MRC Newsletter - Issue 4 - 30 March 2021

Prayer

Principal's Message

Our final week of school for the term coincides with the most important week in our Catholic Christian calendar - Holy Week.  Beginning with Palm Sunday, Holy Week includes the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday before the celebration of Easter Sunday.  The Easter Triduum memorialises the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

At Mercy, we will celebrate Holy Week and Easter with students and staff participating in the Way of the Cross.  In a sense, the Way of the Cross is a mini-pilgrimage through the events that covered the final hours of Jesus’ life on Earth.  For students at our Junior O’Keeffe Campus in Noorat, Fr Mick will join each group to help provide context for the students as well as his blessing.  Students and staff at our Senior McAuley campus will experience the Way of the Cross in RE class or year level groups.  

I have been reflecting on the uncertainty caused by the events of this past year and again more recently by the floods in northern NSW and most recent COVID19 cases in Queensland.  In a way the themes of uncertainty, fear, trauma and loss that these events bring parallel the themes of Easter. The passage of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum this year will have particular resonance for us all with the hope of resurrection parallel to our hope for opportunities made possible through vaccination around the world as well as ongoing community support for those who may be suffering. 

I take this opportunity to thank all families and prospective Mercy students who joined us for Open Day.  The opportunity to share the unique culture and educational opportunities that Mercy Regional College offers is something for which we are grateful.  I thank our staff and students for their dedication, both in preparation for the event and for their generous involvement.  It was wonderful to see so many current students coming in to share the opportunities available at Mercy and their love of their school and our community.  Thank you to students and families for embracing our Independent Learning opportunity.  For those who may have missed the opportunity, please contact our Registrar, Nicole Darcy, at ndarcy@mercy.vic.edu.au for an information pack and to arrange a tour.

Our School Improvement Plan Review took place last week across Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  The preparation for our review has taken almost 18 months and provided an opportunity for our staff, students and families to reflect on our progress to achieving our school improvement goals originally set in 2015 and addressed across 2015 to 2020.  Our 2021 Review Report will be shared with us early in Term 2 and will allow the College to develop a new School Improvement Plan to guide our work in improving the educational outcomes for students across the next five year cycle.  I sincerely thank all parents, students and staff for their involvement and congratulate our community on their achievements.

In our prayers this week, we remember the family and friends of Kevin Bradshaw as they remember Kevin and celebrate his enriched and enriching life.

Friday saw some easing of COVID19 restrictions for Victorians.  For our students, there remains a requirement that if they are travelling on school buses that they wear a mask. 

Our College remains committed to working with our families as circumstances change.  I wish to reassure Mercy families that we want to and will assist you in every way possible to support your child’s enrolment.  We are committed to providing fast, flexible and confidential financial assistance to those who are in need.  If any parent or guardian has concerns about your financial situation, please contact finance@mercy.vic.edu.au so that we can explore confidential financial support arrangements.

With this being the final week of term, there is an early finish on Thursday in line with State bus times.  To enable this, we will work an adjusted timetable throughout the day.  All details are included on the SIMON notices.  Term 2 begins with Year 9 Camp, State Swimming and Lawn Bowls in Week 1 and Parent Teacher Student conferences and Year 8 Camp in Week 2.

I wish you all a lovely Easter and for our students and staff a safe and restful term break.

With kindness and gratitude.

Sharon Gillett
Principal

Learning at Mercy

Interim Reports and Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

The purpose of reports is to benefit the student, and inform parents/guardians on how their child is progressing and where or how they need to improve, particularly in skills development. Comments for improvement are evidence based, and relate to assessments and class tasks on SIMON, general class work, attitude, organisation, and so on. 

Reporting on student achievement and progress at Mercy occurs in a variety of ways:

• Parent/student/teacher interviews (twice a year)
• Interim reports each semester
• Summary semester reports
• Ongoing reporting via PAM
• Other communication, such as phone calls and emails

Comments on PAM (Parent Access Module) - Learning Areas are parent and student friendly and are easy to read and understand. Parents should not be surprised by student results in the semester report. They should have a general idea of their child’s progress via the interim report, PTS interviews, emails, phone calls or overdue letters home about work of an unsatisfactory standard. 

The Interim & Semester Reports - Work Habits, are reflective of a students application to their Learning, Self-Management & Social Interactions. 

