MRC The Week Ahead 2024 Term 3 Week 10
Junior School
Mental Health Awareness at MRC:
This week we celebrated R U OK? day at O’Keeffe. It was great to see some conversations and learnings around mental health at MRC this week. This was then followed up with an early morning dip in Lake Bullen Merri. Thanks to the VCE-VM students for organising the morning, it was a great way to understand mental health and the impact it has on our day to day lives.
Uniform
With the change in season upon us, a check of uniform items is due. A number of students have uniform items with rips, holes or missing buttons. Now would be a good time to organise for these items to be repaired or replaced. It is also a good time to locate your school hat in time for Term 4, when hats will again be required for break times and PE classes.
If you are in need of new items from the uniform shop these can be ordered online or alternatively call into the uniform shop on Monday 12.00 pm – 4.00 pm or Thursday 8.00 am – 12.00 pm.
McAuley Cup/Shield
The McAuley Cup is a football carnival for selected O'Keeffe students. The school has been working with staff from Damascus College, Ballarat to develop a competition that gives students the opportunity to showcase school pride, belonging and connection. We also see this competition as an opportunity to celebrate the Mercy story and spirit.
The McAuley Cup showcases both girls' (McAuley Shield) and boys' football (McAuley Cup). The girls' game is the first game of the day, followed by the boys' game.
The competition will be held at the Sebastopol Football Netball Club, Marty Busch Reserve, Sebastopol. We will depart as follows:-
- O'Keeffe Campus Noorat - 8.00am
- McAuley Campus Camperdown - 8.20am
We will return as follows:-
- McAuley Campus Camperdown - 5.10pm
- O'Keeffe Campus Noorat - 5.30pm
The McAuley Shield will start at 10:00am, with the McAuley Cup commencing at 12:00pm.
Parents are welcome to attend to show support for the students on the day.
Contacts
We encourage you to contact your child’s MERCY teacher if you have any queries, questions or worries throughout the school year.
7A: Mr Tim Woodmason - twoodmason@mercy.vic.edu.au
7B: Mrs Leah Sinnott - lsinnott@mercy.vic.edu.au
7C: Mr Matt Irving - mirving@mercy.vic.edu.au
8A: Mrs Melanie Bourchier - mbourchier@mercy.vic.edu.au
8B: Miss Georgia O'Leary - goleary@mercy.vic.edu.au
8C: Mrs Mel Simmonds - msimmonds@mercy.vic.edu.au
O'Keeffe Leader/Assistant Principal
Matthew Irving - mirving@mercy.vic.edu.au
Kind regards,
Matthew Irving- Assistant Principal - O'Keeffe Campus
Tim Woodmason - O'Keeffe Campus Assistant
Upcoming Events
Term 3
Wednesday 18 September - McAuley Cup & Shield - Sebastopol
Thursday 19 September - Book Week Dress Up - Gold Coin Donation
- End Of Term Assembly
- Last Day of School Term 3 - 3.30pm Finish
Friday 20 September - Last Day Term 3 - Student Free
Middle School
Welcome
As we wrap up Term 3, we want to take a moment to celebrate our remarkable middle school students. This term has been jam-packed with retreat days, school activities, excursions, new electives, subject selections, and many sporting events. It's been wonderful to witness the enthusiasm and dedication our students have brought to these endeavours.
With a busy week in Week 9 finishing with the third annual Mercy Dip for Mental Health, followed by our whole school mass, we look forward to a quieter Week 10 to round out the term. Hopefully we may see some sunshine to enjoy during the week.
As we head into the term break, we hope all our students take this time to rest, recharge, and enjoy some quality time with family and friends.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back in Term 4.
Contact us on office@mercy.vic.edu.au if you know a Mercy student doing great things in the community and we will give them a shout out!
Term Four Assessments and Exams
Term Four always disappears very quickly, as the years’ classwork is wrapped up, final assessments are undertaken and exams are prepared for. Some Year 10s will be completing exams for their VCE studies, which will be held in Week 6, followed by a step up into Unit 3 studies. More information about the exam, assessment and step up schedule will be sent out next term, however if you know that your young people will be absent for any reason in Term Four please let us know so that we can work with you around ensuring everything is completed, and they are well prepared.
Uniform
With the change in season upon us, a check of uniform items is due. A number of students have uniform items with rips, holes or missing buttons. Now would be a good time to organise for these items to be repaired or replaced. It is also a good time to locate your school hat in time for term 4, when hats will again be required for break times and PE classes.
If you are in need of new items from the uniform shop these can be ordered online or alternatively call into the uniform shop on Monday’s, 12.00pm – 4.00pm, or Thursday’s, 8.00am – 12.00pm.
