Dear members of Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,

This week we, as a College, were lucky enough to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is one of two non-Sunday Holy days of Obligation that still exist within the Catholic Church. The second being The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas Day). A Holy day of Obligation, as against a holiday of obligation, requires us to attend Mass and we were privileged to be led in Mass by Father Dean Bradbury.

In the tapestry of religious observances, the Feast of the Assumption stands as a beacon of spiritual significance and historical resonance. Celebrated annually on 15 August, this solemn feast commemorates that the Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. Beyond its theological importance, the feast also holds a unique place in our hearts due to its rich historical background and enduring cultural impact.

The roots of the Feast of the Assumption can be traced back to early Christian traditions, although the feast wasn't formally established until much later. The earliest references to the assumption of Mary can be found in very early texts, whose writings did not all become part of the official canon of scripture.

One of the key figures in the development of the feast's significance was St John of Damascus, a theologian from the eighth century. His writings greatly contributed to the understanding of Mary's role in salvation history, and his contributions laid the foundation for the eventual establishment of the Feast of the Assumption.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII officially defined the Assumption as a dogma of the Catholic faith through the apostolic constitution ‘Munificentissimus Deus’. This declaration solidified the belief in the Assumption as an essential tenet of Catholic doctrine. The Pope's proclamation marked a significant moment in the Church's history and further elevated the importance of Mary's role within our faith.

The Assumption of Mary holds deep theological importance within Catholic doctrine. The belief that Mary was assumed into heaven underscores her unique role in salvation and her intimate connection with her son, Jesus Christ. This event highlights the sanctity of Mary's life and her unwavering faithfulness to God's divine plan.

Moreover, the Assumption is a testament to the resurrection of the body and the hope of eternal life. It is a celebration of the victory over death and a reminder of the promise of salvation for all believers. The feast emphasises the physicality of human existence and the ultimate destiny of believers to be reunited with God in body and soul.

Even in today's rapidly changing world, the Feast of the Assumption continues to hold its significance. Amid the challenges and uncertainties of life, the feast offers a message of hope, reminding believers of the eternal rewards that await them. It encourages reflection on the spiritual journey and the importance of living a life dedicated to faith, virtue and service to others.

As we commemorate the Feast of the Assumption this year, let us reflect on its historical origins, its theological profundity, and its enduring impact on our culture. The Feast of the Assumption also highlights for the me the very special nature of the relationship between Jesus and his mother along with her enduring support of his ministry. It reminds me how dedicated mothers are to their children and the sacrifice that mothers make on a daily basis. The Feast highlights a life of service. I often wonder how Mary must have felt as she watched her son Jesus go about his life and ministry. Can you imagine the conversations, both private and public, that must have occurred? I imagine the strength that she provided to Jesus at those times when he wavered.

May this feast serve as a source of inspiration and a reminder of the transformative power of faith and love in our lives. May we continue to celebrate it for the very special day that it is.

May we hold the service of all women in our lives so very close to our hearts and encourage them to continue it in strength, knowing that difficulty will always await.

Personal Pars

In the last fortnight we have become aware of the passing of several community members. May their families find strength and love at this time. May Erminio Iacobucci (nonno to Jessica P in Year 10) and Warren Hoiles (grandfather to Cody H in Year 9) rest in peace.

God bless
Philip A Morison

This week a group of Year 12 students and staff members will host the annual Vinnies Winter Sleepout at the College to raise funds for homelessness. Please support this cause if you are able to by visiting this link: https://my.fundraiseforvinniesvic.org.au/school-sleepouts/mount-lilydale-mercy-college-sleepout-2023/

Prayer

O God you are a God of justice, mercy, and compassion.

Support us, your servants of the poor, as we endeavour to bring your love and compassion to people who are homeless and in need of your love.

We pray that we will see you, our all-loving God in each homeless person we encounter and in our service for those in need.

May we do all in our power to support each person reach their potential, so they experience the fullness of life.

May the example of St. Vincent de Paul inspire us to be generous of hearts and hand to the needy.

