Dear CRCCS community,

As we approach the end of the term, I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the recent events and activities that have taken place at the College.

As always, our primary focus has been on providing our students with a high-quality education and a supportive learning environment. Our dedicated team of teachers and staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that our students receive the best possible education and support to reach their full potential.

Throughout the term, our students have been involved in a range of exciting activities and events. We kicked off the term with a focus on cyber safety and a Macbook orientation for our Year 7’s. This week our Year 7’s took part in our camp program. The camp took place over three days and two nights and was held at Mt Eliza. Our students participated in a range of activities, including high ropes courses, kayaking, team-building exercises, and bushwalking.

Our camp program has been designed to challenge our students, both physically and mentally, while also providing a safe and supportive environment for them to learn and grow. YMCA experienced staff were on hand to provide guidance and support, ensuring that all students felt comfortable and confident throughout the program.

We believe that the school camp is an essential part of our students’ education, providing them with valuable life skills that cannot be learned in the classroom. Our hope is that our students will return from the camp with increased confidence, resilience, and a deeper sense of community and belonging.

Our Year 8 students participated in their first Student Development Day. The theme was on ‘Cyberbullying’ and the impact it has on themselves and their peers. A range of activities and workshops were designed for students:

• to develop an understanding of cyberbullying and the implications of sharing information online
• to discuss the implications of cyberbullying and identify possible strategies to prevent cyberbullying from occurring.

Swimming Carnival

Our Swimming Carnival took place last week. It was a fantastic day that showcased our school's swimming talent, participation, and school spirit. I would like to thank our students and staff for making the day such a positive one. A big congratulations to O'Reilly house!

Results from the Swimming Carnival:

4th place Jackson 377 points

3rd place Norman 434 points

2nd place Franklin 439 points

1st place O'Reilly 627 points!!

St Francis Kizinga, Uganda Fund Raising

We are also excited to announce that in 2022 our students raised $33,000 which will now fund the construction of a new two classroom block for the students of St Francis Kizinga, Uganda. Staff also supported this program by raising $6000 which provides funding for the students feeding program. Our commitment to this project beautifully supports us in living out our College motto - Live fully, Act justly.

School Advisory Council

Our first School Advisory Council Meeting for the year took place this week and I would like to acknowledge the support of this group. School Advisory Council Membership for 2023: Maher A, Alicia A, Zalaika F, Deb G, Jason K, Elise N, Fr Richard Rosse, Christine T and Daniel X.

The purpose of the SAC supports the principal and school leadership and provides an import connection to the parish. Its role is ‘to give consideration to, and advice on, important school matters in order to support the principal and the strategic interest of the school’ (Working Together in Mission p.20) Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools CRCCS School Advisory Council Terms of Reference.

These members who make the time to generously provide this service do so because they care. They care about their children’s/ our students’ education and about our school being the best it can be. Thank you.

Cultural Exchange Programs

We have also been delighted to host Japanese students and teachers from our sister school Notre Dame Seishin High School. This program has provided students with a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Growing Beyond Earth Program (GBE)

MACS Media Release!

Thank you and congratulations, Mr Andrew McAlindon, Mrs Emmeka Reithofer & our GBE Program Students! CRCCS will partner with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in the Australian pilot of the 'Growing Beyond Earth' program, aimed at helping NASA find new fresh foods that can successfully be grown and eaten in space. If you haven’t had the chance to view the media coverage please click the links below.

Growing Beyond Earth Project

ABC coverage

Cath News Coverage

ABC TV Weekend Breakfast

We are so proud of Zalaika's live TV interview on Saturday morning. She is a natural! We congratulate her on her articulate and engaging performance. Excellent for the reputation of the Science program at our College and it highlights the effectiveness of our teachers. Teachers sure make a difference in a students' life!

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school and your child’s education.

Lenten Prayer

O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother,
for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages.

Amen.

- St. Ephrem the Syrian

Lenten Season

You may have travelled to Paris and visited the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. It contains some beautiful architecture that really reveal the transcendent. One of the features of the Cathedral is its beautiful rose-stained glass windows. The beauty and colours they produce really capture the eye. The people who created these works of art were trying to expose a great spiritual truth. If you examine the windows, you will notice that at the centre is Christ and then around Christ are ordered and harmonious elements, all pointing towards the centre, towards Christ. This is what the Season of Lent is all about making Christ the centre of our lives, without competition from any other facet of our lives. He is the centre of our personal life, our family life, our social life, our work life. When this is the case everything else will be harmonious and ordered just like the rose windows of Notre Dame. Part of our College motto reminds us of this truth “I have come that you may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). We are at the halfway mark of Lent and it is never late to open our hearts to Our Lord. Let us pray that during this Season of Lent we continue to work on making Christ the centre of our lives.

