MRC Newsletter - Issue 4 - 21 March 2024

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, on this Palm Sunday,
as we remember Your triumphant entry into Jerusalem,
let us also remember the path that lay before You.
Fill our hearts with the humility and faithfulness that
You displayed.
Teach us to follow Your example of selfless love,
to praise You in ourhearts and with our lives,
as we carry our crosses daily.
Hosanna in the Highest!

Principal's Message

Welcome to the final Newsletter of Term 1! The time really has flown past.

Our Newsletter is a day later than usual this week to allow our Open Day to be included. Thank you to all the prospective students and families that attended and to our staff and students who ensured the day was welcoming and successful.

We look forward to welcoming families to our O'Keeffe Campus for tours tomorrow afternoon.

Our School Advisory Council met last night and I shared with them a summary of our Term. It never ceases to amaze me and our SAC how much we fit into one term whilst still maintaining continuity and progression of learning.  I also shared with them our progress on our School Improvement Annual Action Plan strategies. You will have witnessed the promotion of our College’s Vision & Mission and Values. These are now proudly and predominantly displayed for our young people and community around both campuses. You may have noticed our social media posts are now 'tagged' with our new Mercy Core Values. Whilst we know full understanding will take some time, we are very pleased with the way our community has embraced this work. I thank and congratulate staff member Toby McKenzie for his professional work.

Another area of action and attention has been the development of our Vision for Learning which is being enacted through a renewed learning culture beginning at our O’Keeffe campus. Over the course of this term our O’Keeffe families may have been engaging in some interesting conversations with their young people in Years 7 and 8 about the expectations teachers have for their learning and behaviour. For our students in Year 7, they will know no difference, however, some of our Year 8 students may be saying that things have changed! Behind the scenes our staff have been closely working with the latest research on effective classroom management and teaching and learning strategies. 

I share with you all an explanation written by Deputy Principal Natalie Stephenson who has been leading this work with our Learning and Teaching team and specifically Leah Sinnott with Matthew Irving and our Year 7 and 8 teaching teams.

Parents and carers will receive a letter from me in the next week outlining the necessary changes we have had to make to subject teachers. We have faced an unprecedented level of serious illness this term amongst both our teaching and educational support staff and for others illness in families. I appreciate the wonderful support of our community and the understanding of parents as we navigate these difficult times. I am confident that despite these challenges, continuity of learning has remained for our young people. With Parent Teacher Student Interviews being held in Week 3 Term 2 on the evening of Wednesday 1 May and during the day on Thursday 2 May, please know that parents and carers will have access to both teachers should there have been a change. Please note that on Thursday 2 May no formal classes will be held on either campus, allowing teachers to conduct PTSI’s and students to attend with their families. Students not attending interviews are encouraged to complete independent learning at home on this day.  I ask that you hold those unwell in our community in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate the complexities of illness.

As Term 1 draws to a close, we step into the sacred journey of Holy Week, a pivotal time on the Christian calendar. From the jubilant entry of Palm Sunday to the solemn Triduum comprising Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, we are propelled toward the transformative dawn of Easter Sunday. Throughout this profound observance, we traverse moments of shadow and light, contemplating the Last Supper's message of love and sacrifice. Good Friday, in particular, invites solemn reflection as we honour Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for our redemption. These days beckon us to consider our own paths and contributions to the world. Through the miracle of resurrection, we are all granted a fresh start. Amidst the customary symbols of Easter eggs and leisure, let us not forget the deeper significance of this season. May this Easter season be a time of abundant blessings, a moment to pause and rediscover the timeless relevance of the Easter story in our lives.

Our student community will engage with Holy Week through our Easter Liturgy on Holy Thursday. Thank you to Liturgy Leader Joanne Saunders and Director of Catholic Identity and Culture Melanie Bourchier for their preparation and support. Our students and staff have been participating in awareness and fundraising with all proceeds donated to Caritas Australia. We extend our gratitude to everyone for their generosity.

