Over the break it was my privilege to attend the Global Forum on Girls Education. Colleagues from 18 different countries came together to learn from each other and share best practice in the area of girls education. Two keynote speakers, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, Co-founder and President, School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA) and Leymah Gbowee Nobel Peace Laureate, were truly inspiring and reminded me of the significant impediments for so many young people, particularly girls, for whom education is not a right. While we battle a number of challenges that COVID-19 and our post remote learning world continues to pose; it was humbling to be reminded of how lucky we are to have a right to education and the chance to live in a society free of violent conflict. I look forward to bringing all that I have learnt at the conference to the work we will continue to do here at OLMC.

The term has begun with a flurry of activity and a number of important events. We have begun the process of looking towards 2023 and a number of subject information evenings have been held and will continue next week for Year 8 students going into Year 9. The process of selecting subjects and making choices begins for most of our students this term and will no doubt be the subject of conversations at home. I strongly encourage you to read the subject handbooks, to talk with your daughter and to help her research pathways. Please encourage her and support her as she makes, what can be very tough, decisions.

The Year 8 students spent most of last week on camp. The staff have spoken in glowing term of their enthusiasm and participation. They engaged with every activity and spoke enthusiastically about everything that they were doing. They survived our very cold week, even when they were in the tents. Some of their reflections you will find later in the newsletter.

This week the Premier’s Awards Ceremony was held to recognise high performing VCE students. It is my honour to congratulate Olivia Voulgaris who received a Premier’s VCE Award for being a Top All-Round VCE High Achiever, which is given to students who achieved outstanding results in five or more of their subjects. Olivia worked very hard over her VCE years and achieved this with two years spent in large blocks of remote learning. We congratulate her and wish her every success for the future.

The winter flu season and resurgence of COVID-19 has posed many challenges for us over the last two weeks. We have experienced a high number of absentees and we hope that this will decline in the coming weeks. We continue to do our very best to ensure that the learning continues and students are able to keep moving forward. Please be aware that we have a number of staff absent at the moment due to illness. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time and thank you for your support of the teaching staff.

We look forward to some warmer mornings and a little less frost in the coming weeks. We hope all families remain safe and well.

Today, Friday 22 July we celebrate the feast of Mary Magdalene. Mary was the first to witness Christ's resurrection and is remembered as a "true and authentic evangelizer," Pope Francis has raised the July 22 memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to a feast on the church's liturgical calendar. On this feast, we celebrate "an evangelist who proclaims the central joyous message of Easter." St. Mary Magdalene's feast day calls for all Christians to "reflect more deeply on the dignity of women, the new evangelization and the greatness of the mystery of divine mercy."

We pray…
With Mary of Magdala we gather with faith and fortitude, unity and universalism.

With Mary of Magdala we gather with fidelity and faith, intimacy and inclusivity.

With Mary of Magdala we gather to witness, wonder and weave together a world of justice for all.

John 20:1 - 18

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my sisters and brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.

We reflect.

For what are you weeping …

For whom or what are you looking …

In whom or where have you seen the Lord …

May God of wisdom open our minds and hearts to the needs of our world. Amen.

May Jesus the Teacher walk with us as we deepen our vocation in living Mercy. Amen.

May the Holy Spirit bless us this day. Amen.

On our last day of Term 2, we gathered together as a whole school to thank God for our many blessings.

We thank Fr Kevin Hennessey for leading us in this Eucharist and challenging us always to be people of Mercy.

During Refugee Week, we were reminded that over 100 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide. As Mercy people, what will be our response?

Over the next two weeks, students, staff and families are invited to bring food items to support the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project - in their work with Refugees here in Melbourne.

If you would like to support this ministry, you can also donate to this link. https://www.givenow.com.au/basp

Thank you to parents and guardians who completed the survey at the end of last term.

