Newsletter | With a Grateful Heart

Monday 24 April
First day of Term 2 - Student Free Day

Tuesday 25 April
ANZAC Day - Public holiday

Wednesday 26 April
ANZAC Day Service

Thursday 27 April
Talk and Tour
Student Progress Meetings Session 1 (onsite) - Students dismissed at 12.45 pm

Monday 1 May
Parents' Association Meeting 7.00 pm

Tuesday 2 May
Student Progress Meetings Session 2 (online) - Students dismissed at 12.45 pm

Thursday 4 May
VCE-VM Careers Expo

Friday 5 May
Year 9 Mock Interviews
Generations in Jazz Music Festival, Mount Gambier (Friday - Sunday)

The final week of term continued to support our Lenten journey towards Easter and helped us to experience once again the foundational story of the Christian tradition. It is a story that goes beyond our material world and focusses on complete human fulfilment.

Today at our student Lenten Liturgy, students from all year levels recalled for us the key moments from the final days of Jesus’ life, and most importantly they also helped us to experience the hope of Easter and eternal life.

Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. John 15:11-17

In the Catholic tradition we are invited to proclaim God’s message of love and hope. Through Jesus’ human suffering we see a model for our lives, a model which calls us to love and serve one another. Christ’s life, death and resurrection bring us hope of a new life, a life where we draw closer to God.

May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. May we take time in the next few days to give thanks for all we have been gifted and to reflect and rejoice in the Easter message of hope.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Ps 118: 24

In the spirit of our 2023 College theme, With a Grateful Heart, I thank all within our community for another successful and joy filled term. We have enjoyed many opportunities for learning and growth, and as you can see, even our symbol has flourished over the last two months. I hope our students have also.

I wish you all a very Happy Easter and a safe and restful term break.

Tina Apostolopoulos

Lenten Liturgy

As part of our College’s School Improvement Plan, there is a key focus on student growth. One very practical way we are currently seeing this in action, in the Faith & Mission side of the College, has been in the preparation of the Lenten Liturgy.

Each year, we gather as a school community on the last day of Term 1 to bring our Lenten journey towards its conclusion as we prepare for the wonderful celebration of Easter. This year, our Liturgy Captain, Charlotte, has typified this opportunity for growth in coordinating and overseeing the preparation for this Liturgy, involving many students from all year levels in a dramatisation of the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.

Today we saw our students and staff gather in the LHC for the Lenten Liturgy. Students read, acted, danced, sang and played beautiful music and a truly moving Liturgy was experienced by all present. We thank all those involved for sharing their wonderful talents.

Wishing all our Sion families a very happy Easter.

Learning Highlights

When time flies without us being aware of it due to immersive engagement with our tasks, we call it being in a state of ‘flow’. This is what Term 1 has been like. Across the term we have recognised and celebrated our 2022 Top Achievers, we have gathered and responded to VCAA, PAT, AGAT and NAPLAN data, we’ve enjoyed Library Lovers Day and formed ensembles and bands. We've been on incursions, excursions and sailed around the Bay. We’ve spent time in the City, presented to our parents, debated teams from other schools and learnt to make the perfect coffee. We’ve challenged ourselves on high ropes, completed the Responsible Service of Alcohol and sung our hearts out. All within a ten week period!

Next term we look forward to doing it all again, being equally engrossed in our learning and taking advantage of every opportunity.

Student Progress Meetings

Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May are the dates for the first round of Student Progress Meetings. This is an important part of our reporting process but they are also essential in building the home-school partnership. Formal meetings are not the only times that families can make contact with subject teachers. I encourage all students and families to be proactive in their communication, having important conversations with the staff member that can quickly respond to your concern and do something to bring about change. Most often this is the subject teacher themselves. Sometimes students can find this challenging. Parents modelling this process, and showing them how positive this can be, is the best way to approach it.

Please note a slight change of program for the Student Progress Meeting days. Students will now finish at 12.45 pm, allowing the maximum amount of time in their learning whilst allowing teachers to prepare for the meetings.

If you have not received information about how to make bookings for the meetings, please make contact with College Reception.

A Term of Learning

This term has provided our College community the first sustained period of time together without the prospect of returning to an online learning environment. It has been a time to reset expectations, build relationships and foster learning routines that will set up our students for future success. It sounds great, but staff and students will also tell you that it has not always been easy.

