November is a time of remembrance. Today is the Feast of All Saints and tomorrow is the Feast of All Souls. On these days we call to mind all those loved members of our families and communities who are no longer with us. It is a chance to remember and celebrate their lives and achievements and the blessings that they brought to our lives. On Monday 11 November it is Remembrance Day, a time to pause and remember those who have given their lives in the service of their country. As wars and conflicts rage around the world, we hold in our prayers all who are living in fear, suffering the loss of loved ones, their home and their security.

The first of the Year 12 exams have occurred and our students are well into the rhythm and routine of exams. Soon Year 10 and 11 students will begin their exams. We wish them all well and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

Following the exam period, Year 10 and 11 students will begin the Orientation Program designed to help prepare them for the next phase of their VCE studies. The program has been developed with the specific future needs of the students at its heart. It will be a chance for students to gain some understanding of the course content and will prepare them for the study routines for the holiday break and the beginning of Year 11 and 12 in 2025.

On Tuesday evening, along with Marcellin College, we hosted a session for parents from both schools with Dr Judith Locke. Judith is a teacher, psychologist and author of Bonsai Parent, Bonsai Student and Raising Anxiety. Her insights into shifting parenting trends and the challenges that come with them, resonated with many and her tips for how we support our children to grow and thrive were very well received. Thank you to all parents who attended.

In the coming weeks we welcome our Year 7 2025 families to their first information night. We hope the evening will be an exciting time for families beginning their journey with OLMC. For those families who are introducing another child to OLMC, we hope that it remains an exciting time for you too. The night marks the beginning of our partnership in the learning of each child.

This weekend is a long one for many staff and students at OLMC. A number of Year 12 students will have an exam on Monday and a number of staff will also be working to ensure that all runs smoothly. Nevertheless, this is a significant weekend in Melbourne. It is Spring Carnival Time and this year it appears to also be bringing some beautiful weather. We hope that, whether you celebrate the Melbourne Cup or not, this is a wonderful weekend.

The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are sacred days when we pause to remember and honour those who have come before us. On All Saints Day, we celebrate all the holy ones—known and unknown—whose lives of faith, compassion, and courage inspire us. These saints are not distant figures but part of our spiritual family, guiding us to live with love and purpose. All Souls Day is a time to remember all who have passed, especially our loved ones. We hold them close in prayer, trusting in God’s mercy and love that reaches beyond any boundary. These days remind us of the bond we share with those who have gone before us, bringing us hope, connection, and peace. Together, we’re all part of God’s enduring love, now and forever. Our chapel will commemorate these two great feasts and continue through November as we join the universal church in our Catholic and Mercy tradition of praying for all the dead.

Loving and Ever-Present God,
Today, as we gather to remember and honour the saints and all souls, we open our hearts to the unity of life and love that connects us all. We celebrate the lives of those who have gone before us, the known saints whose names echo through the ages and the countless souls who lived with grace, love, and humility. Each reminds us of Your boundless love, alive in every human heart.

For the saints, O Lord, we thank You for the luminous examples they set—a legacy of faith, courage, and compassion. May their stories inspire us to live boldly and selflessly, trusting that Your Spirit guides us in every step toward justice, mercy, and peace.

For all souls, we entrust to Your endless mercy those who lived in quiet faith, bore suffering with courage, found joy in simple things, and may have walked through shadows seeking Your light. We ask that they rest now in the fullness of Your love and peace, knowing they are forever held in Your embrace.

May we, too, be open to the divine call in our own lives. Help us to love beyond borders, to forgive without measure, and to live each day with the awareness that our lives, like those who have passed, are part of Your unfolding grace.

We ask this in the name of Christ, the Risen One, who lives and reigns with You, now and forever.

Amen.

Image from: https://freerangestock.com/photos/153268/a-group-of-lit-candles.html

On Monday 21 October a whole school assembly was held to farewell our Year 12s followed by the Graduation Mass and Dinner held Tuesday 22 October. These were wonderful celebrations for our community and we wish the Class of 2024 all the very best for their exam period and life beyond OLMC.

