23rd October 2012

23rd October, 2012 Reflection This week our proud thoughts are with the Class of 2012, our first Year 12 graduation class. We celebrate the end of their time here at CRC Melton through our Mass this week followed by Graduation Dinner on Thursday. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they prepare for exams and life beyond the college gates.

Graduation Prayer I have knowledge, so will You show me now, how to use it wisely and find a way somehow to make the world I live in a little better place, and make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.

Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days, and show me how to serve you in effective ways.

So my education, my knowledge and my skill may find their true fulfilment as I learn to do your will.

And may I ever be aware in everything I do, that knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You. Amen

Graduation Week

Thank you

Our first Year 12 class of Catholic Regional College, Melton are graduating this week, and there has been much excitement about the school. Last Thursday, staff and students farewelled the Year 12’s in what was an emotional ceremony.

Cameron Grime, Jake Lowen, Alex Sweet and Jake Tuckerman showed true CRC Melton community spirit last Thursday. The boys saw that a passerby, who was walking his dog, was attacked by two unaccompanied dogs, in what was a most serious incident. The boys intervened, protected the dog and it’s owner and the situation ended far better than anticipated.

On Tuesday morning, we had an internal breakfast with Year 12 teachers and students and all involved joined in the celebratory spirit, while being respectful to the rest of the school.

Our Year 12 Graduation Mass is being held on Tuesday night in St Catherine’s Hall and on Thursday night we are holding a Gradation Dinner at Ultima Reception Centre.

All these events are important in the lives of our students and their families. It’s a special time in their lives and the school is acknowledging that in some new ways.

Please remember the Year 12 students in your prayers next week as they approach their English exam on Thursday, November 1st.

Mark Sheehan Principal

Deputy Principal-Student Welfare News Year 12 Students Farewell We farewelled our Year 12 students at their last full school assembly last Thursday. It was a fitting way for the rest of the school to say farewell and wish them well in their exams and the direction they take in the future.

The School Captains Alyana Obtinalla and Jake Schembri in addressing the student body, spoke of the support they received from their teachers over the six years and the privilege and honour of representing the students and the College as School Captains.

Social Media Misuse Social media is a very powerful and very wide reaching means of communication and for schools and parents it is very challenging to stay ahead of the growing traffic of communication between young people. For many young people they are oblivious and naive of the consequences that can and do emerge if they use the different forms of social media to engage in activities that are offensive and inappropriate.

Many of you may have read in the Herald Sun over the weekend of some Melbourne schools being caught up in a sexting episode. As the Education Minister Martin Dixon said the offending material served as "an awful reminder of the realities of the misuse of social media, and the devastating and long-lasting impact it can have on young people's lives".

"Incidents like this underline the importance of our efforts to educate young people and their parents on the impact of cyber bullying and appropriate online behaviour."

'Sexting' means sending sexually explicit photos or videos electronically (eg by mobile phone, app, chat, social networking or email). With modern technology this can be done instantly, but it can have serious and lasting consequences.

For people under 18, sexting is illegal. It is a criminal offence to take, possess, or transmit a naked image of a person under the age of 18 years. It doesn’t matter if your child took their own photo and willingly sent or published it. You cannot ‘give someone permission’ to break the law. Penalties for these offences are serious and can result in your child being placed on the sex offenders’ register.

It is important that you regularly talk to your child about their experiences with communications technology.

Make sure that you continually reinforce that your child should come to you if they have any problems, if they see something that they know is wrong or anything that upsets them.

What do I do if I find explicit images of my child? 

Don’t yell, scream or panic. Try to remain calm. It is really important to be able to speak rationally to your child about this issue.

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Talk to them about your concerns or suspicions and allow them time to respond.

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Try to work out how/where this has happened and who else may be involved. Where are the images now? Who may have them?

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Make an appointment to speak to someone at the school such as a counsellor, teacher, or principal, and let them know what has occurred.

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Be aware that in some instances, police may need to be involved and schools have certain obligations in relation to the reporting of incidents. Please do not withhold information from the school because you are concerned about police involvement.

Police are very well placed to deal with these issues and have tools to minimise the impact. They have the ability to retrieve data and trace electronic communication. The important thing is to act as soon as you are aware.

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If you believe that the ‘sexting’ is a result of your child being the victim of an online sexual predator rather than adolescent naivety, please notify the police immediately.

Cyber safety expert and former Victoria Police officer Susan McLean also warned "this sort of thing is not uncommon now, and unfortunately many parents were ignorant of the amount of sexting that was taking place between school children”.

On Thursday of this week Youth Liaison Officer, Joanne Mutsaerts from Victoria Police will address all Year 7 and 8 students of the dangers, effects and implications of engaging in such activities through all social media networks. As parents please take the opportunity to discuss with your son or daughter some of the issues and advice that will come out of Thursday’s presentation.

The website: http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/en/Parents.aspx is also a valuable resource for you in discussing the issues with you son or daughter.

Department of Development.

Education

and

Early

Childhood

Secondhand Book Sales 2012

Year 7 Science Excursion

A new process of buying and selling secondhand books has been established to streamline and simplify the exchange. As of this year there will be no secondhand book sales held at the school, all buying and selling will be through an online provider Sustainable Schools Shop www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au. The site is very user friendly and easy to navigate. The service provides access to second-hand textbooks, calculators, stationery and musical equipment all year round. Parents can even trade with other parents from other schools and sell textbooks no longer in use at our school. Information on how to access the website will be sent with the 2013 booklist.

On Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th October, Year 7 Science classes ventured down to Queenscliff to attend a learning/hands-on session on marine organisms at the Marine and Discovery Centre. Our students were very enthusiastic and engaged with the staff as well as fascinating animals and plants in the 'rock pool'. The day proved highly educational and will stand them in good stead when their Classification Test is completed in the coming weeks. Thank you to all staff who attended and made this day not only educational but lots of fun as well.

Results from other schools have been excellent; families enjoyed a more comprehensive and convenient method of trading second-hand textbooks. Families are assisted to list For Sale & Wanted advertisements online and this new system matches buyers with sellers.

"I loved when we got to touch the sea creatures in the pool."

Some quotes from the students of 7 Dominic:

"The turtle shell was cool. Pretending to be a turtle was fun."

"The seastars felt bumpy and hard."

Robert Blackley Deputy Principal

"I loved everything about it. It's fun to be able to touch things."

Nurturing the whole student "I learned a lot of things I didn't know about the sea".

At the moment, Catholic schools are funded at 20 per cent less than government schools. Including school fees, this funding gap is 10 per cent.

Every effort is made to ensure that your child’s learning needs are met, so they can reach their full potential and achieve their best.

Our school seeks to foster a sense of community. Our teachers and staff work with you to develop the whole child: spiritually, emotionally, academically, physically, socially and culturally.

Students in Catholic schools are encouraged to engage with their communities, serve others and embrace social justice.

Our school needs government funding to help build a strong community that contributes to a better society.

For more information about school funding, please visit www.ceomelb.catholic.edu.au/funding.

Monica Bloetz Year 7 Science Excursion Coordinator Year 9 Dance Performance On Friday 12th October Year 9 dance students performed their group ensemble performances.

The dance was choreographed by Ashlee Hughes and was performed to 80 students.

The dance students should be very proud of all of the effort put into rehearsals.

In the next few weeks the students will be performing 3 group pieces which they have choreographed themselves.

Congratulations girls.

Ashlee Hughes

Fair Funding for Victorian Catholic Schools St Dominic’s Parish Melton Annual Debutante Ball St Dominic’s Parish Melton will hold its Annual Debutante Ball on Friday 28th June, this is the last Friday of Term Two. The function will be held at Luxor and we will be practising there every Thursday Night from 6 – 8 pm for 9 weeks. If you would like to participate please call Sue 97432941 or Robyn 97433174.

Uniform

Calendar 2012

2012

Term 4

Term 4

October

October

23rd 24th Year 25th 26th

Wednesday 24th 1.00pm - 2.00pm B. Mizzi L. Fawcett

Year 12 Graduation Mass Year 9 Peer Support Training 7 Premier League Round 5 Year 12 Graduation Dinner Year 8 Science Works Experience Year 7 Werribee Zoo Excursion 29th Year 11 Biology Excursion 30th Year 9 Food Activity 31st Year 7 Premier League Round 6 Parents & Friends Meeting 7.30pm November 1st 2nd 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Year 10 Reflection Day VCE Unit 3 & 4 Examinations VCE Unit 3 & 4 Examinations VCE Unit 3 & 4 Examinations Student Free Day Melbourne Cup Day - No classes Year 7 Premier League Finals VCE Unit 3 & 4 Examinations VCE Unit 3 & 4 Examinations VCE Unit 3 & 4 Examinations

Wednesday 31st 6.30pm - 7.30pm S. Thorburn L. Toskovski E. Mitchell A. Salmon November Wednesday 7th K. Arandt C. Crotty

1.00pm - 2.00pm L. Broadway

Wednesday 14th 6.30pm-7.30pm D. Cutajar T. Penza T. Agius C. Schembri

Canteen 2012 Term 4 October Wednesday 24th Thursday 25th

Mass Times

Friday 26th Monday 29th Wednesday 31st

St. Dominic’s Parish Parish Priest: Fr. Michael Moody Weekend Mass times: Saturday: 6.00pm Sunday: 9.00am & 11.00am St Bernard’s Parish Parish Priest: Fr. Brian Glasheen Weekend Mass times: Saturday: 6.30pm Sunday: 8.30am & 10.00am

St Anthony’s Parish Parish Priest: Fr. Fabian Smith Weekend Mass times: Saturday: 5.30pm Sunday: 8.30am & 10.30am

Lisa Wilkie Tess Galea Amanda Horwood Robyn Dodd Shirley Dobson Heidi Roberts Ange Stuhldreier

November Thursday 1st Friday 2nd

Linda Tomac Grace Mercreca Donna Robinson

Homework Club Homework Club is held every Wednesday in the Library from 3.30pm-4.30pm