Sometimes young people do not appreciate the efforts of the adults around them as they hold them to common expectations of learning and behaviour that improve longer term outcomes. At times, students don’t perceive this as care for them as individuals and learners. They mis-read the interactions as being negative rather than a parent or teacher showing care, concern, considering a bigger picture for the class or helping them to grow. Unfortunately, this means your child will remember being told off for a lot longer than all the support you or staff offer.

Often adults assume that the young people in our lives are better communicators than they actually are. This is most obvious when we correct them. If what is being said does not ring true or make sense, it might be because their narrative has been created with a mix of fact, feeling and frustration. When we say we don’t like a behaviour, they often hear it as, 'I don’t like you.' This can impact their sense of belonging and has the potential to damage relationships.

So, what can we do moving forward?

Next term we'll be encouraging students to become involved a little more in College life. Doing so helps them to have positive interactions with staff and other students and share their skills. We will continue to offer fun and community building activities, such as the House Athletics Carnival, Open Mic sessions, an array of lunchtime activities and opportunities to accrue Community Spirit points.

Change to Winter Uniform

At the beginning of Term 2, we will move into the winter uniform for both academic and sports attire. This means that all students should wear the College skirt (with tights) or pants to school along with the blouse and blazer.

As introduced last year, students who have a practical PE class on the day are required to wear their full tracksuit, including the jacket and pants to and from school. While the scarf can be worn with the PE uniform, it must be taken off during PE classes as it can be a hazard when students are active. The most common correction we are needing to do is asking students not to wear the vest as the outer garment to and from school. I will be reminding students of this expectation but reminders from parents and carers as they leave home or are being dropped off are appreciated.

As we head into the Easter holidays, I wish Sion families a safe and restful break.

Our particular thoughts and prayers go to Ms Natasha Borg (Arts Learning Leader) whose grandfather passed away recently, and to Ashley W (9 Silver) whose grandmother passed away. Also, to Ms Courtney Madeira (teacher) whose uncle passed away.

We remember Ms Borg, Ashley, Ms Madeira and their families in a special way at this sad time.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may your perpetual light shine upon them. May their soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen.

It is hard to believe our Year 12 students have completed the first term of their final year here at Our Lady of Sion. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our students for their commitment and efforts throughout the term.

It has been pleasing to see our Year 12 students making the most of their study periods and absorbing the information as well as helpful hints delivered through the Gadal program. The English tutorial run by one of our Year 12 English teachers Fiona McDonald, has been well attended as have the after school study sessions on offer on Monday to Thursday afternoons. I encourage students to continue to make the most of these opportunities.

As we head into the holidays, I also remind the students of the importance of using the break to recharge and reset in preparation for Term 2. Encouraging your daughters to prioritise a healthy lifestyle over the holidays as well as organising themselves for the term ahead will assist them in getting off to a positive start next term.

I wish you all a very happy Easter and thank you for your ongoing support.

Well done to the Year 11 cohort for making it through their first Term of VCE and VM. I have enjoyed watching these young people find their feet after several changes and challenges that have come their way. The focus throughout Term 1 has been on transition, navigating a new routine, and implementing study habits. It has been in their hands to take the next step and try something new to see what works for them. I know this will be an ongoing effort for these young people to continue to implement throughout the remainder of Semester 1.

Some highlights from this term have included our Year Level Assemblies where we are able to acknowledge and celebrate the many achievements of our students. Well done to Liz C (11 Red) and Teghan VdB (11 Red) who presented at our last Assembly for Term 1! I have also loved meeting with our student leaders each fortnight. They have provided valuable feedback and ideas about what the Year 11 experience has been like so far, and what they want to work towards throughout the remainder of the school year. As well as International Women’s Day celebrations and the overall atmosphere the Year 11s bring to the Notre Dame building each day. It’s a great space to be in, with a great cohort!

Well done Year 11’s! Acknowledge and celebrate your successes. Reflect on the intention you set for yourself earlier this term in Pastoral and consider what you have learned across the past 10 weeks.

Have a great break, stay safe, and have fun. We look forward to seeing you back at school for Term 2.

Term 1 has been an amazing term for our Year 10 students with so many opportunities on offer. All of our Year 10 community should be, and have every right to be really proud of what our Year 10 cohort have achieved. Most importantly, I’d like you all to read a reflection from one of our Year 10 students about their thoughts on Term 1.

