In this place, in our school community, may we…

Find a sense of Church, community and communion. 

Hear a call to loving kindness, compassion and unity. 

Know a time for believing, supporting and upholding. 

Recognise an experience of openness,

integrity and truthfulness. 

Be people who encourage, include and forgive. 

Experience a house for prayer, people and God, and

May we create a haven for the weak,

the peacemakers and the Spirit.

Amen

(Adapted from a prayer by Donal Harrington and Julie Kavanagh)

Welcome

Welcome back for Semester 2. I trust that everyone enjoyed the break, is well rested and ready for what will be an interesting and productive term.

With Year 10 students on work experience and visits from the Year 5 students in our partner primary schools for a ‘taste’ of secondary, it has been a busy but very positive start to the semester.  A new semester means new electives and rotation units. Students and staff are settling well into these new subjects.

This week we are hosting 26 students and 3 staff from Nanhu Experimental International Middle School, our sister school in China, and preparations for the school musical, Step Back in Time, are in full swing. I thank staff and students for all the work they’ve put into organising and running these activities.

Our opening prayer once again reflects our theme for 2019, May we build a House where love can dwell and captures well our hopes for Semester 2.

Reports

Last week families received information regarding Semester 1 reports. Below is a summary of key points:

• Families can access the report online through the Parent Access Module (PAM). Passwords were included in the letter sent home.

• Students read and reflected on their reports during Extended Pastoral Care last week. Each has formulated goals for Semester 2. They will share these with their families at Student Parent Teacher interviews next week.

• Printed copies of the reports will be distributed at Student Parent Teacher interviews.

• Once they have read the report, families are asked to complete the ‘Response to Semester 1 Report’ and to return this to the College.

• Student / Teacher / Parent interviews will take place next week on Thursday 1 August. Interviews can be booked through PAM.

• It is important that students attend with their families, see their pastoral care teacher first and then other teachers as required.

Updating Family Phone and Email Contacts

At times families change their phone or email contacts and forget to let the school know. In case of emergency, it is very important that these details are always up to date. We will be asking families to check the phone and email contacts we have at Parent Teacher Student interviews next week.

Early Dismissal

Families are reminded that students will be dismissed at 12.40pm on Thursday 1 August as Student / Parent / Teacher interviews will be held from 1.30 – 5.00pm and 6.00 – 8.00pm on these days.

After School Study Support

Families are reminded that the College library is open until 4.30pm on Monday -> Thursday and 4.00pm on Fridays. Staff are available to assist students with homework.  Students who attend find the support invaluable. 

Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition

Congratulations to Olivia Barisic (9 Deakin) and Jude Sef (9 Lyons) who have both made the final of the Dante Alighieri Poetry competition. This is a great achievement. Thank you also to all the students who represented the school.

Year 10 Work Experience

Our Year 10 students are currently on work experience. Feedback from teachers who are visiting indicates that they are going really well, and are learning lots about themselves and the world of work. We look forward to the stories on their return.

Many thanks to Jill Gerada for liaising with students and organising placements, and to Mr Chris Orsini, our Careers Teacher, Mr Eder Ramos, our Year 10 Level Leader, and the Year 10 Chrysalis and Pastoral Care teachers for preparing and supporting students.

Important Dates for Year 10 Families

In the next three weeks, Year 10 students will be selecting their courses for Year 11, bringing to a conclusion much of the planning and preparation that they have already done in the Chrysalis program and in their preparation for Work Experience.

Year 10 families need to be aware of some key dates related to course planning for Years 11 and 12. Each activity is designed to support students in planning for the next two years and in their transition to CRC Sydenham.

We encourage all families to ensure that they attend the following activities which support the course planning process:

Wednesday 31 July:

Future Students Day

Sydenham Open Evening and Careers Expo

Tuesday 13 August:

Course Planning Day at CRC St Albans

Year 10 families have also received information from CRC Sydenham regarding the Future Students evening (Sydenham Open Evening and Careers Expo).

PLEASE NOTE:

* You need to book for sessions

* All families need to attend

* The official information pack containing course selection forms will be distributed at the sessions.

