Principal

By Mr Jamie Madigan

“The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful. And this occurs through a rich path made up of many ingredients. True education enables us to love life and opens us to the fullness of life.” Pope Francis

What a year 2020 has been! We have certainly as a College community navigated our way through unprecedented, challenging and unique times. However, thankfully we have done so, in a beautifully calm, united and connected way. For that, I thank and congratulate the entire CRC Caroline Springs community of staff, students, parents/carers and families.

“The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King Jnr

The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent extended period of forced remote learning have certainly not been times of comfort and convenience, but rather times of challenge and controversy. Again, I would like to congratulate all students for standing tall and successfully completing an extended and intermittent period of remote and on-site learning. A truly remarkable effort, one of which the entire CRC Caroline Springs community is extremely proud of. A big thank you also to parents/ carers and families who have supported the students through this unusual learning journey this year.

Despite the challenges our students remained engaged, connected and involved in their learning throughout this year. Our students have indeed made history as the first ever students to have been so resilient and agile and to have undertaken learning in such challenging and unique ways. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 we had to cancel all of our international and interstate trips this year including the NASA-STEM, Italy, Kokoda Trek and Central Australia trips.

“We pray for students who have to learn and take exams in a way they are not used to. Let us accompany them with prayer.” Pope Francis

I would also like to express my thanks and gratitude to our teaching staff, who have gone above and beyond this year to ensure students had a positive remote and on-site learning experience. They have worked long hours and have tirelessly re-written curriculum, course outlines and assessment tasks to accommodate remote learning. They have also undertaken various new and contemporary modes of pedagogical delivery, including the use of flipped learning, various new digital resources, video conferencing and MS teams throughout this period, to enhance the students remote learning experiences. These key learnings will benefit the students and ultimately have long term benefits for the College and will enhance future learning and teaching experiences.

“Let us pray for teachers who have to work so hard in order to do lessons on the internet and other media.” Pope Francis

We also thank the College I.T., maintenance, counselling, learning diversity, library, support, administration and finance teams who have been actively working on-site throughout the entire year.

With another year of productive learning concluded under very difficult circumstances, I would like to sincerely thank the students for their efforts. In particular, our departing Year 10 students who showed diligence, respect and friendliness for self and others throughout 2020. I wish each of them every success for their future.

In the very busy lead up to Christmas, we often miss Advent's power because these December weeks are full of Christmas shopping, parties and other end of year events. Each year, the business of this month serves to distract us from having an Advent season that truly prepares us for the celebration of Christmas, with all its meaning.

This Advent let us all remember; it is the feast that sings of the gift of life. The birth of a child moves us and causes tenderness. It is a stimulus to discover the warmth of simplicity, friendship and solidarity. Christmas can become an occasion to welcome, as a personal gift, the message of hope that emanates from the mystery of the birth of Christ.

Uganda Project

We continue to build on the very positive relationship that has been established between CRC Caroline Springs and St Luke’s parish, Maunya 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 couldn’t 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.

Building and Maintenance

ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects have completed Stage 2 of the College Master Plan.

Grant Applications will be submitted in 2021 for a new Arts/Technology/Music and Administration building.

The Year 9 Learning Centre is on track to be completed ready for the start of the 2021 school year. The College received a $1.5 million grant over three years for this building

As the 2020 year draws to a conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs. It has certainly been a very unique set of challenging circumstances we have had to navigate our way through. However, I continually feel blessed that I work in a school environment where the College motto of Live Fully Act Justly is lived, breathed and enacted each and every day.

Staffing News

Two staff members will be leaving us at the end of this year.

  • Jackie Memery (Part-time Receptionist)
  • Abby Smolenaers (maternity leave - returning Term 1, 2022)

We thank Jackie for her outstanding contribution throughout her time at the College and wish her all the best in the future.

College Captains

On behalf of the school community I would like to thank our 2020 College Captain Jade S, and Deputy College Captains Trista Z, Megan M and Janine S for their great leadership. They have displayed outstanding servant leadership characteristics and have led their peers with energy, passion and enthusiasm. Throughout the year they’ve contributed in a very real and practical way to making our school a great place and in ensuring that students ‘have a voice’ on many issues. I thank them for their time, generosity and willingness to serve our community.

