Dear Families, Students, and Community Members,

Successful Open Events 

At the end of the last term, we held the most successful and biggest Open Night for both the Primary and Secondary school. This was for prospective students and parents and we had over 150 visitors attending to see the whole school in action. The success of such events is a testament to our strong sense of community where staff, students, and parent representatives from our College Council all played important roles. The level of support and enthusiasm from all involved was extremely positive and affirming.

My sincere thanks to Mr. Mitchell Hammond, Head of Junior School, Ms. Beauchamp Wylie Head of Primary School, and Ms. Bobbie Peters Head of Marketing, who were the main organisers.  I would also like to thank all staff for their attendance out of school hours and for organising some terrific displays and highly engaging interactive workshops.

To all the students who assisted with the interactive workshops or spoke with parents on the night, you represented the school with pride and we thank you.

A special thank you to our student speakers during the formal part of the evening. They did an outstanding job articulating what it means to them to be a student of Carwatha College. P 12

On Wednesday the 28^th of April we held the SEE High Achievers entrance exam for Year 7 next year and we were overwhelmed by the interest in this program and the very high calibre of applicants. All applicants took the test seriously. Families will be contacted in the coming weeks with the child's results. I would like to thank Ms. Breanna Andrew our SEE coordinator for all her work organising the testing  

If any of our families are aware of parents looking for a school to enrol their prep aged child for 2022 please contact me directly and I will contact them to organise a tour.

 Building Program Update 

I am meeting weekly with the College's Architects and with staff from the Victorian School Building Authority to create our masterplan for the college and plan the first stage of the College's rebuild. We continue to remain on track and the masterplan should be completed by the end of the month identifying further opportunities for funding and redevelopment of the College.

Successful Grant Application

I would like to thank Mrs. Sheila Horn for all of her work in applying for funding for a grant for The Inclusive Schools Fund. This grant is designed to help make Victoria the Education State, providing Victorian government schools with quality new spaces and more inclusive facilities, based on best practice research and design.

I am delighted to confirm that the Minister for Education has approved funding of $154,000.00 for an Outdoor Inclusive Learning Space, including decking, new play equipment, and landscaping at Carwatha College P-12 through Round 6 of the Inclusive Schools Fund.

NAPLAN: National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy

Last week, on Tuesday 11, Wednesday 12, and Thursday 13 May all students in Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 completed the national tests in Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, and Numeracy- NAPLAN. It was important that students treated these tests seriously and strive to achieve their Personal Best. 

 The results will be used to:

• help teachers identify students who require greater challenges or additional support
• help the College identify strengths and, if any, gaps in teaching programs and to set goals in Literacy and Numeracy
• provide additional feedback to students and parents about individual achievements and progress

I would like to congratulate all students for the way in which they approached the tests to ensure that they achieved their best. I would also like to thank Ms. Beauchamp Wylie and Mr. Hammond for all the work they put into the organisation of NAPLAN 

All parents of students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 will receive a NAPLAN report on their child’s progress later this year. The report is only one aspect of the school’s assessment and reporting process, and does not replace the more extensive and informed judgments made about your child by their teachers.

This year, the Department recognizes students in Year 9 who achieve outstanding results or significantly improve their results from Year 7, with a NAPLAN Certificate of Achievement.  The new certificates aim to celebrate and recognise the importance of both excellence and learning growth:

• Category one: the achievement of excellence through getting a result in the top band for Reading or Numeracy, or both.
• Category two: the achievement of outstanding learning growth through improving by two or more bands between the NAPLAN Year 7 and Year 9 tests for Reading or Numeracy, or both.

 Parent Teacher Night

Parent teacher night was held on Thursday the 22^nd of April. It was great to be able to invite parents back into the school to hear about their children’s progress. We had a great turnout and there were some very positive conversations about the great things our students are achieving along with advice on how they can continue to improve. Thank you to Ms. George for all of her work to organise the night.

Athletics Day

The college’s athletics day was held on Tuesday the 26^th of April. It was a great day with students from grade 3 to year 12 attending.  The College had its biggest attendance with students upholding our values of Commitment, Excellence, and Teamwork by attempting many events and representing their houses with pride. Congratulations to all students who participated and of course to the winning Team, Bradman. Thank you to Ms. Amanda Thomas, Interschool Sport Coordinator, and to Ms. Courtney Witt for all of the work they put into planning such a large school event.

