MRC Newsletter - Issue 12 - 21 August 2024

Prayer

Principal's Message

Catholic Identity

Staff and Year 12 students recently had the privilege of deepening their connection to our Catholic identity through a series of enriching sessions with two distinguished guest speakers. Rev. Dr. Elio Capra SDB and Dr Ernesto Valiente.

Rev. Dr Elio Capra, a Salesian priest and lecturer in Theology and Art at the Catholic Theological College in Melbourne, led us in a profound exploration of the spiritual dimensions that religious artwork unveils. He guided us through reflections on Jesus’ Revolution of Love, focusing on the parables of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), which emphasise the Corporal Works of Mercy. Using Jacopo Bassano’s The Good Samaritan, Elio facilitated deep contemplation and spiritual reflection. For those interested in exploring his work further, additional resources are available on his website, Art and Soul.

Dr Ernesto Valiente was equally captivating, offering us a profound insight into the life and legacy of Saint Oscar Romero, the martyred Salvadoran Archbishop whose work and inspiration continues to inspire millions of Catholics worldwide with his unwavering stand against injustice. The Oscar Romero Prayer, composed by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw, which encapsulates the essence of Romero's philosophy, is a prayer I frequently turn to when leading our school. Additionally, Ernesto enriched our understanding by discussing the theology behind A Spirituality of Liberation.

Tindley House Day

It's important to take time to honour the work of those who have come before us. Outside our John Tindley Resource Centre, an adapted quote by Maria McGuiness reminds us of this legacy: “Our founders had a dream. We have the privilege of knowing it, the responsibility to understand it, the duty to protect it, and the honour of living it!”

We embodied this spirit last week as we celebrated Tindley House Day, reflecting on the dedicated and visionary work of John Tindley, our school's foundation principal and the namesake of Tindley House. John Tindley represents the principals who have served our college and community.

MRC 2024 Spirit of Mercy and Young Spirit of Mercy Awards

It is with great pleasure that I share with you our 2024 Spirit of Mercy and Young Spirit of Mercy award recipients.

We will honour the service and contributions of our remarkable alumni at the Spirit of Mercy Dinner on Saturday, October 26. Tickets are available on our website here.

Staff Years of Service

At our Spirit of Mercy Dinner we will also recognise the dedication of both former and current staff who have served our Mercy Regional College community for 15 or more years, with acknowledgements at milestone years of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years. We look forward to welcoming back those who have previously worked at Catholic Regional College and Mercy Regional College. A new honour board has been created to record staff service.

MRC Promotional Flyer and Raffle Tickets

Families will have recently received by mail tickets and our promotional flyer for our annual car raffle. We greatly appreciate your anticipated support. Funds raised this year will go towards purchasing a new 25-seat school bus. The early bird prize for the raffle will be drawn during the Spirit of Mercy and Years of Service Dinner with the main draw on December 3. Our flyer includes a QR code for easy access to ticket sales as well as details on the senior school subjects we will be offering on-site in 2025, and encourages those interested in enrolling at MRC for 2025 to contact our College Registrar, Nicole Darcy.

2025 Planning

We are well into planning for 2025. Our current Year 9, 10, and 11 students have chosen their subjects and electives, and in the coming weeks, our Year 8 students will finalise their elective choices with the support of their families and teachers. Parents of current Year 7 to 11 students have also received re-enrolment communications, requesting confirmation of enrolment in 2025. This will enable us to plan our staffing and classes accurately and efficiently. I encourage families to reach out if they would benefit from discussing their child’s education at MRC. Parent-Student-Teacher interviews for students in Years 7 to 11 will be held on Wednesday, 4 September.

MRC Attendance Procedures

One of our School Improvement Plan priority areas is to Enhance the MRC learning culture to inspire and enable all to achieve their best.  Enhanced learning thrives on a strong partnership between home and school. Consistent attendance is crucial for unlocking a student's full potential and ensuring future success. Families will soon receive information about our updated processes to support consistent attendance. We will notify families early if attendance falls below 90% - equal to one day a fortnight. Missing one day a fortnight equates to 1 year missed over their school lives. We will of course always acknowledge the reasons for extended absences and support students in regaining continuity in their learning. We encourage families to contact MRC Community Leaders or AP Emily Stephens for any additional support.

Year 7 2025

Last week, we welcomed our Year 7 students for 2025 to their Welcome and Learning Enrolment Interviews. This was a wonderful opportunity to get to know more about our future students, their families, and their learning needs. Following this, on Monday, 26 August, we will host Discovery Day at our O’Keeffe campus for Year 6 students with confirmed enrolments and prospective Year 7 students.

