MRC Newsletter - Issue 11 - 2 August 2022

Prayer

Principal's Message

I begin by acknowledging the recent passing of the talented Uncle Archie Roach. Uncle Archie was a proud Kirrae Whurrong/Djab Wurrung Bundjalung man whose story is one of trauma, resilience, survival, reconciliation, hope and wonderful storytelling, shared  through song. Each year our Year 10 students study his music and story in their Rights and Freedoms unit. Took The Children Away was the first song to ever be recognised with a Human Rights Achievement Award. Archie’s influence will continue to be felt far into the future. We keep his family, friends and community in our thoughts and prayers and give thanks for the life of a wonderful, talented and passionate first Australian who proudly advocated for the Stolen Generations ensuring they have been heard and listened to. 

I share with you some staff news. We firstly acknowledge and give thanks to our MRC LSO Trainee Ashlee Pearson who has transferred her traineeship to our HCSN partner school St Colmans Mortlake. Whilst Ashlee has enjoyed her time at Mercy, her preference is for supporting primary school students and this opportunity was one too good to miss. We wish Ashlee all the very best. We welcome to our LSO team at the O’Keeffe Campus Ashley Couch and Claudia Lee. We also welcome to our MRC staff Jean Christie and Leah Chesseman who will share the role of Resource Centre Assistant whilst Maureen O’Loughlan is on leave. Maureen will finish with us at the end of Term 3 at the end of her leave and we acknowledge her 25 years of generous service to our community and wish her all the very best for the next stage of her life. You are most welcome to join our Mercy Book Club on Wednesday evening 6.45pm - 8.00pm and farewell Maureen. Our book to be discussed is The Power of the Dog.

Term 3 is always an exciting time in our school. Our young people are being supported in making choices about their future as they select learning pathways and subjects for 2023. Thank you to Senior Years Coordinator Danae Fraser and our Learning and Teaching Team for their thorough preparation of both our VCE Subject Expo and Pathways Booklet to help inform our young people and families of the choices available to them and to Careers Leader Kym Penry and the team of staff who have been busy providing the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring. Further information can be accessed on our website.

Our recent Parent Teacher Student Interviews provided an opportunity for our teachers to meet with young people and their caregivers to have valued learning conversations. We greatly value this partnership with you and welcome your feedback on our adjusted model incorporating increased opportunity for virtual meetings whilst continuing to offer some face-to-face meetings. Please remember that teachers are always happy to meet with parents so please feel free to make contact at any stage. If you are willing to share some feedback please email Deputy Principal - Learning, Teaching and Innovation Natalie Stephenson. 

Our young people participated recently in National Tree Day, Australia’s largest tree planting and nature care event, as part of their action for Eco Justice. Pope Francis highlights in his encyclical, Laudato Si': On the Care for our Common Home a call to respond and adopt new ways of living as our changing environment prompts us to stop and think about how we live on our planet. Our junior students participated in a tree maintenance session at our O’Keeffe Campus and our Year 10 Agriculture students will partner with a local dairy farmer to plant trees as part of a planned revegetation project. Our VCAL students are also progressing on their Indigenous Garden Project to rejuvenate the Wombeetch Puyuun Reconciliation Park in Camperdown in partnership with Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation and Corangamite Shire Council. 

One of our Year 8 PEAK Social Innovator Projects - Composting to Care for our Environment -  has moved ahead this week with Joseph sharing an outline of progress with our O’Keeffe Community today. “We have placed around the yard and in lunch spaces some smaller scrap bins to collect organic waste. Each week a volunteer from each homeroom checks the bin and then takes its contents to the new larger composting bin ensuring any non-compostable rubbish is firstly removed”. We look forward to using the rich compost later in the year. Well done PEAK team!

