Mercy News - Friday 10 March 2023
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Key Dates
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Prayer
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Message From Our Principal
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A warm welcome to our new staff
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Student Executive Reflection: 2023 Social Justice Captain
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Director: Religious Education and Identity
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Deputy Principal
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Director: Data, Innovation and Growth
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Director: Student Engagement and Wellbeing
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Counsellor’s Corner
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Year 7 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
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Years 8 and 9 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
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Senior Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
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Homework Club
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Humanities
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Languages - Italian
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Sport
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Information Services
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Careers @ Mercy
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Uniform Shop
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House Matters
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Alumnae News
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Community Notices
Key Dates
Sunday 12 to Sunday 19 March
- Catholic Education Week
Monday 13 March
- Labour Day (Public Holiday)
Tuesday 14 March
- 9A Outdoor Education Incursion: Mountain Biking at Mercy (Periods 1 & 2)
- Year 9 English Incursion: Poetry to the rescue with Steven Herrick (Period 5)
- Kitchen Kapers - Week 1 (4.00pm to 5.00pm)
Wednesday 15 March
- NAPLAN Testing (Year 7 Writing from 8.45am & Year 9 Writing from 10.51am)
- Wednesday Musical Rehearsals at Parade College (3.30pm to 6.00pm)
Thursday 16 March
- NAPLAN Testing (Year 7 Reading from 8.45am & Year 9 Reading from 10.51am)
- VCE Art & VCD SAT Folio Support (3.20pm to 4.45pm)
Friday 17 March
- NAPLAN Testing (Year 7 Conventions of Language from 8.45am & Year 9 Conventions of Language from 10.51am)
- SCSA Indoor Cricket Tournament (7.30am to 3.20pm)
- Feast of St Patrick
Sunday 19 March
- Feast of St Joseph
Monday 20 March
- NAPLAN Testing (Year 7 Numeracy from 8.45am & Year 9 Numeracy from 10.51am)
- Monday Musical Rehearsals (3.30pm to 6.00pm)
Tuesday 21 March
- Harmony Day
- Kitchen Kapers - Week 2 (4.00pm to 5.00pm)
Wednesday 22 March
- Year 4 Explore Day
- Wednesday Musical Rehearsals at Parade College (3.30pm to 6.00pm)
Thursday 23 March
- VCE Art & VCD SAT Folio Support (3.20pm to 4.45pm)
Friday 24 March
- Year 9 Outdoor Education Excursion: Mountain Biking at the You Yangs (9.00am to 3.20pm)
Prayer
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we pray:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God, whose love and goodness gathers us in:
we pray for women all over the world,
especially those challenged by poverty and other injustice.
Stir us to know women’s dignity.
Quieten us to listen to women’s voices.
Awaken us to see women’s realities.
Strengthen us to stand for women’s rights.
Fill us with hope to make a better future together.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Catherine McAuley, pray for us.
Message From Our Principal
International Women’s Day
As a school community, we celebrate important achievements and events throughout the year. One event, which has particular significance to us as a Catholic Girls school, is International Women's Day.
International Women's Day (IWD) is a worldwide celebration held on March 8 honouring, the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also works as a reminder for our continued work in accelerating gender parity. International Women's Day (IWD) has been celebrated for well over a century. Today, IWD belongs to all groups everywhere in the world; IWD is not country, group or organisation specific, but rather it recognises the rights and celebrates the achievements of all women from all parts of the world.
As a Catholic community, we spent time on Tuesday and Wednesday recognising the duty to treat all with the dignity that they deserve, as people who are made in the image and likeness of God. The theme for this year and on these days was Embrace Equality.
At our school assembly on Tuesday we were fortunate to have two guest speakers Maryanne Tadic from Merri Health - an alumna of the College (Class of 2000) who we were thrilled to welcome back to Mercy. Maryanne has over 15 years of experience working in the community health sector within both leadership and operational contexts, and has a strong understanding of the diverse range of service delivery areas as well as reform challenges within the community health environment.
Our second guest speaker was Tina Hosseini. Tina is a passionate campaigner for multiculturalism, human rights, social justice and adolescent health and wellbeing. She is an experienced advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, former Commissioner for the Victorian Multicultural Commission and a current Research fellow for the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science (Swinburne University of Technology) in the area of Family Violence.
We were also fortunate to have two of our current Year 12 students Summar Hamka and Anna Marchio courageously share their own testimonials on Embracing Equity. They reminded us as living examples that we can all truly embrace equity. It is not just something we say. It is not just something we write about. It is something we need to think about, know value and embrace. It is what we believe in, unconditionally. Equity means creating an inclusive world.
Parents/Guardians as Partners
We are grateful to the parents who attended our VCE/VCE-VM Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences last week. We know that learning occurs best when there is a strong partnership between students, parents and teachers. When parents and teachers work together the educational outcomes are always better for children. Benefits of a strong parent teacher partnership also include maintaining the wellbeing of children, parents feeling more confident in the teaching and learning process and teachers feeling supported by parents.
House Swimming Carnival
Last Wednesday we enjoyed a spirited celebration at our College House Swimming Carnival. The day was filled with energy, participation and most of all, waves of House spirit. Congratulations to Frayne for being the overall winners and to all students for the races that they competed in and the novelty type events they embraced. My thanks to Ms Brianna Shears, Sports Convenor for the overall coordination, to Ms Kay Toll and the House Leaders and to all staff and students for what they did to ensure it was a successful day.
Let us never lose trust in the patience and mercy of God.
Lila McInerney
Principal
A warm welcome to our new staff
Ms Fiona Laino
Fiona is our new Information Services Leader and Year 7 Dance teacher. She enjoys working in the library and interacting with students, discussing the wonderful books they have read and are reading. Fiona's hobbies are reading, dancing and cooking!
Mr Dane Douglas
We welcome Dane who joins our Mercy community as one of our Instrumental Staff. Dane has been teaching for 12 years and spent last year at Springside West Secondary College. When asked what he hopes to achieve at Mercy, Dane said he is excited about joining our excellent Music Program and helping it grow.
Student Executive Reflection: 2023 Social Justice Captain
My name is Sasadi Jayalath and I am the Social Justice Captain for 2023. It is both a privilege and honour to hold this position and I am looking forward to working closely with the Social Justice team and Ms Eid our Social Justice Convenor to create change within our Mercy community.
My hopes and aim as Social Justice Captain this year is to promote inclusivity and spread awareness about the ongoing injustices in our society and community. Our goal is to raise awareness amongst the Mercy community about various social issues surrounding us and to explore avenues to assist. In this way, students can act both within and beyond the Mercy community to promote social justice and effect change.
The process of assembling our Social Justice Team for this year is almost complete and I am looking forward to working with our new team consisting of students from all year levels. I’m excited to be receiving input from a range of students with various perspectives and ideas in order to promote social justice in our school community and the community at large.
So far, we have been raising money for CARITAS Australia; an organisation that works with and supports marginalised communities in Australia and internationally. In doing so, it seeks to confront the challenging realities of poverty and inequality and to improve the lives of many. This organisation works towards creating a more just future by implementing positive change. Through the Caritas Project Compassion campaign, Mercy College contributes to raising funds for the most vulnerable communities across the world. We began this fundraising effort by selling pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and will continue to donate money throughout Lent through the Project Compassion boxes which are placed in each Homeroom.
Furthermore, we are working towards constructing our own Mercy Op Shop. In an effort to promote sustainability and acknowledge the unjust global implications of fast fashion, we are creating a space for students to buy or swap clothes with second hand items of clothing and other items. We encourage all of the Mercy Community to get behind this brand new initiative and to donate preloved clothing and accessories when asked to do so.
