The Frayne Speech Festival is hosted each year by a different Mercy school and provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the skills and talents of students in a variety of different types of public speech. It was with great joy that we welcomed nine Mercy schools to OLMC on Friday 30 August to participate in the Frayne Speech Festival. We also welcomed members of the Mercy Ministry Companions Board and Mercy Education Limited, along with Principals, teachers and students. The festival created a great buzz of excitement at OLMC.

Congratulations to the Voice Choir and Debating teams who placed first in the festival. To all who represented OLMC, we offer our thanks and congratulations; the students were all excellent ambassadors for the College.

Last week the Parents’ Association held the annual Father’s Day Breakfast. It was wonderful to see students share some breakfast and conversation with significant men in their lives. Some of our students shared with us what makes their Dad special. There were a few laughs and it was great to see the bond between fathers and daughters. Thank you to the Parents’ Association who each year work tirelessly to provide opportunities for community engagement and also raise money to support the school. We are blessed to have such committed and dedicated parents.

Parent Teacher Student Interviews for Years 7-9 will be held next week online. As always, we encourage all families to take the opportunity to meet with teachers to both celebrate the successes of your child and to discuss next steps to support their growth. This is an important opportunity for us to come together as partners in your child’s learning growth and development.

I have recently shared with staff the idea that we are currently in a liminal place: the space between the old and the new. We are working to determine what the new means for us and how we will move forward to ensure that we are preparing young people for the future that they will live and work within. This week we held the first round of our parent consultation for the development of the next Strategic Directions 2025-2029. Thank you to all those who participated and engaged with the process. The voices of parents, students and staff are critical to the discernment process.

Mercy Day will be celebrated on Thursday 19 September. This is one of the most significant days in our year. It is a time when we pause to acknowledge and celebrate the wonderful legacy that has been gifted to us by the Sisters of Mercy. The Student Leaders from all year levels take a role in the preparations, encouraging all to be involved. The day also raises money for the very important work done by Mercy Works, who support communities around the world who are struggling with poverty and poor access to health care and other vital services.

Mercy Day is a great day of celebration, fun and food. It is a moment in time when we can appreciate all that it means to belong to the OLMC Mercy Community. I cannot stress enough how important it is for our students to be part of the day.

'To Hope and Act with Creation'

The season’s ‘Celebration’ begins 1 September, the Feast of Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations. This year, we will unite around the theme ‘To hope and act with Creation’ with the symbol ‘The first fruits of hope’, inspired by Romans 8:19-25. Pope Francis wrote this letter to us.

Pope Francis challenges us to care for our ‘common home’. In both encyclicals, Laudato Si (2015) and Laudato Deum (2023), he reminds us that much must be done. So, as stewards of God’s sacred creation and as Mercy people, let us work and pray together…

All powerful God,
you are present in the universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with your peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty,
not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle,
for justice, love and peace.

Amen

A prayer for our earth was published in Pope Francis’ encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’.

Image from: https://seasonofcreation.org

On Friday 30 August OLMC had the privilege of hosting the Frayne Speech Festival. The Frayne Speech Festival is a gathering of students from schools, founded in the traditions of Mercy education. It provides an opportunity for spirited competition in debating, public speaking and voice choir. The festival exhibits excellent speakers and fosters a sense of unity across the schools. It is a very special event and one that is for Mercy Schools and therefore ours alone. What a privilege it is for all of us to share in such a rich tradition.

We welcomed very special guests from Mercy Ministry Companions and Mercy Education Limited:

• Emeritus Professor Anne Hunt OAM FACE – Board Director, Mercy Education Limited
• Professor Gabrielle McMullen AM FRACI, Trustee Director, Mercy Ministry Companions
• Ms Louisa Rennie – CEO, Mercy Education Limited
• Mr Chris Bence – Head of School Engagement, Mercy Education Limited.

In addition, Principals, staff and students from the following schools joined us to participate in lively debate, passionate public speaking and joyful accord in Voice Choir:

• Academy of Mary Immaculate College
• St Aloysius College, Adelaide
• St Aloysius College, North Melbourne
• Sacred Heart College, Geelong
• Sacred Heart College, Kyneton
• Mount Lilydale Mercy College
• Mercy College, Coburg
• Emmanuel College, Warrnambool
• Mercy Regional College, Camperdown.

The Frayne Speech Festival was established in 1996 and is named after Mother Ursula Frayne, leader of the first group of Sisters of Mercy to arrive in Australia from Ireland in 1846. Mother Ursula Frayne opened the first Mercy school in Australia on 2 February 1846. Mercedes College in Perth, a day school for girls from Years 7-12, continues the founding tradition of Mercy Education on the very same site.

Mother Ursula Frayne was also the foundress of the first religious house in Victoria in 1857 and in the same year established Academy of Mary Immaculate, Fitzroy, the first Catholic Secondary school for girls in Victoria.

Congratulations to the OLMC Debating and Voice Choir Teams who both placed first in the competition.

Thank you to all the students and staff who brought in sanitary items for our Annual Period Poverty Day. This year, the day was led by Year 9 Horizon in collaboration with the Social Justice Club.

