College Theme for 2017 ‘Open new horizons for spreading joy’ Pope Francis, World Youth Address, 2016

Prayer Lord I know how much you love me. It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes, but I know your love is always with me. Help me to use your love as a way to persevere in my Lenten intentions. I am weak, but I know with your help, I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you. Amen

College Vision Thomas Carr College is a dynamic Catholic learning community, guided by the Gospel.

Excellence and opportunities to develop are pursued.

Through our hope and service to others we shine our light into the world.

Volume 21 Issue 02: March 3 2017

From the Principal Dr Watson Lent On Wednesday, the College marked the beginning of Lent with the Middle School Commencement Mass and Assembly held at Encore Events. The distribution of ashes was also held during an extended Homeroom for our Senior School students at the College. Ash Wednesday marks the commencement of the forty-day period before Easter Sunday a time when we are called to prayer and abstinence. I have included below a Lenten Reflection.

We are dust from our birth, but in that dust is wrought a place for visions, a hope that reaches beyond the stars

so reflected the poet Elizabeth Jennings, and so too does the Church as we enter every year into Lent,

touched with dust.

That this dust is “wrought” on our foreheads in the sign of our salvation reminds us that we are entering into

the season which leads us “beyond the stars” to great vision and hope of Easter.

At no time in our adult life is our Christian identity so

visibly marked on our skin.

The cross of ash is not the gentle and fragrant tracing of baptism: the cross which another brother or sister traces on us on Ash Wednesday is rougher, grittier; dirtier –

because that is what our lives have become.

The words spoken to us as we receive the ashes are also stark: “Remember that you are dust, and dust you shall return”.

Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in the Lenten weeks, we are preparing ourselves for Christ to cast his Holy Easter fire once more upon our forgetful

discipleship, the dryness of our faith, the brittleness of our patience and peace. Mixed with the waters of baptism, the promises of which we renew at the Easter Vigil,

Our dust and ashes become a rich and fertile soil for Gospel seed. I invite you to read Archbishop Hart’s message for Lent which can be found at the end of this newsletter. Commencement Masses and Academic Assemblies This year, as we await the completion of the extension of the Fr Tobin Gymnasium, we held the Commencement Mass and Academic Assembly for both the Senior School and Middle School at Encore Events. This provided the opportunity for the College community to celebrate the commencement of the new school year and the academic achievements of our top performing students. We were very fortunate to have Bishop Mark Edwards, our Regional Bishop, as the celebrant on both days.

Coming Events

Mar 3: First Friday Adoration; The Beacon published Mar 8: International Women’s Day breakfast for student leaders; College Tour (by appointment only) Mar 13: Labour Day public holiday Mar 14: Catholic Education Week Mar 16: ACS Swimming Carnival at MSAC Mar 17: Meet the Principal breakfast (invitation only); St Patrick’s Day; The Beacon published Mar 20: Year 7 immunisations Mar 21: Opening of VCAL garden Mar 24: House Athletics carnival at Newport Athletics Track Mar 28: Board AGM and Ordinary Meeting Mar 29: Senior ACS grand finals Mar 30: Last day of Lenten Term for students (dismissed 3.20pm); Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences in Bruce Runnalls Centre 4pm to 8pm Mar 31: Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences in Bruce Runnalls Centre 8.30am to 12.30pm; The Beacon published Apr 14: Good Friday Apr 16: Easter Sunday Apr 17: Easter Monday Apr 18: Commencement of Pentecost Term for staff; Student free day; Scholarship Testing 9am to 12.30pm; Year 7 2018 interviews for non parish families in Bruce Runnalls Centre Apr 19: Students begin Pentecost Term Apr 20: College tour (by appointment only)

Thanks are extended to Mrs Egan and her Catholic Identity team for their outstanding planning and organisation of the Mass. As always our celebration of the Eucharist was enhanced by our Choir and musicians led by Mr Morse, Head of Music. Following both Masses, the College then recognised the outstanding academic achievement of students from the Class of 2016. A presentation was made to Michael Lloyd as Dux of the College for 2016. Michael achieved an outstanding ATAR of 98.7. The College also recognised the achievement of Bryce Currao who achieved an ATAR of 93.2 and Amy Bongetti who achieved an ATAR of 92.05 Our new College Captains were also acknowledged during the assemblies:

