As we begin a new year’s work,

we turn to the God of newness, the God of creation and imagination,

the God who’s Spirit renews the face of the earth.

This year…

may we listen well when others speak;

may we appreciate each other’s views and gifts;

may we be open to learning;

may we enjoy working with each other.

Lord, shine light on our path,

put hope in our hearts,

bring fruit to our work.

Amen

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.

Walk with me. Together we reveal Christ.

In the Mackillop Assembly Reflection, the student leaders unpacked our school theme Walk with me. The theme is based on Luke's Gospel and the following are some excerpts of that reflection.

The story of the walk to Emmaus begins with two disciples walking away from Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. As we so often do in times of sadness and doubt they turn to each other to make sense of their confusion and the passage. As they talk and walk they are joined by someone they do not recognise…someone who asks questions but speaks very little.  

 As they arrived at Emmaus, the stranger walked ahead.  But the disciples urged them strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So the stranger went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognised it was Jesus; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”.

Lord, you call us to walk with you

As we begin a new school year, shine the light on our path,

Put  hope in our hearts

Bring fruit to our work

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen

Preparing for Lent 

On Shrove Tuesday the Social Justice Leaders will embark on their first fundraising of the year, they will be selling pancakes at lunchtime. All the money raised will go towards Caritas’s Project Compassion.

An Ash Wednesday reflection will be led by your child's homeroom teacher, at the beginning of the day. We would like to thank Sacred Heart Parish who kindly provided Ashes for this reflection activity. Each day in the school bulletin there will be a reflection on the three aspects of Lent fasting, prayer and almsgiving. 

As a community, we recognise the significance of cultivating healthy routines and habits to support preparedness, organisation, and calmness. Through initiatives in Pastoral Care, Homeroom, and across the school, we have been collaboratively working to foster a strong sense of community and belonging, where all students and staff feel safe and ‘ready to learn’.

We understand that these healthy routines and habits extend beyond the school environment and are equally important at home. We encourage families to discover what works best for their individual circumstances to ensure their children are taking care of themselves and arriving at school prepared to learn and achieve their full potential.

To help facilitate these conversations at home, here are some conversation starters:

1. How do you feel when you have a consistent routine in the morning before school?
2. What are some strategies we can implement at home to help you feel more organised and prepared for the school day?
3. How can we create a calm and welcoming environment at home to support your learning?
4. What activities or habits help you feel refreshed and ready to learn after a long day at school?
5. How can we as a family support each other in maintaining healthy routines throughout the week?

We hope these conversation starters will spark meaningful discussions and encourage positive habits that contribute to a successful school experience for your child.

Weekly Wellbeing Pulse Checks

We hold the care, safety and wellbeing of young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school. We, as a college, are fully committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students, and we understand that every student has the right to feel safe. We strive to do this by ensuring that all staff are able to proactively ensure the safety of students at all times. Therefore, we have introduced our Weekly Wellbeing Pulse Checks for our Year 7 to 10 students, to check in with mental, social and physical wellbeing.

Weekly Wellbeing Pulse Checks (Wednesday morning in Homeroom) makes it safe and easy for students to ask for help. Teachers get a clearer understanding of how individual students are feeling so they know who needs their help most. It provides deep insight into wellbeing and sentiment data to improve the whole school experience.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Year Level Leader or Mr. Dale Marshall (Wellbeing for Learning Leader).

Extra-curricular Activities at CRC St Albans

Participating in extracurricular activities in secondary schools is important for students to grow both academically and personally. These activities offer students the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including leadership, teamwork, time management, and communication, which are essential for success in the future.

Extracurricular activities also provide students with a sense of belonging and the chance to pursue their passions and interests outside of the classroom. These experiences can lead to meaningful relationships, new perspectives, and opportunities for personal growth. Extracurricular activities are a central aspect of CRC St Albans education that provides students with a well-rounded experience, helping them to develop their full potential and achieve their goals.

Students who engage in extra-curricular activities will be recognised with a commendation and points will be allocated towards the McAuley Award.

We have a vast range of activities for students to participate in during lunch-time or after-school. If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to speak to the supervising teacher identified below or check our daily bulletin for further information.

Extra-Curricular Program 2024

ERZ (Art Club) - TBC

Backflip Against Bullying Incursion

We are excited to share with you the recent Backflip Against Bullying Incursion that took place for our Year 7 and 8 students. This special program brought to us by the Backflip Against Bullying team aims to equip our students with invaluable skills in building resilience and effectively addressing bullying.

During the incursion, our students were engaged in entertaining activities and meaningful discussions aimed at empowering them with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate challenging social situations. We believe that by participating in this program, our students will gain practical strategies to foster resilience, assertiveness, and effective communication.

As we all know, bullying can deeply impact a child's wellbeing and academic performance. Therefore, initiatives like the Backflip Against Bullying Incursion play a crucial role in creating a supportive and respectful school environment. By instilling these essential skills in our students, we are reinforcing our commitment to fostering a positive school culture.

We firmly believe that taking a proactive approach to addressing bullying is key to promoting a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students. Your support and participation continuing this conversation at home with your child is encouraged, in opening the door for healthy family conversation and promoting a community that values respect, understanding, and inclusivity.

Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is a global initiative to raise awareness of a better and safer internet for all.

The E-Safety Commissioner leads this initiative in Australia, encouraging us to take three simple actions when approaching online safety: Connect. Reflect. Protect.

• Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and reviewing your privacy settings regularly. 
• Reflect on how your actions online may affect others or your safety. 
• Protect yourself and others by visiting eSafety.gov.au to find out how to stay safe online and report online abuse.

Further information and resources for families, young people and teachers can be found at Safer Internet Day 2024 | eSafety Commissioner

Free webinars for parents/carers throughout February, March and May can be accessed through  Webinars for parents and carers | eSafety Commissioner

CRC St Albans Child Safety Committee

Our school is committed to providing our students and families a voice to ensure all members feel safe and have a sense of belonging in line with our Child Safety Policy.

We are looking for new members of our school community to join our 'Child Safety Committee' which include representatives from Years 7-10 and a parent/community member who will ensure our school is a safe and welcoming place for all our students.

• The committee will formally meet twice per term.
• Discuss policies, procedures and strategies around student safety.
• Respond positively and proactively to emerging issues.
• Coordinate whole school events around child safety.

If you are interested in developing your leadership skills and making a difference in our school community, please fill out the attached 'expression of interest form' and return it to Mr. Dale Marshall by Friday 16^th February.

Catholic_Regional_College_St_Albans_Scout_Group_Promotion_1_.pdf

Dear Year 10 2024 Families,

Applications for Year 11 2025 at Catholic Regional College Sydenham close on Wednesday, 14 February 2024. Applications submitted after this date are not guaranteed a place and the enrolment application fee increases from $250.00 to $500.00.

The application form, enrolment fee payment form and all Year 11 2025 information can be found on the Catholic Regional College Sydenham website:

If you require assistance to complete an application or have any questions regarding enrolment, please contact the College Registrar, Jennifer Rowe, by visiting the Sydenham campus, calling 03 9361 0002 or via email: enrolments@crcs.vic.edu.au.

Xin vui lòng kéo xuống để xem bản dịch tiếng Việt

Trường CRC Sydenham sắp kết thúc đơn đăng ký vào Lớp 11 2025

Đơn đăng ký cho Lớp 11 năm 2025 tại Catholic Regional College Sydenham sẽ kết thúc vào Thứ tư, 14 tháng 2 năm 2024.
Nếu bạn đã đăng ký, xin vui lòng bỏ qua email này.
Các đơn đăng ký nộp sau ngày này không được đảm bảo có chỗ và phí đăng ký sẽ tăng từ $250.00 lên $500.00.

Bạn có thể tìm thấy mẫu đơn đăng ký, mẫu đơn thanh toán phí đăng ký và tất cả thông tin về Lớp 11 năm 2025 trên trang web của Trường CRC Sydenham, hoặc nhấp vào đây.

Nếu bạn cần hỗ trợ để hoàn thành đơn đăng ký hoặc có bất kỳ câu hỏi nào liên quan đến việc đăng ký, xin vui lòng liên hệ với cô Jennifer Rowe, bằng cách đến trường Sydenham, hay gọi tới số 03 9361 0002 hoặc liên lạc qua email: enrolments@crcs.vic.edu.au.

يرجى التمرير لأسفل للحصول على الترجمة العربية

العائلات الأعزاء لصف 10 2024 ،

إغلاق باب التقديم قريبا للصف 11 لعام 2025  في الكلية الإقليمية الكاثوليكية في سيدنهام. 

يغلق باب التقديم للسنة 11 2025 في الكلية الإقليمية الكاثوليكية في سيدنهام يوم الأربعاء 14 فبراير/ شباط 2024. إذا كنت قد سجلت بالفعل ، فيرجى تجاهل هذا البريد الإلكتروني. لا يتم ضمان مكان للطلبات المقدمة بعد هذا التاريخ وتزيد رسوم طلب التسجيل من 250.00 دولارا إلى 500.00 دولارا. يمكن العثور على نموذج الطلب ونموذج دفع رسوم التسجيل وجميع معلومات السنة 11 2025 على موقع الكلية الكاثوليكية الإقليمية في سيدنهام ، انقر هنا. إذا كنت بحاجة إلى مساعدة لإكمال طلب أو لديك أي أسئلة بخصوص التسجيل ، فيرجى الاتصال ب 

مسجل الكلية ، جينيفر رو ، من خلال زيارة حرم سيدنهام الجامعي ، أو الاتصال بالرقم 0002 9361 03 أو عبر البريد الإلكتروني: enrolments@crcs.vic.edu.au.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Weekend

“Live Your Best Married Life in Love”

Every relationship is a journey and the grind of everyday life can cause you to lose touch with your spouse.

This experience gives married couples the tools to keep your passion alive in a gentle, nurturing environment, away from pressures and distractions of daily living.

The weekend is based around Catholic values and couples of all faiths are welcome.

Please check our website for more details.

12-14 April 2024 in  Melbourne

Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or

Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au    Website: wwme.org.au