Weekly Reflection

A Teenage Cyber Saint?

Carlo Acutis, a boy from Milan, Italy, was beatified on 10 October this year in Assisi and is on the path to becoming the first teenage saint of the millennium.

Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, was known for his computer-programming skills, love of the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary.

He used his computer skills to document Eucharistic miracles around the world and catalogue them on a website he created in the months before his death.

“Carlo is a boy of our time. A boy of the internet age, and a model of holiness of the digital age, as Pope Francis presented him in his letter to young people around the world. The computer…has become a way of going through the streets of the world, like the first disciples of Jesus, to bring to hearts and homes the announcement of true peace, that which quenches the thirst for the infinite that inhabits the human heart,” said Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi.

Oh Father,

who has given us the ardent testimony, of the young Blessed Carlo Acutis, who made the Eucharist the core of his life and the strength of his daily commitments so that everybody may love You above all else, let him soon be counted among the Saints in Your Church.

Confirm my faith, nurture my hope, strengthen my charity, in the image of young Carlo who, growing in these virtues, now lives with You.

Amen.

Shaun Coates

Director of Catholic Identity

From the Principal

This week we welcomed back our students in Year 8 to 10.

It has been wonderful to see the eager faces and smiles as students arrive for face to face learning.

Our Year Level Coordinators have carefully planned a transition back to school to ensure every student once again feels safe and secure while at the College.

Only when students feel secure can a flourishing of learning commence. I encourage parents who have any concerns about the transition back to school to contact the relevant homeroom teacher.

Stay home when unwell

Recent media coverage about the closure of schools may give rise to concern among parents.

The latest advice from Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) is as follows:

“The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home, even with the mildest symptoms.” CEM School Operations Guide Term 4 - updated 22 October 2020.

With the return of our Year 8 to 10 students yesterday, adherence to this advice will be particularly important to ensure our College remains open.

Marlene Jorgensen

Principal

Looking Ahead

Dates to remember
Wednesday 27 OctoberParents and Friends meeting - 7pm
Thursday 28 OctoberLast Year 12 VCE, VET and VCAL classes
Friday 30 OctoberLast day for Year 12 students
Friday 30 OctoberVirtual Year 12 Graduation Mass and Ceremony - 7pm
Monday 2 NovemberStudent free day
Tuesday 3 NovemberMelbourne Cup Day public holiday
Wednesday 4 NovemberSummer uniform compulsory
Thursday 5 NovemberSchool photos for Year 7 to 11 students
Friday 6 NovemberLast day of Year 11 classes

From the Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

As we enter Week 4 our teachers will focus on reconnecting with students in a classroom environment and building on the skills they have gained through distance learning.

When Year 8 Homeroom teachers asked their students about the positives and negatives of learning from home, this is how they responded:

Positives

  • A comfy place to learn
  • Working at your own pace
  • Unstructured lessons
  • No uniform
  • Sleep in time/ no drive to school
  • Eating whenever you wanted to

Negatives

  • Could not see everyone
  • Overthinking tasks, confusion
  • Internet connection loss
  • Distractions at home
  • Having no-one to talk to
  • Missing friends

As students reconnect with their peers and teachers their experiences during this time will help to drive the new learning environment. Teachers will be harnessing the skills our students have gained: resilience, learning independence, self-motivation, innovation and problem-solving.

Year 12 classes come to an end

This is the last week of formal classes for our Year 12 students.

VCAL students will commence the next stage of their journey undertaking apprenticeships, traineeships, employment or further qualifications through VET Certificate or Diploma courses.

The Unit 3/4 Drama students have their Performance Examination this Thursday and we wish them the best on this day.

Our VCE students will begin SWOTVAC (Study Without Teaching), a study period free of classes before their final Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) exams begin on Tuesday 10 November.

How the students approach their study time over the next few weeks will be critical for success. Organisation and commitment are required, and teachers are here to support students during their exam preparation.

Surviving and being successful in VCAA Exams:

Tips for parents and guardians

  • Provide a quiet study space, free from distractions.
  • Make sure your child has regular sleep.
  • Ensure they eat well
  • Reduce household tasks - they will have plenty of time to catch up on these

Tips for students

  • Create a study timetable and stick to it
  • Give equal time to all subjects
  • Limit part-time work hours to achievable levels, or ask for the time off during exams
  • Use the College study space if there are too many distractions at home
  • Remove distractions eg mobile phones
  • Complete practice and VCAA past exams in all subjects
  • Incorporate time management skills into revision and study time
  • Take regular breaks - exercise, listen to music, meditate

We wish all students the best during this next step in their 2020 journey and, as lifelong learners, hope to welcome them back as alumni to share their experiences with future Year 12 students.

Joanne Holmes

Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching

From the Deputy Principal Students

School Photos - Year 7 to 11

Official school photos will be taken Thursday 5 November for all Year 7 to 11 students. Students are required to wear their full summer uniform for the photographs.

Details about how to order photos will be available closer to the day. Family photos will also be taken on the day.

Elevate Education - Reminder

CRC Melton parents and guardians have access to Elevate Education’s Parent Webinar Series Empowering Parents to Reinforce Study Skills at Home.

Below is a list of the topics included in the series.

  • Wednesday 4 November – Stress & Wellbeing: Understanding your child’s stress triggers, symptoms, and a toolkit for stabilising during tough periods.
  • Wednesday 18 November – Exam Preparation: Developing a pre-exam roadmap with your child to maximise their chances of success and keep overwhelm at bay.
  • Wednesday 2 December – Technology: Understanding the impact of technology on your child’s habits and how to develop techniques for responsible device use.

The live webinars run online from 6pm to 7pm and include time for parents to ask questions so they get the specific tools they need.

To register follow this link: https://get.elevatecoaching.info/au/register

You can contact Elevate on 1300 667 945 or via email on auscoaching@elevateeducation.com. For more information visit www.elevateeducation.com

Rob Blackley

Deputy Principal Students

From the Deputy Principal Staff

Welcome back to all our Year 8 to 10 students who returned to face-to-face classes yesterday.

Lockdown drill

As part of our emergency response process, the College conducted a lockdown drill today (27 October) during Period 4. Students and staff remained in their homerooms with no movement allowed in or out of the College grounds. The importance of these drills cannot be overemphasised.

2021 Subject Selections

Year 9 2021 Subject Selections were given to all students yesterday. They should now take these home to confirm their choices. Letters have been given to all students that have enrolled for 2021.

In finalising Year 10 2021 Subject Selections, I will speak to individual Year 9 students who still have clashes in their selections to confirm their choices this week. When this is complete, an initial confirmation letter will be distributed.

A reminder that the College will be closed next Monday 2 November and Tuesday 3 November as part of the Melbourne Cup weekend.

John Christie

Deputy Principal Staff

Year 8 Return to School

Our Year 8 students returned onsite yesterday to a full day of activities designed to re-engage them with their friends, teachers and College life.

The aim was to make the return to school a positive one and build positive connections among students and staff to increase engagement for not only Term 4 but also 2021.

During Period 1, homerooms celebrated student achievements that occurred during Distance Learning Mode. Students also explored their experience of remote learning before being involved in several conversation-based activities.

Period 2 and 3 saw students participate in an Amazing Race around the College grounds.

Working in groups comprised of half their homeroom and a teacher, the students navigated through the 15 checkpoint activities.

These initiative-based challenges encouraged students to collaborate, communicate, problem-solve and use their critical thinking skills. A mixture of knowledge and physical skills were required. Students also worked to solve many cryptic clues about key locations and College buildings as well as traditional riddles.

In Period 4, a STEM-based challenge in small groups was completed, with students required to create the tallest free-standing tower made of spaghetti, tape and string with a marshmallow on top. Students also participated in further communication activities to finish the day.

Thanks to the homeroom teachers for their efforts and the students for their fantastic behaviour and enthusiasm. It was a very successful day.

Jordan Reithofer

Lawrence House Leader

Short Film Competition Winners

At the end of Term 3 our Media Captains held a short film competition.

Entrants were challenged to create a one-minute film related to the theme Life in Lockdown.

We were incredibly impressed by all the entries. The talents of our school community cannot be denied.

The winning entry was submitted by Year 10 student Ellen who not only directed her film, but acted in it, filmed it and edited it. Watch now by clicking on the image below.

Second place went to Year 9 student Alannah who explored lockdown from the perspective of her six-year-old brother. Watch now by clicking on the image below.

Third place went to Year 10 student Nathan who created a stop motion animation using Lego. Watch now by clicking on the image below.

A big thank you to all who entered and keep an eye out for future competitions!

Donato Ottone, Dillon Puskadija, Mrs Trish Griffin and Ms Lauren Whitford

Media Team

Mathematics Update

We were so happy to welcome back the Year 7, 11 and 12 students two weeks ago and we are all very excited to see the rest of the year levels back this week.

Online learning is now over but there are countless lessons that both staff and students can take from this experience. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the students who stepped up to this challenge and continued to improve their maths skills and a big thank you to the maths staff who worked endlessly to ensure this was all possible.

With no timed assessment tasks or exams scheduled for our Year 7 to 9 students, we will use the time to reconnect with them and prepare for 2021.

Coincidentally, all are working on Algebra, Linear Equations and Linear Graphs to kick off this term. This topic would have been much more difficult to teach online, so we are glad we can see the students in-person to tackle these important concepts.

Our Year 10 and 11 students are completing their final topics for the year and will then prepare for their exams next month.

Year 12 students completed their practice exams and identified timing as the most difficult aspect – both judging how long to spend on each question and being able to finish the exam.

We hope the Year 10 and 11 exam experience will help students prepare for Year 12 and begin to build their exam skills – timing being one of the most critical parts.

As our Year 12 students prepare for their Further, Methods and/or Specialist mathematics exams, I’d like to share some tips that I hope both parents, guardians and students find useful.

  • Don’t leave revision until the last minute – this will avoid the stress that comes with cramming. Try to do small bursts of revision regularly. You are much more likely to remember key information.
  • Study with your friends! Sometimes, studying can become very tiresome, but creating a little study party (online if not possible face-to-face) might bring some much-needed energy to revision.
  • It is ok to take breaks. You will know when you need a break, so listen to your body and take the time to recharge those batteries.
  • Ask your teachers for help. Don’t just skip a question and pray that it won’t appear on the exam. Your teachers have been with you since the very start of the year and we are here with you until the end, you just need to ask!

I wish all Year 12 students the very best with their exams and I hope to see many of them during SWOTVAC. Good luck!

Doan Nguyen

Mathematics Domain Leader

Marvellous Mushrooms

Our year 10 Food Studies students grew some very healthy and delicious Oyster mushrooms during distance learning.

Each student received a grow at home mushroom box that they cared for during the many weeks of lockdown. Recently it was time to harvest their crop and prepare a meal with the mushrooms they grew from their boxes.

The activity was part of a Food Studies sustainability unit that all students enjoyed.

Below are photos taken by students of the growing process and the dishes they produced with their mushrooms at home. It was a very exciting unit.

Jessica Mazur

Food Studies and VCAL teacher

▲ Back to top