Weekly Reflection

Easter Week: A story we know well, yet the mystery remains

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 

Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Gospel of Mark


We enter Holy Week with the proclaiming of the Passion and death of Jesus as told in Mark’s Gospel. We have heard it many, many times. We have seen the story played out in various television and movie interpretations. Still, it remains compelling and moving.

We are moved at the Last Supper when Jesus shares his Body and Blood.

We are saddened by the apostles deserting Jesus in the garden and angered by the high priests and Pilate and by Peter’s denial.

We identify with Simon of Cyrene as he carries Jesus’ cross and by Joseph of Arimathea’s courage. We shudder as we hear the cold stone rolled against the entrance of the tomb.

But we are also blessed to know that the story of our salvation does not end there in death.

There will be the Alleluias of Easter to lift us up and to complete all that has happened. And while we may know the outcome, it will still remain the greatest of mysteries.

Shaun Coates

Director of Catholic Identity

From the Principal

Participation in regular physical activity and team sports provides proven positive outcomes for students and contributes significantly to mental health and wellbeing. 

The College is committed to providing a variety of sports opportunities for students through competitions run by the Sports Association of Catholic Co-educational Secondary Schools (SACCSS). This forms part of our College commitment to development of the whole person.

Last week, our Division 1 Boys and Girls Volleyball teams both won their grand final matches. Click here to read about their success. Yesterday (Monday 29 March) our Senior Cricket team played in their grand final and were victorious. You can click here to read the full story. Today our swimming team made up of students from across all year levels is competing in the SACCSS Swimming Carnival at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Watch our Facebook and Instagram pages for photos from the day.

Thank you to our staff who volunteer to coach and supervise our sporting teams and I congratulate all students on their commitment and success. They are excellent ambassadors for our College.

A Lenten message

In his 2021 Lenten Message, Pope Francis asks the following of us:

"In Lent, may we be increasingly concerned with 'speaking words of comfort, strength, consolation and encouragement, and not words that demean, sadden, anger or show scorn' (Fratelli Tutti, 223). In order to give hope to others, it is sometimes enough simply to be kind, to be 'willing to set everything else aside in order to show interest, to give the gift of a smile, to speak a word of encouragement, to listen amid general indifference' (ibid., 224)."

To read the full Lenten Message, click here.

My hope as we approach Easter Sunday is that Lent has prepared us for a renewal of our faith. This Easter, may all our families experience the joy of the risen Christ.

Wishing all our students and their families a safe, restful and holy Easter break.

Marlene Jorgensen

Principal

Looking Ahead

Dates to remember
Tuesday 30 March & Wednesday 31 MarchParent Student Teacher Interviews (online)
Wednesday 31 MarchCollege Mass and final day of Term 1 for students - 3.20pm dismissal
Monday 19 AprilTerm 2 commences
Thursday 22 AprilCollege Athletics Carnival


View the full College Calendar

From the Deputy Principal Operations, Staffing and Strategic Intent

A reminder to parents and guardians that Term 1 will conclude for students tomorrow (Wednesday 31 March) at 3.20pm. Term 2 will begin on Monday 19 April.

Today (Tuesday 30 March) and tomorrow, the College will hold its Parent Student Teacher Interviews. Interviews can be booked through PAM. Parents and guardians have been sent instructions on how to make a booking.

Interviews can be booked from 4.30pm on both days. We will use Teams to facilitate the interviews, so families do not need to come into the College. Once bookings are made, families will receive a link to the Teams interview at their scheduled time.

Michael Wilcock

Deputy Principal, Operations, Staffing and Strategic Intent

From the Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing

The final week of Term 1 is a time for reflection about the beginning of the school year.

As the term ends, I encourage students to consider their achievements and ways to continue developing their skills. They could begin by asking, ‘Have I been the best I can be’?

If the answer is yes, it is a time for a celebration of successes – students should make a note of them and acknowledge the hard work they demanded of themselves to achieve their outcomes.

