Mercy News - Thursday 15th September 2022
Key Dates
Thursday 15th September
- Last day of Term 3 for students
Friday 16th September
- Staff Spirituality Day (Student Free Day, except for students studying VCE Units 3 & 4 subjects English, EAL, Italian, Music Performace, Food Studies & Studio Arts)
Friday 16th to Wednesday 21st September
- VCE Units 3 & 4 Trial Exams
Monday 19th September - Friday 30th September
- Term 3 School Holidays (College Office open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm
Thursday 22nd September
- Queen Elizabeth National Day Of Mourning Public Holiday (School Closed)
Friday 23rd September
- Friday before the AFL Grand Final Public Holiday (School Closed)
Thursday 29th September
- Year 12 Practice Music Recital Exams
Monday 3rd October
- Term 4 begins
Prayer
MERCY DAY
If we utter aloud the word mercy,
standing, each of us, by an open window
anywhere we are in the world,
then the word mercy will carry on the soundwaves
onwards and unceasing,
through the air of the wounded world.
And maybe, when it takes flight
into deed and kindness, justice and effort,
it will effect a healing, a hope and a blessing.
It may call the homeless home,
it may coax to hope the betrayed and broken,
it may ease the burdened earth.
Listen for it, the repeated word mercy, on this Mercy day,
Listen for its neighbourly dialects and global idiom.
Imagine those who, like you, are saying it aloud,
and those who need to hear it, today- the word- mercy.
One word, one deed of justice, one kind effort at a time.
Creator God, sustainer of life,
Jesus, our companion Word,
Spirit, who, like the air, inspires,
give us the simple daring this day
to say and to be Mercy.
Mary Wickham RSM
Message From Our Principal
MERCY DAY CELEBRATIONS - Friday 15th September
It was with great excitement that we celebrated Mercy Day today. For many it was extra special as it was the first time in 3 years that we have been able to celebrate on site.
Mercy Day is celebrated across the world on 24 September but because it falls during our term break schools in Australia celebrate it earlier. It is the anniversary of the opening of the first “House of Mercy” in 1827 in Dublin, Ireland. Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, saw the great need and devoted her life to the poor, sick and uneducated, and today we, as a College, continue her legacy of hospitality and compassion in the name of Mercy.
Our day began with homeroom where students participated in a Kahoot on “How well do you know Mercy”. We then gathered as a whole community for our Eucharist where our focus was: “Called by Christ and guided by Catherine we emerge with mercy”. We thank our celebrant Bishop Curtin-Episcopal Vicar for the Northern Region for leading us in prayer today and for his constant support of us as a College.
Our Social Justice speaker for the day was Hayley Marriott. Hayley is the Fundraising and Engagement Officer at McAuley for Women and Children. She shared with us her passion about social justice, feminism and raising awareness to support vulnerable and marginalized people. Our Social Justice Representatives organized donations of much needed goods and our carnival which followed with various booths and activities organized by our Student Voice leaders raised much need funds to this worthy cause.
Congratulations to Nethu W (Year 12) who received as part of our Mercy day celebrations the 2022 Spirit of Mercy Award. This is awarded annually to a student in our community who believes in bringing Mercy to life particularly through our values of: Excellence, Hospitality, Justice and Compassion.
At the end of the day, we gathered for our Term 3 Student of the Term Awards and announcement of our 2023 Student Executive Team.
Student Leadership is highly valued at Mercy and is both an opportunity and a responsibility for all students from Year 7 onwards. Over the previous few weeks, it has been my absolute pleasure to be a part of the process of selecting our 2023 Student Executive. I thank and congratulate all those who applied for the positions for your enthusiasm and commitment to your school community. Next term we will formally acknowledge the Student Executive of 2022 and hold a formal induction of our 2023 team.
My thanks to all students and staff for their efforts and work not only today but also in the lead up to Mercy day. A lot of fun was had whilst also recognizing who we are as a Mercy College and why we exist.
Special recognition and acknowledgement to Josie Dilettoso our Director of RE and Identity not only for her efforts with Mercy Day but over the last 15 months that she has been part of our community. Josie is leaving Mercy College at the end of term for family reasons. We understand her situation and wish her all the best.
TERM 3 BREAK
We wish all in the Mercy community who are fortunate to be able to take a break in this holiday period, a restful and rejuvenating time. I am mindful that our students studying Units 3 and 4 know the end of year exams are not too far away and the time away from formal classes will consist of study and trial exams. Thank you to everyone for your contribution to Mercy College this term. I very much look forward to seeing you in term 4 for our final term of the year.
Let us never lose trust in the patience and mercy of God.
Lila McInerney
Principal
Mercy Day Celebrations
2022 Term 3 Students of The Term
Year 7 - Bridget Mammone, 7A
Bridget is always dedicating herself to her learning, and displays the dispositions of being courageous, persistent and inquisitive. She is able to seek feedback or assistance to either clarify the task, or develop her knowledge and skills. She can focus well when learning something new, and has excellent powers of concentration when undertaking a variety of tasks and activities. Bridget is also willing to answer questions and contribute to discussions, enabling her to be successful with her learning.
Her behaviours, in and out of the Homeroom, are respectful, responsible and safe. When interacting with her peers or teachers, she has demonstrated all the Mercy values of hospitality, excellence, justice and compassion. A shining example of this during the term was an ensemble performance at the Performing Arts Concert with Parade.
Bridget is reliable, and follows through with requests. Her peers find her to be dependable, kind, and she has used her happy temperament to keep others positive and calm.
Year 8 - Lottie Richardson, 8B
Lottie has shown tremendous growth and maturity throughout Year 8. She has forged her own path and stayed true to her sense of self, emerging as a positive influence amongst her classmates. With a unique sense of humour, Lottie has brought a smile to many faces.
Lottie has demonstrated the Mercy values of compassion and hospitality, particularly with assisting her peers feel comfortable within the classroom. She has recognised people in need, and attempted to listen and help wherever she can.
Lottie is committed to her studies, always striving to achieve her best. She is a great communicator and consistently checks in with her teachers, especially when she is absent to ensure that she can catch up on any missed work. She has shown her willingness to be a part of the College community, performing at the Creative Arts Concert, and participating in SCSA Basketball and Football. It has been a great pleasure to watch her flourish throughout the year, and embody the Mercy spirit.
Year 9 - Sienna Mifsud, 9C
Sienna is thoughtful, compassionate, caring and forgiving. Her manner is unfailingly warm, friendly and inclusive. She has a good sense of humour, and she enjoys interacting with others. Sienna is also known to be a very loyal friend.
In addition, her school attendance is excellent, and she takes her studies very seriously. Sienna has an inquiring mind and she will question anything which she doesn’t understand immediately. In class, she is always fully present in the moment, making use of her time as productively as possible. Her hard work and perseverance enable her to achieve good results.
Nothing is too much trouble for Sienna. She has shown leadership qualities in the capacity of House Captain, by helping on the Year 7 Reflection Day, and by volunteering to attend the Refugee Conference at the Mercy Hub in June of this year.
Sienna embodies the best of our Mercy qualities, showing maturity beyond her years, and earning her the respect of her peers and teachers alike.
Year 10 - Carla Tomarchio, 10C
Carla represents the Mercy values well.
She demonstrates excellence by achieving and maintaining excellent academic results.
Her positive attitude towards learning sets a wonderful standard to be inspired by her peers.
Carla is humble, and takes pride in being part of the Mercy community.
She shows great respect to those around her, and is consistently hard-working.
Carla is extremely deserving of this accolade, and should be very proud of herself and her achievements.
Year 11 - Amelia Dell’Universita, SHG1
Amelia upholds each and every Mercy value with pride through her everyday interactions with both staff and students. No matter the time, place or day, you will always see a smile on her face that creates a warming and welcoming environment for anyone within the Mercy community. She shows respect to all members of the Mercy community through offering a helping hand when needed, and always asking how her friends and teachers are going.
In her schooling, Amelia is a driven and motivated student, who is striving for academic excellence. She is an engaged student in all of her studies, by showing excellent collaboration skills when working with her peers, as well as being punctual and organised to every class so she can gain the most out of every subject she undertakes.
Amelia has shown her connection to Mercy by being part of co-curricular events such as the indoor soccer team, and is always encouraging her peers to do the same. Although at times she may not be the loudest in the room, her presence is always noticed and is very much appreciated within the Mercy community.
Year 12 - Tamesha Raj, SHG5
Tamesha is a clear representation of all Mercy values. She has been a welcoming presence to her teachers, level leader and peers, and is always more than happy to stop for a chat and ask how your day is, which shows her warmth and inclusivity.
Tamesha has demonstrated a care for her cohort’s wellbeing. She will always be seen smiling and laughing when she is with her friends, and enjoying being part of the Mercy community.
Tamesha has a strong sense of social justice, and has been actively involved in various events to raise awareness around the injustices of the community; such as the Winter Sleep Out, and actively contributing in homeroom activities. She is also very motivated in her academic studies - always ensuring she is completing work, and being engaged in all her subjects. Tamesha is always trying her hardest, and encouraging her peers to do so as well.
Wearing her uniform with dignity every day, she is a true representation of what Mercy aims to instil in all of our learners. Her presence in not only the West building, but in the whole school community, will be one that Mercy will hold onto.
2022 Spirit of Mercy Award
Congratulations to Nethu Warnakula on receiving the 2022 Spirit of Mercy Award.
In the spirit of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Mercy Sisters, Nethu is a model of Christian values in her relationships with fellow students, staff and the community. She makes a positive contribution to the life of the College, inside and outside the classroom. Nethu will always give of her best, beyond that which is required. She works to develop an awareness of social justice issues within the community. Her behaviours embody the very values, which our learning community lives by.
The College community believes in bringing Mercy to life particularly through the values of:
EXCELLENCE
challenging each person to achieve their best
HOSPITALITY
welcoming and accepting people into our community
JUSTICE
understanding our responsibility to work towards a fair and just world
COMPASSION
Supporting, nurturing and helping those around us
The College community strives to live each day by these Mercy Values.
Community Notices
Ignite Youth Forum
The past two years have been a challenging time for everyone, especially for young people making the transition from adolescent to young adult. IMVC, as a community based not-for-profit service in Inner Metro Melbourne, we have created Ignite Youth Forum as an opportunity to strengthen engagement between young people and support them in navigating life by exploring themes of passion, purpose, and connection. The event is being held at Collingwood Town Hall on Saturday, October 8.
Do you know someone who is looking to find passion and purpose in their life? Ignite is the conversation starter you didn’t know you needed.
Our keynote speaker, Bronte Campbell, is the famous Australian competitive swimmer, a dual Olympic gold-medal winner and world champion. This will be followed by a panel of storytellers, innovators and everyday heroes who will share insights on their life and their methods for overcoming obstacles. This will include award-winning filmmaker, Beau Miles; educator, social worker and writer, Kate Rizzo; and champion softballer and police inspector, Ilsa Wakeling.
The event will come to a close with a youth voice panel that will explore themes current to young people and give them an opportunity to engage with the panellists. We hope to have young people along with their parents, carers or important people in their lives attend the event and start a conversation about passion, purpose, and community.