On Wednesday of last week, we held our first College Assembly for 2022. The assembly celebrated the Year 12 students of 2021 who achieved excellence in their studies. We were very lucky to celebrate not only the top 10 students and College Dux but all those who achieved the highest study score for each subject and our VCAL student achievements. We were grateful to be able to welcome both the students and their parents to celebrate the outstanding achievements. We were also able to live stream the assembly and I know many from the class of 2021 and their families were watching from home.

The young people who returned to the College for the assembly are an inspiration for all of us. They are wonderful role models and serve to encourage all of us to continue to work hard to achieve our goals. Their achievements would be strongly celebrated in any normal year but to have done so whilst navigating their way through all the challenges of the last two years was a credit to their determination and resilience. We were very privileged to be able to share in their joy and wish them well as they move to the next exciting part of their lives.

This week on Monday we held the Opening School Mass and the Investiture of our Year 12 Student Leaders and on Wednesday, we celebrated the Welcome Mass with Year 7 students. Both Masses are times when we mark significant moments in the journey of those beginning the end of secondary school journey and those who have only just started. The Year 12 Leaders presented each Year 7 student with a candle. This candle symbolises the sharing of our light, as Catherine McAuley asked of the sisters.

We have now concluded the major events that celebrate our return, the excellent achievement of our students, the induction of school leaders and the welcome of our Year 7 students; we are ready now to settle into the steady rhythm of the school year. I would like to congratulate all of our students on a wonderful start to the year. They have shown real enthusiasm, commitment for their classes and the many activities available to all students.

The Victorian Government announced yesterday that the restrictions and expectations that we have been living with for these first few weeks will continue until the end of Term 1. This includes the wearing of face masks indoors and a continuation of the Rapid Antigen Tests. We anticipate that the next box will be distributed to families on Friday 25 February. Thank you to all members of our community who have completed the tests, provided feedback on our processes and helped to make it possible for school to continue as usual for students.

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah, as proclaimed at our Opening Year Mass.

Sing, O people who have suffered;
burst into song and shout, for God, is with you.
Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.
Be as your ancestors, a people of welcome and hospitality,
a people who know what suffering is
be mercy for others.
Do not fear, nor be discouraged
God is with you
the Lord of hosts is God’s name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
known as the God of the whole earth.
Be loving, compassionate and merciful for all people,
as I, your God are for you.

May we be people who live, love and celebrate all things, Mercy, especially with and for those we serve.

May we be people who live, love and celebrate all things, Mercy, especially with and for those we serve.

This week, as part of our Catholic tradition we celebrated two Masses giving thanks to God for our many blessings.

On Monday we celebrated our whole school Opening Year Mass virtually. We asked God to bless us and our world. We formally commissioned our Year 12 students and challenged them to live the Gospel and be Mercy in our world.

On Wednesday 16 February, the Year 12 leaders led a Welcome Mass for our Year 7 students. During their Mass, they were blessed and formally welcomed as OLMC students and challenged to live and be Mercy. They were presented with a candle, reminding them to be God’s loving presence in our world, as Mary, the mother of Jesus is our model and the lived example of Catherine McAuley.

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. Isaiah 54:2

All RE classes are spending some time exploring this scriptural theme.

After investigating the Prophet Isaiah and the world of the Jewish people after the Babylon exile, they are invited to consider what is God asking of them in this text, in other words, how are they living Mercy today. Here are some photos of some students as they engage in this formation.

As part of our transition process and to welcome families to OLMC we invite our 2022 Year 7 students to spend an evening with an important woman in their life – mother, aunt, grandmother etc.

Please save the following date: Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start for the annual “Time & Space Mother Figures and Daughters” event.

The flyer attached provides some further details.

Please book here to attend this event.

Follow the prompts and click Submit at the end. You will receive a confirmation email from “Time & Space”. You and your student will be asked to bring a 'treasure' in the confirmation email.

We hope to see you all there.

Last year our 2021 Year 7 students had a chance to spend an evening with an important woman in their life – mother, aunt, grandmother etc. This year we would like to offer Year 8 2022 and their families a chance to have a special evening with a key male mentor – father, uncle, grandfather or other.

Please save the following date: Tuesday 15 March 2022 at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start for the annual "Time & Space Father Figures and Daughters" event.

The flyer attached provides some further details.

Please book here now. to attend this event

Follow the prompts and click Submit at the end. You and your student will receive a confirmation email from "Time & Space".

You will be asked to bring a 'treasure' in the confirmation email.

We hope to see you there.

As we return from a couple of years where face-to-face schooling has been disrupted, some students may be finding it difficult to get back ‘into the swing of things’. Elevate Education are providing free webinars for parents to support their young people with their studies.. Elevate works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how to better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school.

Wednesday 23 February at 6:00pm: How to Get (and Keep) Your Child Motivated

In How to Get (and Keep) Your Child Motivated, Elevate will provide you with the tips and tools for how to get (and keep!) your child motivated. Including:

• The causes of student demotivation;
• Specific goals that actually cause demotivation;
• How you can help your child set goals that will help them get (and stay) motivated;
• The role parents play in motivation.

