MRC Newsletter - Issue 19 - 13 December 2024

Prayer

Principal's Message

Thank you and well done

As we reach the conclusion of another academic and calendar year, we reflect on the journey we’ve shared as our Mercy community. This year has brought its challenges, yet I couldn’t be prouder of all we’ve accomplished together. Our staff have shown incredible resilience and compassion, supporting their colleagues through times of illness and ensuring continuity of learning and opportunity for our young people. 

Our students have approached their learning with curiosity, enthusiasm and determination, embracing opportunities both in and beyond the classroom.  Whilst learning is not always easy, giving your best, improving and developing as a whole person is what is important. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our families and the guidance of our School Advisory Council.

As a community, we continue to draw strength and inspiration from one another, embracing new ideas and experiences that allow us to grow and thrive together.

Australian Government Capital Grant Announcement

Last week, I received a brilliant phone call announcing that Mercy Regional College has been approved for an Australian Government Capital Grant of $5,000,000! This incredible funding, together with our own savings and borrowings, will enable us to move forward with the next stage of our College Master Building Plan.

The grant will support a significant extension and refurbishment of our Visual Arts and Technology Building at the McAuley Camperdown campus. This project includes additional specialist learning areas, upgraded student amenities, a lift in the middle school, new gathering and office spaces, as well as the demolition of existing amenities and associated external works and services. 

Our Master Plan, collaboratively developed with architects Baldasso Cortese in 2022, reflects the shared vision of our community and was shaped by our Educational Rationale, crafted in partnership with IDE consultants.

I wish to acknowledge the exceptional dedication of our Business Manager, Judith Murfitt, whose persistence and hard work have been instrumental in securing this grant. The application process has been both rigorous and challenging, requiring resilience and determination, particularly after earlier setbacks.

Finally, I extend my sincere gratitude to the Federal Government for their support of this exciting project, which will significantly enhance learning opportunities for our students.

MRC Car Raffle

Our MRC annual Car Raffle was drawn last week. We thank our community once again for their generous support and share that we sold over 4600 tickets. Thank you also to our generous sponsors. We congratulate Nita Hill in particular on winning the amazing MG ZS Excite supplied by MRC with the support of Callaghan Motors. All prize winners and sponsors are shared later in the Newsletter.

Staff News

We give thanks to the staff who are concluding valuable service to education and to our College and community; Jo-Anne Saunders and Fiona Sargeant, both of whom have been long serving members of staff, with 19 and 20 years of dedicated service. We also give thanks to Margot Horan who will also retire from teaching.  All have also been dedicated and supportive parents over the years.

I would like to thank the following staff for their commitment, professionalism and collegiality as they enter a new chapter in their work and life; teachers Nickeeta Roache, Tania Bruckner, Tia Stinchcombe and Education Support Staff Sharon Suhan, Chadley Peerman and Hannah Plozza. Teachers Rebecca Rees, Caitlin Rix and Matt Harkin, who have all been on extended leave, will also conclude their contracts at Mercy.

Our Westvic Trainees Sophie and Lucas move into the next stage of their career and lives. 

Teachers Claire Virgona, Stacey Madden and Christine Norton will be on leave for all of 2025 and Jac Gabb for Semester 1.

We are very pleased to welcome new staff to our Mercy Regional College community in 2025; Deputy Principal Patrick Seal, Middle Years Community Leader Adam Dowie, teachers Claudia Lee, Tess Lourey, Rose Murphy, Sherrie McWall, Roselyn Prasad, Tessa Williams, College Counsellor Tash Neal, Learning Support Officer Ricky Birmingham and WestVic Trainees Luke Kavenagh and Jazmyn Cridland.

We welcome back teachers Kym Penry and Monika Socha from extended leave.

VCE Results and Semester Reports

Yesterday saw the release of the Year 12 ATAR results and Unit 3/4 Subject Study Scores. We extend our sincere congratulations to all students on their efforts and achievements.

I also want to recognise the hard work and dedication of our Unit 3/4 teachers, who guide their students with unwavering commitment each year. Their determination to help every student achieve their personal best—through ensuring they are engaged and  fully informed of course requirements whilst providing additional support—does not go unnoticed.

We recognise and celebrate the diverse pathways our students pursue and take great pride in their accomplishments. A special congratulations goes to these high-achieving students:

Year 7 -11 Semester reports are available online in the Parent Access Module (PAM) this afternoon. The final report is a compilation of the feedback provided progressively on the assessment tasks undertaken throughout this second semester. 

Thank you and God Bless

I want to express my deep appreciation for our incredible staff, whose hard work and dedication have provided Mercy students with outstanding educational experiences and enriching extracurricular opportunities. This year has presented many challenges, yet their unwavering commitment, compassion, and resilience have shone through, embodying the true value they place on the gift of education.

Despite the obstacles, their efforts have made this year remarkable, and I encourage our community to take a moment to acknowledge their contributions and hold them in your thoughts and prayers throughout the Christmas season and summer break.

As we approach the well-earned break, we reflect on the valuable lessons learned, the memories created, and the bonds strengthened throughout the year. I am deeply grateful for our resilient young learners, whose dedication to their education has been central to the success of 2024. To our parents, carers, families, and the extended Mercy and local community, thank you for your unwavering support and active involvement, which enriches our shared journey.

As we celebrate Christmas with our loved ones, may the season bring you renewed hope, joy, and love. I wish you all quality time with family and friends during the summer break. May God bless each of you and keep you safe until we meet again in the new year.

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the students below:

  Well done to Aidan C. on representing Australia in the Men's 17&U Netball in New Zealand!

  Congratulations to Madi L., Olive W. and Taylah C. who have been selected to attend the 2025 HFNL Talent Identification and Development program

Important Dates

• Monday 16 December - College Reception closes 4.30pm 
• Thursday 23 January, 2025 - College Reception reopens 9.00am
• Thursday 30 January - Year 12 students return - compulsory RE Seminar Day 
• Friday 31 January - Year 7 to 11 students return

DOBCEL Strategy 2035

The Executive Director of Catholic Education Ballarat, Mr Tom Sexton, would like to share with you an outline of the Strategy 2035 for all DOBCEL schools in the Diocese. Please click on the link below to explore the Strategy.

With kindness,
Sharon Gillett - Principal

Learning at MRC

As I reflect on the Mass of Thanksgiving and Awards Ceremony which took place last Tuesday, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to not only our award recipients, but to every student who has come to school each day with a willingness to learn and open to new ideas and experiences.  If I could give each and every one of you an award, I would. At Mercy, we don’t just give awards for high achievement, there are opportunities for all to shine, whether that be through recognition for effort, living out our college values or being of service to others. Personal excellence comes in many forms and is its own reward.

2025 promises to be another year of growth and striving for our personal best.  As a school we will continue to strive towards improving the learning outcomes for the students in our care. This includes challenging our young people to push themselves to be good today and better tomorrow, to make the most of the learning opportunities presented to them, to learn from their mistakes and not be afraid to have a go.

In 2025 I look forward to working with everyone in our school community to continue to build our legacy of learning as only Mercy Regional College knows how to do.

Reports

On Friday afternoon the Semester 2 reports will be released to parents and carers.  The reports are available online through PAM and contain information about your child’s work practices and learning dispositions.  A letter has been sent to parents and carers which outlines how you can access your child’s report.  We encourage parents and carers to have constructive conversations with your child about learning behaviours, using the feedback provided by teachers.  Mercy Regional College employs continuous reporting with individual feedback for each assessment task being provided throughout the semester via PAM.  The end of semester report draws on all aspects of your child's learning to provide information on their level of achievement against the curriculum standards.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe Christmas Season and beyond.  Thankyou for the support and encouragement you have given your child throughout the school year.  We look forward to working with you in 2025, as your child’s journey to adulthood continues.

Leanne Delahunty - Director of Learning & Teaching

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Congratulations to all our students for a great end to the 2024 school year.  The students in 9 and 10 worked exceptionally well right up until their last days!  The Year 10s transitioned well into their senior school studies and remained focused and engaged in their new subjects in their final weeks of classes. The Year 9 students experienced their first set of exams which were both challenging and achievable.  These exams at Years 9 and 10 provide an excellent opportunity to practice their revision and exam taking skills which they will need in their coming senior school journeys.  

Well done to all the Middle School students on their hard work and focus! I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and relaxing school break and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2025!

Josiane Gardner - Learning Leader Middle School

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Year 7 Humanities

To finish the year, Year 7 students researched and created artefacts from Ancient China for their humanities assessment.

This also provided a way for them to show off their understanding not only of the course content, but also their experiences learning about museum curation - which included their excursion to see the Pharaoh Exhibit at the NGV.

Artefacts were created with plasticine and were then displayed in a gallery walk in their classroom.

Lots of fantastic creativity was on show!

YEAR 7 - 11 EXCELLENCE AWARDS

JUNIOR SCHOOL AWARDS

MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS

SENIOR SCHOOL AWARDS

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS

• ADF Long Tan Leadership & Teamwork Award: Taleah M.
• ADF Future Innovators Award: Flynn R.
• Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program: Joseph M.

MRC Oratory Competition: 

• RIST Award: Taleah M.
• South West TAFE Award: Nate F.
• Year 11 Structured Workplace Learning Award: Louis J.
• Murfitt Mathematics Award: Rose B. & Charlie H.
• The Murfitt Business Management, Accounting And Economics Award: Brady B.
• Tina Jenkins Art Awards: Poppy C., Amaya K., Jasmyn C.
• Performing Arts Award: Matea M.
• MRC Sports Award: Harrison G.
  
• McLeod Shield: Markey House

Mercy Merits:

• Mercy Education Award: Ella M.
• Ballarat Diocesan Scholarship: Mia M.
• Spirit of Mercy Awards
  • Year 7  -  Halle B.
  • Year 8  -  Jessica M.
  • Year  9 -  Dustin L.
  • Year  10 - Chloe B.
  • Year  11 - Sarah M.

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Community & Wellbeing at MRC

Our students have been finished for about a week now, in the meantime our staff have been busy collaborating and planning for 2025. We love this time of year, especially with new ideas and possibly new subjects or year levels. One exciting partnership we have made for next year is with ‘Consent Labs’. 'Consent Labs' aims to educate and create a movement to change the culture around sexual consent. We will work with 'Consent Labs'  and our MERCY staff to form an evidence based, comprehensive and inclusive program for our 7-12 students in Term 2. 

https://www.consentlabs.org.au/

We wish our Mercy community a happy and safe Christmas. May you find time to slow down, spend quality time with friends and family.

There are a few links attached for holiday support if families are in need.

Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing & Engagement

Last Day Activities

To celebrate the last day of school on Friday, students from Years 7 to 10 participated in various activities across the region. Year 7 students headed to Adventure Park near Geelong, Year 8s to Warrnambool for Bowling and Lake Pertobe, Year 9s to Timboon Rail Trail and Port Campbell and Year 10s to TreeTop Adventures in Yeodene.

A great day was had by all and we thank the many staff who helped make the activities a success. 

Have a great break and a Merry Christmas everyone!

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Useful Wellbeing Links:

Faith at MRC

Mass of Thanksgiving & Awards Ceremony

Last Tuesday we celebrated our Mass of Thanksgiving and Awards. As always, these celebrations are at the heart of who we are as a Mercy Community. We thank Fr Michael for his assistance in this Mass. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs Jo-Anne Saunders for her unwavering dedication to preparing and coordinating the many Masses and liturgies in our school calendar. Her eye for detail will certainly be missed into the future. I wish her the very best in her retirement.

Young Mercy Links: Mercy Leadership Formation Program

On Wednesday and Thursday last week, I had the pleasure and privilege of escorting our new school captains, Riley, Nellie & Rose, to the Mercy Hub in Melbourne to partake in the Leadership Formation Program. 

The students worked with student leaders from a variety of other Mercy Education schools to understand their place in the larger Mercy community and to build their capacity as leaders of the Mercy Tradition. The program started with the students identifying what they bring to their own individual roles as leaders. This was completed through a “dinner plate” activity where students used images and words to conceptualise their leadership stories. 

Students also learnt about what mercy means - looking at prior knowledge, other definitions, and creating a super definition. Our students in particular felt this was an excellent activity to draw together prior understanding and what they wish to bring to their roles in 2025. 

The second day was about where their leadership role could take them. This focused on in school activities as well as challenges. Students made school based plans and workshopped ways to overcome difficulties. They also learnt from guest speakers where Young Mercy Links could take them post secondary schooling. A notable speaker was Eve Johnson, MRC graduate from 2016, who now works within Mercy Limited and is highly involved in the YML program. 

All three of our captains spoke highly of this formation program, excited to return in 2025 with fresh ideas. They have made connections with students from other schools that will enable them to collaborate and explore various leadership joys and hardships. 

We look forward to undertaking this program into the future. Angela & Eve will be visiting MRC in 2025 to speak to year 12 students and staff about the opportunities available to the students beyond graduation.

Merry Christmas 

I would like to wish all our school community a very merry and blessed Christmas and a safe and enjoyable New Year. May the light of the Christmas season and the love of the newborn Jesus, be with you all over the summer period. 

Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture

College Notices

2025 Tuition Fees Letter

School Savings Bonus

The Allan Labor Government’s  $400 School Saving Bonus is rolling out this week for 2025. Catholic school students who will be in Prep through to Year 12 in 2025, and who are receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF), are eligible for the School Saving Bonus.  The intent of the school savings bonus was to assist families cover the costs of children’s education with expenses such as school activities, additional sporting and outdoor education programs, school uniforms, excursions, incursions and curriculum costs like curriculum levies and VET course charges.

Catholic school students receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2025 are eligible for additional support through the School Saving Bonus (SSB). The $400 bonus will be provided directly to each school.  The $400 Bonus is available for each child in a family that holds a means tested health care card or concession card. That means an eligible family with three school-aged children will receive a total reduction of $1,200 to school fees. 

Families who have had their circumstances change (including new healthcare and concession card holders) and who may be eligible for the Camps, Sports and Excursion are encouraged to discuss this with the school.  These are real cost-of- living supports. 

Mercy Regional College encourages all families to register their Health Care Card or concession card with the College if they haven’t already done this in 2024. Please contact the College office for information on how to do this. We will be contacted the families with health care cards in 2024 to discuss with them the application of the
school savings bonus.

For more information please contact the Business Manager – Judith Murfitt
BM@mercy.vic.edu.au

2025 Booklists

A reminder that booklist orders are due by 15 December.

More information can be accessed on PAM.

Careers

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 Results

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets in this year's draw, to the many sponsoring businesses and everyone who volunteered at the Raffle stall.

Congratulations to our 2024 Car Raffle winners!

1st Prize MG ZS EXCITE (demo), valued at $22,990
Winner: NITA HILL

2nd Prize QUEST GEELONG GOLF GETAWAY, valued at $2,500.
Includes 2 nights stay for 4 people with meal voucher ($1,200); Round of golf (off-peak)with carts for 4 pax at Lonsdale Links Golf club ($450); Round of golf (off-peak) with carts for 4 pax at Curlewis Golf club ($460); $390 dinner voucher from Eureka Hotel.
Winner: COLIN BOND

3rd Prize $2000 GBM TECHNOLOGY VOUCHER
Winner: GERARD & JENNI BOURKE

4th Prize $1000 BP FUEL VOUCHER from BP Roadhouse Camperdown & Cobden
Winner: DEBBIE CARRIGAN

5th Prize $1000 LOVE LOCAL PACKAGE Consisting of $50 vouchers to Benallack’s Sports, Laffs, Camperdown Pharmacy, Little Pharmacy & Shoe Shop, Cobden Pharmacy, McCann’s Camperdown Newsagency, KK Massage, Tania Maree’s Flowers, The Loaf and Lounge, Terang Bistro at The Middle, Terang Bakery, Terang Co-op, Terang Co-op, Vintage Gnotuk, Fraz Family Pharmacy, Berry World/Berry Good Thai, Excuse Me Katie’s, Keayang Maar Vineyard, Terang Newsagency, Timboon Distillery
Winner: CLEAVER FAMILY

6th Prize 12 MONTH PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP to Cobdenhealth Community Fitness Centre, valued at $930
Winner: ROSEMARY BLACKETT

7th Prize APPLE WATCH SERIES 9 with Aluminium Case & Sport Loop, valued at $809
Winner: JESSE COTTLE

8th Prize $400 LOCAL PRODUCE HAMPER from Greavesy’s Fruit & Veg, Terang
Winner: THE MURFITTS & JAALA

9th Prize JEWELLERY VOUCHER from Showcase Jewellers, Camperdown, valued at $200
Winner: SHARNA RICHES

Upcoming Dates and Events

Monday 16 December
School Office Closes

2025 Start of Year Dates

Thursday 30 January
Year 12 Seminar Day

Friday 31 January
Term 1 Commences for Years 7 - 11 

Monday 3 February
Year 7 Welcome BBQ

Thursday 6 February
MRC House Swimming Sports (Camperdown Pool)

Monday 10 February
Year 7 Camp

Community Notices