Congratulations to our students whose cricket and netball skills have been noted on the state level. More information is available in the Student Achievements section of this newsletter. We have many sports teams representing the College across term. Our Intermediate Girls Netball participated in the Victorian All Schools Netball Championship preliminary rounds in Ballarat yesterday winning five or their eight games and our Intermediate and Senior Boys and Girls Basketball teams will play in the GW Region competition also in Ballarat on Friday. Our Table Tennis teams will play in Warrnambool on Friday as well. Our Debating teams will contest their final round on Thursday against Geelong Grammar. Our Chemistry students participated in the International Chemistry Quiz last week and our VCAL and  Middle School STEAM students visited Ballarat Tech School. Our Physics students are at the Synchrotron today and our Textiles class in Warrnambool. There are definitely many extended learning opportunities on offer at Mercy!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we work through our current COVID-19 and Flu exposures. Whilst we are impacted with illness of both staff and students we have still been able to offer a full learning and extra curricular program. I remind you of the Circuit Breaker Weekend bringing school closure days on Friday 12 August and Monday 15 August and thank you for your understanding of its purpose. We are also acutely aware of the current financial pressures many of our families may be experiencing with the rising cost of living. I appreciate that fee contributions may be creating additional pressure and invite you to please make contact with either myself or Business Manager Judith Murfitt if this is the case so that we can genuinely work together to ease this burden for now and into the future.

With kindness

Sharon Gillett
Principal

Learning at MRC

Parent Teacher Student Interviews

Many thanks to all of our families and carers who made time to speak with teachers last week - whether that be online on Monday night and Tuesday or in person on Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully those conversations were able to orientate, motivate and inspire our young people and further support our families in partnering with us to raise expectations in a supportive way. If you have any specific feedback regarding the PTSI process please feel free to email Natalie Stephenson - Deputy Principal - Learning, Teaching & Innovation. A reminder that if study habits or homework was an issue for your child, MRC offers support in the form of PASS at McAuley on Mondays and Wednesdays after school and Homework Help at O’Keefe at lunchtimes. 

Subject Selection Process

This term sees an exciting time for our students as they begin to explore and choose their subjects for 2023. The subject selection process allows students an opportunity to explore their passion areas and think about their future pathways as they move through the Senior School years at Mercy. The Middle School years allows students to try a range of subjects to engage their interests and assist in choosing their future pathways. 

At Mercy we are committed to ensuring every student finds a passion for learning through a range of pathways including VCE, VCE-VM, VET and Structured Workplace Learning.

This time is also very important for the wonderful conversations that happen between parents, students and staff at Mercy in helping guide students to find the subjects and pathways that positively engage them in their learning. Students are taking their next steps in continuing to build on their journey of becoming lifelong learners. 

This year at Mercy we are using an online system to assist in student subject selections, including submission of subject selection sheets through Mercy Services. Students have access to the Subject Handbook via the Mercy Website but also a link in their Careers Google Classroom. This handbook has all relevant information in assisting to choose their subjects for 2023. A recording of the Senior School Information Session was shared with parents and is available at the link - https://cutt.ly/sen-info-session-23.

The past week we saw our Year 10 students moving into Year 11 involved in subject information sessions and a VCE Subject Expo. Students had the opportunity to talk to individual staff about their interests and future subject choices. These sessions were met with eager and enthusiasm as students had valuable conversations about their learning pathways with staff. Senior school individual interviews with Year 10 and 11 students are occurring, these interviews help support students in choosing their subjects. Our Year 9 students will also begin their subject selection process this week, which involves a subject information session during their assembly time, they will then continue this process in MERCY classes.

In the upcoming weeks our junior campus students will also have a chance to start looking ahead to 2023. Information regarding Year 8 into 9 subject selections for our current Year 8 students will be presented to each homeroom, and will also be shared with families, along with a subject selection sheet. Our current Year 7 students also have an exciting opportunity to apply to be a part of the first Year 8 Victorian Aboriginal Languages class being offered next year at Mercy. Information about this new subject will be shared with students at assembly next week, at which time an expression of interest application form will also be sent home.

We look forward to the positive conversations that will be happening throughout this term to support students' pathways and learning at MRC.

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Debating News

Debating Rounds 4 & 5

Last week saw Mercy's A- and C-Grade debating teams pitted against their Geelong-based rivals in their first ever secret topic round. It was a mixed night overall with complex topics such as 'That, assuming it is possible, we should not revive and repopulate extinct animals; and 'That we should ban toy weapons.' It was also the debut for two of our speakers who battled nerves in the intensive one hour-only preparation session to produce speeches of 4-5 and 6-7 minutes respectively.

