Dear members of the MLMC community,
Welcome to Friday 13 August and the day we all hoped to be back on campus, but, alas, it was not to be for on Wednesday of this week our Premier announced a seven-day extension to lockdown No.6, with the five reasons for leaving home remaining in place:
- To get the food and the supplies
- To exercise for up to two hours
- For care or caregiving
- Permitted work or education if you can’t do it from home
- To get vaccinated at the nearest possible location.
Shopping and exercise must be done within 5km of your home or the nearest location and face masks remain mandatory when outside the family home.
While this news was not welcome, looking around our country and the world it is apparent that a lockdown was needed if we are to keep our communities safe.
As indicated in the last newsletter, this news and the very high likelihood that once students are permitted on campus, very few other visitors will be permitted, and with many other restrictions likely, this week the College Executive looked forward to calendared College events to finalise those which proceed remotely and those which must be postponed or cancelled.
We have tried to keep these events on the College calendar as long as we have been able to in the hope that they could run and in appreciation of the many who have worked to plan their success, but decisions needed to be made. We remain committed to ensuring our students have the safest and best possible educational programs, both curricula and cocurricular, within the limitations placed on us at this time.
Sadly many events will be impacted, many of which have been planned for some time as part of our 125 years celebration and our year of Service.
(1) Book Launch
A small group of dedicated staff and friends of MLMC have been working on a book of 125 stories of 125 years which was to be launched on Thursday 26 August. This launch has been cancelled, but we will look for a future opportunity for a similar event.
(2) Frayne Speech Festival
The Frayne Speech Festival is a celebration of word in which Mercy schools from around Australia come together in friendly competition with a focus on
- a speech choir
- debating
- public speaking.
This festival started in 1996 as a part of the centenary celebrations of our College and we were to host it again this year. Sadly this event has been cancelled and, in so doing, I wish to express my deep gratitude to the planning committee and to our students who have been working hard in preparing for the event.
(3) Wine Launch
Each year our Agriculture team and an Agriculture-Horticulture class (Year 9 or Year 10) carefully do all the work in caring for our vineyard and then crafting our vintage. The celebration of this process is a wine launch but, again, this year we must cancel this event and in doing so I again express my gratitude to all involved and look forward to the 2022 launch.
(4) Mercy Week
The last week of Term 3 is Mercy Week, which is our celebration of our heritage, an opportunity to give thanks to all those who came before us and an opportunity to raise money for Mercy Works. Again this year we will have a very modified week of celebrations:
- plaques were to be unveiled further explaining the history behind the name of each of our buildings. This will still occur, but in a much smaller event totally contained within our College staff and student cohort. I look forward to sharing this event with you in the future.
- visit to the Lilydale Cemetery. Each year during Mercy Week, we visit the cemetery to pray with and for past Sisters who have served our College. Hopefully we can continue to do this, but again with only students and staff from the College and with no visitor participation.
- Mercy Day. The last day of Term 3 is Mercy Day and our history is that this day is a huge celebration which is like a carnival. Our intent is still to celebrate Mercy Day in some way, but again only with staff and students on site if permitted. Outside rides, vendors and visitors will not be permitted.
(5) College Musical
The College musical, Matilda, remains an important event on the College calendar and one that involves many current students, staff as well as some Old Collegians helping us and this year some Class of 2020 cast members. Matilda has been two years in the making and the entire cast have been very resilient in the stop-start nature of rehearsals and preparation. I understand their commitment and the desire for the success of the event.
The musical has once again been moved and, for the last time, rescheduled to the last week of this term. We are doing everything possible to ensure it can be performed, however, for it to be successful, it must have an audience. A musical is an interactive event and to perform it without an audience is merely another dress rehearsal. If audiences cannot participate or audience numbers are so restrictive to prohibit success, it will not be postponed again, however, we will investigate an internal audience of students and the recording of the musical for family viewing. Ticketing advice for the musical will follow in the coming weeks.
(6) Year 11 Debutante Balls
As previously advised the three Year 11 Debutante Balls have been moved to the last week of the September school holidays in the hope that they can proceed with dance floors and table numbers sufficient enough to make it a successful event. With the possibility that these cannot proceed in that time frame, we will investigate 2022 options and again advise you as soon as clarity is possible. We will find some way to ensure that this ‘rite of passage’ proceeds, the question is simply when.
(7) General achievement Test (GAT)
The GAT has once again been postponed and we await advice of the future date. Students affected by this change will be advised as soon as the College is advised.
(8) Year 7 2022 Testing
Testing has been postponed and once again the College will advise families as soon as it is possible for it to proceed or if an alternative process is found. Again, this testing is about collecting data to help in transition and student placement. This process will not prevent 2022 Year 7 students in 2022 in transitioning to the College.
Other significant events like the Year 12 Celebration Ball have been postponed until later in the year, in the hope that with only College staff and students they can proceed, although at an outside venue.
There are many events that have been reimagined and done remotely thanks to the flexibility of staff and our community have worked very well.
Over the last two evenings, leaders at our College — after a long day of remote teaching— have been conducting pathways interviews for our 2022 Year 10 and 11 students’ families to ensure an informed subject selection process. This has been facilitated after an extensive Careers interview process, all of which I understand has been very productive and well received. Hopefully our student pathways process is successful in helping our students find their chosen vocations.
Planning is well under way for online Zoom meetings for Student Progress Interviews (SPIs) and Year 7 2023 interviews later this term.
We live in uncertain times. We continue to plan, replan, re-evaluate and reimagine College events to ensure the best possible student experience and to ensure the best possible learning opportunities for our community.
I understand that many in our community are struggling in a range of ways, whether that be a loss of income, loss of family connection or simply struggling being in lockdown and coping with remote learning. Hopefully no-one within our community is suffering with the loss of loved ones by this dreadful virus as I know of some who have lost family members oversees. Please know that you all remain in our thoughts and prayers.
If you are in need of any help, please contact the College. If students are struggling in remote learning, please encourage them to use all the resources available to them whether that be Google Classroom, Studiosity or Edrolo. If students need wellbeing help, our College Counsellors are available to them online.
Lastly, I commend to you that we must remain positive and look forward with hope. We will find a way through current difficulties. Please encourage students to see this time of remote learning as an opportunity. It is a time when many other distractions have been removed and students can concentrate on their learning and in expanding their interests through reading or other research.
I hope to see all our students back on campus very soon and the resumption of excursions and other activities.
Personal Pars
Sadly, members of our community grieve with the passing of loved ones:
- Yvonne Richardson, grandmother to Seth (Year 7) and Jay (Year 10) Barnes.
- Orly Ty, brother to staff member Mr Ed Ty, who passed away in the Philippines due to COVID-19.
Let us remember Yvonne and Orly in our prayers, May perpetual light shine upon them. May they, along with all the faithfully departed, rest in peace.
In the spirit of Catherine
God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal
