An Easter Message of Hope, Gratitude and Purpose

As we come to the end of the term and approach the Easter season, we are invited to pause and reflect on the profound significance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter reminds us that hope is never lost, that love is stronger than fear, and that new life can emerge even in the most challenging of times. In a world that can often feel uncertain or divided, the message of Easter calls us to live with courage, compassion, and faith, trusting that light will always overcome darkness.
In times when wars and conflict dominate our news, courage becomes not an act of aggression, but a quiet, faithful strength rooted in hope.
As faith‑filled people, we are called to resist fear and despair, and instead respond with compassion, prayer, and a deep commitment to human dignity. The courage we are invited to live is the courage to stand for peace, to speak with kindness rather than hatred, to care for those who suffer, and to refuse to become hardened by division. Grounded in the example of Christ, our courage is expressed through love in action—supporting the vulnerable, fostering understanding, and trusting that even amid darkness, God continues to bring life, healing, and renewal to the world.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our students, staff and families for the commitment, partnership and goodwill shown throughout the term. Together, we have navigated a busy and at times demanding term, and it has been heartening to witness the resilience of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the ongoing support of our parent community.

We have much to be proud of. Across the College, students have engaged positively in their learning, participated enthusiastically in co‑curricular and community events, and continued to grow academically, socially, and spiritually. Events such as the Athletics Carnival, retreats, learning programs and community celebrations have highlighted the strength of our College spirit and the care that underpins all we do.

Our work is guided by our Six Pillars, which continue to shape our vision and direction as a faith‑filled learning community. The Six Pillars provide us with guidance about where we aim to head towards and how we lead the College in doing so. Pillar one is concerned with Staff Leadership and Professional Capacity: nurturing a high‑quality, faith‑formed and professional workforce committed to excellence and care. Then, Excellence in Instruction: ensuring strong, engaging and inclusive teaching and learning experiences for every student.We also embrace Student Engagement by supporting attendance, wellbeing and student voice so that all students are known, supported and able to flourish. Our Catholic Identity and Mission allows us to ground our work in the Gospel and the Sacred Heart charism, living faith through action, service and relationships. Our Stewardship of Resources allows us to use our resources responsibly and to support sustainable growth and student opportunity. Finally, and most importantly, our Child Safety encourages to uphold care for students as a fundamental responsibility, ensuring every young person is protected, respected and heard.
Together, these pillars drive our shared commitment to education, the Gospel, child safety and excellence. They remind us that learning is not only about academic success, but about forming young people who are compassionate, resilient and equipped to enrich the world.

As we enter the Easter season and prepare for the holiday break, I thank our staff for their tireless efforts and professionalism, our students for their energy and perseverance, and our families for the trust and partnership you place in the College. Your support enables us to live our mission with integrity and purpose.

May the joy and hope of the risen Christ be with you and your families this Easter. I wish everyone a safe, restful and blessed holiday, and I look forward to continuing our journey together in the new term.

Nap Rodezno
College Principal

As we come to the end of Term 1, it’s a good opportunity to pause and reflect on what has been a really positive and productive start to the year at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College. There is much to celebrate across all year levels, and I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our students, staff and families in helping to create such a strong beginning to 2026.

A particularly warm welcome goes to our Year 7 students, who have approached their first term of secondary school with enthusiasm and openness. Starting at a new school is a significant step, and it has been pleasing to see how quickly they have settled in - forming friendships, engaging in their classes and becoming part of the College community. They have made a great start.

Across the College, there has been a clear focus on purposeful learning in the classroom. Students have been actively engaged in their lessons, working with others, asking questions and building their confidence as learners. Our teachers have worked hard to provide learning experiences that both support and challenge students, and it has been encouraging to see students responding positively and taking greater ownership of their learning.

This term, we have placed particular emphasis on integrating the Learning Portfolio and Student Portfolio. Together, these provide a more complete picture of each student’s growth. The Learning Portfolio supports students to track their academic progress, reflect on their learning and set goals for improvement, while the Student Portfolio focuses on knowing each student, personalising College supports and supporting overall wellbeing. The College recognises that this work cannot occur in isolation. It is through the connection of these two areas that we are best able to support each student and see meaningful growth.

Importantly, this work has been strengthened by the close collaboration between members of the Learning Team and the Student Team. Staff across both areas have worked together throughout the term to support students in a more connected and consistent way, with a shared focus on ensuring each student is supported to grow and to have a positive experience at the College.

Looking ahead, we will continue to build on this work through strong partnerships between students, staff and families. Ongoing reflection, clear goal setting and open communication will remain important, as will ensuring that students are both supported and challenged in their learning. Our aim is to continue to support every student to make progress and achieve their best.

In Term 2, our newsletter articles will shift focus to the Student Portfolio, building on the foundation established this term with the Learning Portfolio. We look forward to sharing more about this work and how it continues to support student growth.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I wish all members of our community a safe and restful break.

Lauren Markovic
Deputy Principal, Learning

Year 12 Retreat

Our Year 12 students recently completed their retreat. This event is a culmination of the reflection days and Religious Education that they've completed throughout their time with us here at the College. 

We hope that the Retreat set our students up for a successful Year 12, and helped them prepare for their final year here at 4Cs!

Catholic Education Week

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector.

