As we approach the latter part of Term 3, our focus naturally turns to the significant milestones that lie ahead for our Year 12 students. The VCE exams are rapidly approaching, marking the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. This period is not only a time of preparation for exams but also a moment of reflection on the journey that has brought our students to this final stretch.

In the coming weeks, our Year 12s will experience some of the most memorable events of their school lives, including Celebration Day, Valedictory, and Graduation Mass. These As we prepare for these occasions, I want to emphasise the importance of maintaining high expectations around attendance and behaviour. These standards are crucial, not only for individual success but also for fostering a respectful and supportive environment for all students as they prepare to take their next steps.

While our Year 12s are focused on finishing strong, the College is already looking ahead to 2025. Planning is well underway for next year’s timetable, subject offerings, and staffing. These preparations are vital to ensuring that we continue to provide an enriching and challenging educational experience for all students.

For the rest of the College, the term is equally vibrant, with a host of exciting events and activities taking place. We have camps that offer students the opportunity to bond and learn outside the classroom, the Learner Mentor Olympics that foster teamwork and leadership, and the World's Greatest Shave fundraising event, which reflects our commitment to social justice. Additionally, Book Week activities are sparking a love of reading across all year levels, Sustainability Week is promoting environmental stewardship, and the MAVS Games are encouraging friendly competition and school spirit. These events contribute to a rich and diverse school experience, ensuring that every student has the chance to grow, engage, and excel.

Our commitment to continuous improvement is rooted in a forward-looking approach, much like the biblical message found in Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This passage reminds us that even as we focus on the present, our eyes are always on the future, preparing for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Together, we look forward to the promise of new beginnings and the fulfillment of our shared goals.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in the education of our young people.

Laura Ruddick

The Crucifixion Event is the Fullest Outpouring

In recent weeks our staff have gathered on several occasions to explore the rich spiritual heritage of our college. These roots of our college’s spiritual life reach back to the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, the sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart, and the life and works of Caroline Chisholm.

In a recent visit from Br Mark Hilton, once a principal and brother of our college and now the Superior General of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart globally, he spoke of the significance of the crucifixion event. This is the moment Jesus is on the cross, dying for love of all humanity, and is then pierced with a lance. It is said in John’s gospel that “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out” (John 19:34) which represents the complete outpouring of Jesus life and love for us.

The challenge Br Mark presented us as staff and as a wider college is simple, yet profound. If Jesus loves us this much that he is willing to suffer, die and pour out his entire self for us, what are we going to do in response? The fact that we are loved is a given, there is no doubt in God’s love for each and every person in our college community. Every student, every staff member, every parent, every parishioner. The challenge is what is our response, how do we live in such a way that this love flows through us and out to those around us?

Our theme this year gives us some guidance: Let love flow from the heart as living water, taken from the parable of the Samaritan woman at the Well. The love we experience from Jesus and God should inspire us to spread love to others through our words and actions. It should be a love that overflows, overwhelms, overcomes!

This message is one perfectly fitted for our fathers’ day celebrations this coming weekend. In all our families I am certain we will find a father, grandfather, uncle, cousin or mentor that represents fatherhood to us. The patient guidance, the wise corrections, the gentle strength, the resilient commitment. We are certainly blessed to encounter in our fathers and others that overflowing, overwhelming, overcoming love that Jesus poured out on the cross. May God bless our fathers so they may continue to be, although in their own imperfect ways, a living manifestation of Jesus’ complete outpouring of love for us all.

Tristan O'Brien
Deputy Principal, Faith and Mission

Dear Families,

As we reflect on Term 3, I am delighted to share some of the exciting learning opportunities our students have experienced. As a College we are proud of our commitment to providing education beyond the classroom, and Term 3 has truly demonstrated this commitment.

This week our Year 7 students commenced their Outdoor Education camps. Located on the Moorabool River in Meredith, our College campus, Garema Dumont will be home to our Year 7 students for two days this term. During their stay, students will participate in a variety of outdoor activities designed to foster personal development in areas such as self-esteem, resourcefulness, leadership, resilience, teamwork, and responsibility. We wish our Year 7 students the best of luck as they embark on their first overnight camp at the College.

Our VCE Vocational Major students participated in their final Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) this week. Students were encouraged to connect with an employer in an industry of interest and complete a five-day work experience. This hands-on learning opportunity allowed students to apply what they’ve learned in their Work Related Skills class in a real-world setting, working and learning as part of a team in a professional setting. It also provided valuable insights as they begin exploring potential career paths.

