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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Phone: (03) 8099 6000
Email:info@sfcc.vic.edu.au
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Pope Francis inaugurated this Holy Year of 2025 by opening the Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve and in doing so, he set the stage for a journey of spiritual transformation for Christians worldwide.
The act of crossing a Holy Door is more than a physical step; it is a spiritual passage. It calls us to leave behind our burdens and sins, stepping into the embrace of divine forgiveness and love.
The Holy Door is a symbol of Christ, who referred to Himself as "the door" through which we find salvation. By passing through, we are reminded of our need for repentance and the boundless mercy that awaits us on the other side.
This year, the Holy Doors are not confined to Rome alone.
For the first time, a Holy Door was opened in a prison chapel at Rebibbia prison in Rome, emphasising that God's mercy extends to all, even those society deems as outcasts.
The other Holy Doors to be opened were at the basilicas of St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul Outside the Walls. This gesture underscores the inclusive nature of God's grace, reminding us that no one is beyond the reach of His love.
As we consider these sacred doors, let us reflect on our own spiritual journeys.
What do we seek to leave behind? What do we hope to find on the other side? The Holy Door is an invitation to renewal, to embrace the hope that Christ offers, and to walk forward with faith, knowing that through Him, we are always welcomed home.
We are committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment at St Francis Catholic College.
This began with the introduction of mobile phone pouches and extends to our students' digital lives.
As you may be aware, new legislation is being introduced that will affect how young people under 16 can use specific social media platforms.
Our school is taking proactive steps to understand these changes and, most importantly, partner with our families to help our students navigate them successfully.
Why the changes? Protecting younger teens
The new laws are designed to safeguard our younger students (under-16s) from pressures and risks often built into social media platform design.
These features include:
Research has found that these features are linked to real consequences and can impact wellbeing, including increased stress, disrupted sleep, and reduced concentration – elements that are all vital for success in secondary school.
Our approach: education and resilience
While the responsibility for enforcement rests with the platforms themselves, we believe this presents a significant opportunity to support our students. The delay in account access for under-16s gives our students time to:
As partners in your child's education, we can all contribute by focusing on clear communication, effective digital citizenship education, and by modelling safe, positive online behaviours.
We acknowledge that the timing of the legislative change will have an impact on students during the Christmas, New Year, and summer period.
For some, this may represent their primary mode of communication and social engagement. We encourage you to proactively discuss how your child will navigate this transition and explore ways to support them to maintain meaningful connections with peers.
Key information for your family from the eSafety Commissioner
The new age restrictions are focused on protecting younger users, but they impact how all families manage technology at home.
The eSafety Commissioner’s Social Media Age Restrictions Hub is where you will find information about the new legislation. The hub is regularly updated with resources, videos, guides and FAQs to help young people and families prepare.
Quick facts about the legislation
We encourage you to use this opportunity to have an open conversation with your child about their current online habits and the boundaries that work best for your family. We will continue to incorporate digital citizenship and wellbeing into our curriculum.
Working together, we can ensure our students are safe and thriving in the digital world.
| Dates to remember | |
| Friday 14 November | Student Study at Home Day |
| Monday 17 November | Jumpstart begins |
| Thursday 27 November | End of Year Campus Mass |
| Friday 28 November | Melton Campus Year 7-11 Awards Ceremony |
Final day of Term 4 - students dismissed at 1.15pm | |
| Tuesday 2 December | Year 7 2026 Orientation Day |
| Dates to remember | |
| Friday 14 November | Student Study at Home Day |
| Monday 17 November | Jumpstart begins |
| Thursday 27 November | Cobblebank Campus Year 7-9 Awards Ceremony |
| Friday 28 November | End of Year Campus Mass - Sheehan Stadium, Melton Campus |
Final day of Term 4 - students dismissed at 1.15pm | |
| Tuesday 2 December | Year 7 2026 Orientation Day |
A reminder that this Friday 14 November is a Student Study at Home Day. Our staff will be marking assessments and preparing for Jumpstart, which begins for all students on Monday 17 November.
Cobblebank Campus students and staff can get a head start on their Christmas shopping at the inaugural Christmas Market during Big Break on Thursday 13 November!
Beautiful handmade or decorated gifts created by our VCE VM students will be available for purchase, including trinket dishes, iced coffee cups, insulated cups, Christmas mugs, Christmas baubles, candles, key rings, claw clips, bookmarks, fridge magnets and more.
Cash and card will be accepted on the day.
Remembrance Day ceremonies were held at both campuses today with students and staff acknowledging those who died or were injured while serving in wars, conflicts and peace operations. Although the weather kept us indoors, silence fell across our classrooms during the service, which was livestreamed to all.
Year 9 Cobblebank student Achraj shared this reflection.
“Remembrance Day honours the soldiers who served in World War I. The day marks the moment the guns fell, at 11am on 11 November 1918, and involves a minute's silence to remember the Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Poppies are associated with Remembrance Day because they grew on the battlefields of World War I after the fighting stirred the soil. I found it interesting that some ANZAC soldiers took their own mascots to war, like kangaroos and koalas, to remind them of home.”
Earlier this semester, our students put their sewing skills to good use, handcrafting joey pouches for orphaned and injured marsupials.