The survey was to seek feedback as to the preference for the interviews to be held at the College or online. The majority response was for these interviews to be held online. Furthermore, the use of Google Meet to conduct interviews was found to be straightforward. Therefore, the upcoming interviews will be held online via Google Meet, as done in Semester One. Phone support will still be provided on both evenings.

We have two Parent / Teacher / Interview Sessions this Term.

They are:

Both these dates are Student Free Days.

For the upcoming Years 10 - 12 interviews, bookings will open on Monday 25 July at 3.30pm on PAM.

Bookings will close at midday on Wednesday 3 August.

We look forward to discuss student progress at these interviews.

Last week, some of our Year 12 students acted in the Mercy spirit of hospitality by preparing and sharing a meal with our friends in the Exodus community at the Olympic Village. The girls had a wonderful time preparing the meal and sharing some laughs with the community members. The chocolate pudding we had for dessert was a big hit! We are looking forward to our fortnightly Exodus Family Dinners for the rest of term.

Elise Cooper
Social Justice Coordinator

As all students study English from Years 7 to 10 and the study of an English subject is a requirement for all students at VCE level, it seems like a timely opportunity to provide an update of some changes to VCE English commencing in 2023.

Next year students studying Year 11 English will encounter a new VCE English Study Design. There has been a renewed focus on the craft of writing in the study design as well as encouraging the development of personal responses to reading and the development of inferential reading skills. Recent studies have found that there has been a decline in the standard of student writing over the last few years. This is not unique to Australian schools and there are a wide range of perspectives as to the reason

The new VCE English Study Design has an increased emphasis on writing mechanics and processes through the exploration of mentor texts. This will encourage students to develop both creative and critical thinking skills as students are also required to reflect on the writing process that they have gone through in a reflection. It is hoped that there is even greater respect given to student voice and agency as they make selections that are personally significant to them. There will still be multiple opportunities for students to analyse texts, to explore current issues in the media and respond to them, to enhance their oral presentation skills in a range of ways and to work collaboratively with students and teachers. It is hoped that these changes will equip students with a wide range of skills that will be beneficial well beyond school.

In English, the skills students acquire are cumulative so in order to prepare students for the senior years in English, some of these changes will be reflected in English classrooms at other year levels over the next few years.

Anne Morrison
English Learning Leader

While many students use the Term 2 holidays to relax, catch up on Netflix or take a trip, our industrious Year 12 Media students have been using this precious time to produce their final media productions.

After spending a large part of Term 2 planning their productions (including scripting, storyboards, mock ups, audience research, lighting and sound design, creating call sheets, getting permissions etc.), the media students are now in production mode and are learning the secret of a successful production- good organisation and management.

This year students have been working in a range of digital mediums- including short film, video art, photography, print and online. Reflecting on the experience of this production process will also be assessed as part of the final examination in November.

We can’t wait to see the outcomes of their efforts at the end of Term 3!

Mark Jenkinson
Design, Art & Technology Learning Leader

Tiffany M. (8MKY), Hannah K. (8MKY) and Alice F. (8BHO) were selected to join 14 other middle school student applicants from across the state to take part in the global RMIT Spacecraft Exploration Challenge at RMIT from 4 July to 9 July. Working in teams of four they learnt about spacecraft design, interplanetary navigation, orbital mechanics, remote sensing, atmospheric entry and landing, surface exploration and habitat construction on a hostile planet. The teams were mentored by experts including astronauts, scientists and engineers who are directly involved in ongoing missions. Congratulations Tiffany, Hannah and Alice on your initiative in putting together a video applications for this extraordinary opportunity.

Hannah and I both had heaps of fun during the week-long program. It was a very busy competition. We were also both fortunate to be placed within the 'A team' with two other students. Hannah and I also received a few awards and prizes during the awards ceremony on Sunday.

The team we were in (The Supernovas), placed third globally within our league (middle school) and placed fourth globally with all the leagues included. As mentioned earlier we created a team video that won and also came runners up for our team mission patch that can be viewed (attached). We also received a perfect score of 100 for one of the challenging tasks that required us to make a habitable base. We received an award for this too.

