6th december 2016

6th December, 2016 Reflection Saint Francis Prayer Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Dear Parents and Students, Principal’s Mass and Dinner Last Wednesday night I attended the Principal’s Mass and Dinner for Primary and Secondary Principals in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Some 280 leaders were in attendance as both retiring and long-serving Principals were acknowledged by Archbishop Denis Hart.

As CEM Executive Director, Stephen Elder noted in his address – “we are delighted to recognise the contribution of so many leaders in Catholic education, and to share in the faith and fellowship that defines our Catholic sector”.

CRC Melton Volunteers Dinner On the same night in Melton, the school recognised the efforts of volunteers this year, as they gathered at Tabcorb Park for a ‘thank you’ Dinner. As you can see from the photo below, we had a good number of parents present and we would welcome more parents to volunteer their time in 2017.

May parents, staff and students of CRC Melton school community experience the gift of peace this Christmas and may the peace of Christ endure in your hearts and minds throughout the coming year.

Best wishes, Mark Sheehan Principal

From the Deputy Principal (Staff)

As this is our last newsletter for 2016, I would like to wish all families a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. I thank you for your support in 2016 and look forward to a successful 2017.

Year 9 End of Year Key Dates Year 9 students are involved with their City Experience this week. Mrs Dunne and Mr Ryan have put together a fantastic program for the students that enables them to have personal choice in their activities and includes an Amazing Race. This City orientation will really benefit the students in their future Melbourne visits, especially for those who undertake Work Experience in Melbourne next year. Friday will be their final school day for 2016.

Year 7 & 8 End of Year Dates

Year 7 and Year 8 students have normal classes until Thursday, December 4. On Friday, December 5 they will have a special day program and will be dismissed from school at 1.30pm. For those students needing to stay until bus pick up, the College will run activities until 3.20pm.

Buses On Friday, most Bacchus Marsh Coach buses will come early for a 1.40pm departure. Town buses (SITA) will not pick up here after school, so parents need to make other arrangements.

2017 Dates Listed below are key starting dates for next year.

Wednesday, 18th January Thursday, 26th January Monday, 30th January Wednesday, 1st February

Thursday, 2nd February

Office opens Australia Day Holiday Teaching Staff Return Year 7 Students Start Year 11 Students Return (off campus orientation) Year 12 Induction day All Students Return Day 4 of Timetable

John Christie Deputy Principal (Staff) 2016 Reports Semester 2 reports will be available through our Parent Access Module (PAM) on Thursday 15th December. All families will need to have their access code, if you do not have your PAM access code then please contact: itsupport@crcmelton.com.au

Reading for Encouragement, Enjoyment and Development (R.E.E.D.) 2017

Educational research states that when students read consistently for pleasure there is a natural development in reading comprehension, expansion of vocabulary and an increase in writing sophistication. These skills in turn enhance a students’ ability to achieve a real understanding of the complicated texts that are necessary in everyday school life. In addition to such skill development, many studies have also shown that reading for pleasure results in higher levels of academic success, better health outcomes, higher job success and satisfaction, financial independence and a greater self-esteem.

The benefits of reading for pleasure to academic success is thus well documented and in an ongoing effort to support students achieve academic excellence, CRC Melton will be introducing the Reading for Encouragement, Enjoyment and Development (R.E.E.D.) program in 2017. This initiative aims to develop the reading skills of our students and will require every student in Years 7 to 10 to read silently for pleasure for the first 15 minutes of Period 2 everyday excluding Thursdays. Every student will be required to have their own hard copy text to read - such texts may include novels, biographies, graphic novels, and newspapers. The College library has a range of novels that students may borrow, a growing e-library that can be accessed on the students iPad in Term 2 onwards and students are also encouraged to visit Melton library to source a broader range of reading material.

An important aspect of the R.E.E.D. program is the modeling of reading for pleasure and hence, during this silent reading time the teachers and student support officers will also be reading for pleasure. This modeling of reading for pleasure is documented to change student perception of reading and contributes to the development of a sense of importance of reading for pleasure amongst both male and female students.