This Saturday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Our Blessed Mother’s fiat (Let it be done) is a beautiful example of her trust and faith in the will of God even though “she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” Sometimes, in life we too are filled with moments of confusion and do not have the answers to our questions straight away. The Annunciation teaches us that offering these moments up to God will ensure that ‘thy will be done.’

Ask A Priest Session

A couple of weeks ago, students had the opportunity to attend our ‘Ask A Priest’ session during lunchtime. Fr Richard Rosse (Parish Priest, St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs) and Fr Joel Peart (Assistant Parish Priest, St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs) were our honoured guests and answered many questions our students had about our Catholic Faith. It was a wonderful opportunity to continue building upon our relationship with our priests and also grow more in knowledge and in love of Jesus Christ and our faith.

“I came to the ‘Ask A Priest’ session because at times you receive a question from people, and they want to know the answer about questions from your own religion. ‘Ask a Priest’ is an opportunity for people to ask questions and get the right answer. I see that it’s beneficial for everyone and you can learn from it. I really learn a lot of things.”

• Yacoub A (10 Lingiari)

“On Thursday 2 March we had a little session called "Ask a Priest", where there were two Catholic priests and six students, and a teacher. The students who were there decided to expand their knowledge and understanding about Jesus Christ and Christianity, or even those who had doubts and questions about the Catholic faith, asked questions to the priests, and they were answered.”

• Nadhir K (10 Kulin)

Friday 8am Mass

It has been so beautiful to witness the commitment of both staff and students attending our Friday 8am Mass. The Holy Spirit has been truly at work and many have been making an effort to come. This mass is open to all, and we strongly encourage our students and families to attend. Mass concludes at 8:25am, ensuring that there is more than ample time to get ready for Homeroom.

It is important for our students to establish and nurture a relationship with the Lord and what better way to do this than in the Holy Mass and during the Season of Lent.

Sunday Gospel Reflection

Fifth Sunday of Lent Year A
Jn 11:1-45
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

2023 School Fees

2023 School fee notice and fee payment agreements have now started. If you require a copy please contact the finance department or visit the College website. https://www.crccs.vic.edu.au/enrolment-1/college-tuition-fee

Payment of 2023 school fees is to be completed by November 2023. If you have any concerns about this payment timeline, please contact the Finance Department at the College.

If any personal details such as home address, phone or email details have changed, please notify the College of these updates by contacting Reception.

CSEF 2023 (Current Health Care Card Holders)

CSEF applications are now open for 2023. Please complete the application form on our website and return the completed signed form along with a copy of the parent/carer current health care card valid until the end of term one 2023 to the College office as soon as possible. CSEF Application Form 2023

Year 7 Camp

Payment for Year 7 Camp was due on Friday 10 March. Please contact the Finance Department at the College to make payment or discuss.

To assist students further in their literacy skills, English Support sessions are offered to all students as an after-school program. The sessions are facilitated by English teachers to develop student capability and confidence in all areas of English including vocabulary, writing structure and conventions, grammar and punctuation.

The program is offered to all students on Wednesday afternoons between 3:05pm – 4:00pm in room MM4. Students are not required to attend for the entire hour and can leave after they have received the necessary support.

Below is the timetable for Term 1 which indicates the date as well as the teacher facilitating the session. The sessions are entirely voluntary and provide a great opportunity for students to receive tailored guidance in further developing their literacy skills. Please note, the sessions are not intended to give assessment task feedback.

English Support Timetable – Term 1, 2023

Dear Parent/Carer,

2023 Whole School Photos are being held on Monday 15 May and Tuesday 16 May.

For the above date, students will have their individual portrait taken, as well as take a traditional group photo with their homeroom class.

In Term 3, we will have our Specialty Group Photos where students will take a group photograph with their extra-curricular school group and/or sport teams. Information about Specialty Group Photos will be published closer to the date.

Parents will receive an email from MSP Photography with our online ordering process leading up the day. Please note, students will not receive a hard copy form to order photos this year.

For Monday 15 May and Tuesday 16 May, students are required to wear the full CRCCS Winter Uniform with their blazer on their allocated photo day.

