Principal's Message

Welcome to Mercy in 2022.

We are very pleased to share with our community our College Theme for 2022, “Opening the Doors of Mercy”. This theme was chosen by our 2022 Student Leadership Team to express our hopes for 2022 and the future. The theme is supported by Matthew's words "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy" (Matt. 5:7) and those of Catherine McAuley “We can never say "it is enough"'. Opening doors stimulates for me thoughts of welcome, hospitality, curiosity, wonder, thresholds and new horizons.  What thoughts does our theme inspire in you?

We enthusiastically welcomed last week 56 Year 7 students, 6 students new to Mercy in other year levels and new staff.  I share with you our new and returning staff for 2022:

We welcome new teaching staff members:

  • Claire Virgona - VCAL Coordinator - STEAM Coordinator - Teacher - VCAL, Product Design, Design Technology and STEAM.
  • Georgia Lucas - VET Allied Health Assistance -  First Year
  • Melissa Sinnott - VET Allied Health Assistance - Second Year
  • Leigh Van den Berghe - VET Information and Communications Technology

We welcome our West Vic Trainees:

  • Ashlee Pearson - Learning Support - O’Keeffe Campus
  • George Beasley - Sports and Events

We welcome back:

  • Margot Horan – Teacher - Mathematics and Tutor Learning Program
  • Stacey Madden - Teacher - VET Active Volunteering, VET Sport and Recreation - Sports Coaching, Year 12 MERCY
  • Georgia Copeland - Tutor Learning Program

MRC School Improvement Plan: 2021 to 2025

Our MRC School Improvement Plan (SIP) 2021 to 2025 was designed, after extensive community consultation, ready for implementation in 2021. The SIP is staged across 5 years with each year having a dedicated Annual Action Plan (AAP). We will publish our SIP as a formal document in the near future. Whilst all learning and school operations continue the decisions we make and actions you will witness are focused around improvement as described in our SIP and AAP goals.

 The three focus areas for 2021-2025 are:

  • Priority #1 - Vision and Mission 
  • Priority #2 - Learning and Teaching
  • Priority #3 - Leadership and Stewardship

We begin our work on Priority #1 Vision and Mission on Tuesday 15 February. We have engaged with consultant Audrey Brown (formally Director of Catholic Education Ballarat) to review and renew our MRC Vision, Mission, Mercy Core Values and College Mantra. Audrey will be onsite to work with students, staff and our School Advisory Council on Tuesday 15 February. 

We value the perspective and ideas of our parents and families and extend to you all the opportunity to be involved in the review through completion of a short survey as well as inviting you to join a virtual meeting with Audrey on Wednesday 23 February at 7.00pm should you wish. The survey can be accessed here and to register for the virtual meeting please email Nicole Darcy. We thank you in anticipation.

MRC School Advisory Council

The MRC School Advisory Council (SAC) is an important advisory group providing advice and support to the Principal and the Staff of the College. Members of the SAC are valued for their wisdom and the contribution they make to the functioning of the College and work together to ensure that the Mercy Core Values underpin the life of the College. Our SAC Chair is parent Julie Finney. We are currently seeking new council members. The SAC meet on the third Tuesday of each month during school terms onsite at McAuley Campus, Camperdown. We also have vacancies on our Building, Planning and Finance Committee and with a new Facilities Master Plan nearly ready for sharing, we would appreciate your support and involvement. If involvement in either group is something that interests you and you would like more information, please contact Nicole Darcy.

VCE VET Programs at MRC

We are very pleased to offer at MRC an extended program of VCE VET Subjects. They lead to nationally recognised qualifications and provide an opportunity for students to receive credit towards their VCE or VCAL. Some VCE VET programs offer scored assessment, most provide structured workplace learning and recognition. In 2022 we will facilitate onsite in Camperdown:

  • VET Allied Health Assistance 
  • VET Sport and Recreation - Sports Coaching*

* These two programs are run on a Thursday afternoon as block learning and are accessible to MRC students as well as any students from our local communities. Please contact Rose Henry for more details.

  • VET Building and Construction
  • VET Hospitality
  • VET Active Volunteering
  • VET Information and Communications Technology**

** These programs are run within our MRC timetable and are therefore accessible only to MRC students.

College Developments

The holidays provided an opportunity for the works on our court at O’Keeffe Campus to be completed. The court has been resurfaced with blue flexi pave and line markings refreshed with the addition of volleyball markings. New basketball backboards and rings and netball rings will be installed in the not too distant future.  

We also received our delivery of new innovative classroom furniture partly funded by the proceeds of our MRC Annual Car Raffle. We sincerely thank all who supported our raffle last year and every year. Without your support these improvements in our College would not be possible.

Junior School students at their first assembly on the new courts

College History

We have recently launched a dedicated MRC/CRC Alumni Facebook group. Please join by searching Mercy Regional College Alumni or click on the link in the Alumni News section of this newsletter. With our much anticipated 50th anniversary just 12 months away, we have begun planning our celebrations. Our 50-year history book is nearing completion and we thank Lachie Lee for his great work. The book will be released at the beginning of 2023.  We are reaching out to former students of MRC/CRC for ideas of events that you might like to have organised. You can share your ideas or volunteer your assistance by completing this form or contacting our Alumni Coordinator Katya Belokon at alumni@mercy.vic.edu.au.

MRC 50th Anniversary Event Ideas

I thank you for your partnership and support this past week as we put into place the requirements for a safe return to school. We maintain a commitment to the health and safety of our community and are working to ensure all College processes and events meet the stated CECV requirements. You will receive a notification each day that we are informed of a positive case that has attended onsite. No notification means no positive case reports. We will keep you updated regularly.

I leave you with a poem linking to our theme , “Opening the Doors of Mercy”.

With kindness

Sharon Gillett
Principal