Other projects and organisations that we will endeavour to support throughout the year include: McAuley Services for Women and Children, Vinnies and Opening the Doors Foundation.
I am really looking forward to working on these projects and commencing further projects in the future with our Seeds of Justice team.
Sasadi Jayalath
SHR6
Director: Religious Education and Identity
It has been an exciting time for Religious Education and Identity at the College in the last fortnight, with the beginning of Lent and our launch of Caritas’ Project Compassion.
Project Compassion Launch
Our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day Fundraiser marked the beginning of Caritas’ Project Compassion campaign for 2023. Each Monday during Lent, Homerooms learn about a featured story from Caritas and reflect on the good works that we can do by supporting Project Compassion. For example, this Monday we learned about Tereesa’s story; a Gamilaroi woman from Western Sydney who struggled with homelessness while raising her four children: https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/tereesa-story/. Each Homeroom is actively working towards raising money through collections in their Project Compassion boxes.
Mercy College Op Shop
As already mentioned by our Social Justice Captain, Sasadi, we are launching our Mercy College Op Shop in the Spirituality Centre (next door to our Chapel) to promote sustainability, educate our community on the detrimental effects of fast fashion, and to raise money for Caritas’ Project Compassion. Our Year 12s have been busily donating and organising clothing and other items. We are excited to see how our community engages with this new initiative!
Where: Spirituality Room (next to Chapel)
When: Opens Friday 10th March and continues during Lent. Every Wednesday and Friday lunch.
How: Bring an item of clothing to swap or donate $
Why: Caritas' Project Compassion and to promote sustainability!
Lent
Lent marks a time of reflection and repentance. During Lent, we provide many opportunities for staff and students to engage in our Catholic tradition whether that be through good works (Project Compassion) or through prayer and reflection. Each Wednesday and Thursday during Lunch, Diana Vanicore (Year 9) leads Lenten reflection sessions in the Chapel. These sessions are invitational and aim to provide our students with a reflective sacred space.
Our College Leadership Team have also been leading invitational prayer sessions each Friday morning in the Chapel for our staff. The last two sessions have focused on a Visio Divina (divine seeing of artwork) and a Lectio Divina (divine reading of a Scripture passage).
“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” – Genesis 2:7
Mission and Social Justice Year Level Leaders
We are very pleased to announce our Mission and Social Justice Year Level Leaders for 2023.
Mission Year Level Leaders
Year 7: Stephanie Malovan
Year 8: Amani Arif
Year 9: Diana Vanicore
Year 10: Senasha Warnakula
Year 11: Ruby Chahoud
Social Justice Year Level Leaders
Year 7: Sakhee Adhikari
Year 8: Emily Assouni
Year 9: Clare Matthews
Year 10: Kyara Delgama
Year 11: Kayla Jordan
Religion & Society
Our Year 12 Religion & Society class has been busily preparing for their first SAC on Thursday 9 March. Throughout the week, they have been utilising after school study sessions in the library to collaboratively brainstorm ideas, and to complete timed practice questions to best prepare them. One style of question in Religion & Society is the ‘cartoon question’ where students unpack a cartoon and apply it to the specified key knowledge or skill. Here’s an example from the 2021 Religion & Society exam that our students have used as a practice question in preparation for their Area of Study 3.1 SAC.
Nima Ballenger
Director of Religious Education & Identity
Deputy Principal
NAPLAN Online 2023
NAPLAN Online will take place from Wednesday 15 March to Monday 20 March. The following week will be used to follow up any students that may have missed one or more of the four tests in the first week due to absence. Further communication has been outlined in a parent letter that was emailed to families last week.
NAPLAN Public Demonstration Site
With the NAPLAN test beginning next week, planning is well underway in schools across the country. We encourage students, parents, carers and teachers to explore our public demonstration site where you can familiarise yourself with question types, onscreen tools, timers and interactive navigation.