May our generosity flow from humble gratitude for your many gifts to us, rather than from false pride in our own abilities.

Help us to respond willingly to the Gospel call to self-giving love, to look for ways to serve rather than expecting to be served.

Amen

Prayer adapted from the Prayers of St Vincent and the St Vincent de Paul Society

(1) Dates

• Friday 25 August — Frayne Speech Festival (hosted by MLMC). This is an off-campus day for Year 9 students who will spend the time with their mentors as part of The Rite Journey program.
• Friday 1 September — Frayne House Celebration
• Tuesday 5 September — Online Student Progress Interviews (student free day Years 7-11)
• Wednesday 6 September — EISM cross country
• Friday 8 September — Mercy Day

(2) Important bus information

I am writing to you today to remind you of the importance of your child touching on and off their myki card when they travel to and from school. As you may know, the government is looking at reducing bus services in order to cut costs.

One of the factors that they are considering is the number of people who are touching on and off their myki cards. Currently, only 2% of travellers are doing this. If the real number of travellers is not known, it is likely that the school special buses will be cut. This would mean that all of the families who rely on these buses would be impacted.

I urge you to please remind your child to touch on and off their bus card every time they travel. This small action could make a big difference in ensuring that the school special buses remain in service.

(3) Captains and Prefects 2024

The process for selecting the College Captains and Prefects for 2024 is well underway. Initial voting by staff and students will take place next week.

The candidates for College Captain will be delivering their speeches to the Year 11 cohort and the College Executive Team on Tuesday 22 August during Pastoral Care.

Positions of leadership are determined by a range of factors:

• leadership skills
• community involvement
• character and integrity
• voting results
• content of applications.

With so many outstanding candidates, selecting our student leaders is not an easy task. The College Captains and Prefects play a vital role in representing the school and leading the student body. They are responsible for organising and running various activities and events.

I wish all of the students applying for the College Captain and Prefect positions all the best.

(4) Second Hand Uniform

In lieu of a second hand uniform shop, some of our parents have informed us that they have been using an online platform called The Sustainable School Shop. This is a platform which encourages the reuse and recycling of second hand school items, including uniforms and books.

For parents who are looking to sell or purchase second hand uniforms, please head to their website (https://www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au/) and search Mount Lilydale Mercy College to see what is available to purchase.

(5) Instrumental Music lessons

Mrs Sharon Flint
Music department secretary

The Music department is now taking Term 4 enrolments for Instrumental Music lessons. Although Term 4 is a short term, it is a fantastic way to introduce an instrument a student has always wanted to learn and to practice, practice, practice over the Christmas holiday break.

We offer a private 30-minute or 45-minute weekly lesson in brass, drums, guitar, piano, strings, voice and woodwind (brass and woodwind also offer group lessons to our students depending on enrolment numbers). All private lessons are run during school hours with very talented and accomplished tutors.

If your child is interested in joining this exciting program, please download an enrolment form via the Parent Portal. Alternatively, send an email to me via sflint@mlmc.vic.edu.au. Be quick, places are limited.

Mercy Day is the anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy on 24 September 1827 in Dublin, Ireland. Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, devoted her life to the poor, sick and uneducated, and today we continue her legacy of caring and compassion in the name of Mercy. At Mount Lilydale Mercy College, we celebrate Mercy Day early, as 24 September falls during the school holidays. This year we will celebrate Mercy Day on Friday 8 September.

Please support Mercy Day on Friday 8 September by allowing your son/daughter to bring some spending money. As it is a casual clothes day we will be asking for a $2 donation from each student. Students should watch out for further details on Simon/Compass regarding ticket sales and donations.

You can learn more HERE about Mercy Works and the projects that are supported by our fundraising.

Mercy Day Value Cards

In making it a fun and memorable day for all, we are excited to announce that we have a new initiative this year: the Mercy Day Value Card.

