Catholic Regional College St Albans eNewsletter

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted,

for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10

Sad News

Early last week we received the tragic news that Catherin D’Rozario, one of our former students (Year 10 Little, 2018), had passed away suddenly over the weekend. It is hard to believe that she is no longer with us. We remember her as a beautiful, feisty and caring young woman who was a loving daughter, a wonderful sister and a fun loving, loyal and generous friend.

All who knew Catherine feel a keen sense of loss but for her family the grief is unspeakable. I ask that you remember her parents, Stella and Matthew, her brothers, Stalis and Benedict (Year 8 Attard), and her extended family and friends in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days, weeks and months.

At times such as this, we remind ourselves that God will never forget us, that in life and death, he is always with us, holding us gently in his hands. Catherin’s life, though far too short was lived in the spirit of the Beatitudes and we trust that she is now in God’s loving care.

SACCSS Athletics

Congratulations to all the students who participated in Monday’s SACCSS Athletics Carnival. It was a mighty day with many outstanding performances, both individually and as a team. The relays were particularly exciting with St Albans taking first place in 6 of the 8 relays. This is no small feat when you are competing against schools with three times as many students! Special congratulations to the Intermediate Boys who won the aggregate.

All involved with the team were delighted with the team spirit: the support they gave each other, the sportsmanship they showed and the fact that everyone gave 100%. Thank you to the staff who have run many lunchtime and afternoon selection and training sessions, and to all the students who represented us to well on the day.

National eSmart Week

There are many days and weeks dedicated to raising awareness of a range of social and cultural issues. Whilst we cannot attend to them all – these weeks are often a good conversation starter.

This week (1 – 7 September) is National eSmart Week. Promoted by the Alana and Madeline Foundation, this is a week where communities come together to encourage everyone to be smart, safe and responsible when using digital technology. It creates the opportunity for families, classes and community groups to discuss issues of cyber safety, bullying and wellbeing online, and offline.

National eSmart Week provides an opportunity to re-visit some of the protocols and strategies we have in place, as a school, as a family and as a community to ensure everyone is safe.

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner provides education around online safety and supports families and young people with information about what to do should an issue arise. I highly recommend the website to families, particularly the iParent section.

If you have come across illegal content, wish to report Cyberbullying or just want some strategies to assist you in managing digital devices visit the website of the eSafety Commissioner at https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Following are some interesting questions that we might ask ourselves before posting online. These are as relevant for us as adults, as they are for young people.

Do I have a right to share this?
Is this the right thing to do?
Am I willing to take responsibility if this post goes viral or is shared without my permission?
Will I regret this tomorrow when I am not angry or upset?
Is the risk worth the reward of 15 minutes of fame or shame?
Am I ready for the social, emotional, verbal or legal battle that might ensue?

(Excerpt is from Social Media by Daphne Donaldson)

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:

Science Week
Year 7 2020 interviews
Year 10 RE incursion
Years 7 and 8 Maths Games Days
7 AV classification incursion
Year 7 STEM Day
SACCSS Interschool Athletics
ICAS Science competition
Year 9 City Experience
Year 10 Reflection Day
Year 8 Kryal Castle excursion
Year 10 Evolution and Genetics excursion

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.

NAPLAN results for students in Years 7 and 9 will be mailed home to families next week.

Please contact the office if you do not receive them by Thursday 19 September.

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:

Friday: 20 September

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

FEES

Term 3 fees are now due and should be paid before Friday 20^th September 2019. If you have any queries or concerns regarding School Fees, please contact Mrs. Ross on 93662544.

A reminder to those families who are using Internet Banking for payment of school fees, that it is important that you enter the I.D. number and child’s family name which is located on the bottom right hand corner of your statement as shown below...

School Fees can be paid directly into our School Bank Account: Catholic Regional College St Albans BSB: 083-347 Account No.: 6909 17667 along with your Account Code No. as Reference / Description.

During Science Week (Monday 26th August - Friday 30^th August), students from all year levels participated in various activities that were offered. Thank you to all the students who took part in various competitions that were conducted. It is my pleasure to congratulate the winners for the following competitions.

Elements reciting Competition: Olivia B (1^st Prize), Hannah N (2^nd Prize), Claretta R (3^rd Prize) pictured below.

Paper plane competition: Juswin R and Tony L

Daily Science Quiz: AMADEUS WEJAK and PETER LEAN (1^st Prize), TOMMY FLASZA, PHILLIP NGUYEN, SARAH PHAM, CLARETTA ROCK, VENUS SARIO and MADISON TALEVSKA (2^nd Prize).

Mrs Arora, Science Department

The Mark we leave on the World.

Our hands are an important part of who we are and what we do. In the year 10 Reflection Day this week students thought deeply about the work of their hands and the mark we leave on the world.

The Year 10 students reflected on how our hands hold precious memories and each person carries a unique set of fingerprints. Hands identify us as an individual and allow us to make our unique mark on the world. We use our hands to clap, to celebrate and to show our appreciation. We shake hands to welcome people into our lives. Joined hands are a sign of unity and friendship. Joined hands are also a sign of people working together.

Our palm is the most sensitive part of our hand. It is where we carefully and gently hold the things that are precious to us. In Isaiah God says, “See, I will never forget. I’ve carved your name into the palm of my hand”. With our hands we can reach out and touch the lives of others.

In their Call to Justice Unit, students have been reflecting on the issue of Climate Change and examining both the Church and a secular response to this issue. As part of this research the Year 10 students had speakers from both the Australian Conservation Foundation and Catholic Education Office discussing the varied responses to Climate change.

