2nd May, 2017 Reflection A Prayer from Pope Francis We live in cities that throw up skyscrapers and shopping centres and strike big real estate deals but they abandon a part of themselves to marginal settlements on the periphery. The result of this situation is that great sections of the population are excluded and marginalized: without a job, without options, without a way out. Don’t abandon them.Pray with me for all those who are afflicted, especially the poor, refugees, and marginalised. May they find welcome and comfort in our communities. Amen
Dear Parents and Friends, European Pilgrimage I was delighted to be with our group of 6 staff and 35 students for two weeks as we journeyed through Italy during the term break. The students represented the College well, and our sister school in Cividale were very impressed with them. We ended the Pilgrimage in Paris, and celebrated Mass on Easter Sunday at St Etienne du Mont. Mr Coates read the first reading of the Mass, by invitation of the local Bishop, who is pictured with some members of our group below. ‘13 Reasons Why’ Many parents will have heard of or read in recent weeks about the recently released Netflix show, ‘13 Reasons Why’. Can I ask all parents and guardians to read the material under Mr Blackley’s column in this newsletter, as it’s very important. Mark Sheehan Principal
Anzac Day Service Melton Fernando and I had the honorable opportunity of laying a wreath at the Melton ANZAC Day Service to commemorate all service men and women. ANZAC Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915, it is a day on which we all remember Australians who served and died in war. The spirit of ANZAC, with its qualities of courage, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning for our sense of national identity and pride. Athyang Akec College Captain
From the Deputy Principal (Staff) Parent – College Relationships Code of Conduct All families should have received by mail copies of our College’s Parent-College Relationships Code of Conduct. Please return a signed copy to the office. Athletics Our first Athletics carnival at the new Melton Athletics track ran smoothly last Thursday. Congratulations to all students who participated or supported others during the day. Although a little cold there was virtually no rain during the events. We are conducting a review of the day and ask that any parents with feedback please send via email to Natalie Bourke our Head of Sport at nbourke@crcmelton.com.au. From the Deputy Principal (Students) Social Media - Anti-bullying and cyber bullying forum In the first week of term all Year 8 students participated in a DOTCOM Cyberbullying workshop presented by the team from Project Rockit. The focus for students was to develop awareness and empathy for targets of cyberbullying. Empowering students to take ownership over core material and create a supportive online culture. Year 7 students participated in an anti-bullying workshop also presented by Project Rockit team. Rather than dealing with labels of ‘bullies’ and ‘victims,’ the workshop placed an emphasis on the role of the bystander and the responsibility to stand up to bullying and be counted. The workshop presented strategies and examined a range of related issues, including social labels, resilience, personal values, judgement and leadership. Behaving differently when no one else is watching is nothing new to the digital age, just more pronounced. It’s an extension of the “what would you do if you were invisible?” question, as there are opportunities for you to be somewhat invisible over the internet. A lot of the time this happens outside of school hours in the privacy of their own home. The fallout then comes into the school yard and classroom. The link below contains valuable information on the various misuse of social apps people can use to bully individuals online, post photos and make comments whilst in many cases remaining anonymous. https://www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/games-apps-and-socialnetworking How to talk to young people about “13 Reasons Why” As mentioned earlier in the newsletter there has been a lot of talk about the recently released Netflix show, ‘13 Reasons Why’. The show is the story of a girl who suicides, leaving tapes for her classmates which place the blame on them. The Netflix program directly exposes viewers to very risky suicide content and may lead to distressing reactions. Youth mental health and suicide prevention services worldwide, including Mental Health First Aid Australia and Headspace, have expressed concerns about the show, especially the graphic nature of some of the scenes. Mental Health First Aid Australia has created two documents to help with this: 1. Possible discussion points about the show. It is by no means exhaustive. https://mhfa.com.au/sites/default/files/13-reasons-why-plot-talking-points.pdf 2. Summary of the plot and explanation of what material may be distressing or even triggering for vulnerable young people. https://mhfa.com.au/sites/default/files/13-reasons-why-plot-summary.pdf Headspace has also released advice and information available on the following link. https://www.headspace.org.au/ assets/School-Support/Talking-to-Young-People-about-13-Reasons-Why.pdf If anyone is in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to themselves or others, contact emergency services on 000. Advice for supporting adults, children or young people who are vulnerable or have expressed concerns about their own mental health is available from: Lifeline 13 11 14 , Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, Headspace 1800 650 890, Local doctor. If your child needs support at school, please encourage them to see the College Psychologist, School Counsellor, Level Coordinator, their Homeroom Teacher or the Deputy Principal - Student Wellbeing
School Spirit Awards Term 1 School Spirit Award winners were announced and presented at our end of term full school assembly. Congratulations and well done to the following students. Year 7 Heather Petelo Sauvao - 7 Reed Heather is always friendly, optimistic, helpful and studious. She is a pleasure to teach because she brightens up each lesson with her positive attitude. Heather personifies the true Christian being, she is selfless, caring, very respectful, encouraging to other students and is always courteous to staff and peers. Within the classroom, in the yard and on camp her kindness and willingness to help others is quite special. Heather is committed to doing her best in Year 7.
