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Prayer - Guide the Steps of our Hearts
‘Come and follow me’
That’s what you ask us to do.
To lay down the things that won’t last,
that can’t save,
that don’t really matter.
But it’s hard because,
to be honest,
we like our things;
we feel safe where we are.
And it’s confusing:
How do you decide what to put down
and what’s worth keeping?
God, who asks us to follow,
guide the steps of our hearts.
Help us to be brave enough to trust,
kind enough to care,
wise enough to consider the implications
of our actions and omissions.
Forgive us when we follow the whims of fashion
instead of fashioning our lives after you.
Forgive us when we depend on things to make us happy,
when we ignore others because
to pay attention
might make us feel for them
and then we’d have to change.
‘Come and follow me’
That’s what you ask us to do.
Help us hear your call
And to answer.
Amen.
Dancing in the Desert Sally Foster-Fulton, 2016
Lent is a journey where we are called to make small changes to live more fully and to answer Jesus’ call to follow him. As we pass the half-way mark it is timely to check in and to see whether we are on track. Has Lent been a time of growth? Do we see the green shoots of new ways or are we back to our old ways?
Year 7 students are currently focusing on noticing acts of kindness. Students and staff are recognizing others for helping, sharing, supporting, encouraging, including and acting with kindness to others. Each of these very small actions are a response to Jesus’ call to ‘Come follow me’.
Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) surveys
Last week all families would have received information regarding the Enhancing Catholic School Identity surveys by email and also text message with a link to the information on our website. Thank you to those who have already completed the surveys.
The surveys are a little complicated to access. On Thursday 30 March, we will have two sessions (8.45 – 10.45am) and (3.00 – 5.00pm) to support parents / guardians in completing the survey. We will provide drinks, nibbles, computers and interpreters to assist. Please join us.
For the data to be valid, we need 60 responses from parents / guardians. Families have until Thursday 05 April to complete the survey.
Further information can be found on our website via the link below.
Year 8 Camp
Year 8 students and staff returned from camp on Wednesday – tired but very happy. The ‘Leap of Faith’ and Gaga Pit were the highlight for many. The camp assists in building relationships between students and staff, offers students the opportunity to gain deeper insight into their character strengths and through challenge activities to develop their social and emotional competencies.
On the behalf of Year 8 students and their families I’d like to thank Ms Alexopoulos (Year 8 Level Leader) for organising the camp, as well as all the staff who attended. Without them and their generosity in taking time away from their own families, there would be no camp.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN Tests finish today. We would like to congratulate Years 7 and 9 students on the maturity with which they approached their NAPLAN tests. Thank you to Mr Orsini for his organisation of the testing period. Families should receive results in early Term 3.
Inter-house Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to Corbett House on taking out the overall trophy and the Boys’ aggregate at the inter-house swimming carnival, and to O’Reilly House for winning the Girls’ aggregate trophy.
Students enjoyed the carnival and water activities at the new Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre. It is a terrific community facility. Congratulations to all the students who represented their House and who did their absolute best for their teams. There were some very good team and individual performances.
Thank you to Mr Boudaher, Mr Fernando, the House Captains and all who assisted them in organising a fine carnival and a very enjoyable day.
On Tuesday 04 April the College swim team will head off to the SACCSS Swimming Carnival at MSAC. We wish all competitors well and hope that each of them is able to achieve a personal best on the day.
Immersion Day
On Tuesday 28 March, students in Years 7, 9 and 10 will all be off site as part of the Term 1 Immersion Day. We ask all families to ensure that they have given permission via the PAM portal and also update medical information.
Final Day Term 1
Classes for Term 1 finish on Wednesday 05 April as we have Student / Parent / Teacher interviews on Wednesday afternoon / evening and all day on Thursday.
Please note:
Classes will finish at 3.00pm on Wednesday 5/4/23 to allow for teachers to be at the first interviews which are scheduled for 3.30pm.
Day 1 Term 2
Staff return on Monday 24 April but this will be a Professional Practice Day. The first day of classes for students will be Wednesday 26 April 2023 as the Tuesday is ANZAC day.
This will be Day 3 of the College Timetable.
Tuesday 28 March |
Immersion Day |
Wednesday 5 April |
Student Parent Teacher interviews (3.30 – 8.30pm) |
Thursday 6 April |
Student Parent Teacher interviews (9.00am – 3.00pm) |
Thursday 06 April |
Holy Thursday / Final Day Term 1 |
Key Dates Term 2 2023
Monday 24 April |
Staff return / Professional Practice Day |
Wednesday 26 April |
Students return for Term 2 (Day 3 of the timetable). |
Friday 05 May | SACCSS Interschool Cross Country |
Thursday 18 May | Year 10 RE Excursion |
Friday 26 May | Feast Day |
Thursday 22 June | Final day Term 2 – students |
Friday 23 June | Report Preparation Day – Final day Term 2 - staff |
Update on the Year 8 Care for Creation Excursion
Year 8 Care for Creation Excursion will now be held onsite on the school garden.
