On Thursday 5 August, the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced a state-wide lockdown for Victoria from for the next seven days.
The following decisions have been made:
- Friday 6 August will be a full school closure day, as staff will be preparing for remote learning which will begin on Monday 9 August. Timetabled classes will not be running tomorrow, and students may use this time to catch up and complete any tasks. The College offices and reception will not be open on Friday 6 August if you have an urgent enquiry, please email enquiries@crccs.vic.edu.au
- From Monday 9 August to Thursday 12 August, homeroom will be conducted on MS Teams and classes will be conducted remotely, which may include a combination of Microsoft Teams and SEQTA coursework (this information will be communicated by the subject teacher)
- Students can access the Remote Learning Guidelines & Microsoft Teams instructions through the Student Portal on SEQTA
- At this stage it is anticipated that all students will return onsite next Friday 13 August. However, further information and updates will be provided next week.
It is recommended that students use Friday 6 August to catch up on work and begin preparing themselves for a move to remote learning.
Please contact the College if you have any concerns for your child.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to navigate through this period of change.
Significant feasts of August
During the month of August, one of the significant feasts in the Catholic Church’s calendar is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which occurs next Sunday 15 August. According to our faith, the Holy Mother, having completed her course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. The Church teaches that Mary was without sin. She accepted God's will for her life and freely and perfectly obeyed. She served God, and followed her son, Jesus Christ. She was present at his death and resurrection.
In chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke, we read how Jesus came to be conceived by Mary consenting to God’s invitation to give birth to Jesus. It was very courageous of Mary to say ‘yes’ to this enormous request and to put her complete trust in God as life unfolded. Her ‘Song of Praise’ in Lk 1:46-55 reflects her relationship with a God who has loved her from all eternity, her humble acknowledgement and acceptance of God looking kindly upon her and her gratitude for what was to come. Mary embodies the qualities of faithfulness, sensitivity, acceptance of hardships to protect her son, confusion in the adolescent Jesus who got lost in Jerusalem and was on a mission doing His Father’s will. Mary seeks understanding by pondering all these things in her heart.
Many mothers can identify with Mary in their role of motherhood. They are not alone in their struggles in nurturing and educating their children, in the daily sacrifices they make in giving of their best to the children they love, in the hope their children would reciprocate. Children look to their parents for guidance and protection.
This Sunday 8 August, we celebrate the feast of Australia’s first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. With Mary MacKillop we have a model of untiring service to the Church and to the underprivileged and poor in Australia. With the Assumption we are reminded of Mary’s profound faith and her absolute commitment to her God. Both women are models for us of faith and discipleship and challenge us to reflect on our own lives and our relationship with God. May God continue to bless and strengthen you in your efforts to be good role models for your children.
Return to On-site Learning
It was wonderful to see students return to on-site learning on Wednesday 28 July. On behalf of our College, I want to say a big thank you to all our students, parents and carers for your continued resilience and support throughout this year. I know remote learning has not always been easy, but through our collective efforts, our students have continued to make valuable progress in their learning. You can be confident that our College will support any student who has fallen behind to catch up.
Term 3 is important for every student, and our teachers will strive to deliver high-quality learning for everyone. Whether we’re teaching remotely or on-site, our focus for Term 3, is on making sure that every student is supported in their wellbeing, learning, spiritual and transition needs.
Health and safety measures
As on-site schooling resumes, we will continue to have in place strong measures to protect the health and safety of students, staff, families and the community. This includes the compulsory wearing of masks, restricting parent access to school grounds and continued emphasis on hand hygiene and physical distancing where possible.
Please give particular attention to reducing the risks associated with congregation at school gates and taking steps to contribute to physical distancing within the school.
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS)
As you are aware since the introduction of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) on 1 January 2021, we have completed several policy updates.
The following documents are new to our website and formalise existing policies and practices:
- Pastoral Care of Students Policy
- Student Behaviour Policy
- Duty of Care Guidelines
- Anaphylaxis Policy
- Curriculum Plan
- Assessment and Reporting Policy
- Assessment and Reporting Procedures
The following documents have also been updated:
- Attendance Policy
- Anti-bullying Policy (including Cyberbullying)
- Complaints Handling Policy, and we have added a Complaints Form to support this policy
- Enrolment Policy
- Enrolment Application Form (2024 enrolment intake)
- Privacy Policy
- Standard Collection Notice
- Student Code of Conduct
- Parent/Guardian/Carer Code of Conduct
- Photograph/recording permission form (families complete through Operoo annually)
If you have any questions, please contact us by emailing enquiries@crccs.vic.edu.au