It has certainly been a very productive and busy first 6 weeks of Term 1. It has been wonderful to have returned to a somewhat sense of normal school life with many co-curricular and whole school activities and events being held onsite and some remotely.

As we enter into March and the season of Autumn, it is timely to reflect on some of this year’s key events so far:

• 1004 Students have been engaged in day-to-day classes and learning
• Opening/Ash Wednesday College Mass
• Student Leadership Investiture Ceremony
• Student Leadership Development Day
• Social Justice Leaders Development Day
• Years 7-10 online House Spirit Building activities
• College Swimming Carnival
• Year 10 Premier League
• SACCSS Junior Golf
• Carnevale Day
• Caritas Fundraising Activities
• Year 9 Program incursions
• Japanese Taiko Drumming Performance
• Year 7 Parent Information session was conducted as a live streamed event on MS Teams and was very well attended by the parent body
• Outdoor Education Surfing excursions
• Year 8 Kryal Castle Excursion
• Mama Mia Musical auditions
• Years 7 Camps will take place from Monday 21 March

All these events and activities take planning and preparation to ensure that they are successful events. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the CRCCS community to thank our staff for their effort. They have been extremely diligent and generous with their own time to enable the many events listed above to take place.  Without the support of staff, these activities simply would not take place, so I thank staff most sincerely for their efforts.

Catholic Education Week

Staff, Students and Friends of our CRC Caroline Springs Community, in the week beginning Sunday 13 March, all Catholic Schools in Victoria will be celebrating Catholic Education Week. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector.

At CRC Caroline Springs, we take seriously our primary purpose of nurturing our students’ faith. Christian teaching is central to our work and the challenge for us is to continually ensure it is included in all we do.

Parents & Friends Association

This year we are looking to further develop our Parents & Friends Association, as we see this as a very important support group for our College. Unfortunately, the last two years due to COVID-19 restrictions we were unable to meet regularly and hold our usual social and fundraising events. Meetings are open to and attended by interested parents/carers, friends of the College, teachers and administrative staff as well as the Principal, or one of the Deputy Principals.

Everyone is welcome to come and meet other parents/carers, to learn more about our wonderful College as well as participate and share in general discussion often relating to significant issues about school events. We are currently awaiting an update to the CECV School Operations Guide to provide further information regarding the health and safety guidelines for these meetings. Further information will be made available as it becomes available.

We would like for interested parents to please email the College at principal@crccs.vic.edu.au

St Patrick’s Day

Thursday 17 March is St Patrick’s Day. It is a global celebration of Irish culture and remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.

St Patrick is known and admired all over the world as the young slave who became an unlikely hero, the shy boy transformed into a courageous missionary. Patrick came to an alien land that soon became his adopted home, and a foreign people became his friends. He was no brilliant scholar but a man of deep faith tried and tested in the fires of slavery and exile. At first a reluctant preacher until filled with the strength of the Trinity he overcame his fears and limitations to establish one of the strongest Churches in the Christian world.

Patrick was a towering figure. He had a strong biblical faith centred on the Trinity. He was deeply familiar with the Word of God and pondered it day and night. He lived in intimate union with Christ who was always before, behind, above, within him. Every step he took was in the company of Jesus, every word he spoke was inspired by Jesus, every breath was full of the spirit of Jesus.

The faith of Patrick worked its way into every fibre of life. The true Irish faith of which we can be so proud made our forefathers a people of saints and mystics, of poets and scholars. St Patrick was a great saint. May he be our guide and inspiration.

In this prayer he asks for God’s help in various ways:

May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world

May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

Lenten Prayer

While fasting with the body,
brothers and sisters,
let us also fast in spirit.
Let us lose every bond of iniquity;
let us undo the knots of every contact made by violence;
let us tear up all unjust agreements;
let us give bread to the hungry
and welcome to our house
the poor who have no roof to cover them,
that we may receive mercy from Christ our God.

- Byzantine Vespers

God’s Love and Mercy

We can easily focus on our sinfulness during the season of Lent. However, we should be weary of descending into a sense that we are a bad person not worthy of God’s love. The beauty of this season is the opportunity to practise the virtue of humility. To recognise that we are all capable of transgressions and to more importantly recognised God’s unconditional love and mercy.

Christ Crucified demonstrates to us God’s love. His arms wide open for us on the cross is Christ’s loving embrace to us. The same embrace that the father gives to his son in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15 11-32).

God wants a relationship with us. He loves us and is wanting us to respond to His love. Let us reflect on the ‘Good Thief’ who rebuked his fellow thief for asking Christ to save them from being crucified. “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Lk 23:40-41). “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power” (Lk 23:43). Jesus responds, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43). If the ‘Good Thief’ is worthy of Christ’s love at the last hour of his death, then should this not be a reminder of Christ’s unconditional mercy for us as long as we open our hearts to him?

Friday 8am Mass – St Catherine of Siena Parish Church

Students, parents, and their families are invited to attend 8am morning Mass.

