MRC Newsletter - Issue 5 - 28 April 2021

Prayer

Principal's Message

On Sunday, we paused and gathered across the nation to reflect on the contribution made by past and present service personnel who have displayed great courage, discipline and self-sacrifice in choosing a life of service to their country.  We especially paused to remember the gallant who gave their lives in the two Great Wars, Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.  For our Mercy community, this opportunity occurred at many local services across our region at Terang, Noorat, Mortlake, Cobden, Timboon and Camperdown.  I thank all students, staff and families for their involvement and attendance, inclusive of our students who laid wreaths, read, marched, provided music and supported local RSLs to facilitate such purposeful and meaningful gatherings.  I share with you an excerpt of the prayer written and read by Mr Bill Duncanson at the Camperdown service which pays tribute to all those who have served our nation so selflessly. We will remember them. Lest we forget.

We are reminded of the words of Jesus found in John’s Gospel, “Greater love has no one than someone who lays down their life for their friends.”

It is this love of friends and country that we remember this morning  as Australians and New Zealanders share the memory of brave souls who 106 years ago in a foreign land made the supreme sacrifice at Gallipoli, and as the years have passed equally remembered are the men and women who have made similar sacrifice in later conflicts and theatres of war.

Because of their sacrifice and that of all other service men and women, we can stand here and give thanks for the freedom we enjoy in this land of Australia, and pay homage to those whose lives were cut short in their efforts to preserve that freedom for us and hopefully many generations to follow.

Most people gathering at cenotaphs around the nation this morning do not know what it is to say goodbye to a loved one as they leave the country they love to fight for freedom, and to defend our peaceful lives.

But many millions around the world did know, and many received news that their loved one would not be returning.  Most of us do not know what it is like to return after years of combat, having seen atrocities so un-natural to humanity, trying to live with it and still make a normal life, wrestling with horrors in dreams, feeling the ache of old wounds, but many of our parents, grand-parents, great-grand parents and their close relatives and friends did.  We prayerfully remember with sorrow the lasting impact of war to the widowed, the orphaned, the permanently maimed, whether physically or mentally from all wars, and those who have found it all too much.  We acknowledge those still engaged in modern day armed services at the ready to preserve our freedom and safety. 

As we remember all their courage, their suffering, their grief with gratitude, may we all commit to good works in our Communities and maintain a spirit of justice, generosity, peace and harmony.

Term 2 has started with energy and enthusiasm.  Our Year 9 students have already visited Halls Gap for their camp and our Year 11 students spent a day visiting tertiary institutions to inspire their learning and career planning.  We celebrate the wonderful achievement of our swimmers, Matilda Darcy and Kiarna Murfett, and our U14 relay team of Kailam Bateman, Finn Darcy, Hamish Dean and Parker Walsh, who represented Mercy at the School Sport Victoria State Swimming Championships.  Our Year 8 students will this week participate in their camp at Cooriemungle and in sport our Volleyball and Clay Target Shooters will represent Mercy at local and regional levels.  I thank our staff for giving up their time to enable our young people to have such experiences. Without willing and supportive staff and supportive parents, these opportunities cannot occur for our young people.  Thank you.

Our learning partnership with parents will be enhanced this week as our Parent Teacher Student learning conferences take place.  Building on our learning from 2020, Monday afternoon saw all conferences facilitated virtually using Google Meet, whilst Tuesday provided the much anticipated return to face to face meetings on site at McAuley Campus, Camperdown, recognising COVID-19 requirements.  I encourage families to take up this opportunity to further engage in the learning of their children. 

I share with parents a unique opportunity provided this year through special Victorian Government tutor program funding. On the back of our 2020 Remote Learning experience, the State Government has funded all schools to employ tutors in 2021 to enhance student learning outcomes and support the work of our diligent teachers.  This is an amazing opportunity for our students.  At VCE level, we are grateful to the skills and support of experienced VCE teachers, Jennie Darcy and Mark Alexander.  Year 12 and Year 11 students have the opportunity to partake in 1-on-1 or small group tutoring sessions with Jennie in English and/or Mark in Mathematics.  With English being the only compulsory VCE study area, this opportunity to enhance skills and learning is very much appreciated.  We also welcome former Mercy staff member Georgia Copeland, who is conducting group tutoring at Junior School level, and Janine Fitzpatrick at Middle School.  Parents wishing to find out more about accessing tutoring are asked to contact Assistant Principal Daniel Glennen.

