All Saints Day

With the Saints we pray:

For a humble and merciful Church;

for those who are poor in body and spirit;

for those who work for peace and justice among nations;

for our community, made holy in Christ, and

for those who have died and those who mourn.

God of all time, you have given us the saints, modelled on Christ, as examples of how to live a fine Christian life. Hear our prayers and help us to bear witness to your gospel with the same courage that they have shown in their lives.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of All Saints. The Church has set aside this day to honour all those holy individuals who are not formally canonised.

“The saints were people who worshipped God. They put their trust in neither idols nor themselves, but in God alone. Saints are not like Superman or Wonder Woman but ordinary individuals who became holy by living a life modelled on Jesus and the Gospels. They show us that we do not need to go far to find the path of holiness. It runs right through the circumstances of our daily lives. We find it every time we make a decision based on the teachings of Jesus”.

(Sr. Melanie Svoboda, With Grateful Hearts, published in Prayers and Reflections by Anne Rennie)

On All Saints Day we pray for all saints and thank God for the lives they have lived and the example they provide for us. On All Souls Day and throughout November, we remember our loved ones who have died.

Young Researchers in Action

Students from the Years 8 and 10 SRC and the Social Justice Team have been involved in the Young Researchers project during this year. In this initiative, students have the opportunity to work with Dr. Monica Thielking, a researcher from Swinburne University to learn about research methodology, and to design and implement a research project.

Our students worked in two teams with the SRC researching online bullying and the Social Justice team looking into perceptions of safety in the school. Both projects have resulted in some very good recommendations that we will look at implementing in 2020.

Last week students presented their research reports to the Mayor of Brimbank, Councillor Lucinda Congreve, a number of councillors and school representatives. The presentations were outstanding and confirmed the importance of the voice and agency of young people. The City of Brimbank, particularly through the youth services team is doing some excellent work in this area.

Thank you to Emma van Wees and Hayden O’Doherty for supporting our young researchers in their school based work. Congratulations to all the students involved.

World Teachers’ Day

Last Friday was World Teachers’ Day across Australian schools. It is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge our teachers and to thank them for all that they do.

At CRC we’re fortunate to have dedicated, talented and enthusiastic teachers who work hard to ensure that students have every opportunity to achieve their full potential. Their skill, openness to further learning, ideas, generosity of spirit, care for students and commitment to the St Albans community are inspiring. On your behalf, I thank each of them for all they give to our community.

Thank you to the student leaders who organised a lovely morning tea and cards for staff as a token of their appreciation for all they do.

Image 2019

There has been much activity in the hall over the last few days as staff and students set up for Image. A sneak preview suggests it is once again going to be a wonderful celebration of students’ work in the arts and technology.  The exhibition opens from 6.30pm tonight. Please come and view the amazing work.

SHAPE Week

Last week we enjoyed Health and PE week at the College. The week focussed on getting us moving more and raised awareness of the importance of living an active and healthy life. Skipping, badminton, mindfulness colouring, box fit, 3 on 3 basketball, staff vs students volleyball and banana smoothies are just some of the activities that were part of a great week.  Thank you to Mr. Dale Marshall and the Sport, PE and Health staff for their enthusiasm, energy and hard work.

House Week

This week is House Week at the College. Our House Captains has organised a number of activities to build house spirit in the lead up to the Athletics carnival on Friday. The Amazing Race (Year 7), a Spelling Bee (Year 8), and old fashioned races like the egg and spoon, three legged races and the tunnel ball challenge (Year 9) will all be part of what is shaping up to be a fun week and an opportunity for students to collect House points.

Choral Performance Evening

Last week we enjoyed the 2019 Choral Performance evening. The choir performed a selection from their now extensive repertoire for family and friends. It was lovely to see the passion for music, particularly singing, that this group shares. Throughout the year these very talented students from Years 7 – 10 attend rehearsals at lunchtime and afterschool to develop their craft. They obviously enjoy each other’s company, the snacks and performing together. Thank you to Mr Marshall for all his work with the choir. Congratulations to Caelen, Olivia and Cindy on their fine hosting skills, to Arabella, Olivia and Lesina who performed solo numbers and to all involved. It was a great night.

Year 12 Graduation CRC Sydenham

Last Friday the Year 12 students finished classes and in the evening celebrated the conclusion of their secondary education with mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. As a school community, we can be very proud of these young people and all they have achieved throughout their time at CRC. Their first day in Year 7 seems only yesterday. Thank you to all the staff, both here and at Sydenham, who have worked with them and supported them to this point.

I ask that you keep the Year 12 students and their teachers in your thoughts and prayers as they commence their exams.

Mid Term

The Cup Weekend marks the mid-point of Term 4. Once we come back on Wednesday Years 9 and 10 students have only two weeks until their first exam and all year levels will have a range of learning and assessment tasks due.

