Mercy Regional College eNewsletter

Prayer

1. May trouble not sit at your table
nor worry knock often at your door;
Joy to your house and your people;
Peace be the keeper of your hearth.

2. Let worry not get under your feet;
Sorrow be an unfamiliar face;
Love the keystone of your dwelling place;
All true spirits welcome here.

Principal's Message

Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL), our governing body, has launched DOBCEL Strategy 2035 – Pursuing Fullness of Life for All. This system-wide strategy will be implemented across all DOBCEL-governed schools from 2025.

Building on the strong foundations and rich heritage of Catholic education in the Diocese of Ballarat, DOBCEL Strategy 2035 aspires to move from good to great, reimagining the future for the young people in our schools and their communities. At its heart is a commitment to providing the best possible education for every student in a DOBCEL Catholic school.

The strategy is guided by five key pillars, all underpinned by Catholic Identity:

Collaborative Cultures
Engagement and Belonging
School as Community
Rich Pedagogical Practices for Deeper Learning
Wellbeing and Sustainable Stewardship

For more details, visit https://dobcel.catholic.edu.au/about-dobcel/dobcel-strategy-2035/

At the start of each school year, Mercy Regional College identifies key areas for improvement to guide our focus as a school community. In 2025, we enter the final year of our current School Improvement Plan (SIP), with our three priority areas remaining:

Vision and Mission
Leadership and Stewardship
Learning and Teaching

The strategies supporting these priorities are outlined in our 2025 Annual Action Plan infographic.

Across this year we will be gathering data and reflecting on our achievements from our current SIP whilst also identifying areas for improvement to guide the creation of our next 5 year SIP. We have a Validation Review in September.

I am excited to promote our 2025 school production Cinderella. Expressions of Interest to be part of the production are open until 7 March.

We are fortunate to have the expertise of staff member Toby McKenzie as our Director with Nikki McKenzie assisting and as Music Director and former student Madidi McKenzie as choreographer.

Last week our College Captains Riley, Rose and Nellie represented MRC in the annual Lions Youth of the Year Quest. This is always a wonderful opportunity for our young people to practice and enhance their public speaking skills within our local community.

We congratulate Riley on being named the overall winner. He will now represent the region in the next round in Colac. Thank you to our new Debating and Public Speaking Coach Ms Sarah Gilchrist.

Sarah will be offering further opportunities for our young people at both campuses in the area of debating and public speaking across the year. For Years 9-12 this commences with a Thursday lunchtime meeting in the library.

We are privileged to be hosting local award winning author Jock Sarong at our next MRC Book Club being held at The Commercial Hotel in Terang on Wednesday 26 February at 6.00pm. We will be discussing Jock’s most recent publication Cherrywood. Please join us. More details later in the newsletter.

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the students below:

Congratulations Madi L. and Madelyn C. who were part of the Warrnambool Mermaids Div 2 Champion Team at the Junior Country Basketball Championships.

Congratulations to the Cobden Cricket Team for taking out the Under 16 competition - Lenny W., Eamon S., Clem W., Lachie H., Jack C., Josh R. and Rhys D.

Well done to the Terang Tornadoes Basketball Winners in Maryborough:

U14 Boys (Ollie C., Nate I., Darby S., Harper D., Sonny D.)
U14 Girls (Tilly H.)
U18 Boys (Mason B., Hamish M., Jordie B., Charlie R.)

And Runners Up

U18 Girls (Tayla B., Pippa B., Charli D., Matilda A., Emma H. & Claire B.)

Tyra S. and Kate P. will both represent MRC in the State Schools Equestrian Championships.

If you know of any students doing great things in the community, please let us know at office@mercy.vic.edu.au

Mercy will once again be entering teams in the Ballarat Associated Sports (BAS) competition in Senior Boys Football and Senior Girls Netball. Football will be held on a Wednesday afternoon this year at 3.00pm and we are very excited to announce we will have at least one home game. Our team will this year be coached by staff member Adam Dowie. Trials for football will commence in March. A football squad is heading to Geelong next Tuesday afternoon to watch the pre-season match between Geelong and Essendon. We are hoping to be able to cheer on former student Rhys Unwin who was drafted by Essendon last year. We hope to also watch Hamish Sinnott who is part of Essendon's VFL squad. BAS Netball will this year be held on a Tuesday afternoon in Term 3.

With kindness,
Sharon Gillett - Principal

Learning at MRC

NAPLAN 2025

The 2025 NAPLAN testing for Year 7 and 9 students will take place on the following dates:

Wednesday 12th March - ‘Writing’

Thursday 13th March - ‘Reading’ and ‘Conventions of Language

Friday 14th March - ‘Numeracy’

The schedule, including start and finish times will be published in the next newsletter.

All of our Year 7 and 9 students will have opportunities via the NAPLAN Public Demonstration Site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) to familiarise themselves with the online testing platform. Our Learning Leaders will work with our staff to develop the best possible plan for NAPLAN preparation.

Each year the media jumps on the opportunity to create a narrative around the pros and cons of NAPLAN. I wish to take this opportunity to reassure parents that NAPLAN tests should be seen as a normal event in the yearly cycle of schooling. We all know that they are a narrow snapshot of a young person’s skills at a specific moment in time, however, the data that NAPLAN provides for us as a school is very valuable when looked at over periods of time and compared with other data that we have on student learning. It helps us to inform our teaching practice and our school improvement plans.

Please partner with us to normalise and minimise anxiety around NAPLAN and test taking in general. If anything, the opportunity for students to have to sit quietly for a sustained period of time and concentrate is an important life skill in itself.

For students who are currently connected with Claire Walsh and the Learning Diversity team, Claire will be in touch to discuss possible disability adjustments for those students. If families are aware of any planned absences that will impact on attendance on the test days we ask that you please let your Community Leader know as soon as possible. The testing window is generous and does allow us to catch up as many students as we can. Catch up NAPLAN test for students who are absent on the scheduled day of testing will take place between the 17th and 24th March.

All students are required to have headphones for the tests. In line with school policy these should be plug in headphones. Plug-in headphones actually work much better than wireless expensive earbuds which can be inexplicably ‘glitchy’.

The following brochure is published by VCAA and provided information for parents and carers.

naplan_information_brochure_for_parents_and_carers.pdf

Leanne Delahunty - Director of Learning & Teaching

SENIOR SCHOOL

We’ve had a fantastic first full week of VCE classes, with students settling well into their studies. All subject changes have now been finalized, and we are excited to see our students embracing their VCE journey.

A reminder that some students still need to purchase their Edrolo subscription. I will be following up with those this applies to throughout the week.

With VCE comes increased academic expectations set by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). Our VCE teachers design coursework to meet these standards, ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed—whether they are working towards an ATAR or studying VCE-VM in preparation for an apprenticeship, TAFE, or the workforce. No matter the chosen path, we set high expectations, and students must work alongside us to achieve success.

The Key to Success: Communication
Open communication is essential for your child’s success in VCE. At Mercy, our staff are here to support students, not work against them. With strong collaboration between school and home, we can set students up for success.

Sub-SAC Program
We have now commenced our Sub-SAC program, which provides students with an opportunity to complete missed class assessments or submit overdue classwork and homework. Sub-SAC sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday nights. If your child is required to attend, you will receive a notification from the school. We appreciate your support in ensuring students meet their academic responsibilities.

Attendance Expectations
Attendance is closely monitored across the school, and VCE students are required to maintain at least 80% attendance in all subjects. While we understand there may be times when students are unable to attend school, prolonged absences can make it difficult for them to keep up with coursework. VCE follows a strict timeline, and teachers will continue with content delivery regardless of student absences. If your child will be away for an extended period, please inform us in advance so arrangements can be made for them to stay on track with their studies.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s VCE program, please feel free to reach out to me—I’m happy to chat.

Melanie Kavanagh - Learning Leader Senior School

Lions Youth of the Year

Congratulations to our College Captains - Riley H., Nellie S. and Rose B. who participated in the annual Lions Youth Of The Year last night.

Students were required to respond to two impromptu topics, as well as present a prepared speech of their choice. Prior to this they completed a written application focusing on their involvement in community, sport and culture and a 30 minute interview with the judges.

All three students were incredible, with Riley being awarded overall winner! He will now go on to compete in the next round at Colac.

Special thanks to Ms Gilchrist for working with the students and helping prepare them!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Year 9 and 10 students have settled well into the new school year. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm for learning and engagement in school activities. Term 1 is always a busy time, often filled with interruptions, and back to school illnesses so I encourage students to be proactive in checking in with their teachers if they have missed any school and seeking help if they need support with their learning.

For our Year 10 families, we also encourage you to continue discussions with your child about their upcoming work experience. It’s important that students stay organised and take the initiative in finding a placement, as all work experience paperwork must be returned to the school by Week 6. This means students need to ensure they are actively reaching out to employers and securing their placements as soon as possible. If you need any support or guidance regarding placements, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school.

Just a reminder, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to your student's MERCY teacher—they are here to support you. Additionally, if there is anything you need, please feel free to contact me or our new Community Leaders; Adam Dowie and Georgia O'Leary—we are always here to help.

Josiane Gardner - Learning Leader Middle School

YEAR 8 FRENCH

Joyeuse Saint Valentin! Happy Valentine's Day!
We celebrated Valentine's Day in French by learning new vocabulary, singing a Valentine's song, writing cards and wearing special T-shirts with French phrases. Here are some students from 8B enjoying their French lesson.

Community & Wellbeing at MRC

As we reach Week 4, the school routine is starting to settle in. School lunches, uniforms, morning routines, study and sleep habits, and after-school activities are now becoming part of the rhythm of our days. Our school is buzzing with exciting activities across all year levels!

Our Year 7s had an incredible experience at Camp Campaspe, where they had the chance to create new friendships and enjoy time with their peers. It's always heartwarming to see these new connections grow into lasting friendships, and we look forward to watching them flourish. Meanwhile, our Year 12s spent three days on retreat, which was filled with moments of reflection, joy, and goal setting for what promises to be a remarkable final year. It’s wonderful to think about the bond they’ve built over 1140 school days, filled with challenges, achievements, and plenty of fun!

Our school’s creative spirit is also shining through with the early stages of our production of Cinderella. Sign-ups for involvement are underway, and we can't wait to showcase the amazing range of talents that will come together to make this year’s performance something special.

The Arts are flourishing, and so is our sports program. Next week, there’s a voluntary trip to watch a practice match between Geelong and Essendon, followed by a training session for our senior male and female footballers. We hope we get to see our very own ‘Bomber Rhys Unwin’ in action! Our Athletics Carnival is also just around the corner, offering a chance to celebrate House spirit and enjoy some friendly competition with our school community.

In addition to the activities already underway, there are several exciting class excursions on the horizon that will contribute to our students’ wellbeing. We are fortunate to have such dedicated staff who are eager to take our students outside the classroom and provide valuable hands-on experiences.

Next week, students will embark on excursions for Textiles, Biology, and Outdoor Education (fishing, surfing, and sea kayaking). These experiences not only provide a fresh and engaging way to learn but also help build confidence and self-esteem. Spending time in nature has proven benefits, fostering a sense of calm, increasing resilience, and providing opportunities for personal growth.

These excursions are a wonderful reminder of the importance of learning beyond the traditional school environment, allowing our students to connect with each other, explore new environments, and deepen their appreciation for the natural world. All of these activities are vital to our sense of wellbeing. While learning in the classroom is important, it’s equally essential to engage in extracurricular activities that foster connections with others and contribute to our happiness and satisfaction. Here's to another week of growth, connection, and fun!

Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing & Engagement

Year 7 Welcome BBQ

It was fantastic to welcome our new Year 7 students and their families at our annual Year 7 Welcome BBQ on Monday night.

The sun was shining and our O'Keeffe Campus was filled with lively chatter.

Thank you to everyone who attended and the many staff who assisted in making the night a success!

Year 7 Camp

Day 1 - Around 9:45 am, the year seven students boarded the bus for a nearly 3 hour bus ride, arriving at Camp Campaspe near Kyneton. We had lunch before finding out both our rooms and activity groups. Our afternoon activities ran for 2:00 to 5:00 pm, followed by some free time. We then walked to the dining hall for dinner, which included roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables. Afterward, we played ‘capture the flag’ as our night activity also led by the instructors. Finally, we gathered again before heading to our rooms by 9:15 pm to shower and get ready for bed.

Day 2 - At 7:00 am, everyone woke up and gathered in the meeting room before walking to the other side of the lake for breakfast. We had scrambled eggs, sausages, and cereal. After breakfast, we split into groups and started our activities. Each group did two activities before having some free time. For lunch, we had chicken salad wraps. We then did our last two activities, which left us feeling tired, so we rested and got ready for dinner. We gathered for dinner, which was spaghetti bolognese, garlic bread, and salad. Afterward, we learned how to play “Transportation to New World”. Finally, we returned to our cabins to shower and get ready for bed, meeting briefly one last time before heading to our cabins at 9:00 pm.

Day 3 - On our final day, we woke up at 6:00 am, packed, and got ready for the day. Breakfast was hash browns and baked beans. After that, we did our last two activities and had lunch, which was a ham, cheese, and lettuce wrap with fruit. We said our goodbyes after an amazing camp experience and boarded the buses. Over the past few days, we did activities like the giant swing, canoeing, flying fox, aeroball, rock climbing, leap of faith, catapults, and initiatives.

Finally, a huge thank you to all the staff that attended the camp. All the Year 7 students had great fun and it was a great way to start the school year.

- Edi M. and Abi S.

MRC SchoolTV

Faith at MRC

Opening School Mass

Our opening school mass was a beautiful celebration of our return to our school community. We were very lucky to have Fr Eugene celebrate mass with us on this occasion. Fr Eugene is covering some parish responsibilities until our new parish priest, Fr George, officially begins in March.

The mass set the tone for our new academic year and celebrated the new theme “In life’s storms, find your strength, through faith and courage”. This is enhanced by the letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians who encourages all to build each other up, in all that they do. This is particularly relevant to the learning and growth that we experience in a school community. It is very easy for us all to sell ourselves short or to let jealousy take over. However, when we see the brilliance in those around us, we can work together and encourage growth and hard work to get through life’s difficulties. It is my personal wish that we can all be a voice of encouragement for each other.

Ryan Feast Day

This Friday is our Ryan House Day. Ryan Feast Day celebrates the wonderful men and women that have come before us and helped establish our college. In the tradition of the Catholic Church, a Feast Day is a day to remember and celebrate something or someone important to our faith.

Ryan House represents the Parents, Staff and Students of MRC. Sister Beda Ryan was the Principal of St Patrick’s School, Camperdown in 1972 and was a member of the first staff of the newly formed Catholic Regional College in 1973. Desmond “Dinny” Ryan and his wife Mary were members of the Catholic Regional College and Mercy Regional College staff for many years. They have been synonymous with dedication, service and commitment to the cause of Catholic secondary education in the region.

On Friday, Ryan Staff and Students will celebrate their house spirit by wearing a touch of red. Each Ryan house student and staff member will be treated to a red donut. We hope that students will strive to take on the persistent and generous attitude of their house namesakes.

MADJAM (Making A Difference: Justice And Mercy)

MADJAM has started with great enthusiasm last week. Each fortnight students at both campuses meet to discuss and plan social and environmental justice issues. The growing team has many fresh ideas of how we can tackle our school initiatives.

Term one focus will be on our Caritas fundraising, which will begin on Shrove Tuesday with pancake sales. Each homeroom will be in charge of coordinating mini fundraisers to build wider support.

Later in the term, we will also be working on a project for Clean Up Australia Day.

If your child has interest in building their capacity to be a person of Mercy, please encourage them to come along to one of our lunch time sessions.

Christian Outreach

Year 10 students began their first Christian Outreach placements since 2020 last Wednesday. Every year 10 student will be assigned to a local venue in Camperdown and Terang throughout the year to visit for a block of 11 school weeks.

Students are engaged in the programs at the venues to help support the clients and residents. This involves craft, games, cooking, stocktake, and packing. Students are learning about how the gospel values are showing at these venues.

Each student who began this last week has already shown such great leadership and initiative - positive reports have been received from students, family and staff at each venue.

We thank our local venues for their support in hosting our students and are thrilled to watch our students grow in this volunteer capacity. Thank you to: Sunnyside House, Merindah Lodge, St Vinnie’s Shop, David Newman Centre, Camperdown Community House, Cooindah Disability Services, and Mt View Terang.

Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture

Sports Report

MRC House Swimming Sports

On Thursday 6th February the annual House Swimming Sports was held at the Camperdown Swimming Pool.

Participation was strong, especially amongst the younger year levels. All house captains did a great job encouraging participation and organising relay events. Frayne House was able to win overall, finishing a long streak of wins by Markey House.

A number of students will now represent Mercy Regional College at the HSSSD Swimming on Monday 24th February. Best of luck to all of these students.

Thanks to all the staff that filled the various duties needed to run a sports day such as this and also to the parents and grandparents that came along to show their support.

Below is a list of the age group champions and the overall points tally on the day.
Frayne 414
Markey 398
Ryan 327
Tindley 312

Well done to all participants and congratulations to the age group champions:

Under 13:
Etti G.
Darby S.

Under 14:
Olive W.
Austin P.

Under 15:
Kiara L.
Archie M.

Under 16:
Pippa B.
Harrison G.

Under 17:
Molly K.
Hamish M.

Under 20 (Open):
Taleah M.
Aiden C.

On Tuesday 18th February our Senior Cricket team played in the HSSSD competition. With four teams entered the format was semifinals followed by a Grand Final between the two winning teams.

Mercy Regional College was drawn to play Timboon P-12 School first up. The game was delayed due to rain but once the game started MRC batting first put up a formidable total of 140 runs off 12 overs. Campbell W. 70 not out and Eddie W. 54 hit the ball everywhere until it was lost after another towering six.

In reply Timboon managed 5-82 after an even bowling performance by all bowlers.

In the Grand Final MRC played Camperdown College and after winning the toss and elected to bat first. Our openers again made an excellent start with Campbell W. out for a rapid 24. Max H. joined Eddie W. at the crease and they put on a 100 run partnership steering MRC to 134 after 12 overs.

Camperdown College came out swinging with 11 off the first over but were unable to maintain the run rate required finishing with a score of 5-70 with five bowlers sharing a wicket each. Parker W., Sonny P., Cooper H., Brodie H. and Charlie R. were the wicket takers.

The team will now progress to Greater Western Regional on Wednesday 5th March in Ballarat.

College Notices

Upfront Payment Discount

A discount of $150 per student is available for family fees that are paid in total by 31st March 2025. Please note that this amount is pro-rata for split family accounts.

2025 Tuition Fees Letter

2025 Tuition Fees and Levies Statement

SCHOOL SAVINGS BONUS

The School Saving Bonus is available to Catholic School Students who are also eligible for the Camps, Sports and Excursions assistance (CSEF), through their parents/ caregivers holding a means tested concession card. The School Savings Bonus provides $400 in support for eligible school-aged students for use on 2025 school associated resources, costs including information technology, computers, camps, and online resource cost, this money is paid to the school.

We request families apply for the Camps sports and excursions fund, to enable them to access the School Savings Bonus.

Please contact the Business Manager to discuss the School Savings Bonus.

CSEF_application_form.pdf

Careers

Please see the latest edition of Careers News below.

Weekly Career News 17th Feb 2025

Useful Careers Links:

Mercy Careers

https://studyworkgrow.com/

https://vtac.edu.au/

Kym Penry - Careers and Pathways Leader

Library News

The Library: A place to learn and grow

There is a common conviction that school libraries might be somewhat redundant in the twenty-first century, as all of us have ready access to information via our phones and laptops. Mercy Regional College subscribes to a different way of thinking. The MRC Library is a place where individuals can experience belonging and community - a place to learn, listen and grow.

This year in the Library we continue to add to the range of extension and learning activities available.

Lunchtime activities
Some of the lunchtime activities available in Term One include:

Tapple Tournament: Tapple is an award-winning, faced paced word game that requires no experience but calls for some quick thinking! (February 19 and 26.)

Trivia Quiz: A little bit of everything from popular culture to sports, geography and more. Students are invited to join in teams of one to four. (March 5)

Journal Club: Starting on March 12. Creativity and calm. In each session, students are invited to respond to a prompt with writing or art and see where their considered thought and imaginations take them. All materials provided.

Makerspace: Students are invited to bring their ideas and design and make using Cricut.

The Principal’s Reading Challenge

Like the Premier’s Reading Challenge but better! This reading challenge starts on 30 April and concludes on 4 July. Students choose from a specially curated bay of books and challenge themselves to read outside of their favourite genre. Certificates and prizes to be awarded in Term 3.

The Melbourne Writers Festival

We have been lucky enough to secure some tickets for the schools program at the fantastic Melbourne Writers Festival. This learning extension excursion will take place on Thursday 8 May. The session features Gary Lonesbourough, Robyn Dennison, Solli Raphael and Neal Shusterman. Along with author talks, there are opportunities to meet each of the authors and have books signed. The Melbourne Writers Festival proved to be a real highlight of the school year for many of the students who attended in 2024. Expressions of interest are welcome from students in Years 7 to 9.

There is a lot to look forward to in the Library in 2025

Canteen News

Orders to the Canteen at both Campuses can be made online via the Spriggy Schools app: https://www.spriggyschools.com.au/

McAuley campus orders will be processed by our on-site canteen, and O'Keeffe campus orders will be processed by 'The Shed' in Noorat.

2025 Production 'Cinderella'

Expressions of interest for our 2025 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella' are now open until Friday 7 March.

All students are invited to express interest in the 2025 Production and past experience is not required.

Productions are a great way to:

Expand and learn creative skills
Meet new people
Have fun working collaboratively
Be part of a big team project

Public performances will take place at the Theatre Royal from 14-16 August.

We encourage everyone to read the Production Booklet to find out more about the many opportunities on offer, including on-stage, backstage, set building, set painting, hair/makeup, lighting design, lighting operation, sound operation, ushering, catering and more!

If you have any questions, please contact Toby at tmckenzie@mercy.vic.edu.au

MRC Production Booklet 2025

To express interest for an on-stage or off-stage role, please fill out the online form below by Friday 7 March (a small section requires input from parents/guardians)

2025 Production EOI Form (due by Friday 7 March)