With our change in governance to DOBCEL, a number of policies and procedures are required to be updated, implemented and shared.  I thank MRC Compliance Officer Mel Sinnott for her work on this project.  Our DOBCEL Digital Technologies Procedure requires students, staff and parents to ‘sign’ annually the Digital Technology: Acceptable use and Cyber-safety Agreement.  Parents have recently been asked to complete this through PAM.  I thank you for your support.  The Victorian Institute of Teaching has recently released a revised Code of Conduct in line with the profession’s revised Code of Ethics.  The Code of Conduct identifies a set of principles which describe the professional conduct, personal conduct and professional competence expected of a teacher by their colleagues and the community.  It is based on the values set out in the accompanying Code of Ethics - integrity, respect and responsibility.  This VIT Code of Conduct can be found alongside our DOBCEL Code of Conduct, Parent Code of Conduct and other relevant Child Safety policies and procedures on our website. 

Finally, I am able to give an update on our ongoing development at our Noorat O’Keeffe campus. Our court coverage project is set to resume this week with favourable wind conditions.  We hope for the court to finally be covered and provide protection for our students from rain and sun by the end of Week 2.  The court resurface requires an extended period of mid range temperatures.  Whilst we are hoping this can also occur it may be delayed until later in the year.  We will be able to open the court for usage to our students.  Our rain water harvesting from the roof of this structure can then be completed, providing a much needed watering system for our oval.  The oval has had new grass sods laid and has been top dressed and reseeded in order to greatly improve the playing surface. We thank the Glennen family for their generous support in ensuring our newly laid grass remained watered across the term break and our students who have been patiently allowing the grass to grow. 

With kindness

Sharon Gillett
Principal

Learning at Mercy

Assessments and grading

As we are in the thick of assessments and Parent Teacher Student Interviews this week, here is a reminder of how tasks are assessed across Years 7-10.

Throughout each term there is a focus on formative assessment, to allow feedback to both students and teachers.  This is ongoing and can include strategies such as verbal or written feedback, peer or self assessment, goal setting, and strategic questioning.  This is useful both for students to develop skills and knowledge, and for teachers to be able to target or tweak their instruction to address specific learning needs.

The assessment tasks which appear on SIMON will often be at the end of a unit, or teaching period, and are reported on a using 5 point grade scale which aligns with the Victorian Curriculum.  

A grade of proficient means the student is achieving at the expected state-wide level, and this is where we would expect most students to be.  A student may receive an overall mark of proficient, although show some areas in the skilled or developing range.  A mark of exceptional is used when a student is demonstrating skills at least twelve months ahead of the expected standard for their year level.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for Years 7 and 9 students will be held on Tuesday, 11 May, Wednesday, 12 May, and Thursday, 13 May.

This year Mercy will be conducting paper tests and students will complete the following:

• Language Conventions
• Writing
• Reading
• Numeracy

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests.  NAPLAN is just one aspect of Mercy’s assessment and reporting process. 

Students will receive an information letter this week in homeroom. 

If you would like to discuss anything further or to reschedule a test if your child is absent, please contact myself or Lydia Darcy on 5593 2011.  For more information, please visit https://www.nap.edu.au/home. 

Daniel Glennen 
Assistant Principal - Learning 

Wellbeing at Mercy

Cyber Safety - Protecting our students & children

Flipside - Brainstorm Production - Wednesday 31st March

At the end of Term 1, the Year 7-10 students were presented with a live performance called The Flipside.  It challenged the students to reflect on cyber bullying, online safety, values and responsible use of technology.  The performance highlighted the importance of personal responsibility, empathy, respect and resilience in the online world.  This encouraged the students to think critically about their online behaviour and provided strategies for respectful communication.  Challenging students perspectives on what's humorous, toxic, humiliating, informative, safe, or appropriate online. 

The  young, professional performers interacted with discussion time with the students and our students demonstrated a real interest, asking many relevant questions.

As a follow up from this performance, it is a good chance to reinforce the messages in the presentation and have a chat with your child at home.  It is also an opportune time to review what we all can do to protect our students while online under our own roof.  Some good resources for all parents are at our finger tips and there is no better place than the Government's esafety website. Below are some areas that can be addressed on the site.

Webinars for Parents and Carers

As well as this information, there are some really good online webinars all parents can access to gain skills and awareness on the topic of esafety.  