This term, we’ve celebrated several ‘Subject Weeks,’ starting with Science Week. The science department organized various activities for our passionate science students, including the International Chemistry Quiz, the Science Poem Competition, the Education Perfect ANZ Challenge, and our Year 7 Inquiry Poster competition. This week, we celebrated Book Week, with the Library team hosting events such as a Library Treasure Hunt Bingo and a special visit from author and illustrator Anna Ciddor. Additionally, all Year 7 and 8 students had the privilege of hearing from esteemed Australian author Morris Gleitzman. Next week, the College is excited to celebrate Health and Physical Education week, with lunchtime activities planned for students. Finally, in Week 9, the College will celebrate Languages week with activities including gnocchi making, calligraphy classes, Taiko performances, gelato trucks, origami workshops and more.

As Term 3 comes to an end, we are proud of the wide range of experiences our students have engaged in. These activities support both their academic and personal growth and we look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for students to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

Warm Regards,

Lauren Markovic

Acting Deputy Principal (Learning & Teaching)

Dear Families,

As the term beings to draw to an end, we can be grateful for all the events and activities our students have had. Camps have continued to provide our young people with a positive experience. Years 7 and 8 have participated in reflection days, sports, House activities and book week, while our VM students have been out on work placement.

Other highlights that have occurred over the past few weeks include some of our Year 7, 8 and 9 students participating in leadership workshops as a part of the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation Program. The following were the areas of focus:

• Year 7 group: Goal Setting and growth mindset.
• Year 8 group: Leadership Skill Development
• Year 9 Group: Social Responsibility in our community

Arleigh Ruddick, one of our Year 9 Campus Captains, was a finalist for the Youth Champion of the West Award where she came second. Congratulations Arleigh!

Some of our First Nations students have been participating in the Nallei Jerring program through the Western Bulldogs, providing an opportunity for ATSI secondary school students to connect with one another and learn about their shared culture, whilst developing a range of leadership skill and experiences. The students have thoroughly enjoyed this experience.

We partnered with Marian College to host a parent information session with renowned psychologist Maria Roberto earlier in the month. The focus of the workshop was around building resilience. The session was well attended with everyone taking away some tools and strategies to use when working with their young people. Maria was also recently on the Resilient Project Imperfects podcast. See the link for her episode.

An important reminder to parents and carers of your duty of care to inform the College if you son or daughter is going to be absent. If you plan on taking your child out of school for extended leave, please ensure that you have made contact with their Year Level Coordinator to discuss plans for missed work. It is a College requirement as a part of our registration to ensure unexplained absences are accounted for. This can be done via the parent portal on compass on the day or in advance if you know. See below tutorials.

You can also call reception on 9296 5311 by 9am on the day. Families receive a text message at 10:00am if their child is away. Student Services will then follow up with a phone call following this if we still have unexplained absences for your child. Please support the college with this compliance and inform us of when your child is absent.

Compass Parent Tutorial and guide
Adding a note/approval: Parents are shown the process of adding a note to explain their child’s attendance after their child has been marked NP/U or L/U and also how to add a note in advance for a known upcoming absence.
Video
https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/3477204810537194497

Guide
https://www.compass.education/guide#section-attendance

At the beginning of Term 4, students will be required to be in full summer uniform from day one. This means that our female students can wear the summer dress, winter skirt with long white socks, shorts, or pants with the straight cut blouse. The boys have the option of wearing either shorts or pants with the straight cut shirt. If students choose to wear the straight cut shirt, they do not need to wear the tie. If students are wearing the older tailed shirt with top button, then they should wear the school tie with their shirt tucked in. Students do not need to wear the blazer to and from school but are required to wear if for formal events such as Mass or assemblies. In Term 4 the outer garment is with or without blazer. The red jumper is not an out garment. Thank you for your support with this.

God bless,

Stephanie Banks 
Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing

MACCSIS Survey out Monday

Each year, MACS create a school improvement survey. 
The survey link will be available to families on Monday, via email, and will close on the 20th of September. Students and staff will have the opportunity to complete the survey during Learner Mentor time.

We highly recommend taking the time to complete the survey, as it gives us all the chance to share feedback directly with MACS!

Year 12 Exam Ready Tutorials

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming back two alumni to present to our Year 12 Mathematics classes as part of our Exam Ready Tutorials. 

For General Mathematics we had Ethan Pereira, from the class of 2019, who achieved a study score of 50, and for Maths Methods we had Dylan Jape, from the class of 2015, who also achieved a subject score of 50 in the subject, as well as holding the record of the highest ATAR the school has achieved, of 99+. 

Thank you to our wonderful alumni who have recently attended the school and contributed to the learning of our current students.

Year 11 Drama Excursion

Our students recently attended a performance of Three Magpies Perched in a Tree, at the La Mama Theatre in Carlton. It will be the basis for an exploration of Australian Indigenous Theatre that our students will consider in class.

School Musical Complete!

Our students recently completed two incredible performances of The Wizard of Oz. The acting, singing and dancing was amazing, and the behind the scenes work made sure that the show looked fantastic in every single scene.

Congratulations to everyone who was involved!

The Abbey Solo Foundation Donations

Thank you to the Abbey Solo Foundation and Pana Ice Cream for their contribution to our school musical. Over 500 Ice Creams were donated by Pana Ice Cream to the Abbey Solo Foundation, who then ran our interval food sales raising money. 

We sold a large number on the night and Malia (the head of the Abbey Solo foundation) decided to give each of the musical cast an ice cream after the final show! 

Thank you for your contributions. 

MCG Excursion

We recently held an excursion to the MCG for our Year 11 and 12 VCE VM Numeracy Class. Students had a tour of the site, including the Australian Sports Museum. The aim of the excursion was to enable our students to apply the theoretical learning from their classrooms in a real world setting, including engaging with statistics, data and direction. 

Students also gained insight into the history and culture of the AFL, Cricket, the MCC and the MCG overall, as well as discovering the variety of roles at the site. 

🌸 Welcoming Spring with Year 7 Textiles! 🌸

Our Year 7 textiles students are getting creative by exploring the beauty of spring through pressed flower designs! 🌼✨

They're learning how to transfer natural pigments from flowers onto fabric, creating stunning, organic patterns. Here's how they do it:

1. Choosing the Flowers: The students start by selecting vibrant flowers that reflect the colors and spirit of spring.
2. Preparing the Fabric: They place the flowers on their fabric and cover them with wax paper or another piece of fabric.
3. Tapping with Care: Using a hammer or mallet, they gently tap from the edges of the flowers inward. This releases the natural pigments, transferring the delicate colors and shapes onto the fabric.
4. Revealing the Art: Once enough pigment has been transferred, they carefully remove the wax paper or fabric, unveiling their beautiful floral designs.

This hands-on activity not only connects the girls with nature but also gives them a chance to express their creativity in a unique way. We’re so excited to see the final results and celebrate the vibrant season of spring through their art! 🌷🎨

Visit from Luba Grigorovitch MP

We were excited to welcome Luba Grigorovitch to our College last week, invited by our College Captain, Mathias Sisay.
She presented to a number of our senior students, as well as chatting to some of our student leadership and having a tour of the College.
It was a wonderful day, and we really appreciated her taking the time out of a very busy schedule!

Outdoor and Environmental Studies Unit 4 - Day of Guest Speakers

Our wonderful Outdoor and Environmental Studies teachers put together a day filled with some amazing guest speakers for our Unit 4 students.

Our speakers included Jono Ingram, CEO of WLA, Sarah Connlly MP and David Dore, State Manager of Trust for Nature.

It was a wonderful afternoon, and our students got a lot of really fabulous information that's sure to help them in their exams!

Brother Mark Hilton

It's been a busy few weeks, with Brother Mark Hilton also visiting our College.
Brother Mark is the General Superior of the Brothers of the Sacred heart, and lives in Rome, as well as a previous principal here at our school. He shared his stories of his time here, as well as discussing the changes and updates he's seeing around the school. 

Father's Day Mass and Breakfast

Our annual Father's Day Mass and Breakfast was enthusiastically attended by a number of our students and their father figures.

It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying mass to celebrate the dads in our lives, as well as sharing breakfast afterwards.
Happy Father's Day!

Heavenly Father, Today we ask You to bless our earthly fathers for the many times they reflected the love, strength, generosity, wisdom and mercy that You exemplify in Your relationship with us, Your children.

We honour our fathers for putting our needs above their own convenience and comfort; for teaching us to show courage and determination in the face of adversity; for challenging us to move beyond self-limiting boundaries; for modelling the qualities that would turn us into responsible, principled, caring adults.

Not all our fathers lived up to these ideals. Give them the grace to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes. Give us the grace to extend to them the same forgiveness that you offer us all.

We ask your blessing on those men and mentors who served as father figures in our lives when our biological fathers weren't able to do so. May the love and selflessness they showed us be returned to them in all their relationships.

Give new and future fathers the guidance they need to raise happy and holy children, grounded in a love for God and other people - and remind these fathers that treating their partners with dignity, compassion and respect is one of the greatest gifts they can give.

We pray that our fathers who have passed into the next life have been welcomed into Your loving embrace, and that our family will one be day be reunited in your heavenly kingdom.

In union with St. Joseph, whom you entrusted with Your Son, we ask Your generous blessings today and every day.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.