MRC Newsletter - Issue 19 - 9 December 2021
Prayer
Principal's Message
As another academic year draws to a close, we celebrate and give thanks for the year that has been 2021. It is important to reflect on how we have successfully managed to navigate coming in and out of lockdowns and experienced extended remote learning, whilst also experiencing all of the normal activities, celebrations and challenges of an academic year. I thank our young people for their resilience and commitment to their learning, and I would like to thank all families for your partnership and support during this challenging experience. I express gratitude and appreciation to all teachers and support staff who made continuity of learning possible. I remain incredibly proud of our caring and supportive community who enact our Mercy Core Values as part of who we are and how we respond. We truly are a community who cares. Thank you.
We gathered together last week for our Mass of Thanksgiving and Years 7-11 Awards Ceremony. We were grateful to finally be able to physically gather together in St Patrick’s Church and our Mass was celebrated by our Parish Priests, Frs Gary and Neville. Whilst every student in our College has something to celebrate this year, some of our students have gone above and beyond in their academic pursuits and learning independence, engagement with social justice, and involvement in the broader life of the school and community. I congratulate all award winners and those recognised for their efforts. A full list of award recipients is published later in the newsletter.
For our students and families whose partnership with Mercy Regional College has come to an end, we wish you well and extend our thanks and best wishes, as well as our hospitality should our paths cross again. We proudly congratulate our students who leave Mercy to begin apprenticeships, traineeships or employment. I wish all who are leaving us for new beginnings, every joy and blessing in the next step in their lives and remind them warmly that “once part of our Mercy family, you remain always part of our Mercy family”.
Our College Yearbook is being distributed to families this week and on page 11 there is a wonderful tribute to retiring staff member Ian Nicholson who joined our Mercy staff in 2002. We thank Ian for his 20 years of service, which was celebrated within our community earlier this year. We also expressed gratitude for and farewell Melanie Kavenagh, Chamon Vogels, Pam Martin, Chadley Peerman, Tessa Williams and Rachael Mason. We also wished Ben Brisbane a fond farewell as he takes 12 months leave in 2022.
We will welcome new teaching staff member, Ms Claire Virgona, to MRC in 2022. Claire has been newly appointed to the previously advertised position of VCAL Coordinator and STEAM Domain Leader. Claire comes to Mercy Regional College with extensive experience, having previously taught at Caulfield Grammar, Mater Christi and Caroline Chisholm Colleges in Melbourne, and Shanghai HD Bilingual and Jiaxing Nanhu International Schools in China. Claire will teach STEAM, VCAL and VCE Product Design & Technology. Claire has previously been part of our MRC community as a Casual Relief Teacher and we look forward to welcoming her as an ongoing member of our teaching staff. As announced in previous newsletters, we will also welcome Georgia Lucas to our staff and welcome back Stacey Madden.
On Tuesday, we welcomed our newest students to the College, the future class of 2027, for their Orientation day. We have 56 new Year 7 students in 2022, across three homeroom groups. They had a fantastic day and were supported by staff to begin their experience of life in secondary school. It is always a great day and we enjoy welcoming new members to our Mercy community. We will welcome students new to other year levels in the new year.
Last week also saw the return of some of our most cherished College community events, with the drawing of our 2021 MRC Car Raffle and the celebration of our long awaited Presentation Ball. I would like to thank the supporters and sponsors of our Car Raffle who generously donated prizes, as well as all community members and friends of Mercy who purchased tickets to make our 2021 raffle a great success. We congratulate Diane Kenna, the lucky winner of the MG3 Auto Excite and all of our major prize winners. Proceeds raised will go towards the purchase of innovative classroom furniture. We were excited this week to finally collect our 12 seat minibus that was purchased from the proceeds of our 2020 raffle.
