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God be with our family,
from the youngest to the oldest.
Light up our relationships,
sow grace into our troubles.
God be with our family,
weaving love into our work,
our rest and our play.
Amen.
This week marks Family Week across Catholic schools and parishes. It is an opportunity to come together to celebrate the power of family relationships in all their diversity, and to recognise the importance of families in our lives and communities.
Our opening reflection is a prayer for families. We pray for all families in our school community. The prayer is quite short and simple – you might like to pray it together over the coming week, and make time to let others in your family know what you love and appreciate about them.
On Monday we gathered for our annual Mother’s Day breakfast. It was a lovely start to the week and we were delighted that so many mums, grandmothers, aunties and friends were able to join us, and to enjoy the delicious food and delightful company. There was much chat and laughter.
We thank Maryaan Essa for speaking at the breakfast. Maryaan reflected on her work as an obstetrician, supporting mothers through the pain and joy of birth and her own immense joy in the birth of her own children. Maryaan spoke about the difficulties of leaving Iraq with only three days’ notice, the challenges of living in Syria whilst waiting for visas to Australia, and finally settling to a new life in Australia. She gave voice to the strength, resilience and contribution of all mothers, and to the life-giving power of family. Maryaan’s story is the story of many in our community. We appreciate her grace and generosity in sharing it with us.
Thank you to the Student Leaders, Ms Laura Cioccia, Ms Connie LaMacchia, Mr Hayden O’Doherty and the their many assistants for organising and leading the breakfast, and to all who attended.
Feast Day 2023
From today there are only seven sleeps to Feast Day on Friday 26 May 2023. This day is always a highlight on the College calendar. We begin with a school mass, followed by pastoral care activities and the annual Feast Day Carnival.
Over the past few weeks student leaders have been working hard to plan the carnival whilst the Liturgy Team is finalizing the mass. We’re very appreciative of the work both groups are doing.
School begins at the normal time of 8.40am and concludes at 3.10pm. It’s expected that all students attend unless they’re sick. Days such as Feast Day are important in building community and school spirit. Not that anyone would want to miss out on such a great day!
Carnival activities are free, however, there is a small cost for food. The canteen is open throughout the carnival and there’ll be various food stalls around the school. Students are encouraged to bring their lunch.
Fingers crossed that we’re blessed with a fine day! An alternative program will run should we have rain.
SACCSS Badminton
Thank you to the students who represented the College at the SACCSS Interschool Badminton Tournament. They displayed good skills, strong team spirit and supported each other very well. Congratulations to Teresa Marsom (8 Edison) and Ruth Geordy (8 Hollows) who played in the final of the Junior Girls, losing narrowly in a very even grand final to North Keilor.
Thank you to Mr Boudaher, Mr Dib and Mr Chuong for training and accompanying the teams.
Cyber Safety Awareness Night
It was great to see a good number of families at our Cyber Safety Awareness Night last week. Led by Trent and Amanda from the Cybersafety Project, it was an informative and engaging night. Thank you to Manal, Atem and Teresa, our Multicultural Education Aides who worked with Trent prior to the night to understand the material so that it could be presented in Dinka, Arabic and Vietnamese. This was much appreciated by families and generated much animated discussion.
Key advice to families included:
PLAN: Research the app or game.
PREVENT: Use privacy and safety and well-being settings.
PROTECT: Chat regularly and show your kids how to get help.
Thank you to Mr Dale Marshall and Ms Laura Cioccia for organizing the night, and to all staff and families who attended.
Key Dates Term 2 2023
|
Monday 22 May |
SACCSS Interschool Intermediate Futsal |
| Friday 26 May | Feast Day |
| Monday 12 June | King's Birthday (holiday) |
| Tuesday 13 June - Monday 19 June | Years 9 & 10 Exams |
| Thursday 22 June |
Final day Term 2 – students Year 8 Reflection Day Year 10 University / TAFE Taster Day |
| Friday 23 June | Report Preparation Day – Final day Term 2 - staff |
Year 10 RE Excursion 1 God 3 Religions
On the 28th of April the Year 10 students visited the Islamic Museum of Australia and the Jewish Museum as part of their `One God three Religions’ unit which they are studying this term.
The students had the opportunity to learn about the nine aspects of religion, which included areas such as religious rituals, sacred stories, law and experience, for both Islam and Judaism.
The day gave students an opportunity to experience many areas focused on in the unit.
At the Jewish Museum students participated in the Jewish Shabbat and consumed both the grape juice and the challah bread. At the Islamic Museum students had the opportunity to participate in discussion with young Islamic people who shared how they experience faith.
The feedback was positive from museum staff on the respect and engagement of our students on the day. I would like to thank both staff and students for making the excursion a success.
What God might be....
Year 8 Religion students are exploring what God is to them through the 4 sources of revelation, creation, scripture, tradition and human experience.
The following poem has been written by Sophie Pham,Year 8 Orifici. She shares her own reflection on what God might be:
Maybe God is the laughter being shared in the yard,
Or the comforting hand helping through hard times.
Maybe God is the excitement I feel in the waterpark,
Or peace and calm as rain sounds while the sky is crowded and dark.
Perhaps God is a delicately painted painting,
Which an artist has spent hours on.
Or is God in the messy finger painting
a child has created.
What if God is the joy and hope at a baby’s birth.
Or the sadness and mourning at an old man's funeral,
With people comforting the widow as she walks.
Ms Jacinta Dykes - Faith Leader
Badminton Team
On Monday the 15th of May, a group of selected students went to the SACCS Badminton Tournament. The day started off with everyone playing their opponents, 4-5 matches against different teams. The day was a very good experience, definitely one to remember.
Tania Leong, Ruth Geordy and I, Teresa Marsom were only one step away from victory.
At the start of the day, we arrived at Eagle Stadium in Werribee and saw the other schools who we would be going up against. Our mindset coming into the tournament was that we just wanted to have fun, and that even if we didn’t win, what matters is that we did it with the power of friendship.
The first 2 matches were just us having fun. We didn’t take it seriously, but still managed to win.
But after winning the first 2 matches, we realised that we might actually have a chance at winning. However, we had to make the hard decision of choosing only 2 players to play. We originally had 3 players because we didn’t think that we would make finals.
After an intense 1v1, Ruth was chosen to play alongside me.
When we finished playing all 4 of our matches, winning 3 and losing 1, we were told that we had actually made the finals. We were the only team from our school that made it. That definitely didn’t make us nervous.
The first final was against Thomas Carr. It was a close and intense game. But luckily, we managed to win it by 1 point (27-26).
And then finally, the grand final.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to win it. The game was a really close one though. We tried our best, but it still wasn’t enough. It was hard because we were not prepared to play 6 matches, so it was tiring.
What matters the most was that we had fun and made good memories. And even though we didn’t win, we had a good day.
Next year, (hopefully) that medal will be mine.
- Teresa Marsom, Yr 8
Year 9 News
School Production
James - Evan Barisic
Jolene - Janelle Lawang
Sue - Audrey Gerada
Reis - Aurelius Catayong
Mrs Burrows - Siena Singarella
Mr Jules - Angelina Brillouet
Camp Coordinator Karen - Ruby Nguyen
The 3 Girls
Melody - Tania Leong
Allegra - Violet Lutar
Angel - Charlotte Gerada
The 3 Boys
Max - Nicolas Lay
Luther - Wilsin Ghpreta
Dalton - Johny Johnstone
Ensemble
Lidea Shashy, Theresa Nguyen, Diana Huynh, Evie Almeida, Jade Nguyen, Abby Fernando, Charlotte Jansen, Sophia Pham, Vincent Kennedy, Giselle Tayag, Jessica Pham, Emily Nguyen, Anna Dinh, Mariam Maroka, Pirlo Qassab, Ruth Geordy, Benjamin Lemus, Charlie Ferdinand, Mia Michael, Abbe Maggs, Vicky Huynh, Tiffany Georgiou, Mia Lekkas, Dylan Nguyen, Subin Doan and Dominic Nguyen Akoung Ring.
The Band
Keys 1/Conductor - Mr Clarence Marshall
Keys 2 - Roger Louis
Keys 3 - Diana Doan
Drums/Percussion - Caleb Tapuala-Unasa
Bass Guitar - Dru Celestial
Guitar - Mr Duwapatabendige Fernando, Cooper Callahan and Liam Holt
Violins - Teresa Marsom and Remi Saleem
Wellbeing For Learning
Pastoral Care Program
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.