If this is not the case, I ask students to think about the challenges that blocked their pathway or caused distraction and how better choices could help them achieve their goals next term.

We have many students who have strived to be their best this term.

Recently, I joined the Year 7 students on camp for a day and observed their different activities. It was wonderful to see the friendships and connections being made as students embraced being in a country environment.

One of the activities was raft building, during which students were given equipment to make a raft they could use to sail to an island in the middle of the lake.

Junior from 7 Bernard created his raft using pipes and pieces of wood held together with rope. He used an oar to help him sail across the lake. It was a great effort from Junior - he tried his very best, achieved fantastic results and was rightfully very proud of his raft.

Another student who has also embraced the 2021 College theme is Teresa from 10 Anthony.

Teresa is part of our College production. She is thoroughly enjoying rehearsals and looking forward to performing on the night.

Teresa was also a member of our Senior Volleyball Team that were successful at the SACCSS competition earlier this month. The girls brought home the College’s fourth championship in a row, playing in Division 1 against some strong teams. Well done Teresa!

Winter uniform in Term 2

When we return in Term 2, students will be required to wear their full winter uniform. Click here to find the College Uniform Policy and details of our uniform supplier, Academy Uniforms.

A reminder that when wearing the PE uniform, the bottom of the tracksuit pants should not be rolled up. Please use the school holidays to adjust the length of pants if they are too long.

I wish all families a blessed Easter and hope you enjoy quality time with your loved ones. I look forward to a productive and industrious Term 2.

Cheryl Bullen

Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing - Melton Campus

From the Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

Last week the mid-semester reports were released, and bookings opened on PAM for our Term 1 Parent Student Teacher Interviews (PSTIs).

Our reports have an extra section included under the heading of class tasks. Teachers have indicated how students are progressing through formative class tasks, providing an opportunity to discuss progress.

Previous reports have only commented on work practices. We hope this provides an insight into current progress as students continue to work on mastering a topic. Our end of semester reports will include all final assessment tasks.

It has been a busy and full term as our students continue their learning journeys.

The new Tutor Program in Year 7 to 10 and GAP Tutors in our VCE program has helped students progress and enhance their learning.

I want to acknowledge and thank our teachers for their dedication to learning and teaching this term. I would also like to thank all our families who continue to support their children in their learning journey.

Wishing you a happy and holy Easter.

Joanne Holmes

Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

Senior Cricket Win

Our Senior Cricket team won the final of the SACCSS Division 2 cricket competition yesterday (Monday 29 March), beating Caroline Chisholm Catholic College at Hansen Reserve in West Footscray.

During Term 1 our senior students were involved in the SACCSS competition along with teams from Caroline Chisholm, Kolbe College, CRC Sydenham and Marymede College.

After a loss in Round 1 against Caroline Chisholm, the College team won its next two matches against CRC Sydenham and Kolbe College. Round 4 against Marymede College was washed out and the points were shared between the colleges. CRC Melton finished second on the ladder qualifying for the final and a rematch against Caroline Chisholm.

To begin the final, Caroline Chisholm won the toss and sent us in to bat. After losing three wickets in the first five overs, the results were looking bleak. However, with some good partnerships through the middle order, our team posted a total of 8/90 off their 20 overs. Cody top scored with 23 runs.

In the second half of the match our opening bowlers Zac and Nemitha contained Caroline Chisholm to 1/21 off the first eight overs. With the pressure building Cody and Jonathan took three wickets each and some excellent fielding resulted in two run outs. Caroline Chisholm finished the innings all out for 60 runs.

Cody was awarded Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.

Congratulations to the Senior Cricket team and thank you to Mr Zayne Armer for all of his assistance and our Principal Mrs Marlene Jorgensen for supporting on the day.

Adam Cooper

Senior Cricket Coach

Year 10 Outdoor and Environmental Geography

During Term 1, Year 10 Outdoor Education students have spent time exploring some of Victoria’s beautiful coastlines. We have been away on two-day trips and enjoyed surfing and snorkelling along the Bellarine Peninsula.

We have been lucky enough to sight dolphins, seals, gannet birds, and some colourful coral reefs through these experiences. Students also got to ‘hang 10’ on some waves and treat themselves to some of Barwon Heads’ finest ice cream.

The trips enabled students to deepen their understanding of what motivates people to seek outdoor experiences, how they respond to these experiences and the different characteristics that make up our diverse outdoor environments in Australia.


We are blessed to have started the year with such rich experiences and look forward to more in the months ahead.
Annika Miesen

Health, Physical and Outdoor Education teacher

Year 11 Physics – Circuit Scribe


As part of Unit 1 Physics, students study how electric circuits work.

This year, our Year 11 students experienced electric circuits in a new and exciting way using our brand-new Circuit Scribe kit.

Using a conductive silver ink pen, students draw connections between their electronic modules on paper. Once they turn their switch on, their creation activates.

Students started by exploring series and parallel circuits using light-emitting diodes and compared the brightness in each circuit. Once students mastered the basics, they were given free choice of their electronic components. The possibilities were endless and were only limited by their imagination.

“Our Year 11 Physics class did a practical activity for electricity called Circuit Scribe. Many students had creative ideas on how circuits work and had fun using motors, buzzers and multi-coloured LED lights.” Noah, 11M

Students interested in electronics will have the opportunity to participate in Circuit Scribe activities throughout the year during our STEM Pop-Up Workshops.

Elizabeth Piacquadio

STEM Coordinator

Year 10 Reflection Day

Year 10 students took part in their annual Reflection Day yesterday (29 March) led by Chris Doyle.

The activities provoked some deep thinking from our Year 10 students who were invited to sing, dance and strut their stuff in front of each other, breaking down barriers and expanding comfort zones. It was a great opportunity for students to share their talents and gifts outside the classroom.

Chris challenged the students with some big questions and ideas about their choices with their faith and what a good life for them looks like.

It was a poignant day for our young people as they were tasked with reflecting on who they are as a person and who they want to be moving forward.

The day ended with the Year 10 students wishing each other well and saying “Namaste” acknowledging that “the light in me, recognises the light in you”.

Thank you to our Director of Catholic Identity Shaun Coates for organising yet another successful Reflection Day.

Annika Miesen

Year 10 Coordinator

Art Clubs

Two art clubs that run weekly at the College during lunchtime have seen students get creative and produce some great work.

Every Monday at the Express Yourself Art Club, students participate in a range of activities or complete their own choice of artwork.

This term, students have worked with play dough, watercolour paint and pencils. I am seeing a lot of original artwork so well done to students who have been coming along.

On a Thursday, Mr Trent Hobson and I run the Down Time Art Club for people who love quiet mindfulness art activities.

We have been creating clay animals representing ourselves - how we move, what we look like, how we think. This week we started an Emotional Landscape to express how we are feeling at this moment in time.

Students who would like to join either club can bring their lunch and earn points for their house. There will also be awards given at the end of each semester and the usual fish and chip lunch.

Kath Jones

Catherine House Leader

Teaching students how to get organised


Last Thursday (25 March), our Year 8 students participated in a presentation by Elevate Education, focusing on strategies to improve their time management.

Within their homerooms, the Elevate presenter provided tips on time management and handy hints for completing homework. The session also covered the importance of revision and useful techniques, managing deadlines and breaking assessment tasks and tests into sections.

Students found the session informative, saying they could incorporate some strategies and tips into their study habits.

Below is a link to a simple weekly planner, with a step by step guide to creating a study timetable that students may wish to use.

Study timetable

Jordan Reithofer

Lawrence House Leader

Languages Update

Learning a language is like learning to ride a bike - it can be difficult at the start, but with lots of practice, you can explore so many amazing places. Being bilingual opens many doors, both educationally and professionally.

This year, the Languages team at CRC Melton is excited to teach 23 language classes ranging from Year 7 to senior levels.

Our Year 7 students have been busy studying greetings in Italian and performed their role plays this week. They also explored the festival of Carnevale in Venice. Students celebrated this colourful festival by creating masks and costumes.

Year 8 students also enjoyed making masks in class and studied the important topic of family.

Students created a PowerPoint presentation of their family or a famous family, describing the family members using expressions and vocabulary covered in class. We look forward to viewing these presentations next term. Students also completed Kahoots and used Languages Online and Education Perfect to consolidate their learning throughout the term.

Year 9, 10 and 11 Italian and Indonesian students have worked tirelessly to complete their assessment tasks before the end of term. They have also used Education Perfect to consolidate their learning in VET Applied Language and have produced some great work.

Year 9 and 10 students will participate in the Dante Alighieri Italian Poetry Competition in Term 3. The students will practice reciting their chosen poem over the holiday break and throughout Term 2 in preparation for the competition scheduled for August.

Other upcoming events for the Languages Domain include:

  • Italian Club (Term 2 and 3). Our Italian class captains and Italian teachers will run an Italian Club every fortnight on a Monday at lunchtime (Day 1). Students can play Italian card games, bocce, tombola, Boggle, Scarabeo (Scrabble) watch Italian movies, hear Italian music and listen to a teacher sing Italian opera. House points and prizes will be awarded as well as certificates of participation.
  • A visit to the Melbourne Zoo by our Year 8 cohort in Term 2. The excursion will complement their study of animals.
  • A visit to the Italian Museum at COASIT in Carlton by our senior students, followed by a delicious lunch in Lygon Street.
  • An Italian Day in Term 3 with pizza and gelato on offer at lunchtime.
  • An Italian drama production called Mission Gnocchi for our junior students. Senior students will hear Italian author Archimede Fusillo speak about his experiences being raised by Italian parents and the impact this has had on his life and career as a successful author. Archimede has written popular books such as The Dons and last year published Tribal Lores.
  • Dance workshops conducted by musical entertainer Phil Carroll for some of our classes.

We wish all families a holy and peaceful Easter break.

Alessandra Vono

Language Domain Leader

E-Safety webinar

The eSafety Commissioner will run a free webinar for parents and guardians in May on how to set up devices and apps to keep young people safer online.

CRC Melton is an eSafety school and these sessions are very informative and easy to join, even if you’re not that familiar with technology. The webinar will include practical tips, demonstrations and advice.

The webinars are aimed at parents and guardians of children aged four to 13. Although most CRC Melton students are older than this, families who also have younger children may find the strategies helpful.

The webinar will cover:

  • The benefits and limitations of parental controls
  • How to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
  • How to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
  • Using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
  • How eSafety can help when things go wrong

Webinar dates and registration details are available below.

Paul Iannazzo

eLearning Coordinator

Community Notices

After school activities

City of Melton Young Communities reminds students that it has many programs available every day after school. Check out their newsletter below to see what’s on, or visit www.melton.vic.gov.au/youngcommunities.

2021 Term 1 Young Communities Newsletter

School holiday program

City of Melton Young Communities Youth Holiday Activities are back this April and registrations are now open. Enjoy dodgeball, paintball, a ghost tour, a Western United Football Club clinic, a FReeZA scooter competition and more. You can view the program below or visit www.melton.vic.gov.au/YHA

2021 April Youth Holiday Activities

Western Regional Volleyball Competition

The wait for the long-anticipated Western Region Volleyball (WRV) Competition is over. WRV has announced details of the competition to commence in Term 2. You will find all the details below.

Western Region Volleyball Competition

Netballers wanted

Melbourne Victory School Holiday Program

Useful Links

Keep up to date with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.

PAM – Parent Portal

Parent Handbook

Policies

Uniform

Library

Facebook

Instagram

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