College Captains: Marissa Esposito and Brandan Barlow

Vice Captains: Alexie Barlow and Jack Butler

Middle School Captains: Hayley Luca and Alex Lapina

Other College leaders have been recognised elsewhere in ‘The Beacon’. Congratulations are extended to all students who have taken on a leadership position in 2017. Naming of our New Buildings As we near the completion of the refurbished Administration Centre this month, the extended Gymnasium in April and the Performing Arts Centre in August, consideration has been given to the naming of our wonderful new facilities. At the recommendation of the College Board and with the approval of Archbishop Denis Hart, the following buildings will be named in honour of our three founding Canonical Administrators: Fr Peter Ray, Fr Barry Tobin and Fr Barry Moran. I am very pleased that each of them have gratefully accepted the honour.

The Performing Arts Centre will be named: Fr Moran Performing Arts Centre

The Administration Centre will be named: Fr Ray Administration Centre

The Gymnasium will be named the Fr Tobin Gymnasium These names, along with the two other buildings named in honour of our first two Principals, Mr Paul D’Astoli and Mr Bruce Runnalls, allows us as a community to recognise those who have played a significant part in the development of our fine College. Swimming Carnival On Friday February 17, our competitive swimmers from the Senior School, students from the Middle School and staff had a most enjoyable day at the House Swimming Carnival. Our students were co-operative during the day and many very eager to participate in the Carnival’s swimming events and novelty activities. A special note of thanks to Ms White and the Heads of House for their organisation of the Swimming Carnival. The results of the Swimming Carnival are: First place Galway 1871 points Second place Westport 1614 points Third place Maynooth 1425 points Fourth place Moylough 1372 points The carnival also served as great preparation for the ACS Swimming Carnival which will be held on Thursday March 16; our team is currently training for this event. Parents are more than welcome to attend the ACS Swimming Carnival which will be held at MSAC. I wish our swimming team all the very best for this competition and I look forward to hearing of some very positive results. Recognition of our High Achieving Students Again this year the College recognised the academic achievement of our students for Semester 2 2016. Those students who have achieved the following results attended a special luncheon at the College, hosted by Ms McDonald and myself, where they were presented with a Certificate of Achievement from Bishop Mark Edwards. The following criteria for receiving this recognition for each year level are as follows:

Students in Year 7 who achieved 90% or better in two examination

Students in Year 8 to 11 who achieved 90% or better in three examinations

Congratulations are extended to the following students who received a certificate of achievement: Year 7 Antonio Karady Azhleigh Izabelle Ro Agas Chaileen Carredo Connor Pearce Dinushi Bombuwelage Don Emily Byer Jayden Dashwood Jemma Poole Jimmy Lin Kaitleen Del Mundo Neel Patel Preetika Jassal Roland Susi Samuel McAdam Sharon Saju Thea Ty Year 8 Amy Quick Amy Virgona Ating Maker Audrey Wong Callum De Pasqaule Claudia Xin Yee Fam (exited)

George Quispe Liam Simic Montana Rauner-Smith Natasha Smith Shaneika Diec Sinit Berhane Vanessa Okorom Vonn Clyde Gaba Year 9 Christopher Moran Drashti Shah Hannah Spratling John Ruelo Lauren Costa Olivia Helena Theodorus Goenawan Year 10 Adarsh Ram Ariel Russell Ashley Prasad Caelli Del Grosso Elizabeth Howell Grace Newland

Jazlyn Hodgson Julie Lloyd Kerry Wang Kirubel Mengistu Lara Loschiavo Mackenzie Earl Maria Okorom Mevan Fernando Myan Roque Paris Ballan Ricky Xerri Sian Donazzon Tara Hume Tayla Eckley Trent Ballan Zara Gibson Year 11 Bethlehem Ayano Bree Duncan-Smith Catherine Mashalidis Emily Peng Erin Sidwell Jaedyn Ysaias

