This is the first Newsletter of Term 2. A very big welcome back to everyone. We hope that you all had a great break and a wonderful Easter spent with family and friends. We also hope that it was a time to rest and rejuvenate ready for all that is ahead.

The start of the term has been busy; we began with Parent Teacher Student Interviews. Thank you to all who attended the interviews last term and at the beginning of this term. ANZAC Day was recognised last Wednesday, when students returned for the first day of classes, with a commemorative ceremony led by students and staff during morning Pastoral.

This week I had the privilege of travelling to Perth with the Principals of other Mercy schools from all over Australia. We had the opportunity to visit Mercedes College, Santa Maria College and St Brigid’s College in different parts of Perth. There is always a warmth and familiarity in all Mercy schools no matter where in Australia they may be located. We are all sharing in the legacy of Catherine McAuley and a common set of values and understandings. That we are ‘shining lamps for all around’ was one of Catherine McAuley’s well known quotes and directions for her sisters. As I traveled around the different schools, I was struck by how privileged I am to be part of this wonderful legacy and how important it is that our students understand that they belong to something so much bigger than OLMC. Catherine’s lamp is truly shining bright in Australia.

The next few weeks are busy times for students in the OLMC calendar. On Friday 12 May the Student Leaders are holding the annual Dare2Donate. The event sees teachers asked to commit to a dare set by students. Each dare has a fundraising target and will only be performed if that target is reached. It is an important way that OLMC can work together to support others in the community who need our help; in particular the Leaders have chosen to support McAuley for Women and Children.

The annual Parents’ Association Mother’s Day evening is also being held on Monday 15 May. This is always a wonderful evening shared by our community.

Tonight is the opening night of the Senior Production, Rock of Ages which is this year being led by Marcellin College. We are very much looking forward to celebrating the talents of young people from both schools. It is always a humbling experience to bear witness to the immense commitment and dedication of the staff and students from both schools, who support each other to rise to meet the enormous challenge of creating a wonderful and entertaining production. Both Marcellin College and OLMC are blessed to be able to provide this for our communities. We know you will enjoy it and thank you for supporting the young people involved.

As we continue to read, listen and participate in the many viewpoints about an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, we offer this article to this discussion.

As people of the Resurrection, we pray that whatever happens ensures First Nations people dignity, respect and love.

Creator Spirit,
All creation once declared your glory,
Your laws were honoured and trusted,
Forgive us our neglect as our country approaches
the most critical moment in its history.
Listen to our prayer as we turn to you,
Hear the cry of our land and its people,
Just as you heard the cry of Jesus,
your Son, on the Cross.
Help us to replace our national shame
With true national pride by restoring the
dignity of our First People whose antiquity is
unsurpassed.
May our faith and trust in you increase.
Only then will our nation grow strong and be
a worthy place for all who wish to make their home in our land. Amen.

© Elizabeth Pike, September 1997 Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, Melbourne.

Term 2 is a very busy period of assessment for students in all year levels. Despite the fact that assessment dates and timelines are published well beforehand, this can be a stressful time for students, parents and teachers alike. Most OLMC students take great pride in their work and obviously hope to do well. Parents and teachers also invest a great deal in students’ academic progress and hope to see consistent work rewarded.

Despite these shared good intentions on the part of everyone, as deadlines loom things can unexpectedly go wrong. It is during times such as this that it may be necessary for parents to contact a subject teacher, perhaps to clarify expectations about a task or to confirm dates for a test. When it comes to questions about coursework and assessment, the subject teacher is always the most appropriate person to contact, rather than the Pastoral Leader or Year Level/House Coordinator. The subject teacher will understand the nature of the task in question and obviously knows the student.

Timely communication between parents and teachers is welcomed by OLMC staff as a message received from a parent or guardian may alert a teacher to a student of concern when they are unaware. Examples of such concerns may be lack of clarity about the nature of a task, confusion as to materials that may be used in an assessment, especially one completed under test conditions, or confusion as to how the assessment task is to be submitted for grading.

When faced with concerns such as these, which left unaddressed can grow into daunting problems for students, timely contact with the subject teacher is essential. At OLMC we encourage students to approach their teachers when seeking clarification, however; at times the parent or guardian may themselves wish to make contact. It is strongly recommended that parents and guardians ‘cc’ the relevant Learning Area Leader into the email as it is likely that they will be able to contribute to discussions about the inquiry, or provide direction if the teacher is unable to address the question.

A list of Learning Area Leaders and their email addresses is provided below.

