Welcome

Welcome to the 2024 school year. I trust that you’ve had an enjoyable break and are looking forward to all that this year will bring.

We have enjoyed a really good start to the school year. There was lots of noise and excitement on the first morning as students re-connected with friends after the break. It is great to see everyone so positive and ready to do their best.

I would like to congratulate students on how well they have settled into the routines and rhythm of the year and to thank families and staff for all the support you have provided to ensure a smooth transition into the year.

Our theme for 2024 is Walk with Me. It is a reminder that we are never alone, that God walks with us always, whether we notice him or not, and that we are called to walk with each other. Support (green) and understanding (yellow), two of our College values, are very much at the heart of walking with others, and have been very much to the fore in these first few weeks.

New families

On behalf of the school community, I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to the students and families who’ve joined us this year, particularly our 155 Year 7 students.

The start of secondary school is an important milestone; something that students look forward to with great anticipation and excitement. I hope that your start has been a smooth one, that you are beginning to feel ‘at home’ and that your time with us is all that you hoped for, and more.

As well as the new students at Year 7 we also have students joining us at Years 8, 9 and 10. These students and their families come from diverse places: interstate, other areas of Melbourne and local schools. You are indeed very welcome. 

New Staff

I am delighted to welcome Mr Peter Nguyen (Maths), Ms Petrina Cullen (English), Mr Robert Grande (Health and P.E, English and Religious Education) Ms Supriya Prasad (EAL and English), Ms Thi Dinh (Maths and Health), Ms Sharmilee Lele (Food Technology) and Ms Alyssa Palanca (Science and Maths) who join our teaching staff. With an additional stream at Year 7 we have a slightly higher number of new staff than is the norm.

As well as this, we welcome Mr Ben Carville, Mr Thomas Evangelou and Ms Sacreana Ulugia Sa’ena as Learning Support staff.

Each brings a wealth of experience, many gifts, fresh ideas and a strong commitment to our students. I wish them every blessing for their time with us.

Ash Wednesday: Wednesday 14 February 2024

With an early Easter this year, we have barely started school and are already preparing for the season of Lent. Wednesday marks the start of Lent.

It is sometimes thought that the name of Lent comes from the Latin expression for slowing down, ‘festina lente’, meaning to ‘hasten slowly’. Actually, hastening slowly is not a bad way to describe what Christians try to do during Lent. The season of Lent is a time where we try to live more simply; focusing less on ourselves and more on others, sharing what we have and making more time for God in our lives.

Some people ‘give something up’ for Lent. They give up sweets, online games, dessert or sugar in their tea or coffee. Another way of looking at Lent is to think about what we might ‘take up’. What extra things can we do to become kinder; more giving and welcoming; more supportive and understanding or more compassionate and merciful. What can we do to love others as Jesus loves us?

Design and Technology Centre

We have now moved into the Design and Technology Centre and students are enjoying classes in this wonderful new teaching space. Families will have a chance to visit the centre at the Family nights in Term 1.

Our attention now turns to landscaping to complete this project. With the demolition of the old Wood Technology room and canteen, we will have much needed additional yard space. The landscape designer is currently working with the ideas put forward by students and staff at the end of last year to develop first stage concept drawings.

MacKillop Assembly

This morning we gathered as a school community for the MacKillop Assembly. This was an opportunity to formally mark the start of the 2024 school year and to celebrate the achievements of students who attained all round excellence in learning in 2023.

It was lovely to have families and some Year 11 students join us. Thank you to all involved in preparing and leading the assembly.

MacKillop Pins

The Mary MacKillop pin is awarded to the top 10-12 students at each year level. Results from Semester 1 and 2 are considered in selecting these students.

We would like to congratulate all students who received a MacKillop Pin. You are indeed a talented group!

