. I lied and said I left it at home. She was kind so she bought me a sausage roll from the canteen (no sauce).

It is so hard to fit in when your name is different, your clothes are different and you speak English differently and you eat different. Multiculturalism was brought in near the end of my primary school years but we still treat new migrants the same if they don’t fit in.

Anonymous.

Although this is an account of past experiences, there seems to be many similarities in the way we treat people now. Have we changed the way we treat refugees?

On Thursday the ensemble performed a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror.

“I’m gonna make a change, for once in my life it’s gonna feel real good gonna make a difference, gonna make it right. …..

If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself "

On Friday some of our students took part in a protest against locking asylum seekers in detention centers. It promoted some interesting discussion amongst the other students around the issues of Australia’s treatment of Refugees and Asylum seekers.

Marg Rowe-Watts

Social Justice Coordinator

Every Thursday and Friday at lunch time the College runs Artclub. The students bring along their lunch and either have fun with skill based art activities and/or work on the community based project, where they are painting large copies of modernist artwork which will be displayed in our newly painted hallway. They will be on display in the very near future.

Kath Jones

Art Teacher

Last week Mrs. Nerida Thurn and Miss Rebecca Cassar took 6 students out with them for a visit to the St. Vinnie’s soup van in Fitzroy. It was a cold night but the students reported it was a very worthwhile night. Thanks to our generous community, the group was able to take along lots of donations of blankets, hats, scarves and beanies. The clients were very grateful and very welcoming of the friendship shown by our students.

Donations are still very much needed so next term we will gratefully accept more blankets, gloves, beanies, scarves and jackets. If you happen to be having a clean out during the holidays, put them aside and then bring them in early next term.

Student reflection of the soup van experience:

I really enjoyed my experience on the soup van. The amount of people I made smile for just having a conversation, giving people donations such as toiletries and/or giving clothing to people who needed it was so inspiring and rewarding.

Dylan Naumovski

Participating in the St Vinnie’s soup van was an amazing experience. The people we met were absolutely lovely and so very grateful for our conversations and donations. It is an opportunity I will forever be thankful for having been a part of. Although the experience was confronting at first, it left a wonderful feeling at the end knowing you have helped someone in need.

Edelle Pirro

Partaking in the St Vinnie’s soup van was an eye opening experience. The stories we heard from the people we meet were confronting, however the people were still so happy and joyful. This experience made me grateful for being so fortunate, knowing how easily life can change.

Emma Winzar

St Vinnie’s soup van is definitely the best way to give back to our community. By lending just a simple helping hand or taking the time to have a small conversation can bring about joy and happiness in a person, despite the endless hardships they may face.

Kayla Davis

Being part of the St. Vinnie’s soup van was such an unforgettable experience. Even though we only spent a few hours of our time it was by far the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Everyone was so friendly and grateful.

Jessica McGuffie

Marg Rowe-Watts

Social Justice Coordinator