For more information on NAPLAN, please visit www.nap.edu.au.
New reporting standards for NAPLAN
Last month, education ministers agreed to change the way NAPLAN results are reported to parents and carers. From this year, parents and carers will get earlier, simpler and clearer information about their child’s NAPLAN achievement based on new, more rigorous national standards.
Read the media release and FAQs about the new NAPLAN proficiency standards.
My School updated for 2023
The My School website has been updated for 2023 with new profile information on schools and the latest school-level NAPLAN data. As well as providing an overview of the approach and focus of each individual school, My School gives parents and carers information on student and teacher numbers, attendance rates, income and expenditure, and NAPLAN results. It also provides principals and teachers with important insights into school performance.
We invite you to read the media release and visit the My School website.
Term 1 Learner Expectation Reports
Learner Expectation Reports will be available to all families as of Wednesday 29 March via the Parent Access Module (PAM).
Learner Expectation Reports are designed to provide feedback on a range of areas related to your daughter’s learning, study habits and overall progress. These reports provide feedback on your daughter’s progress and form the basis for discussion at the upcoming Years 7 to 10 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences.
Families will receive further correspondence outlining how to access their daughter’s Learner Expectation Report. In the meantime, we encourage your daughter to continue to the apply herself to the best of her ability across all her subjects and look forward to discussing your daughter’s progress with you.
Years 7 to 10 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
The Years 7 to 10 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences will be held on Tuesday 4 April.
This is an opportunity for teaching staff at Mercy College to share with families their understanding of the needs of each Year 7 to 10 student, working in partnership with parents, guardians and students to discuss strategies that will enhance the understanding of the course content. Such partnerships are essential to the success of each student and ensure that each girl can achieve their personal best.
We encourage all parents and guardians to make appointments with their daughter’s teachers. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in these interviews.
We look forward to meeting with you and your daughter, and discussing how to best support and extend her to achieve her goals and ‘flourish’ in the learning environment.
Families will receive further correspondence outlining how to access and make bookings for these Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences.
Special Provisions within the VCE and VCE-VM
The VCAA Special Provision policy provides students in defined circumstances with the opportunity to participate in and complete their secondary level studies.
The underlying principle of the VCAA Special Provision policy is to ensure that the most appropriate, fair and reasonable options are available for students to demonstrate their capabilities if their learning and assessment programs are affected by disability, illness, impairment or other circumstances. Special Provision should provide equivalent, alternative arrangements, but not confer an advantage to any student over other students.
Applications for Special Provisions close on Friday 24 March.
For further information please visit the VCAA website.
Nicholas Ambrozy
Deputy Principal
Director: Data, Innovation and Growth
2022 NAPLAN Data has been Publicly Released
NAPLAN data was released on the myschools.edu.au website this fortnight. NAPLAN data compares the academic progress of all schools across Australia. Looking at the data provided on the website, we can compare Mercy College to other schools and see whether we are improving the academic performance of our students.
Looking at the data for our College, we can see that the school is achieving above average results in Reading and Grammar and at an expected level in all other areas (Reading, Spelling and Numeracy). However, when we compare Mercy College to similar schools we see that by Year 9, our students perform at a level well above students from comparable schools in Writing and above standard in Reading and Grammar.
This is not surprising because the latest VCE Data also shows how the Class of 2022 performed over their six years at the College in terms of rank. What the education authorities do is they take the middle student in a cohort and rank them on a 100 point scale. As an example, a student ranked 80 would be said to be in the top 20% of all students in the country. They do this in Year 7, Year 9 and again in Year 12. Looking at the change in rank, we can see whether that median student has changed rank or improved compared to all other students in the country. This student is a proxy that represents the general change for the whole cohort.
What we found at Mercy College looking at this data was that the Class of 2022 improved 21 rank spaces in English from the time they began at the College to the time that they left. This is not a score but actually means that this group of students improved so much that they surpassed 21 percent of their peers.