Year 10 has started off better than I could have ever imagined. Term 1 has had so many amazing opportunities to take part in. Sporting wise I have been involved with GSV swimming, softball and the triathlon. The swimming meets have been a great experience as I have got to meet other girls like me from other schools and got to know others from my school better. Softball is a similar experience with morning training and games against other schools. It has taught me how to work as a team and how to persevere. I also participated in the yearly triathlon at Altona. This is definitely one of the highlights of my year. It is a great opportunity to get involved and meet new people.

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award was one of the best experiences of my life. Before I left I was so nervous and honestly didn't want to go but once I got there I felt the complete opposite. We got to do amazing activities like canoeing, bike riding and hiking but my favourite thing was the experience I got to have with my friends. I learnt how to be resilient, how to problem solve and most importantly how to work as a team.

I was elected as the Social Justice Representative for the Year 10 cohort. Although I have not had this position for long I have been able to raise lots of money for Project Compassion along with the other members of the Social Justice team. We have done this through sausage sizzles, selling Easter hamper raffle tickets, Bake Sale, Voices for Change concert, Staff v Student Game and icy poles and simply just going around to Homerooms and asking for donations.

Year 10 has been a wind of opportunities and I’m so grateful to Sion for providing me the chance to do these amazing things. Jemima F (10 Purple)

On behalf of all the Year 10 Pastoral Team and subject teachers, I wish you all a happy and safe Easter period and look forward to engaging with you all in Term 2. Remember to take every opportunity during the coming break to discover your inner excellence.

As Term 1 comes to an end, I express my thanks to all parents/carers for your support in making the start to 2023 so successful for the Year 9s. I would also like to thank the Year 9 Homeroom team for supporting each student in their return to school. Overall, the students have settled in very well.

Next term is the return of the Winter Academic Uniform so please note the following:

• skirt lengths to the knee
• maximum two earrings in the lower lobe of the ear, gold or silver thin small sleepers or small plain studs
• no necklaces, bracelets and rings are allowed
• no makeup of any kind.

Please take a moment to ensure your daughter is presented correctly before leaving for school in the mornings where possible.

Due to this being the conclusion of the term, I thought it would be appropriate for you all to hear from the students themselves. Below is a short reflection on the term from our Year 9 SRC Representatives:

The first term of Year 9 has been great and filled with excitement. We have had several fun opportunities such as City Experience, starting Duke of Edinburgh and now starting to do ‘World of Work’ for Ayin. All these activities that we have been doing have been teaching us about the real world and how we can be more independent. We have also had many successes in our year level's extra-curricular activities. Many of our peers performed in Open Day bands, at the Top Achievers Assembly and the Term 1 Soirée. Along with this, our GSV sport teams have been very successful with our Inter indoor cricket team making it to the zone finals. Last week many of our peers participated in the Days For Girls workshop. This gave the opportunity for students to help organise and sew feminine hygiene products and care packages for girls in third world countries who don’t have access to proper hygiene products and education about their menstrual cycles. These packs will allow the girls to continue going to school for the whole year and help them learn about their bodies. In conclusion, our year level has had a jam packed amazing first term with new electives and new opportunities. We are all excited for the rest of the year and are also excited for the holidays. Diya P (9 Gold) and Cecilia B (9 White)

I look forward to an exciting and rewarding Term 2 as we continue our Social Justice Campaign and further explore our theme of ‘Have Courage and Be Kind’.

Have a safe, restful, and enjoyable holiday and Easter break.

It has been wonderful to see Year 8 students interacting so positively with their peers and teachers this term. It has certainly been an action-packed one!

During our Pastoral session last week, the students explored the concept of empathy and how it can impact positively on developing respectful relationships with their friends and anybody else they interact with. The following questions could be conversation starters between you and your child/ren:

• Why do people need to be able to empathise with others?
• What sorts of things can happen when we do not empathise with what others are going through?
• What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
• What is it like for you when no one empathises with you?
• What do you think helps develop your empathy?
  
• How do you think it comes about that 13-year-olds are more empathetic than 6-year-olds?

We also discussed the ‘emotions iceberg’ metaphor. This is used as a way to explain the way in which some emotions can be happening close to the surface, while others may be buried, but are still affecting us. The emotions that are deeper below the surface may even be causing the ones closer to the top. For example, fear, hurt or shame often cause anger and jealousy, though it might be just the anger that shows.

Finally, I would like to wish all Year 8 students and their families a restful and safe Easter break!

The energy on Camp last week was incredible! A fantastic way to start week 9 of Year 7. The Summit Camp saw students working within Homeroom groups to stretch themselves and set goals for their own personal growth.