I also received runners-up globally for the 'Most Alien Planet' award. This award was given for our description and the way we designed our very own planet.

In addition to this, we had to pleasure of receiving lectures from people like Dr. Greg Chamitoff, Terry Virts, Todd Barber, Dr Gregory H. Johnson, Vera Mulyani and Ben Morrell. These people work at NASA or are former astronauts.

We had a really fun and busy week!
Tiffany M. (8MKY)

I had a team of two girls and two boys, Jeremy, Shaan, Sienna, and myself. After much debate we ended up settling for the team name 'Allstars'. Although I think 'Space Girls' would have been a much better fit.

We designed a spaceship, made a planet, planned an orbit, landed a spacecraft, built a habitat and searched for materials on the planet. My favorite part was building a habitat, designing a spaceship, and having fun with my new friends.

Although wrapping your head around spaceship mechanics can be difficult, my team helped me through it all and I couldn't have done it without them.
Alice F. (8BHO)

Susan Long
Science Learning Leader

Over the next little while, students in Years 9, 10 and 11 will be making important decisions about which subjects they will study in 2023 and beyond. These decisions are often shaped by interest in particular university courses post Year 12 and ultimately career choices.

This article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year. In it, author David Reeve draws the reader’s attention to recent government policy decisions that have made it cheaper to study languages at university. In fact, the cost of studying languages at university has been cut by about 45 per cent.

This fee decrease is designed to encourage students towards skills needed by industry, such as science and maths, but also foreign languages. All of these can lead to increased job opportunities. Not only can speaking another language be directly applicable to one’s future career, but the skills developed through the process of learning a second (or third, fourth, etc.) language are highly sought after by employers. These include critical and creative thinking, the ability to understand diverse perspectives, problem-solving expertise and many more. The value institutions place on the study of language is also demonstrated by bonus adjustments being applied for a variety of Bachelor degree programs.

So if your daughter is unsure about whether to continue with her language study in Year 10, 11 or 12 next year, encourage her to reflect on the potential benefits related to university courses and future careers. Ask her to have a chat with her language teacher or Melinda Williams, our Careers Coordinator, to find out more.

Fleur Davison
Languages Learning Leader

We hope you have all had an amazing break and are ready for a great term ahead.

We would like to highlight the SRC’s new challenge for all of you - the ‘Courage and Empowerment Challenge’. A series of videos have been posted to SIMON with ways in which YOU can spread courage and empowerment throughout our school and OLMC community. Be sure to check out the videos posted weekly on SIMON and help spread the word of courage and empowerment.

After two years of online learning, House Arts is back! Our Arts Captains Nikita and Emma have been busily working over the past few weeks to promote and organise House Arts to make this one the best one yet, and introduce our 7s, 8s and 9s to it for the first time. For those who don’t know, House Arts is a House-based talent show, and is such an amazing opportunity for everyone across the school to showcase their talents with their peers, the rest of the school community, and, importantly, to represent and earn points for their House!

House Arts, for us, creates such a supportive and inclusive environment, which is conducive to OLMC’s culture. Whether you’re an audience member or performing up on stage, it really brings the whole community together and allows us to empower and encourage one another.

House Arts will be held on Wednesday 10 August, and we all cannot wait!

Carla De Vuono and Jasmin Burns
2022 Communications Captains

Year 8 Camp

Our Year 8 students and 20 staff have spent the first week of Term 3 attending the Lake Dewar Lodge Adventure Camp. It was a jam packed four days and three nights, with students engaging in a range of activities. The students were challenged physically and mentally to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new challenges. From racing peers on the flying fox, tearing it up mountain biking, coordinating strokes with peers whilst canoeing, familiarising themselves with maps whilst geocaching, to embracing the survivor challenge, students spent their days fully participating in outdoor activities.