Year 7 Welcome Evening and VCE Parent Information Night Over the last couple of weeks, the College was pleased to welcome parents from Year 7 to 12 to a number of sessions. The Year 7 Welcome Evening provided the opportunity for parents to meet with their son or daughters’ Homerooms teacher, learn about the various College processes and procedures and check that all was going well with the transition from primary to secondary school. The VCE Parent Information Night provided parents with invaluable information about the VCE and the need for students to commit to their studies in order to achieve success. Again, the opportunity to meet informally with teachers was appreciated by many. Parent Representatives on the College Board The Board’s Annual General Meeting is being held on March 28. At this meeting, we will farewell those Board Members whose tenure has expired. In 2017, we will have two Parent Representative positions become available. If you wish to be part of the discussion in guiding Thomas Carr College into the future, please register your interest by emailing principal@thomascarr.vic.edu.au An application process will take place and should there be more applications than positions available, a vote of the parent community will occur. Applications close 4.00pm on Friday March 10.

From the Deputy Principal

Ms McDonald Student Leadership SRC Representatives, College Ambassadors, House Captains, Liturgy Captains, Music Captains, Peer Support Leaders and Social Justice Captains received their badges at the Commencement Mass on Tuesday February 28 and Wednesday March 1. It was wonderful to acknowledge these students. A full list of our 2017 Student Leaders is attached at the end of this issue of The Beacon.

The elected SRC Representatives participated in an SRC Leadership Day on February 24 at The Refectory, Werribee Mansion. The Middle School Captains, College Vice Captains and College Captains also participated. The day presented a wonderful opportunity for these student leaders to get to know each other and more fully understand and appreciate their important roles in the College, whilst at the same time developing valuable leadership skills. The SRC team began discussing the issue of sustainability that we hope to build on throughout the year. They also provided valuable feedback about the draft of our Self Reflection report which we are preparing as part of our School Review this year. Towards the end of the day, each year level elected their representatives that will make up the SRC Executive Committee. Congratulations to the following students:

Year Name Year Name

7 Fabian Mathew 7 Erinne Bautista

8 Liam Morgan 8 Teal Kiddier

9 Rebekah Sutton 9 William Maddock

9 Hayley Luca 9 Alex Lapina

10 Monique Fegan 10 James Mallia

11 Nieve Walton 11 Ricky Xerri

11 Joshua Rubite 11 Anastasia Georgescu

12 Chelsea Hart 12 Erin Sidwell

12 Jack Butler 12 Brandon Barlow

12 Alexie Barlow 12 Marisa Esposito

The Beacon Award The Beacon Award recognises achievements of our students. Selected students will be presented with a certificate of commendation and their names published in each edition of The Beacon. A maximum of 5 students per level may be recognised each fortnight. The criteria is:

Evidence of learning which is consistently exemplary or displays great improvement

An action performed by a student(s) that supports the Catholic ethos of the school

Evidence of behaviour which is consistently exemplary or displays great improvement

Active and purposeful involvement in a College or community event Congratulations to the following students: Year 7 Julia Mercado, Shanil Nair, Monica Bul, Karina Darlington Year 8 Stefanie Zafiris, Teal Kiddier, Lachlan Ostler, Samuel McAdam, Aiden

Micallef Year 9 Haley Luca, Alex Lapina

Year 10 Logan Roache, Gabriel Lawton, Monique Fegan, Peter Tomelty, Jonela Lobo

Year 11 Ivy Luo Year 12 Lachlan Thorpe, Apiok Manyiel, Kim Vanguardia, Erin Sidwell, Althea

Francisco

From the Business Manager Ms O’Neill 2018 Bursaries Thomas Carr College offers students in Year 6 the opportunity to apply for a Bursary for entry into Year 7. The value of the Bursary is $500 for each year of study up to Year 10. There is a total of 4 bursaries available per year. Bursaries are open to students from Catholic primary schools and Catholic students from State primary schools who are not currently enrolled at Thomas Carr College. Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate genuine financial hardship and must have a current Health Card. The College Bursary is available to those students whose families could not otherwise afford a Catholic secondary education. Click here to apply: http://www.thomascarr.vic.edu.au/enrolment-information/dsp-default.cfm?loadref=69 Scholarships Please refer to the flyer at the end of this newsletter for information relating to scholarships at Thomas Carr College.

