College Street News | Issue 10, 2026

As we begin Term 4, I am filled with optimism and excitement about the opportunities that lie ahead for our Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs community. Each new term brings the chance to build on our achievements, strengthen our relationships and continue to provide a rich and rewarding educational experience for every student. At the heart of all we do is our commitment to contemporary learning, spiritual growth and a faith-filled environment in which every young person is known, valued and encouraged to flourish.

Over the recent holiday period, considerable work was undertaken to ensure our College facilities were ready to welcome students back for the final term of the year. Our classrooms, IT systems, sporting facilities and College grounds received attention and maintenance, helping us maintain an environment that supports high-quality learning and student wellbeing. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our teaching, finance, administration, support and maintenance staff for their dedication and hard work. Their efforts, often behind the scenes, contribute enormously to the smooth running of our College and the positive experience of our students each day.

While we are fortunate to have outstanding facilities and resources, what makes Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs such a special place is the strength of our relationships and the sense of belonging that exists throughout our community. Our culture of care, respect and connection reflects our Catholic identity and underpins our shared commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to achieve their personal best, grow in confidence and develop a strong sense of purpose.

Senior School Building Update
An exciting development for our College is the commencement of construction on our new Senior School building. This significant project represents an important investment in the future of our students as we continue our transition to a Years 7–12 College. Scheduled for completion ahead of the 2028 school year, the building will feature 14 general learning classrooms, three senior science laboratories, dedicated staff workspaces, specialist learning and support areas, a purpose-designed VCE Student Lounge and a dedicated Pathways Centre. These contemporary facilities will provide an inspiring environment for our senior students, supporting their academic achievement, wellbeing and preparation for life beyond school. It is wonderful to see this next chapter in the story of CRC Caroline Springs taking shape. Watch the latest video here:

Live Fully Act Justly Day
One of the most memorable highlights of Term 3 was our Live Fully, Act Justly Day, a wonderful celebration of faith, generosity and community spirit. It was inspiring to see our students and staff come together with such enthusiasm and a shared commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Through the generosity of our College community, an outstanding $25,535 was raised for our sister school, St Francis Kizinga in Uganda. These funds will contribute to sustaining the school's daily feeding program and support the construction of a new classroom block. I sincerely thank everyone who contributed to making this day such a success. Your generosity is a powerful expression of our shared faith and our commitment to building a more just and compassionate world. See below videos from Uganda, with messages of thanks:

Our connection with St Francis Kizinga also invites us to reflect more deeply on the meaning of compassion, humility and service. Pope Leo XIV's first major apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”), signed on 4 October 2025, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, and released on 9 October 2025, offers a powerful reminder of the lessons we can learn through our encounter with others. The Holy Father writes:

These words remind us that compassion is much more than an act of generosity. It calls us to listen, to recognise the dignity of every person and to understand that we, too, have much to learn from those we encounter. In choosing to release this message on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV draws our attention to the enduring Christian call to live with humility, love and a genuine spirit of service.

This message resonates strongly with our College mission and our partnership with St Francis Kizinga. Through this relationship, our students learn that solidarity extends beyond our local community and that our responsibility to others is an essential expression of our faith. The people we support are not simply recipients of our generosity; they are valued members of a wider community of faith who enrich our lives and challenge us to grow in gratitude, compassion and understanding.

Our partnership continues to demonstrate how faith can unite communities across the world. Through friendship, prayer and practical support, we are reminded that when we work to improve the lives of others, we are also transformed ourselves. This is our College motto, 'Live Fully, Act Justly,' brought to life through meaningful action.

2027 College Captains
Another exciting milestone has been the appointment of our 2027 College Captains, Best Nnajieze and Emilia Raunik, and Deputy College Captains, Xander Ridsdale and Matilda Snooks. We warmly congratulate these students on their appointments and look forward to seeing them lead our community in the year ahead.

The selection process was both rigorous and rewarding, involving an extensive interview and a formal presentation in which students articulated their vision for student leadership, with particular consideration of our transition to a Years 7–12 College. Each student who participated deserves recognition for their courage, preparation and willingness to contribute to the future of our College. I commend all candidates for the maturity and enthusiasm they demonstrated and encourage them to be proud of their efforts. Leadership is not defined by a title alone, but by the example we set, the relationships we build and our willingness to serve others. I am confident that our incoming student leaders will embrace these responsibilities with integrity, purpose and a genuine commitment to their peers and our College community.

As we journey through Term 4, there is much to celebrate and even more to look forward to. I encourage every member of our community to make the most of the opportunities this final term presents, whether through learning, participation, service or the simple acts of kindness that strengthen our relationships each day. Together, we can continue to build a College where faith is lived authentically, every person is treated with dignity and our students are inspired to make a meaningful contribution to the world.

A reminder that Friday 30 October and Monday 2 November are student free days, followed by the Melbourne Cup public holiday on Tuesday 3 November. We look forward to welcoming students back to the College on Wednesday 4 November.

May God continue to bless our students, families and staff as we work together to bring our mission to life. May our actions, our relationships and our commitment to others reflect the values at the heart of our community, ensuring that we do not simply speak our College motto, but live it each day.

Live Fully, Act Justly.

October - Month of The Holy Rosary

Throughout October, Catholics are invited to rediscover one of the Church's most treasured forms of devotion, the Holy Rosary.

The Rosary is much more than the repetition of familiar prayers. Through its mysteries, we contemplate the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus alongside Mary. It creates space in our busy lives to pause, listen to God and entrust to him the needs of our families, our communities and our world.

Pope Leo XIV has invited Catholics to pray the Rosary throughout October for peace in the world, and on 1 October he prayed alongside hundreds of children and families in the Vatican Gardens.

For our community at Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs, this invitation resonates strongly with our College Pillar of Prayer.

The Rosary begins in prayer, but authentic prayer changes the way we live. If we pray for peace, we must also ask how we can become peacemakers.

In our Year 10 Religious Education classes, students have been exploring what our faith teaches about Mary, her role in God’s plan of salvation and how she leads us to her Son, Jesus. Our community has also gathered in prayer, with staff and families coming together for our Rosary evening and our Living Rosary taking place earlier this week.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

The Rosary Explained in Two Minutes

All Souls Memorial Mass - Friday 6 November

Our College community invites students, families and staff to join us for our All Souls’ Memorial Mass on Friday 6 November at 8.00 am.

November is a special time in the life of the Church when we remember and pray for those who have died.

Students are invited to bring a photograph of a deceased loved one whom they would like remembered in prayer during the Mass.

Following Mass, families are warmly invited to join us for tea and coffee as we gather together in remembrance, prayer and community.

Staff and students can also record the names of loved ones who have died in the past year in our ‘Book of the Names of the Dead’, located in Student Services.

May this be an opportunity to give thanks for those we have loved, to entrust them to the mercy of God and to find hope and consolation in Christ’s promise of eternal life.

Annual Living Rosary

It has become an annual tradition at our school to gather and pray the Living Rosary each October. Through this devotion, we honour Mother Mary during the Month of the Holy Rosary and bear a beautiful witness to our unity and solidarity as a faith community.

Prayer connects us directly to God and when we pray the Rosary together, it also strengthens our bonds with one another as fellow believers. Our shared prayer becomes a powerful testimony of faith, making the invisible visible through our unity and devotion.

On a sunny spring afternoon, students, staff members, the LIHM Sisters and some of our students’ families gathered around Our Lady’s statue on the Hogan Green. Taking turns, each participant prayed a Hail Mary and offered a flower to Our Blessed Mother. The prayer concluded with the re-coronation of the statue by Year 10 student Marcus Cassar, the placing of the Rosary beads by staff member Natasha Bickley and the imposition of the Brown Scapular by Pol Elefano, a grandfather of one of the students.

As we came together in prayer, a spirit of joy, peace, and unity filled the gathering, leaving a lasting impression on the hearts of those who participated. It was a beautiful reminder that when we pray together, we grow together in faith and draw closer to God and one another. It is this very spirit which empowers us to 'Live Fully Act Justly.' 

Sr Lawrence Nicholas, College Chaplain

MACS Faith Formation Day - Do It Scared

Forty-two students joined more than 400 young people from Catholic schools across Melbourne for a MACS formation day hosted by Fr Rob Galea at ACU Cathedral Hall. Through powerful music and storytelling, the Do It Scared experience invited students to 'take courage' echoing the theme of World Youth Day 2027 and to face life’s challenges with faith and bravery.

One of the day’s greatest strengths was the opportunity for students from across Melbourne to gather as a community of faith. Surrounded by hundreds of their peers, our students were reminded that they are not alone: they belong to a wider community of young people seeking to deepen their relationship with the Lord. They returned inspired to share that sense of belonging within their own school community. Participation has grown from three students at our first MACS excursion to 42 students at this event, a powerful sign of the authentic joy they have experienced and shared with their peers. Our faith is alive, and the Spirit is contagious.

Worship through music also left a lasting impression. Free from everyday peer expectations, students could participate wholeheartedly, enjoy the experience and pray openly. They spent time in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, while priests were available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Insights from our students:

Rianie Roque, Yr 9: Going into this experience, I wasn't sure what to expect or what feelings and thoughts I would leave with. This whole day felt like such a blessing to be a part of and impacted my view on different aspects of religion, while helping grow my faith with songs of worship, meeting new people, food, and prayer.

Augustine Caballes and Sheira Fernando, Yr 9: We were able to attend the last MACS formation day, and we can confidently say that it was truly a blessing to be able to gather again with other schools and have fun but also having the continuous connection with God! If we were able to do it all over again, we would!

Felicia Ch'ng, Yr 9: Something I enjoyed from this day was interacting with other people and singing the songs in unison since it really got the whole community together. We look forward to welcoming even more students to MACS formation days in 2027. These experiences will support our preparation for World Youth Day while also offering every student the opportunity to discover the courage, community and joy of living their Catholic faith.

Angella Francis - Youth Minister

Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs will be moving to Compass as our Learning Management System from 2027

The move to Compass will support students, parents/carers and teachers through streamlined functionality and increased portal reliability and service.

Further information on how the College portfolios of learning and teaching, student engagement, faith and mission and operations will use the LMS be shared in upcoming College communication.

The focus of the last day of term’s Student Free Day focused on teaching teachers and learning diversity staff how Compass will be used for learning and teaching in 2027 and how the learning tasks function can be used for Homework and Formative Assessment.

Semester Two Examinations are scheduled from Friday 13 November – Thursday November for Year 10 students, and Monday 23 November – Friday 17 November for Year 8 and 9 students.

With these fast approaching, students are encouraged to view exams as an opportunity to demonstrate their learning, reflect on their progress, and consolidate their understanding of key knowledge and skills developed throughout the semester. Exams also help students build important habits such as organisation, time management, resilience, and preparation skills that will support them in future studies. We encourage all students to prepare consistently, seek support when needed, and approach the examination period with confidence and a positive mindset.

Students must bring their ID card to all examinations. Stationery can be carried in a clear pencil case or zip-lock bag, and water bottles must be clear with no labels on the outside. Students must bring their own writing materials (and any other permitted materials) to each exam.

Year 10 students are expected to wear full College summer uniform, while Year 8 and 9 students may wear PE uniform if they have a scheduled PE class on the same day as an exam. Otherwise, full summer uniform is to be worn.

If students are absent for a particular examination, a medical certificate is to be sent to the Executive Assistant to the Principal, Paula D’Amore (pdamore@crccs.vic.edu.au), and a SEQTA DM should be sent to Miss Lauren Febbraio for a resit opportunity to be considered. All resits must occur before the end of the academic year as these examinations will appear on the Semester 2 Report.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the College. I wish all students the very best with their upcoming revision and exams.

Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs was excited to welcome our Year 7 2027 families last Saturday morning at our annual Community and Partnership Day. Students began their day with a homeroom session facilitated by our teaching staff and our student leaders. Parents and carers attended an informative session in the College Hall by our Leadership team where we highlighted the importance of faith life in our college, curriculum, wellbeing and a positive transition. Parents and students were then invited to visit stalls, engage with leaders in community conversations, and allow families to ask any questions.

Our Year 7 2027 students completed a College tour and had a taste of what it means to be a CRCCS student through learning about:

• Our College motto and pillars
• 2027 timetable
• St Catherine of Siena
• A special address from our College Principal

To also help with the transition of students we have been working closely with primary schools to learn about them through school visits and collecting feedback. We know many parents can be quite anxious about their child beginning secondary school, however a lot has been put in place to support students including our upcoming Orientation Day on 8 December, our Welcome Days at the beginning of next year and the MacBook Orientation Program.

It was a blessing to have over 800 people join us for the morning and officially begin their journey with us and become part of our school community. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Primary Links Team for putting together a terrific event for our school community and to the staff that attended the day.

On Wednesday 21 October, our VCE Biology and Psychology students visited Melbourne Zoo to participate in educational programs designed to bring their classroom learning to life. The excursion provided students with an opportunity to consolidate key knowledge from Units 1 and 2, while developing their scientific investigation and critical thinking skills in a real-world setting.

Our Biology students explored how structural, behavioural and physiological adaptations contribute to species survival, with a particular focus on threatened species conservation. Through the Southern Corroboree Frog conservation case study and behavioural observations in the Butterfly House, students examined the importance of biodiversity, ecosystem interactions and the ethical considerations involved in protecting endangered species.

Meanwhile, our Psychology students explored the application of psychological concepts and scientific research in a zoo setting. The program provided opportunities to investigate animal welfare, ethical decision-making and human behaviour, while strengthening students' skills in scientific observation, data collection and analysis.

Beyond the educational workshops, students also had the opportunity to explore the Zoo and observe a diverse range of animals and their behaviours.

The excursion was a valuable opportunity for students to see how the knowledge and skills developed in VCE Biology and Psychology extend beyond the classroom and contribute to real-world scientific research, conservation and animal welfare.

This year, Melton City Libraries held its 21st annual Short Story Competition, providing aspiring writers who live, work or study in the City of Melton with an excellent opportunity to showcase their creativity and writing talents.

The competition features three categories: Junior, Teen and Adult, with entries judged by a panel of authors. This year, the Teen category was judged by young adult author Demet Divaroren, known for her books “Living on Hope Street” and “Blood Moon Bride.”

Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs would like to congratulate Sophie R, Atong M, Martha Z and Anaiya C on their participation in this year’s competition. We would also like to extend a special congratulations to India S, who was awarded second prize in the Teen category for her short story titled 'Ignite'.

It is wonderful to see our students’ embracing opportunities on offer within the wider community and once again, congratulations to all our students who took part in this competition.

The 2027 School Fee Schedule and Fee Payment Agreement were distributed to families on 16 October 2026. For reference, this is available to view on the College Website. 

Families are reminded that school fees are to be paid in instalments as outlined in the Fee Payment Agreement. All fees for the 2026 tuition year must be paid in full by 4 December 2026.

If you are unable to pay your fees in full by this date, please contact the Finance Office to arrange an appointment with the College Business Manager to discuss your circumstances and available payment options. Any alternative payment arrangements must be approved by the College Business Manager.

The BPAY payment option is available. Please refer to your monthly statement for your individual BPAY details.

If you have recently changed your home address, postal address, email address, or contact details, please notify the College to ensure our records remain up to date.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to meeting your school fee obligations.

How long have you worked at Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs?
Seven years

What is your role at the school?
Community Liaison and Learning Support

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Hopefully making people feel better.

What is your ideal way to unwind and relax?
Couch, Couch, Couch, Couch!

What was your favourite subject at school?
Didn’t really have one but did have favourite teachers.

What book/tv series/podcasts are you into at the moment?
Recently watched IT, Welcome to Derry and just re watched VEEP and looking to start Carrie

What is your favourite sport to watch or play?
AFL

What would you sing at karaoke night?
It was either Welcome to the Jungle or Summer of ‘69

If you could choose to be anything or a day, what would it be?
A large bird.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Flight and stretch arms

What's your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere that’s somewhere else.

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Harrison Ford

What are your hobbies?
Bike riding and building Lego

What is something you could spend hours doing?
Bike riding and building Lego