Today we celebrated International Women’s Day with the theme, #InspireInclusion. Once again, the celebrations on the day were led by our Student Leaders. It was a privilege to host our IWD Breakfast and to welcome back our keynote speaker Christabelle Adjoyan (Class of 2003).

Christabelle is a Director at mRNA Victoria, a government agency leading the development and supply of mRNA based vaccines for future pandemics and treatment for conditions like heart disease, cancer and rare genetic disorders. She has previously led significant policy reforms within government including public health policy and communications, health service planning and community engagement. In 2021, she received an IPAA Top 50 Public Sector Women Award. Christabelle is passionate about promoting gender equity for women and girls, as well as greater equity in health and social outcomes.

We are grateful for Christabelle’s generosity and the sharing of her wisdom and experience with us. She challenged us to see where and how we might inspire inclusion for women and was an inspiring speaker for all of us.

This year we are engaging a process of review comprising a number of stages. The first stage is to ensure that we meet the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) minimum standards for registration and that we are providing an environment that is safe for students and meets the expectations set out in Ministerial Order 1359 with regards to Child Safety.

The second part of the review is assessing our achievements over the course of our current strategic directions and discerning the strategic priorities over the next four years. As part of this discernment process, we will be inviting families to provide feedback in various ways. We hope that if you are able, you will spare some time to help in the very important process of setting our new directions. More information will become available over the coming weeks.

We are in the season of Lent, a time for renewal and hope in The Resurrection. As we approach this Easter we pray for renewal and live with hope in our hearts, that all will experience compassion, justice, courage and joy; the OLMC values that we hold so dear.

On this day, we recall and give thanks to God for the example and blessing of the women in our lives and our faith journey. As a Mercy School named in the honour of Mary, we recall the first apostle, one who gives of herself for the needs of our world, Let us recall Catherine McAuley, whose particular charism of Mercy, given by the Holy Spirit, is continued today by our students and staff.

Let us remember all those women in scripture, especially today:

• Sarah, Hagar, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah
• Miriam the prophetess, Deborah the Judge, Huldah the prophetess
• Abigail (who married David), Rahab and Esther
• Naomi and Ruth
• Mary and her cousin Elizabeth
• Priscilla and Aquila
• Mary of Bethany
• Mary Magdalene.

So we pray…
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.

Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik

This unique exhibition in St Patrick's Cathedral will feature 24 beautiful portraits of extraordinary women of faith by Cologne-based artist Barbara Skorupa. The portraits have been selected from the artist's collection of more than 100 paintings of extraordinary women from different cultures and eras, including Australians St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Dr Sr Mary Glowrey JMJ and Eileen O'Connor. Visit the exhibition website for more information.

On Tuesday, 100 Year 10 students and staff participated in their Reflection Day, Wonderfully Made. As an inclusive Catholic school, OLMC recognises and celebrates the innate dignity of each human person, as we are all made in the image and likeness of God. This day, which brings together the teaching in both Health and Physical Education and Religious Education, allows our students to:

• reflect on their value and dignity as young people
• recognise the signs of healthy and flourishing relationships
• explore the influence of the media in our lives
• explore God’s delight in relationships.

This day is always well received by students and families as it welcomes them into their changing world and reminds them that they are truly amazing gifts from God.

Spanning across the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world.

This year for Project Compassion, OLMC has launched an initiative to raise money for Caritas while inspiring students to engage in a meaningful and long-lasting recycling initiative.

We will encourage students to participate in the Government’s new bottle recycling project – where a range of plastic and glass bottles and cans can now be recycled and exchanged for 10c.

It can be hard to find the time for each family to visit the Container Deposit Facilities, so we are providing purpose-designed bins to collect the right bottles and cans. Students can bring their bottles to school, or donate the bottles they have purchased at the canteen.

This initiative is being driven by a group of Year 10s who attended the launch of Project Compassion at the Academy of Mary Immaculate on Shrove Tuesday. We are also looking for some volunteers in Years 7 and 8 who might like to help encourage, collect and eventually join us in delivering these bottles to a Recycling Centre.

Students can begin to bring in their bottles and cans (with the label saying that they are eligible for the 10c refund) from Tuesday 13 March until the end of Term 1.

With Caritas, we are proud to be working together this Lent for justice and dignity, for the vulnerable and the planet that sustains us.

