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Let us be grateful.
(St Mary of the Cross, 1875)
Since our last newsletter, we have celebrated the Feast of Mary MacKillop (St Mary of the Cross). Like us, in her life, Mary experienced great joy and faced many challenges. As we navigate the ongoing challenges of lockdown, we can learn much from Mary’s approach to dealing with hardship.
Her mantra was …..let us be grateful. This echoed Meister Eckhart, the 13th century mystic who said. ‘If the only prayer you said was thank you – that would be enough’.
Being grateful takes practice. Beginning our evening prayers/reflection by naming and giving thanks for the good things of the day is a good starting point.
‘I give praise to your Holy Name, O Beloved, with gratitude and joy’ (Psalm 54:6)
I hope that this newsletter finds you well. Monday’s news that Lockdown 6.0 and Learning from Home was to be extended until Thursday 02 September was not news that we wanted to hear. However, in an uncertain world, it does give some clarity and certainty around the next few weeks. Once again, I thank students, staff and families for all you are doing to navigate the ever-changing and uncertain learning environment. Whilst online learning is far from our preferred or ideal approach, I commend students on the resilience, persistence, independence and creativity they continue to show and develop.
Lockdown is difficult for adults, let alone young people. Families may be increasingly concerned about its impact on the learning and wellbeing of their children, and looking for help and advice on how to support them. This week the Commonwealth Department of Health launched a new website ‘Head to Health’ which has a range of resources to assist in managing our wellbeing and mental health.
Of particular interest to families might be Chatstarter which looks at ten simple strategies for families and young people to support each other at this time. The link to the website, resources and Chatstarter is below.
https://www.headtohealth.gov.au/covid-19-support/chatstarter
Families or students who have particular concerns about their wellbeing or learning are encouraged to contact the pastoral care teacher, the relevant Year Level Leader, or the school psychologist: psychologist@crcstalbans.com.au
We are able to have vulnerable students working onsite. If families believe that their son/daughter would benefit from being onsite for one or more days, they are asked to contact the Year Level Leader or Mr Quinn.
Lastly, we encourage students to participate in the different co-curricular activities that are published in the student bulletin each day. Doing things that we enjoy, that are different and that connect us with others are all helpful at this time.
Currently the SHAPE Challenge is back, CRC’s Got Talent is running, the CRC SA Gazette is looking to recruit students interested in helping to publish a school newspaper, and Science Week is coming.
Fee Relief
With the extended lockdown some parents / carers may have been stood down or had their work hours reduced. Fee relief is available for affected families. Please contact our Bursar, Anne Ross to discuss so that adjustments can be made. Her contact details are as follows:
PH: 0427 036 925 Email: aross@crcstalbans.com.au
Congratulations: Year 10 Students
On Tuesday Year 10 students finalised their courses for Year 11, supported by their pastoral care teacher, Sydenham staff and their family. Like all things this year, the process used for course planning has been redesigned so that they could be completed online. The students have really impressed us all with their preparation, maturity, openness to advice and resilience.
A very big thank you to Mr Eder Ramos (Year 10 Level Leader), Mr Chris Orsini (Careers) and the Year 10 teachers who have supported students during this time. Thank you also to CRC Sydenham staff who have prepared an engaging online school tour, a series of subject based webinars and then where needed attended the course planning meetings. Their support has been much appreciated.
Lastly, thank you to all families who have been with these young people every step of the way; ploughing through the course selection information and the countless conversations in the background to support students’ decision making.
MACSSIS Surveys (Formerly CEMSIS surveys)
These surveys were due to be completed in the last three weeks of term but MACS has decided to postpone to Term 4.
Newsletter
The newsletter is published fortnightly on Day 10 (Friday Week 2).
Newsletter Days for Term 3 2021:
Fridays: 03 September, 17 September
The newsletter can also be accessed on the College website at http://www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.au
Rescheduling of Term 3 activities
Like many organizations across Victoria, we continue to adjust the school calendar as circumstances change. Friday 20th August was to have been the opening night of the school production, The Little Shop of Horrors. This is now postponed to Week 4 of Term 4. Activities planned for the Immersion Day on Tuesday 07 September are re-scheduled for the last week of term to ensure there is every chance that they will run.
I thank students and staff who just continue to work on these events and then show great agility when they need to be changed at the last minute.
| Monday 13 September | Year 7 Lake Dewar excursion (Previously 07/09/21) |
| Wednesday 15 September: |
Year 10 Reflection Day Year 8 Humanities excursion to Kryal Castle |
| 15 – 17 September | Year 9 Camp |
| Friday 17 September | Final Day Term 3 |
In Term 3 the Year 9 students have been learning about Aboriginal spirituality, specifically they have learnt about the sacred stories of the Aboriginal people and how these are linked to the land. An important part of the Year 9 program is attending camp at the Grampians, Aboriginal people have always known this place as Gariwerd.
Gariwerd is a special place, a place central to the dreaming of Aboriginal people, particularly the Djab Wurrung and the Jardwadjali the traditional people of this area. Their descendents are still at Gariwerd involved in maintaining the culture and the stories of the land.
Gariwerd is a very spiritual place for Aboriginal people, and the land holds all of their dreaming stories. For many Indigenous people in Australia, land is much more than soil, rocks or minerals. It’s a living environment that sustains and is sustained by people and culture. Before colonisation, the reciprocal relationship between people and the land underpinned all other aspects of life for Indigenous people. Today, this relationship with the land remains fundamental to the identity and way of life of many Indigenous people.
Our Year 9 students have been comparing and contrasting the two faiths. Like Christianity is for us, spirituality for aboriginal people gives meaning to all aspects of life including relationships with one another and the environment. As we continue with the school theme for this year `Listen to the Cry of the Earth’ there is much to be learnt from the spirituality of other faiths especially the first people of this nation.
Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition 2021
SCIENCE WEEK
IT’S SCIENCE WEEK AT CRC - August 23 – 27
Have you ever wondered how our planet Earth can continue to provide enough food to feed almost 8 billion people worldwide?
This year, the school theme for National Science Week is 'Food: Different By Design'. Australia is a leader in food production, and it is science that can supercharge our food future.
CSIRO is further reinventing Australia as a leader in food innovation, including developing uniquely Australian plants that can produce omega-3 fatty acids, usually sourced from the world's wild fish stocks. It's a win for the environment, the Australian economy and for global health, with omega-3 oils a key component for childhood development. We can 3D print food, creating new techniques and textures for global consumers to enjoy. (The Honourable Karen Andrews MP Minister for Industry, Science and Technology)
What else can Science do? Keep an eye out in the student bulletin for awesome activities for you to try at home, the Daily Quiz, virtual excursions, etc.
To get the ball rolling, Education Perfect are running the EP ANZ Science Championships 2021.
All CRC students are automatically registered to participate – beginning August 16 at 4pm and ending August 23 at 4pm. The more questions you answer the more points you earn.
Prizes:
- 1st Place: $250 GiftPay Voucher
- 2nd Place: $150 GiftPay Voucher
- 3rd Place: $100 GiftPay Voucher
- 4th-10th Place: $50 GiftPay Voucher
Compete against students from all over Australia and New Zealand. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SCIENCE CHAMPION
What you need:
- vegetable oil
- food colouring
- effervescing (fizzy) aspirin or vitamin tablets
- a glass tumbler
What to do:
- Fill a glass tumbler about 1/3 full with water.
- Add a few drops of colourful food dye.
- Slowly pour vegetable oil into the glass so that it floats on the water, until the glass is almost full (tipping the glass a little helps it form a neat layer).
- Drop a tablet into the glass.
- Cue disco lights and music.
Safety note: Don’t dispose of the oil and water down the sink. Pour it into a container that can be sealed before putting it in the bin. Better yet, add it to your compost.
What’s happening?
The bubbles in the water are carbon dioxide gas, formed when sodium bicarbonate and citric acid in the tablets react in the water:
acid + carbonate –> carbon dioxide + salt + water
C6H8O7 + 3NaHCO3 –> 3CO2 + Na3C6H5O7 + 3H2O
The bubbles take globs of coloured water with them up through the oil to the top of the glass. The gas bubbles burst at the surface and the coloured water drops then fall back down through the oil. You can recharge the lava lamp with another tablet when the first one has finished reacting.
YEAR 7 VCD DESIGN CHALLENGE
SCHOOL MUSICAL UPDATE
SHAPE Word of the Week
Word: Social Connectedness
Definition: Social connectedness can be defined as the experience of belonging to a social relationship or network.
Example: Social connectedness is the relationships you have with the people around you. They may be close, like family, friends, and co-workers, or more distant, like people you know casually. They can be as close as next door or so far away that you only connect with them by telephone or through the internet.
Synonyms; Connectivity, congruence, integration, kinship, belonging
Weekly Wellbeing Worksheet 7
As we continue our learning and teaching at home, it is important that we continue to utilise and add our 'Wellbeing Tool Box' to look after our health and wellbeing.
Please see the 'Positive Education Weekly Wellbeing Worksheets' that we encourage all members of our community to use.
- Year 7 and 8 – Weekly Wellbeing Worksheet 7
- Year 9 and 10 - Weekly Wellbeing Worksheet 7
SHAPE Challenge 6.0
Our St Albans Sport, Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) Team is encouraging our students, staff and families to take part in our 'SHAPE Challenge 6.0'.
