Mercy Regional College eNewsletter

Prayer

God of our springtime, eternally young,

make us aware of your merciful presence in our creation.

May we move to the rhythm of life, death and rebirth

and recognise that is the pattern of your love permeating our universe.

Make us consciously choose to be co-creators with you,

walking the path of peace wherever we are.

May we trust in the promise of new beginnings made to your prophets,

and above all, through your Son and the second Advocate, the Spirit of Love.

Amen

Principal's Message

In this, our first newsletter of Spring, we celebrate the Season of Creation with the 2025 theme Peace with Creation. The season runs from 1 September, the Day of Prayer for Creation, to 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. Throughout this month-long celebration, we join the world’s 2.2 billion Christians in caring for our common home. We invite our young people and our whole community to reflect on how we can care for Creation—this season and in our everyday lives—and to take one practical step in prayer, action, or daily habit that makes a difference.

Last week we also marked Markey House Day, honouring Fr Bob Markey and the Markey spirit of belonging—complete with plenty of Markey-blue donuts. Representing the priests, Markey House is named for Fr Robert Markey, Parish Priest of Simpson at the time of the creation of Catholic Regional College (CRC) in 1973. His tenacity and support for families seeking a Catholic education grounded in Gospel values are warmly remembered.

Looking ahead, our Term 3 Mass on the final day of term will honour Ursula Frayne and, more broadly, the Sisters of Mercy, whose presence has shaped the history of our school and community. Our House Days and House Masses keep alive the chain of memory that links the founding of our College with the many young people educated at CRC and MRC.

Mercy Regional College Validation Review

Thank you to all parents, students, staff and community members who are giving their time to support our Validation Review, which began today and wraps up Friday. A DOBCEL Validation Review is a supportive external look at how we’re going and where we can grow. Over two days, a small panel listens to students, staff, families and parish and reviews our evidence—highlighting strengths across learning, wellbeing, Catholic identity, leadership and community (CHECS), sense-checking our practice, and offering a few high-impact recommendations. To the many staff, students and families who have brought our current School Improvement Plan to life—thank you. We’re proud of the improvements we’ve made together and we’re committed to providing the best educational experience we can for every young person in our care. The panel’s insights will shape our next School Improvement Plan and Annual Action Plans so we stay true to our Vision and focused on what best serves our young people. As part of our current plan, we’ve refreshed and recontextualised our Vision & Mission and other guiding documents—now available on our website.

Frayne Speech Festival

On Friday 29 July, our Senior Debating & Public Speaking team represented Mercy at the Mercy Education Limited Frayne Speech Festival in Kyneton. Debaters Ned D., Joseph M. and Flynn R. competed with skill across two lively rounds, and Joseph advanced to the final four in Public Speaking, placing third overall—an outstanding result. Joseph will share his speech with the College at our end-of-term assembly. Warm thanks to Ms Sarah Gilchrist for organising and coaching the team, and to Mr Troy Stephens for braving wild weather to drive them to and from Kyneton. We’re excited to grow the team further in 2026. Our Year 7-10 students will be provided the opportunity to step into Debating in our annual ‘friendly’ against Emmanuel College Warrnambool in Term 4.

Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Intensive

Last week, a Mercy team—Business Manager Judith Murfitt, Deputy Principal Patrick Seal, and Director of Catholic Identity and Culture Melanie Bourchier and myself —joined a large cohort of DOBCEL colleagues to complete a postgraduate-level unit in Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) through ACU. The intensive was demanding and deeply rewarding, giving us a stronger, shared understanding of our Catholic identity to guide our work with students and staff.

The purpose of the ECSI survey tool is to diagnose how students, staff, and communities understand faith and Catholic identity, and to stimulate reflection about how schools might more effectively embody their mission in today’s world.

The Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) project was developed by the Catholic University of Leuven in partnership with Catholic education systems including Victoria’s CECV. It provides schools with empirical data and theological insights to reflect on how Catholic identity is expressed and perceived in contemporary contexts (Pollefeyt & Bouwens, 2014). The project does not seek to measure “how Catholic” a school is but to help schools understand their position and make intentional choices about their direction.

Its overarching aims are:

To make Catholic identity explicit in pluralist and secular contexts.
To promote post-critical belief, a symbolic and dialogical way of holding faith.
To encourage recontextualisation, where tradition is renewed in dialogue with culture.
To inform planning and leadership, ensuring Catholic identity shapes both pedagogy and culture (KU Leuven,2020).

We look forward to implementing our learning alongside our colleagues, young people and families in the future.

Mercy Dip for Mental Health

Now an annual Mercy tradition, the Mercy Dip for Mental Health drew 60 hardy swimmers into the chilly waters of Lake Bullen Merri. Participants included students from Years 7–12, staff, parents, and some very brave HCSN primary students. The event raises awareness and funds for Let’s Talk, which works to break the stigma surrounding mental illness. Heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors—Compadre Eggs, The Camperdown Bakery, Robbo’s Country Butcher, Healthsave Camperdown Pharmacy, Infinite HealthCo, and Sweet Giftz—for backing our community as we get cold for a cause. Well done to our VCE VM PDS students who organised the event. See more photos later in the newsletter.

Ballarat Associated Schools Netball Grand Final

As you read this, our team is on court in our first-ever BAS Netball Grand Final. Our 12-member squad, with students from Years 9–11, has competed in Division 2 this season. They play with skill, a love of the game, strong teamwork, genuine sportspersonship and great pride in our school—true Mercy spirit. Well done to each of you. We look forward to rejoining Division 1 netball in 2026.

Our much-loved and eagerly anticipated Mercy Regional College Car Raffle will be launching very soon! This annual tradition is always a highlight in our calendar, bringing our community together in a spirit of fun and support. Keep an eye out for the car on display and for the launch of ticket sales – you won’t want to miss the chance to be part of it. We are deeply grateful for the generous and ongoing support of our families, friends, and wider community, with this year’s funds going towards a special project that will benefit our students and College for years to come. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our prize sponsors, whose generosity makes this raffle possible and helps ensure its ongoing success.

⭐ Celebrating our Young Achievers! ⭐

⭐ Fantastic work Brodie H. who competed in the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb on the weekend, coming 208th overall climbing 28 floors in 7 minutes, 22 seconds. He raised $650 for the cause, including from a BBQ at the O’Keeffe Campus earlier this term. Well done Brodie!

As the 2025 football–netball season wraps up, vote counts across the region are recognising the skill and teamwork of players from teams in every league. We congratulate the following Mercy students and staff on their achievements:

Mininera & District Football League

⭐ U16.5 Boys Football - Best & Fairest - Carl L.

Hampden Football Netball league Inc

⭐ 17 & Under Netball Best & Fairest - Indiana C.
⭐ Under 16 Football Best & Fairest- Paddy H.
⭐ Under 16 Leading Goalkicker - Mason B.

Warrnambool and District League
⭐ A Reserve Netball Best & Fairest - Taylah W.
⭐ 15 & Under Football Best & Fairest - Leo B.
⭐ 15 & Under Netball RU Best & Fairest - Harriot R.
⭐ 13 & Under Netball Best & Fairest - Jade B.

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

Finally, belated yet warm Father’s Day wishes to all fathers, grandfathers, and father figures for the Sunday just passed—7 September—I hope you felt celebrated and deeply appreciated.

With kindness,
Sharon Gillett - Principal

Learning at MRC

Year 11 Boys Camp

Year 11 boys attended their camp last week, centred around the P.A.R.T.Y Program (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) at The Alfred Hospital. The program exposes students to real-life experiences of trauma and recovery, aiming to encourage safer choices around risk related behaviours.

Students also attended a homelessness talk and tour with the Salvation Army, shared dinner in Lygon Street and an evening Night Walk in the CBD.

The camp was a great chance for students to share some valuable experiences with their peers.

Business Management Excursion

Our Year 12 Business Management participated in an excursion to AKD Softwoods in Colac on 21 August.

