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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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Praying the Offering of Self
Lord Jesus,
you told your friends not to worry about the future.
You showed them how to have the attitude of simple trust that young children have,
so that they could place themselves into the caring hands of your Father.
And so I ask for the power of your Spirit that I may remain positive
throughout all that is ordinary in my daily life.
I know that your touch can change people and situations,
and so I ask you to join me in offering to our Father not only the good things of this day
but also the suffering and sacrifices that I want to offer cheerfully and lovingly,
and in a quiet and hidden way.
And so may any difficulties and frustration and pain of this day
be transformed in your presence for the benefit of other people.
Amen.
Director of Catholic Identity
This week was particularly difficult for many in our community. Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney were killed in the tragic accident on the Eastern Freeway in Kew.
Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones, to the emergency services personnel and to all who know and respect a police force member. The reality of the fragility of life affects us all, and in a time when we cannot hug our loved ones, our grief is deepened. A blue ribbon has been tied to our school gate to honour their memory and show our appreciation for the work police do to keep our community safe. (see picture below)
We also keep in our prayers our Year 12 student, Ruby Salton and her family. Ruby’s stepfather, Gavin Lang, passed away this week after a battle with cancer.
Described as a “much-loved genius and gentleman”, Gavin’s harness racing achievements are well-known, and he will be sadly missed by his family, friends and many admirers.
Our continued prayers and support are offered for all in our community.
Our teachers graduate
Last week a number of our teachers officially graduated. While they were not able to don the gown and mortarboard or celebrate in person, we still congratulate our graduate teachers: Belinda Brown, Alexander Belcastro, Gustav Wei and Emma van Wees.
We wish them a long and successful career and thank them for the enthusiasm and expertise they have already brought to our learning community.
The ANZAC Spirit
This weekend, as I acknowledged ANZAC day from the warmth and safety of my home (see picture below), I listened to the words of our Victorian Governor, Linda Dessau. She spoke of the enduring values that the veterans of Gallipoli discovered in themselves:
These qualities remain with us as Australians even today.
The smooth transition to Distance Learning Mode has demonstrated a strong sense of collaboration and holding together. The affirmation from parents is a testament to the loyalty and trust that our community has in our teaching staff. And the continuing high percentage of students who log in each day and complete their assigned tasks demonstrates the grit and perseverance of the young men and women at our College.
Thank you for all that you are and do each day.
Principal
With the commencement of Week 3, the College has decided to reduce the class contact time for our Year 7 students from 75 to 60 minutes.
This will provide a 15-minute ‘brain break’ for the students to stretch and move away from their screen. Year 7 Coordinator Rebecca Spiteri, will follow-up with parents and students next week to assess the impact of the change.
Further and Specialist Maths SAC
Unit 3 Further Mathematics and Specialist Mathematics students will attend the College on Thursday to complete their School Assessed Coursework (SAC).
Parents have been notified via CareMonkey and should respond as soon as possible so arrangements can be made to provide a safe environment, taking into account the current COVID-19 distancing requirements.
Monitoring student progress
Teachers understand that this is a challenging time with online learning and fewer opportunities for students to socialise with each other.
Students will sometimes take advantage of the online learning space to avoid completing work. Teachers are monitoring students and will make contact with parents and guardians when work is regularly not submitted, or assessments are not showing progress.
When this happens frequently, an unsatisfactory progress letter will be sent home. This applies to students from Year 8 to 12.
Continuous learning and improvement are important throughout Term 2. Subject selection will commence in Term 3. Both Term 1 and 2 achievements and work ethic are considered for recommendations to accelerate and as a guide to students’ choice of pathways and subject options in 2021.
Important dates for senior students
Below are some key dates for parents with more information to follow later this term.
Year 11 2021
Subject selection forms due Friday 7 August.
Year 10 2021
VCE resources
Our VCE students have been provided with a range of e-learning resources.
The College has accessed a free 10-week Edrolo trial for subjects not book-listed this year.
Teachers and students are encouraged to use this extra resource. Edrolo contains online videos and tutorials, Area of Study tests and assessment tasks, and allows multiple access to information. For more details on Edrolo contact the subject teacher.
On a lighter note, the cartoon below is for Dr Seuss lovers and encapsulates our online learning.
Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching
We are now into our third week of online learning, and its impact is no doubt affecting family life as we know it. Increased stress levels, cabin fever, low productivity and constant monitoring of your child online may be among the challenges you face. If so, it’s a good time to stop and take stock of what is happening.
I again encourage families to use the resources available through The Resilience Project. The team has released its third TRP @ Home session on Mindfulness as a follow up to their earlier releases on Gratitude and Empathy.
We saw some wonderful examples of both empathy and gratitude last week with the outpouring of support for Victoria Police following the tragic road accident on the Eastern Freeway and the individual commemorations for ANZAC Day.
Mindfulness is our ability to be calm and present at any given moment. When we are mindful we are better placed to appreciate the things we have (gratitude) and actively listen to others (empathy).