This is an incredible achievement for which the English department is rightfully proud and humbled.
Lukasz Rabenda
Director of Data, Innovation and Growth
Director: Student Engagement and Wellbeing
Mercy College hosted our International Women’s Day (IWD) Assembly, where we decoded the 2023 theme: Embrace Equity. The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough? People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. We are so grateful to our two inspirational guest speakers, Maryanne Tadic and Tina Hosseini, for helping us unpack the 2023 theme and for sharing their experiences as women in leadership. Our students also enjoyed striking the #EmbraceEquity pose to commemorate International Women’s Day in 2023, as well as engaging in lunchtime karaoke where songs from female artists were sung out loud and movies were reviewed about empowering women. Students were also presented with a purple ribbon and a treat to commemorate the day, and encouraged to ponder the phrase - “International Women’s Day, I just want to say…”
As social media constantly takes on new platforms, it is often overwhelming and also hard for parents, and at times schools, to keep up with what is being used and when. At Mercy, students sign an ICT agreement ensuring best practices of technology and devices. Phones are expected to be in lockers during the school day. Our wellbeing program is also designed around the constant of technology in our young person's life, in particular how to use it in a positive way, and what to do if they experience negative behaviour on the internet.
Below are some links that parents may find useful to read and discuss with their family around the use of the internet. Some resources have been translated into different languages.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
https://www.internetsafeeducation.com/category/videos/page/2/
Hygiene is a key factor of wellbeing, and can come in the form of many ways. Tying hair back is a way the College encourages personal hygiene and safety with our students. You can still get lice when heads touch, but by putting hair up you are making an effort to keep your hair to yourself and are at less of a risk of having hair to hair contact.
A reminder to parents to update their child's medical history if anything changes.
The more time students are at school for full days, the more engaged and happier they are, and less overwhelmed. Going home early or making appointments during the school day often (obviously at times this is unavoidable) interrupts a pattern of learning, causing students to have to 'catch up' and not be connected with their peers or school life. A reminder that students should be bringing a note to school from their parents if, on the odd occasion, they have to leave school early. This should be presented to their Learning and Wellbeing Leader who will issue them a yellow slip. This should be taken to Reception and parents need to come to Reception to pick up their daughter. Students should not be contacting parents during the day to pick them up, nor should parents be calling Reception to pick up students unexpectedly, unless of course there is an emergency.
Maria Daniele
Director of Student Engagement & Wellbeing
Counsellor’s Corner
It has been a busy start to 2023 at Mercy with lots of exciting opportunities for the girls. A new year can also come with challenges and it has been encouraging to see students reaching out to the counselling team for support.
Our counselling team at Mercy is made up of two part-time counsellors who work to support the wellbeing of students. Liv Carli Hannan is a social worker/counsellor and Janine Crociani is a clinical counsellor. Our counsellors are friendly, approachable and dedicated to supporting students at Mercy.
The counsellors provide support through 1:1 counselling, small group targeted programs and across all year levels, through specific presentations aimed at the needs of different age groups.
If you would like more information or would like to speak with one of the counsellors about referring your young person, please email us at counselling@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au or alternatively attend our Meet the Counsellors session on Tuesday 23 March (details below).
Liv Carli Hannan and Janine Crociani
School Counsellors
MEET THE COUNSELLORS MORNING TEA
Date: Thursday 23 March
Time: 8.30am - 9.30am
Where: Please meet at Reception
Come along and meet the counsellors at an informal gathering, where we will
discuss our role and how we might provide support to students and their families.
It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have.
Please RSVP by emailing counselling@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au
or contacting us through reception on 9319 9299.
Year 7 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
Last week we held our first optional “Walk to Coburg Lake” during lunchtime.
The students enjoyed getting out of the school grounds for some fresh air and exercise. Many enjoyed using the playground facilities and just spending time with friends in a different environment.