LEARNING

• Strives for personal best 
• Meets deadlines 
• Uses class time constructively
• Collaborative in group tasks
• Completes set tasks

SELF-MANAGEMENT

• Punctual to class
• Has the appropriate books and equipment
• Makes responsible choices

SOCIAL INTERACTION:

• Well-mannered and respectful of others
• Co-operative
• Demonstrates empathy

Teachers report on assessment and future learning online and in an ongoing manner. You are encouraged to view these comments regularly via the Parent Access Module (PAM). As we work towards the conclusion of Term One, subjects will have Assessment and/or Class tasks available for you to review.

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews for Semester One will be held on the following dates: 

• Online via Google Meet on Monday, 26 April (4.00pm-7.00pm)
• Face to Face on Tuesday, 27 April (9.00am-5.00pm) 

Whilst Tuesday is considered a “teaching free day”  it is certainly not considered to be student-free and seen as a “day-off’ for students. Parents and students are encouraged to attend the interviews together. The idea is that the conversation is centred around the student and teacher, with parents listening and providing support for their child. This has the greatest impact on student learning, clarification and overall improvement of students growth 

Bookings will be made through PAM and parents will be notified prior to this.

Berni Sinnott
Deputy Principal

Parent Access Module (PAM)

The Parent Access Module (PAM) provides real time access to keep parents/carers informed and updated with their child/rens learning progress, important dates and key messages. 

Log on details are provided when your child first begins in Year 7.  If you are unsure of your details, or require assistance accessing your PAM account, please contact the reception at either campus. 

At Mercy, we strive to actively engage parents in their child/rens learning experience and the PAM module helps facilitate this. The aim is to support and improve student learning outcomes through positive & connected partnerships between home and school. 

To access your PAM account please visit https://pam.mercy.vic.edu.au.

Daniel Glennen 
Assistant Principal - Learning 

HCSN Taster Day  

On Thursday, 25 March, we played host to the three HCSN schools for the day: St Patrick's, St Thomas', and St Colman's.  The aim of the day was to allow students to experience school life at Mercy and for them to begin to familiarise themselves with the O’Keeffe campus.

In the morning sessions, each of the Primary Schools ran their scheduled class in the O’Keeffe Campus classrooms.  This was a big hit.  Students were then able to experience the little things like recess, lunch, social connections with students from the other schools - something which is uniquely part of the secondary experience.  The day concluded with Mercy staff facilitating a Domain based activity with each of the groups.  

It was great to see a number of families take up the invitation to collect their child from the O'Keeffe Campus and have a tour before heading over to our Open Afternoon at the McAuley Campus. 

We look forward to welcoming our HCSN students back to O’Keeffe later in the year and also at the McAuley Campus.

Wellbeing at Mercy

Our community came together on Friday, 19 March to support the national day of action against bullying.  During lunch students and staff wrote messages on how we can make our community inclusive.  These messages are now hanging on the walls at each campus.  We thank everyone that got involved.  

Whilst we wrapped up our awareness week, we should always remember to be kind, inclusive of all, take a stand when needed, and if you or someone you know ever experiences bullying, violence or harassment, make sure to reach out for support, whether that be family, a friend, school staff or external support services.

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Keeping Healthy Over the Holidays

Holidays are a good time to reset and refresh after a solid period of work and school for all members of the family.  It provides a fantastic time to reconnect, check in and enjoy what family and friendship provides us all.  Unfortunately for some it can be a hard time, especially if they are experiencing some aspects of isolation and loneliness.

Below are some tips on how we can all look out for each other and encourage family members to enjoy the time that holidays provide us all.  This information has been supplied by Headspace with a link to the page attached: https://eheadspace.org.au/friends-and-family/keeping-healthy-over-the-holidays/

Encourage them to stay connected
Social relationships are an important aspect of young people’s general wellbeing. Friends can provide both play and support, and spending time with friends is also important for keeping and building on existing friendships.

Encourage them to stay involved
Whether it is work, hobbies, clubs or sports – involvement with these can help a young person feel connected to their wider community.  

Partake in physical activity
If your young person is feeling down or finding things difficult, physical activities such as walking around the block, can help relieve stress and frustration.

Keeping to a regular routine
Getting a good sleep each night helps young people feel energised, focused and motivated. By getting up and going to bed at the same time each day can help normalise their body clock.

Some other important aspects that can make a difference is healthy eating and good sleep habits. Sticking to routine with sleeping is always a good chioce.

Hopefully everyone has a great Easter and enjoys the term break.  Travel safely and look after each other.

Wellbeing Team

Faith at Mercy

Holy Week Celebrations

This week is Holy Week and there will be a Way of the Cross at both campuses.  At the O'Keeffe Campus, students will be joined by Fr Mick McKinnon and together they will walk along the avenue at Noorat, stopping along the way to share the narrative of the passion of Christ.  This will be a special occasion for our students and will end with Fr Mick giving the community a special blessing.

At the McAuley Campus, students will complete a Way of the Cross during their RE lessons and they will also reflect on Christ’s journey to the cross and a reflection on Easter.  Classes can complete this inside their rooms or outside using spaces such as the Church yard or the oval.

Bringing the Language of Lent Into Context for Today.

Each week during the Church season of Lent, every homeroom will have access to a new poster, taking the Gospel reading and breaking that reading open in a way that may be more accessible to all of our MRC Community. 

The key points from the Sunday Gospel reading are highlighted.  Reflections on the Gospel allow these themes to be interpreted in a modern context.  There are questions to help focus on the Gospel message in our own lives and finally a prayer.

Lent is a time for contemplation and peaceful prayer; please enjoy these posters and may they help to enrich your Lenten experience this year. 

Jo Saunders
Liturgy Coordinator

Why do we get Easter Eggs at Easter? 

Charlotte Anderson, Year 10
McAuley News Team

You know that on Easter Sunday, the Easter bunny comes during the night and leaves the chocolate egg, otherwise known as Easter eggs, to all the children of the world.  But have you ever wondered what the eggs symbolise? And why do we get them on that day and are allowed to eat chocolate for breakfast without any  judgement?  Firstly, they symbolise new life; Easter eggs are also said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and his resurrection.

In the 13th century, eggs were a forbidden food during the Lenten season and on the last day it was a tradition to paint and decorate the eggs to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then they would eat the decorated eggs on Easter Sunday as a celebration.  Easter eggs weren't made from chocolate until the mid-1800s and gradually became popular around the world.

We hope you enjoy your Easter eggs this year with the knowledge of what they represent.  Happy Easter!

English News

Year 9 students have been delving into the world of poetry. 

• From slam poets to songs! 
• From metaphor to Iambic pentameter!
• From personification and alliteration to rhyming couplets and assonance!

Here are a few examples of poetic language from some writing exercises completed by students in 9A. 

Library Report

The Library Resource Centre has been abuzz with action at the O’Keeffe Campus in Term 1. Students have been actively participating in activities during lunch, creating a wonderful array of items such as God’s Eyes. These colourful additions made with popsicle sticks and wool, have provided a display for all to enjoy.  A dedicated group of Year 7 & 8 students were interested to learn the origins of the God’s Eyes and helped make an instruction sheet that others could follow.

The upcoming Easter holidays will be the perfect opportunity to read a book or two and peruse the Wheeler e-book and audiobook collection.  New titles to look out for include:

• Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
• Loveless by Alice Oseman
• Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann
• The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster

Happy reading!

Maureen O’Loughlan
Library manager

Sport Report

On Friday, 19 March, 21 students headed to Horsham after progressing to the Greater Western Region Swimming competition.  We are proud of their efforts and for representing our College so well.

We congratulate the following students on their wins: 

• Matilda Darcy – 14yo girls 50m Breaststroke and 200m individual medley
• Kiarna Murfett – 16yo girls 50m Breaststroke
• Hamish Dean, Kailam Bateman, Parker Walsh and Finn Darcy – 14yo boys 200m Freestyle Relay

What fabulous achievements!

Due to time running out on the Athletics day, Myles Sinnott was given an opportunity last week to jump for the record.  He achieved this with a mighty jump of 1.76m.  Congratulations Myles!

Careers

Alumni News

Upcoming Dates and Events

Term 1

Wednesday, 31 March - Catch up photo day

Wednesday, 31 March - The Flipside Presentation, Years 7-10 (Year 7 & 8s at McAuley Campus)

Thursday, 1 April - Last Day of Term, 2.10pm finish.  All bus travel an hour earlier than normal.

Term 2

Monday, 19 April - Term 2 Commences, normal school day

21-23 April - Year 9 Camp, Halls Gap

28-30 April - Year 8 Camp, Cooriemungle

26-27 April - Parent Teacher Interviews

Wednesday, 5 May - House Cross Country

Friday, 7 May - Teacher Professional Development Day / Student Free Day (no independent / remote learning)

Our school calendar is always available to be viewed through the Parent Access Module (PAM) - please see our handy hint in the pictures below. Further details for school events, student excursions, camps, and student assignment due dates, etc, can all be found on the PAM calendar.

For parents with students in Years 7 and 8, the O'Keeffe Campus' The Week Ahead publication can also be viewed via PAM; it is usually uploaded at the end of each week. 

Community Notices

We remember this most important week in our Catholic and Christian calendars - Holy Week.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and continues this week with the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday and finishing with Easter Sunday.