These live webinars explore the latest research and they are a great way to learn how you can help your child develop the skills to be safer online.  All sessions are delivered by eSafety's expert education and training team.  These are outlined below:

eSafety's guide to parental controls

This Term 2 webinar will look at how parents and carers can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online.  It is designed for parents and carers of children aged 4-13.  It will cover:

• the benefits and limitations of parental controls
• how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
• how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
• using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
• how eSafety can help when things go wrong.

This webinar will include practical tips, demonstrations and advice.  REGISTER NOW

Dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

• Tuesday 4 May 12.30 to 1.30 pm
• Wednesday 5 May 12.30 to 1.30 pm
• Thursday 6 May 7.30 to 8.30 pm
• Tuesday 8 June 12.30 to 1.30 pm
• Wednesday 16 June 7.30 to 8.30 pm

As a school we hope to offer a parent forum to assist parents in this area so stay tuned.  We are looking forward to helping everyone stay safe online.

Wellbeing Team

Faith at Mercy

We hope you were able to spend time with family and friends during the recent holidays.  May the renewal of life bring new blessings of love, hope, peace, good health, and happiness to you and your loved ones throughout the special Easter period.

The Way of the Cross

During the last week of school and in the lead up to Easter, students at the McAuley Campus were involved in a Way of the Cross activity and reflection in Religion classes. 

Students at the O’Keeffe campus also came together in year level groups on the final day of Term 1 to celebrate and reflect on Easter.  Led by Fr Mick McKinnon, the students made a spiritual pilgrimage along the avenue in Noorat, stopping along the way to share the narrative of the Passion of Christ and reflect on Christ’s journey to the cross. 

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Caritas / Project Compassion Fundraising

“The Christian mission has only one focus: to change the lives of individual’s lives so that they can change the world.” - Pope Francis

During Term 1, our social justice focus was on raising awareness and much needed funds for Caritas Australia.  This was through our support of the Project Compassion ‘Be More’ 2021 campaign.  Our students at both campuses were involved in many different activities throughout the course of the term, including icy-pole sales, money lines, selling of muffins and the Year 12 ‘Aussie’ themed dress up day. 

We managed to raise over $500 for our efforts which will be well spent on some of the projects we looked at in RE and Mercy classes throughout the campaign. For further information on what some of the money from our donations will be spent follow the link:  www.caritas.org.au. 

Year 9 Camp

On Wednesday, 21 April, 75 Year 9 students, along with 10 staff members, headed to Halls Gap for camp.  They participated in various activities across the three days such as canoeing, high ropes, hiking, initiatives, and an amazing race around the township of Halls Gap.  All students participated in the activities with enthusiasm.  One of our camp facilitators, Tim, spoke to all students after the high ropes activity about moving from our comfort zones to our stretch zones.  It was really evident across camp that many students were stretched in some capacity, whether it was completing the high ropes course, working with different peers and staff or even assisting with meal times!  We hope that students were able to gain something from this experience and were able to take some time to reflect on their achievements. 

Student highlights included:

All the activities - especially the team initiatives because you got to practice teamwork.  Ruby Kenna

Getting to know people who I didn’t know as well before camp.  Lily Cusack

Working together with new people in our groups (outside our normal classes).  Hayley Collins

Wilba Cheeseman’s demonstration on the high ropes.  Eddie Baker

High ropes.  Darcy Vick

Parmas for dinner the first night!  Thomas Noy

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Year 11 Careers Day

Our Year 11 students spent time last week visiting regional tertiary institutions as part of their careers and pathways education program.  Some students visited Deakin University, the Jobs and Skills Centre and South West TAFE in Warrnambool, another group visited the Australian Catholic University and Federation University in Ballarat, and the third group visited Deakin University at Waurn Ponds. 

Students looked at courses, facilities and accommodation options, and spoke with current students and careers staff.  With open days mostly online at the moment, this was a wonderful opportunity for students to view the local and regional tertiary environment in person and learn more about some of the options available to them in future years.  They also learned about links between TAFE and universities, the availability of scholarships and other financial arrangements and career trends.

A big thank you to our Careers Adviser Kym Penry for organising the day with the various institutions, and to the staff who travelled with the students - Mrs Fraser, Ms Jenkins, Ms Jensen, Mr Lee, Miss Lourey, Mrs Henry and Mrs Bruckner.

VCAL News

Last week our Year 12 VCAL students completed their barista training with Hayley from SWTAFE. They enjoyed the day working on their skills and some staff were the lucky guinea pigs. Year 11 students completed their training earlier in the year.

