Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,
As another semester draws to a close, I want to thank you for all the support and encouragement that you offer your children and the staff in building the community which we genuinely believe Mount Lilydale Mercy College to be. We can still aspire to be more and to continue to grow. As we finish this second term, reports are on everyone’s minds and it is time to reflect on the incredible journey we have undertaken together, and appreciate the growth we have experienced. Let us focus on the process of receiving feedback and the significance of end-of-semester reports. Let's delve into how these elements contribute to our personal and professional development.
(1) The power of feedback
Feedback is an essential component of the learning and growth process. Whether it comes from teachers, mentors, peers, or even ourselves, feedback provides valuable insight that helps to shape our understanding and guide us towards improvement. Embracing feedback requires an open mindset, a willingness to learn, and a desire to enhance our skills.
When feedback is given constructively, it acts as a catalyst for improvement. It illuminates our blind spots, highlights our strengths, and offers actionable suggestions for enhancement. Constructive feedback should always be viewed as a gift, an opportunity to expand our knowledge, refine our techniques, and ultimately grow as individuals.
It's crucial to approach feedback with humility, acknowledging that we are all works in progress. Remember, feedback is not a personal attack; it is an objective assessment aimed at enhancing our abilities. By embracing feedback, we demonstrate our commitment to continuous learning, fostering an environment that encourages growth and collaboration.
Over the past month, I have undertaken an appraisal process to help form my future Principalship. Although I have been a principal in Mercy schools for 21 years, I understand the ever-changing nature of schools and community and I am always grateful when community members take the time to provide constructive feedback. I appreciate and thank those of you who took the time to complete a survey as a part of the process.
It is also why we instigated the Community Forum Group (CFG) concept last year, with the view that we wanted to start a group that would grow over time and constantly provide feedback to the College on a range of issues. I take this opportunity to remind you that the CFG is in fact open to all community members to attend and you do have the opportunity to submit agenda items. The group is still fledgling, but it is my hope that over time it continues to grow both in number and in concept.
The CFG is a support to the other groups by which we consult with the community: the Parents and Friends’ Association, the Old Collegians’ Association as well as the Advisory Council. Next time you see it advertised, please consider your attendance at the next CFG meeting.
(2) The role of end-of-semester reports
End-of-semester reports play a vital role in assessing overall student performance and providing a comprehensive overview of achievements throughout the semester. These reports consolidate feedback, grades, and other evaluative measures to help families gauge progress and identify areas for improvement.
End-of-semester reports serve multiple purposes. They provide a clear understanding of academic development, outlining accomplishments, challenges faced, and growth potential. They offer insights into strengths, allowing students to recognise and capitalise on them. Additionally, they enable students to identify weaknesses, creating a roadmap for future improvement.
These reports also facilitate effective communication between students, teachers and parents. They act as a bridge, enabling conversations about progress, strategies for improvement, and setting realistic goals for the future. By actively engaging in these discussions, we foster a collaborative environment that supports our students’ continued growth and success.
Receiving feedback and end-of-semester reports effectively requires a proactive approach. Here are some strategies to maximise their impact on our personal and professional development:
- Maintain an open mindset: embrace feedback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Approach it with curiosity and a desire to improve.
- Seek clarity: if feedback is vague or unclear, don't hesitate to seek additional guidance. Clarifying questions help to ensure you fully understand the intended message.
- Identify patterns: look for recurring themes or suggestions in feedback. Identifying patterns can help you identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement.
- Focus on growth: instead of dwelling on perceived failures or setbacks, view them as learning opportunities. Shift your mindset to embrace a growth-oriented perspective.
- Set achievable goals: utilise the insights from feedback and end-of-semester reports to set realistic and attainable goals for the future. Break them down into actionable steps to ensure progress.
Always aim to improve the next semester report.
(3) Semester 1 Academic Awards Assembly
At the end of 2022, one of the agenda items under discussion at both the CFG and the Advisory Council was the format of the Awards Ceremonies at the end of Semester 1 one each year. It was agreed that to continue with six different award ceremonies was disruptive to the College curriculum, but, more importantly, it was recognised that to continue to celebrate in year levels denied the student body as a whole the opportunity to celebrate academic achievement and effort throughout the whole College. The Academic Awards Assembly for Semester 1 this year will be a whole College event on Tuesday 18 July.
