Principal Report

By Mr Jamie Madigan Principal

Uganda Project

We continue to build on the very positive relationships that has been established between Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs and St Luke’s parish, as well as our sister school St Francis Primary School in Kizinga Uganda.

By reaching out in friendship and solidarity with the community of St Francis, Kizinga we have given hope to hundreds of children and their families who otherwise could not access education. The support of our students has enabled the construction and furnishing of a brick classroom, a food program, the refurbishment of the church with a concrete floor and soon the installation of water tanks.

Compassion, empathy and love for one another are the cornerstones of our teaching at Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs and we are immensely proud of our community for continuing to embrace the Uganda Project.

Father Emma Kiwanuka Parish Priest at St Luke’s Mannya recently delivered to St Francis Kizinga Primary School the produce for their food program, that we as a College community provide through our fundraising initiatives.

The St Francis community sent the following video messages of thanks to our CRCCS community:

CRC Caroline Springs Parents & Friends Association

This year we are looking to further develop our Parents & Friends Association as we see this as a very important support group for our College. Unfortunately, last year due to COVID-19 restrictions we were unable to meet regularly and hold our usual social events. Meetings are open to and attended by interested parents/carers, friends of the College, teachers and administrative staff as well as the Principal, or one of the Deputy Principals.

Everyone is welcome to come and meet other parents, to learn more about our wonderful College, as well as participate and share in general discussion (often relating to significant issues about College events). We are currently awaiting an update to the CECV School Operations Guide to provide further information regarding the Health and Safety Guidelines for these meetings. Further information regarding the first meeting to be held in early Term 2 will be made available in the coming weeks.

We would like for interested parents to please email the College at: principal@crccs.vic.edu.au

Faith & Mission

By Mr Paul Sammut Head of Faith & Mission

Our steps are made firm by the Lord,
when He delights in our way;
though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us by the hand.

Psalm 37

Holy Week

This Sunday we begin Holy Week. There is always a deep sense of closeness and beauty as we accompany Christ’s passion, death and resurrection during this week. Beginning with the experience of Palm Sunday, people from around the world cry out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI described the week as a ‘procession.’ He states that, “…together with Jesus, we are setting out on pilgrimage along the high road that leads to the living God. This is the ascent that matters. This is the journey which Jesus invites us to make.”

How can we make this journey? It is by realising that we cannot do it alone. This is the beauty and purpose of Lent. We need to know that we are loved by God and that He desires a relationship with us. This knowledge of God’s love should attract us upwards.

As we enter Holy Week and the Easter Triduum let us journey with Him, so we may strive to seek the face of God.

I invite families to make time to attend the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at their local parishes. Please see Holy Week and Easter Timetables below (bookings are essential).

Holy Week in Three Minutes

Parish Holy Week & Easter Timetable

St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs

https://www.stcatherinecarolinesprings.org.au/online-mass-booking.php

Sacred Heart/Emmaus Parish, St Albans & Sydenham

PALM SUNDAY

SACRED HEART: Saturday 27 March 5:00pm, Sunday 28 March 7:30am, 9:00am (Polish), 10:30am

EMMAUS: Saturday 27 March 6:30pm, Sunday 28 March 9:00am

HOLY THURSDAY

SACRED HEART: Thursday 1 April 7:00pm

EMMAUS: Thursday 1 April 7:00pm

GOOD FRIDAY

Stations of the Cross at Sacred Heart grounds, 11:00am

SACRED HEART: Friday 2 April 3:00pm

EMMAUS: Friday 2 April 3:00pm

EASTER VIGIL

SACRED HEART: Saturday 3 April 7:00pm

EMMAUS: Saturday 3 April 7:00pm

EASTER SUNDAY

SACRED HEART: Sunday 4 April 7:30am, 9:00am (Polish), 10;30am

EMMAUS: Sunday 4 April 9:00am

Bookings are essential:
For Sacred Heart, go online to: https://www.trybooking.com/BMKXC
For Emmaus, go online to https://www.trybooking.com/BMLBL

Resurrection Parish, Kings Park

Register your attendance, bookings are essential for the Masses.

To use the online booking system, please use the following links:

https://www.resurrectionkingspark.org/ or https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/resurrectioncatholic-church-kings-park-tickets-128065763145

We are required to maintain attendance records for contact tracing and to avoid turning parishioners away at the church door when full-capacity is reached.

Friday 8:00am Mass – St Catherine of Siena Parish Church

This morning was the last 8:00am Mass for the term. It has been a wonderful opportunity to begin the day by raising our minds and heart to God. I would like to thank all the students who have ministered as lectors. They have been wonderful in reading the Liturgy of the Word and have been great witnesses to the faith. I would also like to thank Fr Richard and Fr Simeon for their priestly ministry in offering the morning Mass.

We look forward to staff, students and families attending 8:00am Mass next term.

Fridays during Term 2, 8:00 – 8:25am
St Catherine of Siena Parish, Caroline Springs

Finance Department

By Ms Maryann Krsteski Finance Assistant

2021 School Fees

School fees payment arrangements for 2021 are still available. Please download a direct debit form from the link below. Hard copies are also available from the College office.

Direct Debit Form

To receive the $100 discount, full payment of school fees must be received by the last day of term (1 April).

If you have any concerns with school fees, please contact the Finance Department to discuss.

School Fee Statements

Please note that school fee statements are now being sent out by email. If you require a hard copy, please contact the Finance Department.

CSEF

CSEF applications remain open for 2021.

Please complete the application form below and return the completed signed form along with a copy of your current health care card to the College office as soon as possible.

CSEF Application Form

Library eBooks

By Ms Natalie Hamill Librarian

Students can access over 2000 digital books and 800 audio books on the Wheelers Platform available through the Library Portal (on SEQTA). If they wish to borrow or reserve books, they need to click on the “sign in” tab and then choose “borrow”. Students can also download an app to read or listen on their laptop without using the internet. New books are added every month and a dyslexia-friendly option is available. Several copies of class novels are also available on the platform.

Further instructions are on the Library Portal.

eBooks
AudioBooks


Year 11 2022 - CRCCS

By Ms Gina Zumbo Catholic Regional College Sydenham

Academic testing is compulsory for all current Year 10 students wanting to apply for Year 11 in 2022 at Catholic Regional College Sydenham.

Please save the academic testing date below:

Date
Saturday 24 April 2021

Venue
Catholic Regional College Sydenham

Time
8:30am-12:30pm

Further details will follow shortly.

Year 8 English

By Ms Deborah Mollica Year 7 & 8 English Teacher

During Term 1, Year 8 students have been studying Edgar Allan Poe's stories and poems to explore the wonderful themes and literary devices used by the renowned writer. To prepare them for writing their own short stories, students of 8 Bunjil and Corranderrk have been writing descriptive paragraphs to capture their favourite places and people.

Social Justice – Current Projects

By Ms Matilda Mattar Social Justice and Service-Learning Leader

Student Leadership Development Day

By Ivanka Portelli & Rahma Alkateb 9 Murphy Wandin & 8 Wonga

On Friday 5 March, all the Student Leaders took part in a Development Day. This is a day dedicated to help the Student Leaders learn new and further develop leadership skills, strengthen the team, and get to know each other!

The students were required to meet at the Caroline Springs Station and took a train to the Southern Cross Station before we caught a connecting train to Melbourne Central. For some of us this had been the first time since the lockdown last year that we had been in the city, so it was very exciting!

Once got off the train we walked to the State Library and received a private tour of the reading room (which was incredible, it was very hard for some of us to stay quiet). Once we returned to our conference space, we completed some team-building activities to develop our skills as a team. After we had finished with the activities and discussed some of the goals we wanted to work on for the year, we had lunch outside in front of the State Library. 

