MRC Newsletter - Issue 3 - 8 March 2022
Prayer
Principal's Message
Last week brought us the beginning of March, the start of Autumn and the beginning of Lent. As the days grow shorter and the temperature cooler, we watch nature with a sense of awe and wonder as we are surrounded in an explosion of red, orange and gold foliage. Our Ash Wednesday Liturgy provided the opportunity for us to gather together to reflect on the historical traditions of Lent- a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter - whilst challenging ourselves to look for contemporary adaptations of ‘fasting’- perhaps reducing our use of technology or social media, focusing on care for the environment or volunteering. Thinking of others before ourselves was something we were all encouraged to do. Kellie Wilson, Catholic Identity, Mission and Ethos Leader, together with our Student Social and Ecological Justice team, encouraged our community to contribute to the ‘40 Days - 40 Items’ challenge, where in groups we are encouraged to find one item each day of Lent that we don’t use, wear or need anymore and that is useable by others, to give back to the community. Boxes are available at both receptions and in student learning areas. Other ways shared to ‘act up’ for others were supporting Caritas, our local Vinnies and Lifeline and Upparel and the Nike Shoe Recycle where surplus shoes and sporting apparel are recycled into Nike Grind, a material that is then used to build basketball courts, running tracks and even new pairs of sneakers! How can you help?
House Athletics Carnival
In the heat of last Thursday we again celebrated together through our House Athletics Carnival. This day is always an amazing opportunity for all students to be involved in representing their house with every participant ‘winning’ by being involved and engaged. We witnessed some truly talented athletic performances with records broken despite the heat but one thing we will all remember is the kindness and sportspersonship of Indiana Cameron from Year 9 in the 800m event when she stopped and waited for her unwell competitor to recommence their race together at the 600m mark, a great John Landy moment. Amazing things happen in our midst. Well done Indy! More Athletic details are included later in the Newsletter.
International Women's Day
Today was International Women's Day with the 2022 theme of #BreakTheBias. The day was focussed on promoting ways of creating a gender equal world without bias, stereotypes and discrimination. We wore the Suffragette colours of purple, green and white and our Student Leaders had the opportunity to talk with former CRC student and current CEO of McAuley Community Services for Women, Jocelyn Bignold OAM. We were all encouraged to reflect on women in our lives or that of others who have made a difference by breaking the bias. Our Term 1 Community Book Club will be reading a book written by an Australian female writer in recognition of IWD.
Weekend of Local Aboriginal History
I was privileged this weekend to have the opportunity to learn more about the history of the first people of the Camperdown District, the Djargurd Wurrung. Dr Ian Clark shared his research and writings along with Kirrae Whurrung men John Clarke - General Manager Cultural Landscapes, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation and singer, songwriter and cultural educator Brett Clarke in a weekend of local Aboriginal history hosted by Camperdown Community House and Camperdown and District Historical Society. Dr Ian Clarke’s book, An Ethnohistory of the Djargurdwurrung people of Camperdown (2022) is available for purchase at the historical society or can be borrowed through our library. The tour on Sunday finished at the Wombeetch Puyuun Reconciliation Park which our VCAL students will be helping to replant and care for trees in the future in partnership with the Corangamite Shire Council. Our upcoming inaugural Indigenous Perspectives Adventure will provide opportunity for our students and staff to learn more about not only the Djargurd wurrung and Kirrae Whurrung whose lands we learn upon, but also about the people, culture, country and places of significance of other local traditional owners from Warrnambool through to Halls Gap. With this experience now taking place in Term 2, our 2022 Year 8 students will also be invited to join the adventure should they wish alongside those already participating in Year 9 to 12. Further information will be shared with families soon.
Open Day 2022 - Wednesday 23 March
Preparations continue for our 2022 Open Day being held at our McAuley Camperdown campus on Wednesday 23 March. We are most excited to be able to share the opportunities and pathways that an education at Mercy Regional College provides with prospective students and their families in a 'School at Work' format. Tours and information sessions will be held at 9.15am and 4.00pm. More details are available on our website. Everyone is welcome at Mercy!
With kindness
Sharon Gillett
Principal
Learning at MRC
We have just reached the halfway mark of Term 1 and now might be a good time to jump online and check PAM and see how your son or daughter is tracking with their learning. Our teachers have worked hard to quickly settle the students back into the rhythms of face to face learning and it has been incredible to see how calm and engaging our classrooms are. Our teachers are continuing to use Google Classroom to support learning, both at school and for those young people who are isolating at home. Hop onto PAM and take a minute to see how attendance is tracking and whether work submission is up to scratch. Sometimes all it takes is Mum or Dad to say, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ for young people to understand that we are holding them to loving but high expectations. Our teachers are keen to work in partnership with you to maintain those high expectations, they may email or call or indicate in PAM that things could be better. Only together can we work to ensure that our young people achieve their full potential.