As part of this week, the Mass of St Patrick for Schools was held on Friday 20 March at St Patrick’s Cathedral. The Mass provides the religious centrepiece for the week’s events. Student representatives from every primary and secondary school in the Archdiocese of Melbourne join Archbishop Peter for a celebration of the Eucharist. Led by Celtic pipers and a procession of school banners, the Mass recognises the charism of the Catholic education community in a ceremony that honours the commitment to our shared tradition.

Representatives of the College were at attendance to this mass as well as joining The Young Speakers Colloquium for senior secondary students after the mass.

Here are reflections from two students who attended:

This year's Catholic Education Week mass and events were meaningful experiences that deepened our understanding of living faith-filled lives surrounded by God’s protection, centred on the theme “Christ Beside Me: Walking in the Footsteps of Saint Patrick.” The Young Speakers Colloquium event shared inspiring stories from young leaders about faith, growth, and leadership, encouraging us to live out our faith with greater purpose.
- Sienna Lobo (Year 9)

On the 20th of March, the Faith and Mission team attended the Mass of St Patrick for Schools and the Young Speakers Colloquium, proving to be an awe-inspiring experience. It began at St Patrick’s Cathedral that displayed the school banners and showcased a Mass liturgy. It allowed me as a student to faithfully connect with many schools, both primary and secondary. With the mass ending, secondary schools were invited to attend the Catholic Leadership Centre which empowered many to listen to students from various colleges talk about their experiences of faithfully connecting with the Lord and spreading the love/message of Christ. It enabled us students, including me, to be influenced and motivated to continue to nourish and spread my belief as a Christian. This uplifting talk brought us to socially connect with others and understand how God is the love in us. The speakers gave us the social connection Christianity gives us as a Catholic community. This was communicated in the Australian Catholic Youth Festival and the Jubilee trips last year, held by the Melbourne Archdiocese.
- Marko Raickovic (Year 8)

Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Day

As a College we celebrated Harmony Week in March, an annual celebration that promotes diversity, inclusion, and respect for all cultures. A day that encourages people to learn about different cultures, understand the importance of mutual respect, and embrace shared values such as kindness, acceptance, and unity.

To celebrate, students wrote messages of harmony and connection on hands that created a lovely display of unity at both campuses.

Students were treated to delicious cultural foods at the canteen and enjoyed traditional Burmese donuts at lunch time.

We witnessed a wonderful performance of African culture, when an African Drumming performance entertained students at lunchtime, and students at CTK also performed cultural dances.

To conclude the week, students were encouraged to wear cultural dress to bring elements of their culture to our school corridors and yard. It was a wonderful week of celebration, recognizing the many cultures that make up the CCCC community.

Open Day

We were delighted to welcome so many families to our College community for our Open Day on Sunday the 22nd.

Is was a wonderful example of what makes our College so special, with connections, fun and learning at the centre of the whole day. 

Thank you so much to the many students and staff who generously gave their time and energy to ensure the success of the day. Your enthusiasm, professionalism, and pride in our College were evident in every interaction and played a significant role in creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
We've received lot's of really positive feedback about how wonderful both the staff and students were on the day, including on yours, in rehearsals, at stands and during musical performances. 

We also thank the families who joined us, whose interest and engagement made the day so special, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the College in the future!

Legally Blonde Jr Auditions and Rehearsals

Our College's 2026 production of Legally Blond Jr has started rehearsals, with auditions held a few weeks ago.

Congratulations to everyone who tried out, the quality of auditions was incredible! 

The College also held it's first rehearsal on Open Day, which was incredible as future families will be able to see the full life cylce of the production, from first rehearsal to the final event. 

Health and Physical Education (HPE) Week

Last week CCCC celebrated HPE Week, looking at all the different ways we can support health in our lives. 

The week featured competitions and tournaments, including a Jump Rope competition, Badminton tournament and Year 12 Dodgeball tournament, Bike n Blend sessions which allowed students to use stationary bikes to blend their smoothies, a CTK nutrition stand with Gameday Nutrition, featuring Ruby Tipoldi, an AFLW player, and ending with our annual Athletics day!

Athletics Day

Our College Athletics Day went ahead despite some challenging weather, and our staff and students did an incredible job cheering on their house teams throughout the day.

The winner of the day will be announced at the assembly later in the week. 

Congratulations to Macey and Anthony from Year 8

Two of our Year 8 students were part of the team responsible for a new Gaga Pit at St Theresa's Primary School.
Our two students attended St Theresa's themselves, and were a part of the project from their own days at the school.

You can read more here: https://brimbanknorthwest.star...

Lord God,

As we come to the end of Term 1,
we pause to give thanks for all that has taken place.

In the busyness of the term, you have been with us:
in moments of success and struggle,
during events and programs in and outside the classroom
and in the quiet efforts of each day.
Help us to recognise your presence in all things
and to carry gratitude in our hearts.

As we now journey toward Easter,
draw us into the message of your Son, Jesus Christ,
that of sacrifice, love, and hope.
Teach us to reflect on his passion with reverence,
to see in his suffering the depth of your love for us,
and to prepare our hearts for the joy of the Resurrection.

May this Easter season renew us.
May it inspire us to be people of compassion, forgiveness, and peace.
And as we take time to rest during the break,
bring us back refreshed, ready to continue our journey of faith and learning.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.