Our 2021 Presentation Ball was a wonderful celebration of the lives and aspirations of many of our Year 11 students. Delayed from March, it was brilliant to see our young people dance their way into maturity and into their most senior year of school. We were most grateful to host this celebration in our de Chantal Stadium in the presence of parents and carers. To allow extended family to be involved, the celebration was live streamed and recorded. Congratulations to the 2021 presentation set and to trainer Tess Lourey for preparing them so efficiently. We recognise staff members Rose Henry, Allison Lourey and Jeremy Baker for their work, and Wendy Gleeson and Faye Kenna for their preparation of supper. A brilliant community celebration.
Semester reports will be available online in the Parent Access Module (PAM) from Friday, 10 December. This final report is a compilation of the feedback provided progressively on the assessment tasks undertaken throughout this second semester. The final report will also include AusVELS assessments, work habits and any final results. VCE results will be available to students who undertook a Unit 3/4 subject on Thursday, 16 December. The College office will be open until 12.00pm, and Careers Coordinator, Kym Penry, Senior Pathways Leader, Danae Fraser, and Senior Community Leader, Jeremy Baker, will be available for advice and support.
College dates for 2022 can now be found on our College calendar accessible through PAM. This includes all term dates, student free days, camps and retreats. College Reception opens on Tuesday, 18 January 2022. Education staff will return on Thursday, 27 January. The first day for Year 12 students is Monday, 31 January and Years 7-11 students on Tuesday, 1 February. Families will also receive a letter outlining College fees for 2022 this week.
We end our year celebrating Advent, which officially began on Sunday, 28 November, with the first two purple candles signifying hope and faith now lit, and the candles for joy and peace to be lit on the next two Sundays. For Christians, Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s new year and is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. The Advent candle tradition involves four coloured candles, often with a white central candle surrounded by a wreath. The wreath symbolises God - eternal and endlessly merciful. It is evergreen, reminding us of the hope of eternal life. The four candles represent a time of waiting and hope. Today we enact other traditions that have evolved over time which use similar symbolism - wreaths on front doors, twinkling fairy lights, and Advent calendars to mention a few. At this time of year we can remember and be encouraged to enact our 2021 College theme ‘New Beginnings'.
To conclude, I would like to offer my prayers and best wishes for all Mercy Regional College families over the Christmas break and I ask you to take care of yourselves and one another whilst you celebrate together. We are looking forward to 2022.
Merry Christmas everyone!
With kindness
Sharon Gillett
Principal
Learning at MRC
Reports
Semester Two Reports will be available to families on Thursday, 9 December. Semester reports include a description of the subject/unit, outcomes and progression (Years 7-10). The work habits this semester reflect both online and remote learning, covering Learning, Self Management, Adaptability, Social Interaction and Self Reflection.
Teachers report on assessment and future learning online, in an ongoing manner. You are encouraged to view these comments regularly via the Parent Access Module (PAM). If you have trouble accessing PAM, please contact reception for assistance. Paper copies of reports will be provided on request.
Edrolo
Edrolo is an online resource that we use at MRC as part of our VCE program. This resource provides interactive videos and exam questions for our Year 11 and Year 12 students. Teachers use this teaching and learning tool to consolidate curriculum covered in class. It is used for prescribed holiday homework, pre and post class work, assessment preparation and exam revision, and student self study and feedback.
We have been using this online resource at MRC with great success. Our students this year, across Units 1-4, accessed 1,492 additional hours of instruction on top of what was taught by our teachers, and they completed 1,118 practice exams for feedback.
Edrolo also publishes textbooks and our Psychology students will use this resource in 2022. The Edrolo textbooks are interactive and provide our students with answers to every question with accompanying videos to guide students to understand what is required to answer each question. Data is available to teachers to help guide their planning and preparation of classroom activities.
Booklists
Booklists are now available for parents/carers to order their child/ren's required books and stationery online from Campion Education (formerly Warrnambool Books) by Sunday, 12 December. Payment will be made at the time you submit your order. There are three options for delivery:
- Delivery directly to you. This will include a $15.95 postage and processing fee.
- Collection at Campion Education, 169 Fairy Street, Warrnambool from Monday, 10 January 2022. This option includes a $5.95 processing fee.
