Principal's Message

Maronite Eparchy of Australia – 50 years!

This year we celebrate 50 Years for the Maronite Eparchy of Australia. A very special event. However, we know that Maronites are known to have been in Adelaide from as early as 1854 so our history in Australia is longer than 50 years. Read more here: https://www.maronite.org.au/

We are thrilled that the Relics of Saints Maroun, Charbel, Rafqa, Nehmetallah and Mary MacKillop will be brought to Melbourne and will visit our College. We will hope to confirm this date soon, but it is likely to be mid-August. We will advertise the date soon and will love to have our parents involved.

Our Lady of Lebanon Church celebrates 15 Years

This week, Our Lady of Lebanon Church is 15 years old! The church is a symbol of the faith and the hard work of the community who all contributed to make it a reality. We wish Mon. Joe Takchi, Parish priest and all the clergy, the very best for the next 15 years and beyond. We are very lucky to have such supportive clergy in our community and in our College. Click to read more: OLOL 15th Anniversary 2023

SACCSS Ruby Anniversary

This seems to be the year for celebrating anniversaries. Our College belongs to SACCSS who also celebrate 40 years this year. The Sports Association of Catholic Co-educational Secondary Schools (SACCSS) was founded in 1983. Over the past 40 years the association has grown from just 7 Catholic Colleges to 15 schools in 2023.

SACCSS prides itself on providing quality sporting experiences for the students of its member schools, focusing on sportsmanship and camaraderie amongst the community.

As the current President of SACCSS in 2023, I am happy to be hosting the association meetings and events including a special presentation at the end of the year to acknowledge the students who have participated.

Creating a Home Study Environment

Did you know that supporting your children’s learning from home (starting in primary years) can help them develop better reading skills later on? Plus, studies have shown this to be the case through secondary years. Anything you do to support home learning can have a lasting impact on your child’s academic success.

1. Use routines to structure your at-home learning.

Children work best with a routine where they know what to expect every day. Help your child create a structured schedule for their learning in a way that works best for them.

2. Create a designated learning space for your child.

This tip ties into creating a structure for your child’s learning routine. If you can find a space where your child works on assignments every day, they’ll be able to get into a learning mindset faster.

3. Remove distractions when possible.

Once you’ve set up your home learning space, brainstorm any potential distractions with your child so you can remove them from the area. For some children, this could involve blocking certain websites while they’re using a computer to complete work. Others might need you to move toys out of the room so they’re not tempted to play during homework time.

4. The importance of time management.

Sometimes if a child has more than one assignment, they may feel overwhelmed and have trouble determining where to start. That’s where time management comes in. Help your child arrange their tasks from most to least important to finish today.

Morning Tea with the Antonine Sisters and Principal

We are hosting a Morning Tea with the Antonine Sisters and Principal. If you would like to attend please RSVP here: https://bit.ly/ACmorningtea23

Parents and Friends (P&F) Events

- Ms Joanne Bacash

Project Compassion

During the Season of Lent, we are called to give back to the less fortunate. Caritas works tirelessly to raise money for the underprivileged here in Australia and around the world.

Thank you to all our students who have generously donated to Project Compassion through the Project Compassion boxes around the College. As a College, we are looking forward to the various initiatives that will be taking place over the next few weeks by our Faith Club and Student Leadership Team. These initiatives include:

• Guess the Jelly Beans at Cedar Campus
• Guess the Lollies at St Joseph’s Campus
• Project Compassion Bake Sale at St Joseph’s Campus
• Pay it, Plate it, Place it at St Joseph’s Campus
• Staff VS. Student Matches at St Joseph’s Campus
• College Casual Dress Day at Cedar & St Joseph’s Campus

We look forward to these student-led initiatives this term and are proud of our students for always choosing to help others in need. Even the smallest of donations will make the biggest change in someone else’s life.

- Ms Tanya Khattar and Ms Natalie Saliba

Year 12 Retreat

On Tuesday 28th of February, the Year 12 Retreat was held and facilitated by the Youth Mission Team (YMT). It was a wonderful day of reflection whereby students were able to recognise the profound dignity and value that they have, simply because they are created in God’s image and loved unconditionally by Him. Thank you to YMT, Year 12 teachers and especially our Year 12 students, who engaged and participated in all activities throughout the day.

