MRC Newsletter - Issue 14 - 6 September 2023
Prayer
The Prayer for this newsletter was chosen in response to our guest speaker at the Seeds of Justice Conference attended by staff and students last week. We heard the difficult plight of asylum seekers and refugees in Australia and how they suffer such long waiting periods (sometimes many years) before knowing certainty and comfort.
Prayer for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Hear us, Lord, as we raise our voices;
in you we take refuge.
Preserve those whose life is threatened by enemies
and who are the target of bitter words or evil schemes.
Remember those who are vulnerable and exposed,
those who are victims of natural disaster, war, and persecution,
those suffering anguish and sorrow.
Bring them to safety;
in you we take refuge.
Give shelter to those seeking a hiding place,
to those torn from their homes,
those who are separated from loved ones,
those who are lost or have run away.
Bring them to safety;
in you we take refuge.
You look with mercy and love on all refugees.
Help us to welcome the stranger, befriend the lonely, and show compassion.
Allow your Spirit to move in us and teach us to seek justice,
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you, telling of all your works.
Let us rejoice and give praise;
in you we take refuge.
- (from Psalms for All Seasons, by Melissa Haupt)
Principal's Message
I am very pleased to announce that we are about to (re) proceed on our much awaited refurbishment at our O’Keeffe Campus in Noorat! After our disappointment last year we have rescoped the works to ensure the job can be completed in Term 4, 2023. Our builders Spence Construction will work alongside architects Baldasso Cortese with Modus Australia looking after our external toilet facility and Worm Farm Waste Systems installing our environmentally friendly waste treatment services. Internal refurbishment of our reception area, student sick bay and existing toilet facilities will also occur. Year 7 & 8 students and staff will once again move over to Camperdown for their learning however this time it will be after our Year 12 students have finished for the year which is the week beginning Monday 23 October. Further organisational details will be provided to students and families at the beginning of Term 4. Thank you to all involved in ensuring our project can proceed this year. It has definitely been a long journey!
This Friday we continue our Jubilee celebrations with our Our Lady of Mercy Mass. Special invitees in this our Jubilee year are the Sisters of Mercy in recognition of their contribution to the establishment of MRC (CRC) in 1973 as well as their overall contribution to education in the Victorian South West, ensuring that Catholic education was accessible to all through their establishment of Catholic primary schools in Camperdown - St Patrick’s, Noorat - St Joseph's, Mortlake - St Colmans and Terang St Thomas’. MRC is now situated on the original site of St Joseph's PS Noorat and St Patrick’s PS Camperdown with our MRC Camperdown administration offices in the original Mercy Convent.
We commissioned two jubilee artworks to be created by renowned artist Christine Sage, owner, director and principal artist of Hullabaloo Studio. The beautiful works have been installed at our Camperdown and Noorat campuses today. The pieces are external and are rich in symbolism provided by our staff and students. Chris has done an amazing job in capturing what is important to our history, culture and community. Please call in to see the pieces when you have time or as part of our Jubilee day celebrations on Saturday 25 November.
Today we welcomed author Kgshak Akec to Mercy. Kgshak’s first novel Hopeless Kingdom was recently shortlisted for the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award, the most significant fiction-writing prize in Australia. Kgshak shares that her novel was inspired by her personal journey of migration from Sudan to Cairo, Egypt and then Australia, first to Auburn in Sydney and finally to Geelong. The story touches on trauma, racism, interculturality, and family love. Kgshak worked with our Year 9 and 10 students as part of their English curriculum and then our Year 11 students as an integral part of their Retreat. Kgshak is finishing her day in the Southwest speaking to the MRC book club at our community event in Terang.
This is a busy time of year in the world of sport. We congratulate Harrison Glennen who competed in the Clay Target Shooting Championships in Swan Hill on Monday winning the junior division and finishing second overall. Congratulations Harrison on an outstanding effort.
Local football and netball seasons are drawing to a close with Mercy students representing clubs in finals across many local leagues. We wish all teams the very best of luck and know all will play with the best spirit of participation and sportspersonship at heart. We also congratulate those that have been nominated for club and league honours. Please check our social media for sharing of these achievements.
A group of Year 7 & 8 Slam Poets participated in the Schools Out Loud Competition at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on Monday. These creative learners who achieved highly in our MRC Slam Poetry incursion at the end of Term 2 were given this opportunity to create, rehearse and then perform an original slam poem on stage. They had a brilliant day and learnt a lot ready to perform again in 2024! Next week we will be hosting our annual MRC Oratory Competition at Middle school level next week and Junior later in the year. We wish all participants the best of luck and thank our guest community judges for their support.
