Year 12 student, Michael Simiele, won first place in the State Public Speaking Awards at the Youth of the Year Quest which was hosted by the College recently. He had some tough competition from Taylors Lakes Secondary College and Melbourne High School. Michael delivered his speech with passion and enthusiasm which inspired all present and swayed the judges to declare Michael the winner.

Catholic Regional College

Sydenham

The Principal

The Class of 2014 continues to excel with wonderful news that three of our talented Systems Engineering students are to be included in the Top Design Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum for the VCE Seasons of Excellence.

Lent 2015

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them

deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ (Matt 16.24) May the power of the cross

Inspire us to endure the harsh realities of life

And to see through them To the bright vision of a world

transformed By the power of God’s love.

Amen

05 March 2015 Edition 01:2:15

380 Sydenham Road, Sydenham. VIC. 3037

Telephone: 9361 0000 www.crcsydenham.net Facsimile: 9390 2096

2015 College Theme

‘Light the World’

IMPORTANT COLLEGE DATES

Tuesday 10 March Student Free Day Wednesday 11 March VET S&R Melbourne Park SACCSS Senior Day Yr 12 Geography Camp Thursday 12 March Yr 12 Geography Camp Friday 13 March Yr 12 Geography Camp Student Leaders meeting with the Archbishop SACCSS Cricket Semi Final Monday 16 March Yr 12 Outdoor Ed Camp Tuesday 17 March St Patrick’s Day Mass Applied RE Venturing Hike-Organ Pipes Yr 12 Outdoor Ed Camp Wednesday 18 March Yr 12 Outdoor Ed Camp Thursday 19 March Student Free Day - PST Interviews

It was terrific to have our Learning Area Captains appointed for the 2015 Academic Year. Congratulations to the following students who have been appointed to these positions: 

The Principal

The College, at the Opening College Mass to commence the year, recognised the new Year 11 Cluster Captains and Cluster Sport Captains by presenting them with their badges and inducting them into their new roles. Congratulations to the following Year 11 students who have taken on a Cluster position.

Home Group Leaders were also inducted for each Home Group at our Opening College Mass. I am pleased to recognize and congratulate the following students:

BRADMAN

Religious Education

Matthew Dinh

Science

Crystal Limcangco

Humanities

Jason Cuschieri

Language

Maria Angelica Limun

Vocational Training

Chantelle Didus

Technology

Patrick Grech

Personal Development

Daniel Porco

VCAL

Naomi Roche

Arts

Jessica Williams

Mathematics

Osinachi Njoku

Bradman

David Maney

Dunlop

Rembrandt Soler

Chang

Isabella Seychell

Mackillop

Mikhaela Cugliari

Truganini

Janey-Lee Magtoto

Winton

Danielle Maugeri

B1 Megan Debono

B2 Serena Callanan

B3 Stephanie Toncic

B4 Brendan Clarke

B5 Fabian Usai

B6 Frances Abary

B7 Joseph Tardio

CHANG

DUNLOP

MACKILLOP

TRUGANINI

WINTON

The Principal

C1 Ashley Enriquez

C2 Valentina Attard

C3 Alexandra Ferro

C4 Georgina Flavell

C5 Jarrod Febbraio

C6 Krystyll-Kate Agarano

C7 Joseph Siveges

D1 Emily Markham

D2 Gabriel Hidalgo

D3 Sarah Rasquinha

D4 Lem Akol

D5 Dean Defina

D6 Nina Guico

D7 Alexander Barallon

M1 Neok Mongrag

M2 Isabella Stellini

M3 Cassandra Rafter

M4 Nyakeer Akoul

M5 Truong Nguyen

M6 Cheryln Rodrigues

M7 Jacklyn Caruana

T1 Vincent Julian

T2 Mikaela Borg

T3 Kevin Pham

T4 Kieran Reynolds

T5 Lauren Galea

T6 Riley Meyer

T7 Angeolina Pisani

W1 Isaac Sawires

W2 Joshua Stock

W3 Denise Ignacio

W4 Giuliano Veneziano

W5 Joseph Ventura

W6 Paul Do

W7 Nathan Galea

Patrick Arellano was recognised on 15 February by Scouts Victoria when Shane Jacobson was appointed the new Chief Scout. Shane chose Patrick as a Chief Scout Ambassador whereupon he was presented with special insignia in front of 15,000 people before having the chance to meet Shane and the numerous celebrities who turned up to the Myer Music Bowl to perform on the day.

Finally, we welcome staff new to the College. As is our tradition each year at the Opening College Mass, new staff are presented with their Cluster Badge and welcomed to the College by our Chaplains who on this occasion included Father Noel Brady and Father John O'Reilly. We welcome to Catholic Regional College Sydenham the following new staff for 2015:

The Principal

Marina Zovin

Biology, Health & VET Lab Skills

Elena Paristatidis

Psychology

Mark Gabriele

Italian & English

Jwan Kada

RE & VET Community Services

Esther Latimour

Psychology & VET Sport and Rec

Nathan Gutheridge

Outdoor Ed., PE & VET Sport and Rec

Miranda Wood

Biology & VCAL

Ashleigh Azzopardi

English & History

Rianne Burroughs

VET Furnishings & VCAL

Emily Pearson

English, Psychology & VCAL

Gabrielle Toigo

Chemistry

Yours faithfully,

Brendan J Watson OAM - Principal

For the second year in a row, Catholic Regional College Sydenham were proud to take part in the Watergardens Streat Vibes Music Festival on Sunday March 1st. This initiative by Watergardens Town Centre puts performers from school and community groups on stage with other local talent, which this year included Reigan Derry, Nathaniel and Masketta Fall.

This year Catholic Regional College Sydenham were proudly represented by Year 12 Music students Teressa Pashos and Olivia Czopowski. Despite the early hour, the girls got a fantastic reaction from the crowd who were braving the cold to ensure they had a great spot for the day. Performing songs currently heard on the radio from the likes of Meghan Trainor right through to classics by Leonard Cohen and Etta James, both girls had the crowd singing along and cheering.

Thank you to Watergardens Town Centre for providing this opportunity. Stay tuned for what else the girls and the rest of the Performing Arts department has in store for 2015.

On 1 May, the Archbishop of Melbourne will celebrate Mass with us in the hall before officially blessing the new Learning Common Building and the newly refurbished VCAL Centre. The VCAL Centre will be named St Joseph’s (the carpenter) Centre for The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) or St Joseph’s Centre for short. The Archbishop will not only bless the buildings but also unveil the new sculpture that has been commissioned for St Joseph’s Centre. Local State Member for Sydenham and Minister in the new Victorian Government, the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP, will attend on behalf of the Premier to officially open the new buildings with the Archbishop. I invite all families to join us on this day for what will be a very special Mass and celebration. Details can be found below with families wishing to attend requested to call Gina Zumbo on 9361 0004 at least 3 days prior so that a seat can be allocated and reserved for you. I look forward to as many families being able to join the College community on the day.

The Principal

The Principal

RECOGNISING STUDENTS

Each fortnight in the College Newsletter, we recognise the achievements of many of our 'quiet achievers', those students who should be singled out for the wonderful work they are doing. This fortnight we recognise, celebrate and congratulate the following students:

MacKillop Cluster

The Mackillop Cluster would like to congratulate Steven Smith (M7) as our student of the fortnight. Steven has shown tenacity and dedication in the sporting arena. He participates in Cluster Sport, plays SACCSS cricket for CRC as well as playing for his club, St Albans Saints in both his age group and the senior men’s team. Balancing his VCE workload, his family commitments with his sporting pursuits is to be commended.

Bradman Cluster

The Bradman Cluster award winner for the first newsletter is David Maney. As a hobby David plays American Football for the Western Crusaders in Footscray. Also noteworthy is his work as a volunteer at the Avalon Centre in East Melbourne. Congratulations on your impressive interview for the Year 11 Student Cluster Leader position and we wish you a successful year as you work towards creating a strong community spirit amongst the student body.

Chang Cluster Alma-Rose Magtanong has made an outstanding start to the year. She has been a positive presence around the College and taken an active role in a range of opportunities so far. Most notably, she took on the challenge of overcoming her own nerves to take part in a duet at the opening College Mass. Her voice captivated the entire staff and student body and for this she is Chang’s student of the fortnight.