Friday’s during term one

8:00 – 8:25am

St Catherine of Siena Parish, Caroline Springs.

The Eucharist allows us the opportunity to receive so many graces from God. Strength, forgiveness, and hope are some of these graces we receive. However, the most important is growing in a deeper love for Christ from receiving him in the Eucharist. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend some time in silence and prayer and move our focus away from ourselves and on things we may need to work to allow Christ to reign in our hearts.

Sunday Gospel Reflection

Second Sunday of Lent Year C – Luke 9:28-36

On Wednesday 2 March we had the pleasure in acknowledging our 2022 Student Leadership Team.

College Captain: Ivanka Portelli

Deputy College Captains: Angel Yesudas, Christina Stanford, Meena Babawy.

Franklin House Captains: Elizabeth De Dios, Alessia Iacopino

Jackson House Captains: Sarah Rigg, Nyankat Deng

Norman House Captains: Eniola Tiamiyu, Ella Hall

O’Reilly House Captains: Georgia Micallef, Augustha Morris

Year 10 Leaders:

Sienna Skye Prokopec

Sara Gayed

Katherine Sulewski

Chantelle Radan

Isabella Vignogna

Joaquin Santos

Alyssa Portelli

Year 9 Leaders:

Taylah Ballard

Celina Aguliar

Maya Simunija

Chelsea Gutteridge

Ava Nesci

Sienna Glasson

Charli Nugara

Dareen Al Tarachi

Maryam Sabah

Zalaika Farrugia

Alyssa De Bono

Kiara Trimboli

Year 8 Leaders:

Dominic Arrellano

Alyssa Cassar

Tomasso Corrente

Kaitlyn Cutajar

Sienna Farrugia

Pia Khurana

Maya Mangion

Mihini Rodrigo

Luca Salvatore

Tileah Tabone

Sheneli Perera

I look forward to working with all of these students in making our College Community a better place for the students.

2022 School Fees

School fees payment arrangements for 2022 are still available. Please download a Direct Debit Form from the link below. Hard copies are also available from the College office.

Direct Debit Form

If you choose to pay your fees in full by the end of Term 1, the College offers a $100 discount. Please deduct this amount from your payment before the end of Term 1 when paying in full.

If you have any concerns with school fees, please contact the Finance Department to discuss.

School Fee Statements

Please note that school fee statements are sent out monthly by email. If you require a hard copy, please contact the Finance Department.

CSEF

CSEF applications are open for 2022.

Please complete the application form below and return the completed signed form, along with a copy of the parent/carer current health care card to the College office as soon as possible.

CSEF Application Form

Tuesday/Thursday - 3:20pm - 4:20pm Room MM2

To assist students further in their literacy skills, English Support is 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 and Thursday afternoons between 3:20pm – 4:20pm in room MM3. 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.

If you would like any further clarification, please feel free to contact me at the College at aconsiglio@crccs.vic.edu.au

English Support Timetable – Term 1, 2022

Casual Clothes Day: 25 February 2022

Congratulations and well done to the CRCCS community, “every little bit counts”. Our community raised a total of $1115.00 through gold coin donations for our first casual clothes day. Staff and students embraced this wonderful event knowing that their contribution will be making a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Students are invited to bring a small donation to school. Each amount big or small makes a huge difference.

Week 2: (Week beginning Monday 14 March)

This week through Project Compassion we learn about Biru who lives in a rural village in India’s east. He lost mobility in one of his legs, after contracting polio as a child. Biru worked as a shepherd, looking after other people’s cattle to support his wife and four daughters. Keeping up with the cattle was a challenge.

Biru taught himself how to repair bicycles by watching other people, but he never dreamed of using those skills to start his own business. With your generous support, Biru was able to access an entrepreneurship and livelihoods training program, run by Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas India. He gained the support and skills he needed to start his own bicycle repair business. Now, Biru earns enough money to support his family.

Watch a short film about Biru’s story here.

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

On Wednesday 2 March we celebrated our College Opening/Ash Wednesday Mass.

Fr Richard Rosse, Parish Priest of St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs presided the Mass and was assisted by Deacon Chris Creo. The Eucharist is always a wonderful opportunity to gather as one body of Christ in praise and worship to God for the many blessings He has bestowed on us. It was also great that we commenced the year with the season of Lent, such an important liturgical time in our lives as Christians in striving for a closer relationship with God.

As part of the Mass, we also had the blessing and commissioning of our new Deputy Principal of Wellbeing - Ms Katie Murray-Fawcett. It was a wonderful sign and witness to the College community of the commitment of our staff to the call of a Catholic school in the evangelising mission of the Church and the complete formation of our students.

I would also like to express my gratitude to all students and staff who participated in the Holy Mass so respectfully and reverently and to the many parents that joined via live stream. Thank you also to our Mission and Faith team and to all the staff and students involved in various ministries of the Mass.

Thursday 3 March marked the celebration of our annual Swimming Carnival. Seeing so many students walk in, wearing their house colours, dressing up in costumes and ready to swim was truly amazing.