At this time of the year it is important that students remain focused on their studies and that they do all the small things consistently well. Things like being on time, doing all your homework, putting aside extra time for revision, asking questions, catching up with teachers for extra help,  being in uniform and looking at every aspect of your work to see where you might need help and what you might need to do better.

We hope that students don’t take their foot off the pedal at this crucial stage of the year. It is really time to go just that bit harder, to put in the extra effort to ensure that they do their best.

Cup Weekend

Families are reminded that there are no classes on Monday 4 November or Tuesday 5 November as this is the Cup Weekend Break.

The break provides students with the opportunity to prepare for the final weeks of Term 4. It is a good time to catch up on work and to do some exam revision.

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:

• Brimbank Young Researchers
• 10 McAuley Community Service
• SHAPE Week
• Morning tea for Intensive English families
• Australian Catholic Youth Festival Family Information Night
• Years 9 and 10 Faith Q and A
• Image 2019
• Kids teaching Kids conference
• Year 8 Premier League
• Trinity UN Summit
• Parliament Visit (Year 10 students)

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.

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 4 2019:             

Fridays:

15 November,  29 November (Thurs),  18 December (mailed home)                          

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

SCHOOL FEES

All families should have received their school fee statements with their balance showing for the year. If you have any queries or concerns regarding School Fees, please contact Ms. Ross on 93662544.

Term 4 School fees are now due and should be paid before Friday 6^th December 2019.. 

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

RE-ENROLMENT FORMS

Re-enrolment forms were sent home last week. In order to assist us with planning for 2020, families are asked to return these by Friday 1 November, 2019.

UNIFORM

From Wednesday 6 November all students will need to be in full summer uniform. Please ensure all items are clearly named.

There are several measures that students and parents/guardians could perform that may help ensure success in study through this challenging period.

These include:

• Having a good study work space at home which is well lit with natural light and is comfortable for them. 
• If they are using technology to study ensure that any form of social media is not in the background. 
• The majority of learning happens inside the classroom; therefore, students are strongly encouraged to use this time as effectively as possible.
• Students are encouraged to have an open dialogue with their teachers about their learning and approaches to studying.
• Healthy habits that include a healthy diet, exercise and good sleep patterns are also important.
• Asking your child each night how they are going with exam preparation and opening conversations with them.
• Ask your child to share their study notes with you for each subject.

If you would like support with this, please contact your child's homeroom teacher or year level leader. 

We trust that students will be adequately prepared and wish them well with the exams.

We remind all our families that exams are a compulsory part of our school program at Year 9 and 10. If a student is sick on the day of an examination, parents are asked to please notify the school and provide a medical certificate. Once student returns, they must reschedule the exam with Mr Dale Marshall.

YEAR 9:

• Wednesday 20th November – Year 9 students start exams
• Year 9 students will have one exam per day
• During period one scheduled exams students are expected at school by 8.30 am and ready to line up in class groups and move into the hall by 8.40 am.
• When students are not completing exams, they will have their normal scheduled classes.

YEAR 10:

• Thursday 30th October – Last class for VCE students.
• Wednesday 6th November – Year 10 VCE & VET Exams at CRC Sydenham (normal class time).
• Wednesday 20th November – Normal school day for Year 10s.
• Thursday 21st November – Year 10 study day (or make up day for students with overdue work).
• Friday 22nd, Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th November students have the option of studying at home and coming in at recess (10:40 am) or coming to school to study at normal school time in their scheduled class.
• Tuesday 26th November – English Exam extended into lunch.
• Wednesday 27th November – Year 10 Picnic and last day.
• Thursday 28th November – Year 10 Graduation Mass.
• Monday 2nd December – Year 10 to 11 Orientation Week at CRC Sydenham commences.

Is your child attending Year 11 in 2021?

ENROLMENT INFORMATION EVENING – YR 11 2021

followed by

INFORMATION SESSION – VCE AND VET CLASSES 2020

MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2019 

Location:

Catholic Regional College Sydenham
Multipurpose Hall 

380 Sydenham Road
SYDENHAM 3037

A letter has been sent home this week, with further information regarding this important event. More information to follow.

READER'S CUP

Our 10 Readers’ Cup Leaders are:

Marsel Eshaq    

Gregory Estepa

Vincent Truong

Nibras Al-Rammo            

Frans Hadad      

Sadeem Alkateb              

Ghandi Matti     

Chloe Tran

Odet Hanose     

Narmin Atallah 

There are only a few weeks left in the competition, so keep reading!

SPOOKY STORIES . . .

In honour of Halloween this week why not try reading a ‘SPOOKY NOVEL’.  We have both Ghost stories and Horror stories in the Library collection so come and check one out.

