From the Deputy Principals – 5 August 2022

Gathering as a Community

In the past two weeks it has been pleasing to see the efforts our community has made to come together in so many ways, whether it be in person or online, on campus or off site. We know how important these community events are in nourishing our community spirit and identity.

Last week, Year 10 students had a great time on camp in Melbourne, exploring the city under the themes of compassion, culture and careers.

Back at school, we were delighted by the attendance at our Subject Selection Information Evening on Monday 25 August. Students and families got to meet teachers and ask questions about the diversity of programs and subjects that CMC has to offer.

This week began with Rug Up Day and assemblies at both campuses. The focus was on fundraising and awareness raising for Vinnies Winter Appeal and National Homelessness Week. Congratulations to the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students and staff who organised a soup lunch at St Mary’s, making 170 litres of soup. They also looked out for our broader community by donating extra soup to Bendigo Foodshare.

Congratulations to the Spirit of Catherine Award Winners for Term 2, who were announced at the assemblies and recognised for ‘Living Mercy’ in their words and actions. Catherine McAuley once said, “The poor need help today, not next week”.  This was Catherine’s call to action as she strived to live the Gospel and the work of Jesus. We look forward to continuing this theme as we raise awareness and funds for Mercy Works this term.

Tuesday saw Year 9s joining students from all round the Sandhurst Diocese at the Ablaze worship presentation in Ulumbarra Theatre. As we know, faith is meant to be shared and it was wonderful to see our Year 9s enjoy this faith experience.

The return of the annual Winter Concert on Wednesday was a joyful showcase of music and the arts across CMC. Well done to the students and staff for their hard work preparing for the concert.

This week comes to an end with the Student-led Conferences on 4 and 5 August, which are being held online. Subject selections should be finalised at these conferences if they have not already been completed.

In addition to the issue of vaping, which Brian Turner has addressed in his article, another concerning issue in the news is cyberbullying and its alarming statistics.

It has been noted by the eSafety Commissioner that there has been a rise in the incidents of cyberbullying this year and, even more so, this term. The following information is shared from the eSafety website.

Some examples of cyberbullying include:

• hurtful or abusive messages
• creating fake accounts in someone’s name to trick or humiliate people
• spreading nasty rumours or lies about someone
• sharing photos of someone to make fun of them or humiliate them
• making new accounts to attempt repeated contact after the person has already blocked you.

Cyberbullying is never OK.

If you’re being bullied online, remember that bullying behaviour is way more a reflection of the person who is being mean, than it is a reflection of you.

It’s also good to remember that you are not alone – you have people in your life who can support you – trusted adults, friends, siblings, teachers at your school and various free and anonymous support services.

We continue to work with our students in classes and informally to help them understand more about their online activity and how it can impact (both positively and negatively) others.

The eSafety Commissioner is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety. The information available at the eSafety website is outstanding and provides an excellent resource for students, parents, staff and the broader society. We encourage you to access this information for your learning and reference as we continue to learn more about online safety together.

Kind regards,
Tim Edwards, Deputy Principal – Coolock
Suzie Kemp & Matthew Angove, Acting Deputy Principals – St Mary’s