MRC Newsletter - Issue 6 - 8 May 2024

Prayer

Principal's Message

It was wonderful to witness the strong partnership in learning demonstrated between parents, carers, and teachers during last week's Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews. As a school, we deeply value and recognise the indispensable role that parents and carers play as partners in their child's educational journey. We know that collaboration and communication between home and school are vital for the holistic development, learning, and wellbeing of our students. It is together that we create an environment and culture conducive to growth, effort, and achievement. At Mercy, we are blessed to educate within such a supportive and engaged community. While our teachers diligently plan engaging and enriching learning programs, we know that the active engagement of parents and carers in their child's education is equally essential. It is together that we can provide a unified support system that nurtures each young person’s growth and cultivates a personalised lifelong love for learning. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the dedication and commitment of our parents, carers, and teachers for prioritising this opportunity, whether in person or via Google Meet. For families who may have missed this chance and wish to arrange a learning conversation with a teacher, please do not hesitate to contact our Director of Learning and Teaching, Ms. Leanne Delahunty or email your child’s teacher/s. 

We do recognise and greatly appreciate the commitment that you make to choose our school as the place to educate your children. I acknowledge the added pressure on families of the current cost of living and ask that should you need support with family fee contributions to please reach out to either myself or Business Manager Judith Murfitt. We are here to confidentially support you. 

Please read the response to the recent State Budget from the Executive Director of Catholic Education Ballarat, Tom Sexton, here. At Mercy Regional College, all expenses for camps and excursions are included in our family fee contributions. All young people access these activities regardless of fee arrangements. We can and do also support families with books and uniforms should this be needed. MRC will receive the same additional funding for any families that have a Healthcare Card as explained in Tom Sextons’s response.

On Monday a keen group of Mercy writers and readers from Years 7 to 9 attended the Melbourne Writers Festival schools program at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne. The festival brings writers and readers together to be inspired, challenged and thrilled by an intelligent, rousing and diverse program of books and ideas. This year there are nearly 100 writers taking part! Our students enjoyed listening to authors Steve Mushin, Astrid Scholte, Biffy James and Mike Lucas. Thank you to Library Manager Jean Christie and O’Keeffe Campus Assistant Tim Woodmason for making this opportunity possible. Don’t forget our next Mercy Book Club being hosted on Wednesday 29 May. Bookings here. More details later in the newsletter.

In our recent student celebrations, we extend heartfelt congratulations to Year 11 student Aiden C. for his outstanding achievement in netball. Aiden's remarkable performance at the recent U17 National Men's Netball Championships in Brisbane earned him an invitation to train at the prestigious three-day national camp in Sydney last weekend. His dedication and skill position him as a potential candidate for the Australian U17 team set to tour New Zealand later this year. I share with you Aiden's humble words, as quoted in the Warrnambool Standard, resonate deeply: "I gave it my best, and that's all you can really do." We wholeheartedly wish Aiden the very best in his endeavours.

We congratulate staff member Toby McKenzie, current students Elli C., Jess M., Matéa M., Piper K., Madi L., Ava L., Cali H. and Annie R. and former MRC(CRC) students who were part of The Camperdown Theatre Company’s recent production Freaky Friday. The show has received amazing reviews. Thank you to staff member Joanne Saunders who captured this shot of the MRC(CRC) cast and crew members. Who do you recognise?

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

• Fantastic work Dan R. and Lenny T. who recently competed at the 2024 Surf Life Saving Australian Championships at Alexandra Headlands, Queensland. They represented Port Campbell in U19 surfboat rowing and reached the Quarter Final, placing them in the top 16 in the country!
• Congratulations to the many boys that played in the Junior SW U14 and U17 Interleague Carnival in Portland on the weekend: Parker W., Campbell W., Darcy H., Winton O., Lenny S., Eitan B., Ben C., Arlo H., Archie M., Bayden W., George S., Jonty R., Ethan S. and Hugh K.
• Well done to Ava C. who topped the aggregate points table for Camperdown Cycling Club - a fantastic effort!
• Congratulations to Kate S. who made her Open Netball debut with Cobden last week!
  
• Well done Georgia K., Khloe M. (U13) and Holly B. and Jess M. (U17) who have been selected for the Mininera & District Netball Association Interleague Squads. They will compete in the Western Zone Championships in Ballarat in June.

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!

We have begun processing enrolment applications for 2025 for Y7 and for all other year levels. To commence this process please go to our website. You will also find the application process for our MRC Equity scholarships and our Yanaya Watnanda Indigenous scholarships for young ATSI applicants. Please contact College Registrar Nicole Darcy for further details. At Mercy, everyone is welcomed and belongs!