This is something we hope to continue to do on a regular basis, when the weather permits.
Jacquie Russell
Year 7 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
Years 8 and 9 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
With the introduction of the vertical homerooms, it seems fitting that ‘The Tea Cup’ was chosen as the symbol for Middle School. This year we will embody Catherine McAuley’s vision ‘to be sisters to one another’, and consequently family.
Comfortable Cup of Tea
When Catherine McAuley was dying, many of the sisters gathered around her bedside to say good bye and to pray the prayers for the dying. Not long before she died, at the end of a long day of waiting, she said to one of the sisters: “Be sure you have a comfortable cup of tea for them when I am gone.”
Ever since, the comfortable cup of tea has been a symbol of the warm and caring relationships which were at the heart of Catherine McAuley’s Mercy vision.
It can be used as an opportunity for hospitality and to welcome others and it can also help us find a moment of calm and be a comforting presence. The cup of tea is a symbol of the Mercy value of hospitality.
So the message of the cup of tea is a profound one. It is a sacramental, if you will, of our life together. In it, Catherine asks us to be sisters to one another and to trust that, when we turn to one another in moments of joy and sorrow, in times of confusion and change, we will find God in that interaction. And herself as well, I believe. So we must use this symbol carefully because, in addition to all the other meanings with which we have invested it, it is Catherine’s final call to a loving and generous sisterhood among us.
Reflection given by Sheila Carney rsm at Mercy International Centre, 64a Lower Baggot Street 11 November 2010
Tania Benevento
Years 8 and 9 Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
Senior Learning and Wellbeing Level Leader
As we enter a period throughout the term with assessments coming up, it is important that students are seeking support if they are feeling overwhelmed or just need a helping hand. Please always encourage your child to contact their subject teacher, a member of the wellbeing team or a trusted staff member.
Please also note it is important that students are utilising their study periods at the College. Students are to remain on campus when they have a scheduled study period to ensure they are allowing themselves adequate time to revise and study for any upcoming assessments.
Please contact the counselling team at counselling@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au, or contact myself at adriver@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions or concerns.
Annie Driver
Senior Learning & Wellbeing Level Leader
Homework Club
Humanities
Excursion to Melbourne Museum
For year 7 History, the student went on an excursion to The First Peoples exhibition, at Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the Melbourne Museum.
Class 7A stepped into this fascinating prehistoric world and discovered more about the cultural history of Indigenous Australians. The students learned interesting facts about megafauna and gained insights to cultural practices as well as art and spirituality.
As the Year 7s navigated their way around the exhibit, they completed a work booklet to consolidate their learning. This excursion compliments the Ancient Australia unit of Year 7 History. The students were excited about this excursion and found it to be a meaningful and memorable learning experience.
Sarah Baini
History Teacher
Languages - Italian
This term in Italian, our Year 9 students have been learning about festivities and events that are celebrated in Italy during February.
Students have studied what happens in Italy during the month; focusing on regions, food and incorporating their knowledge of the past tense. With the aid of YouTube clips and images, students have been transported to the festivities, chosen the one they would like to attend in the future, and to write and talk about in their upcoming presentations.
The celebrations include San Valentino (Saint Valentine), San Remo (Italian Music Festival) and Carnevale. Students have been asked to create a spotify list of songs from San Remo, and we have been listening to some of them in class and voting on the ones we like.
I look forward to sharing the presentations in different forums.
Maria Daniele
Italian Teacher
Sport
Sport at Mercy is underway. Last week was the first sports event - the House Swimming Competition. Not only were students competing for points for their House, but they were competing for individual points to be crowned the swimming champion for their year level.
The swimming champions were Violet G (Year 7), Gabriella D (Year 8), Indiana F (Year 9), Alana M (Year 10) and Bridie L (Year 12).
Students were also selected to participate in the 100m freestyle event based on their 50m freestyle race places. Congratulations to the 100m freestyle champion from each year level; Sophia W (Year 7), Gabriella D (Year 8), Clare M ( Year 9), Alana M (Year 10) and Summar H ( Year 12).
