KOLBE CATHOLIC COLLEGE GREENVALE LAKES NEWSLETTER

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1 KOLBE CATHOLIC COLLEGE GREENVALE LAKES NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER No March 2017 Prayer O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to Your Apostles: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you," regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and deign to give her peace and unity according to Your Will: Who live and reign, God, world without end. Amen. Ash Wednesday begins the journey towards Easter, a time in our calendar that celebrates the gift that our Lord Jesus Christ has given us. This very special time is Lent, a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which aims to prepare us for the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head, given to each student on the Wednesday. The ashes symbolise the dust from which God made us. At the College, each House celebrated liturgies that embraced moments of reflection and challenged each person to be the best they can be. Our ministers presented the Ashes with the words of Repent and believe in the Gospel, as a symbol of the importance of faith to our community. Each day, leading towards the celebration of Easter, at 11.35am, the College reflects and prays in unison. This very important moment illustrates the need for prayer in our lives. The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. I hope that the journey to Easter through the season of Lent provides you with reflection, penance and peace. From the Acting Principal Swimming Carnival The College recently celebrated the annual swimming carnival at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. This was a great experience for all, with great participation from our students. Congratulations to Chisholm House on a fantastic win, just beating Dunlop House. New start Year 7 students appear to have settled well into the life of the College, and students across all year levels are consistently exposed to great learning programs. I urge you to discuss the progress that your children are making with their respective Learning Advisor if unsure or needing further information. Year 11 students will attend their Retreat on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 March. Best of luck to staff and students attending what is a great reflection time for all, and I urge all of Year 11 students to think about the gifts that God has given them, and then to think about how they can give back to our humanity through forgiveness, love and respect. College Caps A reminder that Kolbe is a Sunsmart school and as such students are required to wear either the College cap or hat when outdoors. The cap must be worn for PE, sport sessions, SACCSS events, training and other activities at recess and lunch times. Students not wearing a cap/hat at either recess or lunch will be required to move into a shaded area. Students wearing the incorrect hat will be considered to be out of uniform and will be required to purchase the correct cap/hat if they do not own IMPORTANT DATES Tuesday 14 March Catholic Education Week commences Year 10 Careers Testing Thursday 16 March Access10 Exploration Day Year 10 Premier League (Rd 5) Year 8 Cross Country Friday 17 March SACCSS Senior Cricket Monday 20 March Tuesday 21 March Harmony Day Year 9 Cross Country LEA Exploration Activity Wednesday 22 March Year 12 Master Class Year 7 Cross Country Year 10 Absentee Careers Testing Thursday 23 March Year 10 Premier League Finals Year 12 VCAL Excursion Friday 24 March ROMERO HOUSE DAY Unit One Outdoor Education Excursion VCE Unit 3 Master Class Tuesday 28 March SACCSS Swimming Carnival Wednesday 29 March SACCSS Senior Cricket Grand Final Thursday 30 March Easter Liturgy Year 10 Premier League Grand Final Friday 31 March Year 11 Cross Country Year 8 & 9 Cyber Safety Presentation Term 1 concludes, 3.15pm Friday 14 March Good Friday Sunday 16 March Easter Sunday Monday 17 April Easter Monday Tuesday 18 April Term 2 commences

2 one as per our uniform policy. During Terms One and Four, all students are expected to wear the College hat/cap to and from Driving To School Any student who wishes to drive to school is required to complete a Driving to School Contract. A copy of this contract can be collected from the Student Services Office. Students who drive to school are required to follow all speed and parking signs. Any student who is found to be breaching the conditions of the Driving to School Contract will lose the privilege of being able to drive to Permission to Leave College Grounds Students who need to leave the College during normal school hours need written permission even if parents are calling to collect them. The note from parents is to be given to the Learning Advisor during morning PC time. Please note that Year 12 students are not permitted to leave the College grounds during breaks or private study periods. Dr Napoleon Rodezno Acting Principal From the Assistant Principals SEQTA Update At the recent Parent Information Evenings we were asked about a smart phone app enabling parents to access SEQTA. SEQTA responded that an app is in production which would allow parents to receive push notifications when an arrives through Direct Message, as well as being able to follow student progress via a mobile device. SEQTA were not able to give us a release date however, felt that it was not too far into the future. Further details will be circulated as they become available. The 5 Ls of Learning- Visible Learning To assist with embedding the 5 Ls of Learning into our culture and practice, the College is currently participating in the Collaborative Impact Program focusing on Visible Learning. The program enables the College to embed the key contributors towards maximising student growth and development as indicated throughout John Hattie s research on Visible Learning. As part of this program, classes have begun using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. These build on current practice here at the College, enabling lessons to have clearly articulated shared goals and a collective understanding of the desired characteristics of success for each learning activity. Listed below is a brief explanation of each. Learning Intentions: Success Criteria: A learning intention is a statement that clearly tells the students what they should know, understand or be able to do. A success criteria is a statement (or series of steps) which show that the student has achieved success in attaining the learning intention. The next edition of the College Newsletter will provide an overview of how Learning Intentions and Success Criteria can be embedded at home. Year 7, 8, 11 and 12 Interim Reports In the coming weeks, families of students in Years 7, 8, 11 and 12 will receive their Interim Reports via SEQTA ConeqtP. This report is an indication of the current academic standard and work habits being displayed by your child so far this year. The Expected Level is based on the Victorian Curriculum, VCAL, VET or VCE requirements for this semester at each year level. These reports will be complemented by the Parent Teacher Student Conferences being held at the College on Thursday 27 April Year 9 and 10 Formative Reports Formative Reporting is employed for students in Years 9 and 10 on a six weekly basis. These reports aim to progressively notify parents/guardians of student progress and class performance. Receiving regular reports from subject teachers highlights areas for opportunity and improvement during the semester to explicitly map direction for higher achievement. This reporting approach builds data that informs student learning and sets immediate goals to enhance student progress in each subject area. The first round of Year 9 and 10 Formative Reports will be made available to families in the coming weeks via SEQTA ConeqtP. We ask that you read through the report with your child and take time to discuss the successes and their goals for the remainder of this semester. These reports will be complemented by the Parent Teacher Student Conferences being held at the College on Thursday 27 April Year Careers Testing Year 10 students will participate in specialist careers testing on Tuesday 14 March The data from this testing will be used by students, staff and families to establish a careers blueprint for each individual and as one of the many mechanisms used to support students throughout the senior subject selection process.