- If parents/carers of students are unable to order online, families can contact Campion staff at the Warrnambool store directly on 5563 9400, or enquire at the store at 169 Fairy Street Warrnambool to arrange collection of booklist items and payment.
MRC Learning Team
Wellbeing at Mercy
On behalf of the Community Team (Ben Brisbane, Emily Stephens, Caitlin Rix and Jeremy Baker) and our Wellbeing Team (Sharon Suhan and Matthew Crane), we wish you a merry and safe Christmas and look forward to see you all healthy and well upon your return next year.
Wellbeing Support Over the Holidays
As we approach holidays, this can be a time when some young people are distanced from their friends and school support. We recommend that parents/carers who are interested in ways of supporting young people click here.
Another wonderful resource for families has been designed by Beyond Blue. It has a range of resources, from improving resilience to coping with loss. It can be accessed by clicking here.
Wellbeing support services for students are available at this link.
16 Days of Activism 2021
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence is a global campaign that runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. The campaign aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence, challenge discriminatory attitudes and call for improvements to end the alarming rates of violence against women and their children. Orange is the symbolic colour of the 16 Days. This event has been running since 1991 and is coordinated each year by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership.
There are three elements to the Respect Victoria-led 16 Days of Activism initiative:
- The Walk Against Family Violence on 25 November
- The Respect Women: Call It Out grassroots campaign activities
- The Respect Women: Call It Out (‘Respect Is’) state-wide paid media campaign
More than ever, we know that the boundaries are blurred between our online and offline lives, eSafety has seen technology-facilitated abuse become common in situations of domestic and family violence. Through social media and current readings, it is clear that harassment and abuse on the internet can also cause women or young people to step back from online discussions and professional opportunities in order to feel safe.
The rate of gender-based violence in Victoria is unacceptably high. Violence against women is the leading contributor to death, disability and ill health in Australian women aged 15 to 44. On average, one woman is killed every week by someone known to them. As always, we continue to hold conversations centred around these issues with our young people, empowering them with knowledge and calling out gender-based violence as they grow into young adults.
MRC Wellbeing Team
Faith at Mercy
Advent
This week is the second week of Advent, where we light the first two candles on our Advent wreath and focus on hope. We prepare to seek forgiveness and reflect on our calling to live as people of God. We hope to change our ways so that we are good examples of people who love and follow the Lord. Let us seek peace in our minds and in our world.
Year 9 Retreat
Last Tuesday, our Year 9s had their annual Retreat day. The focus of this was ‘conversations’, in line with their unit on prayer for this term. The day encompassed many activities that demonstrate prayer, through reflection, action or service. Students participated in creative tasks that will be used throughout our school community. A canvas labyrinth was created by students; this will be used in classes and future retreats. The idea is to go on a reflective, focused, journey, much like a pilgrimage when you do not have the means to do so. Labyrinths predate the middle ages. Hand held labyrinths were also made, using the laser cutter in the STEAM department. These will be used like rosary beads and followed with a finger. Prayer beads were also constructed at this time.
Other groups constructed large angel wings that will be moved around our school for students to take photos or stand in front of as a focal point. Some students created beautiful mosaic crosses to be displayed on the prayer tables in our middle school classrooms. Individual candles will also be used for classroom prayer spaces and were made in hand decorated glass jars.
The final group prepared home made meals and sweet treats as an active service to our community. Students are encouraged to see prayer as from the heart and mind, and then from the hands. Action is an integral part of our prayer life. Students designed liturgy spaces around the oval and were challenged to think of new and creative ways to do this.
The day concluded with a whole group liturgy. Overall, students enjoyed their day and were respectful and responsive to the purpose of the day. A huge thank you to all the extra staff that helped our Year 9 team bring the day to fruition.
Mass of Thanksgiving
We gathered together last week to celebrate our Mass of Thanksgiving. The full Mass can be viewed by clicking on the video link below.
Student Awards
We congratulate all students who received awards at both the Graduation Awards and Years 7-11 Awards cermonies in 2021. We hope students and their families are proud of the achievements made this year.