For one of the three nights, students spent the night sleeping in a tent and engaging in all aspects of camping. The camp out started with a 10km hike along the Centenary Trail, during which students shared stories and sang their way up and down hills to get to the glorious Island Lookout. Students familiarised themselves with a trangia stove in order to make their own dinner for the night. Although it was very “fresh” air with clear skies and starry nights, it was a beautiful sight to fall asleep under. Students are commended on their approach to the camp out night, embracing the experience whilst demonstrating care for others.

Whilst the weather was unpredictable during the camp it did not seem to hinder us. Despite arriving in the rain, we were frequently greeted by beautiful rainbows, sunrises and sunsets over Lake Dewar. It was fantastic to hear students commenting on the beauty in the elements, being grateful and mindful of their surroundings.

We, as staff were very impressed with the Year 8’s approach to camp, their resolve to step out of their comfort zone and make the most of the experience. The camp was fantastic and students have taken away memories and learnings for life. After many interruptions to school life over the last two years for our Year 8 students, how fortunate we have been to have shared a wonderful first week of Term 3 at school camp.

Rowena Thomson (Year 8 Coordinator)
and The Year 8 Camp Staff

Student Perspective:
Camp; an experience we will never forget!!! From the minute we walked in smiling faces greeted us.

On this camp we were pushed out of our comfort zone and encouraged to try new things. Although the weather challenged us we powered through and kept a positive mind set. This camp helped us branch out and meet new people throughout our year level and create new and deeper friendships. It was a time away where we lived in the moment without technology and took time away from people and just being able to focus on the present moment.

We take away some key learnings such as making the most of the opportunities that are given to us.
Alexia, Aprila and Ava from 8LTI

The event will support the work of McAuley Community Services for Women (McAuley), a Ministry of the Sisters of Mercy. McAuley is committed to advocate for a better, safer and just society through working with women, and their children, affected by family violence, mental illness or homelessness. Each year they help many women and children to rebuild their lives, supporting them on their journey towards independence and a safer future.

Ticket Prices
Tickets are priced at $45 for Adults and $25 for Students.

Booking Arrangements
To book a Group/Table, you can either purchase the whole table in one booking or purchase a ticket on an available table and then notify your guests of the table number they should specify when booking. If you want to rename the table so that your fellow guests can identify the table easily please contact Marie Jenkins. Tables will seat 10 people.

To book Individual Tickets, purchase the required number on any table.

Follow the link below "BOOK HERE" to purchase your tickets OR by contacting Marie Jenkins T: 9455 7571E: mjenkins@olmcheidelberg.catholic.edu.au

We do hope that you can help us to support the work of McAuley by joining us for this very special event.

Marie Jenkins
Community Development Coordinator

Join in with others from the OLMC Community for a fun night of laughter and frivolity!

This is an adults only licenced event with drinks available for purchase. BYO snacks only.

Bookings close Thursday 18 August

Tables will seat 10 people.

To book a group/table: Purchase the whole table in one booking or purchase a ticket on an available table and notify your fellow guests of the table number so that they can then book on the same table. If you want to rename the table so that your fellow guests can identify the table easily please contact Marie Jenkins

To book individual tickets: Purchase the required number of tickets on any available table.

For assistance with booking or table allocation please contact Marie Jenkins
T: 9455 7571 E: mjenkins@olmc.vic.edu.au

We do hope you will join us.

On behalf of the OLMC Parents Association

Visit Our Lady of Mercy College Heidelberg online.

Our Virtual Tour takes you through the College and our facilities, into many of our learning spaces. View 360 degree photos along the way as you explore some of our classrooms and breakout spaces, as well as our Learning Commons, Chapel, Sports Centre and Performing Arts Theatre.

To see more of OLMC Heidelberg in person, book a College Tour.

Follow the official Our Lady of Mercy College accounts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We’ll be sharing regular news, student achievements and stories from around the College.