MRC Newsletter - Issue 11 - 7 August 2024
Prayer
A Prayer for St Mary MacKillop
God of the Pilgrim,
Mary MacKillop trusted your guidance in her journey of life
and deepened her confidence in Your will.
May we renew our trust in Your providence
to lead us to hope as we bring our prayer before You.
May we grow in the fullness of Your love
and the depth of Your mystery.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Way,
our Truth and our Life.
Amen.
Principal's Message
This week we will celebrate the feast day of Australia's only Saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. St Mary MacKillop is a pivotal figure in Australian history for her contributions to education and social justice. Co-founding the Sisters of St Joseph in 1866, she made groundbreaking efforts to provide free education to poor children in rural Australia. Under her leadership, the order established 117 schools and various charitable institutions across Australia and New Zealand. Despite facing significant challenges, including excommunication in 1871, her resilience and unwavering commitment to her mission left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church and Australian society. Her deep spirituality, advocacy for the poor, and dedication to social justice have made her a national symbol of compassion and perseverance. In 2010, she was canonised as Australia's first saint, solidifying her legacy as an integral part of the nation's history and a source of inspiration for generations.
Our Year 12 students made us all proud as they highlighted the importance of raising funds for both breast cancer research and support for those undergoing and recovering from treatment. This cause holds special significance for us this year, with our beloved staff members, Judith Murfitt and Kym Penry, courageously facing chemotherapy and potential surgery.
In a remarkable display of solidarity, our senior students, along with staff member Dan Glennen, participated in the Brave for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) initiative by shaving their heads, beards, and in Lily C's case, cutting her long hair into a bob to donate for wig-making. Their efforts were met with overwhelming support from peers across Years 7 to 12, staff, families, friends, and community groups who joined in to bolster their fundraising.
Special thanks to Myles S. from Year 12 who initiated this effort and Senior Community Leader Berni Sinnott, who played a pivotal role in bringing this initiative to life, along with Toby McKenzie and Zoe Williams for leading promotions, and Jordy Muller and Mel Kavanagh for their contributions. On the day, many family members and friends lent a hand with the head and leg shavings, including Telina Irving and Hannah Plozza for their waxing expertise, and Gemma Mahony, Bridget Foster, and Norm for assisting with hair cutting and shaving.
We are also grateful to the community businesses and groups that donated goods for prizes. At the time of writing, the online fundraising tally stands at $26,738, with more contributions from the day exceeding our $30,000 target! If you would still like to donate, please use this link: Brave 4 BCNA. We continue to keep Jude, Kym, and all friends, family, and community members who may be battling breast cancer, other forms of cancer, or illness, as well as those who have lost their lives and their loved ones, in our prayers.
Well done Class of 2024.
On Thursday, we are pleased to welcome Dr Ernesto Viliente and Reverend Dr Elio Capra SDB to Mercy for a day dedicated to enhancing our Catholic identity.
Dr Viliente is an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Boston College’s Clough School of Theology and Ministry in the USA, while Rev. Dr Capra is a priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco and a lecturer at Catholic Theological College. He is a member of the Department of Systematic Theology and the Department of Pastoral and General Studies, specialising in Liturgy and Sacramental Theology. Our staff and Year 12 students will engage in a series of workshops, with Dr. Viliente focusing on Oscar Romero: A Revolutionary Saint for Today's Suffering World and A Spirituality of Liberation. Rev. Dr Capra will present on Jesus’ Revolution of Love through the parables of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and the Sheep and the Goats (Mt 25:31-46), exploring the Corporal Works of Mercy through art. Please note that this will be a student-free day for all Year 7 to 11 students.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of our new Deputy Principal, Patrick Seal, who will begin his role in January 2025. Patrick is an experienced educator and leader, having held key positions in Learning and Teaching as well as Wellbeing at Trinity College Colac.
We also look forward to welcoming two new teachers, Sherrie McWall from Ireland and Rosleyn Prasad from Fiji, who will join us in early December in preparation for the 2025 school year. They will be joining other recently arrived teachers, Laura Flanagan from Texas, USA, and Sarah Gilchrist from Ireland. Thank you to all MRC community members for warmly welcoming our teachers from overseas.
Next week, we look forward to meeting our new Year 7 students and their families during our Welcome and Learning interviews. As Catherine McAuley said, "A good beginning is of greatest importance." We deeply value the opportunity to meet in person, get to know our new students and their families, and share important learning information.