Uniform reminders:

Boys:

• CRC monogrammed navy long pants or shorts,
• CRC monogrammed long-sleeved white shirt, tucked in,
• CRCCS tie,
• No jumper
• CRC blazer,
• CRC navy formal sock with stripe,
• Polished, black, hard-leather school shoes.

Girls:

• CRC tartan kilt, worn at knee length and/or, monogrammed navy pinstripe shorts or long pants,
• CRC monogrammed; long-sleeved white shirt, tucked in,
• CRCCS tie,
• No jumper
• CRC blazer,
• CRC navy formal sock with stripe/navy tights,
• Polished, black, hard-leather school shoes.

Students are not to wear make-up or jewellery.

• If make-up, earrings, or nails cannot be removed, then the student will miss their photo.

A photo schedule will be made available to students on Monday 8 May via SEQTA notices with further instructions. This will inform students of the day they are to wear their full winter uniform.

Students will be required to wear their winter uniform on their scheduled photo day, even if parents/carers choose not to purchase a photo pack, as these photographs will be taken for the 2023 College Yearbook.

Werribee Outdoor Pool was the venue once again for the Annual College Swimming Carnival in Term 1. Swimmers had signed up to swim events in Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly over 25 and 50 metres while for non-swimmers, there were other activities like water polo, volleyball and land novelties. We were greeted with a bright, warm, sunny day and filled the venue with splashes of Blue, Red, Yellow and Green to represent our houses.

The water polo is always one of the most popular events and once again was hotly contested and lots of fun. This was closely followed by volleyball. Year 9 students in particular making this a serious competition with digs, sets and spikes being used to win points across the day.

In the Main pool, the swimmers had their chance to show their talents. Many strong performances were on show with successful students now being selected to represent our College at the SACCSS swimming carnival at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on April 4. Good luck to the SACCSS team in the last week of term.

Thank you to all that got involved, dressed in house colours, swam events, cheered on their peers and took part in another community building carnival at CRC Caroline Springs. Congratulations to O’Reilly for taking out the Shield in 2023!

4^th Jackson: 377 points
3^rd Norman: 434 points
2^nd Franklin: 439 points

Congratulations to this years winners,

O'Reilly: 627 points

Get to know our House Captains Alessia & Ella

What does servant leadership mean to you? 
Alessia:

Servant leadership to me means that as a leader you work for the people, as the leader you don’t boss people around and tell them what to do, but lead by example.

Ella:

Servant leadership means putting the needs, growth and well-being of others in the community ahead of yourself. It means to consider all of the people around you and the effects your actions could have on these people before making a decision. Selflessness, trust and generosity are some main concepts of servant leadership.

Why did you want to be part of the 2023 Leadership Team? 
Alessia:

I wanted to be a part of the 2023 Leadership Team because I enjoyed doing it last year, I wanted to show students that although I may not be the best at sports, I try my hardest and always participate and encourage my team. I want to encourage students to support their team and give things a go and I want to be able to help as many students as I can and encourage each student to participate in school events.

Ella:

I wanted to join the 2023 Leadership Team to make a difference in our school. I want to be a voice for those who feel they don't. By joining the Leadership Team, I can bring students ideas forward and develop change.

What is your role in the Leadership Team and what are your responsibilities?  
Alessia:

My role this year alongside one other student is Franklin House Captain, my responsibilities are to encourage and support my house and to support them in all school events.  My responsibilities also include handing out sports equipment, raising flags and participating in leading college tours when rostered.

Ella:

My role in the Student Leadership Team is House Captain. My responsibilities are encouraging my house to do their best in sporting activities and to get involved with as many things as possible. I bring the spirits up of my house members and support them when participating in activities. My job is to promote spirit, participation, teamwork, commitment and determination within my house.

What is the legacy you wish to leave behind? 
Alessia:

The legacy I wish to leave behind is to show students that even if you may not be the best at a sport or a specific activity giving it a go, encouraging teammates, and teamwork is important
 
Ella:

I would like to know that I have made a positive difference within the school community and some students lives. I wish that my support and encouragement push people to be the best person they can be. 

 Fourth Week of Lent - (Week beginning Monday 20 March)

This week through Project Compassion we learn about Thu, who lives in Vietnam. When Thu was 12 years old, he stepped on an unexploded land mine and lost his leg. ​

Living with a disability in rural Vietnam presented many challenges for Thu, who worked mainly as a rice farmer. Thu also took on the role of caring for his wife, Linh, after she suffered a stroke.​

Determined to turn their lives around, Thu and Linh joined the Empowerment of People with Disabilities program, run by Caritas Australia’s local partner in Vietnam, the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD).    