This will ensure you are looking after your health and wellbeing in a safe and engaging way whilst learning from home, while also having some fun with your family and challenge your friends.
SHAPE Challenge Directions:
- You are required to complete a minimum of 5 activities each week from the list provided in your SHAPE Challenge Grid. Note: you may do more than one activity each day, but must do a challenge for a minimum of 5 days.
- Each completed activity must be written up in your SHAPE Challenge Reflection Log below. You must log your activities into your individual log on Google Classroom that your teacher has created for you. Be sure to log your activities and write your journal entry, as your Health teacher will be able to see what you have completed via Google Classroom.
- Each student who has completed a minimum of 5 days each week, will receive a SUBWAY voucher electronically and will also earn points for their House towards the Williams Cup.
- Enjoy your Free Healthy Meal!!!
CRC St Albans SHAPE Challenge is proudly supported by Subway Delahey.
2020 (2021) Tokyo Paralympic Games
As we farewell the Olympic Games and the excitement it brought into many households across the world, we now prepare ourselves to watch and celebrate our Paralympic athletes.
These athletes representing their countries, have worked hard to get themselves ready to participate in the hope of achieving their goals, but for many they have already achieve much more. Many of the Paralympic athletes have had to overcome many obstacles their entire life and now have the opportunity to live out their dream of competing for their country.
Meet our Paralympic Athletes: https://www.paralympic.org.au/athletes/
At Paralympics Australia, our squad are champions at adapting.
Adapting to changing circumstances is in our DNA!
Join the #AUSAdapts ‘I CAN’ challenge
Whatever your goal, let’s make the time to turn that I CAN’T into an I CAN… together!
- Think about something you’re good at and enjoy.
- Think about something you haven’t mastered yet.
- Now, set yourself a goal to turn that CAN’T into a CAN e.g. skipping for 5min, perfecting a recipe, reading a book, walking for 5min each day.
- Snap a pic or video of your progress and tag @ausparalympics and use #AUSAdapts.
Enjoy and Go Aussies!!!
Strategies for Family Health and Wellbeing
In light of everything happening across our nation currently, I thought it would be beneficial to share a clip of Hugh from The Resilience Project appearing on Channel 10’s ‘The Project’ last week. Hugh discusses strategies to support our mental health during this difficult time. They are simple and practical strategies we encourage all members of our school community to share with their family.
For more information and wellbeing strategies check out TRP@Home: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/
The Resilience Project strategies and resources have been used in our Student Diaries and other resources as part of our Pastoral Care program. These resources focus on three key pillars proven to cultivate positive emotion; known to our students as GEM (‘Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness’). Our programs also have a strong focus on Connection, Purpose, Kindness, Emotional Literacy and Physical Health.
If you have any questions or require further information about items in our SHAPE Corner, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Dale Marshall (Health and Physical Education Leader) at our school office or via email at dmarshall@crcstalbans.com.au.
ONLINE PARENT CONVERSATIONS
Recently we held an online conversation with parents where we shared hopes and dreams for our children, challenges and concerns about online learning, and the desire for a return to normality.
We would like to thank Melinda, Eric, Lina, Marleen, Mary, Daruka and Abiya for their time and willingness to share, listen and support each other during the online conversation.
We will be holding more parent conversations over the next few weeks. If you are interested in being part of one, please get in contact:
Laura lcioccia@crcstalbans.com.au
Hayden hoderty@crcstalbans.com.au
ONLINE FATHERS DAY GET TOGETHER
Free Online Safety Webinars for Parents
Join one of our free webinars for parents and carers.
These live webinars explore the latest research and they are a great way to learn how you can help your child develop the skills to be safer online.
All sessions are delivered by eSafety's expert education and training team.
eSafety's parent guide to popular apps
Learn how to help young people safely use popular apps including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
This webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 8-13.
It will cover:
- an explanation of the popular apps used by young people
- case studies, research, and targeted advice
- ways you can support the young people in your life to have safe, enjoyable online experiences.
Dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Tuesday 31 August 7.30 to 8.30 pm
Monday 6 September 12.30 to 1.30 pm
Tuesday 7 September 7.30 to 8.30 pm
Friday 10 September 12.30 to 1.30 pm
REGISTER HERE:
The language of respectful relationships
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
This reply to playground name-calling has been taught to children by generations of parents. While the sentiments are true, it demonstrates how destructive language can be when it’s used to hurt or humiliate.
Name-calling dehumanises the child or young person on the receiving end, making it easier for a perpetrator to bully, put down or abuse. The language of bullying and sexual abuse is deliberately vague and generalised making it easier to hurl insults about gender or ethnicity. It’s much harder to insult someone when real names are used as it becomes personal.
Bullying uses language that dehumanises. Respectful relationships has its own language, and it’s through this language that respect is shown, and personal safety and integrity are assured.