3 Results will arrive at the College throughout Term Two. These will be distributed to all Year 10 families upon arrival. Testing for students absent on the day of testing will occur on Wednesday 22 March Specific details regarding the upcoming testing have been distributed to families via Care Monkey. Student Goal Setting 2017 Each semester, the students at Kolbe Catholic College participate in the College Goal Setting process. Educational goal setting allows our students to reflect on their past learning experiences and strive for excellence in the future. It is a process of self-assessment that allows students to assess their own strengths and weaknesses, and take responsibility for their learning. The Year 7 students established their SMART Goals as part of the Year 7 Information Evening. Students across the remaining year levels will establish their SMART Goals as part of specific modules embedded across the curriculum. Once established, these goals will be available to families via SEQTA ConeqtP. Learning Resources for 2017 All students should now have the required materials for learning in The learning resources that students require are those published on the Learning Resource Catalogues distributed in Term Four Any questions or concerns regarding the arrival, mode or distribution of learning materials can be directed to myself at the College. Year 12 Master Classes A schedule for Year 12 Master Classes has been released to all Year 12 students. These sessions will occur during designated study periods and aim to assist students as they progress through the different stages of the Year 12 journey. Workshops will focus on a range of areas including study skills, the VTAC process, student pathways etc. Times for the completion of some common School Assessed Coursework will also be scheduled as part of the Master Class Schedule. Homework Club Throughout 2017, our very popular Homework Club will continue to be offered for students. This is a great way for students to receive some extra academic support and complete homework tasks as well as study alongside their peers in the comfort of the College Library. Homework Club will occur every Monday and Thursday from pm. In addition to the general strand of Homework Club, the English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Mathematics strands of Homework Club will continue to operate in Year 7-12 Assessment Schedules We are currently in the process of creating Assessment Schedules for students in all year levels. These aim to: - Strengthen the partnership between home and school, allowing parents to have a greater idea of what is happening at - Establish student ownership and accountability for learning. - Allow parents to assist their children with time management and study skills. - Ensure that students are not overwhelmed with too much assessment at one time. - Ensure Learning Advisors are aware of the assessment demands being placed on students at any given time. - Ensure all groups operate within a similar assessment time frame. Students in Years 7-10 will receive an Assessment Schedule for Term One. Students in Years 11 and 12 will receive a schedule for all of Semester One. These will be available for students and families to download from SEQTA and the Curriculum Section of the College website in the coming weeks. Mrs Allison Stott Assistant Principal Staffing & Operations Mr Dane Calleja Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching 5Ls of Learning In the past fortnight I consulted with the Mathematics Faculty to consolidate their understanding of the 5 Ls of Learning. In particular, we discussed how to create a curriculum that reflects the 5 Ls of Learning by reviewing the means of how we design and implement learning experiences that foster engagement, growth and enable ownership in each individual student. Furthermore we considered how we evaluate, modify and/or decide on the learning environments to suit these experiences and the contemporary literacies chosen to achieve it. I m looking forward to seeing the light bulb go on in our students heads. Stay tuned for more developments on the 5 Ls of Learning and how it is establishing a strong learning culture at Kolbe Catholic College. Mrs Cathryn Doman Learning Leader 5 Ls of Learning

4 Community News Parish Mass Times Church of the Good Shepherd 88 South Circular Rd, Gladstone Park Saturday: 6.00pm Vigil Sunday: 11.00am, 5.30pm Our Lady's 171 Craigieburn Road, Craigieburn Saturday: 6.30pm Vigil Sunday: 8.00am, 11.00am Good Samaritan Southern Cross Drive Roxburgh Park Sunday: 9.30am, 6.00pm

5 Livvi splace OPENING PARTY Hume snewinclusivecommunityplayspace Where:Livvi AitkenBoulevard,Craigieburn When:Sunday,19March2017 Time:10.30am-2pm (Oficialproceedingsstartat11am) Freefamilyactivitiesandentertainment Tilepainting-Sausagesizzle-Giveaways