“Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God, wants for nothing. God alone is enough.”

Saint Teresa of Avila (Spanish mystic)

Semester 1 at Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs has now come to a close and it has certainly been filled with energy and enthusiasm. Enormous amounts of work go into preparing high quality learning and teaching experiences, as well as facilities such as classrooms, IT facilities, sporting facilities and the College grounds. I thank the teaching, administrative, support and maintenance staff involved in this important work as it contributes significantly to the comprehensive educational environment for our students.

As we reach the end of another semester, I am filled with gratitude for the achievements, growth, and spirit that have defined our community these past months. Our journey together, marked by learning, challenges, and triumphs, reflects the essence of our mission as a Catholic secondary school.

Our students have also embodied the teachings of Christ through their actions. The various social justice projects and initiatives undertaken by our students have demonstrated their commitment to living out the Gospel values. As Matthew 5:16 reminds us, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven". Indeed, the light of our students has shone brightly in our school and wider community, bringing hope and joy to many.

This semester, we have also been blessed with numerous opportunities to come together in worship and prayer. Our liturgical celebrations, retreat and reflection days, and daily moments of prayer have strengthened our faith and united us as a community.

To our parents and carers, thank you for your continuous support and partnership. Your involvement in your children's education and spiritual formation is invaluable. Proverbs 22:6 tells us, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it". Your guidance at home, combined with our efforts here at school, lays a strong foundation for your children's futures.

As the first Semester draws to a conclusion I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs being a safe and supportive community.

Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing school holiday period.

Term 3 Co-curricular Clubs and Groups and Learning Support Programs

Participation in extra-curricular activities, including creative arts and sports, leadership and culture, has a significant impact on a student's learning growth in the cognitive, affective and physical domains of learning. Extra-curricular activities help build social, emotional and physical skills; they teach independence, resilience and teamwork; they build initiative and creativity; they teach persistence, problem-solving, communication and collaboration (Bloomfield & Barber, 2011; Eccies, Barber, Stone & Hunt, 2003; Durlak & Weissberg, 2007). Longitudinal research from Australia suggests that students who participate in a greater variety of activities have higher levels of academic and social self-concept, and general self-worth (Blomfield, Barber & Modecki, 2013).

We are proud that at Catholic Regional College we have an extensive range of Co-curricular Clubs and Groups as well as Learning Support Programs available to all students. I encourage parents to click on the links below and discuss with their child which co-curricular club or learning support program they would like to be part of in Semester 2.

Term 3 Clubs and Groups

Term 3 Learning Support Programs

Uganda Project

We continue to build on the very positive relationships that has been established between CRC Caroline Springs and St Luke’s parish as well as our sister school St Francis primary school in Kizinga Uganda.

"In a world where there is so much wealth, so many resources to feed everyone, it is incomprehensible how there can be so many hungry children, so many children without an education, so many poor".
Pope Francis

By reaching out in friendship and solidarity with the community of St Francis, Kizinga we have given hope to hundreds of children and their families who otherwise couldn’t access education. The support of our students has enabled the construction and furnishing of two brick classroom blocks; a food program; the refurbishment of the church with a concrete floor; and soon the installation of water tanks. Compassion, empathy and love for one another are the cornerstones of our teaching at Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs and we are immensely proud of our community for continuing to embrace the Uganda Project.

In 2024, we remain steadfast in our commitment to driving meaningful change and addressing ongoing challenges. To this end, our focus turns towards several critical objectives:

- Further Developing a holistic and sustainable food program encompassing breakfast and lunch provisions
- Implementing sustainable water harvesting solutions, including the installation of advanced water tanks
- Establishing an outdoor kitchen/cooking area to enhance food preparation facilities
- Continuing our support for essential building projects and providing necessary furniture for future expansions

As we embark on this new chapter, our fundraising target for 2024 stands at $30,000. Building upon the spirit of solidarity and compassion that defines our community, we ask in kindness that each student contributes $20 towards this wonderful cause. Families with more than two children are asked to make a family donation of $50.

The collection process remains simple and efficient: students submit their contributions to their homeroom teacher, who will record their names on the class list.

The 2024 St. Francis Kizinga - Uganda Fundraiser will once again take centre stage, serving as a heartfelt reminder of our shared values and collective responsibility. It is an opportunity not only to uphold our Catholic faith but also to reflect on how we can actively embody our college motto in service to others.

In this project, we draw inspiration from the timeless words of Caritas: ‘for all future generations.’ Our commitment to creating a brighter future knows no bounds, and we eagerly anticipate your unconditional love and support as we continue to make a difference in the lives of countless children and families.

Construction is well underway of a new three classroom block and your on-going support and generosity of the Uganda program continues to impact the St. Francis Kizinga community.

Below is a recent video message of thanks to the Catholic Regional College Community from Fr. Emma Kiwinicha and the students from St Francis Catholic Primary school Kizinga, Uganda. 

Should you have any queries or require further information regarding the 2024 St. Francis Kizinga - Uganda Fundraiser Project, please do not hesitate to contact the College.

Together, let us journey forward with compassion, purpose, and hope.

Read more about it or Donate here

Term 3 Student Free Day - Monday 15 July

Please note that Monday 15 July will be a staff Faith Development Day (student free day). Students will return to the college on Tuesday 16 July. Please place this student free day date into your calendar.

It has been an incredibly busy Semester for all of our students in 2024 and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them on their efforts thus far. At the beginning of the year we spoke around the theme of ‘Respect’ and I am proud to say that we have seen an improvement in the way our students respect themselves, each other, the staff and our school. We challenged them to take pride in meeting College expectations when it comes to their school uniform, student behaviour, work ethic and their attendance.

At the Year Level Assemblies this week I have asked our students to set goals for themselves for next term. I spoke around taking the time on the school holidays to reflect and think about something they could be doing better going into Term 3. This could be a focus on joining an extra-curricular activity, improving their working relationships with teachers, improving punctuality or attending the support programs we offer after school for English, Maths and Homework. Setting personal goals for school is a great way to stay motivated and focused on your academic and wellbeing journey.

Student Development Days for Semester One have gone very smoothly and are an important part of the Wellbeing support here at the College. We have focused on such topics as:

• Year 7-Team Building and Healthy Habits, Respectful Relationships For Me and You
• Year 8-Bullying and Risk taking
• Year 9-Diversity and Mental Health
• Year 10-Safe Partying and Pathways

I would like to thank the staff that have supported the days by running workshops and our Director of Student Wellbeing Mr Luke Lentini for assisting in facilitating each one. We are excited about the Student Development Days for the rest of the year ahead and would like to remind students and families that these days are a compulsory College event that will be included on their Semester reports.

Finally, I would like to thank the staff in the Wellbeing team for the continuous work they do with our students each and every day. They go above and beyond to support student wellbeing and often have to manage some complex issues. Despite these challenges, they continue to have positive relationships with our students, striving to ensure each of our young people recognises their strengths and potential.

I would like to wish our staff, students and families a safe holiday break and we look forward to working with you again in Term 3.

Term two has proven to be another busy and exciting term for our students regarding their Science and STEM studies.

Our Year 7 students have been learning about Mixtures and Separations and have been busy in the laboratories learning new separating techniques such as filtration and distillation.

Our Year 7 and 8 STEM students have built model aircraft and have analysed their flight. Year 8 students have further modified their planes to investigate the impact these modifications have on lift and flight speed.

Year 9 students have been learning about Chemistry this term and just completed their first Science Exam – they should be very proud of the hard work they put in and the results they achieved!

Finally our Year 10 students have been pursuing their interests in their chosen Science and STEM subjects. Some highlights include our Year 10 STEM student who have been using drone technology in their STEM: Mission to Mars elective subject and our Mechatronics students who have been learning about electric circuits by building Spark Robots.