From the Director of Catholic Identity

Mrs Egan Caritas: Project Compassion The theme for Project Compassion this year is ‘Love your Neighbor’. It is taken from Jesus’ instruction to “Love your Neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Project Compassion 2017s aim is to demonstrate how love for our neighbors can transform not only their lives, but our own too. That we are all part of one human family and each of us is worthy of respect and compassion. Each week we are introduced to a feature story which tells us how our donations are supporting our neighbors. This Lenten Season we are reminded to be mindful of our neighbors and to give generously to this cause. “To love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but something concrete: it means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely. And you are, dear brothers and sisters, the face of Jesus.” Pope Francis, 2013. E Did you know that you can download a Lenten Calendar for your smart phone, or use the web version and set it as your homepage, to ‘Learn More’ and ‘Create Change’ this Lent? Use the calendar to deepen your spirituality and learn about Caritas Australia's work in six countries across the globe. Explore Project Compassion, meet inspiring people and reflect on the Lenten period through daily readings, prayers and social justice actions. View or download at www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion/lent-calendar St James Homeroom Parish Mass Visits As a College community, we place great emphasis on prayer and reflection. Over the course of the year, all Homerooms will visit St James Parish for a morning Mass. In the days leading up to this visit, a member from the College Vinnies Conference will attend Homeroom to prepare students and select readers to proclaim the word. Our College Chaplain will also attend each visit. On the day of the visit to St James, all students are required to meet their Homeroom teacher at the bus bay at 8:40am where the roll will be taken (students must place their school bags in their lockers prior to this time). Full College uniform is to be worn and no water bottles are to be taken. Students must board the bus no later than 8:50am and will return no later than 9:45am, in time for Period 2. We must be extremely mindful of time as it paramount that we don’t arrive late to Mass as it commences at 9.00am sharp.

We welcome any parent/guardian to attend our Parish Masses, particularly with their son or daughter. The following Homerooms are attending Mass on March 10: 8 Blue and Gold All visits are not only a compulsory pastoral event for each student, but an opportunity to learn more about our rich tradition and to build closer partnerships with our local parish.

From the Social Justice Co-ordinator Ms Dagmang Caritas Project Compassion Appeal Even before the launching of this year’s Project Compassion Appeal with the theme ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, the College Vinnies Conference has already been involved in two events, the BBQ fundraiser during the House Swimming Carnival and the Servant Leadership Day. Thank you to all those who took part and thank you in advance for all your support. This year, with joy we reach out to others Archbishop Dennis Hart BBQ Fundraiser The College Vinnies Conference raised more than $600 at the House Swimming Carnival for Project Compassion Appeal. Many thanks to our teachers who cooked the BBQ: Mrs Burt-Scherzer, Mrs Prasad and Mrs Albonse. Thanks are also extended to Ms White, Mrs Egan, Mrs Lourdes, Mrs Penna, Mr Werner and his team for helping us on this day. Servant Leadership Day On Friday February 24, the leadership team of the College Vinnies Conference, the Liturgy Captains and the Social Justice Captains attended the Servant Leadership Day. The day commenced with a Community Mass led by Fr Jude, Year 9 Blue and Green Homerooms and parishioners of St James’ and culminated in the chapel with one of the founding Canonical Administrators of Thomas Carr College, Fr Barry Moran. In the day’s workshop, the servant leaders were engaged in very enriching activities, which were facilitated by Caritas Australia and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In the morning, Melissa Halliday from Caritas Australia, presented eye-opening activities that inspired the students to lead the College community into action for a better world. “Don’t underestimate your capacity to make a difference” was Melissa’s challenge to our Liturgy and Social Justice Captains. She emphasised the need to become partners with Caritas Australia to uplift the dignity of our unfortunate neighbours in a world of humanity. “Every action you do matters”, Melissa said. In her session, “Love Thy Neighbour” was launched. The students were confronted with eye-opening facts about the world’s poverty and how they could respond as Caritas’ partners at the College. The session ended with the planning of activities to raise funds and awareness during the Appeal. In the afternoon, Cheyne Pettit, the Social Justice Co-ordinator of Secondary Schools from St Vincent de Paul Society’s Mission helped us realise our identity as the College Vinnies Conference and challenged us to see the face of Jesus in those we reach out to. The session ended with the commissioning of our students. The leaders made a pledge to commit to living out the Gospel message in their words and actions, to reaching out to others through friendship and good works and to making a positive difference in our community and in the world. The leaders pinned their College Conference badge as a sign of commitment to the mission. As servant leaders at the College, our Liturgy and Social Justice Captains were invited to put faith into action. Mrs McCarthy extended the invitation to our College Vinnies Conference to take part in tutoring to refugee background students on Mondays during the year. It was exciting for me to witness their genuine commitment to the mission when they signed up. How marvellous it would be if, at the end of the day, each of us could say: today I have performed an act of charity towards others! Pope Francis.