In the coming weeks our teachers will turn their attention to Interim Reports. These will indicate to families how students are tracking in their learning, self-management, social interaction and their adaptability and self-reflection. Those reports will be released to families in the final week of the term.
NAPLAN 2022 - Coordinated Practice Test - 24 March
Not quite yet! But we do have some initial hurdles to overcome as we prepare to conduct NAPLAN testing wholly online this year. On Thursday 24 March, all Year 7 and 9 students across the country will be sitting the Coordinated Practice Test: a modified version of two of the NAPLAN tests, in order to test the capacity of the NAPLAN testing platform’s IT systems. We will reassure our students as to the purpose of this event but it will help them with any potential testing anxiety by familiarising them with the testing platform.
Year 12 Information Session - Setting You Up For Success - 16 March
On Wednesday 16 March at 2 pm Mercy Regional College will be facilitating an information session for both Year 12 students and their parents.
We will be discussing the ‘Strive for 25’ initiative being implemented in Year 12 English, the PASS program as well as study skills for students whilst at school and at home and how parents can support their child during this final year. The PASS program is an after school supervised and supported study session as reported in our last newsletter. School Assessed Coursework (SAC) requirements as well as information on different online platforms for providing support for students will also be included in this session.
This session can be attended in person or online. Please register at this link below. We will be live streaming this session at bit.ly/Y12-info-session-live, and a recording of the session along with the powerpoint presentation will be shared with parents later.
VCE Awards 2021
As part of our Ash Wednesday liturgy on 2 March we once again celebrated the VCE achievements of our students in 2021. VCE Dux awards are traditionally presented at the Commencement Mass that could not happen due to COVID restrictions this year. We had a small awards ceremony for the Class of 2021 back in February congratulating our students on their outstanding acadremic results. We invite our community to watch the recording of the ceremony at the link below.
Junior Students at McAuley
It was great to see our Years 7 and 8 students at the McAuley Campus on Wednesday 2 March. The students were trying not to bubble over with excitement in their Science classes. Year 7 students were becoming familiar with bunsen burners and timing how long it took boil water in different vessels. Year 8 students were experimenting with how bicarb soda reacts to different types of vinegars.
VCAL News
Our VCAL students have put their newly acquired workplace OH&S skills to use as they continue their culinary adventures, making an apple & pear crumble as part of their subject, Personal Develop Skills. The students had to harvest the fruit which was grown at school and then make a crumble with no recipe. The students worked as a group to problem solve the process and develop a recipe of sorts. Through a lot of trial and error, each student baked their own crumble. It was a fantastic group effort and highlighted a variety of skills including communication, decision-making, problem-solving and critical thinking. A big thank you to Wendy for putting together the ingredients!
STEAM News
Year 8 STEAM has continued with their technological exploration across Google and Adobe Photoshop while reflecting on the elements of good and bad design. Year 10 STEAM have begun to learn how to use the 3D printer and laser cutter. They have been working through the design process to create fidget toys and 3D jigsaw puzzles to go in the Mercy showbags for VCAL’s next community project at Cobden Super Saturday on 19 March.
Learning@Mercy Leadership Team - Natalie Stephenson, Danae Fraser, Lydia Darcy and Daniel Lee
VCAL and STEAM Leader - Claire Virgona
Community & Wellbeing
Life Skills & Resilience
Starting With Students’ Strengths
Rather than focusing on students’ problems and deficiencies, good teachers look for existing strengths and then mirror them back to the students, thus allowing them to work on any challenges. It keeps students in a hopeful and positive frame of mind, and helps foster positive momentum by tapping into intrinsic motivation. Using language that points out to students how they have solved problems, completed set work and shown discipline will help build their self esteem, but more importantly, their self-efficacy.
Study Techniques
Procrastination
Procrastination is the counterproductive putting off tasks to a later time. It does not necessarily mean that students are lazy but it is often used by them as a way to cope with the anxiety of starting or completing a task, or making a decision. Procrastination can make students feel anxious, confused or frustrated. It is normal for students to struggle with motivation - especially when they don’t feel like doing the tasks at hand. Parents and teachers can help students to avoid procrastination by suggesting strategies to increase their motivation, such as:
- setting realistic priorities or goals,
- creating a distraction-free study space,
- using a study plan, breaking tasks into smaller chunks,
- taking regular breaks,
- using instant rewards to acknowledge achievement,
- focusing their thoughts to the present, not the past or the future,
- and just doing it!