We acknowledge the wonderful achievements of our young people in the community:

• Congratulations to Campbell W., Parker W., Eddy W., Jonty R., Matt Harkin and Cameron Beaton, on their Senior Mens Cricket Div 1 win for Cobden.
• Well done also to Paddy H. who was part of the winning Div 2 Senior Mens Cricket team for Bookaar.
• Congratulations to Mia M. and Isaac McVilly who won their Cobden Tennis Grand Final.
• Well done to all in the Pomborneit Cricket Club Under 17 boys team on winning the Grand Final last week, and well done to the Pomborneit U/17s Girls team, premiers on Sunday.
• Year 12 students Lenny and Daniel were recently part of the Port Campbell crew that were the 2024 Victorian U19 surf boat representatives - great effort!
• Congratulations to the Camperdown Amateur Basketball Under 17 teams on their premierships, and also the award winners!

If you know a Mercy student doing great things in the community, please let us know at office@mercy.vic.edu.au so we can recognise their achievements!

School will finish for our students at 2.00pm on Thursday, 28 March. Reception will close at 4.00pm and will reopen on Monday 15 April. Year 10 students and their families are reminded that they will be on Work Experience the first week of school from Monday 15 to Friday 19 April. 

Please have a safe and restful break!

With kindness,
Sharon Gillett - Principal

Learning at MRC

NAPLAN 2024

As the term nears its end I would like to thank you for your support of our students and school community.  It has been a very busy term with many activities, excursions, special events and learning opportunities for the students.  Through all this it has been great to witness the  academic and personal growth of our students.  Each day we are greeted by smiling faces and friendly greetings reminding us how wonderful our students are.

As we approach the next term, we encourage you to continue to work with us to support your child's learning journey. By working together, we can ensure that your child reaches their full potential and has a positive and successful school experience.

I wish you all the best for the Easter Season and trust that you will have a restful and safe break.

Accessing the Mid-Semester Report through the Parent Access Module (PAM)

Mid-Semester Reports will be available online through PAM on the afternoon of Thursday 28th March. The Mid-Semester Report contains information about your child’s work practices and learning dispositions. To ensure you are receiving all email communication please logon to PAM and verify your preferred email address. Please contact reception@mercy.vic.edu.au if you have any difficulties. 

 Work Habits for Mid-Semester reports and Semester reports:

 LEARNING:                    
Strives for personal best 
Meets deadlines
Uses class time constructively
Collaborative in group tasks
Completes homework tasks

 SELF-MANAGEMENT:     
Punctual to class
Has the appropriate books and equipment
Makes responsible choices

SOCIAL INTERACTION:  
Well-mannered and respectful of others
Co-operative
Shows empathy

HOME LEARNING:
Submitted by the due date
Completes to the best of ability
Communicates with teacher when experiencing difficulties

For instructions on how to access reports on PAM, please see the below link:

Leanne Delahunty - Director of Learning and Teaching

Senior School

The last our Year 12 students were visited by Mental Health professionals from South West Health. It was discussed how to identify if you may be struggling and steps to help you through the process. I have attached an article from the Melbourne Psychology and Schools Psychology Services that gives advice on how parents and carers can help their child through the stress of VCE.

How to help your child survive and even thrive through VCE 

Our Year 11 and 12 students attended the Tertiary Information Session (TIS) at the Camperdown Theatre on Monday. The session involved an informative presentation on the types of courses that can be studied at TAFE and University and the processes necessary to apply.  A number of TAFE campuses and Universities were available to give advice to the students and discuss the courses and services on offer. Our VCE students came away feeling positive and excited about their future schooling and courses they are interested in.

Melanie Kavanagh - Learning Leader - Senior School

Middle School

NAPLAN

Congratulations to all the Year 9 students who completed their (FINAL) NAPLAN tests last week!  Students worked very well on all of their three days of testing and should be very pleased with their efforts.  Students who missed one or more tests last week are already completing their catch ups which will be finished by the end of this week.  

The data the school can gather from the NAPLAN test results helps teachers to plan our learning activities throughout the year. It was great to see the consistent effort of the students across four tests over three days which helps to ensure our data is as accurate as possible.  

Assessments

As we approach the end of Term, students are completing assessment tasks in all their subjects.  In an effort to support students to achieve to the best of their ability all students who receive a ‘needs improvement’ mark on an assessment will be required to resit or revise the task until it achieves a satisfactory (proficient) standard. Students will be able to action teacher feedback to revise their work for an improved result which will be reflected on their end of semester report.  There will also be a line on the report indicating that the task was adjusted for an improved result.  