Activity highlights were, as always, the Flying Fox, Giant Swing, Abseiling, Leap of Faith and of course - the Mud Run! Not even a very soggy Wednesday morning could bring down spirits. Activities continued and students were very resilient. The staff have commented on the wonderful, welcoming and positive attitude the Year 7s brought to camp. Despite being faced with challenges, the Year 7s supported each other in line with our Year Level theme - Making Connections.

As we move into the school holidays, we can see that the Year 7s have made a huge amount of progress in nine and a half weeks. They have had a strong impact on our College community in this short period of time with older students enjoying their enthusiasm of getting involved in College life. To ensure students return for Term 2 ready for learning we encourage that students maintain some routine, including getting enough sleep and continuing to read widely. Students are encouraged to borrow books over the break, and are reminded that they are able to borrow books digitally on their iPads through the LRC website.

We look forward to what they all bring to our College in the coming term!

Generations in Jazz Competition

Early in Term 2, members of our Senior Jazz Ensemble and College Vocal Ensemble (CVE) are representing Sion at the National School Jazz Competition ‘Generations in Jazz’ which is held in Mount Gambier South Australia. The students from CVE and the Senior Jazz Ensemble have been working hard and we look forward to playing in this amazing event in early May.

Ensembles Concert Thursday 22 June, Term 2 Week 9 – Save the Date!

We are very excited to be able to present the annual Music Department Ensembles Concert this year as part of Music Week. All OLSC ensembles, large and small, will be performing. It will run in two ‘acts’ according to the schedule below:

• Act 1: 5.00 pm – 6.30 pm Year 7 Junior Concert Band 1 (Monday morning group), Brass Ensemble, Jazz Club, Year 7 Junior Strings, Flute Ensemble, Intermediate Strings, College Choir, Senior Concert Band
• Act 2: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm Combined Choir, Year 7 Junior Concert Band 2 (Tuesday afternoon group), Rock Band, Jazz Club, Year 7 Choir, Senior Strings Octet, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Intermediate Concert Band, College Vocal Ensemble, Senior Jazz Ensemble

Term 2 Music Soiree

Instrumental and classroom music students are encouraged to sign-up to perform solo or small ensemble items at the Term 2 Music Soiree, to be held on Monday 15 May at 5.00 pm in the Miriam Theatre. Interested students need to talk to their instrumental/classroom teacher, or email mmacaulay@sion.catholic.edu.au

This year the Year 8 students were able to celebrate Pi Day on the actual date, March 14 (the value of pi is 3.14…). The students first learn about pi and its importance when calculating area and perimeter of circles in the Year 8 Measurement topic.

It was great to see most of the students getting involved – either by reciting the digits of pi, contributing to the art activity or participating in the scavenger hunt. Prizes were awarded to the top ten students for the number of digits that they could recite, with the winner equalling the school record at a massive 250 digits! Well done to Constantia W (8 Red). In addition, 8 White received a prize for the highest number of participants, and 8 Red had the highest total digits per homeroom.

On 14 March, Sion celebrated Pi Day. It was a memorable experience for all Year 8 students who participated in the events that were held that day. One event was a scavenger hunt, in which students were to look for objects that resembled circles, and the other was a test of memory, in which students had to recount as many digits of pi as possible.

Students creatively came up with methods to remember the digits of pi, such as singing a song, setting the digits as their wallpaper and identifying various patterns in the sequence. Every participant won a small pie and sticker.

In the end, the class who won the pi contest was 8 Red, with a whopping score of 1198 digits cumulatively, earning themselves delicious pizzas for lunch. Overall, the Pi Day participants had a blast! Gabriela T and Chanelle T (8 Red)

It's been a full term in Drama for all of our budding performers!

Since our last article, Year 11 and 12 students went to see the Top Class Drama Solo performances from 2022 at the Malthouse Theatre which was an inspirational experience for their own performance work. They were in awe of the work of the young people who performed and excelled in their Performance Exams.

Year 10 Drama students were lucky enough to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and also participate in a Q and A session with the Director, Technical Manager and some of the actors after the show. The Year 10s were wowed with the special effects and scenery. No spoilers but there were a few hair-raising moments witnessed!

Shrek rehearsals are in full flight! We cannot wait to bring this hilarious show to our school community! We have a stellar cast who are having so much fun workshopping these characters in rehearsals! Keep following along with the newsletter articles and Sion socials to stay up to date with what's happening in our musical world.