Responding to local environment

After researching global responses to climate change our own environmental officer Hayden consulted Year 10 Mannix on how to respond to three environmental concerns for our school.

The three major areas the students addressed were

food waste
waste contamination
strategies to reduce waste.

Year 10 Mannix came up with a range of strategies to respond to this issue, these will be submitted to the Brimbank Council Climate Emergency planning session.

Immersion Day is an important event in the school calendar. Students from all levels enjoy a range of activities which encourage new experiences in their learning.

Year 10 students spent the day at one of either Overnewton or Mt Atkinson, where they contemplated how their hands make their mark on the world and in their lives.

The Year 9 students visited Melbourne Central Business District, taking in the busy-ness of city life and enjoying a sumptuous meal together.

Year 8 students traveled to Kryal Castle where they were immersed in a medieval experience. Among the highlights of the day, were watching knights in battle, making herbal concoctions and dressing in medieval costume.

Year 7 students remained at the college, where a visiting scientist wowed them with bombs, balloons and wacky experiments. They also joined in together and competed for prizes in Mathematical problem solving games and enjoyed new team building skills in the process.

EAL students enjoyed the day at Sovereign Hill Goldfields.

A recent science incursion was enjoyed by the Year10 students who learnt about evolution. Overall the experience was enjoyable and highly informative. Below are some of the student’s thoughts from the day:

I found the marsupial most interesting because of their history and where they came from.

Today, I learnt that owls could hear our heartbeats.

Mary Babawi

I found the stick insect the most interesting because throughout evolution the stick insect can fully camouflage itself in its environment and the majority have evolved throughout time and because of us, the majority are endangered. (we are the cause of the 4th mass extinction)

Tam Le

I found the female stick insect interesting because it can go through a process called parthenogenesis where it can clone itself if there aren't any males in its environment and I found that pretty cool.

I learnt that falcons and owls are an example of convergent evolution because they are completely different species but have evolved to catch prey with their feet.

Vivian Dang

I learnt that Stick Insect females could reproduce without breeding with a male Stick Insect.

Akur Dimo

I found the Bearded Dragon the most interesting in terms of evolution. They have been bred to have as many or as little spikes on their backs as they need or as the breeder wants.

Breanna Pruszak

READER'S CUP . . .

The leaders of the Readers’ Cup are:

Gregory Estepa, Marsel Eshaq, Vincent Truong, Narmin Atallah, Ghandi Matti, Madyan Tamoz, Sadeem Alkateb, Malak Ayshoa, Sayran Zahra and Athraa Matt.

The pizza lunch for the best readers in Term 3 will be held on Wednesday 9^th October.

There is still enough time

to get on the list and win a place at the Pizza Lunch so keep reading!

* NEW BOOKS * NEW BOOKS *

Greta's Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went on Strike to Save the Planet

by Valentina Camerini and translated by Moreno Giovannoni

Greta's Story is about hope, courage and determination. You are never too young to make a difference.

It's 20 August 2018, late summer in Stockholm, and it feels incredibly hot in the city. The TV news is reporting rising temperatures, and there have been numerous fires throughout Sweden. Fifteen-year-old Greta Thunberg decides she can't wait any longer: politicians have to do something to save the environment. Instead of returning to school, Greta takes a placard and goes on strike in front of Sweden's parliament building.

Greta's protest began the Friday's for Future - or School Strike 4 Climate - movement, which millions have now joined around the world. Greta has spoken at COP24, the UN summit on climate change, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is her story, but also that of many other girls and boys around the world willing to fight against the indifference of the powerful for a better future.

The lords of Melody By Phillip Gwynne

The Lord family live in the worst house on the best street. It might have been different if Suzi Lord's rock 'n' roll parents, Strum and Miss Katy, hadn't stumbled on their way to stardom but after one hit single in Finland, it's been Lentil Slop Thing for dinner ever since.

But life is about to get a lot more interesting at 92 Melody Street. Renting out their spare room on ZedBedZ seemed like a good idea but with the ghost of a grumpy drummer, a long-lost grandfather as their first guest, angry opposition from a residents action group, AND a broken leg in the first practice match of the soccer season, Suzi ain't havin' much of a rockin' good time.

Then she dares to pick up a set of drum sticks and things really get wild.

With the driving beat of a rock anthem, the heart of a country ballad, and the vibe of the latest hip-hop hit, this hilarious mash-up proves that you just can't stop the music!

Recently the Year 10 Outdoor Education group traveled to Lake Mountain for the day. The session included Cross Country Ski lessons with the AdventurePlus staff and all had a great day in the winter sun.

SACCSS Athletics

On Monday, 76 students attend the SACCCSS Athletics Carnival at Lakeside in Albert Park. It was a very exciting day for the students who participated with enthusiasm and this resulted in our school having a very successful day at the track.

Students trained hard in the lead up to the day and were coached by Mr Donahoo, Mr Marshall, Ms Simoncini, Mr Connor, Mr Ly and Mr Taylor. Thank you to these staff for their work in getting the team ready.

Congratulations to all students on their results, particularly,

Aweng Key, who finished 2^nd in the 13 year old boys aggregate,

Calven Lipec, who finished 3^rd in the 14 year old boys aggregate and

Augustine Morris who finished 2^nd in the 16 year old boys aggregate.

Overall we also had a successful day with the results below:

Boys Champions Results

Junior - 2nd

Intermediate - 1st

Girls Champion Results

Junior - 4th

Intermediate - 3rd

Overall Champion Results