Year 9 Camp
Advanced warning, Year 9 camp will be occurring Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 of November. If you already know that you child will be absent those days can you please let Nickeeta (nroache@mercy.vic.edu.au) know for planning purposes. More information regarding the camp will be released via PAM early Term 4.
Kind regards,
Lydia Darcy and Nickeeta Roache - Middle Years Community Leaders
Upcoming Events
Term 3
Week 10
Wednesday 18 September - McAuley Cup
Thursday 19 September - Last Day for Students - 3pm finish
Term 4
Week 1
Monday 7 October - Term 4 commences
Thursday 10 October - GWR track and field - Select students - PAM permissions will be sent
Week 2
Wednesday 16 October - Year 10 RE excursion - See PAM for details for permissions closer to the date
Friday 18 October - Year 9 Retreat
Senior School
Dip for Mental Health
Today our Mercy community came together and took a dip for mental health. The VCE-VM students lead this awareness campaign as part of their Unit 4 requirements. The morning dip and shared brekky was a huge success raising roughly $850. We would like to thanks the following people and businesses for their generous donations:
- Comprade Eggs
- Ash Couch and Southwest Pressure washing
- Fonterra
- WellNest
- Benallack’s Sports
- Infinite Health
- Mercy Staff who donated bacon
If anyone else has awards or accolades to share please send them to myself (bsinnott@mercy.vic.edu.au) or Rose Henry (rhenry@mercy.vic.edu.au)
Student Leadership 2025
Student leadership for 2025 has commenced. Applications have closed. Interested students will be working on their application over the next few weeks with leaders being announced early Term 4.
Traineeships 2025
The Traineeship process for 2025 has been shared with all Year 12 students. We welcome parents to have a conversation with their child around this. If a traineeship with the HCSN isn’t what they are interested in, there are many others to consider. Please contact the school if you would like further detail in regards to the HCSN or other traineeships available.
Students Driving to School
If any students who have their driving licence and are intending to drive to school, please call in to see Rose to collect the form to register your details.
P.A.R.T.Y PROGRAM - Invite for Year 11 Students
The P.A.R.T.Y. Program has run at The Alfred since 2009 as an initiative of the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI) (www.ntri.org.au). The "P.A.R.T.Y. at The Alfred" programs provides participants with an authentic experience to create insight into the consequences that patients and their families are faced with because of risk‐related trauma.
Participants engage with paramedics, doctors, nurses, allied health practitioners, patients and their families in the hospital or outreach setting. Learning occurs through a combination of classroom‐based information delivery, interactive scenario based learning and proactive demonstrations.
The P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol & Risk-Related Trauma in Youth Groups) is a program that focuses on injury prevention. It takes students from an educational environment into a clinical environment showing first hand the consequences of a risk-taking behaviour.
DETAILS:
- Thursday 31 October
- 9.00am - 3.00pm
- Approximate time leaving from Camperdown - 6.00am
- Approximate time arriving at Camperdown - 6.00pm
There are limited spots available for this program (30). The first 30 students to submit this form will be allowed to attend (parent consent will also need to be obtained). All Year 11 students have been invited to apply for this program. Please discuss this with your child if you would like them to attend or call Berni at school if you would like to discuss further. There are a few links below for you to watch that give great insight to the program.
P.A.R.T.Y Program (extended version)
P.A.R.T.Y returns to The Alfred
Reminder: Student Illness or Absence and Medical Certificates
Now that we are into Term 3 and the weather is beginning to turn, it will be important for senior students to source medical certificates if they miss school due to illness. This can form evidence for special consideration in the case of extended absences, which are always unpredictable.
As we have clocked more than halfway through the year, we would like to take this opportunity to remind parents to contact the school if your son/daughter is going to be absent. Please call and inform the office on 5593 2011.
Kind regards,
Berni Sinnott - Senior School Community Leader
Upcoming Event
Term 3
Week 10
Monday 16 September - Year 12 Dress Up - Initials
Tuesday 17 September - Year 12 Dress Up - Movie/Show Characters
- Unit 4 English Practice Exam 1pm-4:30pm
Wednesday 18 September - McAuley Cup & Shield- Ballarat
- Year 12 Dress Up - Mercy Teachers
Thursday 19 September - Year 12 Dress Up - Celebrities
Friday 20 September - Last Day Term 3 - Student Free
Term 4
Week 1
Monday 7 October - Term 4 commences - All students to attend school
Tuesday 8 October - Corangamite Shire Careers/ Yr 12 - 1.30pm
Thursday 10 - GWR Track and Field - Ballarat