The remote learning and COVID-safe requirements of 2020 provided little scope for applied learning opportunities for most VCAL students, so they are enjoying the chance to get back into workplace learning this year.  The coffee business incorporates skills across all aspects of the VCAL course - literacy, numeracy, work related skills, and personal development skills.

After a few more training sessions perfecting their brewing and pouring, and some time finalising their business model and action plan, students will have their school based coffee business up and running again.   They plan to sell coffee and other hot beverages to school staff and possibly Year 12 students.  Steps involved are comprehensive and include advertising and marketing, occupational health and safety, risk assessment, ordering, sponsorship and supplies, pricing and sales, scheduling, resource management, customer service, feedback and sustainability.  

The part of the course I enjoyed the most was learning to froth the milk to the right consistency. The program overall was such a great experience and to have a certificate up our sleeves is even better.  | Chantai Lester

I loved learning how to make the different types of coffee, and the smell is what I enjoyed the most.  | Jehrin Bateman

I really enjoyed doing the barista course, as it will be helpful if I ever get a job in hospitality and I love coffee so it's a bonus!  |  Brydie Foote

The mains skills I learned in the barista course were how to make quality coffees and how to pour the milk into the cup for the perfect amount of foam.  I found getting the milk to be silky a challenge.  |   Melinda Croft

VCAL students also spent time last week making tea light candle holders for use in ANZAC Day reflections in classrooms at both campuses.

Tania Bruckner
VCAL Teacher

VCE Media

Year 11 VCE Media students explored the codes and conventions of different genres in a variety of media products in Term 1.  Here is a snapshot of an assessment where they were required to come up with a stereotypical character with villainous attributes and then provide a media analysis on their finished product. 

Chamon Vogels
VCE Media Teacher

ANZAC Day

Mercy has a strong tradition of remembrance - for ANZAC Day in April and Remembrance Day in November.  This year, we held services at our O'Keeffe and McAuley campuses, and many students and staff represented our school at local marches and services. 

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ANZAC Day is when we remember the sacrifices of generations who have come before us.  On 25 April, 1915 men from all over Australia and New Zealand landed at Gallipoli in Turkey as part of an allied campaign to defeat Germany and her allies.  Women provided unwavering support as nurses and from the homefront.

ANZAC Day also recalls those who served in later wars in which Australia has been involved; World War 2, conflicts in Korea, Malaya and Vietnam and the more recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as various peace-keeping forces around the world.

The following is a reflection on the impact of war - Coming home.

Coming home

As the guns fell silent on November 11, 1918 and the story broke, rejoicing erupted from Paris and London.  When the news hit Melbourne, people celebrated in the streets, hanging off trams, waving flags and setting off firecrackers.  After more than four years of conflict and countless casualties, the war had ended.  

But the Great War left a vast legacy of sorrow that was felt for generations. The loss of 60,000 Australians meant that scarcely a family was left untouched.  Our proportion of casualties was among the highest of all nations.  As Les Carlyon wrote in ‘The Great War’;

People back home could explain the loss of a son or husband with one word.  They simply said ‘Pozieres’ or ‘Passchendaele’. Many wives of dead soldiers never remarried…stared at a photo of a young man with bright eyes…dreams abandoned, lives without purpose…one long funeral for a generation…

Communities in nearly every city and town erected memorials to honour their war dead. Rolls of honour were erected in schools and halls. Some communities built memorial drives or avenues of honour.  The Returned Sailors and Soldiers’ League first sold Armistice Day poppies in 1921, and used the proceeds to assist returned soldiers, widows and their children.  Victorian school children raised funds to rebuild the school in Villers-Bretonneux, where many of their relatives had died in the town's liberation.  The symbols live on today as places to gather, learn and remember.

The Repatriation Department provided some assistance to dependents of deceased soldiers. War widows were offered the chance to learn new trades, such as millinery, and a fund to educate the children of deceased and blinded soldiers was established.  The Shrine of Remembrance was created to meet the needs of the grieving community.  19,000 Victorians were killed, many missing. They would forever be ghosts, with no known graves.  For years, military headquarters received letters from distressed mothers who refused to believe their sons could simply have vanished; perhaps a mistake had been made?  The great physical distance separating Australian families from lost soldiers and nurses added to their pain and suffering.  Unlike the pilgrimages to Gallipoli or the Western Front that are so common today, visits in those days were rare.  The Shrine was a place of comfort.