Oratory Competition Winners
The Oratory Competition is a time honoured tradition at Mercy Regional College, stretching back to 1988. It consists of an oral presentation teaching unit conducted by the English Domain at Years 7-10 which leads to inter-class competition. Students are asked to engage and inform their audience of a position or point of view they hold on a topic that is provided. This year's winning topics covered areas such as 'lessons outside the classroom' and 'favourite places'. All entries were of a very high calibre this year, and we congratulate all entrants on their efforts.
The Junior School winner is Joseph Moloney (7B), with Holly Bond (8C) taking out the Highly Commended Award. The Middle School Winner was Charlotte Bennett (9C), with Eisha Howard (9B) taking out the Highly Commended Award. Each winner received vouchers from our partners at Campion Education Warrnambool and Elms Driving School.
Daniel Lee
Head of English Domain
$20 Boss News
This Year 10 elective unit is based on the nation-wide $20 Boss initiative, an immersive program that provides a framework for students to create their own start-up small business. In doing so, they develop important transferable skills such as: innovative, creative and critical thinking; planning, experimentation, project management and troubleshooting; collaboration, communication and teamwork; financial literacy; and health and safety in the workplace.
Students had to contribute $20 to commence their business, which they could run individually or in small groups. The aim is to break even, to cover all costs, and any profits are donated to charity. They spent the majority of Term 3 learning the theory related to each area, including a self-assessment of key skills. They brainstormed to come up with business ideas and formed groups. Fortunately a return to school early in Term 4 gave the students a short window in which to prepare and run their businesses. They performed extremely well under the pressure of this time constraint.
Each group carefully selected one or more organisations as recipients of their profits: Jane McGrath Foundation, Ruth Strauss Foundation, Cancer Council, Oxfam (Ronan), Breast Cancer Network Australia, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, MacKillop Family Services and Autism Spectrum Australia.
It has been a real pleasure to see the students’ confidence and skills grow during the semester. Below are some student reflections, which make great reading. The group would like to thank Kerryn Cain for her fantastic support to us in this class - we couldn’t have done it without you Kerryn!
Tania Bruckner
Commerce & Humanities Teacher
I enjoyed getting to run a business and all the planning we had to put in behind the scenes. One challenge was that our preparation time was impacted by lockdowns, so we had to work in our own time, as well as class time, to fill all our orders.
Hope Kerr (Clay Studios Jewellery)
I chose this photo because it shows how proud and happy we were with our stall. It also shows that we had a lot of fun making the cupcakes. We were quite organised when it came to the decorating and delivering of the cupcakes. One thing that is not shown in this picture is all of the planning we did before this and also all the help Kerryn gave us in testing and preparation. It took some time to organise the ingredients, test recipes and prepare the budget. I think our group learned how to work together as a team and to help each other. Something that I am personally proud of is that I surpassed my own expectations. We were a whole lot more successful than I could ever imagine.
Ronan Ludeman (We’re Cooked Cupcakes)
In the planning stage we had to figure out what flavours would sell, what they looked like and how many of each would we have to make. We also had to manage the budget. We developed a colour code system to determine which flavour was which. We were proud of making a successful business and being able to bake properly, even though only a few of us had any baking knowledge. It was hectic at times but very rewarding. Another proud moment was when we started delivering the orders to teachers. That was when we began to have success and we could be proud of what we had done so far. We learned important communication and teamwork skills.
Oliver Wright (We’re Cooked cupcakes)
I chose this photo because it shows all the planning we had to go through before actually starting any marketing or setting anything up. We learnt the important skills of planning and troubleshooting, where we would source eggs, food and equipment, how we would advertise and what we would do if something went wrong, such as the ducks not hatching.
Abbie Taylor (Lucky Ducks)
I am most proud of the Instagram page and the posts I created.
Madidi McKenzie (Lucky Ducks)
I enjoyed having lots of time doing our own thing and being interactive ~ not just sitting in a chair. We taught ourselves about the hatching conditions needed for the eggs to hatch and more about what we needed to do to keep these conditions just right. We planned how to set up the brooder box and the candling technique to check for development. Next time we would need to check more often, especially the temperature and water.
