Mercy News - Friday 21st October 2022
Key Dates
Sunday 23rd October
- Rock Band Performance at St Oliver's Primary School Fete 2:15
Monday 24th October
- Celebration of Sport Evening 7:00pm
Tuesday 25th October
- Practice Emergency Evacuation Drill to Coburg Lake Reserve (during Period 3)
- 'Abstract Explosion' After School Art Program for Years 4-6 Girls (Final Week)
Wednesday 26th October
- 7A & 7C Swimming Excursions
VCE Examinations Commence:
- Units 3 &4 English Written Examination (McAuley Hall)
- Units 3 & 4/English (EAL) Aural & Written Examination (McAuley Hall)
Thursday 27th October
- Units 3 & 4 Visual Communication & Design Written Examination
- Social Justice Team Incursion: Seeds Of Justice
- Year 9 Outdoor Education Excursion: Torquay Overnight Camp and Surf
- 7B Swimming Excursion
Friday 28th October
- Units 3 &4 Biology Written Examination
- Further Mathematics Written Examination 1
Monday 31st October
- Mid Term Break (Student Free Day)
- Units 3 & 4 Psychology Written Examination
- Units 3 & 4 Further Mathematics Written Examination 2
Tuesday 1st November
- Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
- All Saints Day
Wednesday 2nd November
- All Soul's Day
- Units 3 & 4 Mathematical Methods Written Examination 1
- Hospitality (VCE VET) Written Examination
- Units 3 & 4 Business Management Written Examination
- 7C Swimming Excursion
Thursday 3rd November
- Units 3 & 4 Mathematical Methods Written Examination 2
- Units 3 & 4 Health & Human Development Written Examination
- Internal Music Exams
- Year 11 Music Recitals
- 7A Swimming Excursion
- Year 7 2023 Solo Student Afternoon Tea 4:15pm
Friday 4th November
- Year 8 Reflection Day
- Internal Music Exams
Prayer
A PRAYER FOR OUR YEAR 12 STUDENTS
God of Knowledge,
We ask that our Year 12 students feel your presence during the VCE examination period.
We pray that you give them calm nerves and quiet confidence in the knowledge that you hold them in your loving care.
Bless them with keen understanding, retentive memories and the ability to grasp questions correctly.
We pray that you will bestow upon them your gifts of wisdom and understanding.
We ask this through Jesus your Son.
Amen.
Message From Our Principal
DEAR MERCY COMMUNITY,
With the devastating floods, we have seen this past week it is heartening to see how communities have come together and supported one another. From volunteers donating their time and energy to fill sandbags, prepare supplies and assist neighbours in the clean-up, to others opening their homes to friends and strangers alike. It is hard to believe that while the sun is shining today so much of our state is under water and families are struggling having lost homes and livelihoods. We pray that the weather conditions are favourable in these areas over the coming days so the cleanup can continue and not devastate these regions further.
YEAR 12 FAREWELL
Our Year 12 students celebrated their final days of schooling last week with respect and a real sense of gratitude. We are grateful to Fr Greg Bourke, (Parish Priest of the Brunswick Moreland Catholic Mission), who celebrated our Graduation Eucharist with us last Thursday night which was followed by our Graduation Awards ceremony. On the Friday, we gathered for our Year 12 Celebration Dinner. It was a wonderful evening shared with our students and families in recognition of their schooling achievements and the partnership we have shared as a College.
They have been a resilient group who have faced lockdowns and a move to remote learning during pivotal years of their learning.
Most of the Class of 2022 have now turned their attention to their final exams. We keep them in our prayers as they put into practice all that they have learned throughout the year.
MERCY COLLEGE COMMUNITY EVENTS
It has been wonderful to be able to gather for a number of significant events that we have missed over the last 2 years and I am grateful to the many staff for their work to enable these to take place and to our students and families for your continued support.
