We Pray for Peace

In light of the conflict in various parts of the world, we pray for peace in our hearts, homes, communities and world. We pray for all those who have been affected by violence and hunger and dispossession. We pray for all world leaders that they know what it is to work for the best for their communities. 

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love,

you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters.

Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace;

enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister.

Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to

turn our weapons of war into implements of peace,

our trepidation into confident trust,

and our quarrelling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope,

so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation.

In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words ‘division’, ‘hatred’ and ‘war’

be banished from the heart of every man and woman.

Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands.

Renew our hearts and minds, so that the words which always brings us together will be ‘brother and sister’, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!

Amen.

(An excerpt from Pope Francis’ Prayer for Peace, published in Australian Catholics)

Today, Friday 27 June marks the Feast of the Sacred Heart. In our uncertain times, this feast day speaks of God’s great love for each of us. It reminds us that God’s love is boundless and unconditional, and that God calls each of us to be the face, hands, feet and voice of his love in our world today. Equally, in times of loneliness, worry and difficulty, we can surrender our concerns and fears into the heart of a loving God and find solace with him during this time.

Thank You

As we draw to the end of what has been a very good term, I’d like to thank everyone: students, staff and families for all your hard work and support over the last 11 weeks.  This last part of the term has been particularly busy for everyone. Just in the last two weeks we’ve had exams, final assessment tasks, reports and the Year 10 Music and Drama Night.

Next week, Year 9 students participate in mock job interviews on Tuesday and their Premier League season starts on Wednesday. On Thursday we look forward to the Immersion Day where each level heads out for different activities. This includes the Year 10 Tertiary visits, Year 9 City Experience, Year 8 Languages Day and the Year 7 Reflection Day. Without a doubt, this break is well deserved.

I wish all students, families and staff an enjoyable and relaxing break.

Year 7 Premier League

This term Year 7 students participated in the SACCSS Premier League. Congratulations to all teams on the terrific school spirit and fine sportsmanship they’ve shown. Each team can boast that they did their absolute best and that they continually improved throughout the season.

Congratulations to the Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer Teams on making the semi-finals, and the Boys Volleyball Team who played in the grand final; just losing to Marymede in a very close match.

Thank you for Mr Boudahar (Sports Leader), Mr Fernando (Sports Assistant) and all the coaches and staff for their support of the teams.

Years 9 and 10 Exams

We’d like to congratulate all students in Years 9 and 10 on their excellent approach to the recent exams. They followed instructions, were well prepared and managed themselves in a mature and responsible manner throughout the week.

Thank you to families for all your support during exam week, by being there for your son / daughter, in ensuring that they have the time and space for study but also in dealing with the changed arrangements for the school day.

With each experience of exams, you can see students developing better approaches to their studies. Hopefully, everyone is beginning to see that the best preparation for exams begins in the first lesson of the semester, not the night before the exam!

End of Term 2

Term 2 concludes for students on Thursday 03 July 2025 at the normal school finishing time. All students will be participating in an Immersion Day program on this day. Students are not required on Friday 04 July 2025 as staff will be finalising assessment and preparing Semester 1 reports.

Start of Term 3

Term 3 will commence on Monday 21 July 2025. Please note this will be Day 1 of the Semester 2 timetable.

There will be a new timetable for Semester 2. This will be available on the SIMON Learning Management System from Wednesday 16 July 2025.

Cyber Safety Evening

We encourage families, especially Year 7 families to keep Thursday 31 July, 6.30 – 8.30pm free to attend the Cyber Safety Evening for parents and guardians. The College has engaged with the Cyber Safety Project team to lead the night. Separate sessions will be offered in English, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chin and Dinka.

In the ever-changing and addictive world of technology it is a real challenge for families to keep young people safe on social media and whilst gaming online. Young people are naturally curious and can quickly end up in places and situations where they are way out of their depth in using technology. It is important for adults to understand as much as we can of their world. We are hoping to see lots of families join us for this very important evening.

Friday 01 August: Staff Formation Day

On this day, all staff from the Federation of Catholic Regional College (CRC North Keilor, Sydenham, Caroline Springs and St Albans) will gather at CRC Sydenham for a Staff Formation Day. The day will be led by Fr. Page Polk O.F.M, a Franciscan Friar who accompanied staff from the Federation on a tour of the Holy Land in 2023. Fr. Page is deeply committed to fostering understanding across faith traditions through interfaith dialogue.

This will be followed by the Federation mass in the afternoon.

Year 7 and 10 Immunizations

Next term, there is an Immunization program for Years 7 and 10 students. This will be on the following dates:

Parental / Guardian consent for the vaccinations now needs to be done electronically by following the links below.