We look forward to Term 3 where we will be celebrating National Science Week, students will compete in the ICAS Science Competition, and students will represent our College at both the Kids in Space showcase and the STEM MAD showcase.

The Year 7 Faith Formation Day was phenomenal. I learned about the College Pillars and the meaning of each Pillar. The Pillars are Stewardship, Compassion, Learning, and Prayer. The Learning workshop was very inspirational and interesting. We learned about three inspirational people: Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs; the ‘Tank Man’, who tried to stop tanks from his own country to prevent violence in China and the Soldier who sacrificed his life to prevent people being killed by a suicide bomber.

The Compassion workshop, instructed by Mrs. Matilda Mattar, was all about being compassionate and kind to those around us. We made bags for homeless people to provide them with food and water, and we included a little message in each bag as well.

The Prayer workshop was led by the LIHM sisters. They taught us how to pray the Rosary and led us in a prayer.

Finally, my favourite part of the day was the Stewardship workshop. It was instructed by Josh, a rapper who goes by the musician name Sir Augie. He started by telling us a bit about himself and how he uses his God given gift of music to evangelise. He also shared with us that he created the Roblox game called Meta Saint.

On our recent Year 10 Faith Formation Day, students had a meaningful opportunity to deepen their relationship with God through a series of enriching and reflective activities at Amberley Retreat Centre, Lower Plenty.

We had sessions of prayer and meditation, centering our thoughts and inviting God's presence into our hearts. One of the beautiful activities was writing personal letters to God, which encouraged us to express our innermost thoughts, feelings, and prayers, fostering a sense of closeness and openness with Him. Engaging in group discussions about our faith journey was enlightening, with Ezekiel sharing his experiences, challenges, and the ways we feel God's presence in our lives. We learned from each other's stories and perspectives.

Reflecting on the various gifts and talents God has given each of us reminded us of our unique abilities and how we can use them to serve others and honour God. Throughout the day, we focused on understanding and nurturing our relationship with God, exploring different ways to maintain this relationship through prayer and faith activities. This reflection helped us see the importance of keeping God at the center of our lives and relying on His guidance and strength.

Faith Formation Day was a wonderful experience for all of us in Year 10, strengthening our individual relationships with God and bringing us closer as a community of faith. We left feeling more connected, inspired, and equipped to live out our faith in our daily lives, grateful for the opportunity to grow spiritually and looking forward to continuing our journey with God more so that we can Live Fully Act Justly in all that we do.

Semester One Reports will be released via SEQTA Engage (for parents and carers) and SEQTA Learn (for students) after 4:30pm on Friday 19 July.

Semester Reports are designed to provide students, parents and carers with a clear and concise picture of a student’s level of achievement throughout the semester.

The Overall Result feature is designed to provide students and parents/carers an overall indication of how the student has performed in all assessments and Exams as a score out of 100.

When looking at the Learning Area Achievement section of the Semester Report please note the following:

• The unshaded dot represents the last Semester One Report progress
• The shaded dot represents the current Report progress
• The shaded band indicates the expected achievement for the student at this point in time
• The unshaded dot will not appear if the Learning Area Achievement was not assessed in the previous Semester One reporting cycle

The work habits on the Semester One Report are described in greater detail below:

Demonstrates academic improvement

• Responds to questioning in class
• Completes all coursework
• Demonstrates growth in class tasks and assessments.

Applies effort

• Attempts all tasks
• Maintains attention in class
• Participates in class
• Cooperates and collaborates in class

Manages personal learning

• Brings correct materials to class
• Organisation
• Satisfactory completion of set homework, in a timely manner
• Seeks teacher support as required

Demonstrates appropriate behaviours

• Punctuality
• Works respectfully with peers and teachers.

Following the release of Semester One Reports, if you have any questions about the report or your child's progress, please contact your child’s subject teacher.

