MRC The Week Ahead 2024 Term 4 Week 2
Junior School
Welcome Return
Welcome back to Term 4. We encourage everyone to regularly check the Parent Access Module (PAM), especially the calendar, to stay updated on all the upcoming events and important dates.
Uniform
A reminder that during Term 4, students need to ensure they have hats during PE classes and at recess and lunch times. This will take effect as of this Monday 14 October. Please ensure students have their hats or money to purchase a new hat by Monday. Hats are $17.50 to purchase, if students could have correct money that would be great.
If you are in need of new items from the Uniform Shop these can be ordered online or alternatively call into the Uniform Shop at the McAuley Campus on the following days and times; Mondays 12.00pm–4.00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 8.00am-12.00 pm.
Year 8 Cricket
On Friday 18 October, we will be having a group of Year 8 students participating in the Super 8’s cricket which will be held in Camperdown. Please ensure you read through the permission note that will be sent out through PAM early next week. Good luck to all the students that will be participating in this event.
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 4
Week 2
Friday 18 October - Super 8's cricket- Year 8's
Middle School
Welcome
Welcome back to Term 4.
Term 4 Assessments and Exams
Term 4 always disappears very quickly, as the years’ classwork is wrapped up, final assessments are undertaken and exams are prepared for. Some Year 10's 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 during the term, however if you know that your young people will be absent for any reason in Term 4 please let us know so that we can work with you around ensuring everything is completed and they are well prepared.
Year 9 Student Free Day - CANCELLED
All Year 9 students are to be at school on Friday 1 November 2024. Classes will run as normal. it will remain student free for our Year 8 students.
Year 9 Camp
Year 9 camp will be occurring from Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 of November. If you already know that your child will be absent those days can you please let Nickeeta (nroache@mercy.vic.edu.au) know for planning purposes.
Year 9’s also had their camp meeting this week. A couple of things to note, as part of the safety plan for the camp, we do request students bring their phone with them on camp. All phones will be collected from students at the end of the day and safely stored overnight. Students will be supplied with a Myki Card for the days that we are using public transport so they will not need to bring their own cards. Students may wish to bring some spending money with them. In the past some students have chosen to purchase their own snacks while exploring the CBD.
PAM permissions have been released with more information on what to pack etc. Please ensure that you read the attached letter on the PAM and complete permissions ASAP.
White Card Training
White Card training will again be offered to students at Year 9 and 10. The White Card is for students that wish to complete work experience with a trade or are completing a trade certificate through TAFE in 2025. This training will incur a cost to students and accounts will be forwarded to families in the coming weeks.
Year 10 students that have already completed this training do not need to repeat the training.
Training days (both days are compulsory):
Monday 2 December and Tuesday 3 December 2024.
Investiture of 2025 College Captains
As has been our tradition for many years at Mercy, the new College Captains and College Leaders will be presented to the school at a whole school Liturgy held on Tuesday 22 October at St Patrick’s Church Camperdown. During this Liturgy the 'Light of Leadership' will be handed over by the 2024 Captains to the 2025 Captains to begin their planning and preparation as Leaders of the school community at the same time as our class of 2024 head off into exams and graduate from our school. All students will be present at this special ceremony and the Year 7 and 8 students will have the full day in Camperdown at the McAuley Campus.
Year 10 RE Excursion - Islamic Museum and Mosque
Year 10 students will be travelling to Melbourne next Wednesday 16 October, to visit the Islamic Museum and Mosque in Thornbury. This will neatly round off their study of the Religion of Islam from Term 3.
Details about the excursion can be found on PAM permissions. The bus will depart at 8.00 am from Terang and 8:30 am from Camperdown, returning at approximately 5.00 pm. We will be in touch on the day on variations for pick up times. It is an expectation for all students to attend [with exception of those going to Cricket]. Unexplained absences will be followed up. Please encourage your students to embrace this learning opportunity.
Students will need to be dressed in full school uniform. Girls need to wear long pants or skirts and tights, as a sign of respect to the venue we are visiting. Students BYO all food/drink. Students may whish to bring some money for a potential snack stop on the way home. Staff attending: Mel Bourchier, Josiane Gardner and Dean Ludeman.