Please check in with your students about their completed tests and assessments, their workload, and their upcoming tasks. It is important that they are using their planners to help them manage the requirements of the next two weeks. Please let me or their teacher know if there are any issues or concerns.  

I hope you all have a wonderful end of Term and a great Easter break! 

Josiane Gardner - Learning Leader - Middle School

Junior School

Congratulations to all Year 7 students for their hard work and dedication during the NAPLAN tests in reading, writing,  language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy last week!  The effort and perseverance shown by all despite the challenges it may have presented was admirable, and we are very proud of the determination you have shown to do your best and showcase your skills. Well done on your achievements Year 7s, and keep up the fantastic work! 

Just a friendly reminder to those who have purchased activation codes for their child’s textbooks, to please send these in with your child so that their books can be activated. If you are unsure of the location of the codes or have misplaced them, please contact Campion directly and they will be able to assist. It would be great to have all student codes activated by the end of term to ensure that they are ready to go for the start of Term 2. Thanks in anticipation! 

Finally, as the term quickly comes to a close, many classes, in both Year 7 and Year 8, are in the throes of completing or starting assessment tasks. Please touch base with your child/children to see if they require support to manage their time, their upcoming tasks, and to ensure that they have what they need to complete these in class. Additionally, if you are aware of upcoming absences before the end of term please communicate this to your child’s teachers as soon as you are able so that any necessary changes to assessment schedules can be made.

Thank you all for your ongoing support!

Leah Sinnott  - Learning Leader - Junior School

Outdoor Ed Excursions

On Friday the 15th of March our Year 12 Outdoor Education students were taken to the small town of Forrest in the Otways for a morning of mountain biking. During the ride around the southern trails, our guide Sandy gave us an insight into how the sprawling bike park had been created over many years and how the hard work carried out by the mountain bike club had made Forrest one of the most popular destinations for cross country riding in Victoria. 

Students tested their skills on various green and blue runs navigating switchbacks, berms and steep drops. Sandy went into detail on difficulties the club experienced when establishing the park including how conflicts were navigated all the way down to the complexities of building trails with a minimal impact approach and stopping the spread of phytophthora. 

Following on from this, students were taken down to the Lake Elizabeth car park where they enjoyed lunch and updated their journals, detailing the environment we were in and learnings from the previous activity. Thank you to the Forrest mountain bike community for having us and Tia Stinchcombe for the enthusiasm and Outdoor Ed knowledge.

Also as part of their recent studies, Year 12 Outdoor Education students were rushed away from their school photos to the bus for an overnight camp at Budj Bim National Park. Within the national park we were visiting a recently awarded UNESCO heritage site, Tae Rak (Lake Condah) for its significant indigenous heritage. The objective of the camp was for students to focus on interactions the Gunditjmara people had with the land including Tae Rak and how they manipulated the environment to create what is thought to be the oldest aquaculture system in the world. 

Our tour guide told us the amazing story of the life cycle of the short finned eel which was the main food source for the Gunditjmara. We later witnessed the stone fish traps, weirs and smoking tree on a nearby site. Our guide provided us with information about the spiritual story of the volcano (Budj Bim), the Lake, and also the arrival of Europeans and how the environment changed in subsequent years. After this we set up camp at the nearby national park and students prepared their dinner for the evening. 

We woke up to a chilly morning and turned our attention to journaling based on the environment at Lake Surprise. Students broke up into two groups and explored a lava tube and the flora and fauna on the undulating but rewarding crater rim walk. Once all the information had been written up back at camp, before long it wasn’t long before we had to pack up and head home. Thank you to our trainee Lucas, jumping on board with little notice and also to Berni Sinnott for her valuable assistance.

Mount Noorat Excursion

On Monday 4th March Year 8 students embarked on a walk to explore Mount Noorat and its surrounds. Students were privileged to have past teacher and valued community member Justin Staunton leading this walk, sharing his wealth of knowledge with our students about the features of Mount Noorat and how it has changed over time. 

Students had the opportunity to walk around Mount Noorat and explore the different landforms and landscapes that are a part of our local community. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to be able to apply their classroom learning in a practical setting.