Mercy debated valiantly on the negative on both propositions claiming victory over Geelong Lutheran College at C-Grade; but being defeated by Sacred Heart College in the A-Grade. A mark of our students' (and teachers'!) skill and hard work, though, was that the best speaker for both debates was awarded to Mercy students - Jack in Year 10 and Jo in Year 12!

Round 5 is just around the corner on the 4 August online; with the Frayne Speech Festival in late August and the British Parliamentary Competition on a weekend in September. 

Many congratulations to all participants, and a special Thanks to Wendy for the sustenance to fuel our debates (and the special dessert), coach Jo Saunders and the chief cheerleader Sharon Gillett for their ongoing support.

Junior School Debating

The Junior School competition commences at Sacred Heart College in Geelong in September. There are always seats available for any teachers or parents wanting to join us for the trip down to Geelong.

VCE Psychology Excursion

Unit 4 Psychology students ventured to Ballarat Technical School on Thursday 21 July to participate in a practical lesson exploring consciousness. The students are currently learning about consciousness and changes to a person's psychological state. The practical lesson involved activities with 'beer googles' and 'fatal vision glasses'.

The 'beer goggles' simulated different levels of blood alcohol concentration and allowed the students to complete tasks to measure self-control and perceptual distortion. The students used 'fatal vision' glasses to simulate sleep deprivation and explore how it can affect speed and accuracy. Students also collected data throughout the lesson to use later in the classroom.

The excursion was a fun and engaging way to explore the content and enhance students' understanding. 

VCAL & STEAM Excursion to Ballarat Technical School

Two more groups of MRC students travelled to Ballarat Technical School on Wednesday 27 July.

VCAL Experience

Our VCAL students delved into the world of chocolate with a native twist. They tasted the vast range of extracts derived from Indigenous Australian plants using the revolutionary carbon dioxide extraction process. The participants' taste buds were hit with the florals of the Geraldton wax; fruit of the strawberry gum; citrus of lemon myrtle; fresh mint of the peppermint gum; nutty earthy wattleseed; spice of the pepperberry; licorice hit of the aniseed myrtle and tang of the finger limes.

The students were tasked with designing their own chocolate recipe. In a one-of-a-kind coincidence all 4 teams of VCAL students created exactly the same flavour profile so the competition was fierce! After employing a blind tasting our winner was decided by combining the votes from their packaging, marketing and taste - a completely delicious bush product. Everyone consumed their creations with delight, making every product the winner.

This experience encouraged the group to consider which plants they should include in the native garden and the culinary possibilities to come!

Year 9 & 10 STEAM Experience

Our Year 9 and 10 STEAM students spent the day exploring the wonders of robotic automation through a series of interactive activities. They built an M&M's sorter which devided M&M's according to colour. A very useful device! The afternoon activity involved programming a robotic arm which required the students to apply automation processes similar to those used at factories. 

Everyone was able to enjoy the wide range of games at break times - from LEGO and Jenga to Nintendo, virtual reality immersions and car racing simulators. The day was a wonderful experience for everyone involved and sparked the excitement and motivation for our work back at school. 

Learning@Mercy Leadership  Team - Natalie Stephenson, Danae Fraser, Lydia Darcy and Daniel Lee
VCE Psychology Teacher - Caitlin Rix
VCAL Leader - Claire Virgona
STEAM Teacher - Leanne Delahanty

Community & Wellbeing at MRC

SIMON/PAM - Student Digest

SIMON has a new functionality that Mercy Regional College is about to activate. It is called Student Digest and it communicates with parents on a fortnightly basis. An email is generated to each family providing a snapshot of information relative to your child/ren. Initially, this email will include information in regards to attendance, specifically:

• Overall Attendance for semester
• Parent Notified Absences during digest period 
• Late to School Absences during digest period
• Leave Pass Absences during digest period
• Sick Pass Absences during digest period 
• Class Attendance percentage for semester

Moving forward, there will also be communication in regards to Social Behaviours - specifically Student Commendations, School Activities your child is involved in, relevant Student Letters and will eventually include Learning Areas (Active Tasks). This email will not replace PAM, it is merely a communication tool and a link from Mercy Regional College highlighting relevant information for your child/ren. We encourage all families to continue to communicate with Mercy Teachers or relevant Community Leaders.