The Mercy Day Value Card is a great way for students to save money and enjoy all that Mercy Day has to offer. The card costs $15 (it has $20 of value on it). There are two different types of cards available:

• the food and stall activities card has $10 of food vouchers (only for use at the Parents and Friends’ Association stand) and $10 of stall activities.
• the all-inclusive card has $5 of food vouchers, $10 of stall activities, and also entrance to the ever-popular Mercy Idol Show.

The Mercy Day Value Card can be purchased from the College MLMC Shop online or at the Finance office. If paying with cash, please have the correct amount. Cards will also be sold in Homeroom.

Homeroom teachers will explain more to their class next week.

Students will still be able to purchase individual food, ride and stall tickets on the day.

Note: the cards are only for use to buy food/drink from the Parents and Friends’ Association stall (not other food vendors).

Please click on the document link below to see a full menu of all food and drink items for sale on Mercy Day.

Mercy Day schedule

Please click on the document link below to see a schedule of events for Mercy Day.

The Wizard of Oz, the 2023 MLMC Musical, has been a tremendous success — performing three night-time shows on 3, 4 and 5 August, as well as two matinees to local primary schools — with great reviews. These performances captivated our audiences, taking them on a magical adventure, thanks to the unwavering dedication and hard work of each of our students, staff and crew who were involved over several months.

Together, as a Musical family, we have woven the threads of individual talents into a show of pure magic. To witness the dedication and passion that all involved have poured into this Musical has been an absolute joy, leaving us with hearts brimming, gratitude and admiration.

We would like to acknowledge and congratulate all involved for the countless hours of hard work, and attendance at rehearsals that made The Wizard of Oz shine so brightly on stage. We are truly humbled to have worked with such an extraordinary musical family.

Below some of the students involved reflect on the experience:

Playing Dorothy this year was so much fun. I met so many amazing people and made so many awesome memories, so I am excited for the next one!
— Cassidy R (Year 10 Purple)

My experience of this year's Musical has been amazing in many ways. I've made so many new friends, and made a lot of new memories. I loved coming to rehearsals, hanging out backstage, and seeing all the amazing talent put it together and perform on stage.
— Mikayla R (Year 8 White)

My experience was an overwhelming array of emotions, but the emotion I felt the most frequently was love. Being part of the Musical is like being part of a family, where you are accepted for who you are no matter what, and that you always have a place to be yourself.
— Ace W (Year 8 Silver)

Being my first year of being a part of a full Musical production, and having the opportunity to also be in a lead role, I've enjoyed myself so much with both the cast and crew. Everyone was so friendly, and I've had so many fun and exciting memories, and met so many amazing people. I wish I had joined sooner. We all did so well, I hope everyone is proud of themselves.
— Mia S (Year 11 Red)

Working with these talented people was probably the highlight of my year. I would look forward to going to every rehearsal and I loved spending time with the cast and all my friends. This is a great experience for young actors, singers and dancers who love to perform.
— Lily S (Year 8 Blue)

This year's Musical was an amazing experience. My highlights of the show were getting to know the cast, getting to perform with my friends and getting to perform on stage — especially on closing night. The overall experience was magical, from learning the songs, to getting costumes, to performing. It was amazing.
— Inara D (Year 8 Blue)

Why do we do Unit 3 and 4 practice papers and trial exams at MLMC?

A big question that some students and parents may be wondering about is ‘Why do we do practice papers and trial exams?’ Trial exams and practice papers are vital tools for student learning and exam preparation — with their value increasing according to students’ motivation, application and willingness to take and utilise feedback.

Watch this terrific TEDTalk from Doug Barton: ‘What do TOP students do differently?’

Improving knowledge and skills

Practice papers and trial exams are a proven, effective way to improve subject knowledge and skills — especially in the area of memorising/recalling information and applying skills to scenario-questions. Researchers (Roedigger and Karpicke, 2006) found that students who complete practice papers after receiving feedback from previous a practice paper or trial exam do better in a ‘final’ exam than students who don’t do practice papers and a trial exam.

