Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

All holy angels and archangels,

Pray for us.

All disciples, apostles and evangelists,

Pray for us.

All holy priests and religious persons,

Pray for us.

All holy martyrs,

Pray for us.

All holy men and women,

Pray for us.

St Alban

Pray for us.

St Francis of Assisi

Pray for us

St Mary of the Cross,

Pray for us.

St Patrick, patron of our Archdiocese,

Pray for us.

May we be inspired by the words of great saints.

May we be inspired by the actions of great saints.

May we aspire to be modern-day saints.

Amen.

On Monday we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. The feasts of All Saints (01 November) and All Souls (02 November) are important feasts in the life the Church. The days remind us that the Church is a community – a communion – of all the faithful, both in this world and beyond. All Saints and All Souls invites us to remember those who have walked before us; all the holy men and women, acclaimed and anonymous, who have truly lived the gospel, in their time and place, and are now at peace in heaven.

Saints are an interesting bunch. Some of their stories are gory and grisly, especially those of the early martyrs. Others are known for their patience and persistence, for quiet heroism and for ordinary lives lived well. There are saints who have founded great religious orders whilst others simply cooked for their community all their lives. There are saints who went to war and those who died for peace. There are saints who challenged the Church and others who have been thinkers and theologians. There are saints who were hermits and others who, like St Teresa of Kolkata are known across the world for their good works. Some are named but many are unknown. They could be people we know or have known.

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.

(With acknowledgment to Anne Rennie)

Return to Onsite Learning

Thank you to students, staff and families for what has been a very smooth return to onsite learning. Compliance with all our safety protocols, especially mask wearing has been excellent.  As you move through the school, it is great to see the smiling eyes, to hear the excited chatter and to feel the joy around the return to school. We are all just so glad to back.

In line with the easing of restrictions, the following changes will be made to our COVID safe practices from Wednesday:

• The canteen will be open for normal service. Students will have access to microwaves and hot water.
• Masks will need to be worn indoors, including corridors, but are no longer mandated outdoors. It is important that students have a mask with them at all times.

All other practices continue as outlined in the Return to School Guide.

Staying home if unwell

With the return to onsite learning and the number of COVID cases in the community, there is an increased possibility of a COVID positive person being onsite. To mitigate the risk:

• Students need to stay home if they are unwell and get a test if they have COVID symptoms.
• If a student or a member of the household tests positive, please notify the school soon as possible.

World Teachers’ Day

Today is 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 be the best they can be. 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 led staff briefing with a prayer for teachers, a heartfelt acknowledgement of their work and have written to each teacher individually to thank them. Their kindness and thoughtfulness is much appreciated.

SHAPE Week

This week we have enjoyed SHAPE Week at the College. The week focussed on fun and awareness raising through a series of activities, including the Push Up Challenge, Hula Hoops, Tunnel Ball, Jump Rope, Quizzes and tips for eating well and living a healthy life.

Thank you to Mr. Dale Marshall, Mr Damien Marshall and the Sport, PE and Health staff for their enthusiasm, energy and hard work.

MACSSIS Surveys

Thank you to all the families who took the time to complete these surveys. The feedback will be important as we plan for 2022 and beyond.

Enrolment for 2022

Enrolment at the College continues automatically from year to year. However, if a student in Years 7, 8 or 9 is not returning in 2022, we ask that families notify us as soon as possible. Please email echalmers@crcstalbans.com.au or ring Eileen Chalmers on 9366 2544 with this information.

Your assistance with this is much appreciated as we have a waiting list at some levels and would like to let these families know sooner, rather than later.

Term 4 Uniform

From Wednesday 03 November, all students will need to be in full summer uniform.

Cup Weekend

Families are reminded that there are no classes on Monday 01 November or Tuesday 02 November due to the Cup weekend. 

Fee Relief

The financial impact of lockdown varies from family to family. Some continue to work and are unaffected; however, other parents / carers have been stood down or had their work hours reduced.

We are keen to support families as much as we can. Fee relief is available to all affected families. Please contact our Bursar, Anne Ross so that adjustments can be made. Her contact details are as follows:

PH:   0427 036 925               Email:  aross@crcstalbans.com.au

Newsletter

The newsletter is published fortnightly on Day 10 (Friday Week 2).

Newsletter Days for Term 4 2021:           

Fridays:    12 November,     16 November,    30 November

The newsletter is available on the College website at http://www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.au

Key Dates for Term 4 2021

Moments of Prayer

The Year 7s are experiencing different styles of prayer. Through the celebration of prayer, sacrament and liturgy, and particularly the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is made present to the Christian community to give them life, to heal them and to form them as a people. Christians can discover and express most clearly who they are and who they are called to be as they enter into these celebrations.

The unit begins by considering what prayer is and why we pray. Prayer is bigger and more varied than we imagine. While almost impossible to define, it is about keeping company with God; speaking to God and listening to God. When we pray we attempt to reach into the deeper dimension of our lives – our spirituality, our relationships with each other and with God. Through prayer we acknowledge, contemplate, listen to, thank, respond to, communicate with, search for, become reconciled with and relate to God. 

Now that students have returned from remote learning they will have the opportunity to experience different prayer forms. Prayer comes in a huge variety of styles and forms from the traditional to the modern and spontaneous. Some styles appeal to some people, others do not. In this way, prayer may be likened to music – individual taste and preference mean we may feel more comfortable with some styles and not others. Being conscious of our own sense of ease with some prayer styles reminds us that prayer is an intimate act. To invite someone to pray is to invite them to search and explore a perhaps less well known side of themselves. This may make us, and them, feel vulnerable.

A recent prayer experience was a Visio Divina. Visio Divina is a form of divine seeing in which we prayerfully invite God to speak to our hearts as we look at an image. Visio Divina is a form of divine seeing in which we prayerfully invite God to speak to our hearts as we look at an image. This Mosaic of each Year 7 student incorporated into the face of God was the first image that the Year 7s explored in their Visio Divina. Students reflected on how they as a community are the living presence of Jesus, and they reflected what is truly divine within themselves.

Year 8 Drama students were asked to write modern-day script for a Romeo & Juliet scene. They reimagined it in a modern-day setting and context and used common-day language to convey pain & conflict.

General Information

• Exams will take place in timetabled homerooms (not the hall).
• Exams will run for 100 minutes (10 min Reading and 90 min Writing Time). (Except the Year 10 RE Exam (10 min Reading and 60 min Writing Time).
• During period one scheduled exams students are expected at school by 8.30 am and ready to line up in class groups in their designated area and move into the exam space by 8.40 am.
• When students are not completing exams, they will have their normal timetabled classes.

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 the student returns, they must reschedule the exam with Mr Dale Marshall.

Join the boys, Thomas, Reuben and Tommy, as they explore Internet Safety and discuss the world wide web, social media and cyberbullying.

Spotify link:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4i6w9Jhi5kCp3e3OpiMbND?si=TAa9n5dKT\_OWZ568nMn2Hw

Year 11 2022 - (current Year 10 students)

Please ensure you have returned your Data Information form to email address: year112022@crcs.vic.edu.au.  

Year 11 2023 Enrolment Information Evening (Current Year 9 students)

Save the Date - Monday 22 November 2021

Further information will be sent via email the week commencing

Monday 8 November.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Word: Zest

Definition: an enjoyably exciting quality, showing a lot of enthusiasm and interest. Does not do things half-heartedly.

For example: It's wonderful to see the children's zest for life. He approached every task with boundless zest.

Synonyms: enthusiasm, passion, fervor, eagerness, zeal.

Video: https://positivepsychology.com/zest/

Sport, Health and PE Week Celebration

This week we have welcomed our students back into our school community and the Sport, Health and PE (SHAPE) Team, have been busy organising various activities (at school and online) for our school community. It was great to see the place buzzing again with student actively participating in lunchtime activities and challenging themselves and each other.

We would like to acknowledge the following students for their extraordinary efforts:

Skip-Off Challenge Winners:
Year 7 – Tong Koryom (Guelen)
Year 8 – Charlie Ferdinand (Corbett)
Year 9 – Eleanore Durand Deslongrais (Reis)

Tunnel Ball Competition Winners:
Year 7

Faris Gebregziabher (Guelen)
Zekias Mekuria (Guelen)
Tong Koryom (Guelen)
Matuos Daabool (O'Reilly)
Marzena Abba (Corbett)

Table Tennis Competition Winners:
Year 7 – Jonathan Peacock (O'Reilly)
Year 8 – Wilson Ghpreta (Reis)
Year 9 – Mr Ramos (Corbett)
Year 10 – Thomas Le (Corbett)

Throw & Squat Challenge Winners:
Year 7 - Tong Koryom (Guelen)
Year 8 – Charlotte Gerada (O’Reilly)
Year 9 – Sammy Zogheib

Fitness Scavenge Hunt Winners:
Year 8 – Antonio Renda (Guelen)
Year 9 – Ana Markic (O’Reilly)
Mia Callanan (Guelen)
Alethea Mata (O’Reilly)
Liora Acone (Reis)

Anytime SHAPE Activities:

• Trick Shot Video Comp- record yourself completing a trick shot and send your video to Mr. Damien Marshall (dmarshall1@crcstalbans.com.au) and the House Captains by end of the week.
• Healthy Recipes - prepare a healthy meal and share your pictures or videos with Ms. Simoncini (asimoncini@crcstalbans.com.au).
• Explore the Virtual Australian Sports Museum- take a self-guided tour of the Australian Sports Museum.
• Mindfulness Colouring- complete during classes or in your spare time.
• Active Victoria Self-Guided Session- Complete a SHAPE Challenge Daily (update your Reflection Log) and win a Subway Voucher.

I would like to thank our SHAPE Team for their character strength of ‘zest, creativity, teamwork and leadership’ and a special mention to Mr Damien Marshall for being a welcome driving force of enthusiasm in the yard.

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.

Weekly Wellbeing Worksheet 

It is important that we continue to utilise and add to our 'Wellbeing Tool Box' to look after our health and wellbeing.

Please see the 'Weekly Wellbeing Worksheets' that we encourage all members of our community to use.

• Year 7 and 8 – Weekly Wellbeing Worksheet 5 
• Year 9 and 10 - Weekly Wellbeing Worksheet 5

Year 7 & 8 Worksheet

Year 7 &amp 2.83 MB

Year 9 & 10 Worksheet

Year 9 &amp 2.79 MB

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 challenging your friends.

SHAPE Challenge Directions:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Enjoy your Free Healthy Meal!!!

CRC St Albans SHAPE Challenge is proudly supported by Subway Delahey.

Well done to the following students who successfully completed at least 5 of the CRC SHAPE Challenge 6.0 activities in week 1 of this term. These students received a Subway voucher as well as House points for the William’s Cup.

SHAPE Challenge - House Points update