The Swimming Carnival was the first major event after remote learning last year, and students were eager to have as much fun as they could. The weather was clearly in our favour as it was a beautifully warm and cloudless day, perfect for sitting outside and cheering for our houses. Face-painting and Ribbon stations were set up on the day and many students lined up. There were plenty of land novelty events for those who were not too keen on getting into the water and Volleyball was definitely most popular.

At the end of the day, the house points were announced. The results for the day are as followed: 

1st – Norman House  

2nd – O'Reilly House 

3rd – Jackson House 

4th – Franklin House  

A massive congratulations to all students who gave their best in swimming, volleyball, and the novelty events! 

Overall, the day was a wonderful opportunity for students to dress up, relax, cheer for their houses, and have plenty of fun. Thank you to all the students who participated this year, and a huge thank you to all the staff and student leaders who organised and worked hard to ensure the day went smoothly. 

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent begins. The name Shrove comes from the old English word ‘Shriven’, which means one goes to confessions to say sorry for the wrong things that they may have done as a led into the Lenten journey. Others may refer to this day as Pancake Tuesday. A tradition that involves using up the “fattening” ingredients, such as eggs, milk, butter, with the help of a little flour and there you have it … pancakes.

It's wonderful that we can cherish and value the traditions we have in place so that they continue to live on. The Social Justice team delivered goods to the community. There were a lot of smiles and happy bellies at recess.

In total, the team raised $400.00, all towards Project Compassion – For all future generations 2022. God bless and well done to all team members, and another huge thank you to the CRCCS Community for their ongoing support and generosity.

Students of Year 8 and 9 Japanese took part in Japanese Taiko drumming performance and workshop.

Taiko experience reflection by Year 9 Japanese student, Liam Wilkins (9WO):

"The taiko performance on Monday was amazing! We were given the opportunity to not only view the performance, but to participate and play a variety of instruments. It was intriguing to see, listen to, and experience another culture's tradition, which has been around for hundreds of years. Ranging from how to play the drums, to how the instruments are made, and even how they are used in Japanese culture today, it was an amazing learning experience. This performance was truly spectacular!"

The library is now back in full swing! Students from all year levels have been enjoying the resources and comfortable spaces at lunchtimes. A variety of activities have been enjoyed; from playing board games, to reading, completing homework and using laptops.

It has been particularly pleasing to welcome our Year 7 Students to the library. All the Year 7 Students have attended Library Orientation sessions. Students were informed of the resources that are available to them, how to borrow ebooks and audio books, as well as how to use the catalogue and the Library Portal.

The library is open from 8:00am every morning and will close at 4:15pm Monday to Thursday, and 3:45pm on Fridays.

Students are welcome to borrow up to 3 books at any time for a loan period of 3 weeks. If required, books may be renewed for a further 3 weeks.

Chess Club has also started on Tuesday lunchtimes in the library and during this term, students can enjoy playing social games. A school tournament is planned for Term 2.

Book Club is also starting up again and will be held every second Thursday at lunchtime. Students who enjoy reading are warmly invited to participate. During Book Club meetings, students can discuss their favourite books and characters, play book related games, help choose books and get first glimpse of the newest library books.

On Monday 28 February, the Year 8 students of Italian were fortunate enough to watch a Commedia Dell’Arte performance on Pinocchio!

The Year 8 students have been studying the Venice Carnival and Commedia Dell’Arte in their Italian classes and the performance really brought the study in the classroom to life!

Students were called up on stage to participate in the commedia performance to play the roles of Gatto, Candlewick & a special guest appearance by Mr Sammut as the Blue Fairy! It was fun for all!

The performance was full of bright costumes and audience participation, the students did so well to get involved! We thank the team from ‘Make A Scene’ for giving us such a high-quality performance for our Year 8 students of Italian and a big thank you to Ms Linda Bracco for organising such a great event for our students.

Food Technology Students are now definitely enjoying the aromas, unmasked from the kitchen. By Year 9 Students request, this week’s Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni recipe is being shared with the CRCCS Community – Enjoy!

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Ingredients

Filling:

6 cannelloni tubes

½ c fresh ricotta

¼ c grated cheese

½ c frozen spinach

1 egg, beaten

pinch salt & pepper

½ tsp garlic

Sauce:

1 tsp olive oil

½ onion, finely diced

½ tsp garlic

11/2 c tomato puree

½ tsp dried basil

¼ c grated cheese (for the top, after assembled)

Method:

1. Mix spinach, ricotta, egg, garlic, grated cheese, salt & pepper all together in a bowl. Carefully fill tubes with mixture. Use a small teaspoon.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté onions and garlic
3. Add tomato puree and basil and cook for a few minutes until thickened.
4. Preheat oven to 200 ° C
5. Grease an oven proof dish
6. Pour in a layer of sauce (about half) leaving enough for the top layer
7. Place a single layer of cannelloni side by side in the dish
8. Pour over remaining sauce and top with grated cheese
9. Bake through in oven for about 15-20 minutes until cannelloni is soft (check with a skewer)