It is very important that Year 10 students and their families attend all activities. Please note these in your diary.

Staff Planning Day

Wednesday 14 August 2019 - Berry Street Education Model

Wednesday 14 August will be a student free day as staff will once again work with facilitators from Berry Street to learn about the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM). This will be the third of a four day program offered over 2018 and 2019. BSEM focuses on positive education and wellbeing practices that support students’ academic and personal growth.

Initiatives such as the Positive School Wide Behaviours, the Gratitude, Mindfulness and Empathy (GEM) program, the CRC lesson structure, a school-wide focus on resilience, and the introduction of the Resilient Youth surveys are all stem from our work with Berry Street in 2018. We look forward to learning more on the next two days.

Punctuality

Families may have noticed a change in our practices regarding punctuality to school. This has been developed by our Pastoral Team. Parents now receive a sms or phone call if their child arrives at school after 8.45am (9.10am on Wednesday).

The importance of attendance and punctuality on academic success cannot be underestimated. The article in Families Matter sectin provides some suggestions about how families might support students in developing good habits in this area.

Newsletter

The newsletter is published fortnightly and distributed on Day 10. Students will have a chance to read it before taking it home to families that evening.

Newsletter Days for Term 3 2019:             

Fridays:

9 August

23 August

6 September

20 September

The newsletter can also be accessed via the school app or on the College website at http://www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.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:

• Rehearsals for the school production
• Dante Alighieri Poetry recital
• Year 8 Discovery Rotations
• Year 10 Uni / TAFE visits
• Shared Stories: author visit
• Trinity Reach Day
• SACCSS Chess Tournament
• Year 9 Premier League
• Year 10 Careers Expo visit

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.

Term 3 2019

Wednesday 31 July:

Sydenham Future Students Day (Year 10 students and families)

Thursday 1 August:

Student / Parent / Teacher interviews

students finish at 12.40pm

Tuesday 13 August:

Year 11 Course Planning Day (Year 10 students) 

Year 10 Social

Wed 14 August:

Staff Professional Learning Day

(students not required at school)

Thursday 15 August:

School Production: Step Back in Time

Friday 16 August:

School Production: Step Back in Time

Monday 2 September:

SACCSS Interschool Athletics

Tuesday 3 September:

Immersion Day

18 September – 20 September:

Year 9 Camp

Friday 20 September:

Final day Term 3

DO YOU NEED EXTRA HELP LEARNING MATHS?

OR ARE YOU A GENIUS WHO NEEDS A CHALLENGE?

Are you in Year 7, 8, 9 or 10 at CRC St Albans?

- EVERYONE WELCOME -

Come and join us and find out how MATHS CAN BE FUN!

WEDNESDAYS IN ROOM 3

3.10pm - 4.00pm

Our Story Matters

To commemorate Refugee Week, the Social Justice team ran a lunchtime session with an invitation to students to share stories of displacement.

The following is an excerpt from our Social Justice Captains.

Welcome everybody who has decided to come to this special event today. Last week on the 20th of June was the beginning of Refugee Week. This program which is taking place at lunchtime today, was organised in the hope of spreading awareness of the hardship and the strength required when immigrating or being a refugee. In this presentation today, we have several family stories to listen to. The Dar family share their journey from Sudan, then we will hear from the Abba and the Attallah family's journeys from Iraq and finally, we have the Nguyen story and the family's journey from Vietnam to Australia to seek a better life. Through sharing our different yet somewhat similar stories, we as a community can develop a culture of welcome. - Samantha Smith

We would like to thank Mary Dar, Yousif Abba, Azeez Attallah and Ms Nguyen for sharing your incredible stories. Refugee week is about holding events which enable us to commemorate our stories and encourage a better understanding between communities. Today, as the community of CRC St Albans, we have had the privilege to hear about the journey of others migrating and the challenges they faced in order to reach a better life in Australia. Together, we have built a house where love can dwell within our school community. Thank you. - Hannah Nguyen

Being People of Peace

Year 7 Peace Assembly and Monument

On Year 7 Reflection Day the year 7 students discussed what it means to be people of peace. The students created symbols of what peace means to us. These symbols have been put together in a display in the Year 7 area. The display will be a continual reminder of the students' creativity and what it takes to be a peacemaker. The following was taken from the Year 7 Community Prayer morning, where students gathered around the tree where their artwork was displayed to pray for peace.