Year 9 Retreat
Year 9 Students will be participating in their annual Retreat Day next Friday 18 October.
This will take place onsite and involve several activities and a guest speaker from the Ballarat Shower Bus. The day will connect to the students' work about living a merciful life. Students are asked to bring something to share for morning tea, a donation of a toiletry item to be given to the One Humanity Shower Bus, and their own lunch. They can access the canteen on the day. Students may wear casual clothes.
It is an expectation for all students to attend. Unexplained absences will be followed up. Please contact your child’s RE teacher or Mrs Mel Bourchier if you have any questions.
Year 9 Respect Cup
The Respect Cup will be happening on Friday 25 October, 2024. This year it is our turn to host students from Emmanuel College and Trinity College. The day consists of guest speakers, student presentations and then a round robin netball tournament, all focusing on the work that students completed during the Respect Effect Mercy topic. Students that have been selected to attend will have PAM permissions that need to be complete.
Students not attending this day are still required at school as classes will still be running
Year 10 $20 Boss Business Activities
Under the guidance of Ms Kellie Wilson, Year 10 students in the $20 Boss Elective have been busily planning and preparing their small business activities. The business ideas range from various cooking and food preparation, to handcrafted items. This week students Amarli L, Poppy K and Lara C are preparing and selling Berry or Mango smoothies for their business “Booster Juice”. Students may order smoothies for $3 using a Google form they were sent via email. Natalie W has cleverly created bowls out of old Vinyl Records, which are for sale for $5. All profits from $20 Boss business go to a chosen charity. It is terrific watching the students showcase their business ideas and talents after much planning and preparation across the semester. Students should keep an eye out for emails about upcoming sales!
Kind regards,
Lydia Darcy and Nickeeta Roache - Middle Years Community Leaders
Upcoming Events
Term 4
Week 2
Wednesday 16 October - Year 10 RE Excursion - See PAM for details
- Intermediate Boys Cricket - See PAM for details
Friday 18 October - Year 9 Retreat - Held at school, students are allowed to wear casual clothes
Week 3
Tuesday 22 October - 2025 Leaders Investiture Ceremony
Friday 25 October - Respect Cup - Select Year 9 students. See PAM for details
Week 4
Monday 28 October - Southwest Middle Years Clay Target Competition
Week 5
Monday 4 November - Student Free Day
Tuesday 5 November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
Wednesday 6-Friday 8 November - Year 9 Camp - See PAM for details
Senior School
Year 12 Students
A letter will be coming home soon with information about the preparation for the Year 12's final weeks. Graduation Mass and Awards will be held on Wednesday 23 October at St Thomas’ Church Terang. The students final day will be on Thursday 24 October. The students will attend Ten Pin Bowling in Warrnambool, followed by lunch and return for their final Assembly.
The Graduation Dinner will be held on Friday 22 November.
For further information, please contact the school.
Class of 2025 Rugby Jumpers
Reminder to the Year 11 students that the Year 12 Rugby Jumper payment is now due. The students are currently voting on the design for 2025. Please see Berni or Rose for more information.
Red Frogs Presentation
On Friday 18 October, during Period 4, Red Frogs will present to our Year 12 students with stratergies on how to look after themselves and others at the end of the school year.
A bit about the Red Frogs organisation: Link
Red Frogs is a support program for young people from the ages of 13 – 30. Our mission is to provide a positive peer presence to young people. We're in the business of changing culture
Student Leadership 2025
The 2025 Student Leadership Investiture will take place on Tuesday 22 October at 1:30pm in St Patrick's Church Camperdown. All families are welcome to attend.
Those students that have applied are currently undergoing interviews and finalising the last part of the process. Good luck to all the applicants.
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 driving to school, please call in to see Rose to collect the forms 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
A reminder that it is 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 4
Week 2
Friday 18 October - Year 12 Red Frogs Presentation - Period 4
Week 3
Tuesday 22 October - Investiture of 2025 Student Leaders - 1.30pm St Patrick's Church Camperdown
Wednesday 23 October - Year 12 Graduation Mass and Awards - 7.00pm St Thomas' Church Terang
Thursday 24 October - Year 12's Last Day - All students to attend school, offsite activities, return to school for final assembly at 2.00pm.