Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,
This past week has been a very special week in the life of our College as it started with a whole College assembly which combined the induction of our future leaders, the Prefects for 2024 (whose names I have previously published) as well as farewelling our graduating Class of 2023. While I understand the cycle of change and how each ending is a new beginning, I could focus here on the promise and strength of the future leadership of our College, which is true, but I think it more important to focus on the group of students who this week departed our College.
Within the hushed corridors of the Mercy Learning Centre, where the scent of white board markers and empty lockers mingles with the nervous anticipation of impending exams, there exists a bittersweet melody that resonates through the hearts of teachers and students alike. It is the symphony of farewells that is a poignant reminder that another chapter is coming to a close. As the final bell tolls for the Year 12 students, the echoes of their laughter, camaraderie, and shared dreams linger in the air, creating an atmosphere tinged with nostalgia and hope.
There is something profoundly sacred about bidding farewell to a group of young people who have spent the last six years cocooned within the walls of our College, soaking in knowledge, forging friendships, and discovering themselves. With their departure, one cannot help but be swept away by a wave of emotions, akin to saying goodbye to one’s oldest child as they leave the family home.
In the quiet moments that follow the end of classes, I find myself reflecting on the unique tapestry of personalities that make up the graduating class. Each student, a thread in this intricate fabric, has contributed to the vibrant mosaic of our College community. They are now, and will always be, members of the MLMC community.
There is a sense of nostalgia that accompanies these memories. A farewell, in its essence, is a tribute to the countless hours of hard work, the triumphs, the challenges overcome, and the growth that has occurred within our graduating class, and it is a tribute to all those who have supported their growth and their growing independence. It is a tribute to their parents and loved ones who supported them and to their dedicated teachers who have spent countless hours in preparing them.
Yet, amid all this, there is an undercurrent of prayerful hope. Hope for the future that awaits these bright minds as they step out into the world beyond our familiar College gates here on Rourke’s Hill. As they embark on the exhilarating yet daunting journey of exams, future study, university, TAFE and apprenticeships, I am purposefully praying for them, that they carry with them the knowledge, the wisdom, and the resilience to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
As I think ahead to the impending exam period, I understand that with each final exam paper they write they are not merely answering questions, demonstrating learnt materials and content, but rather affirming their readiness to embrace their future with open hearts and well-formed minds.I understand that they have benefitted from a Mercy education and they have been readied for their futures, and I believe they will impact the world with a sense of hope and love knowing that the world will be a better place by their interaction with it.
But still, like any parent, I worry. This week I wrote to all members of the graduating Class of 2023 informing them that they are in my thoughts and prayers and over the coming months. I have committed to continue to pray for them and I ask your support in that you, too, include them in your prayers. This is an important time in the lives of our young graduates and they are indeed worthy and will benefit from our prayers.
I know they will make us all proud.
(2) Community Forum Group
The next meeting of the Community Forum Group is scheduled for Thursday 16 November at 7.30pm. The agenda has not yet been set, however we are calling for agenda items. If you want an item added to the agenda or if you wish to attend the meeting, please send an email to Mrs Marilyn Ryan, my Executive Assistant, at principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au.
In the Spirit of Catherine,
May they all be blessed.
God bless
Philip A Morison
