Months of planning came to fruition on Monday 27 March as we opened our doors to the local community. The rainy weather did not dampen anyone’s mood as we welcomed over 700 people to the College to see what Mount Lilydale Mercy College has to offer. With wet weather plans in place, prospective students and their families and many other guests arrived to register at Centennial Hall. They were treated to drinks from our very own Catherine’s Cafe, staffed by our VCE-Vocational Major students, to warm up before exploring our hallways and classrooms.
Parents, friends and children wandered curiously through exhibits, activities and demonstrations that our staff had prepared to showcase our College, in true Mercy style. Our greatest ambassadors — our students — shone! They engaged young and old with different activities from our different faculties. Be it in Languages, where people could make a carnivale mask or carve their own Japanese inkan (name stamp), to our Performing Arts students encouraging participation with improv skits. Our Science students were kept busy pointing out something via a microscope or the Technology and Design students showed guests how to use remote control robots. There was something for everyone and our students were true advocates of their joy of learning at the College and the many opportunities that they are privy to.
The College was buzzing with lots of entertainment at various locations, from the choir and ensembles singing as guests arrived to music performances in the entertainment hub. One of the highlights was the tasty sausage sizzle served up by our Parents and Friends’ Association, which was a popular pit-stop with so much still to see and do.
Even though it rained throughout the evening, everyone left with a big smile on their faces. There was an authentic feel of community in the air. A heartfelt thanks to everyone for putting together this event. It was truly a feat of teamwork and organisation that showed our values here at Mercy College, in particular, our hospitality.