Michael and Tess provided a great insight into AKD’s operations, taking students on a tour of the facility and a providing a presentation.

Students looked at ways AKD optimise their operations through innovative technology, quality, materials and waste minimisation strategies.

Year 12 Elevate Sessions

Year 12 students have now attended two Elevate sessions ahead of their upcoming exams.

Topics including time management, study techniques and exam preparation have been covered to ensure students have the best possible chance of success in the coming months.

Energy Industry Day

18 students participated in the Neil Porter Legacy Energy Industry Day in Port Campbell on 28 August.

The session included representatives from Beach Energy, Amplitude Energy and Lochard Energy who shared pathways and career options in the energy sector, including trades, engineering, technical services, management and community engagement.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Year 9 Agriculture Excursion

Recently our Year 9 Agriculture class attended an excursion to Total Livestock Genetics in Camperdown. The purpose of the visit was to give students a better understanding of modern reproductive technologies used in the cattle industry and to observe how science and agriculture work together to improve livestock genetics.

During the tour, students were shown the vats of liquid nitrogen used for the safe storage of genetic material, including semen and embryos, and learned how these materials are preserved at extremely low temperatures to maintain viability. They also had the opportunity to view the bull yards, gaining an understanding of how the animals are managed on site. In the laboratory, students saw the microscopes used for identification and learned about the processes involved in artificial insemination and embryo transfer, which are key techniques in improving herd genetics.

Throughout the excursion, we had a fantastic guide, Penny. She answered the many questions we had and outlined her own career in Ag and the importance of her Ag program as part of her schooling. She also highlighted potential career pathways in agriculture and animal science and how many different roles were undertaken by the team TLG.

Overall, the visit to Total Livestock Genetics was highly educational. It allowed students to see firsthand how advanced technologies are used to support livestock production. Thanks again to the team at TLG for having us and also to Dean from the Neil Porter Legacy who helped organise the trip.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Year 7 2026 Discovery Day

We welcomed incoming 2026 Year 7 students to our O’Keeffe Campus in August for our Discovery Day.

Students participated in range of activities to introduce them to the world of learning at secondary school, including a lock-box challenge, 20 second illustrations, a historical sleuthing activity and a PE session on the basketball court.

AP - Wellbeing and Engagement

A fabulous turn out on a crisp morning for our Mercy Dip last week. With a fresh 3 degrees outside, we had many brave souls take the dip. Mercy Dip is an initiative to highlight mental health, the benefits of cold water therapy and the magic of being among friends and peers to share some laughter. Among the laughter, the long deep breaths and the squeals we managed 10 minutes in the fresh Bullen Merri waters. A great initiative at Mercy that has been running for a few years now and has been brilliantly taken on and organised by our VM students.

We thank the many sponsors who generously donated items for raffles, for our breakfast and warm drink! We are very grateful to: Robbo’s Country Cuts, Camperdown Bakery and Riley H. - Lolly Box from Sweet Giftz, Jack M. - Jumper from Infinite Health Co., Issy S. - Gift Pack from Healthsave Camperdown Pharmacy, Isaac B. - Drink Bottle - Compradre Fam, Sonny P. - Coffee Cup Compadre Farm, Charlie R. - Dozen Eggs Compadre Farm.

A massive congratulations to VM students and Berni for the hard work behind the scenes to keep this Dip for mental health going. An important message to continue to shine a light on, with a little bit of fun along the way. Well done.

This week we acknowledge RUOK? Day, a national initiative that reminds us of the importance of starting meaningful conversations and checking in on those around us. While this day provides a focus, the key message is that these conversations should happen any day, not just today. Something we value at Mercy so greatly and one we are proud of.