We welcomed our 2024 Year 7 students to our O’Keeffe campus last week for a Discovery Day with a difference. Thank you to O’Keeffe Community Leader Emily Stephens and her team for a brilliant Murder Mystery transdisciplinary learning experience. Our Year 7 enrolments will close on Friday 6 October so we can make plans for 2024. Everyone is welcome at Mercy. For enrolment and equity scholarship information please access our website. Please contact College Registrar Nicole Darcy should you have an enrolment enquiry.
Our Senior VCAL students with teachers Dan Glennen and Tania Bruckner are to be congratulated on their success in hosting our second Mercy Dip for Mental Health. This awareness and fundraising project saw around 80 students, staff, parents and community members ‘dip’ for 10 minutes in the icy waters of Lake Bullen Merri. With a goal to raise $1000 for the Let’s Talk Foundation they were overjoyed to come in with a final $1300! This wonderful learning pathway will be fully integrated into the VCE VM in 2024. Photos later in the newsletter.
In updates for Term 4, our planned Staff PL Day on Monday 2 October has been CANCELLED. This means all students will now have a NORMAL school day on the first day of term. Our Central Australia immersion experience also heads off at 5.15am on Monday 2 October, with a group of 39 Y 9 -11 students and 6 staff flying into Alice Springs before heading to Kings Canyon and Uluru and arriving back on the evening of Friday 6 October. What an amazing opportunity for all participants!
Finally, as a Christian community we have just entered The Season of Creation. Christians mark this time between 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for Creation, and 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, to celebrate the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness raising initiatives to help us heal and protect our Common Home, the Earth. The theme this year is Let Justice and Peace Flow. We are called to speak for justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity. May this Season inspire us and strengthen us in our efforts to protect our common home. From The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference https://www.catholicbishops.ie/
With kindness,
Sharon Gillett - Principal
Our Car Raffle is back for 2023!
THE EARLY BIRD DRAW IS COMING UP FAST ON 15 SEPTEMBER,
purchase 13 tickets for $100 by 12 noon on 15 September to be in the draw!
1st Prize is a Mazda CX-3 Maxx Sport (demo) and 9 more fantastic prizes!
Tickets are $10 each (6 for $50, 13 for $100) and are available online from https://shop.mercy.vic.edu.au/
Paper order forms are also at many local shops and events.
Learning at MRC
Middle School Subject Selections Update
Middle School has been abuzz this term with the 2024 Subject and Pathways Selection process. The subject selection process allows students an opportunity to explore their passion areas and to think about their future pathways as they move into the Senior School years at Mercy.
Middle and Senior staff have been involved in meeting with young people, along with some parents, to guide students in mapping out what next year looks like for them. For Year 9s this may be accelerating in VCE studies at either a Unit 1/2 or 3/4 level, enrolling in a VET subject either here at MRC or off site, or selecting from the wide range of elective options on offer in 2024. Current Year 10s have chosen their focus for Senior School, as either VCE, VCE-Vocational Major or a hybrid model, with some students also including structured workplace learning to set them on their future pathways.
Finally, Year 8s are also currently in the process of looking ahead to Year 9 as they complete their Subject Selection Forms. Students are encouraged to choose electives based on their interests and talents, and consider Middle Years as a time to explore a varied range of areas.
All students are to be commended on the high level of interest shown throughout this process, and the many excellent questions they have asked of staff, older students and their families about careers, subjects and possibilities. Detailed information about subjects and pathways for all year levels can be found on the MRC website, under the Learning tab.
Year 12 Exam Preparation Sessions
It's the pointy end of the year for our Year 12s as we kicked off the exam season last week.
Teachers are busy completing coursework and final SACs and our attention is now turning to supporting our young people to be exam ready. We launched with a session with Natalie Stephenson on study techniques that focussed on the science of cognitive learning - how memory and retrieval works and the things that hinder our focus and memory.
This was followed by a lecture with Kirstin Bourne on the specifics of the 3 hour English exam. Kirstin is a senior examiner with VCAA and gave our students valuable insights into what examiners are looking for and how to strategically use their time. Our Literature students also spent an hour with Kirstin and are lucky to have her teaching them over the next two weeks while Mrs Penry is on leave.
Year 7 French
Kiara Love (7C) combined a passionate, high energy dance performance with the presentation of a French song. What a talent!
Ag Studies Chick Hatching
In an egg-citing development, Agricultural and Horticultural Studies students have had one chick hatch from their incubating eggs! 
As part of their studies, students will keep track of the chick’s growth and development to ensure it remains healthy and happy. After some lessons learned during the incubation process, they will likely try again as the hope is to stock a chicken coop with hens raised from a hatchery.
Year 8 PEAK Chooks
A Year 8 PEAK Project has been given a boost with chooks arriving to fill the new coop.
Thank you to Adam Jenkins for supporting our students!
Eco Coco Visit
Recently in our VCE agriculture class we have been studying alternative growing media.
Soil is of course vital for food and fibre production, however alternative products play an important role in sustainable food systems. Anuja from Eco Coco joined to speak about the array of sustainable products used in ag/hort industries cleverly derived from coconut husk. In a previous lesson we had made comparisons between soil and their most popular product "Coir", in terms of nutrient and water holding capacity as well as weight of the products inside plastic containers.
Anuja spoke about the manufacturing process in Sri Lanka and explained uses for other fibre products the company manufactures including ropes, geotextile fabrics and even solutions for soaking up oil spills in oceans, petrol stations and garages.
Thank you to Anuja and Fr Neville for arranging the visit and for kindly contributing some of the products to the school.
Community & Wellbeing at MRC
Fostering Family Engagement: Child Safe Standard 4 at Mercy Regional College
We share with you our commitment to Child Safe Standard 4 - Family Engagement. At Mercy Regional College, we believe that building a strong partnership with families and caregivers is essential to creating a safe and supportive environment for our students. The following shares the policies we have in place, as well as the practical steps we take to ensure meaningful family engagement.
Policies Supporting Family Engagement:
MRC Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
MRC Engaging Families and Caregivers in Child Safety Policy
Implementing Family Engagement in Practice:
- Open Accessibility: Our commitment to family engagement starts with transparency. We make sure that our MRC Child Safety Policies are readily available to all through our school website and the Parent Access Module (PAM).
- Connective Meetings: Parent-teacher and student meetings are held in both Semester 1 and 2, providing an opportunity for families to actively engage in discussions about their child's progress, needs, and safety.
- Vibrant School Events: Throughout the school year, we organise a range of events that encourage parents and the wider community to become an integral part of our school community. These events include Arts Night, School Production, Open Day, Grandparents' Day, School Masses, and the Presentation Ball.
- Inclusive Participation: We value the input of our families and community members in shaping our school's policies, procedures, and practices. This involvement is facilitated through School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings, surveys, and information gathering sessions.
- Multilingual Outreach: Recognising the diversity within our community, we've taken steps to ensure effective communication. Our MRC newsletter is accessible in different languages, making it easier for all families to stay informed and engaged through our school website.
Our Commitment:
At MRC, family engagement is not just a policy; it's a practice that enriches our educational community. By actively involving families and caregivers in our processes, we believe that we create an environment where students feel supported, heard, and safe. Through open communication, collaboration, and inclusive events, we strive to strengthen the connections that form the foundation of our school's success.
Your Voice Matters:
We invite all MRC families and community members to take an active role in shaping our school's journey. Your insights, feedback, and suggestions are invaluable in our pursuit of excellence. Together, we can continue to ensure that MRC is a place where every student thrives, and their safety is prioritised.
If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or enquiries related to family engagement or our Child Safety Standards, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We value your partnership and look forward to continued growth and collaboration.
Mercy Dip
On Friday, September 1st, we hosted the second annual "Mercy Dip for Mental Health," a successful event spearheaded by our Year 12 VCAL students as part of their Personal Development Skills project. The Mercy Dip drew in over 70 courageous participants who embraced the chilly waters, collectively raising an impressive $1200 for the Let's Talk Foundation, a substantial contribution to mental health support and awareness.
Our VCAL students played a pivotal role in ensuring the event's success, working with a range of stakeholders to ensure it ran smoothly. Despite an early & chilly start, their dedication and organisation skills shone through. After the dip, a hot breakfast and coffee, generously provided by staff and students, brought everyone together.
We extend our thanks to all participants, supporters, and our sponsors, Fonterra Cobden and Cobden Bakery, for their invaluable support. We also thank all the Mercy staff, without their support this would not have been possible.
The Mercy Dip exemplified our school community's commitment to mental health advocacy. Thank you all for your support, and let's continue to make a difference in mental health awareness together.
Berni Sinnott - Deputy Principal - Students and Staff
Community Meal
Last Wednesday MRC attended the Uniting Church Community Lunch. Students Henry R, Lily W and Lily H along with staff members Wendy Gleeson and Robyn Johnstone served up a delicious meal of Chicken Schnitzel with Gravy, Pasta Bake, Fried Rice and Coleslaw. Around 60 meals were served up on the day. Well done to all involved!
Faith at MRC
SEEDS OF JUSTICE REGIONAL EVENT - August 31st - September 1st 2023.
This year’s Seeds of Justice retreat was held at Araluen Camp in Anglesea. Four year 10 students attended, Max N, Holly B, Keely V, & Annie R. It was an incredible two days with 41 students form 7 Victorian Mercy Schools. The students and the 12 staff from these schools had the opportunity to learn together about the plight of refugees and Asylum Seekers in today’s political climate here in Australia.
Keynote speaker Abdul Rasuli from the Ballarat Afghan Action Group spoke of the food parcels for families in real need in remote mountainous areas of Afghanistan. The urgency, he explained, was to get the food up into the mountains before the Winter snow, when the roads become inaccessible.The group also funds teachers for remote villages and provides salaries for a number of teachers to educate both boys and girls using the local mosque as a school. This education is vital and the B.A.A.G. group hopes to continue growing their project in order to reach many children and young adults in these mountainous areas. Abdul spoke at length about the difficulty of the visa system and government policy. He shared stories of his family and community experiences in Afghanistan. Finally he spoke of his dream to complete an Engineering Degree at Fed Uni and to continue supporting families in need as well as advocating for Refugee and Asylum seeker rights in Australia. He was an inspiring guest.
The call to write to local Members of Parliament and to speak out about government policy was very clear.
The students had the opportunity to respond to this message in mixed school groups in a number of ways; through art and through the the written word, to show both their knowledge and understanding, as well as their plans for raising awareness and showing support of the B.A.G.G group and other Refugee and Asylum Seeker projects.
Our students made new friends, created networks among other social minded students and shared the experience with great enthusiasm and maturity. Schools attending included: Emmanuel College Warrnambool, Padua College Melbourne, St Aloysius North Melbourne, Sacred Heart College Kyneton, Sacred Heart College Geelong, Notre Dame College Shepparton and Mercy Regional College.
Next year the opportunity will again arise for a number of Year 10 students to attend the Seeds of Justice Event.
Keely, Max, Annie & Holly hope to raise awareness within our community and endeavour to complete some fundraising for the B.A.A.G. early in Term 4.
Special Person's Day
On 23 August, Year 7s welcomed their Special Friends, Grandparents and Elders for Special Person’s Day. The focus of the day was on fostering relationships, acting with love and gratitude, and learning from each other.
The Special Friends of our Year 7s participated in a Liturgy at O’Keeffe Campus and were interviewed by the Year 7s. Both of these experiences allowed the Special Visitors to share some words of wisdom and encouragement and to illuminate to the students how individual experiences have shaped their friends’ lives and outlook on life.
Students concluded their day by reflecting on their own journey and experiences. They wrote a letter to their future self to open on their Year 12 Retreat. We are deeply grateful for the time our visitors took from their day to spend with us at Mercy Regional College, travelling from near and far to be with the amazing young people in their lives.
Careers News
In Careers News this week:
YEAR 12 STUDENTS
- Tertiary applications – resources, support, key dates, and reminders
- Exam preparation lectures
- $10,000 UNSW Advantage Award
- University and TAFE scholarships
- University campus tours running during the term break
YEAR 9 & 10 STUDENTS
- Agriculture science program at the University of Melbourne (Dookie campus)
- Science experience program at the University of Melbourne
YEAR 11 STUDENTS
- Planning to study medicine, dentistry or oral health in the future?
ALL STUDENTS
- Amazing engineering courses and programs
- Careers with STEM articles
- Would you like to become a psychologist?
- Job seeking tips and resources
- Start your own business!
- Careers in rural medicine podcast
- Apprenticeships and traineeships
- The Good Universities Guide – compare university ratings
- Exciting summer schools
- Upcoming career events
Library News
Book Week Quiz
What type of animals are Wilbur and Charlotte? Who was known as the Bard of Avon? Pig is what type of dog in Aaaron Blabey’s series of picture books? These questions and more were capably answered by O’Keeffe Campus students at the Book Week Quiz.
Our prize winners, who all demonstrated a great general knowledge of children’s fiction, were Maisie and Ava in first place and our runners up were Amaya, Tilda and Tess. Prizes included vouchers for The Shed, chocolates and bookmarks. There were also participation and door prizes awarded.
Jean Christie - Library & Resource Centre Coordinator
Child Safety
Mercy Regional College is a child-safe community.
Child Safety Officers:
Berni Sinnott
bsinnott@mercy.vic.edu.au
Matthew Irving
mirving@mercy.vic.edu.au
Sharon Suhan
ssuhan@mercy.vic.edu.au
Contact them by email or on:
Phone - 55932011 (McAuley Campus) or 55925353 (O’Keeffe Campus)
50th Jubilee Celebrations
Book: A Special Spirit: a History of Mercy Regional College 1973-2023
Lachie Lee makes history come alive with this very engaging story of the College from its inception to the present day. It celebrates many of the significant events and people that have helped to shape our school. This quality, hardcover book is a beautiful publication and an ideal gift that will be a treasured keepsake for many years to come.
LIMITED NUMBERS AVAILABLE
Pre-order your copy now for $45
You can also choose to have your book posted anywhere in Australia for an additional $10
Please order your copy here:
A Special Spirit Book Launch
We invite everyone to join us at the launch of our College History Book written by Lachie Lee.
Friday 13 October at the O'Keeffe Campus, Noorat.
Fursther details in poster below.
Show your Mercy Spirit! Jubilee Merchandise
You can also show your Mercy spirit and support the College with a range of 50th anniversary memorabilia including, anniversary roses, wine, and tea towels (see descriptions below).
Please order your Jubilee merchandise here:
The Colours of Mercy Anniversary Rose
As part of the Mercy Regional College 50th anniversary celebrations, the College will make available a special anniversary rose in the MRC colours.
If you’re looking for a rose with a ‘wow’ factor, this is it! This Rosa floribunda has glossy thick mid-green foliage - a stunning multi-coloured rose in bush form that produces huge clusters of yellow flowers that change to pink and red on maturity. To add to the enchantment, every petal is unique.
The beautiful flowers on this plant produce a lovely mild fragrance. This rose is disease resistant and all round strong. Ideal for garden beds or borders along the driveway.
We are now taking pre-orders so that you won’t miss out on this rose, which will be made available closer to and on the special weekend of celebration in November 2023.
Cost $37.00
Tea towels with spirit!
Available in two designs, these locally-sourced tea towels are both beautiful and useful. Super soft and absorbent, they are made from 180gsm cotton twill. There are two designs to choose from, both featuring the 50th Anniversary logo, which incorporates both the Catholic Regional College and Mercy Regional College emblems.
Cost: $15 each
Anniversary Wine
The College has partnered with Bellarine Estate to produce two anniversary wines, a crisp Chardonnay and a complex Shiraz. (Collect from College or purchase on the Jubilee Day)
Cost $20 each. (due to liquor licensing requirements, ordering and payments for wine will open mid-October.)
Jubilee Day
We would love our past students, families and staff to join us in this celebration on Saturday 25 November from 11:30 to 3:30 in Camperdown. School tours, roll calls and displays for each decade, food trucks and music, tree planting, free family portraits, afternoon tea and more.
Register for this free event here:
Jubilee Dinner
On Saturday evening (25 November) we will gather for dinner and the presentation of the inaugural Spirit of Mercy Awards, and the Annual Car Raffle. Then you are invited to kick up your heels to the lively music of The People’s Poets. Drinks at bar prices.
Tickets can be purchased here:
Alumni News
Upcoming Dates and Events
Thursday 7 September
Animal Studies Excursion
Friday 8 September
Our Lady of Mercy Mass
Monday 11 September
Senior VCAL Excursion
Wednesday 13 September
Middle Oratory Competition
Red Frogs Presentation
Friday 15 September
Car Raffle Early Bird Draw
Term 3 Concludes
Monday 2 October
Term 4 commences (all students)
Central Australia Experience
Thursday 5 October
GWR Track & Field
Later in the Year:
Saturday 25 November
MRC 50th Jubilee Day and Anniversary Dinner
Community Notices
Koorie Art Show Young Mob is open for entry. KAS Young Mob showcases the diverse talent of Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged between 5 and 16 years. All visual arts mediums are eligible and previous shows have included painting, drawing, photography, prints, sculpture, video and installation. All entries are exhibited in the Koorie Heritage Trust’s Gallery at Fed Square. All works are available for sale to the public. Entries now open until Sunday 1 October. Please visit the link for info and entry forms