Prioritising
Teaching young people how to prioritise tasks is a skill they will use for life. Ask them to make a to-do list, listing tasks in order of importance. Have them start from the top of the list and work their way down. They will feel a sense of achievement upon reaching the bottom of their list. You can expand this by asking them to estimate how long it will take for them to complete a task. They can break the task down into manageable chunks and begin immediately. This will make the task seem less overwhelming. If we can teach young people to schedule their tasks by prioritising and remaining focused, they will improve their study skills and reduce potential procrastination.
March Charge
The March Charge was a challenge offered to staff and students by walking or running for the Cancer Council this month. The month-long fitness challenge is where each team member sets their own distance to run or walk during the month; it's a personal challenge not a race and also raises some vital funds for Cancer research. The Mercy team has great enthusiasm, commitment and spirit, in one week the team has completed 512kms and raised $1350.00 dollars. Stay tuned for Team Mercy’s final tally. The March Charge has an enormous impact on how cancer is researched and treated.
Road Safety at School Drop Off
We would like to remind our parents and carers about the importance of following road safety rules when dropping your child off at the McAuley Senior Campus in Camperdown. The school drop off zone is marked with yellow lines at the College side of Henderson Street. Cars are not allowed to stop at the residential side of the street as indicated by the sign below. Please follow the signs and be mindful of the busy school traffic and busses in the drop off zone.
Immunisation Information
With secondary immunisations coming up, we would like to share important information from the Victorian Government.
Wellbeing Team - Berni Sinnott, Sharon Suhan, Matthew Crane
O'Keeffe Community Leader - Emily Stephens
Faith at MRC
Lent - Project Compassion
This week the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
The theme of Project Compassion 2022 is ‘For All Future Generations’. It reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion.
All classrooms should now have a Project Compassion box in their homeroom. Please consider bringing along some loose change to contribute to this very worthy cause. If you would prefer to donate online, this can be done via the following link https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/donate-today/.
Shrove Tuesday
Last week our Social Justice group helped make and serve pancakes to raise some awareness and money for Caritas Project Compassion, as part of Shrove Tuesday celebrations and the beginning of Lent.
A big 'Thank You' to the Year 11 VCAL students who made pancake batter and to the senior students and staff helpers who cooked pancakes and served them. We raised around $250 from this activity for Project Compassion.
Ash Wednesday Liturgy
Our whole school came together on 2 March to celebrate Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent with a liturgy. Mrs Saunders explained that the translation of ‘sin’ is an ancient Hebrew archery term which means to ‘miss the mark’. By placing the ashes on our foreheads, we are reminded of our Lenten promises we make in our own lives. During Lent, our community members were encouraged to ask forgiveness for the times we did miss the mark and to try harder not to; we can do this through our values of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and charity.
40 Days - 40 Items Lenten Drive
Throughout the Lenten period (between now and the end of term) the Social Justice group is asking homerooms to consider bringing along 40 items which can be recycled and shared with those in need in our community.
There are labeled boxes in the hallway outside of the MPA at the McAuley Campus and in the MPA at the O’Keeffe Campus for you to contribute to.
Some ideas for things to bring along include:
- Clothes and other items for our local St Vinnies and Lifeline
- Running shoes and sporting apparel to be donated to Rebel stores for the “Nike Reuse a Shoe Program - Australia”
- E-waste (printers, cartridges, mobile phones, pens, etc.) for the Officeworks recycling program
Kellie Wilson
Catholic Identity, Mission and Ethos Leader
Ryan House Feast Day
Monday 21 February was a special day for Mercy Regional College as it celebrated the Feast Day of Ryan House. It is the first year that House Feast Days are introduced to the MRC calendar and the College is hoping to turn them into a long-standing tradition of honouring significant figures in the history of the school.
The red Ryan House was named after the College staff members Sr. Beda Ryan, Mary Ryan and Desmond (Dinny) Ryan. The Ryan Feast Day is marked on the day of Sr Beda’s death, 21 February.
Sister Beda Ryan was the Principal of MRC’s predecessor, St. Patrick’s School, in the early 1970’s and then taught at the newly formed Catholic Regional College. Sister Beda was instrumental in pushing the idea of a regional school and continuing opportunities for the students whose circumstances might have denied them. Along with others, her persistence and ability to confront challenges meant that future generations could look forward to educational and learning opportunities that might otherwise be limited.