Parents can help children and young people to develop the language of respectful relationships in the following ways:
Use first or preferred names
The sound of a person’s name respectfully spoken is music to the listener’s ears. Teach kids to refer to other people by their first or preferred name. If a relative prefers to be called aunt or uncle rather than by their first name, then out of respect, encourage children and young people to adjust their language accordingly, even though you may not subscribe to such formalities. Politeness is respect in action.
Differentiate between behaviour and the person
It’s incorrect to define a child’s character through their poor behaviour. A child who tells lies is frequently called a liar, someone who steals is often labelled a thief, or someone who inadvertently shares secrets is deemed untrustworthy. In sporting parlance, focusing on the behaviour rather than on the person teaches kids about to play the ball, not the person. It may sound like splitting hairs but the focus on character traits rather than on a person’s behaviour is hurtful, often degrading, and leads to resentment rather than change.
Call out disrespectful behaviour
The standard of behaviour you ignore is the standard of behaviour you accept. Disrespectful behaviour needs to be called out by adults so kids learn that bullying, racism and other forms of disrespectful language are not acceptable. When discussing the behaviour and character of friends, fictional characters in books and personalities on film differentiate between the behaviour and the person, calling out the use of negative labels when you hear them. It’s easy to ignore disrespectful language when you hear it, but this one area where a consistent approach by adults is critical.
Frame behaviour as a choice
Framing behaviour as a choice is an essential respectful relationships strategy that needs to be reinforced for children and young people. “That’s a smart/good/helpful choice!” is the type of response kids should repeatedly hear, reinforcing that their behaviour is a result of choice rather than driven by others, circumstances, or emotion. Personal choice negates the idea that somehow other people or circumstances determine behaviour, or become convenient scapegoats for all types of abuse and disrespectful behaviour . “She/he made me do it” just doesn’t wash in a civilised society.
Develop a wide vocabulary
Build a wide vocabulary of terms essential to respectful relationships. Terms such as safety, choice, respect, acceptance, tolerance, love, likeable and host of others should be familiar to kids as well as phrases that emphasise fair and respectful treatment of others in all types of environments.
In closing
Respect is shown not only through the treatment of others but through the language kids use every day. By focusing on the language of respect you are laying the basis for kids to enjoy respectful relationships both now and in the future.
HAVE YOU ENROLLED YOUR CHILD
FOR YR 7 2023?
Have you changed your address?
Your email address?
Mobile number?
Please let Eileen know
echalmers@crcstalbans.com.au
9366 2544
Would you like Study Support anytime?
Brimbank Library members have NO CHARGE access to Studiosity, an online, on demand study support tool.
Studiosity offers 24/7 online chat to ask a study question any time you’re stuck or need extra help, with Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and more.
Or, send your essays through for feedback before you hand them in for marking.
Log into Studiosity via the Brimbank library’s website and be connected with a specialist who can help you straight away.
Not yet a member? Join at any Brimbank Library (www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au)
BOOK REVIEW
By Rachel Renee Russell
New school. New mean girl. New crush. New diary so I can spill about all of it…
I put a lot of personal stuff in this diary along with my sketches and doodles.
But, mostly it’s about how TRAUMATIC it was transferring to my new private middle school, Westchester Country Day.
And, how a lot of the CCP (Cool, Cute & Popular) kids were really SNOBBY and made my life TOTALLY miserable. People like, oh, I don’t know, maybe…
MACKENZIE HOLLISTER!!
And, it just so happened that I got stuck with a locker right next to hers. I could NOT believe I had such CRAPPY luck. I knew right then and there it was going to be a VERY, VERY long school year.
Star Wars: Revan, by Drew Karpyshyn
As well as exploring what happened to Revan after
Knights of the Old Republic, in this novel readers will
learn who the Sith Emperor is in the time of the Old
Republic, where he came from and how he has held onto power for so long... There's something out there. A juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republic - unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it.
Revan: hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, saviour. A Jedi
who left Coruscant to defeat Mandalorians - and returned a disciple of the dark side, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was high. His memories have been erased. All that is left are nightmares - and deep, abiding fear. What exactly happened beyond the Outer Rim? Revan can't quite remember, yet can't entirely forget. Somehow, he stumbled across a terrible secret that threatens the very existence of the Republic. With no idea what it is, or how to stop it, Revan may very well fail, for he has never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.
Ask the Librarians for help with:
-
Accessing the eplatform
-
Adjusting the physical appearance of the ebook:
the colour of the pages, size of the font, the
width between the letters and lines of text etc
-
Listening and reading the same book at the same time.
Email: arobinson@crcstalbans.com.au
WHILE YOU HAVE BEEN AWAY....
READER'S LADDER