Term 2 Concepts and Themes
Year 7 – Building Community: Sharing
Year 8 – Respectful Relationships and Teamwork
Year 9 – Courage – Bravery
Year 10 – Careers and Pathways
Meaningful May
Feeling part of something bigger is great for our wellbeing. So, this month, let's focus on the things that really matter and make life more meaningful.
Please see attached our Meaningful May calendar, full of great ideas to bring more fulfilment to your daily life.
Remember, when we take care of ourselves, we're better placed to care for others around us 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 Albans 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.
Cyber Safety Awareness Evening Update
On Wednesday 10th May we hosted our Cyber Safety Awareness Evening in partnership with The Cyber Safety Project. We write to express our utmost appreciation and gratitude to The Cyber Safety Project for their outstanding contribution, which would not have been possible without their invaluable assistance and collaboration.
We are delighted to announce that the event was an enormous success, and we owe much of this triumph to the hard work and dedication of our Multi-cultural Education Aides (Atem George, Manal Hadeed and Teresa Tran) and the support of our incredible families. The feedback and observations we have received from both our Multicultural Education Aides and the families who attended have been overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the importance of such initiatives within our community.
The Cyber Safety Project, through their expertise and commitment to fostering cyber safety, played a significant role in shaping the success of our event. They provided comprehensive training sessions to our Multicultural Education Aides, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and confidence to present at the Cyber Safety Awareness Evening. These sessions were skilfully tailored to cater to the diverse cultural backgrounds of our families, ensuring the content was relatable and easily understood.
The culturally sensitive approach taken by The Cyber Safety Project was greatly appreciated by our attendees. It made the content highly relevant and relatable, enabling families to grasp the information more effectively. We are grateful for their efforts in building the confidence of our Multicultural Education Aides and empowering them to deliver presentations that resonated deeply with our community.
Please see these visuals, which serve as cherished memory for our participants, and also allows us to showcase the collaborative efforts that made this event such a resounding triumph.
Thank you to our families who were able to attend!!! Together, we look forward to continuing our journey to foster a safer digital landscape for our community and empower more families to take proactive steps in safeguarding the young people in our community.
Catholic Regional College - Collaborating School
This year Catholic Regional College is proudly collaborating with the Cyber Safety Project to facilitate cyber safety education with parents and guardians. By uncovering the risks of learning, connecting and playing online, parents and guardians will be empowered to support their child(ren) with important conversations to navigate the online world safely.
Our Year 7 and 8 educators are equipped with a sequenced cyber safety curriculum mapped to the Victorian framework, which underpins key values for a strong foundation for online safety and digital wellbeing.
The Cyber Safety Project is endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. To further support cyber safety education at home, you can find helpful online home safety guides, conversation checklists and resources for creating a safe digital environment at home via cybersafetyproject.com.au
Additional online safety support resources:
- Report online harms including cyber bullying, image-based abuse or illegal and harmful content - eSafety.gov.au
- Report child exploitation material to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation - accce.gov.au
- If your child is immediate danger call 000.
”Your real strength comes from
being the best you
you can be”
- Po, Kung Fu Panda
Have you thought about working in a bank?
Banks exist to help people and businesses with money. They keep our money safe, provide loans when we need money, help us pay for things, and offer advice on managing our finances. They also work closely with governments and other countries to ensure our economy stays stable.
Some of your tasks might be:
- Assist customers with account transactions and inquiries
- Evaluate loan applications
- Provide financial advice and guidance
- Develop and maintain customer relationships
- Conduct market research and analysis
- Implement and manage digital banking solutions
WHAT’S COMING UP ….
Thursday 22nd June
Year 10 University Taster Excursion
CONVERSATION STARTER
WHAT’S WORKING BEST IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW?
If you know what’s working in your life, and why it’s working, then you can use the techniques from the areas that are working to help get everything else into line.
So, if you have a great exercise routine but struggle to find time to study, try using your exercise schedule as a template for your study plan.
Over the next two weeks we encourage families to find a time and space to ponder the following question :
CAREER SPOTLIGHT
BECOME A SURVEYOR:
Surveyors measure and map the world using cutting edge technology and equipment to determine the accurate positional features of space, earth and waters. To find out more, check out the Surveyor’s Trust website:
https://www.thesurveyorstrust.org.au/Career-Development
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.
Please contact Ms. Anne Ross on 93650221- Mobile: 0427 036 925 if you have any queries or concerns.