 

Dunlop Cluster

The Dunlop Cluster is proud to recognise the achievement of Daniel Boland in D6. Daniel was the recipient of the National Summer Arts Scholarship 2015, an opportunity afforded to just two Year 11 students from each state/territory by the National Gallery of Australia. Over the holidays, Daniel travelled to Canberra to learn about work opportunities, explore the different galleries and exhibitions, meet with professional artists and participate in workshops. This was a wonderful opportunity and we are proud that Daniel was selected over so many other Victorian applicants.

Winton Cluster

Stephanie Lacerna participated in the opening school mass performing a solo performance and as a member of the choir. She is also volunteering to perform at the staff mass on Tuesday. Her incredible talent is well respected.

Jason Denny has started his year as Winton Sport Captain by keeping classes up to date on internal and inter-school sporting events. He has also been a keen promoter of the fundraising efforts for the Philippines.

Truganini Cluster

David Maney

Daniel Boland

Steven Smith

Stephanie Lacerna Jason Denny

Alma-Rose Magtanong

The Truganini Cluster would like to acknowledge Georgia O’Donovan’s sporting achievements in Softball. Georgia started playing softball at the age of four and has achieved much success. She has represented at a State level for the under 13 and under 15 age groups and currently represents Victoria in the under 17 State Competition. In 2014, she was one of 15 Australian softball players in the under 15 age category to be chosen to travel to America where we she represented Australia in an American interstate competition. Georgia competed in four tournaments across four different states in America. In Colorado she participated in a 3 day

camp were American College coaches scouted for potential College softball scholarships. Georgia’s dream is to represent Australia at an international level. Georgia O’Donovan

PARENT/GUARDIAN, STUDENT AND TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Thursday 19 March 10.00am – 8.30pm

College Multipurpose Hall

We would like to invite all parents/guardians and students to the parent/guardian/teacher interviews which are scheduled at this important time of the year to allow parents the opportunity to speak directly to staff about the progress of students and to explore strategies that will enhance their educational performance in both the VCE and VCAL. Parents will be posted a letter shortly that will provide a user name and password as well as instructions to assist them in logging in to the Parent Access Module (PAM) to view reports online and to schedule interview times with teachers. All teaching staff will be available to discuss student progress and any concerns you may have. The Interim Report will indicate two codes for these Interviews, ‘R’ for recommended – this is an open invitation to parents; ‘C’ for compulsory – this is a specific request that parents attend due to a concern that teachers have in relation to a student’s progress. We look forward to seeing you at the interviews.

Please Note: Thursday 19 March is a student free at the College.

INTERIM REPORTS Interim Reports will be available to view online via the Parent Portal from 4.00pm on Monday March 16. These reports serve a distinct purpose. They provide a timely update for parents and students in regard to both their academic progress and their attitude and effort in their studies. These reports are not designed to be a detailed insight into your child’s performance during the preceding seven weeks but to provide information about how they are progressing. The end-of-semester reports will provide a more detailed account of the performance of students within each of their selected studies. The parent/student/teacher interviews compliment the Interim Reports and ensure that Parents/Guardians are provided with every opportunity to gain feedback about the progress of their son/daughter.

EXTENDED PERIODS OF ABSENCE

For students to learn most effectively and achieve their potential in Year 11 and 12 they need to attend all classes. Attendance is monitored at each lesson to ensure that students meet the minimum attendance as required by the College and the VCAA. As outlined in the College Attendance, Achievement and Promotion Policy, students must not have more than 250 minutes of Unapproved Absence per semester in any subject. Students who exceed this limit will receive an N (Not Satisfactory) result in that unit or units of study. Parents are advised to delay any extended holidays or travel during the final years of secondary education.

Deputy Principal

If the absence is significant, students may need to consider deferring their study, extending their VCE over three years, or enrolling in Distance Education. If an extended absence/ holiday is being considered parents are required to notify the College Principal in writing.

SIMULATED TERTIARY ADMISSIONS RANK (Es-ATAR) In 2015, The College has generated a Simulated Tertiary Admission Rank (Es ATAR) for all current Year 12 VCE students based on their performance in Year 11 in 2014. The purpose of the Es ATAR is to provide students with a realistic snapshot of their current progress as they work towards their final Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) at the end of this year.

By comparing the Es ATAR with the ATAR students require to gain entry into the tertiary program of their choice, students will gain a better idea of how much they need to improve/maintain their results throughout Year 12.

