Celebrating the start of Term 3

As we have settled into Term 3, the energy and enthusiasm across our campuses have been nothing short of inspiring. The first four weeks have been marked by purposeful learning, community engagement, and a renewed commitment to our College values of Faith, Acceptance, Compassion and Excellence.

Strengthening Our Learning Culture

The College launched the updated Student Behaviour Guidelines, which outlines restorative practices and the 4Rs process to support respectful and responsible student engagement. It is expected that this will lead to improved classroom routines and deeper student engagement, reflective of MACS Vision for Engagement.

In parallel, the implementation of the Caroline Chisholm Catholic College Case Management Guidelines has enhanced our support for students with additional needs, ensuring that wellbeing and learning are addressed holistically. Special thanks to all the staff involved in the creation of the strategies.

Honouring Student Creativity

We have proudly launched the latest additions to our Art Acquisition Collection, a tradition that celebrates student excellence in visual arts. Selected works were on display at our Mass of the Assumption last Friday. For the Papal Mass, please find the link here..

Professional Learning and Leadership

Our staff have continued to work on their professional learning so that key outcomes of our school improvement plan are actioned. The focus has been on Vision for Engagement and Vision for Instruction. The College is in the process of advertising for new Deputy Principal roles.

Special Thanks

I wish to thank Mrs Laura Ruddick, Deputy Principal of Learning and Teaching and former Acting Principal of the College in 2024, for her wonderful leadership and commitment to the community during what was a challenging time for the College. Laura has taken a role at the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) as a Senior Manager, School Leadership (Secondary), for the Northern Region. Laura’s vision, efforts and leadership steered the College during challenging and rewarding times, with improvements in student achievement, teacher efficacy and holistic learning and teaching impact. I thank Laura for her contributions to the community.

My final message

I also wish to share my excitement about leading the College into a new phase. My message has been for the community to embrace servant leadership, cultural appreciation, and the enduring lessons we continually learn from students. I thank our students, staff, and families for your commitment and collaboration. The first four weeks have laid a strong foundation for the rest of the term, and I look forward what the rest of the term will bring.

Napoleon Rodezno,
College Principal

Term 3 has begun with great energy and enthusiasm at the St John’s Campus. It has been wonderful to see our students return refreshed and ready to take on the opportunities and challenges ahead.

A real highlight to end Term 2 was Sacred Heart Day, which brought the whole community together in a spirit of fun and celebration. The food stalls were a huge hit, and it was fantastic to see so many of our junior boys enjoying themselves, sharing a meal with friends, and soaking up the lively atmosphere. Days like this truly showcase the sense of belonging and community we value so highly at Caroline Chisholm.

Our Year 9 students have continued their journey through the LM Camps, where they have embraced adventure, teamwork, and personal growth. These camps provide an invaluable opportunity for the boys to step outside their comfort zones, develop resilience, and build friendships that will last well beyond their time at school. The courage and commitment they have shown so far has been outstanding.

SAACCS sport is also in full swing, with many boys proudly representing Caroline Chisholm Catholic College across a wide range of sports. Whether it’s on the field, or a court, it has been inspiring to see the boys from St John’s competing with passion, teamwork, and respect. The pride in wearing the school colours is always clear to see.

It’s been a vibrant and successful beginning to Term 3, and we look forward to the many achievements, experiences, and celebrations still to come.

Tony Muller
Director of Campus, St John's

What a joy it’s been to witness students launching into Term 3 with such vibrant energy and eagerness, ready to dive back into their learning and embrace the opportunities of a short but productive term.

Our Year 9 CTK cohort are currently attending their Outdoor Education camps where they undertake projects creating Indigenous and water gardens, as well as creating birdhouses to support the local wildlife. Combined with challenging themselves with the high ropes and pamper pole, we hope the students return home both invigorated and confident.

Some of our CTK students are halfway through participating in the EMPOWER Program, run by our social worker and school psychologist. The EMPOWER program strives to help students develop and utilise core strengths such as leadership, perseverance and respect. The sessions will not only provide an educational resource on these strengths but create a space for students to discuss how these strengths can be identified and implemented uniquely into their own lives.

We extend an invitation to the dads, grandfathers and significant men in the lives of our students to join us in celebrating Father’s Day mass in our 204 Chapel. This event honours the vital role these men play in shaping and supporting young lives. It also encourages positive role modelling and strengthens the bond between family and our school community.

As Term 3 draws to a close with only four weeks left, it's a great time for students to dive into all that school life offers by getting involved in offered activities, building new relationships, and seeking out moments that inspire growth and learning. These final weeks are a chance to finish strong and reflect on the journey so far.

