This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday, the last Sunday of the Lenten season. On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem, while understanding that amidst the celebrations of this entrance, Jesus knew what was to happen later that week.

Palm Sunday marks the commencement of Holy Week, a week when we remember Christ’s suffering and death. Hopefully, this remembrance helps us to focus on being the best people we can be in our daily lives. Christ’s suffering was to help us to be closer to God, He modelled a life for us to emulate, particularly in the acceptance and help He gave to the outcasts and underprivileged of His time.

Next week we celebrate Holy week. I encourage you to attend the ceremonies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday, as well as Easter Sunday, with your families. The Resurrection of Christ is at the heart of our beliefs as Catholics. Christ was born and died for us, giving the gift of our hope and belief in everlasting life. I hope that all families have a wonderful Easter holiday break and really value the opportunity to appreciate each other and show the love which can sometimes remain hidden in our hearts in the busyness of daily life.

Principals Video Message

It has certainly been a very productive and busy 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 conclude Term 1, it is timely to reflect on some of this year’s key events so far:

• 1007 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 and SACCSS Swimming Carnivals
• 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
• Various subject based Excursions
• Mama Mia Musical auditions
• Years 7 Camps
• Ride to School Day
• House Cross Country Run
• College Tours
• Lunchtime Concerts
• Easter Liturgy

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.

It has been an absolute pleasure to serve the Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs community this term. There have been some wonderful achievements reached this term and much to celebrate. I ask that students take the time to reflect and enjoy these achievements, whilst also setting specific and realistic goals for Term 2. I also ask all students to challenge themselves to participate in the vast array of co-curricular activities available and to embrace and contribute to the numerous faith and social justice opportunities available at the College. May all members of the college community truly live and breathe our ‘Live Fully Act Justly’ motto.

As we conclude Term 1, we give thanks for the many enriching experiences of life and learning at our College and we pray for a safe and restful time for students, staff and families over the Easter holiday period. May the spirit of hope that Easter brings, inspire renewed energy, new goals and a strengthened resolve to live the Christian life in the footsteps of Jesus.

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

Student dismissal time Term 2:

Please note that the staggered early dismissal time of 3:05pm for Years 7 and 8 will conclude on the final day of Term 1. All students in Years 7-10 from the beginning of Term 2 will be dismissed at 3:15pm.

Term 2 student return date:

Please note that Monday 25 April is the ANZAC day public holiday and Tuesday 26 April will be a Staff Professional Learning Day (student free day). Students will return to the College on Wednesday 27 April (Full Winter Uniform for Terms 2 and 3). Please place these student free days date into your calendar.

Social Media and Setting Boundaries

Social media is an influential part of a teenager’s life. As a college we do our very best to educate our students around safe use of social media and the benefits that it can have. Throughout Term 1, the wellbeing leaders at the college have had to manage a number of concerns around the use of applications such as Tik Tok and Snapchat. The risks of using social media can include online bullying, damaging one’s online reputation, personal information being shared online, being harassed, reducing one’s self-esteem and becoming disconnected from the real world. The holidays are a perfect time to help your child develop positive habits around their use of social media and start some conversation around the following:

• Taking regular breaks from their mobile phones
• Setting clear boundaries around the apps they are using
• Turning their phone off by a certain time each evening
• Making sure notifications are turned off to reduce the compulsion of checking the social media so frequently
• Ensuring their privacy settings are set to a safe and high standard

The following article may be of some use to families https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/social-media

With our school and families working together I know that we can ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students when it comes to their online behaviour.

Loving God, as we come to the beginning of Holy Week, we remember your triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We sing your praises, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” You alone are the true King, the leader greater than all others. Even so, in your great mercy you chose to become like us, taking on human form and living among us. As we celebrate and shout “Hosanna” today, may we remember what will soon follow. Keep us faithful in word and deed, and help us love you to the best of our ability. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Palm Sunday & Holy Week

This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday the beginning of Holy Week. In the next week we will take part in the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday). We will partake in the final hours of our Lord’s earthly life through the beauty and ancient rituals of the Church. Holy Week is not an opportunity to remember what occurred 2000 years ago but rather to accompany Christ and fully immerse ourselves in his passion, death and resurrection. St Josemaria Escriva says that “…when we get to know someone well, we notice how they act, their way of speaking, even the pitch of their voice…and we imitate it without realising it. If we draw close to Jesus Christ through the Sacraments, through a constant, daily conversation with him, we start imitating Jesus almost without realising it.” Let us pray that as we enter Holy week, we will take up the opportunity to open our hearts and get to know Christ intimately as we approach the joy of Easter.