Students practicing and personalising exam strategies that work for them

Trial exam week (and practice papers) enables students to apply learnt subject revision strategies (taught through the year), personalise and ‘tweak’ aspects of strategies that best work for them. Teachers mark papers, then give rich feedback to students with suggestions from improvement. Productive students will take this feedback, reflect on it, problem solve, and work more specifically on where they need to in the weeks ahead.

Identifying areas of strength and weakness…

Students are encouraged to not be ‘threatened’ or ‘intimidated’ or ‘anxious’ about a trial exam or practice paper — it’s not a ‘judgment’ on their capacity; rather, it is diagnostic. The practice paper or trial exam identifies gaps in student knowledge that lead to better self-awareness for where to focus revision strategies. Teachers mark these papers, then give students 1:1 feedback and suggestions for improvement — itself a process of deepening and consolidating learning.

… then setting revision goals for focus-improvement

But, it is up to students to then develop and apply those strategies in their study-routine. They should not ‘cram’ at the ‘last minute’, but over the coming six to seven weeks spread out revision sessions to better embed content into their cognitive-memory (learn, time to forget, then re-learn, repeat). We have also been encouraging students to BECOME TEACHERS themselves. The National Training Laboratory suggests that most students only remember about 10% of what they ‘read’, 20% of what they ‘hear’ or ‘see’, but retain nearly 90% of what they learn through teaching others.

In the next newsletter, there will be an article ‘How are we helping students best prepare for the exam period?’. If you have any questions, please contact any of the Barak Campus team during school hours.

During July and August, Year 7 students have been visiting Yarra Ranges Technical School on various days to be immersed in a real-time simulation investigating and calculating ‘best buys’. Students responded to different scenarios to design an online urban farm and keep it operating productively.

Using statistics and graphs, they had to monitor conditions to evaluate what their crops needed each year to succeed and profit. This included water, fertilisers, pollinators in the form of bee hives, green houses and many more options. They then created an appealing cafe lunch menu using their farm outputs, bartering for other goods they might need for their cafe.

Teams developed marketing strategies and sold their menu items to Yarra Ranges staff, competing to make the most sales and increase their profits before the final challenge. Lastly, students used the income earned from their farm and cafe to evaluate different options to assist them in completing a ‘uber eats’ robotic delivery challenge. Students coded an omnidirectional robot to negotiate obstacles as their delivery vehicle.

Below are some reflections from Year 7 Blue students:

It was the best mix between IT and Maths I've ever experienced. It was so amazing to see that we could grow our own digital crops, make our own menus with the crops we've grown, make our own market and coding robots to weave around obstacle courses.
— Stephie J

All these really fun and amazing activities that we did gave me a better understanding about all the things farmers have to actually do to create a basic market. Things such as cropping, planting, growing, watering, waiting, creating, designing, building and selling. I can't wait to someday come back here!
— Ella S

It was different Maths than what I would have expected.
— Daniel B

On Friday 11 August, we were excited to shine a spotlight on a remarkable initiative — Precious Plastics Melbourne. This grassroots movement has taken up the challenge of tackling plastic pollution head-on and is reshaping our approach to plastic waste.

Sustainability is a crucial aspect of the curriculum in Product Design and Technology, and students are asked to develop an understanding of the pillars of sustainability and incorporate them into their designs.

Education is the cornerstone of any meaningful change. Precious Plastics Melbourne knows this well and actively participates in workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns. Educating individuals about the importance of responsible plastic use and recycling is sowing the seeds for a greener future driven by informed choices.

Students had the opportunity to shred lids from milk bottles into small chips which they in turn poured into a machine which produced a soft plastic goo. This could then be used in a mould to create either a carabiner or a pen casing, while a simple sandwich toaster was also used to demonstrate to the students what plastic waste can be turned into.

Our Year 11 and 12 Italian students went to North Melbourne to participate in a Model United Nations with 10 other schools on Tuesday 1 August. The students were allocated a country to represent — Australia, Italy, Japan, Costa Rica and Egypt — and they had to debate a topic relating to ocean conservation in Italian.

This task required students to gain an understanding of the topic ocean conservation and to research their allocated country's stance on the issue, then represent their questions, concerns and ideas in the Italian language.

