From the Principal

As the end of 2025 approaches, I would like to formally announce that our Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching, Joanne Holmes, and our Deputy Principal Operations, Staffing and Strategic Intent, Mr Michael Wilcock, will be leaving St Francis Catholic College.

Joanne is entering a well-deserved time of retirement and is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren.

Over the past six years, Joanne has been a hard-working and valued member of the College.

She was appointed as the inaugural Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching in 2020 and, since then, has worked hard to improve learning outcomes for all students and to drive a vision for teaching and learning that has seen improvements across both numeracy and literacy outcomes.

Joanne has been a consistent presence at College events such as the biannual production, art exhibitions, music nights, awards ceremonies and subject selection expos. She has been a valued member of the leadership team and will be missed.

While we’re sad to see her go, we also congratulate her on this exciting new chapter and thank her for everything she’s given to our community.

Michael joined the College in 2021, a time when we were emerging from COVID lockdowns.

This transition back to face-to-face on-site learning required careful planning and consideration, as well as flexibility and agility in the College's operations.

Michael has managed the staffing and human resources aspects of the College with compassion and empathy and has been a valued member of the school community.

We wish him well in his new role at Loyola College in Watsonia.

New Deputy Principals join SFCC in 2026

After a rigorous recruitment process, we are delighted to announce that we will welcome two new Deputy Principals to the College in 2026.

Ray Green will be the Deputy Principal Professional Practice and Staff Wellbeing.

This is a new role created in response to the increased need to ensure the professional growth and wellbeing of staff across both our campuses.

Ray is an experienced, values-driven educational leader with a proven track record as an Acting Principal, Associate Principal, and Deputy Principal. He has led with empathy, clarity, and purpose to build inclusive, high-performing teams.

He is deeply committed to creating a culture where teachers feel supported, valued, and empowered to thrive, balancing high expectations with genuine care and respect.

Known for his transformational leadership, Ray has successfully guided strategic change, strengthened school culture, and enhanced both staff and student outcomes through collaborative, future-focused approaches.

For the past 12 months, Ray has been Acting Principal at Santa Maria College in New Zealand and is very much looking forward to moving to Melbourne.

We also look forward to welcoming Jennifer Frisardi, who has been appointed as the Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching, beginning in 2026.

Jennifer is a dedicated and experienced Catholic educational leader with over a decade of leadership experience at Notre Dame College in Shepparton.

Currently serving as Deputy Principal - People and Environment, Jennifer brings a wealth of strategic and operational expertise across human resources, risk management, and ICT.

Her passion lies in fostering vibrant learning communities, guiding cultural change, and supporting student growth through innovative teaching practices.

Deeply connected to her faith and community, Jennifer’s vocation in Catholic education is grounded in values of service, justice, and lifelong learning.

We look forward to welcoming these new staff to our St Francis community.

New Deputy Principal - Head of Melton Campus

I am also pleased to announce that Mrs Cheryl Bullen will step into the role of Deputy Principal - Head of Melton Campus.

Cheryl has been in her role as Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing for the past five years. This new position will broaden her influence and align the leadership structure at our two campuses.

Looking Ahead - Melton Campus

Looking Ahead - Cobblebank Campus

SFCC Uniform in 2026 – Melton Campus

A reminder to all Melton Campus families that from the start of 2026, the St Francis Catholic College uniform will be compulsory for all students.

This means that students will no longer be permitted to wear any of the CRC Melton uniform.

Please use the summer break to ensure your child has the correct uniform items, which can be purchased from Academy Uniform’s Melton outlet (see details below)

Unit 4, 18 Harrison Court, Melton. Phone: 03 9768 0328

Opening hours are Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-1pm.

Uniforms can also be ordered online at www.academyuniforms.com.au. 

To order any items of the uniform, please select St Francis Catholic College.

Please note: our uniform is no longer stocked at the Academy Uniforms store in Deer Park.

If you require the new uniform, please plan ahead to ensure the items you need are available, as we have 500 new Year 7 students and some from other year levels who will be purchasing their uniforms before the start of the 2026 school year.

Write a Book in a Day Winners

Huge congratulations to our SFCC Melton 8 Write a Book in a Day team, who have won the 2025 Write a Book in a Day VIC/SA/TAS Upper School Award for Best illustrated Book!

The fabulous digital artwork in their entry Hemmed In earned them high praise from Illustration Division Judge, Angus Olsen, who said:

“The technical skill here is the highest I've seen of the competition.  I expect more from digital work and you delivered.  Your team showed consistency of character design despite the different styles which you used to your advantage in visual storytelling. Initially a tie with another entrant, I gave it to Hemmed In because of the emotion the artwork contributes to the story.”

We are so proud of this incredible achievement by our talented students.

Write a Book in a Day will return in 2026 and all our budding authors and illustrators are encouraged to take part!

Celebrating Success at the 2025 Young ICT Explorer STEM Competition

Congratulations to Year 8 Cobblebank Campus students Nathan and Chord, who have been named runners up in the Vic 7-8 Band of the Young ICT Explorers (YICTE) STEM competition.

Nathan and Chord designed and built an impressive RC Rover - a truly creative and interesting project which stood out for its thoughtful design and functionality. Their designed earned them the award and a $100 gift voucher.

The YICTE is an annual competition that encourages creativity, problem-solving, and innovation among young minds across Australia.

At the Cobblebank campus, our talented young students have been dedicating their lunchtimes, personal time, and holidays to collaborating and bringing their ideas to life. 

Below is a description Nathan and Chord provided of their creation.

"The RC Rover is a remote-controlled device designed to explore and document radioactive areas affected by nuclear disasters, such as Chernobyl.

“It can navigate harsh landscapes and compact spaces that humans or large machines cannot access. The rover is hardwired with a radio controller and a live camera feed.

“Designed using Blender and Tinker Cad software, the rover features wheels made of angled flaps that can flex and compress, providing suspension when needed.

“These flaps are engineered to travel consistent distances and withstand more difficult terrain and harsher conditions than conventional tyres. The proposed tyre solution eliminates the need for maintenance, as the wheels are airless and can survive tearing."

Congratulations to our students for their hard work and creativity! We look forward to seeing more innovative projects in 2026.

Art Club Installation at Melton Station 

We’re excited to announce that our students’ artwork has been scanned and installed at Melton Train Station, between the temporary station and Exford Street.

Art Club students worked hard on the images (pictured above), attending lunchtime sessions, and we are so proud of their efforts.

Thank you to the following students for sharing their work with the local community:

Year 11 students Hailey, Emily, Venice, Ciara, Sean, Nyandeng and Aneeta and Year 10 student Raphael.

Student Leadership - Cobblebank Campus

We are delighted to introduce the dedicated group of students who will lead our Cobblebank Campus community in the coming year.

Each member has shown exceptional initiative, confidence and a strong commitment to embedding our values of community, empathy and endeavour into their new role.

Grounded in our Franciscan values, our new Student Leadership Team is prepared to serve graciously, inspire, and help to shape another fantastic year ahead.

Please join us in congratulating our 2026 leaders! 

Campus Captains 

Introducing our Cobblebank Campus Captains for 2026 - Achraj Virk (pictured below left) and Miguel Luna.

Annual Christmas Carols Tour

Our College Vocal Ensemble and Concert Band spread Christmas cheer across Melton yesterday on their annual Christmas Carols Tour.

Students from both our Cobblebank and Melton campuses spent the day sharing music, joy, and festive tunes at St Anthony’s Primary School, Woodgrove Shopping Centre, and St Lawrence of Brindisi Primary School. At each stop, our students filled the space with confident musicianship and warm Christmas energy that audiences really enjoyed.

It was a wonderful day in the community, celebrating the season together and bringing smiles to everyone we visited. 

SACCSS Awards Luncheon

Six students from St Francis Catholic College were recognised for their sporting achievements at the SACCSS Awards Luncheon hosted by the Melton Campus last week.

Staff and students from 15 colleges descended on Sheehan Stadium to look back at the year in sport and acknowledge the efforts of teams and individuals who performed particularly well.

Melton Year 12 student Mia and Year 12 student Emma (pictured left to right below left) and Cobblebank Year 8 student Cassandra (pictured below right) and Year 9 student Alvin were awarded the John Landy awards for excellent sportsmanship and their contributions to sport over the years.

Melton Year 10 student Esau was also named Player of the Series for the Senior Volleyball Division 1B competition, which took place earlier this year.

The College also hosted special guests from Avondale Football Club, Bruno Fornaroli and Gülcan Koca, who shared insights into the world of professional football and advice for young athletes.

This event marked the end of St Francis Melton’s duties as the 2025 SACCSS Host College and that of our Principal Marlene Jorgensen as the SACCSS President.

We thank all the staff and students who have been involved in sport this year and wish all our athletes the very best in 2026.

Learning and Teaching

Annual Action Plan 2026

On Friday 14 November, several of our learning and teaching team attended the Term 4 Secondary Schools Network meeting.

It was positive to hear how MACS schools have achieved above the state average in NAPLAN and to reflect on the impact the Vision for Instruction is having on learning in the classroom.

In 2026, we will continue implementing Walk Thru strategies and applying our Instructional Practice Model to our lessons.

The meeting was attended by our two new 2026 Deputy Principals, providing them with insight into what we have achieved so far and the direction for both the College and for MACs schools.

Teacher Excellence Program

We congratulate our Mathematics Domain Leader, Margaret Fury, on completing the Teacher Excellence Program.

This program encompasses initiatives aimed at enhancing educators' skills and effectiveness. It also allows teachers to connect with colleagues and to improve student outcomes, gaining and sharing insights learnt.

We look forward to the impact this will have on Margaret’s team and the enhancements in student learning in mathematics across year levels.

High Ability Program: Celebrating Excellence and Achievement

Last Friday, we recognised the achievements of Melton Campus students from Years 7 and 8 who have been part of the High Ability Program this year.

Our Principal Marlene Jorgensen and Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching Joanne Holmes presented the students with certificates of achievement, after which the group enjoyed a celebratory lunch. The event recognised not only their academic excellence but also their curiosity, dedication, and commitment to extending their learning beyond the classroom.

This year, the High Ability Program was successfully piloted at our Melton Campus.

We are pleased to announce that, due to its success and the enthusiasm shown by students and staff, the program will be launched at our Cobblebank Campus in 2026, providing even more students with access to these enriching opportunities.

The High Ability Program offers a series of thoughtfully designed extension experiences designed to nurture students’ talents and inspire them to reach new heights.

This year, our students engaged in a dynamic range of activities, outlined below.

• Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition: a coding-free, logic-based competition that strengthens problem-solving and algorithmic thinking skills.

• BrainSTEM Design Thinking & LEGO Workshop: a hands-on workshop that fosters creativity, teamwork, and real-world STEM problem solving through LEGO engineering and design tasks.

• STEM Mentoring six-week program: a unique opportunity for students to connect with STEM professionals, gain industry insights, and work on projects aligned with their personal interests and passions.

• Global Issues Problem Solving: a high-level, ongoing enrichment challenge where students explore global issues through research, critical thinking, and innovative solutions.

• Preparation for the 2026 Da Vinci Decathlon: with plans to participate next year, students have already begun early training and collaborative sessions to prepare for this prestigious, multi-disciplinary academic competition.

We are very proud of the perseverance and enthusiasm students showed in every challenge. Their achievements demonstrate their hard work and the support and guidance provided by families and teachers.

Congratulations to all our High Ability students. We look forward to seeing you continue to shine and inspire others.

SFCC represented at National Horseland Interschool Championships

Year 12 student Alice represented Victoria and the College at the National Horseland Interschool Championships in Sydney during the last term break.

A long road trip was required to transport Alice’s horse, Bel Attrait, to the Sydney International  Equestrian Centre, home of the 2020 Olympics.

Horse and rider spent the first couple of days becoming familiar with the indoor arena, settling in and training. More than 500 competitors from every state took part in the event.

Alice and Bel competed in the highly contested Senior Secondary Show Jumping 90cm competition over three days.

Bel improved each day and did a fantastic job being ridden in the indoor arena, especially
competing against the Queensland and New South Wales teams.

Alice enjoyed the competition and representing her State and school, and she extended her thanks to all who have provided her with the opportunity to compete at this high level.

We wish Alice every success in the future and thank her for representing the College with such dedication and enthusiasm.

Students Connect With Industry

Cobblebank Campus students attended two end-of-year excursions, which gave them insight into professional settings.

RMIT SYN FM radio workshop

Year 9 Media Arts students recently participated in a RMIT SYN FM live radio workshop.

During the session, students learned how to host a live broadcast, gaining skills in back announcing and how to communicate on air.

They heard about the rules and regulations covering broadcasting, including content appropriate for public broadcasting. Students also experienced the excitement of being live on air in a real radio studio.

Amazon immersive experience

A group of design and STEM students from Years 8 and 9 were selected to visit Amazon's head office.

They engaged with professionals across various roles, including cybersecurity, software engineering, and sales.

Students participated in a design challenge in which they pitched solutions to common problems facing the world today to Amazon judges.

These problems included managing restrictions on under-16s on social media and technologies needed to ensure young people stay safe online, and developing community centres.

Students gained insight into the world of Amazon and the creative and critical skills needed to succeed in many future jobs.

New Robotics Program at Cobblebank Campus

This year, we’ve been working hard to set up and organise the brand-new Digital Technology ICT/Robotics Lab for our Year 9 students at Cobblebank Campus.

The lab features VEX EXP Robotic kits, offering students hands-on, practical classes that open the door to the world of robotics and coding.

In this program, students collaborate in teams to design and build robots, program them, and compete in mini games, developing problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork skills along the way.

We are excited to continue building and expanding the robotics program at SFCC, inspiring the next generation of innovators!

Year 9s host eSports Tournament

During Term 4, our Cobblebank Campus Year 9 Digital Technology class took on an exciting challenge as part of their Project Management Unit: organising, planning, and running a full-scale eSports Tournament.

Students worked collaboratively to manage every aspect of the event, from scheduling and promotion to setting up gaming stations and ensuring fair play.

The tournament featured popular titles like Mario Kart, creating a lively and competitive atmosphere that brought the cohort together.

This hands-on project allowed students to apply real-world project management skills such as time management, teamwork, and problem-solving, while also fostering a sense of community and fun.

Here’s what tournament winner James had to say about the competition.

"I found the Mario Kart tournament exciting and fun. It was a time when we could enjoy each other's company and relax. Even though I won the tournament, the true rewards were the memories. There were good opponents, and the races were close! Thank you to everyone involved in organising the event and to all the students who participated!" James, Year 8

Year 8 Visual Communication Design

Our Year 8 students have been exploring their creativity through a Visualisation Drawing assessment. This task challenged them to imagine two subjects merging to form an original and interesting design. 
 
Students demonstrated their ability to think creatively as they applied design elements and principles. They also refined their skills in using various methods and media to add colour, ensuring their final drawings were visually appealing and well presented. 
 
The results were impressive, showcasing imaginative ideas and strong application of design techniques.

Sports Update

Melton Year 8 Premier League – Semi-finals

Cobblebank Year 8 Premier League – Semi-Finals

Coburns Road Level Crossing Works

Coburns Road at the level crossing will be closed at times in December as works on the new rail bridge continue. Detours will be in place.

Full details are available below.

Coburns Road closures and night works

Community Notices

Make Your Move 2025

Melbourne Victory School Holiday Programs

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Keep updated with College events, procedures, resources and information via the links below.

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