If you are interested in joining our College community and have not yet enrolled your child for Year 7 or another year level in 2025, please contact our College Registrar, Nicole Darcy. Be sure to keep an eye out for our flyer in your mailbox, which includes enrolment information, details on our 2025 VCE, VCE VET, and VCE VM subject offerings, and information about our annual Car Raffle.
If you are entering the College from Dimora Avenue you may have noticed our renewed Mercy Core Values signage on the Senior/Science building. Reviewing and renewing our guiding documents was part of our current School Improvement Plan. We refined our Mercy Core Values from six to four values and added signature colours and symbols which are now proudly displayed for our community to see at both campuses:
⭐️ Well done to Tayla Bell who finished runner-up in the Western Victoria Female Football League under 18 best and fairest vote count!
Thank you to all the families who have completed the Insight SRC School Improvement surveys with logins and access codes sent by email. The data collected from these surveys will help shape our priorities for the 2025-2029 School Improvement Plan. Students and staff have also participated, ensuring that all voices are heard. If you haven’t had a chance to complete the survey yet, it will remain open until Friday, 9 August.
Our 2024 Car Raffle is now live!
Tickets this year are $20 with the major prize a MG ZS Excite demo, 8 amazing supporting prizes and a $1000 MRC School Fees voucher as the Early Bird prize.
We thank all MRC Raffle sponsors for their generous support. The raffle will be drawn on 3 December. We ask each family to try to sell a book of tickets. We are looking forward to receiving our MRC Mobile Coffee Van soon, bought with the proceeds of our 2022 Car Raffle!
To purchase tickets and find out more, please visit our website https://www.mercy.vic.edu.au/community/car-raffle/
Thank you for your kindness and generosity,
Sharon Gillett - Principal
Learning at MRC
Senior School
Unit 4 Physics Excursion
Our Unit 4 Physics class visited the Synchrotron in Melbourne last Wednesday where they were able to tour the facility and learn about the many uses of the particle accelerator.
Opened in 2006, the Synchrotron benefits over 5000 researchers a year, using accelerated electromagnetic radiation called ‘synchrotron light’ and analysing how it interacts with sample materials.
Students had a great day, filled with interactive learning!
Middle School
MRC vs Emmanuel Debating
It was a great morning of Mercy hospitality last Friday as we hosted students from Emmanuel College for two debates.
The junior students debated the topic ‘Cats make better companions than dogs’, with MRC winning the negative argument.
‘The Olympics are more trouble than they are worth’ was the topic for the middle school debaters. Our team made excellent arguments in the negative but lost narrowly to Emmanuel.
We thank Jo Saunders and Joanna Lean for their work in preparing the teams, our guest judges Dale Alexander and Tony Dupleix for their expertise, and the Emmanuel College debating students for joining us. Well done to all involved!
Junior School
Year 8 French Incursion: The Heist - Le cambriolage
All year 8 French students took part in an immersive Escape Room experience, facilitated by the French faculty of Melbourne University. Following a vocabulary quiz, the students worked in small teams to solve puzzles (all in French) to open the locks to their suitcases and eventually break into a mysterious-looking van. In the van, they used their French comprehension skills to disarm the alarm and open the hidden safe. A fantastic activity applying language skills in a fun way.
Community & Wellbeing at MRC
Celebrating Achievements and Learning from the Olympics
How fabulous have the Olympics been to watch! We've been absolutely mesmerised by the talent, passion, and dedication of every athlete. To join in the spirit our staff have had some fun during the Olympics, divided into teams representing different countries. With small challenges and daily trivia, there are a few in the running who are leading the medal tally, which will make for an interesting finish.
A huge congratulations to our wonderful, passionate, and caring group of Year 12s (and Mr. G) who took action to make a difference. Their incredible fundraising effort for Breast Cancer, not only instilled hope in some special people in our community who are fighting breast cancer, but this also showed the world that young people are capable of great things. Their ideas, kindness, and determination to ‘do good’ have been heartwarming. We congratulate this young cohort on their achievement and are so pleased they have shown those who will follow them, that nothing is impossible.
Among all the stories, triumphs, and at times heartache that have risen throughout the Olympics, one story stuck with me: Harry Garside. The young boxer who won a bronze in Tokyo came to Paris intending to take home a gold medal. It was not to be. There were many learnings from his raw, emotional interview not long after his loss, in an event he worked incredibly hard for over the last four years. He spoke about the impact on mental health and the message he wanted to send to young kids.
"It's important for young people to see life will knock you down," he said.