Our students did an excellent job, speaking confidently and fluently. It was a great opportunity to practice their Italian in preparation for the VCE oral examination in Year 12.

Below Year 11 Gold student Hannah J writes about the experience:

The Model UN Day was a full day of immersion in the Italian language. It was a great day to not only expand our Italian vocabulary, but to also learn more about ocean conservation around the world in an enjoyable and challenging way.

(1) Cross Country

Congratulations to all students who participated in the MLMC cross country run along the Warburton Trail and around the College grounds on Friday 4 August. Students were able to earn points for their House by participating.

Well done to the following students who placed in the top three in their year levels:

Senior students also had the opportunity to compete in a ‘Beat the Teacher’ race. Well done to the following students:

Cross country training is held on Mondays (3.30-4.30pm) and Wednesdays (7.00-8.00am), with students to meet at the Doyle Centre. All students are welcome, with breakfast provided on Wednesdays. Students should see or email me or Mr Beard for more details.

The EISM Cross Country Carnival will be held on Wednesday 6 September.

(2) EISM Sport Results

Year 9 (3 August)

Senior (9 August)

Year 9 (10 August)

(3) Student Achievements

Football

Well done to Cody A (Year 12 Jade) who played for Vic Metro under-17s against NSW/ACT on Sunday 13 August. The match was held to provide an opportunity for players to push their case for selection for the AFL Futures match, which will be a curtain-raiser to the AFL Grand Final, as well as the 2024 AFL Draft.

Athletics

Congratulations to Brigitte R (Year 10 Orange) who excelled at a 6km cross country event in Ballarat recently. Running for Yarra Ranges Athletics Club, she became just the third female athlete to ever run the race under 21 minutes at under-18 level, joining Olympians Sonia O'Sullivan and Georgie Clark. You can read about her achievement in the Ballarat Courier newspaper article HERE (photo courtesy of Adam Trafford/Ballarat Courier).

If you have any student achievements, please email them to me at rparsons@mlmc.vic.edu.au

On Friday 28 July, our Year 11 Unit 2 Biology classes visited Healesville Sanctuary to learn about the sanctuary's involvement in Australian animal species conservation.

Students observed many animals, including a mating pair of emus, and collected data on their behaviours. This allowed the students to consider how the animals' adaptations enable them to survive in the wild. Students also built on their knowledge of ecological relationships within ecosystems and human impact on biodiversity.

Below Hayley H (Year 11 Blue) writes about the excursion:

On the Biology excursion to Healesville Sanctuary, it was amazing to see a Tasmanian devil asleep with its baby, especially because it is an endangered animal struggling out in the wild. The day was filled with seeing a wide range of unique animals, and it was really great to specifically learn about the emus, kangaroos and platypus, in particular. The Spirits of the Sky show also added some excitement to the day, seeing many of Australia's native birds flying around all of us. Overall, it was an amazing experience that I took a lot away from.

This week we celebrated the Assumption of Mary with a whole school Mass. Our lady has always been an important figure at the College, as shown by this article we found in the College Archives:

Reported visions or appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, were held in high regard by Catholics, especially the Sisters.

In 1951 the Convent was visited by the statue of the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima, connected to the apparition of Mary in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The statue had been created on the orders of the Bishop of Fatima and developed to resemble as closely as possible Our Lady as she appeared at Fatima. It then went on an international pilgrimage around the world visiting as many Catholic institutions as possible including Mount Lilydale.

Then in 1958 the College performed the play The Song of Bernadette for their end of year grand concert. This was based on the novel of the same name that told the story of Bernadette Soubirous who experienced 18 visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes, France, between 1858 and 1933.

Joan Moriarty (Class of 1958) played the title role of Bernadette, she later took up acting again, starring in 1983 in a production of Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels.

In 2012 the new Our Lady of Mercy Memorial Chapel was opened at the College. It contains a relic of St Bernadette of Lourdes as well as a relic of St Polycarp.

