MRC The Week Ahead 2025 Term 1 Week 8
General School
Hats:
Everyone should have their hats on at recess and lunch. Students without an appropriate school hat will be asked to move to shady areas or to move inside. Hats with graffiti will also need to be replaced.
Open Day:
On Wednesday 26 March the O’Keeffe Campus will be open for the incoming parents & students of 2026. Tours will be conducted after a presentation to be held in the MPA at O’Keeffe.
Taster Day:
On Friday 28 March, the current Year 5 and Year 6 students from the HCSN schools will attend the McAuley Campus for some activities. This is the first of three Taster Days for 2025.
Junior School
HSSSD Athletics:
Well done to the 21 students who will represent Mercy at the HSSSD athletics on Monday 24 March. All Junior students will need to make their way directly to the McAuley Campus. All students are required to wear their college sports uniform.
GWR Swimming:
On Wednesday 26 March we have 5 O’Keeffe Students who will be representing the College at the GWR Swimming in Horsham. Students will be required to wear their full sport uniform, which consists of a maroon polo shirt, black school shorts or tracksuit pants. No hoodies underneath school jackets. Professional swimming attire is to be worn when competing and students will be given a MRC swimming cap to wear on the day.
Students will need to bring a packed lunch, however, there will be an opportunity to purchase refreshments throughout the day.
The bus will be leaving from the McAuley and O’Keeffe campus on the day before normal school hours, and we will arrive back after the buses, please refer to PAM permission for details.
Students will leave as below:
- McAuley: Depart: 6:00am
- O’Keeffe: Depart: 6:15am
- Mortlake (Fire Station): Depart: 6:30am
Please ensure you let the Admin team know if you will be transporting your child to the event.
Humanities Excursion
On Friday 28th March, the Year 8 students will be completing their Geology Unit in Humanities with an excursion to the Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club. While there, they will complete their Assessment Task for the Coastal Unit by looking at changes to the foreshore over time. Additionally, they will attend a presentation about the geology and history of the Port Campbell foreshore. Students are required to bring their lunch, snacks and drinks on the day. Students must also bring their pencil case and wear their sports uniform.
Kind regards
Matthew Irving- Assistant Principal - O'Keeffe Campus
Tim Woodmason - O'Keeffe Campus Assistant
Contacts:
We encourage you to contact your child’s MERCY teacher if you have any queries, questions or worries throughout the school year.
7A: Mrs Leah Sinnott (lsinnott@mercy.vic.edu.au)
7B: Mr Tim Woodmason (twoodmason@mercy.vic.edu.au)
7C: Mrs Rose Murphy (rmurphy@mercy.vic.edu.au)
8A: Miss Claudia Lee clee@mercy.vic.edu.au
8B: Mr Matthew Irving mirving@mercy.vic.edu.au
8C: Mr Darren Cheesman dcheeseman@mercy.vic.edu.au
O'Keeffe Leader/Assistant Principal
Matthew Irving - mirving@mercy.vic.edu.au
Upcoming Events:
Term 1
Week 8
Monday 24 March - HSSSD Athletics - Students attending to wear sports uniform
Tuesday 25 March -
Wednesday 26 March - Open Day and Tours @ O'Keeffe Campus / GWR Swimming
Thursday 27 March -
Friday 28 March - HCSN Taster Day @ McAuley Campus / Year 8 Humanities Excursion
Middle School
Year 10 Work Experience: REMINDER
A reminder to all Year 10 students that Work Experience will be conducted in the final week of Term 1 (31 March - 4 April). Due to the processes that are needed in order to complete Work Experience, all students should have made contacted or are in the process of contacting their employers.
If there any queries please reach out to your MERCY teacher or Kym Penry: kpenry@mercy.vic.edu.au
Kind regards
Adam Dowie & Georgia O’Leary - Middle Years Community Leaders
Contacts:
We encourage you to contact your child’s MERCY teacher if you have any queries, questions or worries throughout the school year.
9A: Claire O’Connor coconnor@mercy.vic.edu.au
9B: Georgia O’Leary goleary@mercy.vic.edu.au
9C: Melanie Bourchier mbourchier@mercy.vic.edu.au
10A: Josiane Gardner jgardner@mercy.vic.edu.au
10B: Adam Dowie: adowie@mercy.vic.edu.au
10C: Sherrie McWall: smcwall@mercy.vic.edu.au
Upcoming Events:
Term 1
Week 8
Monday 24 March - HSSSD Athletics - Students attending to wear sports uniform
Tuesday 25 March - BAS Golf - Ballarat
Wednesday 26 March - Open Day and Tours @ O'Keeffe Campus / GWR Swimming
Thursday 27 March -
Friday 28 March - HCSN Taster Day @ McAuley Campus
Senior School
Self- Care:
With just two weeks left of term one and an increasing workload of Unit 3 SACs and Year 11 assessment tasks, now is a crucial time to prioritise self-care. Taking a moment for a few deep breaths, mapping out the next few weeks, and planning the best approach can make a significant difference.
If students don’t already have a study planner, they are encouraged to speak with Kym Penry, Mel Kavanagh, or myself. A study planner is a simple yet effective tool to stay organised and on track.
Mentor Morning Tea:
Today, our Year 12 students enjoyed a special morning tea with their mentors. The mentoring program connects students with a dedicated staff member—whether a teacher, Education Support, or LSO—who provides ongoing guidance and support throughout the year.
Looking ahead, we are excited to extend this initiative to selected Year 11 students, offering them the same valuable mentorship.
A huge thank you to our VCE-VM students for sourcing and preparing the delicious spread—your hard work and effort made this event even more special!
Library Study:
A reminder the library is open Monday to Thursday until 4.30 pm for any students who wish to stay and study.
Sub-SACs:
The Sub-SAC process is underway. This is for any student who is unable to attend a SAC on the day it is scheduled and also for incomplete homework tasks. Please contact the school if you like any additional information.
Edrolo and other Material:
A friendly reminder, if you haven’t already please pay your Edrolo subscription and follow up any resources that may not have been ordered last year. Please speak to Mel or Rose for more information.
Caritas Fundraising:
Mercy classes have been thinking about a variety of fundraising activities they could to support and raise funds for Caritas.
Kind regards
Berni Sinnott - Senior School Community Leader
Upcoming Event:
Term 1
Week 8
Monday 24 March - HSSSD Athletics - Students attending to wear sports uniform / Unit 3 OE Excursion - Mountain Bike riding
Tuesday 25 March - BAS Golf - Ballarat
Wednesday 26 March - Open Day and Tours @ O'Keeffe Campus / GWR Swimming
Thursday 27 March -
Friday 28 March - HCSN Taster Day @ McAuley Campus / 1st Year Sport & Recreation and Unit 1 HPE excursion - Melbourne