“God will reward you as only He can. Find happiness in making others happy. Never see a need without doing something about it. May God bless and strengthen you”.
-St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Please click the video below to view Mr. Madigan's message.  

On Tuesday 8 August we celebrated the Feast of Mary of the Cross. Mary MacKillop was born in Victoria to Scottish immigrants. She was the eldest of eight children and spent her early years working to support her family. At 24, she dedicated her life to God and took on the name Mary of the Cross.

Along with Fr Julian Tenison-Woods, Mary opened a school in a disused stable in Penola, South Australia. Her vision was to provide education for underprivileged children. Many other women came to join her there, and Mary and Julian founded Australia’s first religious order: the Sisters of St Joseph.

"Let no obstacle deter us from proceeding with courage."
-St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

Mary and the Sisters were committed to serving the poor – to going to where the need was and living amongst those in need. This took Mary all over Australia to many rural areas.

Mary faced fierce opposition throughout her life, which at one point culminated in her being excommunicated. In the face of trial, Mary was a model of forgiveness, insisting that no ill be spoken of those who wronged her while remaining resolute in her convictions.

Mary was remarkable as a strong female leader in 19th-century Australia. Education in this country is what it is today, thanks to her dedication and determination.

It has been wonderful to return to Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs as Principal this term. I would like to sincerely thank the staff, students, and parents for the warm welcome back and for the kind words and best wishes. Once again, a huge thank you to Ms Lucy Swan who did an outstanding job as Acting Principal, whilst I was at Thomas Carr College Tarneit as Principal for Semester One.

We are blessed at CRC Caroline Springs to not only have outstanding contemporary, state of the art facilities and resources, but we also have positive, respectful, relationships that permeate all aspects of college life. We have a thriving school community that values our strong and present Catholic Identity and Ethos and embraces our wonderful College motto of ‘Live Fully Act Justly’. This motto is indeed lived, breathed, and enacted every day.

New Building!

We are filled with excitement and anticipation as we are only weeks away from the commencement of construction on our new building. The new building will encompass modern classrooms, and versatile spaces designed to inspire creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

Once again we are reminded that the construction complexities and building time period of this state of the art facility may present some temporary inconveniences, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we work towards the completion of this exciting building project.

We will keep you updated on the progress of the construction and eagerly anticipate the day when we can gather as a community to celebrate the opening of our new building. Together, we will create a legacy that will positively impact generations of students to come.

“O Jesus, divine Shepherd of souls, you called the apostles and made them fishers of men. Continue to draw to yourself ardent and generous souls from among the young, in order to make them your followers and your ministers. Give them a share in your thirst for the redemption of all… Open before them the horizons of the entire world… By responding to your call, may they prolong your mission here on earth, build up your Mystical Body which is the Church, and be ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’ (Mt 5:13)”.

St Paul VI

DAY 1 – Adoration & Benediction

This week we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week. The week celebrates the mystery and power of vocation. We often mistake vocation for getting a job or choosing a career. However, vocation is about God’s will and purpose for our lives. This is also a great cultural challenge, because the measure of a fulfilled life in our society today, is not so much on the fulfillment of God’s purpose for our lives, but in terms of our own decisions and the need to have “personal experiences.” Christ reveals as vocation priesthood, marriage and religious life these are not career options but are the purpose and meaning of our lives. We are chosen for these things, and we become who our creator intended us to be in our response to this divine call. 

We need to allow time for our children to practice discernment. The decision-making process which allows one to reflect on God’s will for our lives.

Making time to be in solitude and speaking to God when discerning God’s vocation allows us to make decisions based on the love of God and the fulfillment of our heart.  

On day one of Vocations Week, students encountered Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, praying for vocations and opening their hearts to discern what God is calling them to be.  

DAY 2 - Vocations Week Cross Making

In the heart-warming tribute to the legacy of Saint Mary Mackillop, Australia's beloved first saint, students came together during Vocations Week to commemorate her remarkable life and teachings.  Students spent lunchtime decorating their personal crosses.