Fr Moran (far left), Mr Burn and students in the College Chapel

Fr Jude (L), Mrs Egan (R) and the College’s Servant Leaders

From the Acting Director of Learning & Teaching Mr le Roux Unit 3 & 4 Parent Information Night Survey The College ran a VCE Parent Information Night on Thursday February 16, which focused on giving students and parents as much information as possible about VCE requirements, the ATAR scoring process and the importance of how a regular homework and study program in the VCE years affects their future results and aspirations. We want all our students to maximise their potential and to experience success both at Thomas Carr College and in their future careers. Effective learning is a collaborative process between the College, students and parents and therefore we ask parents to complete the questionnaire below to help us further develop this evening in the future. The closing date is Friday March 17 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PLMFZ9F Accessing Information via PAM Information about your child’s learning such as assessment dates, feedback comments from teachers, homework and results, can all be accessed through PAM. If you have problems in accessing PAM due to lost passwords or usernames, please follow the link that is available on the front page of the College’s website. Subject Progress Reports will be released towards the end of the Lenten Term. These reports indicate the academic progress of the students and the degree to which students are working in class and attending to the learning requirements of the subject. Promoting a Successful Learning Community After consultation with the three stakeholders of the College – students, parents and teachers, the attached Learning Community document was developed. It aims to encourage a healthy dialogue and partnership between the stakeholders by promoting the responsibilities of each group in ensuring that students achieve their academic potential.

From the Head of Learning: English, EAL and LoTE Mr Cathcart The Lenten Term marked the beginning of the year for students after graduating into their new year levels. For a subject like English, this means more challenging texts to read, exposure to more complicated themes and studying diverse and intricate forms. Year 11s have begun studying Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, exploring the relationships between father and child through the lens of a dark post-apocalyptic world. On the other end, Year 8s have begun investigating the short story form, as they prepare the construction of their own creative pieces. In the LoTE area, senior students have begun preparing for their first assessments for the year. To assist with this, Year 12 Italian students visited the Museum Italiano on Lygon Street, learning about the Italian immigration experience whilst also sampling some quintessential Italian cuisine at the local establishments. This immersive experience will be invaluable for their upcoming School Based Assessment where they write a letter from the perspective of an Italian immigrant.

From the Director of Student Services

Mrs McCarthy Transitioning to a New School Last month we welcomed our Year 7 students, as well as those new students transitioning to Thomas Carr from other schools. Transitioning to secondary school can be a very challenging and anxious time for many students. Even the most enthusiastic of students will take some adjusting to his or her new school's daily routines, the work load and the school's expectations. There are sure to be one or two hurdles along the way which may cause some stress.

Museum Italiano visit by Year 12s

Museum Italiano visit by Year 12s

Sampling Italian Food in Lygon Street

Your child may feel:

disorientated by the new schedule and environment

sad about leaving their old school and their old friends

anxious about not knowing the expectations of his/her new school

worried that he/she won't make new friends and won't fit into the new school environment

overwhelmed by everything he/she has to take on board at the new school Your child may show his/her stress by:

being grumpy and disagreeable

avoiding talking to you about how he/she feels

wanting you to treat them as an adult and then needing to be treated like a child acting 'cool' or 'tough'