But what of the living?  For many survivors, the horrors of war didn't end when they returned home. Ongoing health problems, physical and mental, often meant unemployment, disability, pain, even suicide. Some convalesced in Red Cross homes or ANZAC hostels.  Vocational training was offered to those whose apprenticeships were disrupted by their enlistment.  Some soldiers and nurses threw themselves into work and their communities – farming, retraining in trades, starting families and playing sport.  Perhaps keeping busy kept the horrors at bay.  Many were so traumatised by their experiences they could not talk about them.  My Dad said as kids they would sit huddled at the kitchen door when his Father’s war mates would call, longing to hear the stories he wouldn’t, or couldn’t share with his family.  Perhaps there seemed no point in burdening families with the horrors of Gallipoli, Bullecourt or Pozieres.

And for women?  By the end of 1918 there were around 84,000 more women than men in Australia.  1 in 10 Australian males died in the War, almost a lost generation.  There were so few men left or not ruined for life that many young women would never marry, becoming known as maiden aunts.  Many women lost more than one son.  The ever-growing casualty lists took up whole columns of newspapers.  More than 150 families lost 3 sons, and at least 5 families lost 4 sons.  Frederick and Maggie Smith of Yongala, South Australia, lost 6 of 7 sons.  Lottie, the only daughter, never spoke of her dead brothers – ‘In our family it is the unsaid’.  The remaining son, Francis died in 1923, after being hit by a tram.  The family never knew if his death was accidental or deliberate.

With the men gone, many women had to raise their infants alone, relying on charities and donations of food and clothes. Those mothers who had children old enough to look after themselves often found they had to work to compensate for the loss of their husband's income (although government assistance was available to some). At a time when women's wages were around 50 percent less than men's and the standard working-week was 48 hours, life for the working woman was very tough.  Many women also spent the war volunteering with the Red Cross and other groups, producing mountains of knitted, sewn and baked goods and sending them to the troops and prisoners of war.

Over 90,000 Australian families experienced the physical or mental injuries of their loved ones on return. Mothers and sisters became the primary carers of these broken soldiers and nurses.  At least one generation of women and children bore the brunt, a sacrifice that is not mentioned in any war records.  The Repatriation Department did not formally recognise the responsibility, cost and stress on the families of returned men and women with disabilities.  Maybe this is of its time, as the burden on a man of not being able to support himself or provide for his family might well have caused great shame.  

And some words from Prime Minister Paul Keating’s powerful speech on the return of the unknown soldier in 1993:

It was a lesson about ordinary people – and the lesson was that they were not ordinary.

On all sides they were the heroes of that war; not the generals and the politicians but the soldiers and sailors and nurses – those who taught us to endure hardship, to show courage, to be bold as well as resilient, to believe in ourselves, to stick together.

Tania Bruckner
Humanities Teacher

Library Resource Centre Report

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premiers’ Reading Challenge (PRC) is now open and Mercy Regional College is excited to be participating.

I would like to invite all students in Years 7-10 to participate in the PRC.  The aim of the Challenge is to promote a love of reading. It is not a competition, but a challenge to each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely.

Students are invited to register for this challenge which has now opened and will officially end in September. Students who accept the Challenge will need to read 15 books during this time.  Some books must be selected from the book lists available, while others may be the reader’s choice.  Each child must register as a Challenger and keep a record of their reading online.  The books will then be verified by a coordinator at school.

I strongly urge you to encourage your child to be a part of this Challenge.  There is no cost involved and at the end of the challenge, each child who has successfully completed the task, will receive a Certificate of Recognition and their name will be listed in an online Honour Roll.  During the Challenge, incentive prizes will be awarded to worthy participants.  We conclude the Challenge with an ‘Enrichment Day’ to further enhance and nurture a strong connection to literature.  House points will also be awarded to all participants.

This program has been a resounding success at Mercy for several years.  With this in mind, I wish to continue to inspire our students to meet this challenge and in the process, further develop their reading, comprehension and independent learning.

Book Club - Save the Date!

Coming soon!  The College is introducing a Book Club for parents and friends of the Mercy Community.  If you enjoy a good book and some informal discussion in a social setting - this is the place for you!

The first two books on our reading list will be:

• Lenny's Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley

You can pick up these books from your preferred retailer or local library and snuggle up for a good read before our first meeting.  The books can also be found on eBook and audiobook platforms.

Refreshments will be provided. For more information please contact moloughlan@mercy.vic.edu.au.

Maureen O'Loughlan
Library Manager

Sport Report

State Swimming Championships

Six of our students made it through to the School Sport Victoria State Swimming Championships this year.  They headed to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Thursday, 22 April to compete in their events.  The competition was very strong at the event, with a number of records broken.

Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding swimming season:

• Matilda Darcy, Year 8 - competed in the U14 50m Breaststroke and the 200m Individual Medley
• Kiarna Murfett, Year 10 - competed in the U16 50m Breaststroke
• Kailam Bateman, Year 8, Hamish Dean, Year 9, Hamish Dean, Year 9, and Parker Walsh, Year 7 - competed in the U14 freestyle relay.

Canteen Menu - Autumn / Winter

The canteen menu at the McAuley Campus has been updated for the autumn and winter seasons.  Homemade soup will be available to order and the flavour will change weekly.  A message will be posted on Daily Notices on SIMON (students) and PAM (parents) each week to advise what the soup will be.  We look forward to the variety and a delicious meal to warm us up from the inside during these cooler months!

Careers

• University Early Entry programs – Australia National University, University of New England, La Trobe University, Charles Sturt University
• Year 13 Career Expo
• VCE and Careers Expo
• Upcoming career events
• Updates from Australian Catholic University, University of Wollongong, and La Trobe University
• Careers in Banking – Virtual Internship with Citibank
• UNSW Bragg Student Prize of Science Writing
• How to research university and TAFE courses

• Construction careers – complete an online program and go into the draw to win $1000!!
• University Early Entry programs – Australia National University, University of New England, La Trobe University, Charles Sturt University, Victoria University (Yr 12)
• Year 13 Career Expo – attend the Expo and go into the draw to win $10,000!!
• Careers in STEM quizzes and information articles
• Victoria Police – recruitment information and resources
• National Security Careers – IT apprenticeship program opening soon!
• Upcoming career events
• Updates from several universities

School Photos 2021

Our annual school photos have been taken and are now ready to order. 

Arthur Reed Photos uses an online ordering system where you can view your photos prior to ordering.  On photo day all students received a flyer which includes a code unique to them.  You will require this 2021 code to register online and view your photos.

If you have already registered, you will receive an email or SMS from Arthur Reed Photos with a link to view your photos.  If you have not yet registered, please go to order.arphotos.com.au and enter your code to complete your order.  

If you have misplaced your registration code, please contact the Arthur Reed Photos customer service team directly on 5243 4390 or customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Please note that you will need to register online with your 2021 photo code to gain access to this year’s images.  

All photo packages are being sent home in 2021, so please ensure that you enter the correct details and nominated shipping address upon checkout.  

If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 or email customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Alumni News

Meg Lenehan, Class of 2016

We have reconnected with Meg Lenehan from the Class of 2016 to see what she has been up to since she left school.  After graduating from Mercy Regional College, Meg went on to study nursing and midwifery at Deakin University in Warrnambool.  Meg is currently learning the practical side of the profession on placement at the Warrnambool Base Hospital.  Meg admits that she is fortunate to be learning from a highly experienced team that handle all the unexpected things on the ward calmly and professionally.

Meg is hoping to get some clinical experience in the next couple of years before she becomes a maternal child nurse.  She is planning to return to the south west region to work in the local community that she is very passionate about.

Meg says that her interest in medicine started when she was at school.  She is appreciative of the support of her teachers who were eager to pass on their knowledge and to find the right pathway for every student.  ‘I had a great opportunity to choose the courses I enjoyed.  The College helped me match my interests with real career choices,’ says Meg.  ‘The teachers always pushed me to do my best and I’m extremely grateful for that.’

Looking back at her years at Mercy Regional College, Meg says that she misses the diversity of the Mercy classroom.  ‘One of the greatest things about the College was that everyone was so different. We had students coming from so many areas, from Lismore to Port Campbell.  Our classmates brought in their unique experiences, unique backgrounds, and we learned a lot from each other.’

Meg told us that Senior School was one of the best times of her life.  As a piece of advice for our current students, Meg would like to remind them not to waste time away.  It may be tempting for some to finish school and start working as soon as possible, but the support and guidance that they are getting from the teachers cannot be replicated in the big world.

We wish Meg all the best with her studies and look forward to seeing her around our region as a young professional.

Upcoming Dates and Events

28-30 April - Year 8 Camp, Cooriemungle

Wednesday, 5 May - House Cross Country

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

11-13 May - NAPLAN

24 May - Mercy Day

23-29 May - Catholic Education Week (celebrating 200 years)

Monday, 31 May - Book Club

Tuesday, 1 June - Living With Teens event

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