Hayden has received a call from the Ranger at Isabella Reserve to advise that 3 snakes have been spotted at the reserve. While this is a win for biodiversity (as CRC St Albans has planted grass that made a nice home for snakes) it is no longer a safe location for our tree planting excursion.
As a result we have decided to move the excursion to the school garden and therefore we will no longer require parents to complete permission forms.
The Year 8 will now be planting silverbeet seedlings, which will one day grow and provide some much needed fresh food for the Food bank
Harmony Week
Friday started with staff and students answering the following questions:
What is something that you’re proud of about your heritage?
What is something that you find interesting about someone elses heritage?
Every day during Harmony Week we started with a prayer, here is one prayer selected by our Social Justice Leaders.
May the God who created a world of diversity and vibrancy,
Go with us as we embrace life in all its fullness.
May the Son who teaches us to care for stranger and foreigners,
Go with us as we try to be good neighbors in our communities.
May the Spirit who breaks down our barriers and celebrates community,
Go with us as we find the courage to create a place of welcome for all.
Swimming Carnival
Boys Aggregate | Score |
1. Corbett | 201.0 |
2. O'Reilly | 176.0 |
3. Reis | 147.5 |
4. Guelen | 140.0 |
Girls Aggregate | |
1. O'Reilly | 185.0 |
2. Corbett | 181.5 |
3. Guelen | 138.0 |
4. Reis | 89.0 |
Overall Aggregate | |
1. Corbett | 382.5 |
2. O'Reilly | 361.0 |
3. Guelen | 278.0 |
4. Reis | 386.5 |


































Student/Parent/Teacher interviews will take place in the hall on Wednesday 5 April from 3:30 – 8:30pm and on Thursday 6April from 9:00 am – 3:00pm.
Interim reports will indicate whether an interview with subject teachers is requested. The College will endeavour to accommodate interviews that are requested.
Families are asked to book sessions with their children’s subject teachers through the Parent Access Module by Tuesday 4 April. The booking system will open on Tuesday 28 March, and is accessible through the College website or the SIMON Everywhere App.
Instructions on how to book interviews are available via the links below.
Early Dismissal
Students will be dismissed at 3pm on Wednesday 5th April and there will be no classes on Thursday 6th April as all teachers will be involved in the interviews.
We look forward to meeting with families and students to discuss their academic progress, achievement and goals.
Wellbeing For Learning
Pastoral Care Program - Current Concepts and Themes
Catholic Regional College Pastoral Care program provides a sequenced curriculum from Years 7 to 10 using a multimodal approach designed to develop the achievement and wellbeing of the whole person (spiritually, intellectually, morally, physically, socially and emotionally).
Our Pastoral Care program centres around the social-emotional learning (SEL) model, a school-based organisational framework through which students learn to become lifelong learners who recognise, reflect and manage their emotions and empathise with others.
Our Pastoral Care program fosters the development of positive relationships. It provides opportunities for students to grow from challenging experiences to contribute positively to their community and flourish as responsible global citizens.
Current Concepts and Themes
Year 7 – Trust and Transition: Belonging
Year 8 – Understanding Myself through Wellbeing Knowledge
Year 9 – Courage – Honesty/Emotional Intelligence
Year 10 – Relationships and Themes
Child Safety Committee
Our Child Safety Committee provides input and support to Catholic Regional College St Albans (the College) to ensure the College considers all views, insights and opinions while meeting its legal and moral obligations to ensure students feel safe and secure while in the care of the College.
This term our student representatives supported by members of our Peer Support and School Representative Council have constructed a Conflict Resolution and Complaints Flowchart for all students to utilise, when they have a conflict and/or concern. Our students have delivered a Conflict Resolution Workshop to all students, to provide them with an understanding of what steps to take if confronted with a difficult situation. The workshops have been received positively and our workshop student leaders have enjoyed educating their peers.
Please see our ‘Resolving a Conflict Respectfully’ and ‘Raising a Concern’ flowcharts for your own reference and understanding.
Mindful March
Please see attached our Mindful March calendar for all members of our community to reflect upon with each other.
Mindfulness can help us respond more calmly, even in difficult times. This month we encourage you to pause, breathe and notice, so we can respond more mindfully.
Remember: Inner peace can contribute to outer peace too.
Weekly Wellbeing Pulse Checks
We hold the care, safety and wellbeing of young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school. We, as a College, are fully committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students, and we understand that every student has the right to feel safe. We strive to do this by ensuring that all staff are able to proactively ensure the safety of students at all times. Therefore, we have introduced our Weekly Wellbeing Pulse Checks for our Year 7 and 10 students, to check in with the mental, social and physical wellbeing.