Sports training has begun for a number of different sports, in preparation for the upcoming tournaments. Tennis training has been in full swing, with the tournament this week. Cricket training is also underway for the tournament next week. Futsal training has also just begun in preparation for next term's tournament.
Brianna Shears
Physical Education and Sport Convenor
Information Services
On the UN Women’s Australia webpage it states that “International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when all women are recognised for their achievements.
International Women’s Day has become a time to reflect on progress, to call for change and to celebrate the courage and determination of the women who changed history, and those who will advance gender equality into the future. International Women’s Day is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilise for meaningful change.”
At Mercy College library our display of resources you can borrow celebrate the achievements of women across the world.
Robyn Knowles
Library Technician
Careers @ Mercy
Uniform Shop
Holiday Trading Hours
The Uniform Shop will be open on Tuesday 18 April 2023, 9.00am - 2.00pm for winter uniform purchaes. Due to the ANZAC Day Public Holiday, the shop will also be open on Wednesday 26 April from 1.00pm to 4.00pm.
Alternatively, you can visit in person during the school term at the following times:
Tuesdays: 1.00pm to 4.00pm
Thursdays: 8.00am to 12.00pm
Please note, the Uniform Shop cannot currently be contacted via phone. The best form of contact until further notice is via email at: mercycoburg.uniforms@permapleat.com.au
House Matters
In Week 3 of this term, students were invited to apply for the position of Year Level House Captain and over 60 such applications were received in a short space of time, showing that House spirit is alive and well at Mercy College. The submissions were generally very thoughtful, as students explained why they wanted to be a leader and the personal qualities which they would bring to the position. Interviews were subsequently conducted and there were some difficult decisions to be made, but the successful candidates were eventually determined for each year level.
YEAR LEVEL HOUSE CAPTAINS 2023
The appointment of the Year Level House Captains was timely because in Week 5 we had our Swimming Carnival! The weather included a bit of everything on the day, but the enthusiasm of students was apparent, as they participated in various events, chanted in support of their House or proudly wore their House colours. There were even a few teachers who were dressed up for the day, showing their support and adding to the colourful feel of the event. Our Year 12 students also took the opportunity to jump into the pool together, marking their very last Mercy Swimming Carnival.
At the end of the day, we returned to school for a final assembly where the overall results were announced and they were very interesting. O’Hea House and Marian House both scored 218 points, while Thecla House did just one better, with 219 points. Kane House came in second with 259 points and the outright winner on the day was Frayne House, with 322 points. There were some very happy people dressed in green, jumping up and down in delight! They have the bragging rights for now, but we will see how they fare in the next House competition; the year has just begun!
Kay Toll
House Coordinator
Alumnae News
Maryanne Tadic (2000)
Maryanne has a background in population health and has experience in leading a number of community-based research projects, with extensive skills in strategic planning and evaluation.
Maryanne is passionate about driving change through innovation and applying a systems thinking approach to achieve health and wellbeing outcomes in communities. Maryanne holds a Master of Public Health degree (Health Services Management) and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Health Promotion). She is an Associate Fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Management and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
It was a plesure to welcome Maryanne back to Mercy College on Tuesday to speak at our International Woman's Day Assembly.
Community Notices
‘Australia’s Best Teachers’ campaign
News Corp has launched its ‘Australia’s Best Teachers’ campaign and Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is a major partner. Australia’s Best Teachers aims to recognise the wonderful work of those in the profession by celebrating our most inspirational and innovative educators. The campaign calls on Australians to nominate the great teachers who have, and have had, an incredible impact on our students and all of our lives. A panel of expert judges will then select and announce the top 50 teachers on Saturday 6 May 2023. We have some great teachers at Mercy College and we would like to encourage the entire school community to contribute nominations via the following link: