Great Start to the School Year

Our College has had a great start to the academic school year, with the Commissioning Mass and Assembly, the Top 20 Assembly, Year 7 camps, and various House and Year Level Assemblies providing opportunities for students to celebrate the efforts of the community across the Spiritual, Emotional, Social, Academic and Physical areas of holistic development.
Well done to all the students who have already embarked on positive journeys for the year ahead by partaking in the many available opportunities, whether it be the College Musical, SACCSS, leadership, focus on their studies or the embracing of our College Catholic Identity in action.

We also enjoyed having our four Christ the King Campus Captains attend an International Womens Day breakfast earlier this week, hosted by The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, Victoria University and Maribyrnong City Council. It was an honour to be invited, and our students really enjoyed hearing from a panel of women breaking barriers across a number of industries.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to all the women in our community who help make it a stronger, fairer place. Happy International Women's Day!

Ash Wednesday and the significance of Lent

As we enter the season of Lent, it is important to reflect on the significance of this time for our community. Lent is a season of preparation, reflection, and spiritual growth, calling us to renew our commitment to our faith, service, and personal growth as people of faith. During the forty days after Ash Wednesday, while we may choose to take on acts of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, to reinforce values of discipline, gratitude, and generosity, it is important that we maintain a commitment to peace and prosperity for our children. The world is fractured, and the threats of economic, political, and social disturbances are very real.

Lent is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to grow in character, develop empathy for others, and strengthen their sense of purpose, as they are the hope we are entrusting to make the world better. As a school, we will be engaging in various activities that encourage kindness, reflection, and service to others. I encourage families to use this time to have meaningful conversations about the values of Lent and how they can be incorporated into daily life. Whether through small acts of kindness, moments of gratitude, or time spent in reflection, each step taken helps build a stronger, more compassionate community which illustrates Jesus’ Ministry in action. I wish you peace and prosperity as you embark on a personal journey through this Lenten season with an open heart and a renewed commitment to growth and service.

Napoleon Rodezno
College Principal

Our year has already begun with great energy and joy, as we hit the ground running for 2025.

We kicked off the year by warmly welcoming our Year 7 students and new members to the Christ the King community. The positive feedback about our parent liturgy and breakfast was heartwarming, with each parent lighting a candle and devoting a prayer for their child. Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College.

Week 5 saw our whole Year 7 cohort head off to camp in Mount Evelyn, giving our students the chance to immerse themselves in a community atmosphere marked by challenge, joyfulness, community-building, and faith. It was great to see the students mingling with new friends, flying across the sky on the giant swing, or hitting a bullseye on the archery boards. Well done to our Year 7s for being daring and trying new things. We hope this is a positive start to their exciting school journey ahead.

Our Year 8 Camps are now underway as well, featuring bodyboarding and surfing classes at Anglesea Beach. Good luck to all students; we wish you every success in catching that wave!

To support our students academically, we also offer a CTK Homework Club that runs in the TISC each Thursday afternoon from 3:05 pm- 4:00 pm; another opportunity to get some extra teacher support. Hope to see many more students there each Thursday!

At Christ the King, we wholeheartedly embrace the College’s yearly theme of “Set us ablaze with the love of Jesus”. The quote is asking for all of us to be filled with a strong, energetic passion that comes from the love and kindness that Jesus showed. Having passion and energy for everything we do is going to help us get the best results in all areas of our school life. It encourages students to approach their studies, friendships, and future with enthusiasm and a caring heart.

With only 4 weeks left of Term 1, I encourage every student to dive into every opportunity at school, join activities, and connect with your peers to enrich your journey and personal growth.

Ms Bianca Markovic
Director of Campus, Christ the King

Welcome to the New School Year at St John’s Boys Campus!

As we embark on the 2025 academic year, there’s a real sense of excitement and anticipation at St John’s Boys Campus. Our students have returned with energy and enthusiasm, ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The year kicked off with our Opening School Mass, a spiritual and meaningful occasion that brought together students, staff, and families in celebration of the year ahead. The Mass set a reflective tone, reminding us of our shared values and the importance of faith in our school community.

As always, we are particularly excited to welcome our new Year 7 students, who join us as the latest members of the St John’s family. Their arrival marks the start of an exciting journey filled with growth, learning, and new experiences. To help them transition into their new environment, the College held the Year 7 Learning Mentor and Parent Introduction Night, where families had the chance to meet their child’s Learning Mentor and get a feel for what the year will hold. It was a wonderful opportunity for parents and Learning Mentors to forge strong connections, ensuring that our Year 7 students are supported both academically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Our Year 7 students also participated in a wonderful wellbeing camp, which took place in late February. The camp was a fantastic bonding experience that allowed the boys to build friendships, develop teamwork skills, meet staff and enjoy the great outdoors. It was a fun and formative experience for all involved, setting the stage for a year of personal growth and achievement.

As we move further into the academic year, it’s clear that the boys at St John’s are already showing great promise. They’ve approached their studies with enthusiasm and determination, and teachers have noticed a strong work ethic in the classroom. Whether it’s in their first lessons or extracurricular activities, the boys are working hard and embracing all that St John’s has to offer.

Here’s to a successful and fulfilling year ahead!

Tony Muller
Director of Campus, St John's

The year has started very well at the Sacred Heart Campus, with students at Years 10, 11 and 12 all engaged in their learning. The Year 10’s are settling in to their new campus and their new Year 10 area, which is in the second year of operation opposite the language centre. Year 11’s have entered VCE and VCE-VM, and have begun planning study timetables and focusing on organisation skills in their Learner Mentor sessions. VET classes have started for students from Year 10-12 with Certificate courses in subjects such as Early Childhood, Electrotechnology, Hospitality and Screen Media, just to name a few. There have already been SAC’s in a number of subjects, and students are organising their time between school, study, working, sport and other activities, creating a school-life balance and supporting each other in their learning.

The Sacred Heart students were lucky to have pancakes as we celebrated Shrove Tuesday and they participated in Ash Wednesday Liturgies in their Learner Mentor classes to begin the season of Lent. We have had formal events such as our Opening Mass and the Top 20 Assembly, and the Sacred Heart students behaved in an exemplary manner. They are amazing role models for the students at St. John's and Christ the King, led by our wonderful Year 12 cohort. The Top 20 Assembly gave them all some insight in the dedication needed to achieve this level of maturity, and gave all the Sacred Heart students something to aspire to.

I look forward to the year ahead on the Sacred Heart Campus as we begin the journey of 2025 together.

Molly Coyne
Director of Campus, Sacred Heart

Open Day 2025

We have a newly revamped Open Day fast approaching!
On the 23rd of March we'd love to see you and anyone you know who may be considering Caroline Chisholm Catholic College as an option to join us for our Open Day.

Our new Open Day will have lots of interactive activities, and heaps of staff on site, so if you're interested in learning more about the subject offerings we have for your student in their future years here at 4Cs, this is a great chance to pop in and ask all your questions!

If you're planning to come along, you can register here: https://www.cccc.vic.edu.au/ne...

We hope to see you there!

Free Parent Webinars

Our Family Partnerships Team have been in contact with Elevate Education, who are offering a number of free parent webinars. 

You can find out more below, or sign up here: https://go.elevateeducation.co...

Permission to Attend External Events

In 2025, updates to college policies require parents and carers to provide consent for all offsite events and activities outside of timetabled school hours. Previously, events such as the annual Athletics Day and SACCSS sport were covered under a Global Consent. Moving forward, parents must provide consent for these activities via Compass as this is a requirement from the Department of Education and the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools. This is a child safety measure.

To ensure your child can participate in offsite events, please check and submit consent through Compass as required. We appreciate your support in keeping our processes aligned with updated policies and most importantly, in the effort to mitigate risk and not compromise child safety.

Important Policies to Consider

As the College enters the second part of the term, it is important to familiarise yourself with the following policies:

Pastoral Care Policy for MACS Schools

Parents and Friends Policy

Parent/Guardian/Carer Code of Conduct

Complaints Handling Policy

The policies offer parents understanding of the guidelines, processes, and commitment that we all must adhere to when working together to bring the best from each student.

Year 7 Reflection Days

It's been a big few weeks for our Year 7 students!
Last week they attended both camp and reflection days. Our reflection day in Year 7 focuses on understanding different religions across the world, with visits to a local Mosque, Buddhist Temple, and Catholic Centre, hearing from leaders within each community about how the worship centres are used day-to-day and for worship. 

Year 7 Camp

Our Year 7s came back from camp last week, and it was an action packed three days for both CTK and SJ students!
Our CTK students were on camp Monday to Wednesday, and our SJ students from Wednesday to Friday.

It was a fun-filled time, with heaps of incredible activities such as a giant rope swing, archery, and more!

Thank you to all the incredible staff who worked so hard to make this new schedule of camp a reality.

Sports Academy

Sports Academy launched this year at 4Cs, and it's been amazing to see our students thriving as they're pushed to be their best sporting selves. Students have examined their motivations and goals for the program and into the future, and regularly trained across conditioning, strength and flexibility. 

They've also had the chance to try out some of our high tech equipment, including mesuring their relative force capabilities, gym equipment and speed testing. 

Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent

As mentioned by Dr. Rodezno, our school has marked both Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

Due to LM and subject conferences on Tuesday, we sold pancakes on Monday to raise money for Project Compassion and to join in solidarity with other Christians who on Tuesday would be consuming the treat.

On Wednesday in LM our students participated in an Ash Wednesday Liturgy, and recieved a cross of Ash on the forehead while marking the words 'memento mori'. 

Project Compassion Launch

Our College was excited to recieve an invite to the launch of Project Compassion as they begin their cahritable endevours for 2025, around the Lenten season and into Easter.
Each year our students raise funds for the cause, and this year will be no different, with our College aiming to continue to support the important work uniting against poverty. 

Loving Father,

As we journey through this sacred season of Lent, we come before You with open hearts, eager to grow deeper in faith and love. 
Set us ablaze with the fire of Your love, that we may be renewed in spirit and strengthened to follow the path of Christ, who sacrificed everything for our salvation.

On this World Day of Prayer, we unite our voices with Christians around the world, lifting up prayers for peace, justice, and healing. May we be inspired by the love of Jesus to serve our brothers and sisters in need, sharing His compassion and mercy with all we encounter.
May our hearts burn with a desire for justice, and our actions reflect Your boundless love for all people.

As we embrace the practices of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—help us to draw closer to You, Lord, and to be more mindful of the needs of others.
Help us to walk with You in the desert, just as You walked with us through Your own journey of sacrifice and love.
In moments of challenge and temptation, may we be strengthened by Your example of selflessness and grace.
May this season be one of deep reflection, where we are transformed by Your grace and filled with a renewed sense of purpose.

Lord, through our prayers and acts of kindness, may we be a light in the world, radiating Your love in every corner of our school and beyond.
We pray for a world united in Your peace, where all people are treated with dignity and love.

Set us ablaze with the love of Jesus, that we may live out His mission with hearts full of joy, hope, and a deep commitment to making the world a better place.
Let our actions be a witness to the power of Your love, and may that love burn brightly within us, setting our hearts on fire to live with compassion and kindness every day.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

Amen.