As this second semester commences we will walk past this tree everyday, with our peace badge on our blazer. The challenge will be promote peace, to treat people respectfully, to not speak harshly, and to be positive towards each other. We are then taking these symbols and making peace real in our daily lives. - Tommy Pham

STUDENT FUTURES EVENING

Wednesday 31 July – 5.00pm – 8.30pm

Catholic Regional College Sydenham

PLEASE REGISTER AT THE COLLEGE MULTIPURPOSE HALL ON ARRIVAL.

Learning Area / Subject Displays in the College Multipurpose Hall: 
Families are invited to visit the College from 5.00pm to review each of the subject areas and meet with teaching staff with a view to developing an understanding of the work requirements for each subject and to receive valuable advice about course selection and future pathways. We recommend that families should allow at least one full hour in order to visit subject areas. Current students and teachers of each subject will be available to provide insights into subject and course selection.

Compulsory Formal Parent Information Presentations will be held in Study Hall at the following times 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.15pm – Bookings are essential and must be booked via the following link https://www.trybooking.com/BDWIQ

It is essential that at least one parent attend the information session as we will cover specific course selection information and other information about the College.

An official information pack containing course selection forms will be distributed after this session. These forms must be used by students when attending course planning days at their current campus shortly after this night.

VCAL Program Information Session will be held in St Josephs Centre at the following times 6.00pm and 7.15pm:   Bookings are essential and must be booked via the following link https://www.trybooking.com/BDWIQ

This session is for the families of students currently in Year 10 who are considering entering the VCAL Program or studying a VET subject in 2020. The session will provide information about how VET and VCAL programs are offered and the requirements of these programs for students of the College.

READER'S CUP TERM TWO LEADERS . . .

Marsel Eshaq, Francees Alhadaya, Phillip Nguyen, Tommy Pham and Sasha Bangit

The winners of term two Reader’s Cup enjoy their complimentary Pizza Lunch. 

All reading scores have been set to zero, so everyone has an equal chance of winning a place in this term’s competition.  The current leaders of this terms Challenge are:

Gregory Estepa, Marsel Eshaq, Narmin Atallah, Ghandi Matti, Malak Ayshoa, Madyan Tamoz, Frans Hadad, Athraa Matti, Mary Ann Shemiss and Nibras Al-Rammo. 

What's On When . . .

... New Books ...

Rising Water: The Story of the Thai Cave Rescue

by  Marc Aronson

The incredible true story of twelve boys trapped with their coach in a flooded cave in Thailand and their inspiring rescue.

On June 23, 2018, twelve members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach were exploring the Tham Luang cave complex in northern Thailand when disaster struck. A rainy season downpour flooded the tunnels, trapping them in the dark cave. Eight days of searching yielded no signs of life, but on July 2 they were discovered by two British divers. The boys and their coach were eventually rescued in an international operation that took three days. What could have been a terrible tragedy became an amazing story of survival.

Award-winning author Marc Aronson brings us the backstory behind how this astounding rescue took place, highlighting the creative thinking and technology that made this successful mission possible. Examining the physical, environmental, and psychological factors surrounding the rescue, from the brave Thai Navy SEAL who lost his life, to the British divers who swam the boys to safety and the bravery of the boys and their coach. This is a breathtaking rescue that captivated the entire world.

Nice Girls Don't Play Footy

by  Kathy Helidoniotis 

More than anything Devi Sharma wants to win the upcoming BollyOz competition for her mum. Then she’ll be on her way to becoming Bollywood's first ever Australian half-Indian, sort of Kiwi, quarter Scottish, Vaisnavi vegan superstar! Then Devi starts AFL lessons at school and she's surprised to find she has talent...and a feeling she hasn't had in a long time. Can Devi convince her family to let her play AFL when nice girls don't play this football and her mum thinks it will risk her winning BollyOz? With the help of her best friend in the whole entire universe, Josie, Devi needs to come up with a plan.