As we enter into March and the season of Autumn, it is timely to reflect on some of this year’s key events so far:

• 962 students have been engaged in day-to-day classes and learning

• opening College Mass and Assembly

• student Leadership Investiture Ceremony

• Years 7-10 House Spirit Building activities

• College Swimming Carnival

• Year 7 Parent Information session was conducted as a live streamed event on MS Teams and was very well attended by the parent body.

• Year Homeroom Masses have taken place at St Catherine of Siena parish Caroline Springs

• Years 7 Camps will take place next week.

All these activities take planning and preparation to ensure that they are successful events. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the CRCCS community to thank our staff for their effort. They have been extremely diligent and generous with their own time to enable the many events listed above to take place.  Without the support of staff these activities simply would not take place, so I thank staff most sincerely for their effort.

Face masks in schools

As per the directions of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, the following actions are mandatory:

• Face masks are to be worn by individuals over the age of 12 when on public transport and school buses – unless they have a lawful exemption.

• Individuals over the age of 12 must carry a face mask at all times.

The same exemptions to the wearing of face masks apply in schools as when people are out in the community. This includes students who are over the age of 12 and are unable to wear a face mask due to the nature of their disability. This also includes students or staff who have a medical condition, such as problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability or a mental health condition.

Face masks are recommended for use by staff and students when physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained. Students will always have the option of wearing a mask if they wish. Whilst we acknowledge that we are attempting to socially distance as much as possible, it is not compulsory to wear a mask within classrooms, unless directed to do so by a staff member, for example when students are required to gather close together around an experiment or demonstration in class etc.

At Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs, students may be required to wear masks where there are large gatherings such as Year Level Assemblies and Whole School Assemblies and Liturgies. A face mask must cover the nose and mouth. Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements.

Tutor Learning Program

The College has received significant funding from the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) to support the introduction of a tutoring program this year. The program delivered at the College will support students in Years 7 - 10 who have gaps in their progress due to the move to a remote learning model for much of past year. Specific students will be identified, and individual or small group tutoring offered in class to assist students will move forward. We have recently appointed the following part-time staff to act as tutors in this program:

• Jordyn Bartolo

• Cassie Hayes

• Filip Karevski

We welcome these staff members into our College community and wish them all the best.

Catholic Education Week

Staff, students and friends of our Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs Community, in the week beginning Sunday 14 March, all Catholic schools in Victoria will be celebrating Catholic Education Week. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector.

At CRCCS, we take seriously our primary purpose of nurturing our students’ faith. Christian teaching is central to our work and the challenge for us is to continually ensure it is included in all we do.

St Patrick’s Day

Wednesday 17 March is St Patrick’s Day. It is a global celebration of Irish culture and remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.

St Patrick is known and admired all over the world as the young slave who became an unlikely hero, the shy boy transformed into a courageous missionary. Patrick came to an alien land that soon became his adopted home, and a foreign people became his friends. He was no brilliant scholar, but a man of deep faith tried and tested in the fires of slavery and exile. At first a reluctant preacher until filled with the strength of the Trinity he overcame his fears and limitations to establish one of the strongest Churches in the Christian world.

Patrick was a towering figure with strong biblical faith. He was deeply familiar with the Word of God and pondered it day and night. He lived in intimate union with Christ who was always before, behind, above, within him. Every step he took was in the company of Jesus, every word he spoke was inspired by Jesus, every breath was full of the spirit of Jesus.

The faith of Patrick worked its way into every fibre of life. The true Irish faith of which we can be so proud made our forefathers a people of saints and mystics, of poets and scholars. St Patrick was a great saint. May he be our guide and inspiration.

In this prayer he asks for God’s help in various ways:

May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.

May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.

May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world.

May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!

May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.