Jacob Presnell - 7 Bernard Jacob has made a positive start to the school year through a conscientious and hard-working approach always exhibiting a positive outlook and attitude in everything he does. On year seven camp he demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities showing compassion, courtesy, respect and cooperation in all that he participated in. Jacob volunteered appropriately to help out others whilst on camp and was told by the organisers of the camp they would gladly employ him to work for them. He shows initiative and is always looking for new ways to get involved in the CRC community. Year 8 Hannah Ciappara - 8 Reed Hannah is extremely hard working, organised and helpful to both fellow students and staff members. She has demonstrated a very positive and mature approach to her Year 8 studies. Both staff and students have commented on her ability to lift the mood of the homeroom with her positive attitude, the most recent example of this was evident with her individual donation of $45 to the Caritas box.
Dongrin Poundak - 8 O’Reilly Dongrin is new to CRC in 2017, he always uses his class time effectively, and demonstrates a real enthusiasm in all of his subjects. He is an excellent role model and has impressed both staff and peers with his friendly and mature personality from his first day. Year 9 Ivana Giannakoulis - 9 Catherine Ivana is a very cooperative student who displays excellent teamwork skills. She is an amazing addition to the cohort of Year 9 and our community. She always has a positive attitude, tries her best and is very friendly. A delightful student who is courteous and enthusiastic. Ivana demonstrates excellent leadership qualities, especially in Rite Journey, as well as being a positive role model for others.
Damien Pendleton - 9 Bernard Damien is always pleasant to both teachers and students and very approachable. He works well with others in group tasks and will work with whoever he is assigned to work with. Damien also takes on constructive feedback well and uses it to expand on ideas and concepts to better his work and himself as a person. He takes initiative and is willing to put forward ideas.
Year 10 Samantha Stone - 10 O’Reilly Samantha is mature and works diligently to meet all work requirements to a high standard. She is always respectful to staff and students and is a pleasure to teach. Samantha participated in the Year 7 Camp as a Peer Support Leader, she embraced this new challenge with energy and helped run many activities.
Brock Willmott - 10 Anthony Brock is a positive and enthusiastic member of the Year 10 cohort. He is always willing to lend a helping hand to staff and his fellow peers, this was demonstrated recently when he witnessed a Year 8 student falling off his bike, he immediately ran to this student’s aid. Brock did not leave his fellow student until a teacher arrived; this demonstrated a genuine Catholic spirit and concern for others.
Year 11 Emma Winzar - 11 Mackillop Emma has made a successful transition from Year 10 to VCE and met the increased challenges with diligence and a positive attitude. She is studious and works hard in all of her subjects to achieve her best. Emma has set goals for her future and appears driven to do her best to achieve her aspirations including studying two Year 12 subjects in Year 11. She is personable and has established good relationships with both her teachers and her peers and is a positive role model for other students at the College.
Nyaniek Dau - 11 Dominic Nyaniek has also made a successful transition from Year 10 to the increased demands of VCE studies. Nominated by her teachers she has worked hard to improve her academic performance and is finding success as a reward for her effort. Nyaniek is receptive to feedback and willing to implement any suggestions as required. She relates well to her peers and is a positive role model for the other students at the College.