Sienna Richards (Lucky Ducks)
I chose this picture because I was excited that we were putting the eggs on the platform to hatch. It was posted on our group’s Instagram page.
Chloe Pearson (Lucky Ducks)
In the planning stages we chose suitable dates and made a Google Form for the students to fill in their orders. We also organised days where we could use the hospitality room. We were most proud of having the business make a profit and being capable of running a small business.
Jesse Holster & Ryan Thackeray (Mercy Milkshakes)
I had an idea to upcycle second hand surf clothing to students at school, as this is pretty popular with young people at the moment. I checked out local op shops. The clothes were cleaned and sorted. I was very proud of the poster I designed and the lunchtime shop went really well - I sold out of everything.
Lex Bond (Vintage Revolver Clothing)
VCAL News
In their last week of school for 2021, the Senior VCAL group made a visit to Port Campbell, looking at tourism and hospitality in Port Campbell. Both industries are very important to our local area, but have been impacted greatly by COVID-19 restrictions over the last two years. We enjoyed a lovely lunch together to finish off a great term of school-based activities, work placements and external studies.
Our second stop was to class member Charlie Poustie’s business on his family’s property, ‘Coorie Creek Miniature Goat Stud’. Charlie spoke to us about building up his herd, breeding, marketing, sales and other aspects of his business. He enjoyed sharing his business with the class. Students enjoyed feeding the goats, especially the kids, and loved their playfulness.
Industry visits have been extremely limited over the last two years, due to remote learning, so the students really enjoyed the day. Hopefully 2022 will enable more of this valuable learning to occur.
I enjoyed having lunch at Port Campbell and seeing the baby goats and getting to feed and play with them. I learned that you have to have large paddocks for the goats and move them around a lot.
Kathy Marshall
Students finished off the week making and packing thank you gifts for Year 11 students and staff.
Kristie Jensen, Dan Glennen & Tania Bruckner
VCAL teachers
French News
Bonjour! End of year activities for French have included Year 9 French students creating their versions of the artwork of a French Impressionist artist, while some Year 7 and 8 classes were able to enjoy crepes on the last day of scheduled classes. I am delighted that we have a very enthusiastic group of Year 8 students progressing into Year 9 French in 2022. It has been a pleasure seeing the growth of our Year 8 students over the past two years - COVID or not- every student has “had a go” at learning French and all have been able to demonstrate academic growth. Bonne vacances à tous!
Siggi Macleod
Head of Languages Domain
College Fees
This is a friendly reminder that school fees without a payment arrangement are now due and payable. We ask that you please finalise your fee account as soon as possible.
Our College remains committed to working with our families as we get through these challenging times. We wish to reassure MRC families that we want to and will assist you in every way possible to support your child’s enrolment. Please don't be embarrased if we call regarding fee collections, we do this to discuss fees outstanding and assist families in meeting their fee obligations.
Please contact our Business Manager, Jude Murfitt, to make an appointment to discuss your situation if you are having any troubles meeting your fee obligations. Please make contact at finance@mercy.vic.edu.au.
Uniform Shop Trading Hours
Please find below a flyer with trading hours for the Uniform Shop over the school holidays.
Sport Report
Summer Sports
On Friday, 26 November, all Year 7 and 8 students participated in the Summer Sports against other regional schools. Students were selected into a sport for a day of competition and fun. The sports offered included cricket, bowls, tennis, AFL 9s (girls), volleyball, golf or soccer.
Whilst the main aim of the day was participation, all Mercy students performed well and were extremely competitive in each sport. All supervising staff returned saying our students were respectful of officials, gave their best effort and encouraged other members of their team.
It was great to see students enjoy a day out such as this and we look forward to more sports to come in 2022. Thanks to all the staff that attended on the day and also to Joanne Roberts and Tess Lourey for their excellent organisational skills in getting everyone to the venues.
MRC Car Raffle Winners
Winner of the major prize, Diane Kenna, accepting the car keys from Principal Ms Sharon Gillett.