Given the situation we find ourselves in, it is normal to feel distracted, anxious and have an overwhelming number of feelings. Spending time being mindful is crucial. To view the mindfulness activities, click here.
I welcome any feedback from families about the TRP @ Home sessions, if they were useful, how you used them and what your experiences were.
ANZAC Day
On a very different and surreal ANZAC Day, across the nation organisations and individuals improvised by holding a private service to pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice at ANZAC Cove and in all wars.
Although we weren’t able to assemble as a College to hold our annual ANZAC Day commemoration service, the small number of staff and students who were present on Friday gathered to mark the occasion.
Year 12 student Roibin Rivera, dressed in his Navy cadet uniform, laid a wreath on behalf of students at the foot of our Lone Pine. (picture below)
I’d like to thank all the students who sent in photos of their ANZAC Day commemorations, some of which we have shared below.
Deputy Principal Students
The Term 1 Domestique Awards for Year 8 students were announced last week.
The new awards aim to recognise and celebrate the achievements of three students from each Year 8 homeroom, whose actions often go unnoticed.
Domestique is a cycling term - the domestique rider works for the benefit of their team and leader, rather than trying to win the race. For example, they give up their bike for the leader when theirs is broken or carry their teammates’ water.
The awards highlight positive student achievements and contributions in three categories – Empathy, Community and Endeavour.
Empathy
In Term 1, we saw so many fantastic examples of Year 8 students demonstrating empathy.
Everyone has heard those offhand comments about the lack of manners among young people these days. Still, when you look more closely, you notice so many compassionate, kind, and selfless acts of generosity by students in daily school life.
The students who received this award earned it by supporting people, encouraging their peers, taking steps to check on and improve the wellbeing of others, actively considering the feelings of those around them, and generally being positive and upstanding members of their homeroom.
The recipients in this category are:
8 Anthony - Anna Aguierre
8 Bernard - Austin Thorneycroft
8 Catherine - Clayton Lobo
8 Dominic - Jesse Withall
8 Mackillop - Lachlan Camilleri
8 O’Reilly - Francis Rus
8 Reed - Annelies Bastiann
Community
Community is at the core of all we do at CRC, with one of our overarching goals being to ensure that young people feel they are an essential part of the bigger picture.
The students who received this award in Term 1 earned it by taking an active role in different facets of school life. Many volunteered to assist with school-run charity programs or took part in numerous Swimming Carnival events to earn points for their house. They also helped teachers whenever they saw an opportunity and were the first to get involved in programs in and out of the classroom.
The recipients in this category are:
8 Anthony - Ryan Dreaver
8 Bernard - Jackson Wright
8 Catherine - Abbey Jean Higgins
8 Dominic - Montana Burke
8 Mackillop - Justin Magnaye
8 O’Reilly - David Johan
8 Reed - Bailey Gallagher
Endeavour
We celebrate academic achievements on many occasions throughout the school year, but the Endeavour award is a little different.
This award does not always consider the highest grades; instead, students are nominated for their effort, improvement, and tenacity.
The recipients of this award in Term 1 were nominated by their teachers and peers for their consistently strong and positive approach to continual improvement.
They may already be at the top of their class but still push themselves, or perhaps there has been a definite change in attitude or achievement throughout the term.
The recipients in this category are:
8 Anthony - Hunter Fenton
8 Bernard - Abby Janetzki
8 Catherine - Cameron Binek
8 Dominic - Lachlan Vella
8 Mackillop - Ainsley Rose Farrugia
8 O’Reilly - Joseph Kensington
8 Reed - Ajak Tong
On behalf of the Year 8 homeroom team, subject teachers and students, congratulations to all the Term 1 Domestique Award recipients.
Year 8 Coordinator
Distance learning has been an exciting challenge for Science students and teachers.
To cater for all learning needs and ensure curriculum outcomes are achieved, teachers have had to be more creative and innovative in how they present content and what tasks students will complete.
As a result, the creativity of students is unlike any we have seen before. I congratulate all who have risen to the challenge.
A great example of this came through in our Year 8 Science classes last week. Students designed a model or poster of all or part of the Respiratory System. The range of work received was impressive, and the quality shows students are working hard and taking pride in their study of Science.
Some students from 8 O’Reilly provided photos of their work, which you will see below, and their descriptions explain how they created their submissions.
“I used the game Minecraft to build the Respiratory System. I started off with purple blocks to make a human silhouette and red blocks as the lungs. From there, I added a ‘wings path’ from the mouth and nose to the yellow bronchi.” Paris Iaria
“I used a drawing app called Procreate, and I used some diagrams and pictures from the Internet as references. I started with a sketch, then began adding colour and detail to make my drawing more realistic. After that, I labelled all of the body parts, to make it easier to understand. I also added my title and made sure to make all the colours pop and stand out.” Ysabelle Aquino
Maryam Matti created her model by putting household items to good use, while another student raided their garage.