In the afternoon we proceeded to our session at Hardrock Climbing. The instructor showed us how to rock climb safely and then we all went into groups and did some rock climbing! Not everyone had to rock climb, but everyone was encouraged, and it was great to see how many people had a go, despite their fears. This activity supported the work we had previously completed at the State Library, as we strengthened our bond as a team.

After that was concluded we walked back to Melbourne Central and had around 30 minutes of free time to walk around and get food and drinks. We then took a train back to Caroline Springs and were dismissed.

This day was designed for us to get to know each other, develop some skills and have fun and we did just that. Thank you to Ms Kiera McNally and Ms Georgia Seymour for taking us out and getting to know our team.

State Library

Christina Stanford, Katherine Sulewski & Ivanka Portelli

Various Students Completing an Activity

Augustha Morris, Zalaika Farrugia, Rahma Alkateb and Ella Hall

Technology Domain – Woodwork

By Mr Broderick Ashmole Woodwork teacher

The Materials Technology room has been a hive of activity this term. I have been very impressed with the effort that our students have put into the many projects that have emerged from our Technology classes.

Four Year 8 classes have been working enthusiastically to design and create pencil boxes. Our Year 9 Woodwork students have meticulously hand-carved custom Pâté knives and chopping boards, and the Year 10 Woodwork class are nearing the completion of their group Prayer Table project.

Both the Year 9 and Year 10 Woodwork classes will soon move on to their self-designed projects, which will allow them to design and create a custom product on a slightly larger scale than they would have in previous year levels.

We look forward to seeing the finished results!

Year 8 and 9 Visual Art

By Ms Deborah Cooper Head of Visual Arts

Term 1 has been a very busy time in the Art rooms. Years 8 and 9 have been creating wonderful ceramic projects based on animal heads and beach box designs. They have used both pinch pot and slab construction techniques. The images show the ceramic work in its raw unglazed state; so now they are ready to add coloured glazes to their work.

Year 8 VCD classes have been creating a logo design for their own company. They have followed a design brief that requires research skills, drawing up of ideas and presenting the final design in full colour.

Year 8 Parent Information Night

By Mr Daniel Pisani Year 8, Year Level Leader

Dear Parents and Carers,

This year our Year 8 Parent Information Night will be recorded at the College. Parents will receive a link in the early weeks of Term 2 to view from the comfort of your own home. Parent participation will be in a different form in order to adjust to the new modifications. Therefore, I invite you to use the form below to submit any questions you may have before 28 March.

Please click here to submit your questions

Social Justice - St Patrick's Day

By Ms Matilda Mattar Social Justice and Service-Learning Leader

The team was at it again, embracing the faith within our College community. March 17 is the feast day of St Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, who is remembered for bringing Christianity to the country. It is a day where we bring out the green… why do we do this? From the 18th Century the shamrock became Ireland’s national symbol, as it was evidently present in country’s landscape and from here on the tradition stayed.

At the school gate, the Social Justice team greeted each student with a green ribbon to wear. It was delightful seeing the enthusiasm, as they waltzed in, to the Irish tunes in the background.

Keeping with the theme, green lime jelly was prepared and sold at recess, with all proceeds going towards CARITAS – Project Compassion.

Thanks to all for your support and job well done to the Social Justice team!

Week 5 - Project Compassion

Halima is raising two children in a Bangladeshi refugee camp while caring for her mother, who has a disability. A Caritas Australia-supported program helped her with a shelter, cooking equipment and hygiene training. Halima now earns a small income as a trainer, helping to maintain the health and cleanliness of her community.

Halima's story can be found here: https://lent.caritas.org.au/week-5

Mathematics Learning Area

By Ms Clara Cremona Millo Learning Area Leader Mathematics and Numeracy

A reminder that Math Support sessions are held on most Tuesdays and Thursdays in room MM2 from 3:20pm-4:15pm. Please refer to the attached timetable for the Term 1 sessions dates. Students can either attend part of, or stay for the duration of the session.

During these sessions, a Maths teacher will be available to help and assist students with completing Maths work, to discuss difficulties and revise or study for an assessment.

Click here to view the Math Support Sessions for Term 1

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