For Thu, the greatest impact the program has had is enabling the change in Linh’s physical and mental well-being. With the support of a physiotherapist, Linh can now walk short distances with the aid of a walking stick. 

Watch a short film about Thu’s story here.

A key goal within the College’s School Improvement Plan is to ‘Build a performance and development culture’. Students will shortly contribute to a student voice data source through the Pivot Student Surveys.

The student surveys are intended to provide teachers with constructive and actionable research-based feedback on the next steps to improve the classroom environment that can be taken as a direct result of student responses. This models to students that we all have areas of strength and areas to improve upon.

Additionally, the surveys provide an opportunity to further enhance teaching practice, directly linking to standards within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Student survey responses are anonymous and class results are confidential and only accessible to the class teacher. Aggregated data is also collected for the whole school, each learning area and each year level to further analyse and action improvements that can be made to the teaching and learning program at the College.

Saint Patrick was born in England, but it was during his teenage years, that he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave. After a long six years, Saint Patrick managed to escape back to his hometown and family. God used Saint Patrick’s kidnapping to convert the Irish people, as a result he is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.

The Social Justice team made sure to celebrate this wonderful saint, they put up a wonderful display for all the community to see, with lots of three leafed shamrocks. This is symbolic of the saints teaching on the Holy trinity the three in one God, which is symbolised with the three leaves in one plant.

Green Jelly was made and sold by the team, with all proceeds going to Project Compassion – Caritas Project.

"If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God." St Patrick

In the last newsletter, we listed some “red flags” to look out for in friendships at school. On a more positive note, this week we thought we’d share some “green flags”. Green flags are characteristics in friends who support and look out for your best interest as well as their own. They indicate positive, healthy relationships at any age.

Some common green flags include:

Respect: A friend who treats you with respect and dignity, and values your opinions and feelings, is a positive influence.

Trustworthiness: A friend who is honest and dependable, and keeps confidences, is someone you can count on.

Supportiveness: A friend who is there for you in good times and bad, and provides emotional support, is a true friend.

Mutual interests: A friend with whom you share common interests and enjoy spending time together is a positive relationship.

Good communication: A friend who is a good listener and open to discussing problems and resolving conflicts is important for a healthy relationship.

Positive attitude: A friend who has a positive outlook on life, and brings energy and joy to your life, is a valuable addition to your support network.

Healthy boundaries: A friend who respects your boundaries and doesn't pressure you to do things you're uncomfortable with, is someone you can trust.

It's important to seek out and maintain friendships with people who exhibit these green flags, as they can bring happiness, support, and fulfillment to your life. If any of your friends exhibit any of these traits, keep them close and support them in the same way they support you.

Carnevale is a centuries old tradition and is the last celebration before Ash Wednesday and the austere 40 days of Lent. Carnevale is celebrated all over the world with masked balls, parades, popular theatre, songs, entertainment, folk dancers and other activities. Our college celebrated the occasion with the sale of Gelati, Mask making competition in the library as well as a Homeroom Quiz.

Congratulations to the following students who received a prize for their amazing masks

1st prize- Grace D - 8 Kulin - $15 Cafeteria Voucher

2nd prize- Charlotte A - 8 Kulin - $10 Cafeteria Voucher

3rd prize- Noah F - 8 Barak - $5 Cafeteria Voucher 

The GANAG instructional model was implemented at the College in 2022. Research shows that the implementation of an Instructional Model consistently in the classroom increases student achievement (Hattie, 2008; Marzano et al., 2001).

The GANAG model follows the steps of setting a goal (Learning Intentions and Success Criteria), accessing prior knowledge, introducing new knowledge, applying knowledge and reviewing the initial goal (Lesson Summary/Reflection).

Recently a Year 10 English class reflected on their learning about social settings within the text Just Mercy by examining the ‘universe of obligation’ framework. Students ‘reviewed the initial goal’ by completing an exit pass, detailing their learnings from the lesson topic, as can be viewed below.

Save the Date - Academic Testing will be held on Saturday 29 April at 09:00am, further information will be sent to families in the coming weeks.

If you have not yet enrolled, please complete an application as soon as possible.

For any queries relating to enrolment please contact Jennifer Rowe on 9361 0002 or enrolments@crcs.vic.edu.au.