Holy Week Resources

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre: The Resurrection

www.formed.org

https://hallow.com/lent/

https://amenapp.org/

https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

Friday 8am Mass – St Catherine of Siena Parish Church

I would like to thank all parents, families, staff, and students who attended our Friday 8am Mass this term. I would like to show my appreciation to the many students who read the Liturgy of the Word at Mass. It is a great pleasure to witness their ministry and taking an active role in the Mass. We also thank Fr Richard and Fr Simeon for their support in celebrating the Eucharist with our community. 8am Mass will recommence on Friday 29 April (first Friday of Term 2). We invite all members of our College Community to attend.

Sunday Gospel Reflection

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord Year C

Luke 22:14 – 23:56

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, Thursday 7^th April, the college offers a $100 discount. Please deduct this amount from your payment before the end of term one when paying in full.

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

CSEF

CSEF applications are open for 2022 and close 22 June 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

Cultural Immersion

Payment dates for Cairns Cultural immersion are $1350 due 6 April and $1350 due 4 May. Please visit Reception to make payment or contact the College Finance Department to make payment over phone. School Fees need to be up to date and current to be eligible.

Box Of Books

For families who have outstanding amounts due to Box of Books please make payment before the end of term.

Enrolment applications are now open to Year 5 students who will be starting Year 7 in 2024.

You can download the application form from our website. Applications close Friday 19 August 2022.

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 enrolment form.

Interim reports will be made available to parents/carers after 4:30pm on Friday 8 April via SEQTA Engage. The report will provide a summary of progress made during the 10 weeks of Term 1.

The work habits each student has been graded upon are described in greater detail below:

Demonstrates academic improvement

Please note, for the Pastoral Care report, the work habit "Demonstrates academic improvement" should be interpreted as "Demonstrates personal growth".

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 behaviour

• Punctuality
• Works respectfully with peers and teachers

If you have any questions regarding your child’s report, please contact their subject teacher.

A key goal within the College’s School Improvement Plan is to ‘Build a performance and development culture’. During Term 1, students have contributed to a student voice data source named Pivot Student Surveys.

The student surveys are intended to provide teachers with constructive and actionable research-based feedback on the next steps 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 for the College, learning areas and year levels also becomes de-identified for further analysis and actionable guidance.

St Catherine of Siena Parish, Caroline Springs

Sacred Heart / Emmaus Parish

Sacred Heart

Emmaus

Resurrection Parish, Kings Park

Dear Parents/Carers

We will be hosting our Mother’s Day Mass and High Tea on Friday 6 May. This will be a celebration of mothers, grandmothers and significant women in the lives of our students. All students are invited to honour these women by attending alongside their mothers, grandmothers or significant women to be held at St Catherine of Siena, Parish Church at 8:00-8:30am. Following on from the Mass, all guests are invited to attend a morning tea in the College Cafeteria until 9:00am.

Registration for this event is essential. Please register your attendance by Tuesday 4 May using the link below.

Mother's Day Mass & Morning Tea Registration Link

Easter Reflection by Christina Stanford (10 KO)

“Easter, a traditional time of celebration, is considered one of the most sacred times of the year. It is a time where the Resurrection of Jesus is remembered and the anniversary of his ascension into heaven is once again recollected. As a member of the Social Justice team, this time of year is always about spreading God’s love for the world. During the resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded that God is all that we live and breathe. In the book of Matthew, Jesus teaches us not to be afraid. To help all that come by us and to be disciples of Jesus as we walk in dominion with him. Matthew 28:19-20 ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age’.

Let this scripture resonate within you. Remember that Jesus is always present and the resurrection of the son of God, allows us to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus.

We are reminded each year of how fortunate we are to be in an environment where we can constantly give back. Extend the kindness of Jesus to every aspect of your life and celebrate with your family and friends. This year, I’d like to celebrate Easter by helping others, even if it’s only a little act that can only slightly make someone’s day better. On behalf of the Social Justice team, we hope that you can find a way to give back to your community this Easter.