Please note:

1. Phone number needs to be entered with no spaces.
2. The edit button needs to be clicked to get ‘YES’ consent or ‘NO’ deny.

The Year 7 link is:   https://portal.cirv.vic.gov.au//PrivacyCollection/?id=bc6d2d71-0a09-f011-bae3-000d3ae066fa&Year7

The Year 10 link is:  https://portal.cirv.vic.gov.au//PrivacyCollection/?id=e865ef96-0a09-f011-bae3-000d3ae066fa&Year10

More detailed information about the vaccinations and giving consent is attached below:

This year marks half a century since the first Vietnamese families sought refuge and a new beginning on Australian shores. Over the past 50 years, Vietnamese Australians have enriched our nation with their hard-earned skills, renowned cuisine and vibrant cultural traditions.

To honour this milestone, the CRC St Albans Animators Club has transformed one of our student’s family stories—an inspiring journey from Vietnam to Australia—into a short, animated film. Below is the transcript of that powerful narrative.

The first semester reports will be available through the Parent Access Module on Friday 25^th July.

Students will have access to their reports through the Learning Management System.  During Pastoral Care, they will be given the opportunity to reflect on their report and identify their strengths and areas for development.

At the Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences, students will share their reflection together with their learning and wellbeing goals for Semester Two.

Conferences with Pastoral Care teachers will take place on Monday 11th August from 4pm to 6pm and on Tuesday, 12th August from 9am to 4:30pm. The conferences will be led by the students and they are expected to run for approximately 20 minutes. 

• The Year 7 conferences will be conducted in the students’ homerooms.
• Year 8 & 9 conferences will take place in the College Hall.
• Year 10 conferences will take place in the Year 10 Centre.  

The Year 10 conferences will be a combination of self-reflection, goal setting and finalisation of Year 11 Courses.

Families are asked to complete the online booking through the Parent Access Module by Friday 25^th July.           

A How to Book Parent/Teacher Interviews guide can be found on our website

 https://www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.au/parents/

There are no classes at school on Tuesday 12^th August so that the Student Led Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews can take place.

Students in Year 10 Food Technology elective, adapted the canteen menu to create meals rich in macro & micro nutrients. They not only included healthier food options but also used 'in trend' cooking techniques such as airfrying. The students demonstrated fine cooking skills and in-depth understanding of safety and hygiene processes.

On Monday 16 June, 16 students across Years 9 and 10 had the opportunity to attend the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recital competition held at the University of Melbourne. Although nerves were high, the students performed wonderfully in front of the judges and really demonstrated their character strengths of bravery, perseverance and a love of learning.

The competition runs every year and is open to any student who is learning Italian at Years 9 or 10. Students select one Italian poem from a list provided by the Dante Alighieri Society. They are required to memorise the poem in its entirety and present it before a judge.  They are assessed on five key criteria: pronunciation, volume and pace, pitch and stress, memorisation and expression.

It was a great day with the students impressing both themselves and their judges. Here’s what some of our resident poets had to say about their experience:

For more information about the competition, as well as how to enter next year, speak to Mr Zarosinski or Miss Iaria. We look forward to finding out the competition results. In bocca al lupo! (that’s good luck in Italian).

Animation and music by Emma Nguyen Yr 10

On Monday 16^th June, the Year 10 Drama and Music students performed to their families and an outside assessor as part of their ‘Live Performance SAC’.

In the Arts, we value the process that each student takes to get to the final performance. We encourage safe risk taking and allow students to explore the dramatic and music elements at their own level of skill.

It was so wonderful to see the growth in every student and to view live Drama and Music in such an intimate and safe way.

A huge congratulations to the Drama and Music classes for all their effort on the night and to the families that were there to support their children.

Thanks to our guest assessor, Mr Justin Abela and to Ms Baldacchino, our Drama teacher.

I look forward to the talent we will uncover in second semester.

Mr Clarence Marshall
Arts Leader

On Thursday 12th June, our students and staff came together for our Term 2 Whole-School Assembly, held under the theme “Bagung Wilam – Our Gathering Place.” This special gathering focused on the values that unite us: being Called to Community, Inspired by Hope and Faith, and United in Action all in response to our 2025 school theme, “Who do you say I am?”

The assembly invited students to reflect on what it means to create a space where everyone belongs, how compassion (as modelled by Pope Leo XIV) can guide our daily actions, and how we each can bring hope to others in meaningful ways.