Next term we have Year 11 Solo and Year 12 Ensemble performance evening, Drama Week, Theatre Sports, more Drama Club workshops for Seniors and Juniors, a Year 10 performance evening and so much more to come! Watch out for some competitions that will be run for Drama Week early next term and join us for all of the fun to come!

This week Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 French students participated in the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2023 and watched a film called 'Sugar and Stars'.

Sugar and Stars is a film that explores the themes of friendship, perseverance and the power of following one's heart. It captures the beauty of French culture and cuisine, and I am certain that by watching this film our students have not only boosted their listening and speaking skills but also gained new cultural perspectives that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

We thank Miss Teicher for organising the core of this activity, and Mrs Raspa, Mr Wilkes and Ms Tomat for also assisting our French students to participate in this educational and fun learning experience!

Two of our Year 10 students who watched the film wish to share their thoughts with us all:

On Monday, the Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 French students went to the Palace Cinemas to watch the movie Sugar and Stars as part of the French Film Festival. The movie followed the life of Yazin, who spent his childhood moving from one foster home to another while dreaming of becoming a pastry chef. Yazin goes through many struggles in his journey to achieve his dream, including finding people who believe in his abilities. At the end of the movie, the French team participates in the Worldwide Pastry Competition, where Yazin leads them to victory. We thoroughly enjoyed the movie as it was a great experience to learn more about France and the French language. Thank you to the teachers who organised this excursion for us - it was a wonderful opportunity! Pamelia F (10 Blue) and Sophie T (10 Silver)

We wish everyone happy holidays and a very happy and blessed Easter.

Project Compassion

Here we are at the end of Term 1 which concludes our Project Compassion campaign for 2023. The Social Justice team has had a busy term raising awareness for the work of Caritas Australia and raising funds.

Some highlights from the past fortnight include:

• Staff v Students basketball game (congratulations to staff who narrowly won the game 24-22)
• Bake Sale where students and staff supplied all homemade treats
• Our annual Voices for Change concert where several of our talented students entertained us during lunchtime. Thank you to our Music Captain, Megan M (12 White), who helped with the planning and running of the concert.
• Drawing of our Easter raffle.

Congratulations to the following raffle winners:

• 1st: Chiara P (12 Blue)
  
• 2nd: Kiera H (12 Purple)
• 3rd: Abby H (11 Gold)
• 4th: Olivia G (11 White)
• 5th: Elpa Theodorakis (staff)
• 6th: Ciara DV (12 Silver)
• 7th: Olivia R (8 Red)
• 8th: Emma (prospective parent)

Finally, as we near the end of Holy Week, we continue to reflect on the lives of people vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice and how we as a community have responded through supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal.

Your generosity will allow Caritas Australia to create the ripples that will improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential.

Thank you to the Sion community for your continued support for Project Compassion – past, present and future. Together, we can help people in need to face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations. Early next term, I will be able to announce the grand total that has been raised through your generous donations and initiatives held throughout the term.

Ozanam House

We continued our support of Ozanam House over the past few weeks. Along with our regular scheduled session, our students were eager to respond to a ‘SOS’ sent out for an extra shift. Thank you to the students and staff who responded to this need.

Days for Girls

Our Year 9 students participated in their first Days for Girls workshop where students sew and pack reusable sanitary items for women around the world to ensure that girls get to go to school/work year-round and not miss days during menstruation because of a lack of access to appropriate period products. Students who volunteered assisted with putting together items to go into the packs including tracing patterns, sewing parts of the reusable items and cutting material. Thank you to the girls who supported this cause. There are many more opportunities throughout the year for students to volunteer and help Days for Girls.

Finally, I would like to wish our Sion community a safe, happy and holy Easter.

Term 1 GSV Weekly Sport Results

Congratulations to all students involved in Term 1 GSV Sports! The season concluded last week with 3 teams qualifying for finals. A special mention must go to our Intermediate and Junior A Indoor Cricket Teams who both were Zone Pennant Winners after finishing top of their respective ladders.

We look forward to sharing the results from finals week with you soon.

GSV Finals Evening

Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the GSV Finals evening on Tuesday 4 April. It is a fantastic achievement to qualify with only the best athletes from 24 schools invited to compete:

• Olivia McD (9 Purple) - Diving
• Jessica P (9 Purple) - Diving
• Leena H (7 White) – Swimming Emergency
• Meika V (10 Silver) – Swimming Emergency
  

Term 2 GSV Weekly Sport

With trials finishing this week, our Term 2 sports teams are ready to go! Training starts for our junior teams on the first Thursday of the term, with competition for all sports beginning week 2. We look forward to seeing our AFL, Hockey and Netball teams compete!

Athlete of the Week Nominations

Students can now nominate their peers or themselves for Athlete of the Week!

Do you know a student who has achieved something great in sport? Nominate them below for athlete of the week! It could be their selection in a team, a result at a competition or being awarded a leadership role. If you hear of something worth celebrating, then nominate using this google form now!

Look out in future newsletter editions to see what great sporting moments our students achieve!

Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge

Throughout the last two weeks of the teaching term, the LRC Team have been busy preparing our systems and collections for the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge (VPRC).

Throughout Term 2 and 3, students are encouraged to read 15 books in total.

• For the Year 7 and 8 students, they can choose from any 'Challenge Book' identified by the VPRC team. The remaining five books should be age appropriate books that Young Adults would read.
• For Year 9 and 10 students, they can read five 'Challenge Books' and then 10 Choice Books. We would also be expecting Year 9 and 10 students to be starting to push themselves in terms of reading.

The Learning Resource Centre have a Libguide set up with all the information you will need in regards to the challenge, including some videos of past Top Reader’s talking about what they did to complete the challenge (you will need to be logged into Sion via Clickview).

If parents want to see which books have been approved as 'Challenge Books' they can download the spreadsheet of titles from the VPRC.

The LRC Team wishes the Sion families all the best for the upcoming break and we are looking forward to chatting with students about what they have been reading when they get back to school.

You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending. CS Lewis

Students and families can find the Fortnightly Careers newsletter here.

In this fortnights newsletter there is information relating to:

• Upcoming Events – Discover Monash Seminar series, Monash Campus tours, ACU – Talk with Industry webinar, William Angliss school holiday program, RMIT school holiday campus tours
• Save the dates - VCE and Careers Expo, Victorian Careers Show, Victorian Law Week and Our Lady of Sion College Careers Expo
• Career Industry in the Spotlight – Air Conditioning Technology
• Things to Consider – 2023 Work Experience reminder, 2023 Year 12 Careers Meeting
• Research Ideas – Studying Engineering at Monash, Engineering at RMIT.

Staying Safe Online

In today's digital age, social media and technology play a significant role in the lives of adolescents. While these tools can provide many benefits and are now an unreplaceable part in adolescents’ social development, there are also risks associated with their use. As a parent/carer, ensuring that your child stays safe online is crucial, particularly over the weekends and holidays when adolescents tend to spend more time online.

• Stay informed about current social media apps/trends. Technology and social media evolve quickly. Parents/carers who make an effort to stay up-to-date with the latest trends can more easily identify which ones may be harmful/dangerous and have more informed conversations with their child about staying safe online.
• Educate your child about digital citizenship. Parents/carers play an important role in teaching teenagers how to be responsible and appropriate online, including teaching/modelling the importance of privacy, the dangers of sharing personal information with strangers, and the consequences of cyberbullying.
• Use available software/tools to monitor online safety. Consider using parental control software to monitor/limit your teenager's online activity or block inappropriate content. Keep in mind these tools are not foolproof, but it is still essential to monitor your teenager's activity consistently.
  The eSafety Commissioner has a comprehensive guide for how to access/set parental controls across many devices/services, as well as many other great resources here.
• Encourage communication. Have an open discussion about appropriate boundaries for the use of social media and technology in your family. Encourage your child to talk to you about any concerns or issues they may have regarding their online activity. Create an open and non-judgmental environment where they feel comfortable discussing any problems they may encounter online.

If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your child’s Homeroom teacher, their Wellbeing and Growth Leader, or the Counselling Team (counselling@sion.catholic.edu.au).

The CSEF (Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund) is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid directly to the school to use only towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

• $225 for secondary school students

You will only need to submit an application form in 2023 if any of the following changes have occurred:

• new student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools or you did not apply at the same school in a previous year

• changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2023

If a form was not lodged in 2022, parents or legal guardians are required to complete a CSEF application form and lodge it with the college for processing.

Application forms should be completed and lodged with the college as soon as possible in Term One, as payments are made from March onwards.

CSEF payments are for the current application year and cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years.

Please click here to download the application form.