not wanting to go to school

regularly complaining of headaches or stomach aches Throughout the Lenten Term, the Student Counsellors will establish contact with all students who are new to the College from Years 8 to 12. Changing secondary schools can be daunting for some students as they sometimes struggle to adjust to new processes and routines in an environment where they often do not know anyone. The ‘New Students Program’ is aimed at supporting students in this transition and enhancing their wellbeing, resilience and connectedness. Contact with new students is normally arranged through their Homeroom. If you feel your child is struggling with their transition to Secondary school, please feel free to speak with your son or daughter’s Homeroom teacher, Year Level Co-ordinator or the Student Wellbeing Team Leader. “Literacy Through the Arts” Project This is an optional after school program which is being offered to a select group of Year 8 and Year 9 students. A joint program between Thomas Carr College and the Centre for Multicultural Youth and Spectrum, it provides learning support and is designed to assist students to improve their academic and social skills through an arts based education. The students will be involved in a range of activities including drawing, rapping, drama, film making, writing and photography. The program will run each Wednesday in the Drama room from 3.30pm to 5.00 pm (excluding school holidays and during the exam period). Parent Access Module (PAM) Training Session for New Parents Are you a new parent to the College? We invite all new parents to a PAM Information Workshop that will help you learn how to navigate through PAM and learn where to look for important information about your child’s progress at school. Please see the flyer at the end of the newsletter for more information and to book your place.

From the Health Centre Mrs King and Mrs Rowe CareMonkey and Asthma The College has become aware of an issue concerning students with Asthma. It appears that if you select Asthma via CareMonkey, you have been required to upload an Asthma Action Plan before you can finish completing the profile. This has resulted in a number of students no longer being recorded as having Asthma, as a means of completing the student profile. This issue has now been rectified and families will no longer be required to upload an Asthma Action Plan immediately. Please inform the College via CareMonkey that your child has Asthma and upload an Asthma Action Plan when you have received it from your GP. This information is very important, especially for PE classes, ACS, camps, Swimming and Athletics carnivals.

A copy of the most recent Asthma Action Plan which can be printed (color preferably) and completed by your GP or Nurse Practitioner can be found at the end of this newsletter. If your child uses Bricanyl rather than Salbutamol (Ventolin or Asmol) we can supply you with the required Asthma Action Plan. Please contact the Health Centre at healthcentre@thomascarr.vic.edu.au Unwell/Injured Students Going Home Students who are unwell or injured need to present to the Health Centre first. If they are required to be collected from the College, the College Nurse will contact parents/guardians informing them of the nature of the illness/injury. Students are not to contact their parent/guardian directly to organise this. Your co-operation and support of this process would be greatly appreciated. Year 7 Immunisations Immunisation is a simple, safe and highly effective way of protecting children and adults from harmful diseases before they come into contact with them. It is estimated that vaccinations currently save up to three million lives worldwide, each year. Immunisation uses the body’s natural defence mechanism, the immune response, to build resistance to specific viral infections. When a person is vaccinated, their body produces an immune response in the same way their body would after exposure to a disease, but without the person suffering symptoms of the disease. When a person comes in contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will respond fast enough to prevent the person developing the disease. Immunisation protects more than just one child’s health. Vaccinating a child will reduce the opportunity for that child to pass that disease on to another, especially young babies who cannot yet been fully immunised. When levels of immunisation in a community are sufficiently high, the risk of specific diseases can fall so low that even those who are too young or too sick to be given a vaccine will not be exposed to it. This communal or ‘herd immunity’ can save countless lives. A reminder that Immunisation forms were due in by March 1 to your child’s Homeroom teacher. The Immunisation program for the Year 7s is below: Round 1 - Monday March 20 Round 2 – Wednesday June 7 Round 3 – Monday October 30

From the Acting Head of Middle School

Mr Wilkinson Year 7 Orientation Camp The Year 7s have had an amazing time on their Orientation Camps so far with only a small number of Homerooms left to attend. It is evident that the students have had a lot of fun. The feedback from the staff at the Good Samaritan Campus and Homeroom teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. Below is a reflection from Erin Bautista On the 13th of February 2017, I went to the Good Samaritan Campus with our Homeroom teacher Ms Diaz. The camp leaders Mr Diamond and Mr Johnstone did a great job at making us feel welcome by showing us around and making us familiar with our surroundings. We participated in various team activities, for example one task was for us to lift a single pool noodle together using one finger from each team member; the aim was to get the noodle to the height of our chest. This was very difficult as we all had to work together and communicate otherwise the noodle would go far too high or low! Orienteering was another fun activity where we had to work with our peers to find missing words that had to do with teamwork. We also drove to a nearby lake and did some canoeing and raft building where we had to work co-operatively to build a raft.

