Our opening reflection is from Making it Real: Genuine Human Encounter in our Digital World, the 2019 – 2020 Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) Social Justice Statement.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the World Wide Web and most of us can no longer remember or imagine a world without the internet. It has changed the way we communicate, work, learn, socialise and manage our lives, and has the potential for genuine human connection, encounter and solidarity. Yet, as we all know, the digital world can also bring social isolation, marginalisation and harm. We can easily get caught up in hoaxes, fake news, privacy breaches, data traded for profit, trolling and endless hours wasted in gaming or scrolling social media feeds.

Inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan, the statement calls us to love our neighbour, and challenges us to be active citizens who shape the digital world to be a positive place, a place where we make the love of God real in the lives of our online neighbours. The Bishops  call every user (adult and young person) to:

• make your online presence one of dignity and respect
• be present to others in the real and the virtual world, and
• take care of ourselves and others online.

The 2019 – 2020 ACBC Social Justice Statement can be accessed online at https://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/publications/social-justice-statements

“The digital world is a public square, a meeting place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in meaningful discussion or unfair attacks…Access to digital networks entails a responsibility for our neighbour whom we do not see but who is nonetheless real and has a dignity which must be respected…The encounter between communication and mercy will be fruitful to the degree that it generates a closeness which cares, comforts, heals, accompanies and celebrates”

(Pope Francis)

Welcome Back

Welcome back to term 4. I hope that everyone had a good break and returns well rested, re-charged and ready for a big final term.

The next few weeks look very busy as we prepare for Image 2019, our annual Arts and Technology exhibition and the Inter-house Athletics carnival, both in Week 4.

As we move into the fourth quarter, I encourage students to remain focussed on their studies. It is important to keep on top of things and in the words of football coaches to do the ‘one percenters’ well: use your diary, use class time well, ask questions, set up a study group with friends, complete homework, don’t leave things to the last minute, organise your locker and your study space at home, start exam revision today, meet deadlines, come to class prepared………

African Cultural Night

This week we enjoyed an African Cultural Night. It was a colourful and joyous celebration of all things African. Delicious food and the unbelievable rhythm of the dancers and drummers was captivating, and made for a night that was lots of fun.

Nights such as this are the result of vision and much work. I thank the students involved in the planning, preparing and hosting; Mr Deng Alier and Ms Laura Cioccia for all their work in bringing the nights together; the families who brought food and everyone for your willingness to be involved.

Kwong Lee Dow Scholarships

Every year secondary schools across Victoria can nominate students to be considered for the Kwong Lee Dow Scholarships offered through Melbourne University. Applications are judged on academic achievement, school involvement and leadership skills. At the College we shortlist based on Semester 1 results and then look at involvement in school life and leadership to confirm the nominations.

I’d like to congratulate Hannah Nguyen, Samantha Smith, Rhanel Hao, Vivian Dang and Julia Cabaldon on being our nominees for the scholarship in 2019. Best wishes to these students. Each would be a worthy recipient of this award. We should hear by early December if they’ve been successful.

Year 9 Camp

On behalf of the Year 9 students I’d like to thank Mr. Taylor and all the staff who planned and attended the Year 9 camp. It was a terrific experience for everyone. Families will recognise that it is a huge responsibility taking away over 120 adolescents. I thank staff for their willingness to be part of challenging activities such as this, and students who were engaged, positive, mature and responsible in their approach to the camp. I know that the benefits of learning opportunities such as this are immeasurable.

Inter house Athletics Carnival: Friday 1 November

Preparations are under way as the Houses get ready for the Athletics Carnival in two weeks time. We ask that all families return the permission slips as soon as possible.

We hope for a fine day but should it be raining we will have a normal school day, Day 10 of the timetable.

Families are very welcome to join us for part, or all of the day. The Keilor Athletics track is located near the Keilor Basketball Stadium.

Keilor Athletics Track

Stadium Drive

Keilor Park  3042

Re-enrolment forms

Re-enrolment forms were sent home last week. In order to assist us with planning for 2020, families are asked to return these by Friday 1 November, 2019.

Term 4 Uniform

From Wednesday 6 November all students will need to be in full summer uniform.

Cup Weekend

Families are reminded that there are no classes on Monday 4 November or Tuesday 5 November.  

The break provides students with the opportunity to prepare for the final weeks of Term 4. It is a good time to catch up on work and to do some exam revision.

Sun Smart

The College has recently completed a new Sun Protection policy. This is available on the website.

As we are now well into spring, forecasts of UV levels are predicted to reach 3 or higher during the period from now to the end of April. UV radiation is a major cause of skin cancer, and UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with the risk of skin cancer later in life. We encourage families to speak with their child about ensuring they are Sun Smart during this time, including:

• wearing appropriate clothing
• wearing a broad brimmed, bucket or legionnaire hat while outside
• applying SPF30 or higher broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen approximately 20 minutes prior to going outside and re-applying every two hours while outside, or immediately after physical activity and swimming
• remaining in the shade during times when you are not involved in a specific outdoor activity, or if you are unable to follow the above recommendations

We also encourage all adults, including parents/carers, to adopt a SunSmart approach for themselves, not only to protect themselves from the dangers of UV radiation, but to also act as role models for our students.

For more information on sun protection please go to the SunSmart webiste: https://www.sunsmart.com.au/

Since our last newsletter…..

Over and above the day to day activities of the school since our last newsletter students, families and staff have participated in the following:

• Year 7 Visual Arts excursions
• Year 8 Premier League
• Motor Classica excursion
• Year 10 Outdoor Education Camp

I am sure that students and their families are very appreciative of all these opportunities and the time and energy that staff put into organising and offering these experiences.