Throughout LOTE Week, held 7-11 August, students were invited to explore the Italian and Japanese languages and cultures through various activities.

The week started with the much-anticipated students versus staff soccer match. The fine weather provided perfect conditions for an outdoor match, where spectators watched eagerly and cheered on the players. The staff team was challenged by the Year 12 students, but pulled off the win, 2-1. Well done Mr Dunstan, Mr Hysted, Mr Regan, Mr Reilly, Mr Wicks and Mr Beard on showing your formidable skills.

Lunchtime activities through the week included watching animation films in Italian and Japanese and making Lego models of a Japanese tranquil garden and Himeji Castle (the most famous medieval castle in Japan). Students also tried their hand at the traditional Italian game of bocce and played Italian card games of Scopa and Briscola. Our Italian senior students organised a ‘chiacchierare’ (chit chat) in the Quadrangle at lunchtime, inviting junior students to practise their Italian. Paper cranes continued to be folded for peace, with the goal of taking 1000 paper cranes to Hiroshima on the Japan Study Trip in mid-September. You can read more about this initiative HERE.

In the classroom, Year 7 students showed their creativity by making Italian carnevale masks, Japanese inkan (name stamps) and kanji (Chinese characters) stones. Year 8 Japanese students learned about the etiquette of using chopsticks. They played a chopsticks game using jellybeans and special Japanese lollies to test their skills. Miss Hamment’s Year 8 Italian LEAP class enjoyed the experience of making pasta by hand, while Mr Modini showed his Year 9 Italian class how to make a simple Italian biscuit dessert, called pavesini, which resembles chocolate eclairs.

During the week, the lunchtime prayers of the Hail Mary were read by Year 12 students Liv B (Year 12 Orange), Rian M (LOTE Prefect) and Alisson T (Year 12 Blue) — in Italian, Tagalog (Filipino) and Spanish — and Carissa M (12 Silver) read a prayer for peace in Japanese to mark Hiroshima and Nagasaki Day.

Three senior Italian students competed in the finals for the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition in July and we congratulate Ava L (Year 10 Jade) who was awarded ‘terzo premio’ (third prize). The Dante Alighieri Society will invite Ava and her family to a presentation ceremony at the University of Melbourne in early October.

Earlier this term, the MLMC Debate Club was visited by Speaking Schools Australia for an all-day incursion. The incursion offered excellent insights to all students involved, including how to structure and deliver debate speeches, as well as how to think and speak on the spot. Students noted that they got something valuable out of it, and felt like their skills had been strengthened.

The following week, our teams competed in their final debate of the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) season. Massive congratulations to the A Grade team and B Grade team for their successes. And congratulations to the entire Debate Club for an amazing season.

I would encourage anyone interested in debating to get involved — being good at public speaking is not a requirement and it is an amazing experience where you meet amazing people.

Did you know that over half of Australia’s land mass is used for agricultural production? How about that about 70% of agricultural production in Australia is exported to other countries? Or what can feed 60-70 million people? Answer: Australian agriculture. Australian agricultural production is such an important contributor to global food security and the circular economy.

To learn about real practice of sustainable agriculture, and to find out opportunities for further study and careers, our MLMC Agriculture cohort had a wonderful opportunity for a day trip to Dookie College, an agricultural campus of the University of Melbourne, on Friday 4 August.

Our students had the wonderful opportunity to have a tour of the Dookie robotic dairy, where cows get milked three times a day and are able to choose when they want to be milked. Students were able to identify the many aspects of the dairy that support good animal welfare practices.

Students were also shown the many cropping trials researchers at the university are completing. One to note was the different coleoptile (emerging seed shoot) lengths of barley and how longer lengths can increase drought tolerance through better seed access to soil moisture at depth. We also had a look into soil testing and the importance of quality soils in growing food and fibre.

Ros Gall, head of the Dookie campus, took the group into the spectacular study hall of the campus, and treated us to a spectacular pathways and careers talk. It was a very informative and inspiring field trip to get all our students excited for a potentially fulfilling career in agriculture.