Ms Bianca Markovic
Director of Campus, Christ the King

There has been a lot going on at our Sacred Heart Campus this term.

We had Course Counselling over the last few weeks, the process of which began back in Term 2 with our subject expo’s and information evenings. This is one of the most important dates on our calendar for our Year 10 and 11 students and families. It sets up our Year 10s as they begin their two years of VCE or VCE-VM and our Year 11s as they get closer to their final year of secondary education.

The Year 12s have been participating in the Exam Ready Program during their LM sessions which is a key focus to their preparation for end pf year exams. They are gearing up to a busy end of term with SAC only days and trial exams which lead into the September holidays. Then we have Graduation and end of year exams – so a busy and important time for our Year 12s.

There has been SACCSS sports happening and House activities for all students to participate in. These days are a wonderful celebration of the community spirit we have at Caroline Chisolm Catholic College.

At Sacred Heart as we move into the second half of the term the focus is on assessment tasks, SAC’s and finishing course work as we begin to prepare for exams and transition in Term 4.

Molly Coyne
Director of Campus, Sacred Heart

Club Updates

Karaoke Club will resume on the 21st of August at CTK, and run fortnightly.

Chess clubs at CTK and 204 have both been running smoothly, and we have good numbers, however we're always looking for more particpants! 

Father's Day Mass and Breakfast

Each year we hold a wonderful community event, where we celebrate the father figures in our lives. 
We would like to extend an invitation to all our students and their dads, grandfathers or father figures to attend a mass at 7.30am in our 204 chapel on the 5th of September, followed by a breakfast.

You can register here: https://forms.office.com/r/UAw...

Student Wellbeing and Community Connection Programs

“The school holiday programs are a great way to learn new skills and meet new people from the community. The staff are nice and helpful. It's a great experience especially with friends”

Elise Pasquier

Each term, our CCCC students enjoy school holiday activities which provide opportunities for our young people to engage and connect community mentors. These programs are run in collaboration with partner organisations who coordinate and arrange some incredible options for holiday entertainment and enrichment. 

Our students participated in a range of extracurricular activities at the end of Term 2 with Huddles, Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, and local youth services forums, including with the Centre for Multicultural Youth.

These programs enhance student leadership and teamwork through active involvement. Below are some of the testimonies and reflections from the students who have benefited from some of the school holiday activities, along with explanations of some of the other programs offered. Thank you to each of our partner organisations for your work, and to our wonderful students for both participating in the programs, and contributing these reflections. 

Western Bulldogs Community Foundation:

Mr Robert Aduer, External Student Support Coordinator, was invited to attend a cultural heritage match in which Western Bulldogs played against West Coast Eagles. Many community groups were invited, and joined Mr Aduer at the Western Bulldogs’ corporate function room to connect and network with community organisations who are also committed to providing support for youth.
We continue to see strong collaboration and partnership engagement with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, with their school and youth outreach empowerment programs popular at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College.

We also had a number of students who were participants in the Western Bulldogs Social & Student Club, or the Youth Leadership Program, were given the opportunity to attend a game of AFL over the holidays, when the Bulldogs played against the Brisbane Lions. It was a fabulous event, and our students really enjoyed getting watch some of their favourite players live!

Local Government Youth Initiatives - Maribyrnong and Brimbank Council
By Minh Trinh, Year 11, 2025 Brimbank Youth Councillor

On Wednesday 16th August, I represented Brimbank City Council alongside other representative members at the 2025 Western Region Youth Forum - a formal event that brought together six of Melbourne’s western city councils to present and deliberate key issues these communities actively faced. The full-day event bolstered a plethora of icebreaker activities, discussion sessions, learning opportunities with councillor members from other councils, and the presentations from each council that truly represented the voices for young people, by young people. Among the topics from youth crime to financial literacy, we also heard from the MC (Masters of Ceremonies) Albee Damnics - Hobsons Bay's Young Citizen of the Year.

Brimbank City Council presented the topic of youth homelessness, drawing on the municipality's history of being at the top of statistics when it comes to mental health, decreasing socioeconomic status, and crime. Our presentation revolved around our project idea that focuses on advocacy and community engagement to address the issue in the form of organising care packs for those in need and engaging with existing Victorian Government initiatives such as the Houses for Parliament Origami initiative - an awareness campaign representing the quota of 60,000 additional homes required to satisfy Victoria's housing needs. A key part of our project was addressing misconstrued stereotypes that are assumed when thinking about homeless people - ranging from false ideas that all homeless people are not employed, to the idea that somebody who is 'couch-surfing' can still be considered homeless. While the forum has now concluded, the ideas, feedback, and discussions we had at the event still linger as the Brimbank Youth Council will continue to support and drive efforts to bolster communities dealing with youth homelessness.

2025 Maribyrnong Youth Council Advisory Committee
By Arleigh Ruddick, Year 10

The Western Region Youth Forum recently brought together number of youth councils, local councillors, and mayors from across the region at the Substation in Newport. The event offered a platform for young people to present on key topics impacting their communities—Maribyrnong’s council focused on youth crime, showcasing their “RISE UP!” Youth Empowerment Proposal, while Brimbank’s team addressed homelessness.

The Maribyrnong Youth Advisory Committee's presentation introduced a community-driven initiative designed to tackle youth disengagement and violence, particularly among young men in Years 7-10. Their proposed solution emphasizes school-integrated programs that combine sports, arts, financial literacy, mental health support, and more, which focused on early intervention and active youth involvement. The day provided not only a chance to share ideas and learn about the challenges facing different localities but also highlighted the collective power of young people working together for social change. It was a great day for a number of young people to get inspired by the work others are doing in their own communities.

I highly recommend that any students looking to get more involved in their community, to do some research on their local council's website for a youth council opportunities and programs they can apply to join.

Push-Up Challenge

Throughout Term 2 our students particpated in the Push-Up Challenge progoram to increase and raise awareness for mental health. 
Students did push-ups, squats, or sit ups in their LM classes, at recess and at lunchtime on both campuses, with staff jumping in, too!

CTK ended up as our leaders in the Push-Up Challenge, especially in regards to the number of participants. Congratulations to all students and staff involved. Our student leaders have done some amazing work in supporting and promoting the initiative, and we look forward to the 2026 challenge!

Bullying No Way

Last week was the national week of action for the Bullying No Way Campaign, with the message 'Let's Storm Bullying out of CCCC'. Activities were run throughout the week and posters put up to highlight the importance of reducing bullying at all schools across Australia. 

Eco Committee Garden

Our Eco Committee has been hard at work growing some incredible produce in our College gardens. 
We were proud to see a first harvest of significant yield, wi9th lot's leafy greens donated to a local food bank. This initiative both helps our local bees and birds with pollination and improves soil output, but also provides food for those who need it most. We're looking forward to seeing what grows next!

The Push: Music Careers Expo Excursion

In Year 11 VCE VET Music Industry, students are required to demonstrate that they understand the industry and can plan a career.
To help achieve this, our students recently attended The Push, which is a careers expo designed specifically for those looking to pursue a career in music. 

Our students enjoyed interactive workshops, keynote presentations, live performances and informations stalls. It was a wonderful day, and students made a number of helpful connections that we hope will assist them as they go forward.  

Read Your Height Challenge

Our students at CTK have been working hard all Semester 1 to read as many books as possible in our Read Your Height Challenge. 
Congratulations to the following students for all your work:
Teresa Le, Most improved
Abigail Stirling, Most diverse reading stack
Anna Tran, Biggest reading stack (77 books!)
9G, Most read LM (322 books!)

Book Week and author talk

We were excited to welcome successful author James Phelan to the College to present to our Year 8 students as a part of Book Week.

We also saw some incredible dress ups, thank you to everyone who participated!

Mental Health Awareness Session for Families

At the recent learner mentor conferences, our College Psychologist Brooke Evans-Brookes conducted a valuable parent information session focussed on supporting the mental health of young people. The session explored recognising signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in young people, how to talk to your child about mental health issues and where to get additional help.

It was comforting for families that attended to understand the effect mental health has on the daily life of teens and how it influences stress, building relationships, school performance and making decisions.

Brooke’s knowledge assisted families to better understand the risk factors of mental health in adolescence and the important role families play in providing support. She shared valuable support systems and resources families can utilise for additional help.

We are fortunate to have the expertise and experience of Brooke working directly with our students and providing sessions such as this for families. Keep an eye out for future sessions!

Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Loving God,

On this sacred Feast of the Assumption,
we give thanks for the life of Mary,
the Mother of Jesus and our Mother,
who was taken body and soul into heaven,
a sign of hope for all who follow Christ.

Mary's heart burned with love
for You, her Creator,
for Jesus, her Son,
and for all your people.

Through her example of faith,
humility, and courage,
set us ablaze with the love of Jesus.
May our words be kind,
our actions generous,
and our hearts open to the needs of others.

Help us to say “yes” to You, as Mary did,
trusting in Your plan even when we don’t understand.
May we be light in our school,
in our families, and in our world,
carrying the fire of Christ’s love wherever we go.

Mary, Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.

Amen.