We’re pleased to report that the pouches arrived at the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary.
Click here to watch a short clip of thanks from the sanctuary.
Through this project, students learned about wildlife care and the important role handmade items play in supporting animal rehabilitation.
Their beautifully made pouches were sent off with love, a small but meaningful contribution to the well-being of Australia’s unique native animals.
In September, a group of Year 7 and 8 Italian students participated in the CIS Junior Italian Poetry Competition.
This extra-curricular activity at our College is voluntary and an excellent way to enrich the study of Italian language and culture. Students are expected to memorise their chosen poem; no props or actions may be used.
Prizes are awarded for the first, second and third in each category and Special Mention Certificates are also presented to students for their presentation.
At our College this year, a Special Mention Certificate was awarded to the following students:
The following students received a Certificate of Excellence:
Congratulations to the award recipients and participants.
The past few weeks have been busy and exciting at Cobblebank Campus, as many of our motivated and diligent students have been applying and interviewing for a range of leadership roles for 2026.
Amidst all this energy, our 2025 student leaders took a moment to turn their attention toward something very close to their hearts, showing appreciation for the wonderful teaching staff who make our campus such a special place.
In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, the leaders collaborated with their peers to create a heartfelt video showcasing students’ favourite teacher saying, quotes, and the small daily rituals that make such a big difference.
The video beautifully captured the gratitude students feel for the hard work, care, and dedication that teachers demonstrate daily.
To complement the video, students also designed a wall of gratitude, filled with notes for teachers to read and enjoy. This thoughtful initiative brought smiles and laughter. The perfect way to wrap up the year.
A special thank you to the students who brought this idea to life. Your creativity, teamwork, and appreciation remind us all why we love what we do.
It’s moments like these, when our students lead with kindness and gratitude, that make teaching truly rewarding.
Please see information below about Coburns Road closures and night works in November.
The Teach Well Program supports educators to enhance their teaching skills and provide specialised education services. Through this initiative, teachers explore a range of effective approaches and undertake a targeted focus for their classrooms using Ochre Resources and Walkthrus.
Walkthrus are multi-platform teaching tools that draw on evidence-based, best-practice models. They help reduce cognitive load for teachers and students alike, leading to improved learning outcomes. Some strategies include mini whiteboards, cold calling, and choral responses, all designed to boost engagement and understanding in the classroom.
This year, our Middle Years Curriculum Leader, Victoria Kamcev-Nicdao and Pedagogy Coach Faye Quinn completed the Teach Well Program. They have since shared their knowledge and introduced these powerful strategies to staff during professional learning sessions.
We look forward to seeing a variety of these approaches embedded in lessons over the coming years, supporting consistency and excellence in teaching practice. These strategies align closely with MACS’ Vision for Instruction, helping every student thrive.
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Instructional Model, a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to educational excellence and student success.
Aligned with the MACS Vision for Instruction 2030, our Instructional Model is grounded in evidence-based practices derived from extensive research into how students learn best, alongside studies identifying the most effective teaching strategies.
These high-impact practices are purposefully designed to ensure every student at St Francis Catholic College flourishes in our classrooms.
Our Instructional Model in Action
Drawing upon Rosenshine's Principles of Effective Instruction, our Explicit Instruction Sequence provides a clear, consistent framework that guides teaching and learning across our College. From the introduction of new content and skills through to independent mastery, our educators will follow this proven seven-step approach:
A Model for Flourishing
Our College community is immensely proud of this Instructional Model, which represents our dedication to providing every student with the highest quality learning experience. By embedding these research-proven practices into our daily teaching, we are ensuring that our students receive consistent, effective instruction that supports them to reach their full potential.
This model not only elevates teaching practice across St Francis Catholic College but, most importantly, creates the optimal conditions for our students to thrive academically, socially, and spiritually.
We look forward to seeing our teachers implement these best practices and watching our students flourish in their learning journey at SFCC.
| Team | Result | SFCC Ladder position |
| Cricket Division 1 | Salesian 80 d SFCC 78 | 3 |
| Netball Division 1 | Salesian 67 d SFCC 3 | 8 |
| Girls Volleyball Division 1 | SFCC 3 d Mackillop 0 | 1 |
| Boys Volleyball Division 1 | Mackillop 2 d SFCC 1 | 2 |
| Boys Basketball Division 1 | Salesian 69 d SFCC 49 | 8 |
| Girls Football Division 2 | Marymede Doreen 2 d SFCC 0 | 5 |
| Team | Result | SFCC Ladder position |
| Cricket Division 1 | Emmanuel 42 d SFCC 41 | 4 |
| Netball Division 1 | SFCC 27 d Emmanuel 22 | 6 |
| Girls Volleyball Division 1 | Emmanuel 2 d SFCC 1 | 6 |
| Boys Volleyball Division 1 | Emmanuel 2 d SFCC 1 | 5 |
| Girls Basketball Division 2 | SFCC 30 d Penola 18 | 4 |
| Boys Basketball Division 2 | Penola 55 d SFCC 41 | 5 |
| Girls Football Division 2 | SFCC 1 d Penola 1 | 8 |
| Boys Football Division 2 | SFCC 4 d Penola 0 | 1 |
Keep updated with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.
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