God’s power to guide me, God’s might to uphold me,

God’s wisdom to teach me, God’s eyes to watch over me,

God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to give me speech,

God’s hand to guide me, God’s way to lie before me….

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

(Traditional)

Catholic Education Week

Next week marks Catholic Education Week which is usually held in the week of St Patrick’s Day (Monday); the feast day of the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The week provides a chance to reflect on and to celebrate the fine work being done across our schools. Our fortnightly newsletter gives families a window into the many great things happening in our own school. None of this can be achieved without the great commitment of staff, the support of families and the enthusiasm, interest and involvement of our students. We are blessed in all areas. Thank you.

Inter-house Athletics Carnival

Students and staff enjoyed a terrific day at the Interhouse Athletics last Friday. There were many outstanding individual performances, some great team efforts and really good House spirit and participation. Congratulations and thank you to everyone on making it a great day, particularly Reis House on taking out the overall trophy. It has been quite some time since they last won.

Thank you to Mr Boudaher, Mr Fernando, the House Captains and all who assisted them in organising a fine carnival and a very enjoyable day.

Free Student Broadband Offer

A number of families benefited from this initiative in 2024. The Australian Government has announced additional funding to extend the offer to 30 June 2028.

The extension will allow the free service to continue for new and existing families, with up to 30,000 places available in the program.

No action is required by families who have already connected to the program. Their free SSBI with their internet provider is expected to be extended automatically.

To apply, families not on the program but who are eligible, are encouraged to contact the National Referral Centre run by Anglicare Victoria on 1800 954 610 (10am – 6pm, Monday to Friday) or visit www.anglicare.org.au/student-internet.

Best wishes

On Tuesday 25 March the College swim team will head off to the SACCSS Swimming Carnival at MSAC. We wish all competitors well and hope that each of them is able to achieve a personal best on the day.

Family Nights

On Thursday night, we held the Year 10 Family Night, our final Family Night. Thank you to all families who have joined us for one or more of these nights during Term 1. Your interest, support and readiness to be involved is very much appreciated. 

Thank you to all the students who hosted the nights, welcomed guests, led prayers and presented to families.

These nights are the result of much hard work. On behalf of families, I’d like to thank the Year Level Leaders and year level staff for their preparation and for their presence on the night.

School Advisory Council

There are currently two vacant positions on the School Advisory Council (SAC). We encourage parents / guardians to express interest in filling these roles. The members of the SAC provide input to the Principal on matters such as the following:

• strategic direction of the school
• Religious Education program
• curriculum
• enrolments and enrolment policy
• school resources
• improvements in the school
• Annual Report to the School Community
• family partnerships

If you would like more information about MACS School Advisory Councils, please refer to https://www.macs.vic.edu.au/Our-Schools/School-Advisory-Councils.aspx.

Click link for the Terms of Reference for the Catholic Regional College St Albans School Advisory Council.

Traffic Management

As is the case around many schools, traffic around our school can be hectic at ‘drop off’ and ‘pick up’ times. We remind students and families that:

• The speed limit around the College and Sacred Heart is 40 kmh.
• Students should use the crossings on Arthur and Theodore Streets.
• Those walking to and from St Albans station can use the safe crossing on the roundabout at the corner of Victoria and Arthur streets.
• Arthur Street provides less congestion and some good pickup points, as do Winfred and Alexina Streets.
• As Theodore Street is the most congested, we suggest that families do not pick up or drop off in this street.
• It is illegal to double park on Theodore Street.

I trust that families and students will discuss these suggestions and, if there is a need, adjust their practices to ensure everyone remains safe.

In Science this term, we learnt about Cells and microscopes. The Year 8 students were asked to make a 3D model of a cell of their choice to show their understanding for the science unit. It was a more fun and enjoyable way of doing an assignment rather than doing a written test.

For my science cell project I have baked, designed and created a delicious plant cell cake. The process took a very long time but it was very fun. My class really enjoyed the cake and it was finished in minutes.

- Lily Jade Ducusin

I loved making and designing my cell project. I let my creativity and love for arts turn into a physical model of a cell. It took a long time but I was lucky enough to have all the necessary materials for the project. 

- Alexa Celestial

Initially, I thought the project would be easy, but as I worked on it, I realised it was challenging, tiring, and stressful, taking a long time to complete. However, on the flip side, it was enjoyable and a valuable learning experience. We were given the option to create a model of either an animal cell or a plant cell, but I decided to focus on a neuron (nerve cell), which is a specialized cell. I chose to do a neuron after participating in a "speed dating" activity, where we pretended to be specialized cells and interacted with others (people). I really enjoyed working on the project, although it required a lot of time and dedication. We were allowed to use any materials we wanted, encouraging us to be creative. Fortunately, my parents supported me by providing materials and ideas for my model. After a week of hard work, my efforts paid off as I received a high score.

- Shyam Ravva

Thursday 1st May and Friday 2nd May

Interim Reports will be accessible through the Parent Access Module (PAM) on Tuesday 22nd April.

Student/Parent/Teacher interviews will take place in the hall on Thursday 1^st May from 3:30 – 8:00pm and on Friday 2^nd May from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm. 

Interim reports will indicate whether an interview with subject teachers is requested. The college will endeavour to accommodate interviews that are requested.

Families are asked to book sessions with their children’s subject teachers through the Parent Access Module by Monday 28^th April. The booking system is available through the college website or the SIMON Everywhere App. 

Early Dismissal

Students will be dismissed at 3pm on Thursday 1^st May and there will be no classes on Friday 2^nd May as all teachers will be involved in the interviews.

We look forward to meeting with families and students to discuss their academic progress, achievement and goals.

On the evening of March 13th the Year 10 Family night was held. The night was a great success. It started with an informal BBQ coupled with delicious gourmet sandwiches and yummy desserts.  It gave parents and staff time for informal chats in a friendly meet and greet setting surrounded by our lovely garden area.

After the dinner we headed into the hall for the Year Level leader presentation to focus on our school values, expectations and pastoral care.

After the presentation we headed to the Year 10 Area where each family had a chance to meet and chat with their relevant Pastoral Care teacher. 

We also had a Careers Information area focussing on Pathways and future career opportunities. We also had external participants from various Universities or Local Government in an Expo style format available for families to discuss future possibilities.

The night was a great example of community shared by teachers, parents, students and external guests.

We concluded the night with a raffle giving away 2 door prizes.

Introducing the Student-Led Child Safety Committee 

A dedicated team of nine students has stepped up to serve our school community, promoting a culture of safety, inclusion, and respect. At our second meeting on March 6, we discussed how to raise concerns effectively and explored the connection between child safety and the STAR Award—recognition for students who consistently uphold our school values.

Congratulations to the following students for taking on this important role:

Angelina Truong (10 Chisholm)
Stella Mom (10 Chisholm)
Teresa Marsom (10 MacKillop)
Mikayla Lamb (9 Deakin)
Kirthik Ramachandran (9 Lyons)
Anastasia Lee (8 Curie)
Natalia Motloob (8 Orifici)
Olga Gagi (7 Yarra)
Alexander Seferler (7 Yarra)

Our next meeting will be in Week 7, where we’ll continue working to ensure every student at Catholic Regional College St Albans feels safe, supported, and valued.

At CRC St Albans, we believe every student has the right to feel safe and included. We are committed to fostering a community where respect, kindness, and responsibility are at the heart of everything we do. Bullying and indifference have no place here—we stand together to create a positive and welcoming school environment for all.

Harmony Week Events

17 - 21 March

Harmony_Week_Schedule_2025.pdf.pdf

Athletics Carnival Gallery