‘The retreat for the Year 12 students, whereby the Youth Mission Team Melbourne (YMT) presented on the topic of 'Self Image' took place on February 28th. The purpose of this retreat was to expose us to activities and performances that would strengthen our faith and teach us about the importance of self-image. We were given the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities, each which conveyed a significant message. We also got a chance to watch a variety of short performances that conveyed themes of self-worth, being oneself, God's love for us, the idea of listening to God's voice rather than the world's and many more. The students in Year 12 had an excellent day which they were able to reflect on their lives and their connection with God, as well as pray in silence together.’

Click here for photos

- Amani Alkichani 12B

First Holy Communion 2023

First Holy Communion will take place on Saturday 9 September. To register your interest please click here https://bit.ly/FHC23 .

For more information please contact Sr Veronique on 9354 1377

Deputy Principal - Cedar Campus

• Mary Chebl FA
• Miriam Taouk FB
• Lara Ibrahim FC
• Isaiah Goro 1A
• Khloe Boulos 1B
• Elena El Saleh 1B
• Zayn Ibrahim 1C
• Nana Skaf 2A
• Lilia Ibrahim 2B
• Bernadette Shahin 3A
• Bernadette Hurmiz 3B
• George Farhah 4A
• Elias Diab 4B
• Leah Eid 4C
• Lourd George 5A
• Crystal Fedhail 5B
• Lucas Zakharia 6A
• Issah Mahfoud 6A
• Cruz Semaan 6B
• Fadia Semaan 6B

- Mr Abraham Diab

Learning and Wellbeing

In addition to Michelle, we have Mrs Adriana Borg supporting Year 2-4 and running the ERIK Literacy program and Mrs Noha Atme supporting in Year 4-6. We have also welcomed back Mrs Rola Haddad who joined us last year and is supporting in Arabic and Literacy classes. Our other main support is Sister Veronique who does a wonderful job with the students and helps out particularly in F-2.

Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be held in March. NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals and can be used to target areas for student achievement.

See below for 2023 testing dates:

• Wednesday March 15 – Writing (Year 3, 5, 9)
• Thursday March 16 – Writing (Year 7)
• Friday March 17 – Reading (Year 7, 9)
• Monday March 20 – Conventions of Language (Year 7, 9)
• Tuesday March 21 – Reading and Conventions of Language (Year 3, 5)
• Wednesday March 22 – Numeracy (Year 3, 5, 7, 9)
• Thursday March 23 – Catch up opportunity (Year 3, 5, 7, 9)

All tests (except Writing at Year 3) will be delivered online. Students at Year 5, 7 & 9 will use their own device (iPad or MacBook) and headphones (students need to ensure their device is charged). Students at Year 3 will use school iPads and their own headphones to complete the tests.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN Online tests unless an individual exemption has been granted. Catch up tests will be available for students who are absent on test days. NAPLAN tests are delivered at school and are considered a part of the curriculum. It is important for you and your child to know that NAPLAN is not a pass/fail test. It demonstrates the level students are achieving and their growth in literacy and numeracy against National Standards and compared with other students throughout Australia. Later in the year you will receive your child’s personal NAPLAN report.

Students have practiced for NAPLAN in class and there are practice tests available through the link below for further study.

For more information about NAPLAN Online and to access practice tests, please visit the VCAA website at:

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/f-10assessment/naplan/Pages/parents/index.aspx

If you have any concerns, please contact me through the College Office.

- Ms Ria Coffey

Term 1 – Reading is Thinking Focus

Students across F-9 have been allocated time in every literacy class for finding a “just right book” (a book that is engaging and appropriate for the reading level of each student) and reading independently for a sustained period (we are aiming for 20 minutes).

We are supporting students to think about their reading and be able to express their thinking verbally and in writing using teacher conferencing, goal setting and journalling.

Please chat with your child about their reading. We use the following 12 reading strategies to help prompt our students to think about their reading and to guide our explicit teaching opportunities and reflection. Reading requires thinking within, about and beyond the text.

The image below identifies 12 Reading Strategies.

Thinking Within the Text:

Searching for and using information

Monitoring and self-correcting

Solving words

Maintaining fluency

Adjusting

Summarising

Thinking Beyond the Text:

Predicting

Making connections

Synthesising

Inferring

Thinking About the Text:

Critiquing

Analysing

Some questions you could ask to encourage your child to think about their Reading:

What do you think might happen next? (Predicting)

Whose perspective is not shown? (Analysing)

Are there any words you don’t understand? (Solving Words)

Did the character make a good choice? (Critiquing)

What would you do if you were in the same situation? (Making connections)

What clues in the text make us believe .....? (Inferring)

What were the five main events in the book? (Summarising)

Click here for photos

- Ms Ria Coffey

Year 1 Garden Incursion

The Year 1 students were very excited to participate in a gardening incursion. Stephanie, from Bunnings Coburg discussed where our food comes from and assisted students with planting edible seedlings. They checked the information on the plant tags and used rulers and unifix cubes to measure how far apart each seedling needed to be planted. Students will care for the garden as part of our College theme, ‘We are called to care for God’s Creation’.

A big thank you to Bunnings for providing the compost, fertiliser, seedlings, gloves, trowels, and watering cans.

Click here for photos

- Ms Janine Wanda

Foundation and Year 1 RACV Home and Road Safety

Students in Foundation and Year 1 participated in the RACV Safety Squad program. The session covered both safety in the home and on the road as pedestrians, cyclists and passengers. Many students were surprised to hear that they should still be sitting in the back seat on their booster seat until they are at least 145cm tall. It was a very informative session that had students making connections and sharing with their peers.

Click here for photos

- Ms Janine Wanda

Year 4 Don Bosco Youth Centre Spiritual Retreat

Our Year 4 students visited the Don Bosco Youth Centre on Wednesday 8^th March for their annual Spiritual Retreat. It was a time for reflection as well as an opportunity to have fun with their peers.

We explored our college theme of ‘We are Called to Care for Creation’. Students partook in numerous activities which focused on what this meant for them and how this related to them having a relationship with God and others. It was wonderful to see our students engaging with each other in light of discussions based on how developing a close relationship with God helped them to develop positive relationships with others.

It was a very meaningful and fun excursion for all involved and we look forward to exploring these themes in more detail throughout the year.

Click here for photos

- Mr Blanco Ms Martina Ms Petraki

St Joseph Campus Wellbeing

Please remember to call the school on (03) 9354 1377 or log into your Parent Access Module (PAM) account to register your child’s absence early in the morning if your child is going to be away or late for school so your child’s absence can be recorded correctly.

For further information on the processes and procedures our school uses to record, monitor and follow-up student attendance and absence please read our Attendance Policy https://www.antonine.catholic.edu.au/uploads/21.-Attendance-Policy.pdf

- Mrs Helen Diab

Push Up Challenge Ambassadors 2023

Two of our students have been selected to become ambassadors for the 2023 Push Up Challenge

Amani Alkichani	Chanel Gatt

The girls will attend an online ambassador program development session and begin preparing for their roles in promoting the challenge at Antonine College. We congratulate Amani and Chanel in being selected as ambassadors and look forward to seeing their work towards this very important initiative to raise awareness and funds for mental health.

- Mrs Helen Diab

Student Wellbeing Leader’s Update

Each Tuesday a group of VCE students have created a homework club where they offer support to younger students to help them with their homework.

The students in years 7-9 have an opportunity to work with the homework support club leaders and complete their homework or class tasks with support. Many of the students prefer help with their mathematics or science tasks.

The senior students are giving up their time to support younger students in an effort to help keep them engaged with their work, they know this supports their wellbeing as well.

An initiative of Rand and Andre, our student wellbeing leaders, who have worked hard to come up with ideas to encourage their peers to feel good about their time while at school.

The wellbeing leaders have also created positive affirmations boards in the VCE and Junior school areas, this to encourage students to persist in time where this may be a challenge.

Click here for photos

- Andre Fatoul and Rand Farrouh

Year 7 Pastoral Care

As part of their Pastoral Care class students have been looking at Goals and how to achieve them. They have also looked at blockers to these goals and how they might be overcome. Many great circle time discussions have been held discussing what our goals are, who we know has achieved goals and how they might have gone about it, people that inspire us and things that might stop us from achieving our gaols.

To finish off this topic students played a game of snakes and lizards where snakes were things stopping us achieving a goal and lizards helping us achieve our goals.

Click here for photos

- Ms ​Stephanie Monds

Year 8 Camp

Year 8 students boarded the bus to Coastal Forest Lodge Anglesea. The students were in high spirits as they took part in their first activity of camp – Tree Surfing. Students faced their fears and challenged themselves both mentally and physically as they climbed their way through the range of obstacles up high. Students arrived at the campsite and went straight to feeding the farm animals – sheep, lamas, and horses. That night saw the students complete a night walk.

On day 2, the Year 8s put on their wetsuits, ready to tackle a day on the water. Students participated in surfing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. Many students stating that this was the highlight of their camp. Special shout out to Joshua Gerges and Lucas Shamoon who became pro-surfers by the end of their first session. Later that night students participated in a hoedown where they learnt some folk dancing.

The final day was a 7km hike to the location of the Ash Wednesday bushfire in 1983. Students were educated about purpose of the man-made waterways and how land management practices are now put in place to reduce bushfires.

Thank you to all the staff that helped out and for their commitment to making Year 8 camp a memory our students will never forget!

Click here for photos

- Ms Ayesha Guido

Year 10 Psychology

Students in Year 10 Psychology have been learning about the human nervous system and how it enables functioning. Students applied their knowledge of the different divisions of the nervous system by creating a human sketch labelling relevant structures.

Click here for photos

- Ms Ayesha Guido

Year 11 Psychology

Year 11 Psychology students took part in a psychology practical which required them to apply their knowledge of population and samples. Students were given a box of smarties (their sample) and were to compare their participants (different chocolate colours) to the class’s (population). Students were able to identify that their sample was not representative of the class’s population.

Click here for photos

- Ms Ayesha Guido

VCE VM Immigration Excursion

In VCE VM Literacy we have been learning about the stories of different people. We studied Anh Do’s life story and his remarkable journey as a refugee on a boat to Australia. We have been watching Anh’s Brush with Fame to learn about other remarkable Australians.

To learn more about the stories of people and their journeys to Australia we visited the Immigration Museum. We caught the tram into the city, walked over the Sandridge Bridge which has glass panels with the countries where people have migrated from and the number of people who have come from those countries.

In the Immigration Museum we learnt about the reasons why people immigrate:

• A Better Life
• Family
• War and Conflict
• Disaster
• Freedom

Click here for photos

- Ms Ria Coffey

Years 5-8 Swimming Carnival

Friday the 24^th of February, Years 5-8 students attended the Antonine College’s Swimming Carnival held at Fawkner Leisure Centre. With some very nice and warm weather students represented their houses with pride and joy. Through competitive swimming, water volleyball and creative house chants. Scores between the houses throughout the day were close with students quickly realising that more participation was their key to success. However, at the end of the day there can only be one winner. The results at the conclusion of the 2023 Swimming Carnival stand as:

1. Mackillop with 961 points
2. Maroun with 906 points
3. Nassar with 850 points
4. Paterson with 648 points.

Congratulations to Mackillop for winning the 2023 Antonine Swimming Carnival. They also won points for the best house chant and the cleanest house throughout the day.

Well done.

Click here for photos

- Mr Emile Fakhry

Year 9/10 Girls Soccer

The Year 9 and 10 girls were able to get in some last-minute training last week at our home ground as we prepare for our first-round soccer game this coming Thursday against tough rivals Kolbe College. Being undefeated and premiers in 2022 the stakes are high for us to go back-to-back in 2023. The following students were successful in making the team this year and I look forward to another season together.

1. Lida Zomaya (Captain)
2. Angela Yousif (Vice Captain)
3. Iannah Farah
4. Giselle Daoud
5. Chantal Issa
6. Alena Younis
7. Neveen Hassanieh
8. Leen Mansour
9. Rema Hassan
10. Helene Ishac
11. Norma Al Jat
12. Jacinta Hakim
13. Joelle Alsaloum
14. Isabella Albazi
15. Lara Karim
16. Maria Jmuaha

- Miss Isabella Athaide

Year 11 Art

Students have been working on the experiment stages of their folios for ‘Art Making & Exhibiting’. They are required to complete 6 sets of experiments in 3 art forms. One of these art forms is Collage and this experiment is a 3D style of collage inspired by the artist Stephanie Hongo or ‘Sugar Fox’. She categorises herself as a ‘Trash Sculptor’, see an example of her work here along with the student work. Students walked to the park during class to collect natural objects to collage with back at school. Students can now choose this art form or another one from the term to progress with for the remainder of their folio.

Click here for photos

- Miss Natalie Pelech

Library news St Joseph Campus

Year 7 library orientation: All the year 7 homeroom classes spent a lesson using their mapping skills to find resources in the library

READ classes for year 7 to 9 have started: Fortnightly visits to the library to find out about new books, read and borrow.

Library displays: Blind Date with a book

Lunchtime in the library: Students have been able to Study, READ and play Chess.

- Ms Josie Rovetto

Upcoming Dates:

13 March: Labour Day Public Holiday

30 March: Parent Teacher Interviews (No classes)

3-5 April: Year 7 Camp

6 April: St Joseph Campus House Athletics Carnival

6 April: Last Day of Term One

7 April: Good Friday

Bunnings Warehouse Event

We are called to care for CREATION - 2023 College Theme