Congratulations to Hunter B. who has won the RIST Dedication to Study Award.

Well done to Ned M. on playing his first senior football game on the weekend for Camperdown and kicking two goals!

Well done to Archie M., Bayden W. and George S. who will take part in the HFNL Talent Academy Squad 2024/2025.

Fantastic work Nellie S. who came runner up in the WDFNL League Best and Fairest!

MRC Book Club

Don’t forget our upcoming MRC Book Club, on Wednesday 6 September, where we will discuss The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. Please join us at The Commercial Hotel in Terang. More on this later in the newsletter.

Finally, I will be taking long service leave across the final two weeks of this term and the first week of the term break. My husband David and I will be exploring Scotland and Ireland. Deputy Principal Natalie Stephenson will be acting Principal across this time.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity,
Sharon Gillett - Principal

Learning at MRC

Senior School

The Year 12 students have started the countdown for their last days at Mercy. The students are taking some positive steps in these final weeks at the college by using their studies more effectively and engaging in after school sessions conducted by some of the teachers.

Various companies are promoting revision lectures for all subject areas. These sessions are very beneficial and give the students the opportunity to engage in content from both Unit 3 and 4. 

Across our various Unit 4 subjects the classes are in the process of completing their final assessments and content. The VM students are being encouraged to complete all of the course content so they can finish at the end of this term. 

I have attached the outline for our Term 3 holiday sessions. Teachers have allocated times for both revision activities and practice exams. We encourage all students to take part in their subject’s allocated sessions.

Melanie Kavanagh - Learning Leader Senior School

Middle School

We have now passed the halfway point for Term 3! The next weeks will bring tests and assessments for students across all of their subjects, as well as the added challenges of footy and netball finals. Please encourage your student(s) to be proactive with speaking to their teachers if they will miss any classes or assessments or if they are struggling with their workload.

Thank you to all the parents who spent time over the past weeks with their students discussing elective options for Year 10 2025. The students have all now successfully chosen their subjects and we are now in the process of reviewing their selections and arranging classes for next year.  

Josiane Gardner - Learning Leader Middle School

Year 10 Excursion - Melbourne Holocaust Museum

Most of the Year 10 cohort recently visited the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, as part of their studies in Humanities of World War Two and Civil Rights (some students were on the Snow Camp, so did not attend).

The Museum opened in 1984, and has recenlty reopened after renovations.  The purpose of our visit was to engage with the Museum’s aim of spreading awareness and understanding through listening to stories and viewing precious historical artefacts.  In class we often discuss the importance of learning about historical events to make sense of the world we live in.  With antisemitism and disinformation on the rise, our students can make a real difference by being understanding, tolerant and caring individuals, feeling confident to speak out against hate, discrimination and prejudice.

Our young people were priveleged to view an outstanding collection of artefacts and visual displays through the Everybody Had a Name exhibition.  Here, the expansive and tragic events of the Holocaust are told through human stories, powerful photographs and evocative artefacts.  The exhibition honours Holocaust survivors who migrated to Melbourne and built a strong, beautiful community from the ashes of the Holocaust.  From a child’s dress or toys, to a typewriter or model of the Treblinka death camp, the evocative display brought many thoughtful questions and comments from our students.  A common question in class is around why Melbourne has a museum dedicated to Holocaust survivors.  Students got to see many of the rich contributions post-war migrant have made to our multi-cultural society, from food, to fashion, medical research and education.  Most of these people were displaced after World War Two ended and the horror of the Holocaust came to light.  It is incredible to think of the courage and hope it took to leave their homeland, after losing everything, to begin again on the other side of the world.  Students worked in small groups to look at replica documents and photographs, giving names and faces to some of these stories.

Another key element of the schools programs allows students to learn about the Holocaust through survivor testimony. We were so privileged to hear from survivor John Lamovie. John was born in Paris in 1936 into a Polish Jewish family. After the German invasion of France in 1940, his father left Paris to avoid arrest and joined the resistance. John’s mother and sister tried to escape but were caught and deported to Auschwitz. John joined his father in Lyon, which was under control of the Vichy regime. They were arrested but John was saved by a French woman. His father eventually escaped from the camp. John hid with various family members who cared for him until liberation in 1944. Most of his extended family, including his mother and sister, were murdered in concentration camps.  Boyhood recollections are all the more poignant now as John relives them as a man in his late 80s. His main message to our young people is to be kind citizens.

Following are some reflections from our wonderful young people, obviously inspired by their visit.

I learnt that some of the Jews come to Australia. We listened to John who told us about his survival story as a young chap.  (Max)

It really opened my eyes to new things and to understand what others have gone through but on a deeper level. Although I haven't gone through anything like this I felt like I really connected to what it was the John was saying. It was a lovely experience and I would recommend anyone to go and listen to what these strong people have to say (Amarli)

My visit at the Holocaust museum was a very eye opening experience for me, as a teenage girl living in Australia I had not a lot of idea about the events and impact of the Holocaust that still happen today. Listening to John was emotional yet nice, I felt like I owed him immense respect as he has gone through so much that I never will. I’m grateful for the experience. (Ella)

At the Melbourne Holocaust Museum we got to look around with a guide to show us a lot of history and facts and about the Holocaust and the death camps of the Jews, we got to speak to John the holocaust surviver and learnt a lot about his life and what he has been through. (Riley)

Our recent visit to the Melbourne Holocaust Museum was an eye opening and insightful experience. Being amongst important history that has shaped some people’s lives to this day, was a touchy situation but was very interesting to learn about. Learning about John's past and his personal experiences really put into perspective how horrible the Holocaust was. I believe it helped us all understand the reality of how this affected people individually. (Greta)

In the museum I saw a model of the death camp, Treblinka, made by a survivor. We listened to another surviver John, and I learnt how hard it was for the Jews being treated so badly and losing everything. (Sonny)

We went to the Holocaust Museum and looked around at some of the displays.  We listened to John talk about his experience in the Holocaust. I would  have liked more time to ourselves to just look around the museum as it was so interesting. (Lenny)

When we went to the Holocaust Museum we got taken on a tour around the museum with a tour guide who told us what the Holocaust was like. After that we listened to John speak about what happened to him and his family during the Holocaust, and had a question and answer to finish off the day. (Parker)

Junior School

This week Year 8 students will be presented with their Year 9 elective options for 2025.  Students will be asked to submit their list of preferences to Mrs Gardner by the end of the week 23/08. 

Any questions or concerns can be directed to her at jgardner@mercy.vic.edu.au

Leah Sinnott - Learning Leader Junior School

Les marionnettes à doigt - Finger puppets have arrived in the French room

Beautiful retro and animal finger puppets have been added to our collection of T-shirts, hats, caps and wigs. The French-speaking finger puppets help us with our conversational skills. Here are the students of 7B bringing the puppets to life. 

Year 8 Science

In class, Year 8 students have been learning about the properties of different elements and how they can determine whether a chemical or physical change has taken place. One property of some metals is that they release different coloured light when heated, which students were able to observe by doing flame tests.

Community & Wellbeing at MRC

Wellbeing: Bullying NO WAY – National week of action

As we embrace the heart of the school year, I am pleased to highlight an important event in our community calendar: Bullying, NO WAY - National week of action. We celebrated this last week with many students and staff ‘making a stand’ to create awareness. This dedicated week of action is an opportunity for us to reflect on our commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for all students.

What is Bullying, NO WAY week?

Bullying, now way week is a significant initiative aimed at raising awareness about the impacts of bullying and promoting positive, respectful interactions among students. The week is a time for schools, families, and communities to come together and reinforce the message that bullying is unacceptable and that every individual deserves to feel safe and valued.

This year the theme was: Everyone belongs

We had an array of students be brave and be part of the solution. Thank you to those who kindly accepted to be part of this campaign. 

This article emphasises ‘how to bully proof your kids for life’. An article on our schoolTV platform that assists in arming our young people with the right tools and empowering them against bullies. 

Please enjoy an array of students being brave and taking a stand at Mercy:

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in this important cause. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal, Wellbeing & Engagement

Sports Report

GWR Junior Soccer

On Wednesday 7th August a Junior Soccer Team participated in the GWR competition in Ballarat.

Most of our team have had local competition experience, but some students were playing for the first time to complete the team.

All up we played four games with the highlights being a 3-0 victory in our first game against Holy Trinity College and being 1-0 up at half time against Ballarat High School who were one of the leading teams in the competition.

Well done to all students who represented the school!

GWR Table Tennis 

On Thursday 15th August Mercy Regional College entered 3 teams in the Greater Western Region Competition held at Warrnambool. Our Year 8 girls team played very well winning one game and losing one. This meant MRC finished second overall. The Intermediate Team also finished second after being beaten by a very strong Cobden Technical School side. Finally the Year 8 boys were able to also finish second after getting beaten by Warrnambool College six matches to zero. Although no team progressed to the State level all students had a great day of competition. 

Faith at MRC

Catholic Identity Professional Learning and
Year 12 Seminar Day 

On Thursday 8th August, staff and Year 12s gathered at McAuley Campus to participate in 3 sessions with guests Rev Elio Capra and Dr. Ernesto Valiente. The sessions engaged participants in learning about the historical revolutionary saint - Oscar Romero, who went from being a conservative priest to a transformational bishop. He learnt from the poor and contributed to a more just society. Additionally, time was spent unpacking the features of art depicting biblical parables and how these can teach us to be more courageous in the world.  

Staff participate in Catholic Identity Professional Learning each year as part of their maintenance of their accreditation to teach in a Catholic School. It enables each staff member of the school community to engage in learning that supports their understanding of the culture of our school, irrespective of the subject they teach or support staff role they play. We are all members of the same community and as such can come together on these days to enhance our identity as the face of the Catholic Church. 

This was the final seminar day for Year 12s. The students participate in seminar days to ensure all students complete their secondary schooling in catholic education with a full and rounded experience. These days have connections to the senior school Religious Education curriculum, but are also embedded in our school values in hopes that as they graduate, students take a little bit of Mercy with them into their future. 

Year 11 Retreat Day 

 On Friday 9th August, all Year 11 students participated in their Retreat day. It was a lovely day that took place at St Mark’s Benedictine Abbey on the outskirts of Camperdown.

The day included a liturgy in the church, and two guest speakers. The first guest speaker was Fr Matthew Jones from St Paul’s Anglican Church Camperdown. He spoke about his personal experiences with refugees in Germany. He also ran a workshop asking students to make a decision about a hypothetical refugee case - send them home, put them in detention or grant them a visa into Australia. All students found this an interesting experience.

Our second speaker was Sr Giovanna Danza - a Sister of Mercy, who has worked for 17 years as a prison chaplain. She shared many interesting stories about the people she worked with and the challenges she faced. The students have reported that they enjoyed the day, particularly the peaceful location overlooking Lake Bullen Merri.

Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture

Library News

Book Week 

Book Week was a designated activity-free week at MRC, so our Book Week celebrations have been delayed until the last day of term for students, Thursday 19 September. Our Library Leaders have planned activities and prizes for the junior school. 

A Book Week lunchtime Trivia Quiz was held at the Pekin Library at the O’Keeffe campus today. Our winners were Team Kustom and Addi who achieved a score of 17 out of 22, narrowly defeating equal second place getters: Team Piper and Team Hally, Sapphire and Cristianna. Well done to all who participated!

2024 CBCA Book of the Year Award winners

The Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award winners were announced at midday on Friday. All of the award-winners in the Older Reader and Younger Reader categories are all available in the MRC Library. You can see the full list of winners here

The Principal’s Reading Challenge for  students in Years 7 and 8 continues through the end of Term 3. It’s not too late for students to join the challenge, set their own goals and achieve! Full information is available under the Library heading in the previous newsletter.

Book Club

Our MRC Book Club is open to all and this term it will be Wednesday 28 August from 6:00pm at the Commercial Hotel, Terang. You don’t need to have to read the book (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland) in order to join in the discussion and enjoy the social connection with like-minded book lovers. RSVP here if you would like to join us.

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

Jean Christie - Library & Resource Centre Coordinator

Careers

Latest Careers Newsletter:

Useful Careers Links:

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)

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

Volunteers needed

If you are able to assist us by selling tickets at one of our raffle stalls, it would be most appreciated!
Please let us know via the form below.

Dates include Local Markets, Masses, Terang Colour Festival, Camperdown Show, Noorat Show and more.

School Notices

Upcoming Dates and Events

Thursday 22 August
Southwest Clay Target Competition

Monday 26 August
Discovery Day / HCSN Taster Day

Wednesday 28 August
MRC Book Club
Community Lunch

Thursday 29 August
Year 7 Humanities Excursion

Friday 30 August
Frayne Speech Festival

Monday 2 September
Year 8 Retreat *New date

Tuesday 3 September
Markey House Day

Wednesday 4 September
Year 7 - 11 PTSIs

Thursday 5 September
Regional Seeds of Justice Retreat

LATER IN THE YEAR:

Friday 13 September
Mercy Dip for Mental Health

Saturday 26 October
Spirit of Mercy Awards Dinner

Community Notices