Canticle of the Creatures

All praise be yours, My Lord
through all that you have made.

And first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day...
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright and precious and fair.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air...

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night...

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us...and produces various fruits
With coloured flowers and herbs...

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.

- Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

Recently we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of Laudato Si Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, and this Thursday is World Environment Day. It is timely to remember that our planet is a one-off, a unique, beautiful and wondrous creation that is life giving, offering us refuge, abundance and constancy. As we celebrate World Environment Day, let us thank God for our Earth’s beauties and mysteries. Let us play our small part in caring for our common home and in ensuring that we have a positive impact on the natural world around us.

Feast Day

On Friday, we enjoyed a terrific Feast Day. The day began with mass, followed by pastoral care activities that were lots of fun and then the much-anticipated Feast Day carnival. Everyone was in fine spirits and it was a perfect day in all ways.

Thank you to Fr. Linh from Sacred Heart who led the celebration of mass and to the students and staff who prepared our liturgy: the choir, the liturgy team, readers and those who led the gathering rite and prayers.

Thank you also to the staff and students who organized the pastoral care activities, helped with setting up the carnival and assisted in cleaning up at the end of the day.

The Feast Day carnival was once again a winner with lots of activities and fun for both students and staff. Thank you to Liza Franso, Thi Nguyen and Thy Tran (Parents) who helped with the food stalls, and Mr. Dale Marshall, Mr Chris Dib, Ms Odelia D’Souza and the Student Leaders on an outstanding job in organizing the carnival.

Welcome

We welcome Ms Tien Pham to our staff. Tien will support Vietnamese speaking families as our Multicultural Aide (Vietnamese) until the end of 2025. Tien is available to families on Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays from 8.30am – 4.30pm. Tien replaces Ms Thi Nhgung Tran who is taking parental leave for the remainder of the year.

Traffic Safety on Theodore Street

We remind students and families that:

• Stopping on the road and asking students to run across the road is unsafe and illegal.
• It is also illegal to double park on Theodore Street.
• The speed limit around the College and Sacred Heart is 40 kmh.
• Students must 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.

I trust that families and students will discuss these suggestions and, where needed, adjust practices to ensure everyone remains safe.

Newsletter Days for Term 2 2025:        

Fridays:  11 June, 25 June                             

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

Exploring Faith and Culture: Year 10 RE Excursion

As part of their Religious Education studies, our Year 10 students recently embarked on an enriching excursion to both the Jewish Museum and the Islamic Museum. This experience aimed to deepen their understanding of cultural history and the shared religious heritage of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

At the Jewish Museum, students explored the deep traditions of Judaism and learned about the historical experiences of Jewish communities. The exhibits emphasized the importance of memory, identity and resilience, offering powerful insights into Jewish faith and culture.

At the Islamic Museum, students discovered the artistic, scientific and cultural achievements of Islamic civilizations. They gained a broader understanding of the Muslim faith and its diverse expressions throughout history.

Throughout the excursion, students were encouraged to engage in respectful dialogue, fostering cultural awareness and empathy. Most importantly, the experience highlighted the common threads that unite the three Abrahamic faiths—including a shared belief in one God, the value of compassion, and the pursuit of justice and peace.

This excursion was a valuable opportunity for students to reflect on the ways in which Judaism, Christianity and Islam are connected and to appreciate both the unique and shared stories within each tradition.

Living Laudato Si':

Stewardship in Action at Our School

As we mark Laudato Si’ Week and World Environment Day, our school continues to embrace the call to care for our common home through a range of sustainability initiatives inspired by Catholic Social Teaching. A key focus for our Year 8 Religious Education classes has been the principle of Stewardship—recognising that the earth and its resources are gifts from God, entrusted to us to care for, not exploit.

In their recent assignments, Year 8 students reflected on the importance of acting to protect creation, with one student writing, “Stewardship means looking after the planet that God created. It means to act.” These reflections are becoming a reality through practical initiatives such as recycling programs and sustainable gardening.

Our Gardening Group, part of the Catholic Earthcare initiative, continues to promote hands-on environmental learning. Across the school, students are engaging in sustainable practices—recycling plastic bottles, reducing waste, and contributing to the wellbeing of creation.

An exciting development is the upcoming collection of recycled plastic bottles, which will be returned for a refund. The funds raised will be donated to Loaves and Fishes, supporting those in need. This initiative, recently approved by our operations team, will feature in our next newsletter.

These efforts are more than just school projects—they’re part of a broader movement of ecological conversion, echoing Pope Francis’s call in Laudato Si’ to care for our world with love and responsibility. Through learning and action, our students are growing as faithful stewards of creation, helping to build a more just and sustainable world.

On Wednesday 28th May, Mr Zarosinski and the students in his Year 10 Italian class had the chance to visit the Museo Italiano operated by Co.As.It to learn about the Italian migration story.  Students learnt about the regions of Italy which had the most number of emigrants, the places they settled in Australia, such as Carlton, as well as the difficulties and challenges they faced in a new country.

Highlights of the Museo  included viewing the many good luck charms (or portafortuna) that the families brought along with them, the various kitchen appliances (such as the stovetop coffee machine and biscuit presses) to make themselves at home in their new countries. It was also great to see one of the first barista coffee machines used in Australia, which without Italians there would not have been an interest in coffee for 20th century Australians! And who could forget the impact on the Australian sports and arts scene?!

This experience helped put into perspective the content learnt in class about the difficulties experienced by Italian migrants during the 20th century, as well as the way Australian culture has been enriched by the contributions of the many Italian families who relocated to Australia after the World Wars and political uncertainty that followed.

To top off the excursion, Mr Zarosinski took the students to Brunetti’s - an iconic Italian cafe and cake store - to experience the Italian culture first hand that they just learnt about.

Artists: Kassidy, Theresa, Jade, Sian, Ngun, Mary,

Elin, Meena, Justin, Mark, Marvin and Selivya

Year 10 Sculpture students have been busy building their ceramic vessels by hand, using the coil technique. They drew inspiration from existing forms and developed their own ideas about what a vessel can potentially look like. Lastly, they used glaze to paint the fired pieces, which helped to emphasise the texture and form of their piece. Beautiful artworks from our talented students.  

Ms Cioccia and Ms Nagi-Hanley, Visual Arts 

World Environment Day June 5th is a reminder that even small actions can have a big impact on our planet. At CRC St Albans, we encourage everyone to act locally by making simple choices that help care for creation—just like Pope Francis urges us to in Laudato Si’. This important letter calls on all people to care for our common home, and reminds us that the Earth is a gift we share with future generations.

One easy way to help is by placing your empty water bottles and cans in the collection container near the canteen. These are cashed in, and all proceeds go to our local Food Bank, supporting people in need—another way we show community and compassion in action.

Let’s also be mindful of how we care for our school grounds. Take responsibility for cleaning up after yourself and use the appropriate bins for rubbish and recycling. Respecting our environment here at school is a sign of gratitude and awareness of the bigger picture.

Today, take a moment to appreciate the world around you—both near and far—and remember that caring for creation begins with us.