 Uniform

I would like to remind students of their responsibility in relation to uniform. The College's expectation is that all students will be in full uniform and that this uniform is worn correctly (shirts tucked in, ties done up properly) just as it would be expected in any workplace. This also means no hoodies worn under or over your jumper. This also includes no long-sleeved t-shirts being be worn under short-sleeved shirts or summer dresses  Our uniform is a very important part of the image we project of our College community and therefore I expect all students to wear their uniform correctly and with pride to, from and at school. I would ask parents to reinforce these expectations at home. 

Pat Mulcahy - Principal Carwatha College P-12

As this is my first newsletter article to the College community, I thought it might be appropriate to introduce myself and share some details about myself.

I am delighted to have been appointed the Assistant Principal at Carwatha College P-12. My role involves overseeing the curriculum P-12 and student management 7-12. In my first four months at Carwatha, I have enjoyed meeting and establishing strong relationships with families, students and staff.

As Assistant Principal, I aim to create a sense of belonging and help families, staff and students flourish in a positive, inclusive community. My desire to influence, engage and collaborate with students, staff and parents gives me great optimism that together we can continue to drive improvement and strengthen the supportive and personalised learning culture for which Carwatha College P-12 is renowned. 

Over my 25 years of experience I have been fortunate to work in a variety of educational settings. My knowledge and passion for contemporary learning has provided me with the opportunity to undertake a diversity of exciting teaching and leadership roles in both State and Independent schools, working across Kindergartens, Primary and Secondary Schools. I have also tutored at the Australian Catholic University, presented at numerous conferences, and participated in several research projects. This rich kaleidoscope of experiences has further enhanced my desire to strive for positive educational outcomes for all young people regardless of race, culture, socio-economic background, or ability. It is my core belief that motivation for learning should come from a love of, and respect for, learning rather than from fear of failure or a need to comply with external pressures.

My most recent principal-class appointments were undertaken at Geelong Grammar School, Toorak Campus (Principal) and Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill Junior and Malvern Campus (Assistant Principal).

My other passion in life is family. My husband David and I have three grown children. Jenna 21, Kobi 19 and Kiara 17. When I am not working, I enjoy jogging, travelling, and spending time relaxing with family and friends.

One of the most important components of a great school is the strong partnership between the school and its families. The part you play in your child’s education is of paramount importance and establishing strong links between home and school contributes towards your child’s level of motivation and achievement. It is my hope that we can build a trusting partnership based on respect and transparency and that together we share a commitment to provide students with a meaningful education. 

‘Education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students and enthusiastic parent with high expectations.’ Bob Beauprez

Mrs. Rachel George

What a start to 2021 it has been for Prep L!

The first day of school was full of smiling faces and excitement. We went on a school tour, played games, got to know each other and took a lot of pictures!

As the students started settling into routine we saw their wonderful personalities coming out on the playground and in the classroom.

We learned all of our letters and sounds and as the term came to an end lots of us were starting to use these to read and write!

We are learning all about days, weeks, months and seasons so we went on an Autumn walk around the entire school and saw how the leaves change and learned about why.

The beginning of Term 2 saw a lot of adventure, we went on our first excursion to Chesterfield Farm!

It was so much fun feeding all the animals, going on a tractor ride and watching the dog and cow milking shows! The sun was out and the animals were almost as excited to see us as we were to see them. We also enjoyed our afternoon in the discovery barn learning about all of the animals. We were exhausted at the end of the day but it was awesome!

We also learned all about ANZAC day and together with the Year 10’s and Miss Witt we made our own ANZAC biscuits and made an ANZAC ted to display around the classroom. We participated in the assembly to show our respect for all the fallen soldiers, Lest We Forget.

We were also lucky enough to take part in a Bollywood dancing workshop, we learned two dances and all about the Punjabi culture.

We can’t believe how much fun school has been already and we are looking forward to what the rest of the year will bring.

Miss Levy - Class Teacher

What a start to the year it has been for Prep/1C! As we have our 8 new preps in our class starting their first year at school joined by the 10 grade 1’s, we have been enjoying getting to know each other through games, activities and play based sessions.

We learned all about Anzac Day and the soldiers who fought to protect us, we also learned about Anzac biscuits and why they used specific ingredients so that the biscuits would last.

Our prep/1 unit have had the pleasure of cooking some yummy Anzac biscuits with the year 10’s. We practised measuring, stirring and taking turns and our biscuits turned out great! They loved being able to see the process and then being able to eat them all!

Two weeks ago, the prep to grade 2 students were also lucky enough to have an excursion to Chesterfield Farm. We were guided around the Farm by some of the lovely workers there, who shared a lot of information with us, while making sure we were all having fun and all got a turn.

We were able to see the farm quickly during our tractor ride and then get up close and personal which each of the animals and feed them. We learnt that if the animal has two legs we were better off feeding with the cup out in front of us, while if the animal had four legs we could feed them their food from our own hand.

The students were eager to give this a go and even those students who were a little hesitant to begin with, rushed at the opportunity once they saw how fun it was. I am so very proud of the students in prep/1C for giving everything a go even if they were a little scared!

The start of the year has flown by already and it is clear that this term is going to be jam-packed but I cannot wait to see how well it goes in Prep/1C!

It is always busy in our classroom. Excitement about learning surrounds us every day.

We have been working extremely hard to complete writing pieces. We have been focussing on Persuasive writing. First we wrote to persuade others to visit a new country or a place of interest. More recently, we have been writing about our mums. Writing about why our mum is the best! These persuasive writing pieces were completed just in time for Mother’s Day. The students were very excited to share the writing with their amazing mums.

In reading groups we have been inferring, using the clues in the text to infer what the author has not stated. We have read some amazing books, used some fabulous illustrations and short films to make inferences. The conversations and the thinking about these texts and short films has been amazing! Keep reading every night and the wonderful reading improvements will continue!

On the 29^th of April, we had an excursion to Chesterfield Farm. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were able to explore the farm and the grounds comfortably. We started our day watching a dancing cockatoo who started talking to us. Then we were off on a tractor ride to meet the animals. We were surprised to see a camel, alpaca, ostrich and kangaroos on the farm. The usual farm animals entertained us and the cattle dogs showed us how to round up sheep. We watched the cows getting milked and ended the day in the discovery centre learning about farm life and how many things we get from the farm to eat. Everyone enjoyed the excursion and we can’t wait for the next one!

In Maths we have been learning about multiplication and division and the relationship between the two. We have been using hands on materials to make groups and write number sentences to match. We have also been learning our 2, 3 and 5 times tables to help us with our problem solving. Last week we engaged in our first Maths Investigation. The investigation revolved around our shoes and we discovered many different maths concepts after tracing around our shoe. Some of the maths that we used included: measuring, predicting, length, width, comparing and graphing.  Everyone enjoyed the investigation and we are eager to complete another one soon.

We have also had a huge focus on wellbeing this semester. We have worked hard to get along, feel part of a team, be kind to one another, and ourselves and also show respect. The highlight has been the warm and fuzzy pockets we have made. The pockets are on the wall in our classroom and when someone has done something well, helped us or shown understanding for someone else, we slip a short note in the pocket. Everyone certainly feels warm and fuzzy after receiving a note.

Thanks to 1/2M students for making me smile every day!

Mrs McPhie - Class Teacher.

The grade 2s, 3s, and 4s have had an exciting start to their term. Athletics day was a huge success! This year students had the opportunity to participate in all track and field events and they absolutely made the most of it. Their sportsmanship, comraderie and encouraging behaviour was event throughout the day. A big congratulations to all students who participated did their best, and to those who received ribbons for their efforts.

We have been working hard on persuasive writing so students should be coming home and using lots of new strategies to convince you about things they are passionate about.
                        

The grade 3’s have had their first Naplan experience and approached all subjects with an enthusiastic attitude and made us proud with their efforts.

Students have been having about Chemical Sciences in STEM. There have thoroughly enjoyed conducting experiments with Mr V and learning kicking techniques in PE with Miss Witt.

Ms Bishop & Mrs Abraham - Calss Teachers.

We have had a very exciting start to the term in 5E. The students had the opportunity in sport to choose either basketball, tee-ball or football to learn the skills and strategies. These teams then attended a Gala Day where they competed against other schools in their chosen sports. The day was a success for all students as seen by the great sportsmanship and smiles the students had at the end of the day! Not long after, the grade 5s participated in the P-12 athletics day. The students undertook each of the events and competed against students from the same age group. Later this term, some grade 5 students will be attending the cross country run against other schools.

In Numeracy this term, students have been working closely with multiplication, division, shapes and geometric reasoning. Students have been developing different strategies to solve multiplication and division problems. It has been encouraged for students to practice their times tables at home. In the past few weeks we have been working on a maths investigation where students are exploring different 2D and 3D shapes to create nets and 3D structures using concrete materials. These investigations have encouraged students to use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

In Reading this term, students have been learning about different strategies they can use to gain a more developed understanding of the book. Some of these strategies include predicting, inferring, making connections and solving words. Also, in Writing this term students began to focus on Persuasive and Narrative writing.

In Integrated Studies this term, the focus has been on Australian Aboriginal history and Colonisation of Australia. The history that we are learning about in class will help the students to gain a better understanding of Reconciliation Week which is coming up soon.

This week students have participated in NAPLAN which they all approached with a positive attitude. Some did feel a little bit anxious at times however at the conclusion of each assessment, they all felt that they did there best. Well Done grade 5!

Grade 5 have made a great start to the term!

Ms Edwards - Class Teacher.

In 6E we have had a very busy start to term 2. In week one, we had our first Gala day for the year. Students participated in either AFL, Basketball or T Ball. The reports from the different teams on the day were that everyone had a fantastic day. Teachers reported that all of the teams played well and had some wins. All of the students demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and we even had one of our basketball teams play off in the grand-final. They came runner’s up but put in a fantastic effort.

The following Monday we joined the rest of the students from grade 3 – 6 at the school Athletics Carnival. It was fabulous to see so many students having a go at all of the events. At the end of the day, it was even more impressive to see so many students with ribbons from the different events they participated in.

In Literacy for Reading, students have learned strategies to help them search for information and how to make inferences about texts. In Writing we began with a focus on Persuasive Writing. The students learned about different persuasive devices and watched a number of different Behind the News articles to inspire them to write their persuasive pieces about a significant issue such as protecting rainforests, choosing to be an organ donor, the importance of being sun smart and equality for all. We then made a change to reviewing how to write a Narrative.

In Maths, students have been learning about multiplication and division. They have been encouraged to make sure that they know their times table to 10 x 10 and should be practising these at home. They have been learning different processes for how to solve multiplication and division problems. They have also been learning about the different nets that can be used to form cubes and how to represent and build irregular 3D objects from front, top and side views.

In Integrated Studies, students have been learning about what life was like for the Australian Aboriginal population before the arrival of Europeans and about the arrival of the First Fleet. In the coming weeks, they will learn about the developments of the colonies and other significant events, like the Gold Rush, that led to migration of other nationalities.

Term 2 is always a busy term and there are many more things to fit in before the next holidays arrive.

Mrs Elias - Class Teacher.

Primary Art with Mrs McAleer 


Prep students have learnt how to use colours, lines and shapes to create art pieces with paints, pastels and crayons.  They are encouraged to develop an ‘I can do it’ approach and confidence towards their art abilities.

Grade 1, 2 and 3 students learnt about analogous colours (colours close on the colour wheel).  These colours create harmony in artwork. They viewed images of artwork containing cherry blossoms, and learnt about Sakura – The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival.  Then painting an analogous background, printing stems and gluing cherry blossom flowers on to paper they created their own Japanese scroll. 

Grade 3 and 4 students learnt about Ancient Egyptians, and in particular their many art creations and use of hieroglyphics.  They then used oil pastels and  turned an image of themselves into an Ancient Egyptian wearing a head dress. A focus on colour, pattern, shape and contrast were explored.

Grade 6 students have learnt how to create depth in their artwork by drawing in one point perspective.  Ruling towards a vanishing point, ruling horizontal and vertical lines, and colouring to enhance form and depth.

This term, we have started to explore modelling using clay!  Shaping, rolling, pinching, attaching pieces and creating ceramic masterpieces. 

Mrs McAleer - Primary Art Teacher 

Year 7 as started off the year with a bang.  Year level captains were selected, we have been surfing and we have been to Mordialloc for a geography excursion. 

I would like to congratulate our four year level captains for 2021, Lil Joven, Angie Trajoska, TeAta Manga, and Mischitha Nishen-Shankara. All four of these students wrote exceptional applications. They then gave a speech in front of their peers and were successfully selected as year level captains. All four students have been a wonderful addition to the Carwatha leadership team and I cannot wait to continue to work with them over the course of the year. 





At the end of term one the year 7 students headed down to Phillip Island for a day at the beach. All students got dressed in wetsuits, learned about beach safety, and then headed out on their boards to have a paddle and hopefully stand up on some waves! It was great to see so many students participate and successfully stand up on a wave. It was a great day had by all students and staff.

Students recently went on their first geography excursion to Mordialloc and although the weather was not great to start the day the students, undertook their research projects with great passion. They sketched areas along the foreshore and tested for water quality.  After they finished their fieldwork they had burgers and played volleyball on the beach. 

Our Year 7 students have been learning about how to think like a Scientist, work safely within a laboratory, and how to operate a Bunsen burner! This is a huge milestone for our students as they take on more responsibility for their learning and the safety of others working within a laboratory. Science teachers are proud to report that all of our Year 7s have successfully demonstrated they can work with an open flame in a lab. Well done all!

 “On Monday the 22^nd March the students of 7B completed an experiment on heating liquids. All of the students paired up with friends or classmates they didn’t know well. The whole class got the chance to use a Bunsen burner. The class had a lot of fun working with others. They discussed the questions and findings of the experiment. Overall, we had lots of fun!”

Jazzy – 7B

Our Year 7s have also been designing their own experiments, with a focus on engineering. To do this, they had to think like a scientist and consider scientific concepts like gravity and wind resistance to design a device that would protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height of 2m. Some students opted to create a parachute, while others decided to use inspiration from airbags to create their devices. Unfortunately, not all eggs survived, but students learned a lot about how to design, test, and improve for the future. They also worked very hard to communicate their findings in a scientific way, which isn’t as easy as it sounds!

Well done Year 7 for a great start to the year!

This term has started smoothly for all the year 8 students. They have been working well in all of their classes, engaged, and producing some very good work. It is great to see the students developing new friendships, building on old ones and creating memories that they will never forget.

In health classes the students have been doing some work on supporting their friends, mental health and well-being. They have been trying to give praise and use positive words around their fellow classmates while also acknowledging their successes. This is something we are going to be building on for the rest of this year, with the student leaders of Year 8 aiming to develop a reward system for excellent work and improvement in class.

The term started with a number of students being recognised for becoming leaders of their year group. All students had to fill out an application form and speak in front of the year group as to why they wanted to be either a form or year group captain. I would like to congratulate the following students on, applying for and successfully gaining a leadership role for year 8 2021.

8A – Isaac Akkari

8B – Shounda Koung Dar

8C – Rudrani Balijepally, Kiara Dissanayke

And year group leaders – Emania Leilua, Ivona Sukurica, Layla Widan.

Again, I would like to congratulate these students.

The year 8 students went on a Humanities excursion to the zoo. They were blessed with good weather and all students were well behaved and had a great time. It was a good experience where they were able to link real world experiences and what they saw at the zoo to their Humanities CAT.

Could I please ask all parents or guardians to check that they have paid the Excursion levy for their students. We have a few excursions coming up towards the end of term 2 and start of term 3 and would like to see all students participate

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Looking forward to a great remainder of term two and the rest of 2021.

Mr Antony - Year 8 Coordinator.

Year 8 Geography Field Work at Melbourne Zoo

Year 8 students visited the zoo last Monday, very excited to be on their first excursion in a long time. (The teachers were too!)  After an enthusiastic welcome from the lion, they collected data on an animal and learned about sustainability, environment and conservation. They are now collating all the information into a fieldwork report, one of their assessment tasks. Overall, it was a great day.

We cannot believe it is already the middle of term two, this year is moving at a blistering pace.

The year 9 students however have been taking a stride with every step and have been working hard to both prepare themselves for our V3 program, and to be their best at everything they do.

A lot has been happening with the year 9s. Recently, year 9s sat their NAPLAN tests which can be quite a stressful time for the students. However every student prepared diligently and tried their best till the last minute of each of the tests. They reflected the college values of commitment and excellence to a high standard and I’m proud of all of them.

Earlier this term, the year 9s went to the Southern district careers expo. The students got to see over 100 different stalls to ask questions of experts in a specific field. The expo had a range of different careers and trades; from carpentry to the emergency services to hairdressing.

The expo had students come from all over the southeastern region and it was amazing for me to hear that all the students carried themselves respectfully throughout the expo and in the greater community.
It is great to see the students considering future career options in a mature and well considered fashion.

In the coming weeks year 9s have some exciting events coming up including tree climbing (Physical education) Super speak (English)  and a student-led maths excursion.

Well done all year 9 students on a great semester so far and, as always, I encourage parents and guardians to contact me if they have any concerns or would like to chat about their child's academic progress.

Mr Brown -  Year 9 coordinator

It has been a great start to the term for our Year 10 students.  They are getting used to being part of the VCE cohort at Carwatha, and the majority are wearing their uniform with pride and doing the best they can possibly can with their studies.

Teamwork is one of our school values and the Year 10 students have definitely demonstrated this by participating enthusiastically at the Carwatha College Swimming Carnival, Athletics Carnival and the Cross Country .  It was great to see so many of our year 10 students participating in the varied events.  A number of the year 10s produced great times in the events.  Congratulations to all the students who put in their best efforts but also to all the year 10 students as a whole who encouraged and cheered one another on the days.

Year 10 students have also been involved in a variety of programs and activities.

• Dare to Dream – a team building entrepreneurial challenge
• Workshop run by Year 12 students answering questions about VCE
• Bubble soccer
• Road smart – a road safety education and training program, run by the RACV.
• Monash Access Program – a select number of Year 10 students meeting with Monash Mentoring staff: An introduction to University.

Please continue to check Compass, to ensure you are up to date and fully informed of what is happening in your child’s school life. I’m always pleased to hear from you so please do keep in touch.

Mrs Rentzis - Year 10 coordinator.

YEAR 11 NEWS

Reminders and Upcoming Events:

 Unit 1 Exam Week & the General Achievement Test (GAT)

Unit 1 exam week will be in Week 8 (7^th – 11^th of June). Year 10 and 11 students completing 1/2 subjects will complete exams during this week.

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is on Wednesday 9^th June. Students completing a scored VCE subject will complete the GAT. More information on the GAT will be given to students in the next few weeks.

Make sure you are prepared for your exams!

Uniform

A reminder that long-sleeve tops are allowed under school shirts if they cannot be seen but hoodies are not allowed. Ties and blazers must be worn to and from school.

Attendance

Please remember that the attendance expectation is over 90% for every subject. Students under 75% attendance are at risk of failing a unit. Make sure you hand in any notes or certificates and check your attendance regularly.

The redemption day is on Wednesday 19^th May. Students that are required to attend will be given information to take home.

Snow trip

We are organising a one-day snow trip for early Term 3. Year 12s will have the first opportunity to attend, then it will pass to year 11s and 10s. We need 50 people to participate for this to happen.

Mr Mulchay has committed to putting some money towards payments as part of the government’s Active Kids Initiative, but please keep in mind that you have to pay compulsory fees like the excursion levy and Edrolo to be able to attend this trip.

Edrolo

The final payments for Edrolo must be organised by the end of Term 2 (Friday June 25th). If payments aren’t made before the due date access will be permanently restricted. This is an important resource for our VCE students that is designed to help you understand the content, meet outcomes and prepare for assessments.

Students: Joshua Newton and Ploy Homkroon - Year 11 Leadership Team

Last week, we had a school assembly to celebrate students’ academic, sporting and leadership achievements. Awards were given to GPA stars, exemplary athletes and swimmers, and also to school leaders. The school captains were very pleased and proud to be announced as College Captains of 2021. This was also their first opportunity to run an assembly. It was exciting to see so many parents at the assembly. We were also provided with breakfast, which was very special.

We have had a number of events already. Year 12 students dressed up and enjoyed participating in their final Athletics Day and Swimming Carnival. We had near perfect weather and great participation from our year level. We also had an excursion to Adventure Park, Geelong, which was another memorable event for our year level.

Again, the weather was excellent and student behaviour was exemplary. The place was not crowded so we could enjoy more rides in a limited time. Though we met with a lot of traffic on the way back, the overall experience was amazing.

This is a very busy time for us. We have multiple SACs scheduled nearly every week. The GAT is also coming up soon. It takes a lot of organisation and motivation to continue to strive and special school events help us recharge our energies.

We are looking forward to next week’s Reconciliation Assembly, with the special guests Murrindindi, the headman of the Wurundjeri people and the Djirri Djirri dancers. On the day, during lunch time, Murrindindi will be sharing facets of indigenous culture with senior school students, focusing on art, music, dance and sport. Year 12 students are excited to welcome him into V3 Centre!

We are also excited to be given the opportunity to participate in a formal at The Grand on Princes, on June 24^th. We will have lots of entertainment with funny awards, DJ and Lebanese drums. After a grim 2020, we are grateful to be having a fun final year of schooling.

Students: Crystal Isaacs and Raphael Delisavvas.




Our Maths students have made such a positive start to 2021!

At Carwatha College P-12, we run a highly effective Mathematics Program at Years 7, 8 and 9 that is designed to build essential numeracy skills and to maximise learning for all students.

At each year level, teachers work closely in teams to plan and deliver the Maths curriculum.  This ensures consistency and a common approach in all classrooms.   During two of the four 60 minute sessions each week, each class has two Maths-trained teachers working with them.

This enables intensive and individualised support to be given to groups of students. The students and the teachers who are working closely with them are already seeing the benefits of this unique program in their learning growth and confidence.

This term, our Year 7 students have been building their proficiency with fractions, decimals and percentages and investigating measurement by investigating problems real to them – designing classroom displays. The Year 8 students have been establishing Laws for working with powers and investigating how to find the area of any circle.

The Year 9 students have started their unit on statistics. They will be exploring why statistics is a crucial process behind how we make innovative discoveries, make decisions based on data, and make predictions.

All Year 7 and 9 students recently completed their NAPLAN testing. Well done to all of these students for the commitment and dedication to excellence that they demonstrated on the day.

Mrs Andrew - Mathematics Curriculum Area Leader

Year 7 Textile students have enjoyed learning how to create a range of embroidery stitches.  They then designed and stitched their name and an image of choice.  Skills in threading needles, knotting, assisting others, and mastering each stitch type were developed.

Year 8 Textile students developed their confidence and competency in threading and using a sewing machine.  They have learned how to measure and cut fabric, sew seams and create a drawstring hem for a bag.  They also learned how to read and follow a sewing pattern.  Measuring, pinning, and cutting templates for sleepwear shorts.  They had a focus on problem-solving and assisting others when challenges arise, as many students had not used a sewing machine before. 

Year 9 Textile students learned the craft of macramé.  Knotting cord to form a potholder. 

They also further developed their sewing machine skills by creating a tote bag and a pencil case. They learned how to stiffen fabric by ironing on interfacing, create a lining, form corners and insert a zip.

  

Mrs McAleer - Textiles Teacher.

The Indigenous cultures of Australia are the oldest living cultural history in the world. At Carwatha College P-12, we are committed to developing greater understanding and respect for our Indigenous people and their cultures, languages and histories.

Our Assembly on Tuesday 18 May was dedicated to recognising and celebrating our Indigenous People.

Every year, Australia pays recognition to our Indigenous People through National Reconciliation Week, held from May 27 to June 3.

Reconciliation Week is framed by two key events in Australia’s history, which provide strong symbols for reconciliation.

May 27 1967 – The referendum that saw more than 90% of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people and recognise them in the census.

June 3 1992 – The Australia High Court delivered the Mabo decision, which recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a special relationship with the land. This paved the way for land rights known as native title.

The day before Reconciliation Week – May 26, is National Sorry day – a day to remember and honour the Stolen Generations.

Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021, More than a word. Reconciliation takes action, urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.

Carwatha College P-12 took action in 2021 by holding a special Reconciliation Assembly that featured, head man of the Wurundjeri people, Murrundindi and the Djirri Djirri Dances.

The 2021 Student Curriculum Team’s work is focused on building a school community where teachers and students work together to make our great school even better.  

The team started the year by meeting to brainstorm and identify areas of teaching and learning in the school they could work to improve. The students, from Years 4-12, identified building school pride about the outstanding teaching and learning practices already established at the College, was an important project to focus on first.  They want everyone to know and understand more about these.

From the beginning of this term, the students have started to research their improvement area, make plans and proposals about it, and take action on it. There are social media posts, articles and display boards that will soon take shape! All of these will celebrate the strengths of our College’s teaching and learning program.

This team of students are inspiring individuals and we are sure, as a united group, their ideas and actions will create positive change in our classrooms and our community.  We are extremely proud of them and their work.

Mrs Beauchamp-Wylie, Mrs Chippett, Mrs George & Mrs Andrew.

Newsletter – May 2021 

 The Wellbeing and Inclusion Team are available to provide access to information and services that meet the needs of students and promote their learning and wellbeing. For assistance, contact Miss Hallett – caitlin.hallett@eduation.vic.gov.au  

Student Wellbeing and Inclusion 

Term 1 Programs 

Peer Support Program  

The Peer Support Program is a whole-school initiative that partners older students with a group of younger students for Peer Support group sessions. These sessions encourage discussion about transition issues the students may face and builds their life skills and relationships through fun activities. This includes a focus on our school values and occurred weekly for 5 weeks.  

 We congratulated our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders at our recent Celebrating Achievement Assembly and completed the program with a BBQ. Congratulations Year 7s and our Year 10 leaders:   

• Felicity Liagourdis  
• Logan Ratanak 
• Nikila Weerasinghe 

 National Day of Action Against Violence and Bullying – 25th February  

With the assistance of social work students from Monash University, Year 7 & 8 students were able to participate in lunch-time activities during the National Day of Action. Students were encouraged to take a stand against bullying and learnt about how to be an upstander rather than a bystander. This included making a pledge to try. 

Cultural Diversity Week – 21st - 28th March  

With the assistance of social work students from Monash University, Year 7 & 8 students were able to participate in lunch-time activities during Cultural Diversity Week. The activities promoted the theme of the week – “strengthening multicultural inclusion in our community by providing an environment where acceptance of diversity can be developed, and students feel they belong.” Students were able to identify their cultural background, share their heritage with others, greet each other in different languages and draw a life tree.   

Lunch-Time Activities  

Our lunch-time activities schedule can be found on the Compass News Feed. One of our new activities is Carwatha Ninja Warrior! As part of the lunchtime activities schedule, all primary school students are welcome to participate in ‘Carwatha Ninja Warrior”. 
  
Compete in a series of obstacle courses, test your skills and have some fun at lunchtime. “Carwatha Ninja Warrior” will run at lunchtime every Thursday for Term 2. Foundation – Year 2 students can participate in this competition in weeks 4,6, and 8. Year 3-6 students can participate in weeks 5,7, and 9.  

 “Carwatha Ninja Warrior” participants will need to meet outside the MPC every Thursday at the beginning of lunchtime. Students may want to bring a pair of runners just in case. There are prizes for those participants who show they have what it takes to become Carwatha’s Ultimate Ninja Warrior.   

Rite Man Program – Selected Year 9, 10 and 11 Boys  

The Rite Man Program aims to provide positive role models to students needing extra support through a transitional stage of their life. It aims to create a supportive peer group mentoring program that identifies and supports the challenges students may be facing. It provides an outdoor camp experience as a rite of passage helping students to take healthy steps to becoming mature adults. Year 10 and 11 boys attended a camp in Gembrook to build their teamwork skills and resilience and were greeted by their parents at a ceremony celebrating their achievements.   

Changes to the Wellbeing/Inclusion Team 

We welcome the following staff to the Carwatha community and team:  

• Jessica Jin (3 days per week, part-time).  
• Isaac Timoteo (2 days per week, casual).  
• Kate Newman (3 days per week, casual).  
• Laura Famularo (2 days per week, casual).  

• Courtney Lindeman (Communicate Speech – Speech Therapist, 1 day per week).  
• Annette Peploe (Korusconnect – Chaplain, 2 days per week).  

Book News                                                                                              Announcing the 2021 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Books. 

The CBCA presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature.  Promoting the best of Australian literature for children and young people.

Picture Books

Younger Readers

Older Readers

BOOKS OF THE MONTH

Picture Book of the Month: A powerful uplifting story about loving friendship, even through the hardest times.  Bear and Rat are the best of friends who do everything together no matter what………

Primary Book of the Month: A magical mystery story that will delight all.  Button three, attend to me!  Take me where I want to be!

Secondary Book of the Month:  A slam poetry persuasive and powerful vision of unity, yet peaceful, this is a compelling plea for a future of truth, togetherness and respect for our nation’s deep history.

It is wonderful that Craft Tuesday is back. Our activities enhance children's hand eye co-ordination and build levels of manual dexterity.

Working with materials teaches them about colours, shapes and textures. How things work and how they fit together. 



Craft encourages children to play, share and experiment in a fun and relaxed environment in the library, working together to achieve an item that they are proud of.

Camps Sport & Excursion Fund (CSEF)

Some family’s circumstances may have changed recently and have been issued with a Health Care Card.If your card was issued on or before the 19th April 2021 you may apply for CSEF. See information below.

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. 

Eligibility Date
CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on either:
Term 1            27th January 2021
Term 2            19th April 2021

The CSEF program for 2021 closes on the 25^th June 2021. Application forms cannot be accepted after this date.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:
$125 for primary school students
$225 for secondary school students

HOW TO APPLY
New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

If you applied for the CSEF at your child's school in 2020, you do not need to complete an application form in 2021 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:

• 
  New student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools in 2021 or you did not apply in 2020.
  · Changed family circumstances; such as you have been issued with a Health Care Card on or before 19th April, a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2021.
  
  Check with the school office if you are unsure.

We are delighted to announce that Mr Patrick Mulcahy has been shortlisted for the 2024 Victorian Education Excellence Awards in the Colin Simpson Outstanding Secondary Principal category. Only 3 Principals from Secondary, P-12 or Specialist settings are shortlisted for this award in any given year. 

Mr Mulcahy was selected on the shortlist after an exhaustive process, including endorsements from a community representative, our school council and our SEIL (Senior Education Improvement Leader) and an interview process.

The honour is a recognition of the demonstrable improvement in student learning outcomes throughout his time at the school so far. The honour also recognises the safe and inclusive environment created at Carwatha College P-12. 

Winners for each award will be announced later in the year:

https://www.vic.gov.au/2024-victorian-education-excellence-awards-finalists