​​​The webinar is run live online from 6.00pm – 7.00pm where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly.

Register here:
https://get.elevatecoaching.info/au/register?utm_source=teachercontact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=schoolactivation&utm_id=db1&schools=Our+Lady+of+Mercy+College

With so many student leadership opportunities available to Year 9 girls this year, we have focused a great deal of energy on applications, interviews, speeches and training over the first couple of weeks, and there is still more to come!

Last week applicants for SRC were interviewed and shortlisted and six students presented speeches to the Year level on Tuesday. The speeches by the SRC nominees were all outstanding in both their matter and their manner. They reflected the maturity and understanding of young women who know that leadership is not just about wearing a badge, and that representing your peers requires more than a long list of achievements on your application. They spoke about the importance of empathy and listening to their peers, they recognised some of the challenges we face as well as the significance of student voice in addressing the needs of their year level and shaping change. They also admitted to feeling very nervous but were willing to take the risk of putting their hand up for a leadership position. The year level now has the difficult task of selecting two candidates only!

On Wednesday, developing leadership skills, in particular the ability to connect and communicate with others, was the focus during the morning sessions of the Year 9 Wellbeing Day. This leadership training included activities to develop potential involvement in the Peer Support Program by giving the Year 9 girls a taste of the sort of activities they could run, and by providing the girls with an opportunity to see if they would enjoy the challenge of being a Peer Support Leader. Students could then apply to be involved in Peer Support and successful candidates will undergo a further training session before working alongside Year 7 students to help them with transition.

The afternoon sessions during the Wellbeing Day focused on helping the students develop and maintain their friendships or relationships with others. The many restrictions due to COVID throughout 2020 and 2021 limited the ability of everyone, particularly young people, to socialise and develop the skills that come from being with others. As such the sessions aimed to define good and positive relationships and highlight some of the challenges that can occur in relationships, along with ways to manage them.

This is what the students said about the Year 9 Wellbeing Day:

Catherine: Throughout Wellbeing Day, I enjoyed learning more about relationships. How fragile and important a relationship can be, we learnt about how relationships can be difficult, and sometimes the resolution is to move away from the friendship. Other relationships, can be positive, and make you feel uplifted. However, I learned that if I'm not comfortable in the relationship, I have people I trust that I can talk to.

Romaine: Wellbeing Day was a great chance to meet some new Loretians and reconnect with some girls who were in my Year 7 class. We learned so much about active listening, being a leader, and what it takes to be involved in Peer Support. We also had a chance to discuss what it means to be a good friend and how to use this in our own lives. Overall the day was a great break from our regular school work, and a great chance to learn some new real life skills.

Maria: Wellbeing Day.... to me it first sounded boring; but in all seriousness, this day has taught me many things. Being a leader isn't just about having authority, but a true leader makes an effort to help develop their team's skills so they can reach their full potential. Not only did I leave those school gates with my head high knowing I actually realised the importance of a true leader, but I also walked out knowing I had created many relationships with new people. I've always been a confident and kind person, but did I really understand the importance of listening? No. Wellbeing Day has given me many opportunities and I will forever be grateful for the many fun lessons I learnt.

Edie: The Wellbeing Day was a good opportunity to mix with other Year 9s in the Peer Support Training Program. I also had a really fun time learning about what a good and bad friendship is.

Sarah Nash
Year 9 Coordinator

The first group of Year 9 Students involved in the Horizon 2022 program (9GTA and 9NWA), have started off with excitement, some trepidation but mostly joyful interactions that comes with being back in the classroom for face to face learning. As their teachers, we have been inspired by their overall energy and enthusiasm in the classroom and are in awe of the maturity the girls have displayed.

The students have dived right in starting to explore future careers in the Beyond the Baggot Unit, gone on a Trail Day around Heidelberg - exploring the local surrounds and interviewing members of the staff on what led them to working at this school. The students have also started on some purposeful and collective brainstorming to what their IBL (Inquiry Based Learning) research topic might look like. Some of the topics so far, range from, What importance do Dreams and Sleep have in our daily lives, to being negatively affected by Beauty Standards and understanding Relationships between Siblings and Gender Politics in Future Workplaces. With topics such as these, we look forward to their end-of-term presentations.

During their “outdoor ed” sessions, 9GTA and 9NWA have been put through their paces and learnt to work as a team. They had to demonstrate some quick thinking strategies and be nimble on their feet to be able to get their team from one end of the hall to the other, in a “The Floor is Lava” game. They have also completed their first bike ride through Heidelberg Park. It’s exciting to see that this group of Horizon students are slowly discovering their strengths and forging strong connections that they will take into the future.

Gabrielle Tabban
Horizon Coordinator

The Health and Physical Education teachers are thrilled to have their classes back on site again. It is great to explore the various Health topics we are covering in our classrooms together, but it is especially pleasing to see our students being active together in PE and experiencing new sports together. I think one thing we learnt through our experience in the last two years of being in lockdown, is the importance of being active for our overall health and wellbeing. We hope our students take every opportunity to be active in our PE classes. PE is a great way to develop physical skills associated with the sports and activities we cover, but it also provides a chance to develop leaderships skills and connections with peers as well.

Unit 1 and Unit 3 VCE PE classes have started their study of their first outcome focusing on the systems of the body and how biomechanical principles apply to sport. This year we also have not only two class of VET Allied Health up and running, but for the first time, we also have Year 1 and 2 VET Sport and Recreation running in the same year. It is great to see students taking up VET options after considering their interests and the way they like to learn.

Our Year 10 students have begun one of the subjects on offer this semester: Movement and Physical Activity, Health and Our Community and Coaching and Event Management. The planning of the surfing excursion is also underway for later in the term for those students who have selected Mind, Body and Soul this Semester.

In our junior classes, Year 9 have begun their Training Programs unit where students complete a number of fitness tests to identify a focus for their own training program. This term, Year 7 visit the Ivanhoe Indoor Aquatic Centre to participate in a water safety session as well as participating in a Softball unit back at school. Perhaps inspired by an Ashes winning summer for both our Australian Men's and Women's teams, Year 8 start the year honing their cricket skills. Here are a few shots of some of our Year 8 students practising their batting skills in a modified indoor game.

Megan Edwards
Health and Physical Education Learning Leader

The Student Leadership Team has chosen to focus on the theme of courage and empowerment for 2022. This is something we are keen to explore with all students, and we encourage them to figure out what that means to them. Whether it is talking to someone new, getting a friend to take a leap of faith, or by getting out of their comfort zone and participating in a new activity or club. The Year 12 Student Leadership Team aims to encourage our peers to challenge themselves to sign up for something new this term, whether that be a GSV sport, music ensemble or joining a new lunchtime club, like debating.

As your 2022 Communications Captains, we have worked hard to create a new and improved Student Leadership Website that represents what is essential to students across the College. The Website includes information about the Year Level Coordinators, School Counsellors, Lunchtime Clubs and Activities, and important term dates. It also gives students the opportunity to learn more about House Activities and make submissions about ideas that they have to both the Student Leaders and the SRC. Students can access the website on SIMON.

“OLMC WE NEED TO TALK” is a podcast created by the SRC in 2021. The latest episodes focus on the challenges and highlights of transitioning into a new year level. There are great discussions on topics to help students navigate College life. If you find your daughter is struggling with transitioning back into school or is unsure about what to expect, we suggest that they check out the newest episode of the OLMC podcast. Just direct your daughter to the Student Leadership Website and go to ‘Latest News’.

We also want to congratulate all students who applied for SRC or House Vice-Captain this year. This process is in full swing and we look forward to announcing the team on Monday 28 February.

Carla D (CBRY) and Jasmin B (LMGL)
2022 Communications Captains

Last week Year 7 students took part in a Music Expo which allowed them to meet the teachers and see the instruments on offer. This event followed the morning’s celebration assembly where the current leaders encouraged all students to ‘try something new’. This was an inspirational message to our students as many of OLMC’s past and current leaders have been active members of the Music Department since arriving in Year 7. Lunchtime saw our first ever lunchtime sign-ups for music ensembles and the number of girls excited to take part in a choir or band in 2022 was extremely encouraging. Whilst it may be daunting being at a new school with lots of subjects and teachers, learning a musical instrument is unique as it teaches not only skills that can be transferred to many areas of learning, but many which can only be taught when learning how to play music. So, even though you may be worried about missing out on 20-30 minutes of a school subject once or twice a term, as our music timetable rotates, we are sure you will benefit academically, musically and socially when in your music lesson or ensemble.

If you would like to find out more about the benefits of learning an instrument we recommend you watch the following very interesting tedtalk https://www.ted.com/talks/anita_collins_how_playing_an_instrument_benefits_your_brain?language=en or read the following article from The Australian Government which discusses some of the benefits of learning an instrument https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/articles/musical-benefits.

Applications are still being accepted for all instrumental music lessons, with scholarships in some brass and woodwind instruments currently open for students in Years 7 and 8. We encourage you to seriously consider being a part of this worthwhile program in 2022 and we look forward to showcasing the talent OLMC has to offer throughout the year.

Jo-Anne Mileto
Instrumental Music Coordinator

Parents/legal guardians holding a Concession Card and being successfully validated with Centrelink will be entitled to a payment of $225.00 per year for each Secondary School student and $125 per year for each Primary School student.

Parents please refer to the 2022 Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF) Application Form https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Please complete this application and return it as soon as possible to Visitor Reception at OLMC along with a photocopy of your relevant Concession Card.

Susan Gepp
Accounts Receivable Officer

Marcellin will be hosting an Open Day on Sunday, 27 March from 11:00am to 2:00pm.

Mercy Education Limited is seeking Expressions of Interest for the position of Director Mercy Education Limited Board. Vacancies have arisen as several current board members are reaching the end of their tenure.

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.