While crafting their crosses, students were reminded of the values of Mary Mackillop - St Mary of the Cross, hopefully igniting a spark of inspiration within them to continue her mission of spreading love, hope, and kindness.

In the spirit of Saint Mary Mackillop, these young individuals have not only commemorated her life but have also embraced the call to vocation - to live purposefully, guided by principles of justice and compassion. These crosses serve as a reminder that like Saint Mary Mackillop they too can be beacons of light in a world that yearns for love and unity. 

Day 3 – LIHM Sisters and Seminarian

We were blessed to be visited by Fr Richard Rosse (Parish Priest, St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs), The LIHM Sisters and Seminarian – Ezekiel who spoke to our students about what is a vocation, their personal vocation story and how to discern what God is calling us to be.

Fostering a positive and supportive environment within a school community is paramount. A crucial component of this is promoting positive thinking and affirmation among students, teachers and staff. The ability to cultivate a culture that embraces self-assurance, builds strong and balanced individuals.

‘BE’ day, saw the Social Justice team greeting our community with smiles, treats and an affirmation card, a small reminder of how powerful positive thinking and affirmation act as tools that shape our mindsets. Research proves, that by adopting a positive perspective, students are more likely to approach challenges with resilience and a can-do attitude.

By integrating these strategies into the practices of our Social Justice mission, we can create an environment where positive thinking thrives, enabling the team to effectively address issues with the community, along with the support required.

In 2022, through the generosity and big hearts of the CRCCS community we were able to make a difference in the lives of individuals, less fortunate than ourselves. In doing this, our college motto ‘Live fully, Act Justly’ was placed in the forefront of our hearts and minds, as we successfully put it into play, caring for our brothers and sisters of St. Francis Primary School in Kizinga Uganda.

It was during this year, we successfully raised above our target ($20,000), with a generous and heartwarming $33,000. A glimpse of hope was shared with many children and their families. A sense of security and opportunity was placed before them, with an education program, a safe learning environment as well as a food program. The St. Francis, Kizinga community are enormously humble and grateful for the opportunities presented to them.

But there is still more to do. We need to:

• find a solution to water harvesting, possibly through the installation of more complex water tanks

• erect an outdoor kitchen / cooking area

• develop a sustainable food program that includes breakfast and lunch

• support further building projects

• provide furniture for future building projects

For 2023 our target is $25,000. As we have previously done, we are asking that every student in the College again commit to a donation of $20 to be paid in the next few weeks. In the case of families with more than 2 children a family donation amount of $50 can be paid.

Collection Process: Students are asked to bring $20 and give it to their homeroom teacher who will mark off the student's name from the class list.

The 2023 St. Francis Kizinga - Uganda Fundraiser continues to be a major focus throughout Term 3. This event is a celebration of our commitment to our Catholic Faith as well as a time to reflect on how we can action our College motto.

Once again, we remember that such a project gracefully supports us in living out our College Motto, ‘Live Fully Act Justly’ and ties nicely with the Caritas quote for 2023 ‘for all future generations’.

We also look forward to your support in this unique opportunity for our College to make a real positive difference in the lives of many children and families.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the College regarding the 2023 St. Francis Kizinga - Uganda Fundraiser Project if you have any questions.

The magical subject called ‘Food Technology’

Food technology is like a secret recipe lab, where scientists, engineers and chefs all work together to create delicious, safe and hygienic food. Often, we forget that our students are required to use their knowledge of science, maths and cooking to make sure the foods that we consume are delicious and nutritious.

Term 3 saw the foodies move into and utilise the newly revised space for the first time – The Assisi Building. Delicious creations are being created in a safe and hygienic manner, while the aromas from the space are inviting. New tastes and flavours are being explored allowing our palettes to experience something different. All this is part of the learning and the appreciation of the course.

This semester’s food technology team is made up of three passionate and dedicated teachers: Ms Nicole Croft, Ms Lauren Purdey and Ms Matilda Mattar, along with our wonderful Food technician Ms Lisa Glasgow. Together, we hope to expand the knowledge, experience and passion for this fantastic subject, making it an enjoyable and fruitful journey for all students involved.

Cheers to the delicious wonders of Food Technology!

Students have been learning the ancient technique of pinch pot making by using their fingers to pinch and shape clay. They have explored various design possibilities, through the experimentation and application of shapes and pattern.

Upon completing their pinch pot forms students will apply colourful glazes to complete their designs.

Enrolment applications are now open to Year 5 students who will be starting Year 7 in 2025. Applications close Friday, 18 August 2023.

You can find our online Enrolment Application Form on our College website.

Please note that parents/carers who already have children attending the College and who have a sibling in Year 5 will still need to complete an online enrolment form.

On Monday 17 July, our College hosted the annual SACCSS Inter-school Chess Tournament. Three hundred students from sixteen schools competed in the competition. Even though our students didn’t win, all of our students played extremely well and were a credit to our school. Special congratulations to our intermediate team for placing third and to our top players on the day: Bavly S, Yacoub A, Ethan T and Ivan K.

JUNIOR

Bavly S, 8 Wonga
Harrison P, 8 Murphy Wandin
Sebastian Ca, 8 Murphy Wandin
Daniel T, 8 Wurundjeri
Levi W, 7 Bunjil
Noah N, 7 Barak
Mikheal A, 8 Kororoit
Nathan T, 7 Wurundjeri

INTERMEDIATE

Ethan T, 9 Wonga
Yacoub A, 10 Lingiari
John H, 10 Wonga
Ivan K, 9 Wonga
Gabriel L, 9 Bunjil
Nadhir K, 10 Kulin
Savio R, 9 Lingiari
Denzel E, 9 Kulin

SENIOR

Xavier F, 9 Wonga
Maya S, 10 Lingiari
Darcy C, 10 Murphy Wandin
Mason G, 10 Lingiari
Danny J, 10 Coranderrk
Jayden Capitanio, 10 Murphy Wandin

High School Musical on Stage!

It's the start of something new as the magic of Disney's High School Musical on Stage! comes to life here at Catholic Regional College, Caroline Springs.

Based on the beloved 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie, this musical features all your favourite songs from the film like "Breaking Free", "Get'cha Head in the Game" and "We're All In This Together".

Join Troy, Gabriella, and the rest of the East High Wildcats on their journey to discover the power of friendship, not sticking to the status quo and following your dreams.

Whether you're a die-hard fan or experiencing High School Musical for the first time, this production is a must-see for audiences of all ages.

Shows:

Thursday 24 August: Opening Night 7.30pm
Friday 25 August: Second Show 7.30pm
Saturday 26 August: Matinee 2pm
Saturday 26 August: Closing Night 7.30pm

Ticket Prices:

Adults: $25
Children/Concession: $15
Family (4 tickets): $70

Get your tickets here! 

The inaugural Spring Cabaret is fast approaching on Thursday 31 August. The College Café will be transformed into a Cabaret, complete with mood lighting and music to match from our College Ensembles and talented soloists. The event starts at 6.00pm and concludes at 7.30pm, families are invited to bring along supper and soft drink to enjoy during the concert.

It’s essential to have a ticket for admission via TryBooking (which are free), all we ask families to do is make a gold coin donation on entry for the College’s Uganda Project. There is a venue seating limit in the Café of 150, and a maximum ticket allocation of 4 per family.

Please contact Chris McGillen for further information.

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 for students to prepare for Homeroom.

It is important for our students to establish and nurture a relationship with Our Lord. We look forward to your presence.

The College Chess Tournament was organised as a knockout competition which spanned two terms and culminated in grand final games held in August. Congratulations to the Intermediate Chess Champion – Ivan K and the Junior Chess Champion – Bavly S. The runners up also played extremely well all year, Gabriel L (Intermediates) and Noah N (Juniors).

Clink on the image to open the Trybooking link in a new page

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (the national data collection) is an annual collection that counts the number of school students with disability and the level of reasonable educational adjustment with which they are provided. The national data collection will count students who have been identified as receiving an adjustment to address a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (the DDA). College funding in support of learners is determined by this collection and submission of data. Further information, in both English and Arabic, are attached for parents/carers.