Reflecting on Faith and friendship

In year 8 we are exploring the experience of establishing early Christian communities.

St Paul played a significant role in bringing Jesus message to people throughout the Roman empire.  Throughout the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is described as travelling and preaching with companions. This is significant because it tells us that he valued friendship and enjoyed the company of others. It reminds us that relationships are an important part of our faith Journey.

Year 8 Hollows created a boat much like the boat that Paul used in his many travels and wrote a reflection on the value of good friendship in their faith Journey.

The Brimbank Young Researcher’s program is run by Brimbank Youth Services and gives student leaders the opportunity to research and present a report on an issue in their community. Students attend three sessions to plan, conduct analysis and write their reports. They also attend a final day where they present their report to a member of the Brimbank Council and the Mayor Lucinda Congreve. Congratulations to the Year 8 and 10 SRC, and the Social Justice Council for doing so on Tuesday October 22. Both groups presented reports based on very topical issues. - Emma van Wees (Student Development)

The Brimbank Young Researcher’s program has overall been a very enlightening experience for myself and others in the Social Justice Council, along with the Student Representative Council. Before this, I had never conducted any type of formal research involving others, thus I had a lot of unanswered questions that were constantly pondered about. When attending my first session at Brimbank Young Researchers, I was pleasantly surprised that other secondary colleges were also participating in the program and it inspired me to put much effort in the upcoming research report. We were immediately greeted by knowledgeable staff (as well as a Professor from a University) and taught about the guidelines within a study, such as research methods, ethics that were to be considered, etc. Not only did we gain insight about the process of conducting a study, but we were guided along the way by the hospitable staff members who acknowledged our efforts and pushed us to achieve our best. In all, attending the Brimbank Young Researcher’s program is the best decision I have made, and has provided me with great skills for the future. - Hannah Nguyen (10 Mannix and Social Justice Captain)

A BELATED CONGRATULATIONS TO A GROUP OF BUDDING SCIENTISTS.

At the end of Term 2, three teams of three students participated in the RACI Titrations Stakes Competition.

The teams, “employed” by The Vinegar and Sauce Company were asked to find the concentrations of three different samples of vinegar.

Students developed their lab skills, particularly working with precision to ensure the accuracy of their results.

Congratulations to the following students:

Hannah Nguyen

Lisa Pham

Julie Nguyen

Chloe Tran

Lydia Asmerom

Delvana Dorbor

Rhanel Hao

Mary Babawi

and Vivian Dang.

Out of 306 teams, they achieved a ranking of 153, 158 and 170. This is quite an achievement, considering the majority of teams were made up of year 11 and 12 students.

WILLIAMS CUP UPDATE

We have recently added the points for the Term 2 and Term 3 Readers’ Cup to the Williams Cup tally. At the moment Corbett and Reis are only separated by two points. With House Week, one round of the Readers’ Cup, the Athletics Carnival and Ball Sports Day to go – any House can still win. Current points are as follows:

Reis:     53          Corbett:     51          Guelen:     39          O’Reilly:   39

ON YOUR MARK, GET READY!

All is set for tomorrow’s Inter house Athletics. We hope for a fine day tomorrow but should it be raining we will have a normal school day, Day 10 of the timetable.

Families are very welcome to join us for part, or all of the day. The Keilor Athletics track is located near the Keilor Basketball Stadium.

Keilor Athletics Track

Stadium Drive

Keilor Park  3042

KEY DATES FOR TERM 4 2019

Thursday 31st October:

Image 2019 Opening Night

Friday 1st November:

Inter-house Athletics Carnival

Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th November:

Cup Weekend (Students not required at school)

Wednesday 20th November – Wednesday 27th November:

Years 9 and 10 exams

Monday 25th November:

Year 11 2021 Enrolment Evening / School Tours CRC Sydenham

(current Year 9 families)

Wednesday 27th November:

Year 10 Picnic

Thursday 28th November:

Year 10 Graduation Mass

Friday 29th November:

Report Preparation Day (Students not required at school)

Monday 2nd December – Friday 6th December:

Year 11 2020 Orientation at CRC Sydenham

Thursday 5th December:

Years 7 & 8 Ball Sports Day / Final Trinity Day for Year 9.

Family Partnership meeting CRC Sydenham

(Year 11 2020 families)

Friday 6th December:

Final Day for students in Years 7 - 9         

Wednesday 18th December:

School office closes

Dear parents

Please  be advised that we have had some reports

from local residents

that members of our school community

have been parking

in residential driveways

during school drop-off and pickup times.

To ensure safety of all concerned

and as a courtesy to our neighbours,

please endeavour to park

or to pick up and drop off students

only where permitted

and abide by local traffic laws.