Weekly Reflection

Feast of St John XXIII – 11 October

Yesterday was the feast of the much loved Pope John 23rd. Born Angelo Roncali in 1881 he was elected pope in October 1958 at 76 years of age as a transitional head of the Catholic Church.

Instead, his papacy initiated a new age in the Church as he vowed to fling open its windows. Vatican II and the changes it wrought are his legacy.


Pope John, You are God’s faithful servant.

Your simplicity and meekness sparked in people’s hearts the desire for goodness. You spoke often of the beauty of the family gathered around the table to share bread and faith: pray for us that once again true families would live in our homes.

With outstretched hands, you sowed hope, and you taught us to listen for God’s footsteps as he prepares a new humanity: help us have a healthy optimism for life.

You loved the world with its light and darkness, and you believed that peace is possible: help us be instruments of peace at home and in our communities.

You moved the world and reminded us that hands have been given to us not for striking, but for embracing others. Pray for us so that we do not limit ourselves to cursing the darkness but that we bring the light, bringing Jesus everywhere.

Amen.

Shaun Coates

Director of Catholic Identity

From the Principal


The First General Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia was held last week, for the first time since 1937.

A Plenary Council is the highest formal gathering of all local churches in a country. The event was a significant moment in the Church’s history and considered the future of the Catholic Church in Australia.

Preparation for the Plenary Council began some time ago and many of you may have contributed via school or Parish. In 2019, focus groups were asked the question:

What do you think God is asking us in Australia at this time?

This process of listening is a hallmark of Pope Francis who has emphasised the importance of Sydonality.

“Sydonality literally means to walk together and it is a very particular way of understanding the relationship between Pope, bishops and the rest of the baptised. It was an essential mark of the early Church.” Rome Reports

The results of discernment and listening formed the basis for the themes discussed during the Plenary Council including:

  • How to address the findings of the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse.
  • Shrinking church attendance.
  • Shortages of priests.
  • Increasing participation of women in the Church.

The 280 members of the Plenary Council undertook a huge task. The issues were both complex and controversial. They will required good judgement and an openness to listen deeply to the Holy Spirit.

Former CRC Melton student, Jonathan Antony, was one of the 17 members representing the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. At 23, Jonathan was one of the younger participants who brought his personal experiences of growing up in a Catholic community to the discussions. You can read his full story here.


We pray this week that the Holy Spirit guided the members and that the fruits of the Fifth Plenary Council are realised in our Church in Australia.

You can watch all the masses and session live streams from the Plenary Council here: www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au

New youth program

St Anthony’s Parish has launched a new youth program called Share Plates that will start on Wednesday 10 November and help teenagers transition through high school, tertiary education, employment, and into adulthood.

The program will cover important topics such as building support networks, physical and mental wellbeing, community service and employment applications and is open to young people aged 14 to 19.

Click here to find out more and register.

Condolences

The College sends its sincere condolences to the Are family on the passing of Deng Are, a former CRC Melton student, who tragically died in a car accident on 1 October.

Deng is the brother of Haar (Year 8) and Jackson who graduated from the College last year. Our prayers and support go out to the Are family during this difficult time. We pray that the Lord gives them strength and healing and may his blessings comfort them always.

Marlene Jorgensen

Principal

Looking Ahead

Dates to remember
Thursday 14 OctoberFinal day of classes for Year 12 students
Friday 15 OctoberYear 12 Celebration Day
Tuesday 26 OctoberAll Year 7 and 11 students return to on-site classes*
Year 8 and 9 students on site for classes. Year 10 students DLM classes*
Wednesday 27 OctoberYear 8 and 9 students on site for classes. Year 10 students DLM classes*
Parents and Friends Meeting
Thursday 28 OctoberYear 10 students on site for classes. Year 8 and 9 students DLM classes*
Friday 29 OctoberYear 10 students on site for classes. Year 8 and 9 students DLM classes*
Monday 1 NovemberStudent free day
Tuesday 2 NovemberMelbourne Cup Day
Wednesday 3 NovemberYear 8 and 9 students on site for classes. Year 10 students DLM classes*
Thursday 4 NovemberYear 10 students on site for classes. Year 8 and 9 students DLM classes*
Friday 5 NovemberAll students return to on-site classes*

* Dates may be subject to change by Victorian Government

New St Anthony’s Parish Youth Program

Re-enrolment 2022

A reminder that families are required to email enrolments@sfcc.vic.edu.au if their child/children will not return to the College in 2022. 

Exit paperwork will be emailed to families by the end of October. Students will not be formally exited from the college until all relevant paperwork is returned.

Kerrie-Ann Matthews

Director of Community Relations

Family School Improvement Survey

This month, our school is participating in the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). 

MACSSIS is an annual process whereby schools listen to the thoughts and feelings students, families and staff have about how their school can improve. These surveys help inform the ongoing improvement of schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

One of the main goals of the family survey is to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in our College. MACSSIS data benefits everyone in our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that we can focus on. We believe it is important to encourage families to have a voice and contribute to shaping the ongoing improvement of the College.

Families who have been selected randomly to complete the survey will receive an email from the College with further information. 

If you are not selected but would like to complete the survey please email Kerrie-Ann Matthews at kmatthews@sfcc.vic.edu.au by Thursday 14 October.

2022 Student Leaders

Last week marked the end of the leadership commitments of our 2021 student leaders as we announced the 2022 Student Leadership Team during our Investiture Assembly.

This year’s student leaders were remarkable and did their best to create positive experiences for all students. I truly appreciate all their hard work and their commitment to the role of a school leader.

The Investiture was a great opportunity to witness our 2021 College Captains Bagena Malua and Raphael Hadfield handover leadership to their 2022 counterparts Lucy Taylor and Nathan Furtado.

The 2022 Student Leadership Team (pictured below) is comprised of amazing and enthusiastic students who I look forward to working with next year.

Nirasha Pandi

Student Leadership Coordinator

Year 12 Resin Work

Students in the 12S VCAL class created beautiful products after being taught how to prepare and use epoxy resin in their Literacy and Work-Related Skills classes.

The students enjoyed making platters, pyramids, coffee tables, jewellery, and many more useful products. The project helped develop their skills in teamwork, problem-solving and colour theory. Below is a snapshot of their wonderful creations.

Jennifer Segrave and Belinda Brown

VCAL teachers

Support for Senior Students

RMIT parent sessions

Parents and guardians who would like to hear more about how they can support their child’s transition to university life are welcome to attend a free online panel session hosted by RMIT University.

Hear from parents of RMIT students to get an insight into the busy and exciting time that is studying at university.

To find out more, register and ask questions before the event click here.

Work and Study advice from headspace

Headspace Work and Study help

Sasha Dickson

Pathways Coordinator

Polished Man

The College Social Justice Team will once again support the Polished Man campaign during October.

Polished Man raises awareness and funds to end violence against children, one billion of whom have experienced violence in the last year alone - that’s half the world’s children.

The campaign encourages everyone to take a stand and actively commit to helping end violence against children, by painting one nail for the month of October. By representing this harrowing statistic, that one painted nail can start a conversation, which raises awareness to ensure no childhood is lost to violence.

Watch our social media pages over the coming weeks for our students’ painted nails and their messages of support for Polished Man.

Emma van Wees

Social Justice Coordinator

NAIDOC Week Homeroom Competition Winners

A homeroom competition to celebrate NAIDOC Week was held at the College early in Term 3.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities but by Australians from all walks of life.

As part of the homeroom competition, students had to identify significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including artists, academics, activists, sportspeople, musicians, teachers, politicians, lawyers, celebrities, armed forces members, actors and business people.

Our homeroom winners were:

12 Anthony, 10 Mackillop, 9 Parrwang 1, 8 Catherine, 7 O’Reilly and 7 Reed.

Recognise some of the faces below? Test your knowledge in the NAIDOC Week quiz here. 

Famous faces homeroom competition 2021

Daniela Harrington

Domain Leader Humanities

Community Notices

Online road safety session

The City of Melton and Fit2Drive are hosting a Looking After Our Mates (LAOM) online road safety session tomorrow (13 October), targeting new or younger drivers between the age of 16 – 21 and their parents and guardians.

LAOM is a free 45-minute interactive presentation that talks about the importance of responsible driving and the impacts of alcohol. Attendees will hear about some of the laws and myths surrounding drinking and driving, and learn some strategies they can use to encourage safe driving with their friends and family.

Further information and the registration link is available on the City of Melton Learning Directory website.

Useful Links

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

PAM – Parent Portal

Parent Handbook

Events

Enrolment

Bulmans Road Upgrade

Facebook

Instagram

Policies

Uniform

Library

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