The products are donated to McAuley for Women and Children, for those fleeing domestic violence and poverty. McAuley Houses offer women a safe community in which to live while they regain their health and wellbeing. Access to these products helps the women manage their periods with dignity and less stress at this very difficult time.

https://www.mcauley.org.au/

Lauren Marquet
Social Justice Coordinator

The Languages Learning Area staff and students have been busy with a variety of recent activities. I hope you enjoy reading more about our Japanese sister school visit from an OLMC host sister perspective, the Year 12 Italian class excursion to Mediterranean Wholesalers, and a Year 9, 10 and 11 Japanese Calligraphy incursion. These opportunities have enabled our language students to not only improve their linguistic and sociolinguistic skills, but also to immerse themselves in the culture of their chosen language.

James Stavretis
Languages Learning leader

Japanese Sister School Visit

A few weeks ago, OLMC was excited to host students from our Japanese sister school, Serei Women's Junior College. By spending their school days at OLMC and homestays with OLMC families, the students could immerse themselves in OLMC school life and the Australian lifestyle. It was an amazing opportunity for the Seirei and OLMC students to build international friendships.

The Seirei students visited our Japanese classes to engage in various activities. One of the week's many highlights was the special gathering with the Year 10 and 11 Japanese classes to have ‘coffee and chat’ time. We had a cafe-style experience where we enjoyed tea, coffee and milkshakes made by the 7TH LAB Team while conversing with the Japanese exchange students. We talked about our hobbies, school life, and other interesting topics. The Japanese students also took English and culture classes where they practised their English and learned about OLMC and Australian culture.

On the Wednesday of that week, the Seirei students and their OLMC host sisters enjoyed an outing to Healesville Sanctuary. We saw lots of wildlife native to Australia and everyone was thrilled to see the koalas, including some baby koalas clinging to their mothers.

Having a Japanese student doing a homestay was a rewarding experience for the OLMC host sisters. Through this program, we have built lasting relationships and friendships. At first, there was a language barrier, but as we became more familiar with the students, we grew strong connections. OLMC host families entertained their guests by taking them to footy games, the Melbourne CBD, and other local sights. It was very satisfying to give the students a good experience in Australia, and hopefully, we will meet them again one day.

Sophie B (11ADWR)

Year 12 Italian Visit to Mediterranean Wholesalers

Our Year 12 Italian class visited ‘Mediterranean Wholesalers’ to immerse ourselves in the Italian culture through different Italian-made products available on the shelves. This experience helped us to gain insight into different certifications, such as DOC, that food products in Italy are awarded and the different processes and ingredients involved in making these traditional products. We also got the opportunity to test our Italian-speaking skills with the staff and locals when ordering at 'il bar' (the cafe) and the deli. This was a great experience to develop a better understanding of the products we are all studying for our upcoming oral exam on a chosen Italian food product.

Sierra D (12ASWU)

Japanese Calligraphy Incursion

On the Monday 5 August, the Year 9, 10 and 11 Japanese students were given the opportunity to partake in an amazing calligraphy incursion run by the Shodo Super Kids, who came all the way from Osaka, Japan. The members of this calligraphy group, whose ages ranged from 13-21, demonstrated how to practise the art of Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) and mentored us step by step on writing our very own Kanji. We all got to choose our favourite word in Kanji symbol to practise writing and take home. The group gave an informative presentation on the different styles we can write in, as well as the cultural background behind Shodo, which was a great experience to increase our cultural understanding of Japan. We were also able to converse in Japanese with our visitors. It was so much fun! Hopefully, sometime in the future, we can do Shodo again!

Aarchi K and Lucy U (10LSMI)

From March to June this year, our team embarked on an exciting journey with the BrainSTEM Games. During this period, we honed our skills in research, problem-solving, critical thinking, and brainstorming. Our group—comprising of Year 8 students Amber, Ava, Brooke, Emmy, Zoe and Isabella—focused on exploring food security and its connection to climate change in Australia.

We conducted a survey among OLMC students, and our results revealed that many people are not fully aware of how climate change impacts food security and affects some of our favourite foods. Based on our findings, we created an educational website to raise awareness on this important issue.

We had the opportunity to present our research and final product during a workshop, which was a highly rewarding experience for all of us. On Tuesday 10 September, we are excited to present our project at the STEM MAD Showcase.

Breanna Farrugia
Science Teacher

It is with great pleasure that the Humanities correspondent introduces two of our Year 10 Commerce students who have written about an interesting and evocative opportunity they had to explore the Melbourne housing market by comparing and contrasting suburbs.

Rosemary Jones
Humanities Learning Leader

Going on this excursion for Commerce was an effective experience because I was able to analyse and compare different housing in actuality, which was really refreshing from doing similar work based on videos or Google Docs in the classroom. Going out to compare different housing situations in Suburb A to Suburb B provided me with a real-world insight into how life would look for individuals from each area, as I was also able to learn the history behind some of the homes I visited with my group. For example, a lot of the housing in Suburb A was public housing which was interesting to compare to the properties in Suburb B that were all high-end estates and privately owned. While on the excursion, I also observed that there was a significant amount of construction taking place in Suburb B in contrast to Suburb A, which put the attentiveness and time taken to improve each suburb’s housing scenario into perspective for me. Overall, it would have been much more difficult for me to gather this information if it was from a video, so participating in the excursion was really effective in terms of improving my knowledge of the topic and learning how a variety of aspects of economics come into play when buying a house.

Zoe D (10CMSM)

Is housing a right or a privilege?

This excursion opened my eyes to the two different realities of people on opposite sides of the economic spectrum. It was fascinating to see how the lives of two people living only 25 minutes away can be so drastically different. Father Harry told our Commerce class stories of people living in public houses so run down I couldn’t imagine anyone calling it home, whereas the houses in a contrasting suburb were excessively decorated, with heavy security and grand statues.

Something that I found interesting was the history behind the public housing in one suburb, which was once the Olympic Village in 1956. Made quickly and cheaply for the Olympians, these houses were only supposed to be in use for a few weeks and were not created for durability or long-term housing. I found it baffling that these cheap houses were given to the low-income public and not maintained well, with some people even getting respiratory diseases due to poor flooring, roofing and lack of maintenance.

On the other hand, Suburb B’s houses were very big, well maintained and aesthetically pleasing. The houses were massive with structures such as fountains and gates and very high security. This was a huge change from the houses we saw in Suburb A, as they were more closed off and protected, much more architectural and exclusive. Something else I noticed in Suburb B was that almost every house had prestigious cars parked outside and very big gates isolating each house from the community, unlike the public housing in Suburb A, where there were only small gates or no gates at all, no cameras, and very few cars. Overall, this excursion helped me to see two aspects of the economic spectrum and how different housing can be depending on your income and background.

Nima C (10CMSM)

Congratulations to our DAT Stars!

As we reach the final few weeks of Year 12, we stand in awe of the brilliant Year 12 students who are completing their final productions in Art Creative Practice, Media and Visual Communication Design. This milestone marks not only the culmination of a year of hard work but also a journey characterised by terrific peer collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving prowess.

Over the past three terms, students have explored new techniques, developed empathy for their audiences, embraced challenges, and pushed the boundaries of their creative capabilities. Their final productions are not just assessments; they are reflections of their growth, passion, and the lifelong problem-solving skills they have developed along the way.

These productions (called School Assessed Tasks) make up 40%-50% of the students’ final study score and can be a fantastic resource when applying for a number of University and TAFE courses.

In Term 4 there will be two chances to view and celebrate our students' work.

On Wednesday 9 October at 4.30 pm we will roll out the red carpet for a premiere of a selection of Media student films in the Mercedes Hogan Theatre.

Thursday 17 October is our Art Show where all our students' work will be on display in the Frayne Design, Art and Technology Building - also featuring delicious food creations from Year 10 Food Studies students! More details of these events to come.

Mark Jenkinson
Design, Art and Technology Learning Leader

On Wednesday 28 August, we gathered for a special breakfast to celebrate Father’s Day. The event began with a delicious spread, featuring egg and bacon muffins, pancakes, ham and cheese croissants, fruit cups, and, of course, coffee.

It was heart-warming to see so many daughters celebrating their fathers. Ten students shared touching and sometimes humorous stories about what their fathers mean to them, creating a memorable and emotional experience.

A special thank you to Phil from Veneto Club Men’s Shed, for taking time to speak about the benefits of attending the Men’s Shed monthly meetings. His insights into the value of engaging with community leaders and connecting with other men in the group were greatly appreciated.

We extend our gratitude to the wonderful volunteers from the Parents’ Association, especially the fundraising committee for organising the raffle prizes. Events like this are only possible because of your dedication and hard work behind the scenes.

We would also like to thank our sponsors for their generous donations: Piccoli Portraits, Snap Fitness, Heidelberg Golf Club, Farm Vigano, Chocilo, Chemist Warehouse and Heide Museum of Modern Art.

Each guest received a special gift bag, thanks to Lia Heim's generous contribution. Her thoughtful gesture was the perfect way to end the breakfast.

No matter the role they play in our lives, father, stepfather, grandad, or mentor—these father figures hold a special place in our hearts.

Thank you to all the father figures for your love and support.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Parents’ Association event in Term 4!

A huge congratulations to our raffle winners:

• 1st Prize: Catalano Family - Piccoli Portraits photographic offer
• 2nd Prize: Amelia Holovka - Snap Fitness Father & Daughter Package
• 3rd Prize: Catalano Family - Heidelberg Golf Club Voucher
• 4th Prize: Amelia Holovka - Men’s Fragrance Gift Pack One
• 5th Prize: Adelle Mifsud - Farm Vigano Dining Experience
• 6th Prize: David Fabbris - Men’s Fragrance Gift Pack Two
• 7th Prize: Mark Frazzetto - Chocilo Hamper
• 8th Prize: Clara Surman - Heide Museum of Modern Art Twin Pass

Nikki Reynolds
OLMC Parents’ Association

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