The R.E.E.D. program will start at the beginning of the 2017 academic school year and your support in ensuring that your student arrives at school every day in Term 1 with a hard copy text to read for pleasure will be appreciated. From Term 2 onwards, reading material may be expanded to e texts. Melton library is open over the holiday period and all students are encouraged to visit the library and read for pleasure over the holiday period. Students should also organize their Melton e library login and the College e library login to ensure that they are in a position to take full advantage of this learning opportunity in 2017.

Calendar 2016 Term 4 December 7th 8th 9th

Year 9 City Experience Year 9 City Experience Year 7 - 11 Awards Evening Year 9 City Experience Year 7 - 9 End of Year

My dear friends in Christ At the end of another big year I want to express my gratitude to each of you for the generous way that you share your gifts with your school communities. I am sure that you have offered your expert knowledge, the wisdom of your experience and your valuable personal insights in many situations throughout the year. As we celebrate the many achievements of our students and the joy and purpose that they bring to our lives, I also wish to thank you on their behalf for the reassurance that you offer them in difficult times, for the joy of learning that you kindle in them and for the guidance that you offer them as they test out their learning. Each of us has a debt of gratitude to our teachers and to those who have supported and inspired us in our youth.

For many of us this will be remembered as the Year of Mercy, when our Holy Father Pope Francis encouraged us to see mercy in everything we do and say, being merciful as our heavenly father is merciful (Lk 6: 36). As well as remembering the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy, such as caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, providing education, offering forgiveness and consolation to those who are suffering, Pope Francis has asked us to take time to contemplate gratefully God’s beautiful world and to remember the needs of our common home in our daily decisions.

Having a home and a community to belong to is a precious gift in our troubled world. This year the continuing refugee crisis in Syria has reminded all of us of how deeply connected we are as a global community and how we can touch the lives of people through our acts of mercy even on the other side of the world. In this climate, welcoming the stranger as Christ is a most beautiful expression of mercy. There are many expressions of mercy in our schools, and the example that you give to our young people in living mercifully gives them the inspiration to become beacons of hope in our troubled world.

Recently the Victorian Bishops released a statement strongly condemning domestic violence. This statement is addressed in part to those who may be the first point of contact for the victims of domestic violence, including teachers. As teachers, you may be called on to care for children and young people suffering fear and distress because of domestic violence in their family. This work is at the heart of who we are as Church.

The recent Royal Commission into Family Violence has provided insights into this crisis of domestic violence and we commend the Victorian Government’s prompt response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations. We also acknowledge the work of our own agencies that have been working to overcome domestic violence for many years.

Families should be places of safety and love, where all relationships respect the equality and dignity of each person.

I hope that this statement will support you in your work with young people and their families, and encourage you and all the community to do what you can to eliminate harm and promote respect, safety and healing.

Close to our hearts at this time are those members of our Church and school communities who have endured the terrible suffering of being sexually abused by those whom they trusted. The tragedy of such injustices cannot be overstated. We must continue to work to bring healing and hope to those damaged by this evil and to do everything we can to proclaim the preciousness of each child and to ensure they have a safe future. As the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse continues in 2017 we will continue to assist in every way possible.

I know that Catholic schools today are safe places with vigilant staff and communities, and that the spiritual, physical, emotional and cognitive wellbeing of all young people is paramount in our educational vision. I am aware, too, of the substantial work in schools to increase vigilance and strengthen processes and protocols, and to implement the Victorian Government’s Child Safe Standards, to ensure our children and young people are safe and feel safe. I encourage you and commend you all in this essential work.

Advent is a time when we welcome joy, peace and hope into our lives and into our world. During the first advent, some two thousand years ago, a young couple travelled to a town called Bethlehem looking for a safe place to welcome a new baby into the world. Very few people in Bethlehem knew what an amazing event was taking place, but one innkeeper was kind enough to let them stay in the stable behind the inn. This simple act of kindness welcomed the Son of God into the world.

As the year comes to an end we give thanks to the Lord for the blessings of the year, grateful for God’s saving presence in our lives in the good and the hard times. I pray that each of you has a safe and blessed Christmas with your families and loved ones.

My Christmas blessing for you, my dear friends, is that, through your simple acts of mercy in the daily life of your school communities, your families and all those you meet, you may be led to an encounter with Jesus Christ, in whom is all our peace and joy and hope.

Denis J. Hart DD Archbishop of Melbourne