Thank you and God Bless.”

We are offering free trial lessons at the start of term 2 for the exciting new instruments we are offering in 2022: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone and Percussion (follow this link to see instrument demonstrations: Concert Band Instruments). Students learning these instruments participate in the Concert Band program each week as well as an individual or small group lesson.

There are so many social and creative benefits that come from learning an instrument, please contact me via email to arrange a free trial lesson for your son or daughter cmcgillen@crccs.vic.edu.au

On Thursday 17 March, Meena Babawy and I, along with Mr Zammit, had the opportunity to visit St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne. We hopped on a train to the city and made our way to the annual Mass for Catholic Education Week on this feast of St Patrick. The architecture of the Cathedral was beautiful, and the high altar, bronze doors and stained windows never fail to show the true beauty of the 125-year-old Cathedral. We were lucky enough to take a photo with the Principal Celebrant and Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter A Comensoli. Guests from around Victoria were in attendance, such as Senators and MPs, Bishops and visiting Priests. The Mass was a wonderful occasion and opportunity to take part of and it was an honour to represent our College.

After attending the Mass, we headed to Melbourne Emporium, where we took part in the Michael Angelo Sistine Chapel Exhibit. The exhibition displayed many of Angelo’s art pieces found in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel that were created throughout his life. From the Creation of Adam to The Last Judgment, the exhibit did not disappoint. Each painting was displayed in a life-size proportion to invite you to a perspective of the art in real life.

I really appreciated the opportunity to attend, and I highly recommend visiting the St Patrick's Cathedral or the exhibition.

The annual SACCSS Swimming carnival was held on Tuesday 29 March at MSAC in Albert Park. With a short turnaround from the house carnival, a break from competition for a few years and covid isolation rules, our team this year was only 20 students. However, this didn’t stop these students from giving their all in representing our College and swimming as many events as they could.

We had multiple students swimming extra events, shuffling teams around to ensure we could enter as many relays as possible and even some students swimming the day in an age group above their own. The best individual performances on the day were Chloe Burke from 8 Kulin and Scarlet Valori from 10 Koroit who both finished runners up in their age group by only a couple of points. Special mention also to the intermediate girls who combined to win both the Medley and Freestyle relays.

Thanks to the efforts of all our swimmers, we finished 3^rd in the junior category and 4^th in the intermediate category. This has resulted in us again remaining in division one for 2023, an amazing achievement for such a small team.

Thank you to all the swimmers for their efforts on the day and those that weren’t able to make it for various reasons.

Term 1 has been an exciting and eventful time for all involved in the Performing Arts. As the term draws to a close it’s a great opportunity to celebrate some of the fantastic work that has been happening across the Performing Arts subjects.

Year 7 Drama students created a group performance based on a classic fairy-tale, with an original twist. Students used theatrical conventions to make significant changes to the characters and plot. The Twisted Fairy-tale performances were creative and highly engaging.

Year 7 Music had focus on the music elements, rhythmic patterns, and music technology. Students created their own rhythmic compositions manipulating the elements through a live performance and use of music technology.

Year 10 Music Sound Productions was a new elective for 2022. Students were introduced to song writing and song analysis before presenting their own original songs for performance.

Year 9 Drama, Year 10 Theatre Studies and Dance students were privileged to view a live show - Little Shop of Horrors staged by Western Arts. This allowed them to gain an insight into live theatre and productions to enhance their theatre writing reviews.

Congratulations to all students who showcased their talents across all Performing Arts subjects.

Thank you to our wonderful Performing Arts teachers: Ms Jordyn Bugeja, Ms Katie Franzone, Ms Laura Mason, Mr Shingo Gibson-Suzuki, Dr Chris McGillen and Mr Ben Wisbey.

Over the last three Fridays, our VCAL students participated in two courses provided by Shortcourse Australia.

The short courses aim to provide students with transferrable skills they can use in the workplace, specifically in hospitality, and assist them in finding employment whilst they are at school.

The first week the students completed their Food Safety Certificate where they learned about the importance of food hygiene for an individual and in a workplace.