My friends Lily, Isabelle, Sophie, and I initially felt skeptical about attending Encounter + after receiving Mr. Sammut's DM, but we decided to go, thinking it would be fun and a good opportunity to connect with God. Despite not knowing the songs by Emmanuel Worship or what to expect, we ended up having an unforgettable night. We spent the day eagerly discussing the event, and as we arrived at the church carpark, seeing familiar faces reassured us that the night would be enjoyable.

The bus ride to the Catholic Leadership Centre was filled with laughter, and upon arrival, our initial nervousness faded as we saw everyone engaging in games and conversations. After getting our name tags, we had dinner, which was a delightful mix of Gnocchi, Lasagne, Caesar salad and bread rolls. The heartfelt conversations during dinner, along with Mr. Sammut's encouragement, made the evening special. We then enjoyed a large round of rock paper scissors before heading to the church for the worship session, where Emmanuel Worship shared their journey from Brisbane. Despite initial nerves, we grew comfortable singing along, especially connecting with the song "King Jesus".

We took a break from singing to choose a Bible verse and write its meaning to us, and I was thrilled to pick my favourite verse, Philippians 4:13. This moment, along with participating in reconciliation, brought immense joy. After more singing, we watched videos and learned about the next Encounter + event, which we are excited to attend. The night brought us closer to God and each other, and we now frequently discuss our faith and plans to attend more such events. Encounter + was an incredible experience that we highly recommend to everyone.

Bella King – 10 Barak
Isabelle Farfalla – 10 Kulin
Lily McFarlane – 10 Kulin
Sophie Dabal – 10 Wonga

Uganda Casual Clothes day

The Uganda Project is an initiative close to the hearts of the CRCCS community. This term, two casual clothes days were organised to raise funds, successfully fundraising $2,089.25. This money will contribute to funding future building projects for our brothers and sisters in St Francis primary school in Kizinga, Uganda.

Bake Sale

A bake sale to raise funds for cancer research was another Social Justice initiative that took place this term. The event featured an array of scrumptious treats, including chocolate crackles, delicious chocolate balls, and irresistible rocky road clusters. The event was a true success, attracting students and staff alike who were eager to support a meaningful cause while indulging in sweet delights. This initiative helped raise crucial funds for cancer and showcased the power of community spirit and collective effort in making a difference. Thank you to all who generously took part in making a difference.

Celebrating Refugees

The Social Justice Team recently participated in a heartfelt celebration in honour of refugees in Australia. They greeted students warmly and created a powerful, unified display that highlighted the resilience and contributions of refugees to our community. This event not only fostered awareness and empathy but also reinforced our commitment to our College Pillar of Compassion. Through this celebration, we aimed to honour the diverse stories and experiences of refugees, while promoting a message of unity and support within our college.

During the Year 7 Faith Formation Day, the full meaning of our pillars was unpacked with the entire Year 7 cohort. I had the privilege of running the workshop on the pillar of Compassion, which is close to my heart.

Compassion is the ability to understand and respond to the struggles of others with kindness. We discussed walking this journey called life with our Christian caps and Christ lenses on. Through deep and meaningful conversations, the Year 7s shared experiences, stories, and ideas on how improvements can be made.

During each session, kindness trees were created and displayed in the Siena building as gentle reminders of the lessons taught and learned throughout the Compassion workshop.

The significance of looking beyond themselves and considering others' needs was deeply explored. It showed the students that small acts of kindness can significantly impact someone's life and emphasized the role each of us plays in creating a compassionate community.

Each student created a "snack pack" for a homeless individual, featuring a personalized note written by them. These notes, filled with messages of hope and encouragement, were included to uplift the spirits of the recipients, exemplifying the power of words. Each note carried a unique message, crafted to bring joy and hope to the receiver. This experience taught students that their words could offer strength and comfort, creating a ripple effect of kindness.

The students' efforts were donated to "Give Until It Hurts" (GUIH), an organization dedicated to supporting the homeless. This act of giving goes beyond the provision of material items, highlighting the importance of empathy and recognizing the humanity in everyone.