A highlight of the assembly was the unveiling of the new ‘Bagung Wilam’ mosaic, a student-led artwork representing unity, truth-telling, and shared belonging. We were also moved by student reflections, musical performances, and community prayers that drew us into a deeper understanding of our shared identity and mission.

This event was made possible by the many hands who supported its planning and delivery. Special thanks to:

• Our School Captains, Social Justice Leaders, and House Captains for their leadership and presentations
• The student artists and choir, whose talents brought beauty and meaning to the occasion
• Fr Gerard Keith for his prayerful presence and blessing
• Teaching staff, Year Level Leaders, and Pastoral Care teachers, for guiding students and preparing them so well
• And a special mention to Mr Ray Mizzi (Student Development Leader) and Oli Nedjo, Kassidy Lay, Theresa Nguyen and Nicholas Lay, our School Captains, for leading our event and ensuring a smooth and reverent gathering.

Together, we created a powerful moment of connection that reminded us all: Bagung Wilam – This is our home. Let’s build it together.

At CRC St Albans, we proudly celebrated World Refugee Day with a series of meaningful activities that acknowledged the courage and journeys of refugees who now call Australia home.

To raise awareness and encourage reflection, students participated in two symbolic lunchtime events in the Jubilee Garden.

The first was a Plastic Bottle Boat Race, where students created vessels using recycled bottles, each proudly displaying a country flag. These boats were launched at the top of our garden’s pond and floated downstream, representing the treacherous and hopeful sea journeys many refugees take to seek safety and freedom.

Alongside this was a Paper Aeroplane Throwing Contest, designed to symbolise the travel by air that some refugees undertake. Students tested their designs and flying skills, with the longest flight winning the challenge. Yara Zaki of 8 Clark was the winner of the competition.

Both activities were led by our SRC students, and the day served as a powerful reminder of the resilience of refugees and the importance of compassion, inclusion, and understanding within our school community.

Ray Mizzi

Student Development Program Leader 

What is an upstander?

If you see something that’s not OK, like bullying or other abusive behaviour online, you have a choice: support the targeted person, or do nothing and keep scrolling.

If you decide to help, you’ve chosen to be an upstander.

Situations you may see that are not OK:

1. People making hurtful comments about someone in a gaming chat.
2. Nasty rumours being spread about a person through direct messages.
3. Memes being posted to make fun of a person ‘as a joke’.
4. A fake social media account being set up in someone’s name to embarrass them or send nasty messages to their friends. 
5. Videos taken and shared of fights or other violence.

How can I be an upstander?

By doing something to help a person being bullied or abused online, you can be part of creating a positive cultural change.

A lot of people want to help if they see others being harmed online, but they don’t know how to, or they worry they’ll be attacked for speaking up. There are some ways to support the targeted person and help them feel less isolated while still keeping yourself safe. 

• Reach out to the person being bullied or abused
• Call out the bad stuff online
• Say something to the person being mean
• Call in other support

Families with children in Year 5 must enrol their child for Year 7 2027, by August 15th. Younger siblings are not automatically enrolled, they must go through the enrolment process. Please call Jackie Neves for further details: 9366 2544.

The Australian Government Department of Education (the department) would like to advise all staff,
parents, guardians and students (where applicable) that it will collect certain information about your
school, its staff and student body as part of the non-government schools census collection (the
census).

More information attached:

2025_Non_government_schools_census_privacy_collection_notice.pdf

Hi , I am Sharlene and I dance Hiphop and I have competed in many competitions in Melbourne and outside of Melbourne with my team Kstar Studios. My biggest highlight when dancing was the time I danced in Melbourne and got qualified to go dance in  Sydney then  got  qualified to dance in Arizona in America last year as well as being a backup dancer for KISS dancing in the MCG football grounds with 500 other kids. We worked from 10 in the morning until around 6 in the afternoon  when we had the chance too when we got qualified to go to America. Recently, I went to Auckland, New Zealand for a dance competition and came 4th in the top world championship competing with other countries. I am so grateful that my parents allowed me to have many opportunities. I have danced since I was 3 years old and continue to do my passion.

CommUnity+ offers free and low-cost English and Computer classes to help you strengthen your English, digital, and employability skills. Our programs support newly arrived migrants, job seekers, and anyone wishing to improve their everyday communication and connect with the local community. You can find more information about our courses in the attached flyer. Visit us at our main site at 354 Main Road West, St Albans, or at our other locations in Deer Park and Keilor Downs. To learn more, visit www.comm-unityplus.org.au or call us on 1800 266 675.