In the second week, the students completed a barista course. Students learned all things about coffee and then how to make various coffees, including flat whites, lattes and cappuccinos. This would enable students to work in places such as cafes and restaurants.

In the third week the students made non-alcoholic drinks, where they learned what glasses are used and different mixes used in various drinks. This course is intended for the students to learn skills they can use if employed in the hospitality environment.

The students enjoyed the ‘hands on’ experience and working together in teams to produce some quality products.

We look forward to the first aid course next term.

Students have used natural wool fibres to create samples of wet felting. As part of their textile exploration, they have developed skills and techniques used to manipulate, change, and embellish garments and textile products.

These bright wool samples will become part of their fashion design folios.

Science at CRCCS

Year 9 STEM Aviation

Year 9 students have been introduced to the aviation theory exploring the differences in features of the Wright Flyer and Boeing 787 Dreamliner and understand the Bernoulli's Theory and the four forces that act upon flight. Over the last couple weeks, they had the opportunity to construct the laser cut plane. In their upcoming future lessons, students will have the opportunity to connect a laser cut plane to the CTG and move through the take-off, cruise and landing phase of flight.

Year 7 STEM

Year 7 STEM students throughout this term have been learning coding techniques to solve problems linked with planetary orbits and about the improvements in society because of the space race. They have been provided an opportunity to be able to predict how far a Sphero will travel based on the speed and time it travels for and develop a set of instructions to code a Sphero to roll in a square.

Year 9 Forensics Science

Year 9 Forensics Science students conducted a practical on Fingerprint analysis, students had to brainstorm why patterns are not enough information in linking a suspect to a crime. This led the students to identify details from their individual fingerprints and make a record of the patterns encountered on their individual fingerprints. Forensics Science students related their understanding of the specific types of patterns encountered with different cultural backgrounds.

Year 7 Science

Year 7 students throughout this term have successfully obtained their Bunsen Burner license! This was a very proud and exciting experience for them. Students exercised their first practical using a Bunsen Burner by investigating the temperature at which the liquid boils, known as the ‘boiling point.’ Well done on all Year 7 students!

Year 8 Science

Year 8 Biological Science students examined the structure and function of the heart. They were able to identify and label the structures of the heart, describe the movement of the blood through the heart and lungs.

Year 11 VCE Biology

Year 11 VCE Biology students are studying the complex multicellular organisms from cells to tissues to organs to systems. Students had the opportunity to dissect a frog to observe the makeup of the digestive system and compare it with humans. They were able to view the external and internal anatomy as well as identify the associated organs. The excretory and reproductive system was also explored, viewing the ureter which is a tube leading out of each kidney and eggs sacs in female frogs.

FABRICS AND SEWING

Hand sewing is a life skill that we should all have some knowledge of; whether this is passed down through family generations, learnt at school or done as a hobby.

During term one, my Year 8 class has learnt how to embroider, sew on buttons, and worked in the technique of applique.

To put some of these skills into practice, we made small felt iced donuts, utilising the skills of cutting the design from paper and assembling the pattern pieces together with hand embroidery.

The results are very pleasing.

Year 10 Premier League – Term 1

2022 thankfully has seen the return of our weekly sport competition, SACCSS Premier League. Term 1 is the year 10 competition and in 2022 we were experiencing the first year of our new divisional structure. This is aimed at providing competition of an appropriate level with sports and schools grouped based on previous results rather than geographical locations of the schools.

This has been very successful for our year 10s with 5 of our 8 teams qualifying for Semi Finals and 4 of these going on to make Grand Finals in the last week of term. Good luck to our Girls Soccer, Boys A and B Basketball and Girls Basketball teams with their efforts in securing the title this term. Stay tuned for results in the next newsletter.

Thank you to all the students who tried out and of course those that represented our College in Premier League this term. You have once again displayed our strong culture of being a good sport while striving to achieve your best. You have played fair, been polite to the opposition, coaches, team mates and referees and should all be proud of your efforts.

Thank you.

Our school will be celebrating Library Week from the 9th to the 13th of May (Week 3 of Term 2). The library will be organising various lunchtime activities, competitions and displays. During this week, a Book Fair will also be held in the library where students will be able to purchase brand new, quality books at discounted prices, starting from as little as $5.

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty. It should be offered as a gift.”  Kate DiCamillo