Weekly Wellbeing Pulse Checks makes it safe and easy for students to ask for help. Teachers get a clearer understanding of how individual students are feeling so they know who needs their help most. It provides deep insight into wellbeing and sentiment data to improve the whole school experience.
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Year Level Leader or Mr. Dale Marshall (Wellbeing for Learning Leader).
Extra-curricular Activities at CRC St Albans
Participating in extracurricular activities in secondary schools is important for students to grow both academically and personally. These activities offer students the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including leadership, teamwork, time management, and communication, which are essential for success in the future.
Extracurricular activities also provide students with a sense of belonging and the chance to pursue their passions and interests outside of the classroom. These experiences can lead to meaningful relationships, new perspectives, and opportunities for personal growth. Extracurricular activities are a central aspect of CRC St Alban's education that provides students with a well-rounded experience, helping them to develop their full potential and achieve their goals.
We have a vast range of activities for students to participate in during lunch-time or after-school. If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to speak to the supervising teacher identified below or check our daily bulletin for further information.
eSafety: Term 1 Webinars for Parents and Carers
Online social platforms and gaming may seem confusing to many of us and yet it is an important part of our young people’s lives. If you would like more information about the online and gaming world, please sign up for one of the many free webinars offered by the eSafety Commission.
eSafety 101: How eSafety can help you (March)
For parents and carers of young people in primary and secondary school.
- who eSafety are
- what you can report to eSafety
- helpful advice and resources for parents and carers.
Setting your child up for success online (February & March)
For parents and carers of young people in primary school.
- age-appropriate expectations and boundaries online
- risks and strategies to keep your children safe
- where to find support for you and your child when things go wrong.
Getting the most out of gaming (March)
For parents and carers of children aged 7 to 14.
- when gaming can be beneficial and strategies to promote better in-game experiences
- how to keep children safe online – using safety and privacy settings in games and platforms
- strategies to promote more balanced gaming and how to create smoother transitions from game-play to other activities.
Navigating online friendships (February & March)
For parents and carers of young people in secondary schooI.
- how to support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships
- what to do when something happens at school and ends up on social media or private messaging apps
- how to report to social media platforms and eSafety.
‘How you are’ is everything
Your career won’t thrive if you don’t – your physical and mental health is the most important thing so put time aside to nurture it (and watch your results skyrocket).
Pressure to study hard and get good results can mean late nights and early mornings (and not enough sleep), poor food choices, a lack of exercise, and social media pressures and dramas. Oh, and being bent like a pretzel over your smartphone for hours each day doesn’t help either. So regardless of where you’re at with your studies, you need to take the time to chill out and look after your wellbeing as regularly as you can. Chat with friends, eat some more vegetables, snack on some fruit and down a few litres of water each day. You’ll feel better for it.
WHAT’S COMING UP ….
Tuesday 28 MARCH
Immersion Day
Morrisby Online Quiz
Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 April
Student/Parent/Teacher interviews
CONVERSATION STARTER
How do you spend your time each week? As a student’s priorities and schedules change with more extra-curricular activities, part time work, or family commitments, the need to manage the increased workload becomes more important. Finding a balance between doing the things we want to do and the things we need to do is key for a successful and fulfilling life.
Over the next two weeks we encourage families to find a time and space to ponder the following question :
CAREER SPOTLIGHT - Landscape Gardener
Do you love the outdoors, and want a career that will see you building and maintaining beautiful green spaces? You might like to consider a career as a landscaper and one of the best ways to get your foot in the door is by completing an apprenticeship. As part of a landscaping apprenticeship, you will be doing real work for an employer while completing study with a TAFE or RTO. A landscaping apprenticeship can take anywhere between 3-4 years to complete, depending on whether you work and study full or part-time. There are tons of benefits to an apprenticeship, rather than just work or study alone, including:
- Getting paid while you learn.
- The opportunity to get hands-on experience.
- The potential to connect with an employer and continue working with them after your apprenticeship is finished.
- Your qualification will be nationally recognised, meaning you can work anywhere with it.
For a career related to horticulture, watch the videos below and find out more:
BECOME A GARDENER:
BECOME AN URBAN PLANNER:
BECOME A PARK RANGER:
New Building Update
Good news is we about 65% done – you will notice that the outer metal frame and roof are beginning to take shape.
All families should have received their school fee statements this week. If you have not received your school fee statement, please contact the office.
$100 Early Fee Discount per family applies if fees are paid in full on or before 23rd June 2023. Please note if paying by net banking (Online) only, reduce the fee total by $100.
School Fees can be paid directly into our School Bank Account:
Catholic Regional College St Albans
BSB: 083-347
Account Number: 6909 17667
Please include your Account Code as a reference (for example: 123456).
The Account Code can be found top right-hand side of your statement.
For families who are eligible for CSEF, we have not yet credited your account as monies have not been received from the Government.
Please contact Ms. Anne Ross on 93650221- Mobile: 0427 036 925 if you have any queries or concerns.