Healthy Lifestyle

Using Music to Relax

It is generally accepted that both listening to and making music can have a variety of positive effects on mood and mental health. Encouraging students to make music part of their everyday relaxation routine can have many benefits.

• Better focus - Classical music, for instance, has a tempo of 60 beats per minute, which increases the efficiency of the brain in processing information.
• Increased creativity  - Listening to or making music allows the brain to think creatively and improve mood.
• Relaxation - Choosing the right kind of music will assist with relaxation.
• Motivation - Listening to their favourite kind of music can be an excellent motivational force and make it that much easier for students to get started with their work.

Giving Students Time to Reflect

To consistently improve overall student wellbeing, we need to offer our students a safe place for honest and open reflection and dialogue around the issues that are relevant to them, like those related to friendship, family, sexuality, alcohol, drugs and communication. Students need to be given the opportunity to voice their thoughts and to discuss their experiences, beliefs, attitudes and feelings. They need to be encouraged to critically question societal messages, especially those coming from the advertising media, as well as their own conditioned thinking.

Exercise and Students

Regular exercise plays an important role in students’ success at school. It is important for students to understand that exercise benefits both their minds and bodies. When students are active, their body produces chemicals called endorphins, which help decrease stress and anxiety and keep them happy. Exercising regularly and sticking to a weekly exercise routine, as well as drinking plenty of water, will help them to achieve better-quality sleep, decrease stress and anxiety levels, increase their self-esteem, increase their energy levels, strengthen their bones and maintain a healthy weight. The most important thing is to just get started - if they find that something is not working, they can always make adjustments down the track.

Middle School Core Values Awards - Semester 1

At the end of Semester 1, several Middle School students received MRC Core Values awards. These awards are presented to students who have demonstrated a commitment to the core values of Mercy Regional College as expressed in our vision and mission statement.

Learning:

• Alani: Alani has worked very well in English and has made every effort to present well planned and edited work. She is continually working toward a high standard of achievement.
• Rosie: Rosie continually strives to complete her best work, seeking feedback and enacting it. Rosie is very inquisitive and will seek to further understand any topic or idea in Humanities also.

Justice and Mercy:

• Max: Max demonstrated a deeper understanding of local Aboriginal culture and heritage during our recent IPA trip by asking thoughtful questions and offering insightful reflections during our community reflection time.  Max showed a commitment to Justice & Mercy by his keen interest in the opportunity to learn more.
• Keely: Keely was extremely helpful to many students in textiles. Her peers trusted her advice and support. When the teacher was busy with other students she would step in and share her knowledge (to the best of her ability). She did this consistently throughout the semester.

Care and inclusiveness: 

• Lucy: Lucy demonstrated Care & Inclusiveness during our recent IPA trip by being a kind and compassionate member of our group.  Lucy took time to get to know each member of the trip - staff included - on a deeper level.  Lucy offered a supportive, reflective and thoughtful energy to the group.
• Ben: Ben has demonstrated his care for others consistently throughout the semester. Within a widely differentiated classroom, full of different personality types, he has ensured each member of the class is offered the opportunity to contribute. He has also supported his peers with kindness to foster their successes and celebrated with them.

Community: 

• Hannah: Hannah helped the $20 Boss students with their Pizza Day, despite not being in the actual class. She helped them prepare the pizzas and with the clean-up. Hannah did a mountain of dishes on the day.
• Sophie: Sophie often goes out of her way to help others inside and outside the classroom. She has helped by umpiring netball for example within the community and also on sports days so that others can participate. She also took on an active role within her $20 Boss business coordinating the selling of candles to staff and other students.

Excellence and achievement: 

• Jessica: Jessica has excelled in French during Semester 1- she has worked independently on class tasks, has submitted assessment tasks of a high standard, and has also developed a clear French accent and intonation in her oral work. This was echoed for humanities this semester - Jess works to a consistent high standard and engages in meaningful discussions with her peers.
• Eisha: Eisha strives for excellence.  She uses class time well and works hard outside the classroom, to take note of feedback and ensure tasks are completed to a consistently high standard. Eisha consistently works towards her personal goals of success and excellence. Her drive and motivation are to be commended.