يقدم برنامج commUnity+ دورات مجانية ومنخفضة التكلفة في اللغة الإنجليزية والحاسوب لمساعدتك على تعزيز مهاراتك في اللغة الإنجليزية والمهارات الرقمية ومهارات التوظيف. تدعم برامجنا المهاجرين الجدد والباحثين عن عمل، وكل من يرغب في تحسين تواصله اليومي والتواصل مع المجتمع المحلي. يمكنك الاطلاع على المزيد من المعلومات حول دوراتنا في النشرة المرفقة. تفضل بزيارة موقعنا الرئيسي في 354 Main Road West، سانت ألبانز، أو في فروعنا الأخرى في دير بارك وكيلور داونز. لمعرفة المزيد، تفضل بزيارة www.comm-unityplus.org.au أو اتصل بنا على 1800 266 675.

CommUnity+ cung cấp các lớp học tiếng Anh và máy tính miễn phí và giá rẻ để giúp bạn củng cố các kỹ năng tiếng Anh, kỹ thuật số và khả năng tuyển dụng của mình. Các chương trình của chúng tôi hỗ trợ những người mới đến nhập cư, người tìm việc và bất kỳ ai muốn cải thiện khả năng giao tiếp hàng ngày và kết nối với cộng đồng địa phương. Bạn có thể tìm thêm thông tin về các khóa học của chúng tôi trong tờ rơi đính kèm. Ghé thăm chúng tôi tại địa điểm chính của chúng tôi tại 354 Main Road West, St Albans hoặc tại các địa điểm khác của chúng tôi tại Deer Park và Keilor Downs. Để tìm hiểu thêm, hãy truy cập www.comm-unityplus.org.au hoặc gọi cho chúng tôi theo số 1800 266 675.

CommUnity+ သည် သင့်၏ အင်္ဂလိပ်ဘာသာစကား၊ ဒစ်ဂျစ်တယ်နှင့် အလုပ်အကိုင် စွမ်းရည်များကို တိုးတက်စေဖို့ အခမဲ့နှင့် တန်ဖိုးနည်း အင်္ဂလိပ်နှင့် ကွန်ပျူတာ သင်တန်းများ ပေးဆောင်ပါသည်။ ကျွန်ုပ်တို့၏အစီအစဉ်များသည် လက်ထပ်ဝင်ရောက်လာသူများ၊ အလုပ်ရှာသူများနှင့် နေ့စဉ် ဆက်ဆံရေးကို တိုးတက်စေလိုသူများအတွက် ရည်ရွယ်ပါသည်။ ကျွန်ုပ်တို့၏သင်တန်းများအကြောင်းကို ဖလိုင်ယာတွင် အသေးစိတ် ကြည့်ရှုနိုင်ပါသည်။ ကျွန်ုပ်တို့၏ အဓိကဌာန 354 Main Road West, St Albans တွင် သို့မဟုတ် Deer Park နှင့် Keilor Downs အခြားဌာနများတွင်လည်း လာရောက်နိုင်ပါသည်။ အချက်အလက်များကို www.comm-unityplus.org.au တွင် ကြည့်ရှုနိုင်ပါသည် သို့မဟုတ် 1800 266 675 သို့ ဆက်သွယ်ပါ။.

CommUnity+ nih na Thawngkam, Computer le nunnak zohkhenhnak thil pawimawh te kha a theih chin cio bantuk in thawngkam, digital le tuah khawhnak thil pawimawh kha a cawn pe. He cawnnak pawl hi an i sim mi pawl cu kum khat ah Australia ah an um tikcu mi hna, thil tuah theihnak (job) zohkhenh mi hna le thawngkam zohkhenh bantuk in bawi theih mi hna pawl kha an i tuah cio. Course pawl chungtel le deatils kha flyer ah i hmu thei. 354 Main Road West, St Albans ah minung cu i rak tlai cio hlah. Deer Park le Keilor Downs ah a dang a um ko. Chungtel deatils chungin www.comm-unityplus.org.au ah i kal u lole 1800 266 675 ah phone i ti.

Take a night off cooking and let our students spoil you and your loved ones. 

Come to test your knowledge and have a fun night out. 

Our students will be running the evening with prizes for the winners! 

Tuesday 1st July at 6.30pm

The menu is only $30pp and there will be a selection of antipasto and nibbles to share, followed by your choice of fish and chips, or chicken parmas. 

To finish off we will have warm chocolate brownies or creme brulee!

To RSVP for the restaurant please email quatrefoils@crcs.vic.edu.au with:

Your name

The event date you are booking for

Phone number

Number of guests who are attending

Any dietary requirements

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you in the restaurant as our students build their skills and experience in the hospitality industry.

Kind Regards,

Richard McGuire   |   Quatrefoils Restaurant