The compassion project by our Year 7 students is a powerful example of how we can all contribute to a more empathetic world. By focusing on others and offering genuine support, we build a community where everyone feels valued. This project has not only helped those in need but has also imparted a lasting lesson on the importance of compassion in the hearts of our students.

As we break for the semester, it is important that we remember to take time to rest and recuperate from the busy year so far. I am reminded of a video I watched a while ago on Cardinal Robert Sarah (born in a small village in rural Guinea, he joined a minor seminary at age 12 and was ordained at 24) reminding us of the importance of silence. He recently published a book titled The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise. The video can be seen in the link below.

“Silence is not only not talking. Silence is deeper, because the great noise is inside ourselves,” the Cardinal says in the video. “Even in our churches, there is too much noise. So it’s not a place where we can encounter God, silently.”

“Silence makes life more similar to God, because God is silence. He talks in silence. We encounter him in silence. And if you remain with God, you become silent.”

Cardinal Sarah sees a lack of silence as a cause of the decline of religion in the West. “I think the reason why Western countries today are no longer believers is because they are talking all the time. They know no silence, and their faith is going down. Silence is really the moment where I construct myself as a human being related to God. And without God and without silence, we are lost. [...] Western society seems to be lost because when we are cut off from God, we are lost. It’s like a tree without roots.”

Let us take this holiday time to find silence in our busy lives and contemplate the mystery of God in our lives.

Here is the video:

Dear Parents/Carers

It was wonderful to see many students and their families attend our Friday 8am Mass (8:00 – 8:25am) during the school term. I would like to thank all the students who served as lectors. In Term 3 Friday 8am Mass will commence on Friday 19 July (and every Friday after), and we warmly welcome all staff, students and their families to attend.

Kindly be reminded that any families who have siblings starting Year 7 in 2026 will still need to complete an online enrolment form. 

Applications close Friday 16 August, 2024. 

2024 School Fees

2024 School Fee notice and Fee Payment Agreements were mailed home. If you have not received them, please contact the finance department or visit the College Website. 
If you have changed home address or email details, please also update the College.

2024 Payment arrangements are now due back as commencement of payment for fees was February 2024, and to be finalised by November 2024 unless prior arrangement is in place.

Hello Families,

We understand that families are facing many different challenges, if you need support, please find services from local councils that include assistance with financial, food, health and wellbeing amongst others by clicking on the links below.

For families in the Brimbank Council area please use this link:

Crisis support services | Brimbank

For families in the Melton Council are please use this link:

Services Melton City Council

HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

The holidays are upon us again and if you are looking for things to entertain the kids or yourself, please click on the link to see what your local council has on offer.

Brimbank Council:
What's On In The West — Brimbank Youth Services

Melton Council:
July 2024 School Holiday Activities | Melton Learning

BREAKFAST CLUB

Our breakfast club has been very popular this term. The promise of a toasted cheese sandwich, fruit and the occasional yoghurt pouch literally has students lining out the door. We are kept busy feeding about 150 students every Wednesday morning. A big thank you to Eat Up (Home | Eat Up) who provide the snacks and sandwiches each week.

Keep healthy and warm

Tim Kemp
Community Liaison

How long have you worked at Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs?
Almost three years

What is your role at the school?
College Registrar

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Onboarding new families and welcoming new students into our school community. It’s wonderful to see a student’s excitement and enthusiasm on their first day!

What is your ideal way to unwind and relax?
Baking

When you were little what did you aspire to be?
News reporter

What was your favourite subject at school?
Italian

How many languages do you speak?
Four

What is your favourite sport to watch or play?
Tennis

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pasta

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Time travelling

What's your favourite holiday destination?
Too many amazing places to choose from! Czech Republic, Greece and Vietnam are a few of my faves.

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Drew Barrymore

Do you collect anything?
Magnets from every country I’ve been to so when I see my fridge I pretend I’m abroad.

What are your hobbies?
Baking, reading and catching up with family and friends