"A lot of it is out of our control sometimes too and I think it's important for young people to see failure is part of life."
Twenty years ago, he said, when he'd started chasing his Olympic dream, he had thought a gold medal would bring him fulfillment.
But he'd since realised happiness was built of other things.
"The way you get self-worth and the way you get self-respect is how you treat other people," he said.
"It's the little moments in the day when you help someone carry their shopping or you shake someone's hand or you say hello in public or you do something kind for someone, that is how you build your self-worth, self-confidence and self-love."
Let's take inspiration from these stories—whether from the global stage of the Olympics or from our very own students—and continue to support and uplift each other in all our endeavors.
Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal, Wellbeing & Engagement
Faith at MRC
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting family and friends of our Year 7 students at their Special Person’s Day. This day fell neatly alongside the Church World Wide Day for Grandparents & the Elderly as well as International Friendship Day. The World Day for Grandparents is observed each year on the Sunday closest to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Jesus' grandparents.
Those in attendance were celebrated as close friends and mentors to our Year 7 students. We celebrated our friendships with a liturgy. Our visitors enjoyed a lovely morning tea before heading into classrooms and around our outdoor space to be interviewed by their younger friend. During the interview, the Year 7s learnt about the early life and schooling of their visitor as well as what has inspired them in their life.
Many students reported the advice their special friend had imparted to them, including staying in school, being kind, smiling as it’s free, and to ensure their chicken is fully cooked!
It was particularly special to have visitors with us that had attended the O’Keeffe Campus as students themselves, as far back as the 1940s when it was then St Joseph’s Primary school.
Tomorrow our staff and Year 12 students will participate in a day of learning with two guest speakers Dr Ernesto Viliente & Rev Dr Elio Capra SDB, who will explore Revolution of Love in a Modern World and Salvation of Liberation.
Friday our Year 11 Students will be participating in their Retreat day. Again, two guest speakers who will explore ethics in the modern world. This will be held at St Mark’s Benedictine Abbey, Camperdown.
Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture
Schools Tree Day
On Schools Tree Day (26 July), a group of students, led by Mr Kelly, took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and planted some new saplings and shrubs in an effort to revitalise the area behind the Riches house.
We look forward to seeing these new additions grow into a beautiful, lush corner of our grounds at the McAuley campus.
Library News
The Principal’s Reading Challenge
Last week we opened the inaugural MRC Principal’s Reading Challenge for students in Years 7 and 8. This Challenge is similar to the premier’s Reading Challenge but it has a focus on setting and achieving your own reading goals, and demonstrating comprehension through leaving short reviews for each book read. All students at O’Keeffe campus are welcome to join in. There are certificates to be awarded and prizes to be won. Booklets are available in homerooms and in the Library.
This year I am inviting all Year 7 and 8 students to participate in the Mercy Regional College Principal’s Reading Challenge. Variety, comprehension and personal achievement is at the heart of this challenge and is what differentiates it from the Premier’s Reading Challenge, which focuses more on the quantity of books read.
The Principal’s Reading Challenge aims to encourage and challenge students to read a diverse range of books across a variety of genres. Students set an individual reading goal to enable them to achieve their personal best and then provide short book reviews that can be used to assist other readers in making great book choices. Students log their reading on the Beanstack website, which has built in motivators to keep reading through gamification tools like streaks, badges, and competing with friends on leaderboards. There will be a number of other incentives along the way, including the presentation of the Principal’s Certificate of Achievement for students who complete the entire challenge.
According to almost every statistical report, the number of readers is continually declining and each year less time is spent reading. Studies show that in general, not only are people reading less, they are comprehending less of what they do read. It is no surprise that people are spending more time on electronic media, and reading stories less, but scrolling online does not have the same benefits for the brain as reading a book.
Reading books is very different to watching movies or reading news articles. There is a growing body of evidence that reading literally changes your mind. Reading shapes us differently. Reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks become stronger and more complex.
Research shows that regularly reading books:
- improves brain connectivity
- increases your vocabulary and comprehension
- empowers you to empathize with other people
- aids in sleep-readiness
- reduces stress
- lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- fights stress and depression symptoms
- prevents cognitive decline as you age
- contributes to a longer life
We learn empathy more effectively from stories than non fiction. Stories help us recognise injustice as we ‘walk in other people’s shoes’. Interestingly, when people read more, their emotional intelligence goes up. When people use electronics more, their emotional intelligence goes down. We are not advocating that we do not use electronic media, but we need to keep reading books as well.