Year 12 Grace Patterson - 12 Dominic Grace has made an impressive start to Year 12. Her positive nature and excellent work ethic has led to success in a variety of subjects so far. Grace seeks to improve the quality of her work by readily accepting feedback from teachers. She shows great resilience, has continued to work productively and positively and is a good role model for other students.
Kade Bishop - 12 Catherine Kade has impressed with his recent contributions to school community. He has been involved ‘behind the scenes’ helping to promote house spirit for our College Carnivals. Kade has proven to be a reliable leader within the year level. He has been responsible for creating photo slideshows of school events for Year 12 Assemblies, all of which have been completed in his own time.
Student Achievement Congratulations to Mitchell Brown who recently represented CRC Melton at the Australasian Schools and Universities Karate Championships held in Sydney during the school holidays. There were 7 countries involved. It was an exciting moment when Mitchell won bronze in a division of 9 students.
From the Director of Learning NAPLAN Testing Years 7 & 9 2017 The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for Years 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday 9th May, Wednesday 10th May and Thursday 11th May. NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and school leadership which can be used to improve student achievement. All Years 7 and 9 students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests. Exemptions may be granted to students with significant intellectual disabilities or severe language disorders and to students who have been learning English for less than one year. The College’s Learning Support staff will contact the parents of those students who may be eligible for exemption. Parental consent is required before any support due to disability or exemption is granted. Parents will receive a personal NAPLAN report later in the year. The report will describe each student’s particular skills in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The report will also show performance in relation to national minimum standards. These describe the minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia. For more information about the tests, please visit the VCAA website at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au or the NAP website at www.nap.edu.au NAPLAN Testing will operate at the following times:
Writing
TUESDAY, MAY 9th. YEAR 7 Period 1 YEAR 7 Period 2
YEAR 9 Period 1 YEAR 9 Period 2
Reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10th. YEAR 7 Period 1
YEAR 9 Period 1
THURSDAY, MAY 11th. YEAR 7 Period 1
YEAR 9 Period 1
Language Conventions
Numeracy (calculator required)
These times are stipulated by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority to ensure all schools are undertaking tests at common times. Students will need to have a ruler, an eraser and book to read (if they finish early) as well as their books for the remainder of each period class of each session unless told otherwise (as most tests will not take a full period time allotment). Can I particularly stress the need for all Year 7 and 9 students to have their own calculator for the Thursday morning test. Narelle Layton
Peer Support Formal Year 7 Peer Support sessions for all students have now concluded. At the end of last term, Year 7 students and their Peer Support leaders had a simple social lunch during lunchtime. Students had the opportunity to reflect on their gains and growth over their first term at CRC. It was a wonderful sight. I would like to thank the community for their support of the Peer Support Program as it instills and models valuable Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, aimed at strengthening student wellbeing. In Term 2, the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders will help to run the Year 7 Alternate Learning Program for students not participating in the Premier League sporting program. The focus of these sessions revolve around 'values'. If you have any feedback about the above, please email me at enowak@crcmelton.com.au Elise Nowak - Student Leadership Coordinator
