Yesterday Social Justice Sunday was marked in parishes across Australia. In the lead up to this day, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference releases a statement on a key issue impacting Australian society, and encourages us to discuss and reflect on this. The 2025 – 2026 statement, entitled Signs of Hope on the Edge, focuses on the experiences of people living with homelessness and mental ill-health.

In launching the statement, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, acknowledged that across Australia, homelessness and mental health services are stretched and under resourced, making it hard to support those in need. He asks that ‘instead of walking by and not noticing’, we ‘pay attention to them and their plight, listen to their stories, and to serve them with the love we learn from Jesus’.

During Term 3, Year 10 students explore the social teaching of the Church to develop an understanding of the Catholic Principles of Social Justice. A key experience in this unit is the Year 10 Reflection Day where students engage in practical experiences to better understand the issue of homelessness and those in need.

Signs of Hope on the Edge can by accessed via this link.

High School Musical Jnr

After months of rehearsals and preparation, ‘High School Musical Jnr’ premiered to a full house and much acclaim last week. The production had everything: high energy and action, an amazing band, superb singing, great dancing, and outstanding performances by the main cast and the ensemble.

A production like this is the work of many hands. Thank you to all the wonderful students who took part, both on stage and behind the scenes. There are just not enough superlatives to express how gifted and generous you are. The many hours you spent, before school, after school, during holidays and at weekends were well worth it. You are such incredibly talented young people. We are in awe of what you’ve achieved.

Thank you to all the staff involved but particularly Mr Clarence Marshall (Producer / Music Director), Ms Emma Baldacchino (Director), Ms Jennifer Comerford (Choreographer) and Ms Pauline Corson (Costumes and Props) for all your work. There would have been countless unseen hours of planning, preparation and worry in bringing the production together. We hope that you are all well pleased with what you’ve achieved. It was terrific.

Thank you to all the families who joined us. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Faith In Action

In recognising students for service to our school community at our Term 3 assembly, Mr Tobin reflected on the words of Catherine McAuley, ‘it is for God that we serve the poor, and not for thanks’. In recent weeks, students and staff have very much been living the spirit of these words.

Year 10 classes have been fundraising for the Resurrection Vocational School in Uganda – there have been sausage sizzles, crepes, baked potatoes and much, much more. Last Monday, we had Pyjama Day for MacKillop Family Services to support young people in foster care, Year 9 students are all involved in community service as part of Trinity, and the Social Justice Team are leading a recycling project for Catholic EarthCare.

Each of these projects provides a rich learning experience. Planning, preparing and implementing these projects is a real world experience of project management, as well as developing students’ understanding of a world beyond themselves.

School Improvement Surveys

Each year the school invites feedback from students, staff and parents through the MACSSIS School Improvement surveys. These surveys are completed in Catholic primary and secondary schools across Melbourne. The data helps schools to identify what is going well, to measure the impact of new initiatives and to identify areas for further growth.

The surveys are completed online and are available in a number of languages. The MACSSIS survey open on Monday 01 September and will run to Friday 19 September 2025. Parents / Carers will receive the survey link via email during the week.

We encourage all families to contribute. For the data to be valid, we need as many families as possible to provide feedback. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Further information about the MACSSIS surveys is available by clicking these links.

Language links

MACS Vision for Engagement

In June, MACS released its Vision for Engagement. It complements the Vision for Instruction released in 2024 and currently being implemented across MACS schools. Student engagement encompasses attendance, behaviour, belonging, learning, mental health and wellbeing, and motivation. Engagement supports students to feel a sense of belonging and purpose as a learner.

A brief overview of the MACS Vision for Engagement can be found by following this link.

Newsletter Days for Term 3 2025:        

Fridays:   12 September

The newsletter can also be accessed on Friday morning (Day 10) on the College website at http://www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.au