Dear members of the MLMC community

As I sit to write to you this morning it is very cold outside at minus two degrees, it is still dark and a thick fog is rolling up the hill to remind us that we are in the midst of a cold winter. Charlie, our College wellbeing dog, is snuggled up against my feet in front of the heater trying to gain a little extra sleep, although he does whimper occasionally indicating that soon it will be time to brave the cold to allow him to go to the toilet.

Welcome to Term 3 and Semester 2 after what I hope was a rewarding and restful holiday. If you were able to travel, I hope it was restful and provided quality family time.

(1) COVID-19 update

Last week I took the opportunity to write to you all to welcome you back, but also to indicate the importance of wearing masks in confined classrooms and maintaining personal hygiene regimes as we continue to try to work in an environment of this COVID-19 pandemic. The staff at the College are doing their best and wearing masks whenever possible. Unfortunately, I do not see the same among many of the students and I must admit I wonder if we have entered a period of complacency, whereby we believe that everything is now normal as per pre-COVID days. Please allow me to inform you that nothing can be further from the truth.

Although the press might not report daily COVID-19 numbers and hospitalisation rates as they did at the height of lockdowns during 2020 and 2021, it is clear that infection rates, hospitalisations, and daily deaths due to COVID-19 are increasing at rapid rates, with some people being infected for the second or third time.

This is also evident on campus as the number of students reporting sick each day is again increasing, as are reported COVID-19 infections.

We are really struggling to keep our College programs going as staff shortages are impacting programs. Yesterday we had 29 staff absent from the College due to some form of personal leave and this number does not include staff away from campus due to camps or excursions. The daily operations of the College include hiring 10-12 casual teachers when we can hire them, many teachers taking extra classes beyond their daily requirement and the combining of other classes for supervision.

This is simply not sustainable. Other schools have declared student free days or have started sending year levels home on a rotation to do various forms of remote learning, but thus far we have managed to maintain our programs. The question remains, for how long?

I again ask you to discuss mask-wearing with your children and ensure they have masks each day and wear them properly whenever indoors. I understand that the government has not mandated this, but it is the clear advice of the Victorian Health Department and we must do everything possible to minimise opportunities for COVID-19 and influenza transmission.

Please ask your children to wear masks while indoors at school. If they need another mask, they can collect them from their Year Level Leader, from their Campus Director or from Student Reception at the Main Office.

From Monday, I will be asking teachers to remind and ask students who are not wearing masks to do so. Please support this request.

(2) Community Forum Group (CFG)

Last term I informed you about a new group being formed at the College, which is called the Community Forum Group (CFG), whose role is to be a consultative group in matters around College Policy and Curriculum initiatives to be introduced. I am still looking for two parents to join this group. The commitment would be two meetings per term at 7.30pm. For each meeting discussion items would be published and besides the permanent members up to another 10 parents may join on a casual basis.

The meetings times for this term are:

• Tuesday 9 August
• Thursday 8 September.

Both meetings will commence at 7.30pm and will be held in the Staff Lounge.

At the first meeting items to be items to be considered include:

• the VCE Vocational Major
• Year 10 Curriculum 2023
• a future Year 7 structure (might be second meeting)
• changes to the College Uniform.

If you are interested in being involved in discussions about such matters as either a permanent member or a casual one-off member please email me at principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au.

Please note the meeting will only proceed if parents indicate a desire to be involved.

(3) Building program

Again, a reminder that our builders, Becon, have taken possession of the site for the construction of the new Heath building and the refurbishment of the Campbell building, having demolished the old Heath and old Ford buildings.

This construction will be underway until at least April 2023, and while in progress Allison Crescent is no longer an entry point into our College for students or for student drop-off. We ask parents to either use The Eyrie or Anderson Street. If using The Eyrie, parents should not drive cars through the College, but only drop off in the street. 

(4) Main Office

Please note that we are also changing the hours of operation of our Office in Dublin House. With the increased volume of work at the start of the day, often due to COVID-19 inquiries, and with staff shortages to be covered, we need more staff available at the beginning of the day rather than the end of the day.

The office will now be open from 8.00am until 4.00pm each day rather than 4.30pm to allow more staff to start work early and deal with the rush.

(5) Archbishop’s Letter

Archbishop Peter Comensoli has written to all Church communities regarding the second and final Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in Australia. Please find the letter below.

In the Spirit of Catherine, may you all be safe

God bless

Philip A Morison
Principal

This past week we have celebrated Sustainability Week at the College and raised awareness of some very important issues in relation to our world. This beautiful prayer by Pope Francis shows us that even small acts can make a big difference.

A prayer for our earth by Pope Francis

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognise that we are profoundly united
with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

Amen

Important dates

• Thursday 28 July — bookings open for 2023 Subject Confirmation Interviews
• Friday 29 July — Terry Dunn House celebration
• Tuesday 1 August-Wednesday 2 August — College Musical Matilda matinee performances
• Thursday 4 August-Saturday 6 August — College Musical Matilda evening performances
• Saturday 6 August — Year 7 2023 learning profile day

Risks of using headphones

Recently I have noticed an increase in students wearing bluetooth earbuds. Traditionally students would use headphones, but these seem to be replaced more and more by portable devices. These high-quality devices are now so entrenched in our daily lives I thought I would make mention of some facts I raised a few years ago. In that article I raised two important issues pertaining to the constant use of headphones that had come to my attention.