The assembly aims to embody the best of our traditions and usher in a few new elements. It will be student centred and student run. Students achieving eight, nine or 10 awards (in any combination of Merit and Academic Awards) will be presented to the College community and the recipients’ special guests. Special guests will be notified via an SMS and will need to RSVP their attendance due to the limited capacity of the venue. Parking, seating and uniform expectations details will be included in the SMS communication.
All other awards will be delivered in digital form after the event and award recipients will be acknowledged in their homerooms and at year level assemblies, as has been the case over these past three years.
(4) Minimum Standards
This edition of the newsletter includes an article by Mrs Anita Kay-Taylor (Deputy Principal — Learning and Teaching) about how we are striving to raise students’ level of achievement. Our hope is that the changes outlined will help our students in becoming responsible learners. Together we can help your child do their best and give their best in all their learning endeavours. You can read the article HERE.
(5) IT data breach update June 2023
Earlier in the year, I wrote to you about a possible data breach here at the College, and since that time a forensic investigation and reporting process has been under way.
It is a good day when I get to write to you letting you know that we now have no evidence that any credit card information was in fact accessed in the IT data breach incident which we advised our community of in January.
After a thorough investigation over several months, the College can now confirm that the forensic evidence at hand indicates that what took place was folder browsing only, but no file access. In simple terms, what this means is that the third party browsed through folders within our system only, without opening any individual files/documents.
One would need to open the individual files within those folders in order to see credit card details, or any other personal information for that matter. The forensic investigations also indicate no evidence that any of our folders or files were copied and taken out of our IT environment.
Essentially, while acknowledging there was still a breach to our IT environment, we now have the strongest indications possible that there is no cause for concern with regard to your personal information being in the wrong hands. In January, we acted on our preliminary investigations which suggested that certain credit card information may have been illegitimately accessed. Here at MLMC we teach our students to own their mistakes, so what kind of Principal would I be, if I did not do the same?
I appreciate that many of you would have cancelled cards and had cards reissued by your banking institutions some time ago, and this created personal administrative chores as well as angst. For this, I do apologise.
However, if I had my time again, I would make the same decisions again, purely out of an abundance of caution and respect for each of you. I never felt it would be in line with our College’s values to withhold any information of this nature. Had we waited until now to mention any of this, and if your credit card details were indeed accessed, there would have been a much greater chance of harm taking place. I would much prefer to be over-cautious and turn out to be wrong, rather than being selective in the information I provide.
We also teach our students, your children, there are always learnings to be had. The College has learned a great deal from this unfortunate incident and our IT security will be stronger and better for it. We are constantly evaluating and looking to improve our IT systems — as demonstrated by our movement to Compass, with the transition starting in the coming weeks.
While we are thrilled to bring you this news, some cyber criminals/ threat actors are careful to delete evidence of their actions within a system. What I can reiterate with certainty, is that we have had highly-skilled forensic IT professionals working on this over several months, and that makes us very confident in these findings. There has been no stone left unturned.
Let us hope that this is a one-off experience and we do not experience such threats again.
(6) Term dates
As advertised extensively, the end of Term 2 for all students occurred on Wednesday 21 June. This was is to allow the College a number of Staff Professional Development Days to accomplish a number of things:
Thursday 22 June: Staff Day in preparation for the Annual Review and School Improvement Framework Process as mandated by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)
Friday 23 June: Day 1 Staff PD: Behaviour Management
Monday 10 July: Staff Faith Formation Day
Tuesday 11 July: Day 2 Staff PD: Behaviour Management.
Students will return for Semester 2 on Wednesday 12 July, with homeroom starting at 9.00am.
Parents and families should also be informed that the Staff Professional Development Day and student free day listed in the calendar for Friday 18 August is no longer a student free day, and all classes will run as normal to maximise class attendance and learning.
In the spirit of Catherine,
God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal
