From the Principal

Once again, our Year 12 graduating class was given a beautiful send-off to mark the end of their six years at high school. 

The day started with breakfast cooked and served by our staff. Students then paraded around the College in a variety of colourful costumes, cheered on by the other year levels. They watched a video of photos and funny moments compiled by staff, enjoyed some activities and then went home to prepare for Mass and graduation.

The evening's celebration began with Mass, accompanied by our ensemble, who always make these events just a little bit more special. Following Mass, our graduates were individually presented with their Year 12 Certificate and final awards were announced.

This year, for the first time, students wore a cap and gown, along with the traditional academic stole. They all looked amazing. I’m grateful to Ciara Francis-Guido, a Year 12 student who wrote to me suggesting the gown and cap. This was a good example of student voice and certainly looked very professional on the evening.

As Principal, I am very proud of how students conducted themselves.

I would particularly like to thank our staff who worked long and hard to ensure a smooth transition to post-school life.

I spoke to the 2026 graduating class that evening and reminded them that, although they were a cohort affected by COVID-19 and other events, they can be characterised by their resilience and flexibility.

Our patron, St Francis of Assisi, reminds us that a meaningful life is not built around what we accumulate, but around what we give. His life was a radical example of simplicity, humility, service and care for all creation.

In a world increasingly shaped by technology and artificial intelligence, our humanity matters more than ever. 

Technology may help us solve problems, generate ideas and work more efficiently, but it cannot replace the importance of compassion, wisdom, conscience and genuine human connection.

I encouraged our graduates to be ambitious. To strive for excellence. But never become so focused on becoming successful that they forget to be good people.

May they have the courage to follow their dreams, the wisdom to recognise what truly matters and the humility to keep learning throughout their lives.

We wish the Class of 2026 all the very best as they start this next chapter of their lives.

Year 12 Awards

We congratulate the following Year 12 students who were presented with awards during last week's graduation ceremony.

House Spirit Awards

Anthony House - Zoe Maxwell

Bakhita House - Rob Doensen

Bernard House - Ruby Lanigan 

Catherine House - Abbey Phelan 

Dominic House - Alannah Trovato 

Glowrey House - Ryder Franksen 

Lawrence House - Firas Hoodi 

MacKillop House - Alyssa Page

Community Spirit Award - Izabella Boon

School Spirit Awards - Paeki Joyce and Shameka Grero

Peer Awards - Emilyah Sogivalu and Dut Dut

Abby Rogers Award - Aliay Yel

St Francis Award - Erin Johnstone

Looking Ahead - Melton Campus

Looking Ahead - Cobblebank Campus

Parent Webinar: Supporting Young People with Grief and Loss

SFCC families are invited to join a free webinar run by headspace next Thursday 5 November, focusing on supporting young people experiencing grief and loss.

The webinar aims to:

• provide information regarding children and young people's mental health
• build understanding of grief, loss, and ways to support
• explore the conversational approach to talking to your young person
• strengthen awareness of support services available to children, young people, and carers
• grow skills and strategies to encourage help-seeking and self-care.

We encourage you to join the online session. Please refer to the flyer below for how to register.

Please note that this is an online event for adults who are parents and guardians of children and young people. All participants must register to attend and receive follow-up help or further information after the session. All participant cameras and audio will be disabled and the session will not be recorded. 

For more information or questions, email programsupport@headspace.org.au.

Cobblebank Year 10 Hospitality Students Host High Tea Fundraiser

Cobblebank's Year 10 Hospitality students proudly hosted a beautifully organised charity high tea in our newly named Three Knots restaurant last week. 

The menu featured hot beverages, iced chocolates, lattes, sparkling sodas, and homemade sweet and savoury treats.

Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, students also repurposed leftover coffee grounds from the café to create coffee scrubs, which were distributed as part of the event. Their efforts raised $500 for the St Vincent de Paul Society, supporting a very worthy cause.

A huge congratulations to all the students involved! Staff feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the students’ professionalism and the real-world hospitality skills they demonstrated in our school restaurant.

What a fantastic achievement and a wonderful example of our students putting their skills into practice while giving back to the community!

Year 9 Camp - Cobblebank Campus

Cobblebank Campus Year 9 girls enjoyed a fantastic camp at The Ranch in Boneo, making the most of the beautiful sunny weather and the opportunity to try new experiences together.

Throughout the camp, the girls challenged themselves with a range of activities, including horse riding, the Leap of Faith, rock climbing, the giant swing and mountain boarding. They also enjoyed a night hike and spent time getting creative, sharing plenty of laughs and making lasting memories along the way.

A key focus of the camp was building the confidence to step outside our comfort zones, embrace new challenges, and discover what we can achieve. 

It was wonderful to see the girls encourage one another, celebrate each other’s achievements, and support their peers in giving things a go.

Beyond the activities, the camp provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and build new friendships. The girls returned with greater confidence, stronger connections and plenty of happy memories from a wonderful few days at The Ranch!

Thank you to all the staff who attended the camp for their energy, enthusiasm and for encouraging students to try new things and make the most of their time away.

Hayfever and Allergies

As we move through spring, we want to remind families that this season can increase hay fever and allergy symptoms and the risk of thunderstorm asthma.

Hay fever and allergies

Hay fever is commonly triggered by pollen from trees, grasses and weeds. Common symptoms include a runny or congested nose, sneezing, coughing and itchy or watery eyes.

If your child attends sickbay with hay fever symptoms, we may encourage them to wash their face and rinse their eyes to help remove pollen and reduce irritation.

We encourage families to check the Melbourne Pollen Count and Forecast and administer allergy medication before school. 

If you would like your child to have access to allergy medication at school, please complete the Medication Authority Form and provide this to the school with the relevant medication.

Thunderstorm Asthma

Spring can also increase the risk of thunderstorm asthma, particularly when grass pollen levels are high. 

If your child has asthma, please ensure their Asthma Action Plan is current and has been provided to the College.

It's Time to Return Your Books

As the end of the school year approaches, it’s time to start returning any library books you’ve finished reading.

Please check your bags, lockers, and bedrooms for any school library books that need to be returned.

Returning books on time helps make sure everyone gets a chance to enjoy them. So, don’t wait until the last minute - please bring your books back to the library soon.

Talking About Online Safety

Through their online safety lessons at school, your child is learning four values that guide how they act online: Responsibility, Integrity, Strength and Empathy (RISE). Being kind, honest and respectful matters just as much online as it does face to face.

Talking about these values at home helps your child make good choices when you’re not there. Try one simple question for each:

• Responsibility: What do you keep private online, and why?
• Integrity: Would you say that to someone's face?
• Strength: If something online upset you, what would you do?
• Empathy: What could you do if you saw someone being left out online?

A quick chat over dinner is all it takes to bring these values home.

Sports Update

Melton Year 8 Premier League Round 4

Cobblebank Year 8 Premier League Round 4