Recipients of the Mary MacKillop Pin for 2023 were:

2023 Learning Bursaries

As well as the MacKillop Pin we also awarded a learning bursary for the DUX (student with the most outstanding academic results for each year level). The recipients of these awards for 2023 were:

Year 7:                Riva Pataq

Year 8:                Stella Mom  and Kassidy Lay                        

Year 9:                 Mia Ye

Year 10:              Kayla Lay

Congratulations to these students. Each had a terrific year and achieved results of which they should be very proud. We hope that each student uses the prize in some way towards their education.

Kwong Lee Dow Scholar 2023

Congratulations to Kayla Lay on being accepted into the Kwong Lee Dow Scholars program at Melbourne University. Kayla has achieved excellent results throughout the year and is a worthy recipient.

Williams Cup

Congratulations to Corbett House on winning the 2023 Williams Cup. Corbett established an early lead and, despite a late run by Guelen, held on to win.

Final Points:   Corbett (77)            Guelen (66)        Reis (60)             O’Reilly (47)

Administration of Medications 

This policy has been updated. College staff cannot administer any medication without a Medication Authority Form signed by an AHPRA registered Medical Practitioner or Pharmacist.

Revised policy and form can be found by following these links:

Year Level Leaders 2023:

Year 7:                 Mr Andrew Bain-King                    abain@crcstalbans.com.au

Year 8:                 Ms James Younan                          jyounan@crcstalbans.com.au

Year 9:                 Ms Christie Roberts                       croberts@crcstalbans.com.au

Year 10:              Mr Anthony Baressi                       abaressi@crcstalbans.com.au

Newsletter

The newsletter is published fortnightly and is available online on Day 10 (Friday Week 2).

Newsletter Days for Term 1 2024:           

Fridays: 09 February          23 February           08 March              22 March        

Supervision

Parents and students are advised that the College grounds are supervised on a daily basis from 8.20am to 3.30pm.

Outside these hours there are sometimes special activities, practices or events. For these, parents are notified through the weekly newsletter or a special letter.

Parents need to know that students who arrive prior to 8.20am who leave after 3.30pm are not supervised.

The library is open until 4.30pm on Monday – Thursday and 4.00pm on Friday. Students are able to complete homework or read quietly in this space if they need to wait for parents.

School start / finish times

Students need to be at school by 8.40am and classes finish at 3.10pm each afternoon. However, students may be detained by teachers until 3.25pm without formal notification to parents. This allows teachers to follow up work, provide additional assistance or to address minor behavior issues before they become major.

Notification of Absences

We ask that parents or guardians contact the school before 10.00am if a student is absent on any day. This can be done by phone on 9366 2544 or email Atalalina Ulugia Sa’ena at aulugia@crcstalbans.com.au. As Atalina is responsible for tracking absences we ask that parent/carer/guardian notification by email be directed only to her, not to other staff.

If the phone call or email notifying absence is received it will be taken as the official explanation of the student’s absence and no further note is required. If no contact is made with the school, a note explaining the absence will be required on the student’s return to school.

To ensure the safety of students the College has a policy of contacting parents when a student is away from school without notification. Atalina rings parents after 10.00am. It is a great help if parents/guardians ring before we make contact.

Term Dates 2024

Term 1:               Thursday 01 February – Thursday 28 March  

Term 2:               Monday 15 April – Friday 28 June

Term 3:               Monday 15 July – Friday 20 September

Term 4:               Monday 07 October – Thursday 05 December 

Please Note:    

Year 10 students finish at the College on Thursday 28 November but have an Orientation program at CRC Sydenham from Monday 04 December to the Friday 06 December.

Mid-year exams (Years 9 and 10):             17 – 21 June 2024

End of year exams (Years 9 and 10):         21 – 27 November 2024

Families planning to travel in the middle of the year or at the end of 2024 are asked to note that exams and the Orientation program at Sydenham are compulsory. Exams must be taken within the exam timetable.

Please do not book travel before:

• 21 June in the middle of the year (Years 9 and 10)
• 06 December for Year 11 2024 students (Year 10 2023)
• 28 November for Year 9 students.