Across our campuses, we are taking part in a variety of activities to help bring our young people together and promote connection:

Picnic Lunch at McAuley Campus – Students are encouraged to gather with friends, share their favourite foods, and enjoy each other’s company. Each group will a small care package to share together
Hospitality Students – Our Hospitality students have to participate in a required amount of service hours. They have generously offered to provide a shared lunch for staff, encouraging staff to connect and enjoy time together.
VM Students – Are taking charge of the coffee machine, creating a warm and welcoming space for conversation over a hot drink.
Headspace at O’Keeffe Campus – Representatives from Headspace will visit to raise awareness of their services, including how to access support, what they offer, and where they are located.
RUOK? Message Bands – These message bands will be distributed across both campuses, these bands featuring simple yet powerful prompts such as Ask, Listen, No Judgement, Start the Conversation. Students are encouraged to wear them as a reminder to check in on others.

To further support this important message, SchoolTV on our website has a special report on RUOK? Day, which can be accessed here:
👉 RUOK? Day – SchoolTV Special Report

RUOK? Day is a valuable reminder that a small conversation can make a big difference. Thank you to all staff, students, and visitors who contributed to making the week so meaningful.

Pulse wellbeing check in

We continue to utilise the pulse wellbeing check in for our young people on Wellbeing Wednesday. A digital platform to check in with ourselves and seek support or help if we need. We have had great feedback from our young people with this platform, however, what has been a stand out is the opportunity to share gratitude to peers and staff. Young people have found this aspect very powerful and fulfilling. We are hopeful this data will help guide further wellbeing initiatives and programs at Mercy moving forward.

Emily Stephens - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing & Engagement

Useful Wellbeing Links:

MRC SchoolTV

AP - O'Keeffe Campus

Standing Together Against Bullying

At Mercy Regional College, we want every student to feel safe, respected, and supported. As part of our commitment to creating a positive learning environment, we remind families that we have a zero tolerance approach to bullying.

Bullying in any form—whether physical, verbal, or online—undermines the values of our school community and will not be ignored. When incidents occur, we follow the Bullying Incident Response Procedure: Restorative and Supportive Actions. This process is designed to address behaviours promptly and fairly, while also supporting students to learn, repair relationships, and take responsibility for their actions.

Our goal is not only to respond effectively when bullying happens but also to educate students about the impact of their behaviour, encouraging empathy, respect, and resilience. We believe parents and guardians play a vital role in reinforcing these messages at home, and we thank you for partnering with us to ensure Mercy Regional College remains a safe and welcoming place for all.

Together, we can stand against bullying and build a culture where every student is valued and respected.

Faith at MRC

Catholic Identity PL Day & Year 12 Seminar Day

On Friday 22nd August, all our school staff and Year 12 students gathered at McAuley Campus for an insightful day of learning and discussion on the theme of Mercy Beyond Our Gates. Four presenters spoke to staff and students separately to engage them in a broader understanding of what Mercy looks like beyond our school. The four presenters were from various Institute of Sisters of Mercy organisations.

Sally Bradley RSM spoke to both audiences about the work that Mercy Works completes both locally in Australia and in the Asia Pacific region. The organisation is celebrating 25 years of working with the people of these communities and organisations to build capacity, dignity and self-reliance. Students and staff alike were amazed and inspired by the statistics that Sally shared with the group and gratitude for what we have as people born in Australia.

Hayley Marriott explored the important role of McAuley Community Services for Women. McAuley Community Services assist women who have experienced domestic violence or have found themselves homeless for short or long term periods. Hayley emphasised the holistic care that this service provides to single women or mothers and the variety of roles that contribute to this service.

Young Mercy Links is a network organisation that joins young adults together in the spirit of Mercy to work together and find experiences inspired by Catherine McAuley. Angela Scarafilo leads the YML group in Melbourne and spoke to students about the potential opportunities they could experience if they were to join YML. Staff heard from Angela and were inspired by the opportunities this group provides for young people as they venture into the world.

The story of Moses was unpacked by Sr Veronica Lawson RSM as a story that reflects mercy everyday in our world as we know it. Veronica emphasised that while not all the bible stories are historically true, they are true in the sense that they are happening all the time. We learnt about the symbolic nature of each of the characters in the story and how they teach us about the world.

Overall, the day was met with positive response from staff and students alike. Feedback from the day included:

“Growth comes from a place of discomfort. Mercy is work and can only exist if there is action taken.”

“Feeling very grateful to have the opportunities that I do, and live where I live.”

“I enjoyed the stories. And enjoyed seeing how our students can be part of helping.”
“The importance of small services to others, even when things feel overwhelming. The determination and generosity of spirit of these women was something to behold.”

Year 8 Retreat

Our Year 8 Retreat was held on Monday 25th August at the Noorat Community Recreation Reserve. The day began with a liturgy that set the space to think about the injustices in our world wide community.

Kristi Davidson from The Offspring Project spoke to the students about the role of her organisation and the important, yet challenging, work they do to help a small number of young women each year to turn their lives around after being rescued from human trafficking. Her organisation provides safety, education and skill development for the women to ensure they have a safer future. While the service could be provided for hundreds of women each year, Kristi focuses on good quality opportunities for a smaller group of women to ensure better success.

Students participated in a hands-on activity, tearing saris into strips to plait and make keyrings. This is an activity that helps students understand some of the skills the participants in the Offspring Project may learn and develop.

The day concluded with a walk up Mt Noorat. At the viewing platform a short reflection was conducted. Some students took the opportunity to climb to the higher lookout before returning to school for dismissal.

Community Meal

Once again, our staff and students have contributed to the success of another Community Lunch at the Uniting Church Hall. Robyn Johnstone and Wendy Gleeson, along with Cali H., prepared and served 54 servings of vegie soup and baked potatoes to members of our community.

Being part of this roster for our wider community is important for our values of community and respect and the food was enjoyed by all the participants!

Mercy Works Fundraising in Term 3

Our key fundraising efforts for MADJAM this term is for Mercy Works. See below for the initiatives.

Established in 2000, Mercy Works is the development arm of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They work in partnership with vulnerable communities and local organisations domestically and in the Asia Pacific region. They work with the people of these communities and organisations to build capacity, dignity and self-reliance.

MADJAM Raffle for MERCY WORKS:

MADJAM will also be running a raffle to be drawn on the last day of term. Proceeds will be donated to MERCY WORKS.

Each campus will have their own draw.

O’Keeffe prizes:

Gorge Chocolate Hamper
Little bit of sweet Hampers
2 x $10 Shed Vouchers

McAuley Prizes:

Sweet Giftz Snackle box - lollies
Sweet Giftz Snackle box - Chocolates
2 x $10 Canteen Vouchers.

Melanie Bourchier - Director of Catholic Identity & Culture

Sports Report

South West Clay Target Competition

8 students attended the South West Clay Target Competition on 28 August at the Noorat Gun Club.

Congratulations to Halle B. who came second in Junior Girls in very difficult conditions.

College Notices

2026 Enrolments

The link to the 2026 enrolment form can be found on our website https://www.mercy.vic.edu.au/join-our-college/enrolment-information/

2026 Year 8 - 12 Enrolments are most welcome.

If you require any further assistance completing the form please do not hesitate to contact our Registrar Nicole Darcy on 5593 2011 or office@mercy.vic.edu.au

Careers

Please see the latest editions of Careers News below.

Weekly Career News 8th Sept 2025.pdf

Weekly Career News 1st Sept 2025.docx

Useful Careers Links:

Mercy Careers

https://studyworkgrow.com/

https://vtac.edu.au/

Kym Penry - Careers and Pathways Leader

Child Safety

Mercy Regional College is a child-safe community.

Child Safety Officers:

Emily Stephens
estephens@mercy.vic.edu.au

Stephanie Rose-Goodhall
srosegoodhall@mercy.vic.edu.au

Contact them by email or on:
Phone - 55932011 (McAuley Campus) or 55925353 (O’Keeffe Campus)

College Notices

MRC will be moving from Spriggy to CDF pay for canteen operations. This will commence in Term 4 and we ask parents to use their Spriggy funds by the end of the year as we will have full rollover by the commence of the year, 2026.