You may have noticed that COVID cases in our region are on the rise. Please if your child is experiencing COVID symptoms, do test them. If a test result is positive it is strongly recommended that a person isolates for the 5 days or until symptoms are gone.

With kindness,
Sharon Gillett - Principal

Learning at MRC

There is an old African proverb that states, “it takes a village to raise a child.” It has also been argued in more recent times that “it takes a family to raise a child.” But in the school environment, where we focus on education, it takes a community to educate a child. Last week’s Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews were an example of this, where members of the Mercy family came together to discuss how we can work together to support each child's learning.  The insights and understandings that result from the discussion which took place at Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews are invaluable, as we work together to help your child reach their potential.

It was wonderful to see so many students taking part in the interviews.  If your child was not present at the interview it is important to let them know what was discussed.   Most importantly, congratulate them on their strengths. If the teacher made suggestions of things you could do at home, discuss these with your child and commit to following through with them.

Please be aware that no parent ever needs to wait for formal occasions such Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews to contact teachers. The doors of communication are always open.  You can contact your child's teacher through the Parent Access Module (PAM)

Leanne Delahunty - Director of Learning and Teaching

Junior School

It has certainly been a busy start to Term 2 for students at O’Keeffe with Cross Country, Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews and incursions all within the first few weeks! 

It was great to see so many parents/families and students attend our parent teacher interviews, either online or in person, last week. Your presence and support helps strengthen our shared commitment to the growth and development of your child, and we look forward to continuing this partnership.

In light of some timetable changes, can we please ask parents/families to take a moment with their children to review their class schedules. As the semester has progressed, occasional adjustments have, and may occur, to accommodate evolving needs. Ensuring that students are familiar with any changes will help them to navigate these with confidence. This also means that there will be changes to some home learning due dates, so again, we ask for your support in helping your child to refamiliarise themselves with upcoming due dates etc.

Leah Sinnott - Learning Leader - Junior School

Year 7 French

Jimmy C. and Alex H. from 7B perform the second and challenging part of the "Bonjour! Salut!" song. This song is really a dialogue set to music and Jimmy and Alex act it out with artistic flair in faultless French. Tu vas bien? (Are you going well?) Très bien, oui, et toi? (Very well, and you?) Moi aussi! (Me, too) Well done, boys!

VCE History Excursion

Last Wednesday the VCE Modern History students took the train to Melbourne to visit the Jewish Holocaust Museum.  

They spent their time at the Museum investigating primary source materials from the Museum's collection, including letters, pressed metal ID bracelets and maps.

They were also able to explore the Museum's collections including clothes, artwork and photographs from the survivors.  

The visit finished with a talk from Garry Fabian, whose family migrated from Stuttgart in Germany to Czechoslovakia. Garry spoke about how he experienced the war as a child and his integration into the community after moving to Australia.

After our museum visit the students were able to have some time exploring Melbourne before the train back home. The students all really enjoyed the experience and look forward to bringing some of their new perspectives back into the classroom. 

Hospitality Service

Hospitality students put their skills to the test last Wednesday as they served up a four course meal to a selection of staff members.

The menu included a Mushroom Cappuccino, an Open Chicken Caprese Sandwich, Spaghetti Bolognese with Salad, and a Baked Apple and Blueberry Pancake with Blueberry Coulis.

Taking several hours to prepare, the students worked well as a team to ensure everything was ready in time for service!

Year 8 STEAM

Students in 8A have been making LED lamps in STEAM. Following a design brief, the various designs were then etched on the laser cutters.

Pictured is the assembly of the electronics to power their lamps. We look forward to seeing the finished products!

$20 Boss - A Recap of $20 Boss Ventures

Creativity and innovation have been on display with the recent ventures undertaken by our students in the $20 Boss program. Let's take a moment to celebrate the success of our first two businesses.

Our team of Lila, Isla, Molly, and Claire, made freshly baked muffins. Offering delicious flavors like raspberry and white chocolate, as well as indulgent double chocolate, their muffins proved to be an irresistible treat for just $2 each. 

At lunchtime Jordie, Hamish, and Ollie made Nachos. They were able to transform simple ingredients into yummy nachos, priced at $5 per serving. Their flavourful creations quickly became a lunchtime favourite. 

Both ventures showed the spirit of entrepreneurship, demonstrating creativity, teamwork, and business acumen. Through their hard work and dedication, these students not only generated profits but also gained invaluable real-world experience in running a business.

Next week on Monday 13th of May we have our third group selling chicken burgers for $5 each. Closely followed by our BBQ group on Monday 20th of May. In other exciting news we will now have EFTPOS facilities available for these businesses, however, cash is still preferred.

Community & Wellbeing at MRC

As the leaves change colour and the air turns crisp, autumn offers us a valuable lesson in wellbeing. Just as trees shed their old leaves to make way for new growth, autumn reminds us of the importance of letting go of what no longer serves us. Embracing change, practicing gratitude for the present moment, and finding beauty in transition are all essential aspects of nurturing our mental and emotional wellbeing during this season of transformation.

First up, we're proud to announce our participation in ‘Do It For Dolly Day’. This will be held nationally on Friday 10th May. This day is dedicated to promoting kindness and preventing bullying, inspired by the legacy of Dolly Everett. Through various activities and discussions, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of empathy, respect, and standing up against bullying in all its forms. We ask our young people to support the day at each campus by purchasing biscuits for ($1.00 each) at recess, there will also be wristbands for 50c and as an act of kindness free blue nail polish! Additionally if throughout the day there is an opportunity to show kindness and assist another, lets take the opportunity of this day to  further enliven our Mercy values within our school and larger community.

IDAHOBIT Day in MRC's Diversity and Inclusion Week

In line with our commitment to celebrating diversity, we are excited to be part of MRC's Diversity and Inclusion Week, culminating in the observance of IDAHOBIT Day. IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia) is a day to promote acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community, challenging discrimination and prejudice. This day is held on 17th May. 

During this week, we'll be celebrating a different form of diversity on different days throughout the week.  There will be opportunities for everyone to engage, learn, and contribute to creating a more inclusive school environment throughout this week. 

Other Wellbeing Initiatives

Beyond these upcoming events, our Wellbeing team continues to work tirelessly to support the mental, emotional, and physical health of our school community. 

We encourage all students, staff, and parents to participate in these upcoming events and initiatives. Your involvement not only enriches our community but also sends a powerful message of solidarity, acceptance, and unity.

Stay tuned for more updates and details on how you can participate in other exciting activities planned for MRC's Diversity and Inclusion Week. Together, we can make a positive difference and create a school environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and celebrated.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to wellbeing and inclusion.

We are excited to have named our resident kitten:

National Sorry Day May 26th and Reconciliation Week - May 27th - 3rd June

The 26th of May is recognised in Australia as National Sorry Day. It is a day that was born in 1988 and grew out of the “Bringing Them Home” report; the National report that told the stories of those who are known collectively as the “Stolen Generation”. The day provides us all with an opportunity to celebrate the strength and survival of the Indigenous people; as we share in the process of healing and building reconciliation and relationships.

National Sorry Day is the perfect gateway to Reconciliation week. A week that is intended as a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. It is a time where we can continue to explore and cultivate ways in which each individual person, community and state can contribute to achieving reconciliation. The theme this year is, “Now More Than Ever”, reminding us that the need for reconciliation and the outcome of ending discrimination is ongoing and requires our attention now, and more than ever.

The history of Australia, along with other Nations, can be at times uncomfortable to acknowledge as there has been difficulty, harm, hardships and also time between events. However in taking the time to look at where we have come from as a nation and to where we intend to head can really also assist us in seeing the strengths, values and various knowings (wisdoms), that can allow us to not only grow honour and respect between ourselves as humans, but also with the planet and other living creatures we share space with.

For further information regarding:

• Reconciliation: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation/what-is-reconciliation/
• National Sorry Day: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/national-sorry-day
• ‘Bringing Them Home’ report summary: https://healingfoundation.org.au/app/uploads/2017/04/BTH20-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf

ANZAC Day 2024

It was great to see many students and staff across the district at ANZAC Day services yesterday representing Mercy with respect and reverence.

Both campuses also paused during the week of ANZAC Day for a service to remember and reflect.

Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal, Wellbeing & Engagement

Sports Report

MRC House Cross Country

During Week 2 we held our Cross Country with all students from O'Keeffe Campus competing at Noorat and students from Year 9-12 choosing to nominate to compete in the Cross Country. The students were aiming to finish in the top 5 of their age group to qualify for the HSSSD event. 

Everyone who competed did an excellent job and our students will look to progress through both the HSSSD and GWR stages. 

The Age Champions:
Boys 12-13 years: Jake A.
Girls 12-13 years: Maddie M.
Boys 14 years: Archie M.
Girls 14 years: Lucia C.
Boys 15 years: Paddy H.
Girls 15 years: Tayla B.
Boys 16 years: Ned M.
Girls 16 years: Poppy K.
Boys 17 years: Parker W.
Girls 17 years: Rose B.
Boys 18 years: Mark L.

HSSSD Cross Country

On Monday the 6th of May, MRC sent the five best runners of each age group to compete in the HSSSD Cross Country. The two distances run by students were a 4.5km and 3km course depending on their age group.  

There were a number of excellent performances by MRC students and as a result quite a few students will progress to the Greater Western Region level in Warrnambool on Monday 27th May.

Well done to our 5 age group champions that won their particular age group on the day. 

The age group champions included:
Boys 12-13 years: Isaac L.
Girls 14 years: Lucia C.
Girls 15 years: Tayla B.
Girls 16 years: Poppy K.
Girls 17 year: Rose B.

BAS Competition

Our BAS footballers and netballers continue to enjoy a fierce competition in Ballarat each Tuesday, with last Tuesday resulting in a win for the footballers and a loss for the netballers against Ballarat Clarendon College.

Yesterday resulted in a win for the footballers against St Patrick's and a loss for the netballers against Loreto College.

A great display of teamwork and determination from both teams!

Faith at MRC

What does it mean to be involved in a Catholic school community? While we draw on the Gospel values and attend masses with our students regularly, the way the Catholic school makes this relevant has evolved dramatically over the years. Our students learn about the Catholic heritage in their RE classes, but they also experience a deeper sense of Catholic and biblical values through our locally specific work and outreach. We try our hardest to recontextualise the biblical values and stories to be relevant in today’s world. This may look and feel different across the school, through our classes, retreat programs, and social and environmental justice projects. 

Later this week, Year 7s will experience their first retreat with visiting speaker, Sam Clear. Sam is an extraordinary individual who walked 15,600km on foot through South America, Central America & North America, across Siberia by train, and on foot again from Moscow to the western most point of Spain. The walk4one, for unity, thrust Sam onto the front page of numerous overseas news services as he persevered despite exceptional adversity. Sam will return on Friday to also speak to Year 12 students on their third seminar day. More information about Sam and his walk can be found on his website: Walk4one 

The social justice program at Mercy is in full swing with a strong core membership in our Making a Difference team leading the way. After the success of Term 1 fundraising efforts for Caritas, we are now looking towards other awareness campaigns and active responses to issues. 

You will see some work by Mercy students that respond to the Cry of the Earth, where we are called to care for our common home. Laudato Si’ week which runs from May 19-26, 2024, will include various experiences for our students to respond to the needs of the environment. Laudato Si’ is an encyclical written by Pope Francis to all people of the world, addressing the need to care for both the environment and the people who are affected by environmental changes. 

We are also taking time to recognise and celebrate Indigenous excellence during Reconciliation Week (week 7) and inclusivity in Refugee Week (Week 10). Students will be provided opportunities to share activities that encourage community and reconciliation. 

Students are also leading the way for St Vincent’s winter appeal. There will be a donation drive of non-perishable food for a local food bank. In addition to this, we will hold a Winter Woolies Day on the final day of term with a gold coin donation for the St Vincent de Paul winter appeal. 

More to come in future newsletters on each of these outreach events. 

Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture

Eco Justice Report

The 22nd of April brought with it awareness of Earth Day, an international recognition of environmental protection around the globe. This year as staff we had the opportunity to visit our O'Keeffe campus to see some great changes that had been completed in improving resource management at our junior campus. Highlights included seeing the worm farm sewage treatment system which processes organic waste too. Additionally, the approval of a solar panel system on the buildings of the campus that will ensure that the north facing aspect is utilised fully by capturing solar energy.  

Later this month our students will be engaging in Laudato Si week during week 6 of the school term. In short, the program aims to inspire cultural and personal ecological changes to a world that is struggling. It has been decided that themes of waste reduction and biodiversity will be our priority. Thanks to MAD members for your contributions to this project so far and we're keen to roll this out in the coming weeks. 

Tom Kelly - Eco Justice & Sustainability Leader

Library News

Melbourne Writers Festival

The Melbourne Writers Festival brings writers and readers together to be inspired, challenged and thrilled by an intelligent, rousing and diverse program of books and ideas. This week nearly 100 writers are taking part in approximately 50 events. 

On Monday a group of keen MRC writers and readers from Years 7 to 9 attended the MWF schools program at the State Library of Victoria and enjoyed listening to authors Steve Mushin, Astrid Scholte, Biffy James and Mike Lucas. This was a great range of writers representing many different genres.

The first session kicked off with Steve Mushin - an industrial designer, model maker, illustrator and artist who designs challenging and thought-provoking exhibitions and adventure spaces to ignite imaginations and explore design, physics and biology.

Steve collaborated with scientists and engineers to illustrate complex and intriguing ideas in his first book Ultra Wild. Steve demonstrated that history has shown us time and again that many of the seemingly whackiest ideas that artists and designers have dreamt up have eventually come to fruition when the technology to make them possible was developed. 

Steve also provides fun and engaging workshops, using his own real and satirical design projects as starting points. Examples are designing machines to transform cities into high-tech forests, imagining cities becoming self-sufficient in food production, or designing human powered flying bike networks. 

Biffy James was particularly popular with students as she definitely spoke their language, while Mike Lucas spoke about horror and suspense books, including his own award-winning books. Astrid Scholte intrigued students with her fantasy genre books and explained step-by-step the process she went through to become a published, successful author.

Our MRC students represented the College extremely well and confidently took the microphone to ask some great questions of each of the authors. The students also took the opportunity to meet the authors after each session and left feeling inspired to develop their own writing skills.

So far, 100% of students responding to the feedback form have said that they would definitely attend MWF if offered the opportunity next year.

Books by all of these authors are available in the MRC Library.

You are invited to Book Club

Every term we invite parents, staff members, alumni and friends to the Mercy Book Club. We meet for informal discussion, food and refreshments.

This term we will be discussing a non-fiction title - A Brilliant Life by Rachelle Unreich.

"The powerful true story of a Holocaust survivor told by her daughter – a tale that reminds us of the resilience of the soul and the ability of the heart to heal.

A mother and daughter.
Love. Loss. Wonder.
The story of a brilliant life."

6:00pm Wednesday 29 May at the Terang Commercial Hotel.
All are welcome and you can RSVP via Trybooking here
There is no cost.
Contact jchristie@mercy.vic.edu.au

You can find us on Facebook at:
Mercy Regional College Book Club

Jean Christie - Library & Resource Centre Coordinator

$20 Boss - Food on Mondays

Next Monday 13th May our $20 Boss class will be making food for lunch to be served from the canteen.

At Lunch Chicken Burgers will be available for $5.

2025 Enrolments Now Open

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 10

Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Mercy Regional College is dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students. Central to our commitment is the implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

In practice and complying with Standard 10, MRC  actively implements these policies for review and improvement:

• MRC Duty of Care policy
• MRC Complaints and grievance policies
• DOBCEL Pastoral Care and Wellbeing policy
• DOBCEL Supervision of Students Policy
• DOBCEL Digital Technology Policy and Agreement
• DOBCEL Risk Management Framework
• DOBCEL Risk Management Policy
  MRC Child safety and Wellbeing Policy
• MRC Safeguarding Children and Young People Code of Conduct Policy
• MRC Bullying Prevention (including cybersafety) Policy
• DOBCEL Identifying and Responding to Abuse 
• DOBCEL Child Safety Officer Role Description
• DOBCEL PROTECT Policies
• CECV Commitment to Child sSafety

 Some evidence of practice and implementation include:

• MRC  regularly reviews, evaluates and improves child safe practices.
• Complaints, concerns and safety incidents are analysed to identify causes and systemic failures to inform continuous improvement.
• MRC reports on the findings of relevant reviews to staff and volunteers, community and families, and children and young people.

Upcoming Dates and Events

Thursday 9 May
Year 7 Retreat

Friday 10 May
Do It For Dolly Day
Year 12 Seminar Day

Tuesday 14 May
HSSSD Intermediate Girls Netball
BAS Competition BYE

Friday 17 May
MRC Diversity & Inclusion Week

Tuesday 21 May
GWR Intermediate Girls Football
BAS Competition

Wednesday 22 May
GWR Junior Boys Netball

Friday 24 May
Feast Day Mass

Community Notices

• If you’re a passionate young person interested in advising government on policies and programs that affect them, Youthgovau have 7 spots open on their Youth Steering Committee for applicants between the ages of 12 and 24 to work with the Office for Youth to represent young people and deliver Engage! a new strategy to include young people in their decision making. Applications close Sunday 19 May for more details and to apply head to AYAC
• One Day Studios are seeking expressions of interest to join a pre-production team for Mabel & Switch. Fun stuff like costuming, prop making, set creation, and music composition is all on the cards. We're looking for both experienced veterans and people who want to learn something new while working on a real tv show. How fun! No age limit here - you can stick your hand up no matter what! Visit our special Mabel & Switch website https://mabelandswitch.onedaystudios.org.au/e23
  
• Calling all talented artisans, crafters, and creators! Whether you're a jewelry designer, a candle maker, a knitter, a painter, or have any other amazing skill to showcase, we're looking for stall holders to join us and make our youth market sparkle with creativity!  Saturday 8 June Port Fairy Goods Shed, express your interest by registering online https://bit.ly/3Jeujz4 before 17 May.