Please encourage your children to read books and to participate in this reading challenge - their lives will be richer for it.
Sharon Gillett - Principal
Book Club
The MRC Book Club for Term 3 will be on:
Wednesday 28 August
6pm
Terang Commercial Hotel
Please RSVP here
Our book this term is The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland.
"The most enchanting debut novel of 2018, this is an irresistible, deeply moving and romantic story of a young girl, daughter of an abusive father, who has to learn the hard way that she can break the patterns of the past, live on her own terms and find her own strength.
After her family suffers a tragedy when she is nine years old, Alice Hart is forced to leave her idyllic seaside home. She is taken in by her estranged grandmother, June, a flower farmer who raises Alice on the language of Australian native flowers, a way to say the things that are too hard to speak. But Alice also learns that there are secrets within secrets about her past. Under the watchful eye of June and The Flowers, women who run the farm, Alice grows up. But an unexpected betrayal sends her reeling, and she flees to the dramatically beautiful central Australian desert. Alice thinks she has found solace, until she falls in love with Dylan, a charismatic and ultimately dangerous man.
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a story about stories: those we inherit, those we select to define us, and those we decide to hide. It is a novel about the secrets we keep and how they haunt us, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. Spanning twenty years, set between the lush sugar cane fields by the sea, a native Australian flower farm, and a celestial crater in the central desert, Alice must go on a journey to discover that the most powerful story she will ever possess is her own." (Synopsis from Goodreads)
You can find us on Facebook at:
Mercy Regional College Book Club
Jean Christie - Library & Resource Centre Coordinator
Careers
Check out the latest Careers Newsletters below:
Useful Careers Links:
Child Safety
Mercy Regional College is a child-safe community.
Child Safety Officers:
Emily Stephens
estephens@mercy.vic.edu.au
Matthew Irving
mirving@mercy.vic.edu.au
Sharon Suhan
ssuhan@mercy.vic.edu.au
Chadley Peerman
cpeerman@mercy.vic.edu.au
Contact them by email or on:
Phone - 55932011 (McAuley Campus) or 55925353 (O’Keeffe Campus)
2024 Car Raffle
Our 2024 Car Raffle is now live!
An MG ZS Excite (demo) from Callaghan Motors is our fantastic first prize, with 8 more terrific prizes on offer!
Raffle tickets are available online for $20 at https://www.mercy.vic.edu.au/community/car-raffle/
Please support our major fundraiser which will raise funds for a new College bus!
If you are unable to buy raffle tickets online, you will find paper order forms in numerous shops across the region, as well as some local events. A book will also be sent home to families.
Buy a book of 5 tickets before 7pm on 26 October to enter the Early Bird Draw for a $1000 MRC School Fees Voucher!
For more about the draw and our fantastic prizes, including answers to FAQ, please visit our website: https://www.mercy.vic.edu.au/community/car-raffle/
Please share this post with your family and friends. We don’t want anyone to miss out!
Permit No: 10241/24
Upcoming Dates and Events
Thursday 8 August
No Classes for Years 7 - 11
Year 12 Seminar Day
Staff Catholic Identity PL Day
Friday 9 August
Year 11 Retreat
Tuesday 13 August
Tindley House Day
Thursday 15 August
GWR Intermediate and Senior Baskeball
GWR Table Tennis
Monday 19 August
Science Competition
Year 12 VM Literacy Excursion
Thursday 22 August
South West Clay Target Competition
Monday 26 August
Discovery Day / HCSN Taster Day
Year 8 Retreat
Wednesday 28 August
MRC Book Club
Community Notices
Some great opportunities for young people
Corangamite young people get some great experience in event planning and management by volunteering for the Youth Showcase happening in Terang 8 September. Check it out Youth Showcase 2024
30 young individuals aged 13-17 are invited to participate in online consultations focused on the digital landscape and data protection. We're eager to hear from young people about the future of the digital world and how data protection impacts them. Participants will receive a $75 voucher for each session attended. Please share this opportunity with teens who have an interest in digital technology! Apply here: https://ayac.typeform. Orygen is offering 30 scholarships to people with lived experience of mental ill-health, to undertake our Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer Peer Work). These scholarships aim to support a career pathway into mental health and to prepare students for peer support roles across the sector. Applications are now open here: https://bit.ly/46QYFle
If you are a young person aged 16-25, Prevention United want you to share your experiences and views on mental health policy in just 10 - 15 minutes. You can also enter a draw for one of five $50 vouchers! Reach out to youth@preventionunited.org.