Wellbeing Team - Berni Sinnott, Sharon Suhan, Matthew Crane
Middle School Community Leader - Caitlin Rix

AFL Trip

A fantastic social night was had on Friday 22 July where an excited group of 50 Year 7 & 8 students and staff attended Richmond vs Fremantle game, at Marvel stadium. A mix of supporters were on the bus which made the match an interesting one! 

Our seats were brilliant - Level 1 on the wing, right behind the Freo bench. Our excitement levels were high!  The first bounce went and the cheering and friendly banter began. Many highlights throughout the game, goal for goal, some great marks, tackles and exciting play. Throughout the game we managed some selfies with the Richmond great Matty Richardson, which also was a highlight. 

In a topsy turvy game in the last 30 seconds the scores were level and the ball came flying down to the Tigers' end for the ball to be marked by young Noah Cumberland. He instinctively played on and before he got his kick away the siren sounded - A DRAW!

We had many positive comments from surrounding spectators & Marvel staff about how ‘awesome’ it was to see a school group attend something like this! In saying this I would like to thank the staff that so generously gave up their time to attend - Matthew Harkin, Tim Woodmason, Sharon Suhan and Jo Roberts. I would also like to thank the students who attended on the night, their behaviour, respect and enthusiasm was fantastic which makes an evening like this extremely enjoyable.

A huge Thankyou to all the families for allowing their child/ren to come and for picking them up at 2am in the morning. It was such a fun night and we hope our students enjoyed every minute. 

Emily Stephens
O'Keeffe Community Leader

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Faith at MRC

National Tree Day

On Friday 29 July, we joined schools around the country in celebration of Schools Tree Day, with National Tree Day celebrated on Sunday. This day was established in 1996 and has grown into a large community event with 26 million trees planted so far. It is a call to action to volunteer your time to simply plant a tree or engage in some other environmental activity.

Our Junior students picked up rakes and shovels to clear up the area around the fruit tree alley at our O’Keeffe Campus in Noorat. The apple and pear trees were planted four years ago and have shot up nicely under the care of our students and groundsmen.Sustainability and love of the place we learn at are at the centre of MRC’s ecological justice focus. The National Tree Day is one of those important occasions that encourage our students to take an active role in caring for the environment at school and the wider community.

The simple act of planting a tree (or any plant) benefits our common home in many ways. Plants absorb carbon dioxide gas which contributes to climate change, they store carbon and release oxygen for animals to breathe. Plants can also absorb harmful pollutants and improve water quality. Plant roots hold soil particles together and prevent rain and wind eroding precious soil away.

Our native animals rely on native plants for food and shelter. The removal of habitat is one of the biggest threats facing our native animals. In a low cost, relatively easy way, we can regenerate and restore habitat by planting indigenous grasses, shrubs and trees.

Other benefits include: spending time in nature is good for our health and well being, trees provide shade and cool the climate. They even reduce the noise in our busy cities! How marvelous is God’s gift of creation, given to us to be freely shared?

Vinnies Winter Sleepout - Thursday 11 August

We have registered for a Vinnies Winter Sleepout taking place on the evening of Thursday 11 August (prior to the Circuit Breaker long weekend). This will be run from your own homes, couches, and backyards. There will be a short Google meet session for all participants during the evening for some information and reflection. 

What is a Vinnies School Sleepout? 

The Vinnies School Sleepout allows students and school communities to get a glimpse of the realities of homelessness on a personal level by ‘sleeping rough’ for one night. The Sleepout encourages students and teachers to gain a deeper understanding of street life, raise awareness of the realities faced by homeless people and raise funds to support Vinnies homeless services in the local community.

How can you get involved?

We are calling for our Mercy community to come together in solidarity and give up one night in a warm, comfortable bed to help raise funds and awareness about homelessness and disadvantage in our very own backyard. Please join our Sleepout or give now to help us reach our fundraising goal which will assist Vinnies provide support for those in our community who need it the most.