It is with great pleasure that I can now announce that our College Captains for 2021 are:

College Captain : Alexandra W



Deputy College Captains : Thomas C, Joshua D and Maria R

We eagerly look forward to working with these student leaders in 2021, and we wish them all the best in their roles.

Presentation Evening: A Celebration of Excellence

Our Presentation Evening: A Celebration of Excellence was held as a pre-recorded presentation and streamed to families on Monday 6 December. This event was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of our 2020 Award recipients. Throughout the course of the evening, students were presented with Academic Achievement and Excellence Awards, College Service Awards and other Major Awards for students in Years 7 through to 10. Celebrating together, the Presentation Evening gives us time to pause and take note of what we have achieved, individually and collectively, to honour and respect those who have excelled, and to give thanks. Congratulations to all Award recipients.

Click here to view the Academic Awards Video

Farewell Year 10

The Year 10 Graduation Liturgy and Assembly was held at the College on Thursday 26 November and live-streamed to families.

During this evening we celebrated a Liturgy together as a College community and formally acknowledged our Year 10 students who over their four years with us have been guided by our motto of ‘Live Fully Act Justly’.

I ask our Year 10s to always remember the four relatively simple words of our College motto. Paradoxically these words are also very complex, deep and spiritual. Over their time at the College they would have heard them hundreds, if not thousands of times. These rather unobtrusive four words are truly reflected in their time at the College and we hope they are also forever etched in their mind and more importantly etched in their hearts. At the Liturgy we gathered together as a Catholic community to celebrate the wonderful gifts and talents of our students and we formally farewelled our Year 10s. We hope that they take the ‘live fully’ and ‘act justly’ aspect of our motto with them on their next journey and truly achieve fullness of life.


Below photos by
Redbook Photography.

Finally, I wish all of our families a happy, holy and safe Christmas.

God Bless

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Prayer


Advent Prayer

A Root shall come forth from the stock of Jesse
And a Flower shall rise out of his root!
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him;
the spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the spirit of counsel and of fortitude,
the spirit of knowledge and of godliness.

The people that walked in darkness
shall see a great light,
For a Child is born to us
and a Son is given to us.
To Him all power shall be given.

His Name shall be: Wonderful One,
Strong God, Eternal One, Prince of Peace.
He shall sit on the throne of David,
And He will found a new Covenant
which will last for ever and ever.

Mission and Faith Leader

By Mr Paul Sammut

Advent

‘Hope’ has been such a strong and constant desire in 2020 during the Melbourne covid restrictions. Many have hoped to be reunited with their love ones, many have hoped to go on a holiday once again or even to sit inside a restaurant and enjoy a meal.

We have had a strong feeling and expectation for things to be ‘normal’ again.

The season of Advent is a season of hope. The word originates from the Latin verb ‘advenire’, meaning to come or to arrive, and has a two-fold purpose: first, to remind us of the birth of Jesus and second, to ready us for Christ’s Second Coming. As we state in every Sunday liturgy of the Holy Mass Advent reminds us that “we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our saviour, Jesus Christ”.

The Christian virtue of hope is not just a level of optimism; it is something very different. It is a choice to trust in God’s providence aided by His grace. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says, “it is in Christ that we hope, and it is him that we await”. It is “in hope that we have been saved”. (Romans 8:24).

As we prepare for the joy of Christmas, let us try to live Advent as best we can remembering why we are supposed to be hopeful. Christmas is not just about gifts or parties, though these are wonderful things in their own right. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ who brings meaning and hope to our world.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff and students who have embraced and supported our students in the formation of their faith. In particular, I am very grateful for the great work of the Faith and Mission Team – Trudy Binks (Learning Area Leader of Religious Education), Melinda Martinek (Ministry Ensemble Leader) and Laura Mason (Social Justice & Community Service Leader).

May you and your families have a blessed and joyful Christmas.

What is Advent?

Sunday Gospel Focus

Mk 13:33-37

We know not the hour the Lord will come.