College Awards

Duce Maria Award - Nathasha J (12CRIV)

Sr Mercedes Hogan Award - Amelie V (12CPSE)

Past Pupils’ Award - Caitlyn A (12MMWI)

Jan Geason Performing Arts Award - Matilda B (12AASE)

Commitment to OLMC Sports Award - Annabel B (12CCTR)

ACU Impact Award - Jessica B (12MAMN)

AMP All Rounder - Charlotte D (12MAMN)

Resilience Award - Bethany H (12LRJO)

ADF Long Tan Award - Monique C (12AASE)

ADF Future Innovators Award - Talia I (12AJIN)

Triple Platinum Colours

Caitlyn A (12MMWI)

Jessica B (12MAMN)

Charlotte D (12MAMN)

Lillian M (12MCMI)

Dr Judith Locke Presentation

Thank you to those parents and guardians who joined us to hear from Dr Judith Locke on Tuesday evening. In her presentation to both OLMC staff and parents, Judith focused on practical strategies to help develop the following five attributes in our young people:

• Resilience
• Self-Regulation
• Resourcefulness
• Respect for others and authority
• Responsibility and contributing to the wider community.

Judith’s books include more detail into the insights she has gained through her research of the impact of parenting styles. Her tiles include The Bonsai Child, The Bonsai Student and most recently, Raising Anxiety.

Challenge Success Survey

This year, OLMC has engaged Challenge Success, a research-based organisation that has been established by Stanford University in the United States. We have joined the Raising Her Voice program that Challenge Success provides. This program has a focus on the pursuit of girls’ wellbeing, engagement and belonging, and includes a survey that is administered to gain data about how students at OLMC experience these facets of life at the College.

This survey was completed by our students in Term 2 and has provided us with valuable data that will help us determine what we are doing well but also areas for improvement. Staff have had an opportunity to look at these survey results and during this term, focus groups of students from Year 7-11 will be having discussions with staff to further unpack some of this data.

One of the questions asked of students was:

“What else are you doing when doing homework?”

73% of students said that they listened to music, 39% said they were on social media, 32% said they were also watching TV, Netflix or YouTube, and 8% said that they were only doing homework.

Digital Distraction

In his research for his book Stolen Focus, Johan Hari interviewed a number of researchers who had looked at the impact of devices on our focus. Professor Earl Miller, one of the leading neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) states that ‘Your brain can only produce one or two thoughts’ in your conscious mind at once. That’s it. ‘We’re very, very single-minded.’ Yet the average young person now believes they can follow six or seven forms of media at the same time. When neuroscientists studied this, they found that when people believe they are doing several things at once, they are actually - as Miller explained - 'juggling. They’re switching back and forth. They don’t notice the switching because their brain sort of papers it over, to give a seamless experience of consciousness. But what they’re actually doing is switching and reconfiguring their brain moment-to-moment, task-to-task—[and] that comes with a cost.’

He explained that ‘your performance drops, you’re slower—all as a result of the switching’. It feels like a small effect, but it degrades your attention and thinking by a startling amount. One study at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human Computer Interaction Lab took 136 students and got them to take a test. Some of them had to have their phones switched off, and others had their phones on and received intermittent text messages. The students who received messages performed, on average, 20% worse.

The following strategies may be helpful in ensuring time on a phone or a device is not impacting on your young person’s ability to focus on a given task and concentrate on set tasks at home:

• Ensure that the phone or device is not in the study space
• Setting up routines that support non-screen time during the week. This might include at meal time and during a set time on the weekend when time might be made to play a board or card game or be active outside together.
• Ensuring young people aren’t on phones while being transported to school or extra-curricular activities can also help young people become accustomed to not being overly reliant on phones and can open up opportunities for conversations during these car trips
• Introducing your young person to one of the apps that encourages breaks from screens. These include ‘Freedom’ and ‘Forest’. Why not download these apps as well and compare your results with your young person.

This term, Year 8 students are completing a Bike Riding unit in Health and Physical Education. The unit is designed to build essential biking skills and fitness knowledge in preparation for the Year 9 Horizon program. The first lesson is on the Maryland Field, with a focus on bike setup, safety protocols, and basic riding techniques. Weather permitting, in the following lessons we take students into Heidelberg's fantastic bike trail network, where they gain practical experience riding in groups and safely sharing public bike paths.

Teresa Cerra
Health & Physical Education Learning Leader

Year 9 is a common time for students to begin thinking about applying for part-time work. Whilst this is an exciting time for many, it can often be daunting as students are unaware how to apply for work or what the selection process may involve. Over the last few months during Pastoral lessons, students have had the opportunity to learn how to create their resume and write cover letters. This resulted in students submitting a mock job application and having a mock interview.