Community Lunch - Wednesday 3 August

This week Mercy Regional College is cooking and serving lunch at the Uniting Church as part of the Community Lunch program. A big Thank you to Wendy and Robyn for preparing and cooking the food and also to our hard working and enthusiastic Social Justice team from the O’Keeffe Campus who will be helping to serve the food on the day. 

Winter Warmers

On 18 July, Year 11 VCAL class had the pleasure of making food for the local parishioners of St Patrick's Catholic Church in Camperdown. This initiative was an extension of the Winter Warmers awareness campaign organised by the College at the end of Term 2.

The students planned to make and deliver healthy, delicious & satisfying two-course meals. The parishioners had the option of pumpkin or minestrone soup with a roll along with bread-and-butter pudding for dessert. The students organised an order form and cooked the meals, modifying the recipes to cater for individual needs.

Accompanied by staff member Rose Henry, the students delivered the meals and handwritten cards, thanking the parishioners for their support of the initiative. 

The students were greeted with smiles and lovely conversations. Many of the people who received the delivery live alone, and the 'winter warmers' were a real highlight of their day. The parishioners greatly enjoyed a chat with the younger generation and praised them for their efforts. The students were overwhelmed by how grateful the parishioners were for the meals. It was overall a rewarding experience for both our students and the community.

Rose Henry
Senior School Administrator

Sports Report

HSSSD Basketball

The interschool basketball season kicked off on Friday 22 July with a few great victories by our Mercy teams.

Our Intermediate Boys and Girls are advancing to the next stage after winning every game they played on the day. In the senior division, we had two teams representing the College. The Year 11s managed to win over Year 12s only by a few points and will be heading off to the GWR tournament on Friday. Congratulations to all participants and coaches and a special Thank you to our intern Tia Stinchcombe for mentoring our female players.

Library News

Book Club

If you are passionate about books and enjoy talking about what you are reading - come along to MRC Book Club! If you haven’t read the book this time - it won’t matter at all - bring your ideas for the next book and enjoy the company of other book lovers! 

Shelftalkers

Shelftalkers has been established by the School Library Association of Victoria as a platform for young people, at both primary and secondary school level, who love books and reading. It offers a home for the sharing of written reviews with their peers and also an insight into the opinions of others. MRC registered to become a part of this initiative and received several books for our library, from a publishing house linked to the project. In return, students are invited to submit a review of the books which are then published. The aim is to develop a resource that enriches pleasure reading, promotes choice, student voice and the skill of review writing. We are fortunate to have four reviewers who are currently reading and preparing to review these books. We thank these students for their time and effort and look forward to enjoying their reviews when complete. Great effort from Holly, Annie, Sarah and Alani!

Wheelers e-Books and Audiobooks

Check out the new additions, in particular to the Wellness Collection. A wide range of titles including audiobooks - something for everyone!

Maureen O'Loughlan
Library Manager

MRC Car Raffle - Early Bird

The Early Bird prize of MRC Car Raffle was drawn today. Congratulations to Mary Lee from Melbourne on winning a $300 MRC School Fees Voucher! Mary and Stan Lee have been committed supporters of the Car Raffle and the College, with all their children and many of their grandchildren attending MRC over the years. They will kindly donate the voucher back to the College to be added to the MRC scholarship fund for 2023. Thank you, Mary and Stan!

The recording of the draw is available at https://cutt.ly/ebd-22. 

The major prizes of the Car Raffle will be drawn on 30 November 2022. You can purchase your tickets online via the link below or stop by the College reception, local cafes and shops that have paper ticket books. We thank everyone who has supported our Car Raffle so far. 

Car Raffle Ticket Stall

We would like to thank our familes and staff who have kindly contributed their time to promote the raffle and volunteered at the ticket stall. 

If you or your family could spare some time to volunteer, please pick a shift via the form below. Your support will be greatly appreciated!

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Student Achievements

Cricket Emerging Players Program

Congratulations to Year 10 student Annabelle (Belle) who has been selected for the 2022-23 Under 19 Female Emerging Players Program. The program aims to identify, develop and prepare players for next level of representative cricket, providing them with the best opportunity to showcase their skills at the upcoming National Championships. Well done, Belle! We wish you all the best for the season!

Netball Association Championships

Congratulations to our Mercy students who played in the 2022 Association Championships representing Hampden Football Netball League. The 13/Under and 17/Under teams became state champions on Sunday 24 July.

They put out a strong performance in 13/Under running away with a nine goal win against St Albans/Caroline Springs. It was much closer in the 17s with Hampden just scraping past Banyule & District Netball Association by three goals. Fantastic effort!

Netball Victoria Talent Academy

Congratulations to MRC students who have been identified to trial for the 2023 Talent Academy and State program with Netball Victoria:

Under 15: Indiana, Lara, Matilda and Ruby
Under 19: Mary

Netball Victoria conducts Talent Identification (TID) during Netball Victoria competitions and tournaments. Talent scouts assess athletes to be considered for invitation to trial for the Netball Victoria Talent Academy and State.

We wish the girls all the best for their trials.

Alumni News

Ebony Marshall (Class of 2008)

We have caught up with Ebony Marshall (nee Brewer) from the Class of 2008 to ask her about her life journey.

As the store manager at Ritchies supermarket in Camperdown, Ebony successfully leads her team to offer high quality service to the local community.

Like many of our students, Ebony started working at Ritchies when she was at school and after finishing MRC got a full-time job as a front-end supervisor.

“I stayed in the job for a year or two and then I went travelling around Australia. I made it to Darwin where I worked as a housekeeping manager at one of the resorts.”

After a few years living in Darwin, Ebony decided to move back to Camperdown in 2013.

“I heard my Nan was selling her house, so it was perfect time to move back and buy her property. I was lucky enough to get a job at Ritchies again and that’s where I’ve been ever since.”

Ebony was made store manager of the Camperdown supermarket in 2018 and won the ‘Store Manager of the Year’ award in 2019 which was her first full year as the store manager.

Ebony admits that the most rewarding aspect of running a business in Camperdown is the people – staff & customers.

“Living in a small town is amazing, everyone is so friendly.”

Ebony cherishes the memories of her school years and the friendships that she made with her former classmates. One piece of advice that she would like to give to our students is “If you work hard when you are young – your hard work pays off in the end. Stay positive!”

We thank Ebony for her commitment to her work and for guiding many of our students through their first employment experiences at the supermarket. We are also grateful to Ritchies Camperdown for donating a $100 voucher to our Car Raffle this year.  

Upcoming Dates and Events

Wednesday 3 August - Community Lunch

Thursday 4 August - Debating Competition        

Friday 5 August - GWR Intermediate/Senior Basketball
                                      GWR Table Tennis       

Monday 8 August - Tuesday 9 August - Year 10 Retreat

Monday 8 August - Year 11 VCAL & IPA Indigenous Gardens Excursion

Friday 12 August - Monday 15 August - Circuit Breaker Long Weekend

Saturday 13 August - Tindley House Feast Day

Tuesday 16 August - Year 7 2023 Enrolment Interviews, 3pm - 6pm @ Noorat

Wednesday 17 August - Year 7 2023 Enrolment Interviews, 3.00pm - 6.00pm @ Camperdown

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

Second-Hand Uniform Items

Catholic School Parents Australia - Upcoming Survey

The Australian government has asked CSPA to enter into an agreement to inform them of existing and emerging issues that are of concern to Catholic school families, especially those issues that impact their children’s health, wellbeing and/or learning. In particular, they are keen to hear the perspectives of parents and carers from families of children with challenges around learning, and from families with children in remote school settings.

School changes resulting from the pandemic have placed formidable challenge on some school communities and this no doubt will dominate the perspectives of many. On behalf of families, CSPA would like to thank Catholic schools for their overall response to COVID during this ongoing period of teaching/learning and wellbeing challenge for staff, students and families. Many stories have been shared of how schools have positively responded during this time.

CSPA represents and advocates for all families with children and young people in Australia’s 1762 Catholic schools. CSPA works through the State and Territory Catholic parent bodies, in collaboration and consultation with the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC), and is recognised by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference through the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education.

The survey can be accessed through this link.