Our 2021 Car Raffle was drawn on Monday, 29 November. We would like to congratulate Diane Kenna from Dixie on winning the major prize, an MG3 Excite.
Diane has a daughter in Year 9 at MRC and says, ‘I’m in shock! I’ve been buying car raffle tickets for a few years, but I have never won anything. At first, I was unsure about the new online format of the raffle but I decided to purchase my raffle tickets online anyway. It was quick and easy, and I won!’
We thank our sponsors for donating wonderful prizes for our Car Raffle 2021. We also thank everyone in the community who purchased tickets, helped us organise the raffle and promoted ticket sales. The money raised from the sales of 3,817 tickets will go towards the purchase of new interactive furniture for Mercy classrooms.
The winners of the MRC 2021 Car Raffle are:
1st PRIZE - MG3 Excite from Callaghan Motors, Warrnambool
WINNER: Diane Kenna, Ticket Number: #241
2nd PRIZE - $2,000 ELECTRICAL OR FURNITURE VOUCHER from Betta Home
Living, Camperdown
WINNER: Elise Darcy, Ticket Number: #1529
3rd PRIZE - APPLE WATCH S6
WINNER: Sherrill Hinkley, Ticket Number: #1545
4th PRIZE - $450 CAMPERDOWN LOCAL CERTIFICATE
WINNER: Rod Garton, Ticket Number: #2042
5th PRIZE - $250 FUEL VOUCHER from United Retail (Shell), Camperdown
WINNER: Patricia Thompson, Ticket Number: #3349
6th PRIZE - $200 TERANG LOCAL CERTIFICATE
WINNER: Karen Duynhoven, Ticket Number: #818
7th PRIZE - $200 COBDEN LOCAL CERTIFICATE
WINNER: Jacqui Hester, Ticket Number: #1428
8th PRIZE - $200 TIMBOON & PORT CAMPBELL LOCAL CERTIFICATE
WINNER: John Morgan, Ticket Number: #1428
9th PRIZE - $200 JEWELLERY VOUCHER from Showcase Jewellers,
Camperdown
WINNER: Shirley Masnata, Ticket Number: #1839
10th PRIZE - $200 DINING VOUCHER from DJ’s Cafe, Camperdown
WINNER: Jocelyn Fitzgerald, Ticket Number: #216
11th PRIZE - $200 DRIVING LESSONS VOUCHER from Elms Driving School,
Camperdown
WINNER: Colin Hately, Ticket Number: #3751
12th PRIZE - $100 DINNER VOUCHER from Maddens Bar & Bistro,
Camperdown
WINNER: Ella Howard, Ticket Number: #1125
13th PRIZE - $100 DINNER VOUCHER from Steakroad Bar & Grill, Camperdown
WINNER: Tim Castle, Ticket Number: #3692
14th PRIZE - $100 DINNER VOUCHER from The Wharf, Port Fairy
WINNER: Wilma White, Ticket Number: #2389
15th PRIZE - $100 CLOTHING VOUCHER from Noone, Niddrie
WINNER: Diane Glennen, Ticket Number: #1095
EARLY BIRD PRIZE - $300 MRC FEES VOUCHER
WINNER: Nicola Fletcher
You can view the recording of the Car Raffle draw in the video below.
Upcoming Dates and Events
Thursday, 16 December 2021 - Office Closes (12pm)
Tuesday, 18 December 2022 - Office Opens
Monday, 31 January 2022 - Year 12 students commence
Tuesday, 1 February 2022 - Years 7-11 students commence
College dates for 2022 can now be viewed through the Parent Access Module (PAM), including all term dates, student free days, camps and retreats.
Our Diocesan Community Newsletter
Please find below the link for the November edition of “Our Diocesan Community” to be included in your next school newsletter, facebook page and/or website
Community Notices
The Camperdown Swimming Pool Committee generously donated a season pass to the College. We are pleased to announce that Meg Pekin's name was drawn as the lucky recipient of the pass. Enjoy, Meg!