One big highlight of camp was the rec room, not only was it a cool place where we could chill out, but also it was a great environment to talk to new people and gett to know one another better. Many of us excelled in archery by shooting a bull’s eye and popping several balloons that were set at the center of the target. For our Homeroom activity, we were introduced to a game called ‘capture the flag’, where we were separated into two teams. Both teams had to steal the other team’s well-hidden flag and bring it back to their team flag. Our chef Ms Van Es cooked amazingly delicious food and made sure everyone was well fed for the duration of our stay. Finally, on behalf of Year 7, I want to thank our Homeroom teacher Ms Diaz, our Year Level Co-ordinators Mr Manitta and Ms Arandt and the camp staff for giving us this amazing experience where we learnt numerous things that will have a big impact in our lives. Thank you all very much”. Year 8 Shine Program Coming up is the commencement of the Year 8 Shine Program, where all Year 8 Homerooms will engage in different activities to challenge them and help them to get to know their peers. The Semester 1 aspect of the Program will begin on Monday February 27 with 8 Blue and Gold travelling to Ocean Grove to learn how to surf. 8 Purple and Red will surf on Thursday March 2, 8 Green and White will surf on Friday March 3 and 8 Silver and Jade will surf on Wednesday March 8. All Year 8 students are excited about learning to surf! Be sure to the read the next issue of The Beacon for reflections and photos of the epic experience!

From the Head of Senior School

Mrs Knurek Pastoral Care Thomas Carr College places a strong emphasis on the individual student's development and growth as a person. Parents and students are encouraged to utilise the resources provided by the College for assistance and support in achieving shared objectives in both the academic and co-curricular life of the school. The College has three Student Counsellors who can assist students with problems that affect their study and/or of a personal nature. The Pastoral Care program is delivered by Homeroom teachers and developed by the team of Year Level Co-ordinators and Heads of School. It is based around several themes:

Healthy Relationships: cyber, sexual harassment, child safety, workplace bullying, same sex relationships, annual safety survey, conflict resolution (restorative practices), social emotional intelligence, Harmony Day, National Sorry Day

Being effective learners: time management, study skills, exam preparation

Healthy lifestyles: safe partying, drugs, alcohol, smoking, mental health, physical health, driver education

Resilience: stress management, loss, grief, child safety

Pathways/Careers: careers and subject selections, Careers expos, leadership and opportunities to develop leadership skills

A number of guest presenters adds to the strength of the program. In the Senior School, our Pastoral Care program has focused on Child Safety, with lessons looking at “What is Abuse?” and identifying and reporting abuse. In Year 12, we have also discussed the impacts of abuse. In early March, Year 11 and 12 students will focus on Healthy Relationships and in particular, violence against women which remains an issue of great concern in Australian society, with too many violent deaths of women and children at the hands of family members in the past year.

International Women’s Day (IWD) This year the theme of International Women’s Day is Be Bold For Change. The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won't close entirely until 2186; this is too long to wait. Around the world, IWD can be an important catalyst and vehicle for driving greater change for women and moving closer to gender parity Year 11 Debutante Balls A number of Year 11 students have indicated that they intend to participate in a Debutante Ball this year. While we acknowledge the importance of these occasions for students as a “coming of age” and a sign of developing maturity, we are concerned that it does not interrupt their academic pursuits. Students are asked to register the date of their Debutante Ball with the Year Level Co-ordinators. We ask for the parents to write or email me at the College in an official way and provide some sort of official notice that they are being presented on this night eg a copy of the list of debutants or something from the organiser. One this is received, we will excuse your daughter from the College on this day. Should we not receive this notification, the normal College rules and expectations will apply. Please note that this applies only to the girls being presented- not to students attending as guests on the night. We have been advised about the requirements/needs for the boys being presented and provided they bring a note from a parent, they will be dismissed at lunchtime. It is the responsibility of the student to advise their teachers prior to the event and to catch up on any missed work. This information has also been uploaded onto SIMON. Study Habits The key to success at the senior level, whether it is in VCE or VCAL, is a combination of hard work and excellent study habits. Time management is the key to successful studying. Maximizing efficiency when you study results in more free time for other activities. The following habits will help:

have a quiet work area free from interruption

set yourself goals: short, medium and long as they help keep you focussed and motivated)

keep a record of all work that is required and when it is due in

begin work when it is set, work consistently from that time and allow enough time to complete each task

make a list of priorities so you know which tasks come first

organise your time so that nothing is left to the last minute

if you have large amounts of work to learn, break it up into chunks of information and use highlighters for each section to help them stand out.

Study Periods The College expects all senior students to be independent learners. When students have a study lesson timetabled, the College expects that quiet and private study will take place in the Information Centre. All students must attend Homeroom each day. Leaving the College Grounds All students are reminded that they are required to remain at the College for the entire school day. Students who have turned 18 are not permitted to sign themselves out at lunchtimes or when they have study periods. Students who have been dropped off by their parents or have arrived independently, are not free to leave the school grounds of their own accord for any reason; this includes visiting the local shopping centre. No student is permitted to leave the College grounds to purchase their lunch.

Community News

Parent Representatives on the College Board At the Board’s AGM on March 28, two Parent Representative positions become available. I now call for nominations to take on this role. The Board meets on a Tuesday evening from 7.30pm to approximately 9.00pm, eight times per year. The tenure is 3 years. For those interested, please email kerrie.deller@thomascarr.vic.edu.au with your nomination by 9am on Tuesday March 7. Should there be more than 2 nominations, the College community will be asked to vote on a Representative; this will be done via Survey Monkey.

Archbishop Hart’s Message for Lent Wednesday 22 February 2017 Dear friends, 'What are you giving up?' We all know Lent is approaching when we start to hear this question! This Lent let us all remember that Jesus challenges us personally in three special areas: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This Lent I recommend we all make some simple commitments. Prayer: This Lent how can each of us strengthen our relationship with Christ? What will help us get to know the Lord better? One simple suggestion is to spend an extra 15 minutes at night slowly reading, praying and reflecting on the daily Gospel. It isn’t a great sacrifice but it really helps. Pope Francis reminds us that 'the Word is a gift'—he stresses prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Another simple practice is for each of us to seek forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. I encourage you all to make a good confession before Easter, even if it has been a long time. Rightly, the Pope says, 'Sin blinds us.' In the early Church, they called confession the 'second conversion in tears'. St Peter wept in sorrow after denying Jesus and Christ, in his mercy, spoke to him the tender words of his pardon and peace. In the sacrament, we too can hear these words of compassion for our sins. And then there is Fasting! As we make our small acts of fasting and 'give up' food, drink or whatever, let us never forget it isn’t all about what we do individually. Giving something up for Lent is not an end in itself. It should readily redirect our attention from ourselves toward others. St Augustine commenting on fasting and mortification once said, 'Don’t believe that fasting suffices. Fasting punishes you but it does not restore your brother. How many poor people could be nourished by the meal you did not take today?' St Augustine reflects the words Isaiah wrote centuries earlier: 'Is not this the sort of fasting that pleases me—to share your bread with the hungry?' Self-denial frees our mind and our resources. What money or time we do not spend on ourselves, we need to spend for the benefit of others. Almsgiving: And that is the heart of the issue—giving something up during Lent requires us not only to think about the needs of others but to do something to meet those needs. While both prayer and fasting could be seen as being all about us, almsgiving is oriented toward the good of others. Who can you help this Lent? Pope Francis constantly emphasises the connection between self-denial and charitable outreach. Lent rescues us from ourselves and frees us to think about others, particularly those who suffer from poverty. Supporting the wonderful work of Caritas by contributing to Project Compassion is one great way. Another small act of almsgiving could be giving people some of our valuable time. Pope Francis says, 'The other person is a gift; urging us to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable.' Consider visiting and spending some real quality time with people who are sick or elderly in your parish. Or reach out to some recently arrived refugees in your area by your welcoming presence with them. Our increasingly fearful, polarised and selfish world desperately needs to see the witness of Catholics who welcome the 'stranger'. This Lent I pray and hope that your Lenten season is filled with many spiritual gifts. May all of us here in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, pray, fast and give alms. May we never forget to ask ourselves: 'How can I share with my neighbours in need?'. † Denis J Hart Archbishop of Melbourne