Through our partnership with the Banyule Nillumbik Local Learning and Employment Network for the Real Industry Job Interview (RIJI) program, students were able to be interviewed by experienced local business owners and recruitment professionals. The interview experience allowed students to prepare and feel the emotions that are often felt when being interviewed for a new role - some were nervous going in, but came out proud of how they handled the situation and with a sense of confidence. Students were interviewed for approximately 20 minutes and received five minutes of verbal feedback on their resume, cover letter and interview. In the coming weeks they will also receive individualised written feedback.

Overall, the experience allowed students to have a better understanding of how to not only find suitable employment, but also the knowledge and skills required to land that first job.

Melinda Williams
Careers Coordinator

Reflections on RIJI

Going into the day, I was nervous about doing the program, but as soon as I got there, I felt so much better after seeing all the welcoming volunteers. Everyone there was so kind, and made sure that we were ready and feeling good. We were informed about what we would be doing and how it would help us in real-life situations, and getting jobs in the real world. When I went and met my interviewer, she welcomed me and made me feel comfortable so quickly. The whole experience was really eye-opening and I got so much feedback about how I could improve my resume, and advice to improve my interviewing skills. I think that the experience has helped me realise what interviews actually are, and that they are really more about getting to know the person. There are many things that I will take away from doing this program that I can put into use when getting a job in real life and doing interviews. Overall, I really enjoyed the program and think that it was really helpful.

Lily I 9LDA

Through the RIJI experience we created our own resume and cover letter suited to us and the job we were applying for. I choose the job of a Hoyts employee and had to make my resume and cover letter relevant and specific to that job. We then had the opportunity to be interviewed by some volunteers who asked us questions, talked to us about our chosen job and gave us verbal and written feedback about the things we did well and the things we could work on. At the beginning of the day, I was quite nervous about the interview experience and was a bit unsure of how the day would go. However, after having my interview, I ended up really enjoying the day and felt like I got a lot of benefit out of it. I found the interview experience very helpful and positive as I really enjoyed talking to my interviewer, asking her questions and receiving feedback. Through this RIJI experience I now feel more comfortable, confident and prepared for any real-life interviews in the future, and can't wait to continue to improve my interview skills.

Giordana T 9LDA

I was quite nervous at the start of the day before the interview, and I could tell I wasn't the only one when I walked into my Pastoral. The teachers encouraged us throughout the morning, letting us know that it is ok to be nervous because that means we care. When I sat down in the seat for my interview, I could see everyone doing the same, allowing my nerves to ease slightly. Across from me sat a lovely person, who introduced himself and made some jokes to start off with. When he asked me questions I found him intently listening and if I didn't know how to answer he would help me and give advice as to what I could potentially say. Time flew by really fast and before I knew it, the interview was over. This whole experience was really useful to not only myself but my classmates as well. After reflecting on my interview, I realised there was nothing to be nervous about because the interview was the highlight of my day. I reflect back on the experience, thinking about all the jokes that were made and the laughs that were shared throughout the interview with my helpful volunteer. By the end of this experience, I also left the room with lots of useful advice and lifelong lessons.

Romi L 9LDA

A huge congratulations to our talented and courageous students and their dedicated teachers for another successful OLMC Art Show and the opening of the Caldow Collection! We are immensely proud of the remarkable works created this year and the creative risks taken by our students in showcasing their art.

The Art Show also wouldn't have been the same without the ‘Mercy’ hospitality provided by our Year 10 Food Production and Design students and staff. Food Assistants Marisa Brazzale and Janine Kerr played crucial roles in ensuring our guests were well-fed and cared for throughout the event.

The art on display represents just one aspect of the production process that all students engage in while creating. The design thinking framework plays a role in making students’ creative development visible. During the investigating and generating stages of this process, Design, Art, and Technology students consider how their work will resonate with specific audiences, meet client needs, and effectively communicate ideas and aesthetic qualities. They also reflect on the environmental, economic, and social impacts of their creations, which empowers them to articulate the intentions and processes behind their art.

Presenting an Art Show requires teamwork and significant effort. Our Design, Art, and Technology (DAT) technician, Sophie Watt, has been a vital addition to the team. Her curatorial skills ensured that the students' works were showcased beautifully and creatively.

Congratulations to all students whose work was exhibited, and special recognition to our Subject Winners for 2024!

For more amazing works, be sure to visit our DAT Instagram page: http://www.instagram.com/DATOLMC

Mark Jenkinson
Design, Art and Technology Learning Leader

Subject Winners

• Junior Visual Art winner: Katherine F (8BHO)
• Middle Visual Art winner: Aleesha W (10MMZI)
• Senior Visual Art winner: Ella P (12LLAN)
• Junior Food winner: Eve S (8DCH)
• Middle Food winner: Keira D (9TLA)
• Senior Food winner: Zara D (11LCBU)
• Middle Media winner: Emily H (9ACH)
• Senior Media winner: Ashlee M (12MMPA)
• Middle Computing winner: Ava L (10MMZI)
• Middle Graphics winner: Katherine Z (9GTA)
• Senior Viscom winner: Abbey P (12ASWU)
• Middle Fashion winner: Tusanee D (9ACH)

Term 4 at OLMC sees students involved in GSV Weekly Cricket and Basketball, with one team each for Senior and Junior Cricket and a total of 14 teams in Junior, Intermediate and Senior Basketball.

This week the Senior teams in both Cricket and Basketball had their final home and away fixture on Monday and Cricket qualified for the GSV Final on Wednesday. The Intermediate and Junior teams played Round 3 of their respective sports this week. Congratulations to the Senior B Cricket team on becoming GSV Premiers. The Senior B team played Sacre Coeur and the match was very well contested and scores were close. OLMC scored the winning runs with two overs to spare. Congratulations to the team and coach Mr Stavretis.

Final Score: OLMC 4/94 def Sacre Coeur 4/87.

Changes in GSV Sport for 2025

Girls Sport Victoria and representative Principals and Head of Sports have finalised changes to GSV Weekly Sport allocations in 2025.

Next year we will see Volleyball be shifted from Term 3 in to Term 1 along with Softball and Tennis. Term 2 will see the inclusion of a Monday Premier Netball Competition, Australian Football (Junior Only) Hockey and Netball.

Term 3 will see the inclusion of Badminton, and Soccer and finally, Term 4 will remain the same with the sports of Basketball and Cricket.

OLMC is currently reviewing its current offering of GSV Sports and the potential impact these changes to GSV Weekly Sport in 2025 will have on staffing and student selections.

Students will be asked to complete an expression of interest on sport choices in Term 1 and 2 and nominate Term 1 2025 sport selections in the coming weeks. OLMC will continue to ensure we:

• Provide opportunities for participation in competitive and recreational sport and physical activity
• Provide opportunities to engage in a diverse range of programs
• Improve the health and wellbeing of all girls
• Build school spirit and the value of team work
• Encourage girls to do their best.

Trevor Robertson
Sports Coordinator

Each year the Parents’ Association run a second-hand uniform sale in November to raise much- needed funds for the Exodus Community in West Heidelberg. The outgoing Year 12 students have kindly donated many items of Summer, Winter and PE uniform. The response to the call out for donations has been phenomenal and very much appreciated.

Bookings are essential and will run in 15 minute time slots.

Please note - Payment is by EFTPOS or credit card.

Dates:
Friday 15 November 4.00 pm - 7.00 pm
Saturday 16 November 9.00 am to 1.00 pm

Venue: OLMC Heagerty Room, 39 Yarra Street, Heidelberg

Bookings: To book a time slot please go to https://www.trybooking.com/CVZOI

If you have any queries please contact me on T: 9455 7571 E: mjenkins@olmc.vic.edu.au

Marie Jenkins
On behalf of the Parents’ Association

Each year the Parents’ Association run a Lucky Fees Raffle to raise funds that support and enhance educational opportunities and community life at OLMC. First prize is $4000 off your school fees for 2025 – wouldn’t that be amazing!

Tickets are $10 each, 10 for $70 or 15 for $100

To purchase the tickets please click here - https://www.trybooking.com/CVZPG

1st prize $4000 Voucher for 2025 School Fees

Or Shopping Vouchers to the value of $4000

2nd Prize Noone Uniform Voucher valued at $400

3rd Prize Adriatic Furniture Voucher valued at $350

4th Prize Ted Baker Clutch valued at $219

5th Prize Ted Baker Hand Bag Set valued at $199

6th Prize Chemist Warehouse Hamper

7^th Prize Excel Body & Health Assessment Voucher valued at $115

8^th Prize Excel Body & Health Assessment Voucher valued at $115

9th Prize Hugo Boss Voucher valued at $100

10th Prize Hugo Boss Voucher valued at $50

The raffle will be drawn on Friday 22 November at the College. Winners will be notified by phone or email and results published in the Newsletter.

Your support in the sale of the raffle tickets is gratefully appreciated.

OLMC Parents’ Association

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