As we move through Term 2 we know that many students are seeking to find ways to extend themselves and prepare well for their end of Semester exams. With exams just over a month away, students will be building revision time into their homework and study routines, as the evidence indicates that frequent spaced repetition leads to greater memory retention than cramming the night before.

In order to support students to feel confident in their own abilities, organise and manage their time effectively, as well as challenge themselves to achieve their best, we have set aside some time to continue the development of their revision techniques and exam skills.

Year 10 students
On Friday 12 May, Year 10 students will have three lessons designed to prepare them for their first set of exams. The sessions will include both OLMC teachers and external presenters Elevate. Students will not only have the opportunity to develop exam preparation skills, but also how to manage stress and how to move on from an exam, even if it did not go as well as planned.

Year 11 students
Year 11 students experienced the Year 10 program in 2022 so now is the time to refine their skills even further. Their focus will be on reviewing their revision strategies from previous years and managing their worries in their assessments, as well as in the lead up to exams. Year 11 students will have a session ‘Study Like a Sensei’ during Lesson 2 on Friday 12 May. This session will be run by external presenters Elevate.

We encourage parents to ask their young person what they are hoping to learn on this day that will support them, as well as checking in with them afterwards. Parents may also want to ask students to show them the OLMC Study Skills website on SIMON so they can help in the planning of revision.

Andrew Gibson and Megan Edwards
Curriculum Coordinator and Head of Student Wellbeing

There are now spelling resources for your child to use on Education Perfect.

Education Perfect is a rich library of curriculum-aligned lessons and assessments across the each of our learning areas. Its content is carefully scaffolded (tailored to each student’s needs) to allow all students to experience success, while providing rich opportunities for higher order thinking.

The resources are titled ‘Spelling Support at OLMC’ and are separated into year levels.

They are for any students who would like to improve or enhance their spelling.

The link is below.

Spelling Support - Education Perfect Library

Claire Feain
English Teacher

The OLMC Student Leadership Team has been hard at work organising many events that celebrate our OLMC community.

At the end of last term our Year 9 House Vice Captains organised an Easter Egg hunt for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to bring a sense of joy to the end of a busy term. It was a great opportunity for the year levels to come together and celebrate.

Today we had our first student-led assembly of the year with the focus on celebrating the OLMC student! The assembly is a showcase of the talent and drive of OLMC students from Year 7 through to Year 12. We heard from students who have been working hard at the production, reflections from the first term of Year 7 and Horizon in Year 9, and the achievements of our STEM students. And of course we enjoyed and the performances from OLMC music and dance students.

The assembly also gave us the opportunity to talk about Dare2Donate. Dare2Donate is happening on Friday 12 May this year and we have set a goal of raising $4000 for McAuley Community Services for Women. It is an opportunity to have fun with the teachers, but also an opportunity to have a greater understanding of how we can act with justice beyond OLMC. We would like to thank Hayley Marriot from McAuley for coming to talk to us about the important work this service provides.

Please remember to bring a gold coin donation to school to help out this great cause! This year we will also be offering electronic donations at lunchtime.

It is only the start of Term 2 and the Student Leadership team will be working towards other school events such as House Athletics, Debating and Chess! These are wonderful opportunities to enact the College Theme of 2023, ‘And, who is my neighbour?’, and encourage participation, collaboration and relationship building across the OLMC community.

Fiona Koenig-Doig
Student Leadership Coordinator

OLMC was recently invited to be part of the Gala Fundraising Event for McAuley Community Services for Women, celebrating 35 years of the work McAuley does to support women and children who have experienced family violence and homelessness and to advocate for their right to remain safely in their homes.

The stunning luncheon was held at Zinc at Federation Square, hosting over 150 supporters of McAuley. The event was emceed by Nelly Thomas with the Key Note Speaker being Kym Valentine, Chair of the Victim Survivor Advisory Council and well-loved actress.

To reflect the strong partnership between McAuley and OLMC, seven students representing the Social Justice Club were invited to assist by visiting tables to sell raffle tickets and process donations.

The students showed off their networking and salesperson skills as they worked the room. We received an email from McAuley to say that the Raffle Ticket and Centrepiece sales alone generated $25,000! An incredible result for a most worthy cause.

Thank you to Ella P. (11LAGA), Melika S. (11LRJO), Nathasha J. (11CRIV), Isa Ann S. (11AHRA), Neha M. (11CMSM) and Juwel J. (11AHRA) for representing the College and for their ongoing commitment to social justice.

‘Thank you for this unforgettable experience, we are all so grateful for being able to partake in such an important and meaningful experience!” – Nathasha J. (11CRIV).

If any families are interested in supporting the work of McAuley, please visit the following link: McAuley for Women and Children

Lauren Marquet
Social Justice Coordinator

Towards the end of Term 1, the Year 10 Mind Body and Soul elective class took a trip to Urban Surf in Tullamarine, and what a thrilling experience it was!

The excursion gave students the opportunity to try their hand at surfing, without having to make the trek to the coast. After a water safety briefing and learning about how to use surfing equipment, the eager class hit the waves for a 60 minute session, where they carved up the waves and perfected the surfing stance. For many students, it was their first-time surfing and they were surprised by how challenging it was. However, with the help of the instructors and the support of their classmates, the students quickly improved and were soon riding waves with confidence.

Overall, the excursion to Urban Surf was a fantastic experience for the Year 10 Mind Body Soul class. It allowed the students to try something new, challenge themselves physically and mentally, and bond with their classmates.

The students left the facility with a newfound appreciation for the sport of surfing and a sense of accomplishment with many students commenting how they want to take surfing to the next level in the ocean.

Teresa Cerra
Health and Physical Education Learning Leader

Year 7
Year 7s are learning about Jesus Christ this term.

Currently students are learning how the bible was written and the many different genres included within.

Students will be focusing on who Jesus was and how he interacted with different marginalised groups such as women, the poor and sick.

We will also study the climax of the Jesus narrative; the Crucifixion and Resurrection and why they are so key to our Catholic/Christian faith.

Year 8
In Term 2, Year 8 students have just embarked on a unit of study on Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Mercy Sisters. So far, we have been finding out who Catherine was, how the Gospels were at the centre of her motivation to undertake the work she did, and some of the challenges she faced.

Students will soon begin their work on an enquiry unit, looking at the work of the Sisters of Mercy across the world today, and reflecting on how Catherine’s legacy continues in that work.

Bernadette Hogan and Grace Austin
Religious Education Teachers

M² Productions is proud to present the Senior Production for 2023 - Rock of Ages!

Rock of Ages is set in the 1980s in Hollywood California. It is the tale of an aspiring rocker, Drew, who works as a busboy in the trademark Hollywood bar/club ‘The Bourbon Room’ and a girl, Sherrie, who he instantly falls for. They are both chasing their respective dreams but the rock 'n' roll fairy tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Will they fight for each other and the destiny of the club? The show is filled with songs from Styx, Poison, Twisted Sister, Europe, Pat Benetar, Survivor, Journey, Bon Jovi and Whitesnake to name a few.

There are approximately 60 OLMC students involved both on stage and behind the scenes. The production is being staged in partnership with Marcellin College.

Tickets are now on sale:

Madalena Broadbent
Performing Arts Learning Leader

Throughout Term 1, the Year 9 Pastoral Team was focused on strengthening relationships and fostering a sense of belonging amongst the Year 9 cohort.

Student Leaders played a crucial role in this process and it was heartening to see many girls nominate for and step into such roles at a formal level in Student Representative Council, Class Captain, House Captain, House Vice Captain and Peer Support Leader roles. They have also stepped up at an individual level through effective collaboration, communication and teamwork in group tasks and acts of service to the community, such as volunteering at College events.

In Term 2 our Student Leaders will continue to act as positive role models as we turn our focus to the development of greater self-confidence, independence and personal responsibility for our learning and decisions. In order to achieve this, Pastoral Teachers are endeavouring to grow supportive environments in which students can take risks and make mistakes to become more self-aware and improve.

Kylie Willis
Year 9 Level Coordinator

The OLMC Parents’ Association are very excited to be hosting a Mother’s Day Celebration on Monday 15 May at 7.00 pm.

You will have received an email previously to invite you to this event. If you still wish to book a ticket please do so as there are only a very limited number of spaces left.

If you are unable to attend but still wish to support the work of the Parents’ Association, we invite you to purchase a raffle ticket.

If you are attending you are welcome to pre-purchase your tickets.

You can do this by clicking on the link https://www.trybooking.com/CIA...

Tickets are 1 for $5, 3 for $10 or 10 for $30.

The array of Prizes is outstanding, including a:

• voucher for Hypoxi sessions at Fernwood Bulleen
• voucher for Thrive Revive
• handbag and jewellery from Thalessea
• mother daughter Snap Fitness voucher and much more.

Please see the attached flyer for full details.

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.