If there is a large discrepancy between a student’s target ATAR and the Es ATAR then it is important that students take some action to review and improve their study habits in order to reach their goal score.

Subject teachers have been asked to discuss target study scores with students in order to help them to gain a greater understanding of the amount and type of work that is required to attain their target study score. Subject teachers are well placed to offer students guidance with regard to their current performance and predicted outcomes. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to discuss this information with subject teachers at the upcoming Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews on March 19.

Jeff Mulcahy

Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching

International Food Festival To support the 2015 Caritas Project Compassion Appeal with its theme, Food For Life, the SLG under the leadership of Social Justice Captain Luke Corson organised an International Food Fair on the College green. Thanks to the wonderful, generous support of so many students and their parents who donated a rich variety of foods from so many of our diverse cultures, and the hard work of not just the SLG but a large group of students who helped with the food preparation and serving, we were able to raise a staggering $1,021.00! A special thanks to Kristina Hefter for coordinating the kitchen operations and the maintenance staff for setting up the tables and BBQ. So many people donated food, we have lost track of everyone's name and contribution. If you donated food, could you please pass your name on to Paul Reed so he can arrange a certificate of appreciation, and if you are yet to collect plates or trays, these can be picked up from the Food Tech room.

Faith and Mission

University Information Sessions and Experience Days:

Following is a list of up-coming University Experience Days and Information sessions. All of these sessions require students to register their attendance online:

At Monash Seminar Series: Monash showcases different faculties within the University. The seminars run over several months and students have to book in advance. You will be able to attend seminars in areas such as engineering, arts, sport, education, health, design etc. Most seminars run in the evening, so you can attend after school. Parents are usually welcome as well. Dates for March are as follows 10: Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, &

Occupational Therapy 11: Business and Economics 12: Science 17: Arts (Science & Humanities) 18: Information Technology 19: Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences For more information and to register, go to,

www.monash.edu.au/study/life/student/seminars/

La Trobe are running Experience Days in April at their Melbourne (9th) and Bendigo (10th) campuses. Students and parents will be able to undertake 3 one hour workshops in their areas of interest from a huge selection of course and career areas. You will receive a free lunch and be able to speak with current students and lecturers. To view the workshops and to register, go to http://www.latrobe.edu.au/experience

Careers

Science in the City, RMIT: You and your parents will be able to learn about the science programs on offer at RMIT, which include biology, biotechnology, chemistry, environmental science, food science, nanotechnology and physics. You will also be able to undertake a laboratory tour at the City Campus and speak to lecturers about how you can broaden your career options and give yourself a competitive edge. The event will run Monday 30 March. There are limited spaces, so register now: http:// www.rmit.edu.au/appliedsciences/discover

Community News

Community News

Student/Family Information Changes

To ensure that families are kept up to date on all College matters we ask that If your family details have changed, please collect a form from the front office or alternatively you can email data@crcsydenham.net.

LOST PROPERTY

Any student that has lost any items of clothing or personal belongings could you please come to the front office and check that it has been handed in.

UNIFORM SHOP

Hours of operation at the College.

MONDAY: 2.30 - 4.30pm

THURSDAY: 8.00am - 10.00am

SATURDAY: 9.00am - 12.00pm

The uniform shop is located in the portable behind the basketball courts.

CLASS OF 2014 Year Book and DVD has been posted to families

PAM LOGIN All Year 11 parents should have received their letter with their PAM login details. PAM is your information hub for your student. If you require assistance with your login please email pamsupport@crcsydenham.net

Community News

FEES

All 2014 fees should now be finalized. If you have any concerns regarding fees please contact the Business Manager - Doug Roulston on 9361 0005. Parents who indicated on their re-enrolment form for 2015 that they would like to see the Business Manager to discuss school fee payments should contact us as soon as possible in order to make an appointment.

The fee structure for 2015 will be:

Year 11/12 (over 2 years)

$8,380.00

Year 12

$4,170.00

Several subject areas which have high running costs also have compulsory charges – these subjects include Art, Drama, Geography, Foods, Wood, Studio Arts and parents should have already paid these levies.

We have EFTPOS available for school fee payments. Feel free to phone and make a payment on your fees.

We have a set and forget policy where families can commit to a payment plan to suit their requirements via direct debit or credit. We encourage all families to adopt this new policy.

The College fee statements have been posted out to families