VCE & Year 10 Drama Ensemble Performance Night The VCE Drama and Year 10 Drama students will be performing their Group Ensembles. All families and friends of CRC are welcome to support the students as they will be assessed. Date: Thursday 11th May Time: 6:30pm Sharp Venue: Catholic Regional College Melton, Performing Arts Centre Ashlee Hughes Celebration Day/Back to Parish Mass On Tuesday 16th of May, students will start their day at their local parish church for morning Mass with their parish community. Students celebrating Mass at St Anthony’s or St Bernard’s will return to school by bus for Celebration Day activities. Students of Melton Parish will be celebrating at St Catherine’s and will start the morning at school by arriving by 8.40am and gathering in year level areas for roll taking and will then move across to church. CRC staff will be at all parishes and supervise the return to school. The College day will have a normal finish time of 3.20pm. Students are to wear PE uniform and those attending St Anthony’s and St Bernard’s are expected to make their own way to church and are required to arrive 15 minutes before Mass begins. Mass times: St Bernard’s 9.30am St Anthony’s 9.15am St Catherine’s 9.15am Shaun Coates Religious Education & Faith Development Coordinator
Year 10 History Excursion On Thursday 20th April, 42 history students attended an excursion to the Holocaust Museum and HMAS Castlemaine as part of their curriculum in History. The students were able to meet a survivor of the Holocaust, had guided tours through the museum of artefacts and an information seminar. Alongside the museum, the students also had a guided tour through the HMAS Castlemaine, one of sixty Australian minesweeper vessels. The students had a fantastic day and represented CRC Melton in a very positive manner. Carissa Lock and Ashlee Hughes History Teachers
Year 10 Political Law Excursion On April 24 the Year 10 Political Law class went on excursion to the Melbourne Magistrates Court and the Victorian Parliament. Whilst at the court students moved through the different courts and witnessed various types of hearings including bail applications and summary hearings. Students witnessed the Magistrate, Prosecution, and Defence parties in action. They also witnessed firsthand the frustrations of the court and the processes that prevent the closure of cases such as legal counsel not attending, missing briefs, self-represented litigants and contradicting stories. At the Victorian Parliament students participated in an educational tour. They sat in both chambers of the parliament and heard about some of the debated legislation that has taken place in the parliament over the last several years. We heard many stories about politicians and the creation of the parliament itself. It was an excellent day and students represented the school with pride. Daniela Harrington
Celebrating and Recognising Culture The aim of the night is to acknowledge the diverse cultures of CRC and to celebrate the richness and the differences that make us such a global community. May 4th 6.30 (pre- show finger foods) 7.00pm (show starts) – 9.30 Cost $10.00 each Family ticket - 4 seats $35.00 Primary school children are free if they sit on the knees of family members. This is an opportunity for students, staff and parents from all cultural backgrounds to feel that they are welcomed and embraced by our CRC community. The night gives you the chance to show how proud you are of your rituals, customs and traditions Although we come from many different countries and have different cultures, we want our school community to unite as one on this special night and embrace many of the cultures represented at CRC. Entertainment: Ivan Harris from Melton Thoroughbreds will be talking about his travels along with a staff Karate demonstration, Irish, African and South American dancers, Drumming and a Samoan Choir will all entertain you. Tickets can be purchased through Trybooking using the following link: https://
www.trybooking.com/PKYU
It promises to be a great night
Calendar
Homework Club
2017 There will be no Homework Club this week. Term 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 9 May 10 May 11 May
16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May
Senior Netball Yr 7 Premier League Round 3 Yr 9 & 10 Dance Excursion St Vincent de Paul Conference Cultural Night 7pm Unit 1 Dance Excursion Senior AFL & Netball Naplan Naplan Naplan Yr 8 MASP Exc Yr 7 Ancient China Expo Yr 10 Celebration Day Yr 7 Premier League Round 4 Unit 1 & 3 Outdoor Ed Camp Yr 10 Geography Camp Unit 1 & 3 Outdoor Ed Camp Yr 10 Geography Camp Unit 1 & 3 Outdoor Ed Camp Yr 10 Geography Camp Yr 12 VCD Excursion
Mass Times Parish of Melton Parish Priest : Fr Michael Moody Assistant Priest: Fr Geoffrey McIlroy Weekend Mass times: St Catherine of Siena Church Bulmans Rd, Melton West Saturday: 6.00pm Sunday: 9.00am & 11.00am Sunday: 5.00pm St Bernard’s Parish Parish Priest: Fr. Fabian Smith Assistant Priest: Fr John Paul Mount Fr Patrick Bradford Weekend Mass times: Saturday: 6.30pm Sunday: 8.30am & 10.00am
Academy Uniforms CRC Melton operating hours: Monday 8.00am –10am Thursday 11.30am—2pm Online orders: www.academyuniforms.com.au Online Password : Melton
St Anthony’s Parish Parish Priest: Fr. Fabian Smith Assistant Priest: Fr John Paul Mount Fr Patrick Bradford Weekend Mass times: Saturday: 5.30pm Sunday: 8.30am & 10.30am