Science Domain Leader
Entries for CRC Melton’s annual writing competition may have closed but a new opportunity for students to share their stories on living through COVID-19 is now open to those in Year 7 to 10.
Congratulations goes to all students who took the time to enter the College writing competition. Mr Fox and his panel of esteemed judges are currently sorting through the entries and winners will be announced soon.
To build on the success of this, we’ve discovered a new and exciting opportunity for perhaps even more students to express themselves through writing.
The second school term of 2020 has been unlike any Term 2 we have seen before.
Students and teachers have had to adjust to a very different way of learning and teaching, and it is incredible to see how quickly we are all adapting.
But it is not just learning and teaching that looks different. We are all living through an astonishing historical moment, and the stories of these times of isolation and social distancing will live on forever.
Although COVID-19 has brought fear and uncertainty, for many, it has been a time for quiet reflection – the perfect space for creativity to flourish.
Around the world, writers are relishing the opportunity to record their stories of ‘life in the time of Corona’ and in years to come, these stories will be cherished.
To harness this opportunity, we are calling on students in Year 7 to 10 to enter the Stories for Strange Times Writing Competition.
The competition is run by the Victorian Association for Teachers of English. It is an opportunity for students and staff in Victorian schools to write and submit a short story of no more than 1000 words.
The stories don’t have to be about COVID-19 or the crisis we’re all living through; they just have to be inspired by the theme ‘Stories for Strange Times’.
This term, all Year 9 students will be encouraged to enter the competition when they take part in a short unit on creative writing in their online English classes.
As a part of this, students will watch interviews with award-winning authors Maxine Beneba Clarke and Will Kostakis who will share their wisdom and insight on writing in these crazy times.
Students in Year 7, 8 or 10 who would like to enter the Stories for Strange Times competition can email Ms Todd at ktodd@sfcc.vic.edu.au.
Any student who expresses interest will be given access to the author interviews and supporting material along the way.
To hear more about the competition, follow this link: Stories for Strange Times
Let’s make the most of these very strange times!
English Domain Leader
All students are welcome to participate in the new fortnightly CRC Melton Photography Contest.
There have been some fantastic submissions so far from almost all year levels, (see pictures below) and we can’t wait to see many more.
The themes for the first round are food, nature, pets or animals and fitness and health. There is a junior category for Year 7 to 9, senior category for Year 10 to 12 and a staff category.
Once you have taken your photo and are happy with it, please email it to media_team@sfcc.vic.edu.au. You will then receive an email confirming your entry.
Round 1 entries close at 11.59 pm on Friday 1 May.
If you have any questions email media_team@sfcc.vic.edu.au
Media Captains
Congratulations to our e-reader of the week, Deandra Fernando (7 Reed), who has been achieving her Reading for Enjoyment, Encouragement and Development (REED) program targets with regular borrowing of e-books from Wheelers ePlatform. You can too by using this link to borrow an e-book. Wheelers ePlatform
Overdue notices
Some students are still receiving overdue notices via email. We are having some technical difficulties with that part of our Library System so students should ignore these emails. Any issues will be sorted out when they return to school, and there will be no fines or penalties resulting from this.
Listen to books and keep fit
The April Active Challenge provides an excellent opportunity for students to listen to an audiobook while they exercise. Our collection features titles by popular authors including J. K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Ransom Riggs, Julie Kagawa, Roald Dahl, James Patterson and Jodi Picoult along with many other classic and modern titles for all ages. Use the Wheelers ePlatform link above to browse and borrow from the audiobook collection.
Teacher Librarian
We hope students have a kit-bag overflowing with individual strategies they can call upon to deal with any given situation, particularly during Distance Learning Mode. We know, however, that some simple and useful tips for students will help fill the gaps.
Maintain Good Study Habits
To help your school day run smoothly remember to:
Positive thinking
Find or make a list of positive affirmations like:
Find or make a self-regulation and coping list. It may help to:
Learning Diversity Leaders - Student Support team
Elevate Education Parent webinar
Elevate Education had spent 17 years researching and working with students around the world to identify the habits that differentiate top students. Elevate’s seminars and resources help students of all abilities to develop and use these same habits, and in doing so, facilitate more effective learning outcomes and increase overall student performance.
Today, Tuesday 28 April, at 6pm, Elevate will host a webinar which will delve into practical strategies for parents on how to boost their child’s motivation, and keep them organised and engaged with their education during this period of remote learning.
The webinar is free to attend. You can sign up by clicking this link: https://www.elevatecoaching.info/parent-webinar-vic/
Parent input wanted
Parents of Year 12 students are invited to take part in a University of Melbourne online video workshop to help plan for its 2020 Open Day event.
The workshop takes 90 minutes, and the University is offering a $100 incentive (in the form of a Coles Myer voucher) for each participant.
Your input will help the University further improve on its Open Day digital experience.
To regsiter your interest in taking part follow this link. UoM online video workshop
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