The first looked at an increase in headphone/earbud-related injuries and deaths that had increased due to pedestrians who were wearing headphones being distracted and unaware of the traffic around them. Although this is still a very important issue, I thought it timely to remind people of the other risks of excessive wearing of headphones.

Studies have shown using a listening device for more than 90 minutes a day may have an impact on hearing. It is estimated one in six Australians will experience some level of hearing loss as a result of too much exposure.

It has been recommended that people should not exceed 90 minutes a day with the volume level set at 80%. The type of noise/music has no bearing on the impact, it is the volume and time used that cause the damage. Another recommendation to assist, is to lower the volume on headphones/earbuds or use noise-cancelling headphones . These devices eliminate unwanted sound, reducing the need to crank up the volume.

Many of our smartphones can now track how much time is being spent using headphones/earbuds, informing you of the level of decibels experienced during the time being used. Some phones come with a Health App that tracks such use and can provide you with extra information about the impacts of overuse.

How much time each day does your child use headphones or earbuds? You may be surprised at how quickly the hours mount up.

Office Hours

Dear parents, we would like to bring to your attention changes to our office hours. During Semester 2 office hours will be 8.00am to 4.00pm.

Canteen Menu

There have been a few changes to the menu for the McAuley Campus canteen. Please see the attached document for the full menu.

Lilydale Station works update

Please see attached works notification from the Level Crossing Removal Project detailing upcoming flood mitigation works in the Lilydale Station area.

Time is running out to get your tickets to see the College production of Matilda — The Musical!

Students and staff were busy during the school holidays in rehearsals and preparing every part of the production, including costumes, lighting, sound and music (pictured). They have been putting on the final touches with the College Musical to play to audiences in the first week of August. 

After the incredible disappointment of having to cancel the show last year only one week prior to showtime, we are thrilled that the Musical is going ahead this year with full audiences, but tickets are selling fast.

The show will be playing on Thursday 4 August through to Saturday 6 August in Centennial Hall and tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE or you can visit trybooking.com/CANWI to book your tickets. 

We look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

Learning is a continuous, lifelong experience, so it is important we take a moment to celebrate the achievement and efforts in learning along the way. While receiving an award can be seen by some as enough recognition, at MLMC, we recognise the importance of gathering and sharing in the success of our peers through Year Level Academic Award assemblies, held from 13-15 July.

Mr Louis Papadimitriou, Deputy Principal — Organisation, addressed guests and students on the importance of having dreams and the need to couple those dreams with habits which made those dreams become realities. As students were acknowledged for their high level of achievement and their efforts, commitment and diligence to do their best for the sake of learning, and as each name was called out, I searched for signs that these students were capturing the joy of the moment. Many were so humble in receiving, others shy and nervous, and that is understandable, even commendable. But I say to all recipients that you have earned your award and you should be proud for a fleeting moment. Your parents, teachers and peers applaud you.

At the end of last term, students and staff participated in the annual Vinnies Winter Appeal by donating canned meals, non-perishable food items and toiletries. There was a great response from all year levels and an amazing number of goods were collected.

Thank you to all students, staff and community members who participated. The donations were collected by members of our local St Vinnies and will help to support those struggling in our local area.

(1) Student Achievements 

Football 

Best wishes to Brylee Anderson (Year 8 White) who is competing in the School Sport Victoria Under-15 girls’ football team this weekend. 

If you have any other student achievements, please email them to dwebb@mlmc.vic.edu.au

(2) House Cross Country

The House Cross Country Carnival will be held on Friday 29 July, with students undertaking a 3km course that takes in part of the Warburton Trail as well as the College grounds.

• Periods 1 and 2: Year 8 and Year 9
• Periods 5 and 6: Year 7 and Year 10

For students in Years 7-10, the House Cross Country Carnival is a compulsory event. Year 11 and Year 12 students have the option to run the course at lunchtime.

More information is available to students via their respective year level Google Classroom pages.

(3) EISM results

Senior (14 July)

Senior (15 July)

On Monday 11 July, the amazing debut run of Year 11 White student Luke Schmitzer on TV show Australian Ninja Warrior ended. In the sixth season of the Channel 9 show, Luke finished 10^th in his heat to make it through to the semi-finals where he went head-to-head in a race against Ninja Warrior legend Olivia Vivian.

Below Luke writes about the experience:

Ninja is a big commitment. I usually train on the obstacles between five and six hours a week at The Compound Training in Bayswater. I also work on my grip strength at home whenever I have a chance. We built a set-up at home that allows me to practice and improve my skills and ability, including a hang board, grips, slack line, salmon ladder and lache bars. Getting on the show was a lot of work — mostly interviews and questions and I had to do a physical exam proving I had strength and certain ninja abilities to make it through. It took about four months and six stages to be told I’d made it onto the TV show. The obstacle runs were actually the shortest part of the journey but obviously the best part. It was a great experience!

Senior VCAL students ran a successful Winter Market over recess and lunchtime on Thursday 21 July as part of their 'Doing business' theme and VET Certificate II in Business. The students have been developing their micro businesses and had the opportunity to each create a business plan and pitch their ideas to teachers and peers to gain the start-up investment.

Students made and sold a wide range of products including homemade candles and soaps, resin and timber chopping boards, car air fresheners, fishing tackle, earrings, screen printed hats and little homes for a cat from recycled T-shirts. They also sold hot drinks and pastries from the Mercy — Catherine's Cafe van, and cooked up egg and bacon rolls — both popular options on the cold day.

They have developed their skills in creating websites and marketing along with vital skills of teamwork, problem solving and communication. Money raised is reinvested into Catherine's Cafe, ensuring our van can continue to support the local underprivileged in our community in Lilydale on Tuesday nights.

Well done to everyone involved and a thank you to those who supported the businesses.

Throughout the past week MLMC has undertaken numerous sustainability-based activities to celebrate our annual Sustainability Week. At the same time we were confronted with the news that England was hit with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees for the first time and other parts of Europe were experiencing wild fires in scenes reminiscent of an Australian summer. If we needed any further examples that global warming was impacting the world, this was it. In recent years we have witnessed the spread of COVID-19 throughout the world and vast amounts of money and science have been directed towards halting and reducing its impact. Climate change is an issue that requires the same dedication.

MLMC has endeavoured to be proactive and act as a responsible global citizen by reducing its impacts on the environment. As a member of the ResourceSmart Schools program conducted by Sustainability Victoria we are pursuing our fifth and final star as an accredited school. To assist in this journey, the week’s activities included Year 7 students taking part in a nude lunch initiative. The aim of this is to reduce and eliminate waste packaging entering the College and thus reducing our waste and litter issues.

Year 7 students also undertook a massive tree planting project around the College grounds, supported by VET Agriculture students, as well as planting along the Quarry Rd sports ovals. Nesting boxes to assist with a wildlife housing crisis were also assembled by a willing crew of Year 7 boys (pictured below).

Year 12 students braved the cold weather by powering down classrooms while undertaking the annual Earth Hour activity. Year 12 Prefects, under the outstanding leadership of Danielle Gazzola, created a plastics waste installation in the MLC building which depicts discarded litter that eventually finds its way into Port Phillip Bay and enters the food cycle of the fish we consume.

Recycled clothing material reused into new fashion items were on display in the McAuley Library. This project highlighted the materials waste going to landfill each year and how these can be upcycled. MLMC’s debating team took on Mazenod College in a debate via zoom on Thursday, arguing for the affirmative that it does matter that species will become extinct due to climate change.

On Friday, students created a mural depicting waste entering the oceans and its impact on sea life.

Numerous staff also collected seedlings and undertook to plant them out in various location within the Yarra Valley. Monbulk Girl Guides group are creating a bee-friendly garden with plants sourced and grown at MLMC.

Taylor Stubbs, our 2022 Environment Prefect, writes about the importance of sustainability initiatives:

Sustainability is as important as ever. Sustainability is about small changes we can make to help look after the planet. Making these changes helps protect animals, plants and our natural resources so that future generations will be able to enjoy them.

Climate change is affecting every country on every continent and the issue cannot be suppressed and forgotten as it is growing more dire every day. It is disrupting national economies and affecting our entire world. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, and weather events are becoming more extreme. If we do not make a change to what we are doing, we will not have basic necessities like freshwater, food security and energy, while efforts to redress climate change through adaptation and basic changes will similarly inform and shape the global development agenda.

The links between climate change and sustainable development are strong. Poor and developing countries, particularly the least-developed countries, will be among those most adversely affected and least able to cope with the anticipated shocks to their social, economic and natural systems.

We all need to make a change and these can be small things that most people don’t realise make a difference, the smallest action has a big effect in the long run — turning off lights when we have left a room, choosing tap water over a plastic bottle, these simple things you can do at home or at school make a huge difference.

Applications are now open through the Victoria University Guaranteed (VUG) website and will close on Friday 7 October 2022. Students who are interested are encouraged to use the link vu.edu.au/vu-guaranteed for further information or visit the Careers Centre at the College.

Successful Year 11 and 12 VUG applicants receive:

• a guaranteed place at VU or VU Polytechnic prior to completion of Year 12 exams
• five bonus aggregate ATAR points for most courses that consider ATAR as part of the admission requirements
• a free EdUnlimited account where you can access revision guides, topic quizzes and practice exams to set you up for success
• tailored advice on your study options and a personalised course plan once results are released
• VIP opportunities at Open Day and an exclusive discount on accommodation from their partner UniLodge@VU.

Already six of our students have successfully been accepted to secure their place at Victoria University or Victoria University Polytechnic as part of the early entry program, VU Guaranteed.