As we begin a new Term, I eagerly look to the Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs community to continue to foster and further develop the already strong relationships with the view to provide the best possible contemporary educational, spiritual and faith experience for our students.

Over the holiday period an enormous amount of work went into preparing facilities such as classrooms, IT facilities, sporting facilities and the College grounds for the students to utilise this semester. 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.

World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR)

The Catholic Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) since 1914. It is always an occasion to express concern for different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for them as they face many challenges; and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.

WDMR was celebrated on 25 September. As the title for his annual message, the Holy Father has chosen “Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees”.

WDMR allows us to pray for those who are dispossessed and to consider our response to refugees. In his 2022 address, Pope Francis speaks of the value that each refugee brings to our society:

“Building the future with migrants and refugees also means recognising and valuing how much each of them can contribute to the process of construction.”

This is a relevant way for us to reflect upon how we can be more welcoming and inclusive in our own school and indeed the wider community. We are reminded in Pope Francis words that each person brings a unique set of gifts and talents that make our community rich and diverse.

Pope Francis gives us hope and optimism and makes it very clear to us that all should be included and welcomed in our community where he states:

“Yet this does not mean that we should lose heart. In the light of what we have learned in the tribulations of recent times, we are called to renew our commitment to building a future that conforms ever more fully to God’s plan of a world in which everyone can live in peace and dignity.”

“No one must be excluded. God’s plan is essentially inclusive and gives priority to those living on the existential peripheries. Among them are many migrants and refugees, displaced persons, and victims of trafficking. The Kingdom of God is to be built with them, for without them it would not be the Kingdom that God wants.”

The full text of Pope Francis – Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees is available below.

Pope Francis - World Migrants Day 2022

Parent Community Conversation and Grade 6 Testing Day

On Saturday 8 October we held our annual Parent Community Conversation and Grade 6 Testing Day. Over 500 parents/carers were welcomed to the College and took part in an information session, community conversation and college tour. Parents were invited to ask questions of the staff and student leaders regarding transition from Grade 6 into Year 7 and general questions about the College. The students underwent academic testing in the areas of literacy and numeracy. The results of these tests will help us support the individual learning needs of the students so that we can better personalise their learning requirements. At the conclusion of the activities all parents, students and staff were invited to a sausage sizzle, provided and prepared by the parents and friends association and to continue a conversation with staff and student leaders. I would like to thank all the students and parents/carers for attending and to all staff, parents and student leaders that were involved on the day.

Car Parking at Caroline Springs Veterinary Hospital

Parents, please note that I have received several complaints from the Caroline Springs Veterinary Hospital, which is adjacent to the Police Station, regarding parent parking in the VET car park after school. Please note that this is a private car park and that parents should not be parking in this space and waiting to pick up their children after school.

Staffing News

I would like to take the opportunity to wish College Psychologist Mr Jamie Barnett all the best on his appointment to College Psychologist at Assumption College Kilmore. We sincerely thank him for his outstanding contribution to the Student Wellbeing team and the College, and we wish him every success in his new role.

We also wish Mrs Victoria Lalor all the best as she begins her maternity leave and wish her well on the imminent arrival of her second child. Finally, we wish Ms Dawn Rogers all the best as she will be on long service leave for the entirety of Term 4.

We also warmly welcome to the CRC Caroline Springs community the following staff for Term 4:

• Leo McInerney (Humanities and RE Teacher)

• Ann Rodgers (Visual Communications and Art Teacher)

• Jasmine Warren (College Psychologist)

Prayer – Month of the Holy Rosary

O Jesus living in Mary, come and live in Your servants, in the spirit of Your holiness, in the fullness of Your might, in the perfection of Your ways, in the truth of Your virtues, in the communion of Your mysteries. Subdue every hostile power, the devil, the world and the flesh, in the strength of Your Spirit, for the glory of Your Father, Amen.

- Prayer of St. Louis de Montfort

October - The Month of the Holy Rosary

October is traditionally the month of the Holy Rosary. The tradition was instituted by Pope Pius V in honour of a 16th century naval victory which secured Europe against Turkish invasion. The victory was attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked on the day of the battle through a campaign to pray the Rosary throughout Europe. Crew members on more than 200 ships prayed the Rosary in preparation for the battle against the daunting Turkish forces. Many of the saints have commented on the power of the rosary, “when you pray the Holy Rosary, you have Our Lady’s hand in your hand. When you pray the Holy Rosary, you have the power of God in your hands” (St. Pope Pius V).”

In this Sunday’s Gospel we will hear Jesus telling the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8). Jesus reminds us of “…their (the) need to pray always and not to lose heart.” In a world of instant gratification Jesus is asking us to be patient and that our prayers will be answered maybe not in the way we expected it but “thy will be done.” Mary is a powerful intercessor and the rosary is a powerful prayer that even Mary herself affirmed “You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.”

Term 4 - Weekly Friday 8am Mass

A reminder that weekly Friday 8am Mass (8:00-8:25am) will occur every Friday of Term 4 (unless otherwise advised) at St Catherine of Siena Parish Church located on the school grounds.

All students and their families are welcome to attend. It is a wonderful opportunity to begin the day in contemplation and prayer, listening to the word of God and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. I encourage all those who are able to attend.

World Youth Day 2023 – Portugal, Lisbon

Dear Parents/Carers of 2023 Year 9 and/or 10 students

For more than 30 years, World Youth Day has been an opportunity for the youth of the world to go on pilgrimage. Students who will be in Year 9 or 10 in 2023 are invited to express interest to attend this trip of a lifetime and join young people in the largest youth gathering in the world! I encourage you to have a conversation with your child regarding this event.

Travel Dates: 29 July - 15 August 2023 (Approx 14 Days)

Please register your interest via the link on student SEQTA notices by no later than Friday 21 October. Please note an expression of interest does not confirm child’s attendance.

Ablaze Youth Group

Sunday Gospel Reflection

Twenty-Ninth Sunday Ordinary Time Year C

Luke 18:1-8

Weekend Parish Mass Times

St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Caroline Springs

Saturday (Vigil): 6:00pm

Sunday: 9:00am, 10:30am & 12:00pm

St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Caroline Springs Website

Sacred Heart/Emmaus St Albans & Sydenham

Sacred Heart

Saturday (Vigil): 5:00pm

Sunday: 7:30pm, 9:00am (Polish), 10:30am

Emmaus Church

Saturday: 6:30pm

Sunday: 9:00am

Sacred Heart/Emmaus St Albans & Sydenham Website

Resurrection Catholic Parish, Kings Park

Saturday (Vigil) 6:00pm

Sunday: 9:00am, 10:30am, 12:30pm (Syriac – Iraqi), 3:00pm (every fourth & fifth Sunday of the month – South Sudanese)

Resurrection Catholic Parish, Kings Park Website

2023 Resource Lists

Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs have engaged Campion Education for our 2023 resources.

The College has chosen to use Campion Education to provide families with:

• a simplified online resource list and ordering process

• digital and physical resources and required stationery in a single resource list

• a Campion Education shop in Derrimut where parents can purchase physical resources and stationery

• reduced delivery costs for the delivery of physical resources.

Required items

All items on the Resource List are required items unless labelled as optional.

Digital textbooks

Digital resources will be available for students via the Campion MyConnect Portal by 2 December 2022. Students do not need to set up accounts for digital resources purchased on the resource list. Students will be guided through their first login to MyConnect in class.

The mathematics textbooks should be purchased through the Campion Education booklist. This ensures students can access their textbook through the MyConnect Portal without the need for an additional password. The MyConnect Portal also enables teachers to monitor completion of online tasks and provide additional notes in the online textbook.

Digital Learning Resource Bundle

The Digital Learning Resource Bundle is a compulsory purchase. The Digital Resource Bundle includes To Know, Worship and Love, Ed Puzzle, Stile, ClickView, and Padlet. For Year 9 students, the bundle also includes Stile X.

The bundle has been included as a package in the Religious Education subject on the Resource List to ensure families purchase the product once only.

Bibles

At all year levels, students studying Religious Education are required to have a Bible. This can be retained from previous years.

The preferred bible is Holy Bible NRSV Catholic Edition.

For students that own a bible, other acceptable versions include:

• Revised Standard Version (RSV)

• New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

• New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)

• Good News Bible (GNB).

Headphones

Students studying Music are required to have headphones with volume control and 3.5mm stereo plug. Note: Cordless ear pod style headphones are not compatible with college music instruments and recording devices.

Headphones are also used in Languages classes, for NAPLAN testing and other subjects.

Year 9 Student Leader: Alyssa D B

Q1. What does servant leadership mean to you?

To me, servant leadership means to put others before myself while simultaneously leading with my actions rather than just my words. I use our motto ‘Live Fully, Act Justly’ as a guide to be a servant leader, taking opportunities that are presented to me and conducting myself in a just manner.

Q2. Why did you want to be a part of the 2022 student leadership team?

I applied to be a part of the 2022 student leadership team as I wanted to make an impact on our school and positively influence my fellow peers, picking up from where past leaders left off in leading them towards righteousness.

Q3. What is your role in the leadership team? And what are your responsibilities?

My position on our student leadership team is a Year 9 Level Leader. In this role I provide a student perspective to our leadership body, giving my peers a voice in our decisions. This consequently creates a better community and environment here at CRCCS. When our team has an idea for something we want to implement at school, we seek feedback from our students. Their responses enable us to create an enticing proposal to present to the staff. If we are successful, we will work with them to achieve our ultimate goal. Every student on the leadership team is required to lead a school tour, guiding families who are interested in our College. This year, I participated in two of these tours.

Q4. What is a goal you would like to achieve this year in the leadership team?

My goal for our school is to improve it in areas others may have not thought of before. To further develop a safe, welcoming, and accepting environment for all, allowing our students to feel even more comfortable and supported. This is not a goal that I believe will ever be completed. Rather, it’s a matter that I will continue to work on in order to improve.

Q5. What is the legacy you wish to leave behind?

I want my legacy to be that I helped as many people that I possibly could in my time within the student leadership team. That I shared my knowledge and let my peers learn from my mistakes. I wish to continue to encourage my fellow students to be kind and forgiving of one another.

Q6. What are some exciting projects or proposals the leadership team are currently working on that you are passionate about? Is there something new that you would like to introduce?

We currently have several proposals in the works, one of which is the Year 9 and 10 Wellbeing Day that was created by our College Captain, Ivanka P. This concept educates our students on a variety of topics that we may not particularly cover in class. This year, I participated in two proposals, one of which I presented with a group and the other is still in development, which I am, as of this moment, producing alone.

Year 9 Student Leader: Charli N

Q1. What does servant leadership mean to you?
Servant leadership means to me that I will be a leader who will serve the community and always choose to do what’s best for the students and be an advocate for them.

Q2. Why did you want to be a part of the 2022 student leadership team?
I wanted to be a part of the leadership team next year so I can continue to serve and support the CRCCS community. I also chose to be a part of the team next year to grow as a person and continue my passion for leadership.

Q3. What is your role in the leadership team? And what are your responsibilities?
My current role is a year 9 leader, in the role I am responsible for creating new proposals, assisting in mass/assembly, hosting college tours, attending leadership meetings and working with others in the team.

Q4. What is a goal you would like to achieve this year in the leadership team?
A goal I would have achieved working in the student leadership team would be speaking in an assembly, it takes a lot to have the confidence to speak in front of an audience and I am proud to have achieved that goal. Thanks to the support from my family, friends, staff and student community I was able to accomplish this goal with full support.

Q5. What is the legacy you wish to leave behind?
I wish to leave a legacy of growth. I chose to have a legacy of growth, because it is extremely important to our lives, even more so as students and teenagers. There is so much going on in our lives and I think that every experience is a learning experience to grow from. If you talked to me this time last year you would be talking to a completely different person, over the last year I have grown and developed as a person and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Q6. What are some exciting projects or proposals the leadership team are currently working on that you are passionate about? Is there something new that you would like to introduce?
An exciting project that the leadership team is currently working on is a year 9 event, I am looking forward to this event as it could be a great event for our year 9s to socialise and have fun!

Maths Support is an after-school program designed to assist students in developing their numeracy skills. These sessions are facilitated by Math teachers at the College and are an excellent opportunity for students of all capabilities to receive tailored numeracy support and develop their confidence in all areas of Math.

This program is offered to all students at the College and will run from 3:20pm – 4:20pm in MM1 most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students are not required to attend for the entire hour and, as such, can choose to leave after they have received the support they seek.

Below is the timetable for Term 4 which indicates the date as well as the teacher facilitating the session.

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

Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs is excited to be hosting Italian exchange students from our Sister School Liceo Scientifico Livio Cambi, Falconara Italy in February 2023 for one week. These students are aged between 14-15 years old and are fluent in English.

As a College, we are now looking for suitable families keen to host an Italian exchange student during this time. This would provide an enriching opportunity to interact with a student from another culture and welcome them into your family.

Please see a few important points below:

• all Italian exchange students are triple vaccinated against COVID-19
• host students can be from Year 7, 8, 9 or 10
• students arrive on the 22 February 2023 and depart on 01 March 2023
• host families can take up to two students
• all Italian exchange students will take part in classes, incursions and excursions organised by the College
• host students can opt into incursions and excursions during that week.

If you are interested, please complete the form below for more information.

Italy Hosting Form 2023

Last week, Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs celebrated Maths Week!

The week consisted of a variety of lunchtime activities, the first of which was the Amazing Race: Maths Edition. Several teams competed in four maths-based activities, including Sudoku, building towers from playing cards, and calculating the circumference of a hula hoop. The winning team consisted of Oscar N, James J, Dominic A, and Hamish M from 8WO – well done boys!

Tuesday’s lunchtime activity was Maths Puzzles in the Library, and one of the favourites amongst the attendees was the tangram. Students enjoyed trying to make a simple square out of the seven polygons (also known as tans).

Wednesday’s lunchtime activity was Maths Trivia. Over 30 students from Years 7-10 competed in a maths-based Kahoot. In 1^st place was Oscar N (8WO), in 2^nd place was Dominic B (9KO) and in 3^rd place was Rafael A (8WO) – good job boys, and to those that participated as well!

Thursday’s lunchtime activity was a Pi(e) Stall on Hogan Green. The Maths Learning Area purchased a variety of gourmet pies from Tony’s Pies and sold them for $3.00. Thank you to everyone who purchased a pie; because of you, the Maths Learning Area was able to donate roughly $350 to Uganda!

Finally, on Friday, the Year 7s were treated to The Maths Show. Louisa, from Felstead Education, presented a fun and engaging show all about maths and maths history. The show included lots of student (and teacher) volunteers, problem-solving and laughter!

Overall, it was a very enjoyable week and on behalf of the Maths Learning Area, I would like to thank everyone who got involved and helped out.

I also need to congratulate 10WO and Jayla C (10KU) who won the Homeroom Quizzes and the Guess the Number of Lollies in the Jar, respectively! We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

It was my pleasure to facilitate the Cultural Immersion Parent Information Night (Domestic Trips) on Wednesday 12 October at the College. The College will offer two domestic trips in 2023: Tasmania and Central Australia. Please see the proposed dates, approximate cost, and proposed itineraries below.

To view the proposed Central Australia Itinerary please click on the below link:

Central Australia Itinerary 2023.pdf

To view the proposed Tasmania Itinerary please click on the below link:

Tasmania Itinerary 2023.pdf

If you child is interested in attending one of these trips, please ensure the following timeline is adhered to.

For more information, please contact Ms Linda Bracco lbracco@crccs.vic.edu.au