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Deputy Principal Wellbeing

By Richard Brodrick

Last week we were able to farewell the Year 10 Class of 2020 in a celebration that included a Liturgy, Graduation ceremony and supper assembly. The impact of the past nine months was still evident: our families, friends and some staff could only watch via a livestream. We wore masks and sat distanced from each other.

Significantly, though, we were able to maintain the important Year 10 traditions which serve as important markers for the students as they transition to life beyond CRCCS.

Our Year 7-9 students finished yesterday after a year like no other. However, there was still a sense of achievement in the air having been back for almost a term and being able to finish on such a positive note with awards, liturgies and celebrations. The 2021 College Captains were announced to a resoundingly positive response from the audience and I’m sure that Alexandra, Thomas, Joshua and Maria will continue to build on the strong student leadership program of previous years.

As the school year draws to an end, it is timely to consider what we have learned from the past nine months. Despite the frustrations, fear and uncertainty that prevailed, we were forced to slow down. We were reminded of what was important to us and we felt that we were supporting each other and working for the common good. We must take these learnings and continue to listen to our hearts, connect with our faith and be kind to each other.

As Pope Francis commented in a recent essay about the pandemic titled ‘A Crisis reveals what is in our Hearts’, This is a moment to dream big, to rethink our priorities — what we value, what we want, what we seek — and to commit to act in our daily life on what we have dreamed of’.

Click here to view the Graduation Photo in the Principals Newsletter article

Changes to the 2021 uniform

A reminder that there are some compulsory changes to the 2021 College uniform.

All students from Year 7-10 are required to purchase the new College socks, available only at Academy Uniforms.

  • For girls, they are the white sock with the red and blue bands.
  • For boys, they are the navy sock with the red band.
  • For all students, the only PE sock permitted is the white sports sock with the red and blue bands. (The previous CRCCS logo sports sock is no longer part of the uniform.)

Click here to view the - College Uniform Page

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2021 Instrumental Music and Choir, Ensemble and Concert Band Program

By Dr Chris McGillen     Head of Music Performance  

2021 will see the launch of a new and exciting Ensemble and Instrumental Music Program at CRCCS. There will be a significant expansion of the instruments available to be learnt. The current options of voice, keyboard, bass guitar and guitar will be expanded to include flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, trombone and percussion (including Drumkit). The current ensembles and choirs will be augmented with our first Concert Band that will perform at major events throughout the year. The current offerings of voice, keyboard, bass guitar and guitar will continue to be available at the start of 2021, with the new instruments being launched at the start of Semester 2 (or earlier if the current Covid19 restrictions are lifted). Details of instrument trials and lessons times will be available through the newsletter. Please follow this link to see demonstrations of all the instruments on offer in 2021.     

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Year 9 Drama

By Ms Yanina Martins Performing Arts Teacher

Our Year 9 Drama students have been busy working on their ensemble Shakespearean play of Twelfth Night! During remote learning students studied Elizabethan Theatre. The class chose the Shakespearean classic Twelfth Night with a modern twist and since returning to the classroom students have been working hard to learn their lines and blocking in preparation for their final assessment performance.

I would like to congratulate the Year 9 Drama class on an exceptional rendition of the classic play.

Mrs Yanina Martins

Directors notes

My experience directing the Twelfth Night play was such a fun and awesome task. I was able to work with friends and peers to create this amazing play. Although sometimes we faced challenges, as a team we always worked together to find solutions. I am so proud of every single person for the effort and dedication they have put into making this performance so fantastic, especially my directing partner Mason and Drama teacher Mrs Martins. This is most certainly an experience I will never forget.

Elizabeth C (9LI)

Having the chance to take one step closer to my film directing dream couldn’t be even better whilst directing The Twelfth Night class play. Without the incredible cast and crew facing hurdles together and eventually leaping over them as a team, it had made this experience run with ease. Furthermore, I’m truly grateful for every member contribution in the class play contribution that had provided me the extra support I needed to develop my vision regarding the script. This is definitely one experience I would turn back time for.

Mason S (9BA)

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SACCSS Chess

By Natalie Hamill Teacher Librarian

On Wednesday, 18 November, 16 students participated in the inaugural SACCSS Chess online tournament. A total of six schools and 74 students competed in this event, with each student playing seven games.

All our students played exceptionally well, enabling CRCCS to place in equal second position at the end of the tournament. Congratulations to our highest-ranking player, Noah M (9LI), who placed fifth in the individual rankings. Congratulations also to Cameron B (8KU) for an inspiring game of chess where he was able to defeat his opponent in four moves. (A screenshot of his winning game is attached).

The following students competed in the 2020 SACCSS Chess online tournament:

Logan A 9LI

Yohance E 9WO

Noah M 9LI

Evan C 9BA

Marco T 9KU

Ben J 9MK

Joaquin S 8MW

Jessica J 8BA

Steve W 8MW

Cameron C 8KU

Stephen W 8BA

Saxon C 9LI

Emily R 8MK

Beshoy S 8KU

Jamie N 8BA

Chas C 8KU

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Ministry Ensemble

By Ms Melinda Martinek Ministry Ensemble Leader

It gives me great pleasure to be in the privileged position to express my sincere gratitude to the following students, in particular our current Year 10 students, for their efforts and significant contributions to the Ministry Ensemble.

  • Raynier E (10CO)
  • Rebekah D (10CO)
  • Eryn C (10BA)
  • Gillian D (9MK)
  • Norah Z (10BU)
  • Jade S (10CO)

It’s important to acknowledge they have been worth far more than this token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication to effective music ministry: Mass, Liturgies, Investiture and various College events. This would not be possible without their dedication, skill and passion. God has indeed blessed them through their gift of music.

I extend my best wishes for continued success in their future studies and performance.

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Semester Two Reports 2020

By Mr Brendan Jackson

Semester Two Reports 2020

The Semester Two report will be released to parents/carers on Wednesday 9 December through SEQTA Engage. The report acknowledges the remote learning environment that occurred throughout Term 3 and part of Term 4, which changed our usual ways of working and engaging with students. The reports are designed to provide students and parents with a clear and concise picture of a student’s level of attainment throughout Semester Two.

The Overall Result is designed to give students and parents an overall indication of how they have performed in a subject throughout the semester, as a score out of 100. Student achievement within subjects may have been impacted as a result of the remote learning period, and parents are asked to be mindful of this when discussing your child’s results with them.

Teachers have used a broad evidence base to make balanced assessments of your child’s progress at this point in time. Such evidence includes student-led conversations, teacher observations, assessments, notes and work samples. Your child’s Learning Area Achievement for each subject is reflective of this in the Semester 2 Report.

The Learning Area Achievements for Semester 2, 2020 are shown by the shaded dot on the report, with the unshaded dot representing the 2019 Semester 2 report progress. The shaded band shows the expected level of achievement for this report. The unshaded dot will not appear if the Learning Area Achievement was not assessed in the previous reporting cycle.

The work habits on the Semester 2 report are described in greater detail for you below:

Demonstrates academic improvement

Applies effort

  • Attempts all tasks
  • Maintains attention in class
  • Participates in class
  • Cooperates and collaborates in class
  • Brings correct materials to class
  • Organisation
  • Satisfactory completion of set homework, in a timely manner
  • Seeks teacher support as required
  • Punctuality
  • Works respectfully with peers and teachers

Manages personal learning

  • Brings correct materials to class
  • Organisation
  • Satisfactory completion of set homework, in a timely manner
  • Seeks teacher support as required

Demonstrates appropriate behavior

  • Punctuality
  • Works respectfully with peers and teachers

The report will also include a comment within the Pastoral Care report on how your child has adjusted to the remote and flexible learning environment, with reference to the ‘Personal and Social Capability’ curriculum.

If you have any questions about the Semester reports, please feel free to contact me at the College.

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Year 7 Art

By Cathy Mackay Art/Tech Assistant

Making the most of 2020 in the Art Room.

After a challenging year, the Year 7 students have managed to get their hands dirty producing incredible Van Gogh inspired foam prints. Students carved into the foam to create their own printing plate: once printed onto coloured papers they collaged the images together into a bright, colourful artwork.

Year 8 students have been researching pinch pots. They have used clay to explore 3-dimensional form and the results are some amazing little character, pots and candle holders. We cannot wait to see them come out of the kiln.

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