ANNUAL ALUMNI REUNION
Last Sunday afternoon we were delighted to gather for our annual Alumni reunion, which takes place on the 3rd Sunday in October. This year we especially remembered and celebrated the Classes of 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012. Whilst some of our current Yr 11 students led tours, they were the ones who enjoyed hearing the stories of our past students as they revisited the people and places that made their time at Mercy unique.
ART AND DESIGN SHOW
Yesterday we hosted the Mercy College Art and Design Show where our VCE Unit 3 and 4 students were able to display their folios. Congratulations to all involved. The works highlighted the strong talents of our students and highlighted the importance of creativity and culture in our community.
CELEBRATION OF SPORT EVENING
This year is the first time in two years where we have been able to compete in all SCSA sports and sports carnivals uninterrupted.
We have so much to celebrate from athletics and swimming carnivals to taking home the trophy in Division 1 soccer!
We look forward to recognising all that we have achieved in Sport at Mercy this year. We will announce Most Valuable Players (MPVs) for each team in each sport as well as the Sports awards for years 7-12.
ST OLIVER'S SPECTACULAR FETE
On Saturday, our Mercy College Rock Bands will be supporting St Oliver’s Spectacular Fete with performances by our Rock Bands. For those who would like to see and hear them their performances they will begin on stage at 2.15 pm.
Let us never lose trust in the patience and mercy of God
Lila McInerney
College Principal
RE and Identity
Introduction to Mrs Ballenger - Director of Religious Education and Identity
It’s been an absolute delight commencing as the Director of RE and Identity at Mercy College this term. I have spent the last three years in Religious Education and Catholic Identity leadership roles in Catholic schools, and it’s safe to say - I love it! I am blessed with the privilege of working with young people and nurturing their faith formation as they grow to find meaning and purpose in their lives. I’m looking forward to getting to know the young women in our community, and have already started working with my Year 11 Religion and Society class and Year 9 RE class as they finish up their most recent SAC and Assessment. I’m also supporting our current Year 12s who are preparing for their upcoming Religion and Society Exam on November 14th. As a Religion and Society Written Examination Assessor, I know how tricky it can be to interpret some of the questions and just how challenging it can be to write 4-5 (depending on what the exam throws at you!) extended responses back-to-back in Section B. I look forward to guiding our students through this process so that they can approach the RAS exam with confidence!
God bless.
Nima Ballenger
Director of Religious Education and Identity
Deputy Principal
“It was a victory for everyone. For everyone that has a dream, for everyone that wants to go above and beyond. I wanted my 14 Peaks Challenge to inspire people with the love of the Big Mountains, but more than that, I want everyone to know that if you set your mind to something you can achieve it – no matter who you are and where you come from.”
Source: Nimsdai Purja (High altitude expedition leader)
During the year I read the book, ‘Beyond Possible’. In summary, it tells the story of Nimsdai Purja as he climbs Mount Everest and other iconic peaks through extreme weather, life-or-death decisions, and the emotional weight of his mother’s illness back home.
Travelling cross Nepal, Pakistan and China with the team, it is also a story about courage, perseverance, and pushing the limits of human endurance. These are also the qualities that could be used to describe the journey of our Year 12 students as they have navigated two years of remote learning and are now entering the final weeks of secondary school.
With this in mind, I would like to wish all our senior students the best during the coming weeks and encourage them to draw inspiration from the words of Nimsdai, and to always remember that if you set your mind to something you can achieve it – nothing is impossible.
VCE 3/4 Examinations
VCE exams are fast approaching, but it’s not too late to get more prepared.
During the holidays The Age has gathered advice from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, teachers and high-scoring students. Here is a selection of articles that provide simple strategies on preparing for exams.
Please refer to the article Take a breath and prepare for VCE exams as published in The Age 27 September 2022.
The VCE way: sleep, practise, prepare as published in The Age 28 September 2022.
Tips to ace VCE maths as published in The Age 29 September 2022.
A reminder that the 2022 VCE examination timetable is now available.
All students must read the VCAA examination rules for VCE and the GAT. It is also their responsibility to be familiar with materials and equipment authorised for use in the GAT and VCE written examinations.
Please note all VCE 3/4 students received a VCCA handout at a recent assembly that outlines all procedures and processes for the upcoming VCAA Examination period.
Semester 2 Examinations
Semester 2 examinations have been designed to provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their level of progress and achievement based on the key content covered throughout this semester.
These examinations will also provide an indication of the level of student performance across each subject with results included in their semester reports.
Year 11 Examinations: Monday 14 November to Thursday 17 November.
Year 10 Examinations: Tuesday 15 November to Wednesday 16 November.
Year 9 Examinations: Wednesday 16 November to Thursday 17 November.
Students will receive feedback from their teacher(s) following these examinations with additional feedback placed on SIMON for parents to view. This aim of this feedback is to identify areas of achievement as well as areas for future improvement to support students with their learning.
Further information including a letter to parents outlining the arrangements for these examinations and the Semester 2 Examination timetable has been made available to parents and students. These details have also been posted on the Daily Messages on SIMON for all students to access.
In the meantime, please contact your daughter’s subject teacher with any questions related to their overall progress and learning. If you have any questions about the upcoming semester examinations, please contact Mr Nicholas Ambrozy (Deputy Principal).
We wish all students the very best for their upcoming examinations.
Nicholas Ambrozy
Deputy Principal
Student Engagement and Wellbeing
It is hard to believe we are mid way into term 4!
Students will be receiving their exam timetables or assessment dates over the coming days. It is important that parents have a conversation with their child regarding this and help them plan how they will use home time to keep on top of their studies and what is their preferred study method and time of day to study. In the planner should be breaks for fresh air and food and to be away from screentime.
This can be done by using the school planner or creating a study planner sheet and putting it somewhere where both student and parents can see – this will allow students to stay on track and parents to understand when students are taking a break so that confrontation around “time wasting” is avoided.
Below is a link by the Australian Government with some tips:
https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/articles/exams-getting-off-to-a-good-start
As students and their families move through life different challenges present themselves which may result in a fracture in communication and understanding. This can often lead to miscommunication and hurt therefore leaving loved ones unsure how to mend relationships and whom to turn to.
Studies show that it is better to work on relationships then let things build up and fester.
Catholic Care is a non profit organisation which can be used as a resource in offering family therapy and can assist in helping bridge some gaps that may be occurring in relationships.
Please see the link below:
https://www.catholiccarevic.org.au/
I take this opportunity to thank all students and their families in supporting the College Code of Conduct around Uniform by ensuring that the College Summer Uniform is being worn correctly.
Although it is not too hot yet students can stay warm by wearing their College woollen jumper and also blazer and long white socks. Students should not be wearing black long sleeve tops under dresses (without a jumper on) to stay warm.
Maria Daniele
Director of Student Engagement and Wellbeing
Counsellor’s Corner
Supporting Your Year 12
The next few weeks are no doubt going to see emotions heightened, not only of your year 12 student, but of the entire household. Whether this is your first time supporting a child through VCE or you are a veteran, every student is unique and the experience is never quite the same.
Self-compassion is one of the most important lessons in life. It fuels resilience, confidence and motivation. Self –compassion allows us to be independent and authentic.
Why am I telling you this? Because telling students that VCE is the most important time in their life will only increase anxiety and reduce concentration. Getting angry, being negative or showing how stressed you may be feeling will only add to the stress of the student.
So what can we do instead?
Think inwardly about yourself during your VCE.
What would you have liked from your parents? How would you have felt most supported?
My guess is a relaxed, quiet and comfy study environment, lots of nourishing food, lots of love and warmth and some congratulations at the end of each milestone (even the end of hard day studying) would go a really long way for any year 12 student.
If your student is not meeting your expectations and you are finding the situation frustrating, take a break and focus on your own self-care. Year 12 can be stressful for you too. 18 years of hard work and you may feel it has all been leading to this moment. I can assure you that while graduating high school is the start of a new chapter, VCE is not the be all and end all and trying to make it such won’t benefit anyone.
If you see a significant change in your student’s behaviour or habits and are concerned for their wellbeing you can reach out to me at ahannan@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au. Your student can arrange to see me or they can get a mental health plan from the GP that will allow them to see a psychologist beyond exams.
Good luck to all the year 12 Mercy students and their families!
Liv Carli Hannan
School Counsellor
Year 8 Learning and Wellbeing
Term 4 for Year 8 is a busy and exciting time, with several events to look forward to.
Each year level participates in an annual reflection day, which allows students to gather together to reflect upon a central theme. The aim of the day is to foster students’ social, emotional and spiritual development, and also allow students to consider their growing and changing identity. The day will be scheduled as an off-campus excursion that will be run by teachers and a guest speaker.
Year 8 Reflection Day will take place on Friday 4th November at Holy Cross Conference Centre in Templestowe. Students will depart school via bus at 8:45am and return to school by 3:20pm.
The theme of the day will centre on body image and beauty stereotypes. The day will be facilitated by Annie Lawrence of “Annie’s True Beauty Salon”. This presentation teaches students to deconstruct media images and societal ideas of beauty, and builds a spirit of sisterhood by promoting self-esteem and respect for others. Students will explore positive role models and provide strategies to help girls recognize beauty in others, in the world, and most importantly in themselves.
Students can wear appropriate casual clothes on the day. Students are required to bring recess and lunch, and stationery to use throughout the day.
In order for students to attend, parents/guardians must fill in the consent form on PAM.
If you require any assistance to do so, please do not hesitate to contact me at tragusa@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au.
Tania Ragusa
Year 8 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
Numeracy across the Curriculum - Humanities
Each of the 4 areas of Humanities regularly feature numeracy in the curriculum. Below are some examples of how numeracy features in Geography, Commerce and History.
Geography & Commerce
Students are introduced to the key concepts of Geography through the acronym “SPICESS” : Space, Place, Interconnection, Change, Environment, Scale and Sustainability. When looking at space, students are required to look at the kms and amount of people (population) in geographical areas. Metres as a measurement are used in the environment. A timeline is explored further in scale of time (4O-50 million years ago) when looking at Plate Tectonics. At Year 7 and 8, climate graphs (temperature and rainfall) are used with degrees celsius and millimetres as units of measurement. This is then discussed further to identify patterns in climate.
History
Each year students are exposed to timelines - both analysing and creating timelines outlining significant events. Students are taught about chronology, the differences between centuries and how to identify if an event has occurred during CE or BCE and then ordering dates accordingly.
In History, students also use various data sources to explain the cause and effect of significant events. For example, at Year 9, students use data from 1914 to explain the M.A.I.N causes of WWI and how each empire contributed to the outbreak of war. They are required to read data tables and graphs to describe trends in military spending and enlistments in the lead-up to WWI.
Jemmah Ind
Humanities Domain Leader
Languages - Italian
This week is known as the International Week of the Study of the Italian language.
At Mercy College we have an enriched Italian language program which is contemporary and focuses on student interests reflected in curriculum.
Please see the link below to learn about the evolution of the Italian language:
https://www.europassitalian.com/learn/history/
Different activities going on regarding the italian Language can be found at the Italian Cultural Institute website: https://iicmelbourne.esteri.it/iic_melbourne/it/
and COASIT website:
Professore Maria Daniele
Italian Teacher
Careers @ Mercy
Community Notices
LOTE Online for Kids eResource
Happy Bilingual Children’s Month for October!
To celebrate, Merri-bek Libraries have a new eResource called LOTE Online for Kids. Families can enjoy the magic of books in community languages. Each book also comes with English translations to help learn languages. There are over 1,750+ digital picture books in 50+ languages. You only need a library card to join for FREE.
The link to join: https://lote4kids.com/au-moreland-city-council-libraries/