Mary and Dinny Ryan were members of the Catholic Regional College and Mercy Regional College staff for many years. They are remembered for their dedication, service, and commitment to the cause of Catholic secondary education in the region.
In celebration of the Feast Day, the red Ryan House banner was proudly displayed at reception and all Ryan students enjoyed a symbolic red iced donut. Most importantly, the students had the opportunity to reflect on the sense of community and belonging, and to honour the life of their house’s patrons.
Year 7 Camp
Our Year 7 students and staff had a fabulous three days away at Cape Bridgewater on 23-25 February. The three days of camp were filled with activities that challenged students and encouraged them to step outside their comfort zone.
A significant element of Year 7 camp is an opportunity for students to continue to develop friendships by spending time with each other outside their homeroom, sharing meals and participating in activities in mixed groups. It is a camp that establishes a great foundation for the future years at Mercy. After spending three days away we can attest that our new Year 7 cohort are a kind, supportive, go-getter group.
The Year 7s sand boarded the dunes at Swan Lake, surfed the waves at Cape Bridgewater, explored the Bat Ridge Caves, toured the seals and enjoyed a boat ride. They capped off the camp with a scenic walk around the Cape.
We witnessed laughter, triumph, determination, resilience, first time experiences, incredible support for each other in various activities and willingness to not shy away from the challenges and activities that were presented to them.
A highlight for many was Mr Harkin and Mr Woodmason’s brilliant trivia night. Our students were quizzed with famous faces, Mercy’s history and values, general knowledge and some entertaining quarter time and half time challenges! We thank Mr Harkin and Mr Woodmason for all their work in creating this evening.
The camp has left our students with a mix of favourite activities and moments. We are hopeful they shared these with their families and had a well earned rest on their return on Friday.
We thank all staff who attended and made this an eventful and memorable camp! And a huge 'Thank You' to our Year 7s for helping make this camp a very enjoyable one!
Sports Report
House Athletics Carnival
Last Thursday our College community came together to celebrate the annual House Athletics Carnival. Participation was high, which in turn saw a lot of exciting races.
Our students and staff demonstrated a fantastic team spirit and support for each other throughout the day. Despite the hot weather, fifteen individual and two relay records were broken or tied! A special round of applause goes to Lara Taylor, Year 11, who alone broke five records in various events, and Ruby Darcy, Year 9, for breaking records in high, long and triple jumps.
We sincerely congratulate Markey (blue) House on scoring an overwhelming victory of 812 points in the overall competition and the age group champions on achieving stellar results.
We would like to thank the Little Athletics for letting us use the track and all the members of the wider community who were there on Thursday to cheer on our students.
HSSSD Swimming
On Tuesday 22 February, 48 students represented MRC at the HSSSD Swimming event. Together, their efforts saw our school team win the overall aggregate shield. Congratulations to everyone who competed.
Special mention goes to the following students for being awarded Age Group Champions:
- Pippa Barr (U13)
- Lara Clarke (U14)
- Matilda Darcy (U15)
- Jessica Walsh (U16)
Several students have qualified to compete at the Greater Western Swimming event which be held in Horsham in the coming weeks. Thanks to all involved on the day.
GWR Cricket
On 2 March, over 30 students from Years 9,10,11 and 12 represented Mercy in the Greater Western Regions Cricket held at Victoria Park in Ballarat. MRC had 3 teams, Intermediate Girls and Boys, and a Senior Boys team. All represented the school well with some stand out performances in all teams.
Library News
We are excited to share that our Book Club is back! We are looking froward to seeing book lovers at our first meeting on 4 April. We will be discussing 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' by Pip Williams.
Please register your attendance at the link below.
Canteen News
The canteen has a new Meat Free Friday’s Menu offering a few specials in the lead up to Lent - until the end of Term 1. Other regular lines & weekly specials will be available for ordering online at canteen.mercy.vic.edu.au.
Careers News
Topics for the Careers newsletter this week:
Year 12 students
- University of Melbourne – Hansen Scholarship
- Early entry programs – Charles Sturt University and University of New England
- Australian Defence Force – Gap Year
- UCAT ANZ – medicine and dentistry
- Gap year programs
All students
- Australian Defence Force – events, cadets and how to start the application process
- Health and medical science course guides
- Overseas student exchange programs
- Online career and job search program
- Hair and beauty courses
- 2021 Open Day webinars
- Career events – Charles Sturt University, Monash University, UCAT ANZ, Nursing and Health Expo
- Careers with STEM – space careers and fun STEM quizzes
- News from Monash University
- Careers in insurance
- Maths careers
- Career websites for health and engineering
- Flight attendant courses
Student and Staff Achivements
Golf Vicoty for George and Caleb
We congratulate our trainee George Beasley (Class of 2021) and Caleb Kavanagh (Year 11) who competed representing the Terang Golf Club over the weekend. George scored a victory in the A grade and Caleb was the best in the B grade championships. A number of Mercy students played in the tournament demonstrating great technique and effort - Fred Beasley (Year 11), Max Kavanagh (Year 9), Eitan Brooks (Year 9), and Paddy Scanlon (Year 7).
Noorat to Terang Fun Run
The 40th Annual Noorat to Terang Fun Run held by the Terang Lions Club turned out to be a great success, and it was wonderful to see some members of the Mercy community participate in the event.
Mr Tom Kelly was the runner up in the male competition and Claudia Lee (Class of 2017) came third in the female event. Congratulations to all the participants and winners!
Alumni News
Ella Gleeson (Class of 2019) Heading to London
It is fantastic to see our past students follow their dreams venturing into exciting new depths in their education. Our College captain Ella Gleeson from the Class of 2019 is one great example of that.
After finishing Year 12 at MRC, Ella headed to Melbourne to study Politics and International Relations at ACU. She has recently been offered a place on a study abroad program and will be moving to London in August to do an exchange semester at St Mary’s University. Through this incredible opportunity, Ella is hoping to enhance her understanding of international politics and Australia’s place in the world.
Ella admits that she had always enjoyed history but a trip to Canberra in primary school made her truly passionate about it. When visiting the Australian Parliament, Ella realised that she wanted to learn more about political events and ideas. In Year 11 Ella was one of the few students state-wide to participate in Rural Youth Ambassador Camp that focused on rural education and personal growth. The camp was one of the important experiences that affected Ella’s career choice.
Ella is hoping that the exchange program will give her invaluable experience and offer her a perspective on the fields of work she is most interested in - political analysis, national security, and counter terrorism.
Ella is grateful to the supporting MRC teachers, in particular Mrs Tania Bruckner and Mr Daniel Lee, who inspired her with engaging conversations and encouraged her to pursue her aspirations.
To the students of today, Ella would like to say the following:
“Growing in a small town like Camperdown, you have an incredible support network. Utilise that! You are not limited in anything just because you come from a regional town.”
We wish Ella the best of luck with her exchange program and further studies. We are excited to see what the future holds for her.
Upcoming Dates and Events
Wednesday, 9 March - Y 10 Immunisations
Presentation Ball Practice
Thursday, 10 March - Y 8 STEAM Excursion
Allied Health Expo
Friday, 11 March - Y 7 and 9 Author in Residence
Monday, 14 March - Labour Day PH
Tuesday, 15 March - Presentation Ball Practice
Wednesday, 16 March - Elevate Presentation - Y 11 & 12
Y 12 Parent & Student Info Session
Presentation Ball Practice
Thursday, 17 March - Interschool Golf
VCE Studio Arts Excursion
Friday, 18 March - GWR Swimming Sports
Monday, 21 March - GRIP - Student Leadership Conference
Presentation Ball Practice
Tuesday, 22 March - Assembly Day
Tuesday, 22 March - Friday , 25 March - Indigenous Perspective Adventure - POSTPONED
Wednesday, 23 March - MRC Open Day - School at Work
College dates for 2022 can be viewed through the Parent Access Module (PAM), including all term dates, student free days, camps and retreats.
Community Notices
Lions Eye Health Program
Is an initiative that we are embarking on along with the Lions Club of Camperdown and Terang called, ``Lions Eye Health Program” (LEHP).
In short, the Lions Clubs of Australia are hoping to follow the USA Lions Clubs initiative, where they performed 4 vision tests in every school of the 50 states of America. This initiative has been running in Australia for a few years and has involved screening children in Foundation and Grade 6. However, due to COVID-19 these students have missed the opportunity. The 4 assessments will be completed under the supervision of a qualified Optometrist and Lions Club member. All members present on the day have a “Working with Children’s” check completed.
The individual screening only takes a few minutes to perform, there is no physical contact made with the child and no eye drops administered.
Each child is provided with an individual results sheet which will go home with your child.
Please note that these tests are only a screener and do not constitute an examination or diagnosis of vision problems. If the results sheet indicates any discrepancies, you are advised to follow up with your local optometrist.
This service is offered to our school free of charge to our students in Years 7 and 8 and will be carried out on Friday 1 April 2022.
If you are a parent of a child in Years 9 to 12 and would like your child to have this assessment, please contact Claire Walsh on cwalsh@mercy.vic.edu.au or 5593 2011 to discuss further.