Year 7 French

A happy greetings song in Year 7 French.

Isaac L., Spencer M. and Rupert V. of 7A practised our French greetings song "Bonjour! Salut!" with enthusiasm and passion (including some dress ups stored in the new French room)

VCE Art Excursion

Our senior Art and Visual Communication Design classes were able to experience the array of stimulating artwork on exhibition at the Triennale at the National Gallery of Victoria. They completed a gallery tour and floor talk with the NGV Educator and utilised their own free viewing time to engage with the artworks that drew them in most (across the entire gallery!)

They were also able to enjoy lunch in the great hall, surrounded by the spectacular stained glass ceiling work and time out in the sculpture garden. This opportunity also offered them the valuable  real world learning of public transport travel across V-Line, metro trains and trams. Additionally they practiced their time management skills at break times, responsibly taking the opportunity to explore a little more of Melbourne. This wonderful day was one we are certain everyone is keen to re-experience. 

Community & Wellbeing at MRC

As we start to round off Term 1, it is always a good time to slow down and reflect. There have been many busy weeks over the term with some brilliant achievements and triumphs. 

Our March charge has been a roaring success and certainly created some friendly competitiveness amongst our Houses, staff and students! We would love to thank everyone who has played a part in raising awareness of this important cause. 

Marching Forward for a Cause: Raising Awareness and Funds for Cancer

At the moment the leaderboard:

Frayne: 171km
Tindley: 145km
Markey: 130km
Ryan: 117km

https://services.mercy.vic.edu.au/charge

As we have begun a new year and our young people are continuing to grow and be exposed to various technologies, platforms and digital interactions it is a good time to revisit reminders of our digital footprint. 

It is essential to ensure that our online interactions reflect the positive values and ethos of our school community. With that in mind, here are some friendly reminders about social media etiquette:

• Be Kind and Respectful: Remember that behind every screen is a real person with feelings. Let's strive to be kind, respectful, and supportive in all our online interactions.
• Think Before You Post: Take a moment to consider the impact of your words and images before sharing them online. Ask yourself if your post promotes positivity and contributes meaningfully to the conversation.
• Protect Your Privacy: Be mindful of what personal information you share online. Avoid sharing sensitive details such as your address, phone number, or financial information.
• Report Concerns: If you encounter any form of online harassment, bullying, or inappropriate content, don't hesitate to report it to a trusted adult or the relevant social media platform.
• Set Boundaries: It's okay to take breaks from social media and prioritise your mental wellbeing. Establishing healthy boundaries with technology can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

By embracing these principles of responsible digital citizenship, we can create a safer, more positive online environment for everyone in our school community.

We have also recognised and celebrated Harmony Week at both campuses. It is a celebration held annually in March across Australia to promote diversity, respect and inclusiveness. A great time to create awareness on different cultures, traditions and customs. The goal is to encourage everyone to appreciate and celebrate differences and promote a sense of community and belonging for everyone. There were great messages left on our wall to celebrate difference. 

Wishing everyone a fabulous Easter break as this will be the last newsletter for the term.

Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal, Wellbeing & Engagement

O'Keeffe Campus

The past few weeks have been extremely busy at O’Keeffe. Students have been working hard to consolidate their learning through all their classes and we have been seeing some great work within the classroom.

As we come to the end of Term 1, it is important that all students ensure that all work is completed to the best of their ability and submitted through the SIMON portal. 

Attendance plays a massive role in your child/rens education. Ensuring that your child/ren miss as little school as possible is super important for a number of reasons. Listed on the flyer below are a few of these.

Every year as staff we continue to try and educate students and parents on the importance of online safety for both students and parents. In Term 2, we will have members of VicPol come in and talk to the students in relation to the importance of Cyber Safety and the importance of parents knowing their role in their childs’ social media life… 

Here is a simple reminder of the steps that you can take to help support the young people at home.

Matthew Irving - Assistant Principal, O'Keeffe Campus

Fee Payment Reminder

A reminder that upfront fee payment is to be made in full for all students in the family by 31 March, 2024.
Due to the Easter public holidays, please submit payment by Wednesday 27 March.

For families wishing to apply for assistance from the CSEF (Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund), please visit: 

Presentation Ball 2024

Last Friday night we had our long awaited Presentation Ball. 

Formal proceedings began at 8:00pm with the students being presented and then performing their dances. Supper and a DJ was provided afterwards for parents and students to enjoy. 

We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved both in the night but also leading up to the event, especially Rose Henry for all the behind the scenes work she put into it to make sure the night ran smoothly, our fabulous MCs Kerryn Cain and Ash Couch, Dean Ludeman for taking photos, Daniel Beard for running the livestream, Shane Scanlon and Troy Stephens for setting up the stage/decorations and all of our teachers for putting up with us talking about it every day for the last month and a half.

Most of all we’d like to sincerely thank Tess, Shane and Allison Lourey for the countless hours they spent teaching and perfecting the dances with us and organising every little detail to make sure we had an enjoyable night which it’s safe to say we all truly did. 

Also a huge thanks to all of the amazing parents/guardians for driving us to and from practices, appointments, dress/suit alterations etc.

- Meg P. & Nellie S.

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Sports Report

GWR Girls Cricket

On Wednesday 6th March, 11 students participated in the GWR Girls Senior Cricket in Ballarat. With only one other team entered MRC’s task was to overcome Ballarat High School.

The girls lost the toss and fielded first and were able to get regular wickets throughout the innings restricting BHS to 118 runs.

MRC began their innings and were in a little trouble at 3-12 after four overs, before Annabelle Glossop began to find the boundaries and this continued for quite some time before she retired on 77 not out. MRC were able to finish on 5-125 after 20 overs meaning the girls advanced to the quarter finals on Monday 18th March against Maribyrnong College in Geelong. Despite a great effort, Maribyrnong College proved too strong for the team. Well done all!

Faith at MRC

Yesterday the local Community Lunch was held at the Uniting Church. The lunch serves to bring members of the Camperdown township together for support and friendship. Members of our Year 11 Vocational Major Religious Education class were able to plan and prepare the meal ahead of time. Today other members of our senior school cohort attended the lunch to serve the meal and create connections with the participants. The act of service is an integral part of our community outreach as a Catholic school. Serving others comes from our rich Mercy tradition embedded in Gospel values. Jesus was the master server; serving the sick, dying, poor and destitute. The work of the Sisters of Mercy is about seeing and responding to the needs of all those they are called to serve. The needs can be either of the body or spiritual. As a school community it is important for our students to develop a sense of what it means to serve others. It’s a wonderful opportunity when we can take our students into the community to serve in this way. 

Today is Close the Gap Day. Our MAD (Mercy Student’s Making A Difference) team with our Fire Carriers at both campuses, have been working on raising awareness for Close the Gap Day. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have some of the poorest health outcomes of any group of people in the world. On average, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples die more than 10 years younger than other Australians. For more than a decade now, Australians from every corner of the country, in schools, businesses and community groups, have shown their support for Close the Gap by marking National Close the Gap Day on the third Thursday in March each year. This National Close the Gap Day, we have an opportunity to send our governments a clear message that Australians value health equality as a fundamental right for all. Change starts with education. As our young people learn about important issues of our local and broader communities they are able to develop ideas and passion for change. They will be our future leaders in developing a better world for all communities.

Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture

Eco Justice & Sustainability

Laudato Si Quote:
(An awareness of the gravity of today’s cultural and ecological crisis must be translated into new habits. (#208-209)

Term 1 in the eco and sustainability space is off to a great start and our leaders are driving this. I’m excited to report that the MAD (Mercy students making a difference) group has established a solid foundation of 6-8 individuals who are now regularly meeting every fortnight. A major topic of discussion has been waste and in particular our responsibility within the school community to do everything we can do to reduce waste altogether and when we do generate it how do we dispose or divert it appropriately? A campaign has already begun around the school with informative posters being put up and attention to these about to be communicated in person in Mercy classes. So far the group has received feedback from students in the yard about appropriate locations for bins and barriers that contribute to things not making it into the right location whether that be soft plastic, cardboard or food waste. 

Additionally we had one MAD member Riley H. attend an environmental science program at RMIT University, outside of school. Riley has come back motivated to enhance biodiversity within the school and is working on a proposal for the introduction of a number of grass species to be propagated and planted for the restoration of an area within the school grounds. Congrats to Riley for taking on the initiative for learning outside of school and his awesome suggestions and enthusiasm. Watch this space.

Tom Kelly - Eco Justice & Sustainability Leader

Careers News

Year 10 Careers Expo

On Tuesday 5th of March our Year 10 students headed by bus to Warrnambool to attend the 2024 Careers Expo.

The Expo showcased over 60 local businesses and careers. It was a great opportunity for our students to discover more about possible career opportunities and potential pathways, and to make connections and network with the local business community. The Expo ignited discussions about gaining work experience and placements, while also opening doors to exciting potential career paths for students.

Thank you to the Neil Porter Legacy for organising the Expo.

ADF Presentation

Members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) visited our school this morning to discuss careers and opportunities in the Defence Force to those who have an interest in pursuing this pathway.Students had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about what a career in the ADF could look like.

Library News

Student Book Club starts in Term 2

At MRC Year 7 and 8 students are invited to join the Shadow Judging Book Club, a project where they will contribute to a nation-wide program connecting young people to great literature.

On Tuesday 19 March the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) announced the shortlisted books for Book of the Year. (Read about them here)

In Book Club, the students will:

1. Read the six books in one category from our 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Shortlist.
2. Discuss the books and learn about the judging criteria.
3. Vote collaboratively to nominate a winner in their category. The CBCA Shadowers’ Choice Awards will be announced and celebrated at a brand-new event at the end of 2024
4. Create creative responses (individually, or in pairs or in a group) to be shared on the Sun Project website.

Along the way we will have some special Library lunches and an excursion to Warrnambool. On the excursion Book Club members will: take a behind-the-scenes tour of the amazing new Warrnambool Library; have lunch at Emmanuel College and discuss the Shadow judging creative projects and lunchtime activity ideas; visit Collins Booksellers where children’s literature expert Tracy Rayner will talk about how to choose a good book and then the students will choose some new books for the MRC Library. 

Participation in the Shadow Judging project supports the aspiration of the College to create a culture of reading. It also supports the mission of the Library in relation to the following points:

• Unlocking the potential for learning through the support of independent and collaborative learning opportunities that encourage critical and creative thinking and enrich student outcomes.
  
• Initiating programs and activities that develop literacy, information literacy, a reading culture and essential lifelong learning skills.
  
• Providing an engaging and welcoming cultural and learning space that is challenging, inspiring, inclusive, and safe.

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Experiencing history through immersive, engaging fiction

Author Albert Camus wrote, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” It is important to learn facts and study history, but historical fiction is a great companion to learning. It is immersive and allows the reader to really place themselves in another time and in another person’s shoes. With April and ANZAC Day approaching, a handy guide has been created to describe some of the ANZAC Day-relevant fiction books for students in the MRC Library collection. This booklet also contains a brief synopsis on what ANZAC Day is for.
Click here to see the booklet.

Some further reading about how reading fiction can aid learning and development in young readers: “The simple act of reading has long been proven to be a major contributor to children’s learning and development. In fact, reading for pleasure has been shown to have a greater impact on children’s cognitive development than their parents’ education levels, and a more significant factor influencing life achievement than socio-economic backgrounds. Children who read frequently also often attain better results in Maths, vocabulary, and spelling tests. Reading fiction, specifically, has a whole plethora of benefits with regards to cognitive, social, and emotional development in children.

Through exposure to different narratives, children who read fiction will experience improvements in language fluency, comprehension skills and capabilities in creative writing. They will also build vocabulary by learning less-common words and phrases through the varying contexts provided to them in the form of engaging stories — words they may have otherwise never encountered through ordinary day-to-day conversations.

Reading fiction helps children build wider content knowledge as well, through immersing them in different settings, time periods, and the lives and thoughts of numerous characters they can learn from. Childrens’ literature plays a role in not just providing foundational knowledge but also the forming of a resource pool that instigates further research and exploration.” (From the Mind Champs website)

Jean Christie - Library & Resource Centre Coordinator

School Photo Orders 2024

Our annual school photos have been taken and are now ready to order.

Arthur Reed Photos uses an online ordering system where you can view your photos prior to ordering.

On photo day all students received a flyer which includes a code unique to them.

You will require this 2024 code to register online and view your photos.

If you have already registered, you will receive an email or SMS from Arthur Reed Photos with a link to view your photos.

If you have not yet registered, please go to order.arphotos.com.au and enter your code to complete your order.

If you have misplaced your registration code, please contact the Arthur Reed Photos customer service team directly on 5243 4390 (option 1) or customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Please note that you will need to register online with your 2024 photo code to gain access to this year’s images.

All photo packages will be sent directly to your nominated address, so please ensure that you enter the correct details and nominated shipping address upon checkout.

If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 (option 1) or email customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Canteen News

New Canteen Ordering System Now Online

Spriggy is a very easy straight forward ordering system displaying all products, dietary requirements, specials, prices & is available on all mobile phone devises 24/7. Orders can be placed up to 4 weeks in advance. All orders must be received on the required day by 9.30am.   
9.30am is our cut off time each day on the day.
Over the counter cash & card lunch order sales are still available.
Canteen opening Hours 8.30am-1.30pm - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
Canteen is Closed on Mondays till further notice
We are highly recommending that all lunch orders be placed by any of the above options to secure everyones lunch requirements & to avoid any disappointment as there is now only minimum over the counter food options available at lunch break.
Cash & Card Payments welcome 
No Phone Payment Policy remains  
We hope to see you all during 2024 & welcome any new menu suggestions or near future ideas.
Thanks for all your ongoing support 
The Canteen Team

O'Keeffe Campus Tours 2024

Child Safety

Mercy Regional College is a child-safe community.

Child Safety Officers:

Contact them by email or on:
Phone - 55932011 (McAuley Campus) or 55925353 (O’Keeffe Campus)

Child Safe Standard 8

Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

Mercy Regional College is dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students. Central to our commitment is the implementation of key policies, such as ensuring our staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep our young people safe

These policies include:

• MRC Complaints Handling Policy
• MRC Grievance procedures Students of a DOBCELSchool
• DOBCEL reportable conduct scheme
• DOBCEL Grievance procedures for parents
• DOBCEL Protect- Reporting and responding obligations policy
• DOBCEL Grievance policy
• MRC Duty of Care policy

In practice and complying with Standard 8, MRC  actively implements these policies for processes for complaints, and concerns.

Some of the evidence of policy implementation and practice includes:

• Staff and volunteers are trained and supported to effectively implement the organisation’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy.
• Staff and volunteers receive training and information to recognise indicators of child harm including harm caused by other children and young people.
• Staff and volunteers receive training and information to respond effectively to issues of child safety and wellbeing and support colleagues who disclose harm.
• Staff and volunteers receive training and information on how to build culturally safe environments for children and young people.

Spirit of Mercy Awards 2024

Nominations are NOW OPEN for our 2024 Spirit of Mercy Alumni Awards.

With our inaugural awards last year seeing seven outstanding alumni inducted, we look forward to celebrating and recognising even more achievements this year!

To nominate an outstanding alumni for the Spirit of Mercy or Young Spirit of Mercy Award, please visit our website https://www.mercy.vic.edu.au/community/spirit-of-mercy-awards/ for more information and nomination forms.

Upcoming Dates and Events

Thursday 21 March
VCE Agricultural Excursion

Friday 22 March
GWR Swimming Sports
HCSN Taster Day
O'Keeffe Campus Tours
Year 12 WRS Excursion

Monday 25 March
HSSSD Athletics Sports

Tuesday 26 March
GWR Lawn Bowls

Wednesday 27 March
MRC Book Club
BAS Senior Football Tryouts

Thursday 28 March
Holy Thursday Easter Liturgy
Term 1 Ends

Friday 29 March
Good Friday

Sunday 31 March
Easter Sunday

Monday 15 April
Term 2 Commences
Year 10 Work Experience

Wednesday 17 April
Year 7, 8, 9 Time and Space Evening

Community Notices

Campion Warrnambool retail service centre trading is currently Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm. The store is closed on Fridays.

Families can check online for store hours: https://campion.com.au/store-locations/. Families can also order online for convenient home delivery: https://order.campion.com.au/.