For more information about Caritas and Project Compassion, please visit : https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/

For more information about the Government Recycling Scheme, please visit : https://cdsvic.org.au/

Project Compassion Prayer 2024

God of all hope, we pray for our world with all its beauty and need.

We thank you for the love in our lives that is a mirror of your unending love.

May all creation know your compassion this Lent and may we take courage to share it, especially with those who don’t have what they need.

In our time, we hear the same words you spoke to Moses: ‘I will be with you,’ when you ask us to do courageous things.

Through our prayer, fasting and almsgiving, move us to act in the company of your Spirit, showing compassion and acting for justice to renew the face of the Earth, now and for all future generations.

We ask this in the name of Christ. Amen.

Lauren Marquet
Social Justice Coordinator

In Science we have been busy this term working like scientists. We have learnt about the many do’s and don’ts while working in the science laboratories to keep us safe. There is so much equipment to learn the names of, e.g. heat proof mat, beaker, measuring cylinder, and thermometer, just to name a few.

Our favourite activity though has been learning how to safely light the Bunsen burner. Some of us had never even lit a match before! After learning the correct procedure, we all successfully got our Bunsen burner licence and went home proud of our efforts. Our next challenge is to work as a team to correctly set up equipment to heat and compare two different volumes of water. We will then need to complete an experiment report showing our findings.

Jasmine J and Sophie C (7RTH)

The Year 7 students have encountered their first assessment task in Mathematics. The topic they have completed so far is statistics. Students learned different ways to represent data collected, including bar charts and pie charts.

In the assessment task, the students were asked to work in a group of three to collect data on teachers’ cars. Students had the chance to get out of the class and look at the staff car park. Students recorded the colour of cars that are parked there in a frequency table, identifying the most popular and least popular colour. They also studied how old the cars are. All the information is represented in different forms.

Shirley Wu
Mathematics Learning Leader

For our graduating Class of 2023, we have continued to see success across the tertiary sector in the variety of offers made. We are proud of their achievements and ambition to pursue ongoing success through study and employment. Areas pursued by our Year 12 graduates can be seen here. We look forward to welcoming back these students as alumni in the future to share their stories and experiences of success.

In 2024, we are very excited to build our Careers Profile with an added member to the Careers Team in Ms Anna De Rosa. We both look forward to arranging more opportunities for our students to engage in meaningful career development and we ask any families or alumni who may be in a position to help with any of the following scheduled activities to contact Careers Coordinator, Melinda Williams via email mwilliams@olmc.vic.edu.au.

Find Your Voice

Our Year 9 Horizon students are exploring industries and professions of interest whilst also developing their skills in communication, initiative, planning and problem-solving. In small groups, students are looking to interview a professional about their career journey and decisions. The interview will take place on Thursday 28 March and professionals would need to be available between 9.00am-10.15am for around 35-40mins. If you are working in any of the following areas and able to be available on this day and time, please reach out:

• Forensic Science
• Paramedicine/Nursing/Medicine
• Graduate of Criminology working in a related-area
• Psychology
• Physiotherapy/Chiropractic/Osteopathy
• Professional Sport (Coach or Athlete).

Please note: interviewees will need to hold a current Working With Children’s Check. A volunteer WWCC is free to obtain online and can be organised within around 15 mins via the Services Victoria website.

SWL Placements

We have a number of our students undertaking technical VET training as part of their VCE VM program and are keen to connect with any professionals who might be able to host students for work placements in the following industry areas:

• Allied Health
• Hospitality
• Early Childhood Education and Care
• Beauty Services
• Sport and Recreation
• Animal Care.

Industry Insight Panel Series

We are looking to arrange a number of industry insight discussions through Terms 2 and 3 for students to learn more about professions by meeting with and asking questions of practising professionals. If you are willing to potentially be a guest speaker about your work role, please reach out via email. We look forward to engaging with our wonderful OLMC community to support student future-thinking and decision-making.

Empowering Trailblazing Women – Year 10 Discovery Day

On Tuesday 5 March, we gathered with half the Year 10 cohort as well as our VCE VM students to focus on unpacking issues in the workplace that still exist for women, and consider ways to be aware and confident, and empower themselves and other women. Students considered current statistics and workplace trends in Australia and heard from five inspiring panellists who offered great insights, posed thought-provoking questions and provided some great tips on how to ensure this future generation of women feel valued and supported in their professional lives. We thank alumni Maddison Seeley (2018), Lauren Szigeti (2018) and Her Honor, Jennifer Howe (1990) as well as Fire Rescue Victoria’s Sarah Hammond and MYOB Software Engineer, Maddison Das for joining us and so generously sharing their experiences with our students.

Upcoming Events and Careers News

Parents and guardians are encouraged to utilise PAM for updates regarding upcoming Career and Further Study related events and activities. Shortly, newsletters will be published fortnightly and details of specialist activities are advertised regularly through SIMON and PAM.

The Victorian Careers and Employment Expo will open its doors at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Thursday 14 March, with access to over 130 exhibitors, seminar presentations and workshops. Entry is free and students and families can look over the full list of exhibitors as well as the program here.

Melinda Williams
Careers Coordinator

The 2024 House Swimming Sports was held on Friday 23 February. We had good numbers of student sign ups and a fun and enjoyable day! Next will be the Athletics Carnival!

Our overall results are as follows:

Week 6: GSV Sport Results

Please click here for Week 7 Sport Information.

Year 8 Matball Competition

Starting next week, we have the Year 8 Matball Competition run by the VET Year 11 students. Round one involving all Year 8 classes will be held Tuesday 12 March with the top four teams to play Wednesday 13 March and the final to be held Thursday 14 March.

GSV Swimming Championships

The 2024 GSV Swim Championship took place on Friday 1 March at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre.

Our Juniors and Intermediates placed sixth and Seniors fifth in their age groups. OLMC came eighth overall in Division 2.

GSV Diving Championships

The 2024 GSV Diving Championships was held Monday 4 March at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre.

Our Juniors and Intermediates placed fifth and Seniors sixth in their age groups. OLMC came fifth overall in Division 3.

Term 1: Sport Dates

Tuesday 19 March: AFL Umpiring Course begins

Monday 25 March: GSV Finals begin

Tuesday 26 March: GSV Swim and Dive Finals Night

Trevor Robertson
Sports Coordinator

What does the OLMC Arts Program look like? As your 2024 Arts Captains, we want to step you through some of the opportunities on offer at OLMC and how YOU can get involved!

But first, introducing your captains…

Charlotte

Hi! My name is Charlotte and I am one of your 2024 Arts Captains. One of my favourite things about the College is the range of extracurricular activities on offer to students - there really is something for everyone! I have been involved in many of the wonderful arts programs since Year 7 and I feel incredibly honoured to be helping lead the department at our school this year.

So, what are my personal experiences with the arts program?

(Also known as Charlotte D's love letter to OLMC Arts.)

You may know me from the school musicals, where I played Sherrie in Rock of Ages, Miss Honey in Matilda and Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins. This year I look forward to sharing the stage with some wonderful people in the M² Production Chicago, in which I will be playing the character Velma. Something you may not know about me is that I was also a student director for Junior musicals: High School Musical the Musical and Lyrebird as well as this year’s Theatre Studies Production The Love of Three Oranges.

Aside from Production, I have been an active member of our school’s debating team since Junior years and have been fortunate enough to speak at a range of competitions, festivals and school events. This year, I will be joining the Senior Choir in a bid to role model the fact that it’s never too late to try something new and to put yourself out there. OLMC Arts has had a significant, positive impact on the person I am today and the person I hope to become in the future.

If there is one piece of advice I could give to any student, it would be: you know that one extra-curricular activity or event you have always wanted to try, but have been hesitant about joining? Give it a go. You might like it, you might not, but if you don’t try you’ll never know. The best stories are told by those who live them.

Lillian

Hi! My name is Lillian and I am one of your 2024 Arts Captains. One of my absolute passions in life is performing, visual arts and music! It expresses peoples’ creativity, talents and joy for the things they love. I have been delighted to be a part of the arts community for all my years of high school and I am so excited to share the wonderful gifts OLMC has to offer this year!

Personal experiences with the arts program?

Many of you may have seen my face in the liturgical masses throughout the years or even the many concert performances, some of which included the songs; ‘California Dreaming’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘What a Wonderful World’, Welcome to the Rock’, ‘One Way or Another/ Hit Me with Your Best Shot’, ‘Walking on Sunshine’, and many other classic songs that may have hit your ears over the years.

Speaking of choirs, I have been a proud member of the newly created Advanced Choir which has just started this year. I am very excited about what is to come with this amazing group as we compete in competitions through our harmonious voices.

Behind the scenes, I have also helped conduct the Junior Choir in the ‘60’s Medley’ and run many warm ups with the Senior Choir, whilst being Music Captain last year. Other than choir, I have taken singing lessons with the fabulous Ms Russo who has strengthened my voice to sing solos in performances including OLMC Live.

I have also been a part of the Production from 2020 called Super Happy Awesome News which sadly was in the time of Covid. This year will be my first time being a part of a Production in person and I am so eager to get out there and give it my best shot.

One of the things I live by is; always say yes! Because when you’re old you never want to be that person who regrets not putting your hand up because you are scared of what others may think. At the end of the day, it is about making lovely memories to look back on that make you smile or even laugh. So, I encourage you to say yes to more things this year so you can share your gifts through the world of art.

Arts this year

Our vision for the 2024 OLMC Arts Department is to foster an inclusive and positive environment for all students. The College offers a range of programs including Debating and Public Speaking, Photography Club, many, many amazing ensembles, Junior and Senior Production, Elite Dance, Drama Club, House Arts and lots more!

For this term, the Chicago production rehearsals are underway as the cast prepares for the performances coming up in May of this year. We also have ‘The Greatest Showman Concert’ on Tuesday 26 March, which is filled with some classic songs like, ‘Rewrite the Stars’, ‘The Greatest Show’, ‘Tightrope’, ‘A Million Dreams’ and many other amazing pieces of music.

There are many other arts practices bubbling under the surface and we can’t wait to tell you more about them as the year progresses.

We are so thrilled for you to get out there and share your gifts in the OLMC Arts program this year!

Lillian M (12MCMI) and Charlotte D (12MAMN)

This year the Senior Production is Chicago: High School Edition. With a cast and crew of almost 80 Senior students from OLMC and Marcellin College, excitement is building for what is set to be an amazing and crowd-drawing performance. Rehearsals have recently begun, with the cast working collaboratively to learn the songs and choreography.

The show has been a wonderful opportunity for students to meet new people from different year levels and schools and step out of their comfort zone. As students who have actively participated in previous M² Productions, we know that while the final show is always incredible, it’s what happens behind the scenes - the friendships, the confidence building and the memories that make these shows so great.

With many of the previous M² Productions selling out quickly, we strongly encourage you to buy tickets fast when they go on sale early next term!

#earlybirdgetstheworm

See you there!

Charlotte D (12MAMN) and Olivia S (12MMWI) 🎤🎭

Year 9 Dance have commenced their ‘Learnt Dance’ assessment, which is a whole class dance routine, in the contemporary dance genre.

This year, due to the large size of the class, the students have been separated into two groups to learn and choreograph movement.

Students voted for the song title ‘In This Shirt’. The music gives many options for the dancers to experiment with movement.

All students have contributed with enthusiasm and the routine is looking very strong. Sequences have been created by Mrs Butterworth and the students are given structured improvisation tasks to choreograph movement in small groups.

The routine will be performed to an audience in June.

Madalena Broadbent
Performing Arts Learning Leader

The 25^th Annual Melbourne Easter Passion Play will take place on Palm Sunday 24 March and Good Friday 29 March.

For more information please visit the Melbourne Passion Play website

A Good Friday reflection, Way of the Cross, will take place around the streets of Heidelberg West on Good Friday 29 March.

SIMON Everywhere

SIMON Everywhere is a new App for smart phones that allows parents to access all information relating to their daughter such as reports, grades, attendance and much more. It also allows you to update medical information, advise on absences, late and early leave passes, give permission for excursions, access teacher emails and also receive notifications from the College.

During the next few months, it is requested that all parents have the SIMON Everywhere app installed. For parents familiar with PAM, the new App works mostly the same as PAM and you can still access PAM via the web however, the app has additional functionality such as push notifications and the ability to sign in without having to enter your username and password each time.

Instructions for the downloading and installation of the app can be found in the flyer below.

Doug Wright
Digital Strategies Coordinator

SAVE THE DATE!

The OLMC Parents’ Association invite all students to come along with their Mother, Grandmother or a special person in their lives to our

Mother’s Day Celebration 2024

Thursday 9 May, 7.00 pm

McAuley Hall, Cape Street, Heidelberg.

This is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the wonderful women in our lives and to get to know others in the OLMC Community. The evening will commence with a short liturgy and will be followed by a delicious supper served by the Parents’ Association Committee.

So please save the date! Further details will be sent out early in Term 2.

Marie Jenkins
Community Development Coordinator

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.