Dear God,

We celebrate spring’s returning

and the rejuvenation of the natural world.

Let us be moved by this vast and

gentle insistence that goodness shall return,

that warmth and life shall succeed,

and help us to understand our place within this miracle.

Let us see that as a bird now builds its nest,

bravely, with bits and pieces,

so we must build human faith.

It is our simple duty;

it is the highest art;

it is our natural and vital role

within the miracle of spring: the creation of faith.

Amen

With this newsletter we welcome spring and longer days. This winter have been tough going, not only with COVID but also other lingering colds and flus. We look forward to warmer weather.

Spring is a good time to clear all the clutter from our lives, to open the windows and let the fresh air in. This is sometimes called spring cleaning. To do this we need to think about what is cluttering our lives, what is stopping us from being the person, the learner, the teacher, the parent or the friend we could be. Our ‘clutter’ could well be a relationship that needs to be sorted or a bad habit that we need to ditch. As we head into whatever it might be – this is the time to sort it, clear it out, to let go and to start again.

As the days get longer and the weather becomes milder we have a sense of hope; a sense that the old can indeed be left behind and that change is possible.

As well as being the first day of spring, the first day of September also marks the start of the Season of Creation. The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration of prayer and action for the care of our common home. Together, the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray, protect and advocate for God’s creation.

The College Social Justice Team has planned a range of activities to mark the Season of Creation during September / October. Highlights include: 

• Student Leaders meeting with the Mayor of Brimbank, Jasmine Nguyen on 12 September to learn about Brimbank’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2040.
• The inaugural meeting of the Catholic Earthcare Committee on 4 October.
• A Family Tree Planting Day on the 09 October.

Thank you to the Social Justice Team for their leadership in these initiatives.

Father’s Day

We wish all the dads and father figures in our school community a very happy Father’s Day for Sunday. We remember also the dads who are no longer with us. May all dads know that their unconditional love, support and all that they do for us are very much appreciated, even though we may not say and show this nearly enough.

SACCSS Interschool Athletics

Whilst it rained nearly all day, nothing could dampen the enthusiasm, competitive spirit and joy of the students who represented the College at the SACCSS Athletics Carnival on Monday. The first athletics carnival in three years. Congratulations to all involved. Your spirit, sportsmanship and willingness to give 100% were evident in the way you competed and supported each other.

There were many outstanding individual performances with a number of students posting a personal best and / or attaining a place.

Congratulations to Dylan Nguyen (9 Deakin) who was the individual champion for his age group. This is a remarkable achievement by a very talented athlete. Well done Dylan.

MACSSIS School Improvement Surveys

Survey links have been forwarded to families by email. The survey period concludes at the end of term on the 16 September. Surveys can be completed in a range of languages. The input of families is very much appreciated.

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.

Next week (5 – 11 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 places, 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.

We remind students and families that if you have come across illegal content, wish to report Cyberbullying or are just looking for strategies to assist you in managing digital devices the website of the eSafety Commissioner at https://www.esafety.gov.au/ is a very good place to start.

Looking Ahead

The final two weeks of Term 3 will be quite busy. On Tuesday all year levels will be involved in an Immersion Day.

Year 7:  STEM Day

Year 8:   Kryal Castle as part of their Humanities studies

Year 9:   Trinity Day

Year 10: Reflection Day

In the last week, Year 10 students will participate in Work Experience or a Blended Learning Week at school, and Year 9 head off on camp.

Newsletter

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

Newsletter Days for Term 3 2022:   

Fridays:  16 September

Season of Creation Month

The Season of Creation begins on September 1, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.

For this year, the proposed theme is: "Listening to the voice of creation" with the symbol of the burning bush.

Our school community will be celebrating this season through prayer, sustainability projects and advocacy.

1. At the beginning is a planned incursion with the Mayor of Brimbank Jasmine Nguyen visiting school on September the 12th to speak to student leaders and student volunteers about Brimbank Council's goals for the municipality to be carbon neutral by 2040. The goal for this session is to inspire leaders and passionate students to present their own ideas at the first Catholic Earthcare Committee Meeting on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

2. Catholic Earthcare Committee (CEC) first meeting on Tuesday evening the 04th of October, with staff, students, local parish representatives and families. Student leaders will host the first session and present their ideas for discussion as part of the committee. 

3. Family tree planting event to close the Season of Creation on Saturday the 9th of October at Isabella Williams Reserve, Opie Road Deer Park. Families, staff and students will be invited to a working bee and tree planting session at our school tree planting site along Kororoit Creek. We will host a BBQ lunch and have an afternoon of planting trees, maintaining the tree planting site and enjoying the community space.

Over the next month take some time to step outside and enjoy the sound of nature.

Living God,

have mercy on us,

for the times we forget

that we belong to each other.

You call us to be still,

to hear the whisper of our Sister Wind,

to feel the radiance of our Brother Sun,

and to be nourished by our Mother Earth.

Renew us in your healing love.

Inspire us to water the earth,

and nurture one another,

so all may flourish.

Together, as one family,

may we always sing your praise.

Through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

After spending time learning about the craziness of the Medieval period, Year 8 students got the opportunity to either design or build their own style of castle. Some chose the Motte and Bailey, or the Stone Keep Castle while others displayed their creative skills demonstrating the wonders of the Concentric Castle. Working in pairs or individually, students used all sorts of materials such as icy pole sticks, plaster, paper and paints to build rather historically accurate buildings. It was a challenge set for all with prizes on offer and those who entered really did show both enthusiasm and an eye for detail. I encourage everyone to go to the library and have a look as they will soon be put on display in the glass cabinets. Well done to all participants.

1st Prize- Alina, Dina and Dareen (8ED)

2nd Prize- Angelina and Lucy (8ED)

3rd Prize- Sara (8HW)

After spending time learning about the technology, people and society of Ancient Rome, Year 7 students got the opportunity to engage in a fun day of hands-on activities. In the school hall, students got the chance to learn the fine art of archery, mastering the bow and arrow. While up in the science room, students eagerly watched on, witnessing the olden day craft of metal working. 

“Year 7 ancient day was a great experience that we could participate in.”- Jade 7SN

It was great to see all the students' smiles as they got to watch their classmates dress-up, re-enact battle techniques and try their hand in Ancient Rome Games! Thank you to all students and to the staff for their participation and making it such an enjoyable experience for all!

CRC St.Albans may just have the next future number 1,  AFL draft pick within our midst.  

It is with great pleasure that we congratulate one of CRC St Albans very own Year 8 students, Austin Rozario for representing and starring in his first Grand Final win for the U14's Caroline Springs Football Club played on Sunday the 21st of August 2022. 

Along with this outstanding achievement, Austin was named Captain of his team and led by example, kicking 4 goals on the day, helping his team turn a 5 goal (1st Quarter) deficit, into a 29 point Grand final win. 

If you thought that was impressive, Austin managed to kick 39 goals during the home and away season and finished a close second within the league amongst hundreds of ubertalented players. In my opinion, this is nothing short of amazing. 

You have achieved 'Superstar Status' within our School Austin, and I was lucky enough to be present on the day to witness it for myself.

Congratulations on your well-deserved success! You're an inspiration and we are extremely proud of you! We look forward to your continual growth in your sports career/journey and hope to see you play for your beloved North Melbourne Football Club one day, should you choose to pursue that path.

Mr Damien Marshall

Wellbeing for Learning Important Dates/Events

Hands on Learning for Wellbeing

This term we have 10 Year 9 students involved in our Hands on Learning for (HoL) Wellbeing Program delivered by Mr Hayden O'Doherty and Mr Mitchell Porter.

In our HoL for Wellbeing program students have the opportunity to ‘flourish’ in the right learning environment for them. Our HoL program assists our students to develop their social emotional skills in a safe and orderly environment, while also providing them with the strategies required to look after their health and wellbeing.

Program Outline and Achievements:

• Each week we share a meal together.
• Work on small and large projects, so we can understand our talents and skills.
• We will celebrate our accomplishments.
• We encourage students to bring their whole self to the program.

For more information about our HoL for Wellbeing program, please do not hesitate to contact our school and speak to one of our program staff members.

International Day for People of African Descent

On Wednesday 31^st August we celebrated 'International Day for People of African Descent’.

This holiday was created by the United Nations to celebrate the diverse heritage and several contributions of people of African descent.

Please see the presentation that we used during both lunch times in our Auditorium with our students.

Here is the group of students who were involved in the development:

• Year 9/10: Adau Jerry, Izabella Abduahad, Awour Chan, Alual Aweng.
• Year 7/8: Ajok Mayom, Nyanawut Kur.

Thank you for the work of our students involved in our Community and Cultural Inclusion and Connection Focus Group.

Our Positive School Wide Behaviours (PSWB) at CRC St Albans

As our students prepare for excursions, premier league, work experience and camp; it is important to remind ourselves our Positive School Wide Behaviours when we are in the Community.

When we are in the community we are not only representing ourselves, but also our families, school and church. We remind our students that at the heart of the community are positive respectful relationships.

Self-Care September

Welcome to Self-Care September

Caring for yourself isn't selfish. When we're kind to ourselves it also helps us respond more positively to what happens and treat others more kindly too.

Please see our Self-Care September calendar full of actions to help you be kinder to yourself. Please share it with your loved ones too.

Character Strength of the Week

Humility - Virtue of Temperance

Definition: The quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance and accurately evaluating your accomplishments.

Explanation: I see my strengths and talents but I am humble, not seeking to be the center of attention or to receive recognition.

Synonyms: Modesty, humbleness, down-to-earthiness.

Quote: "On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom." - Michel de Montaigne

Further Information:

It's easy to describe what humility is not; it is not bragging, not doing things in excess, not seeking the spotlight, not drawing attention to yourself, not viewing yourself as more special or important than others. On the other hand, it is not bowing to every wish or demand of another person and it is not being highly self-critical.

How to ignite your humility:

• What is the advantage of being humble?
• How do others respond to your humility?
• How do you balance humility with a need for recognition and appreciation?

Parent Corner

Practise feeling happier anytime, anywhere with TRP@HOME! This online hub is filled with inspiration and fun activities for kids, teens, adults and parents to build resilience and improve wellbeing.

Please see TRP Parent/Carer Support; which has practical ideas for families to embed gratitude into their daily routines.

Wellbeing for Learning Around the School

Year 8:

In Year 8 Pastoral Care students are exploring the concept of Hope which encompasses their will power and agency (‘I can act to change some things’) and way power or pathways to success (what is my plan for success?).

The students have been working on creating a digital collage of images to project a positive but realistic future, images of what a good life might be. For example; family, material possessions, faith, career, holidays, adventures, values, children, etc. From this creative endeavour in Hope, students go on to write a fictitious (untrue) letter to a friend, pretending that 20 years have passed. They describe their life, career, family, values, experiences and challenges through a lens of Hope (will-power and way-power).

In the final phase of this assessment, students create a Hope Map where they plan for strategies they can engage with when presented with the inevitable challenges in life. The material and subject matter in this unit ‘Memories of the Future’ (refer to image below) compels students to reflect on and plan for ‘things going wrong’ to help them build resilience and become life-ready.

Ms Stella Alexopoulos

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