Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,

As I sit to write to you this morning, I am well aware of the changing environment within our College. Year 7 to 11 2023 classes are finalising assessment with tests and formal exam periods as they prepare to finish their year. Today, end of year celebrations begin, year level masses begin and next week the Academic Foundation Program (AFP) begins, whereby each group is promoted to become the year level of 2024.

For another group of students — and they are still students of our MLMC for a very short time — the graduating Class of 2023, tonight we bid them farewell with their Graduation.

Graduation is a poignant milestone that transcends academic achievement, marking the culmination of years of growth, resilience, and camaraderie. As we bid farewell to our Year 12 students, we're not merely witnessing the end of an educational journey but the dawn of a new chapter in their lives. These young minds, now graduates, carry with them the indelible imprints of shared laughter, late-night study sessions, and the unwavering support of teachers and friends. Graduation is more than a ceremony; it's a collective celebration of potential and promise. It's a moment where dreams take flight and the future, once a distant prospect, becomes the present. As I watch our very special group of the graduating Class of 2023 don their stolls and gowns, I feel a bittersweet mix of pride and nostalgia, knowing that they're stepping into a great, yet unknown adventure. Farewelling our Year 12 students is never about saying goodbye, as they hopefully will not be strangers and will always come back to share their life journeys with us. Graduation is, however, about encouraging them as they venture into a world of possibilities, armed with knowledge, resilience and the values which underpin a Catholic Mercy education. Please continue to join me in praying for the graduates of 2023 in the hope they remain safe, find an authentic vocation and live life to the full.

Another thing that is on my mind as I consider our graduates is the geopolitics of the world as they enter it and in particular the tragic situation on the West Bank. I do not profess to be a historian and I am also not advocating a political or religious view and I certainly do not want to appear to be taking sides. The history of Palestine and Israel has been one of tragic conflict for a long time.

The West Bank, a territory situated between Israel and Jordan, has been a focal point of conflict in the broader Arab-Israeli struggle. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel gained control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Today we witness daily the conflict in the Gaza Strip, a thin piece of land bordering Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.

The status of these lands remains a contentious issue in the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with ongoing disputes over borders, sovereignty and the rights of the Palestinian people. The region continues to be a focal point for international diplomacy and a source of enduring geopolitical tensions. The current conflict is certainly tragic, with such unnecessary loss of life. Since 7 October 2023, our world has witnessed horrifying devastation, including civilian deaths, kidnappings and infrastructure damage.

These tensions are now spilling onto the streets of Australia and Archbishop Peter Comensoli has written a pastoral letter to each of us expressing his shock and deep distress at the explicit antisemitism occurring in parts of our communities. He encourages us to listen and speak with one another in pursuit of reconciliation and peace.

Please find his pastoral letter HERE.

Please find below a Prayer For Peace in the Middle East:

Lord Jesus Christ,

The Holy Land is once again struck by violence, hatred, and death.
Lord, look with mercy upon the land that was your earthly home.

Receive the deceased into your presence.
Comfort those who mourn, are wounded, or forced to flee.
Be close to all who are full of fear and despair.

You are our peace and the light of the nations,
put an end to the spiral of terror and suffering
in the Holy Land and in the whole Middle East!

Let peace and justice flourish at the holy sites.
You are our refuge. Let the people be safe in your Love.

Have mercy on us and on our time.

Amen.

This prayer can be found at www.aidtochurch.org, as is a process whereby you can help should you so desire.

In the Spirit of Catherine

God bless each and every one of you.

Philip A Morison
Principal

Next Sunday marks the end of the liturgical year. The Sunday Solemnity proclaims our Lord Jesus as the King of the Universe, with scripture readings from Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28, and Jesus' famous parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:31-46. This challenges us to examine our lives and serves as a poignant reminder of the final statements of the creed “… I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

Let us afresh consider how we are preparing ourselves for eternity now.

Let us pray:

Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of the universe,
grant, we pray, that the whole creation,
set free from slavery, may render your majesty service
and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

— Collect for the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Year A)

Dates

• Friday 17 November — Year 12 Graduation
  
• Monday 20 November — Staff Professional Practice Day (student free). Please note the College Office will be closed from 10.00am to 1.00pm.
• 21-30 November — 2024 Academic Foundation Program (for 2024 Year 8-12 students)
• Wednesday 22 November — Year 7 2024 Flying Solo (4.00pm)
• Tuesday 28 November — MLMC Family Carols Night (6.00pm)
• Wednesday 29 November — Year 11 Academic Awards in Centennial Hall (9.00am).
  
• Thursday 30 November — Year 10 Academic Awards (9.00am) and Year 9 Academic Awards (11.09am) in Centennial Hall. NB: this is the final day of the academic year for Year 9, 10 and 11 students
• Friday 1 December — Year 7 Academic Awards (9.00am) and Year 8 Academic Awards (11.09am) in Centennial Hall. NB: this is the final day of the academic year for Year 7 and 8 students
• Tuesday 5 December — Orientation Day for 2024 Year 7 students.

On Wednesday 15 November our Year 9 students had a wonderful finish to The Rite Journey program by hosting their parents and mentors for a Homecoming ceremony at the College.

The Rite Journey is a unique educational program designed to support the development of self-aware, vital, responsible and resilient adults. Through several key events throughout the year the students have been encouraged to explore their view of themselves, how they get along with others, what more there is on life’s journey for them and what they have to offer their families, their community and the world.

Parents and mentors have played a key role in the program, helping to guide the way and by sharing their own experiences.

The Homecoming was a celebration in which the Year 9s symbolically finished the year and "returned" to their families. In small groups the students were provided the opportunity to express how they have grown over the year, what they have learned about themselves, and what sort of man/woman they would like to become.

They finished by offering their gratitude to parents and mentors, a display that left some with very proud faces and wet eyes.

Last Saturday, on 11 November, Mount Lilydale Mercy College proudly participated in the Remembrance Day ceremony in Lilydale. The ceremony was a moving tribute to all those who have served and sacrificed for our country, and the College was honoured to be a part of it.

The College Choir, once again, did us proud with their stirring renditions of the national anthem and O God, Our Help In Ages Past. Their beautiful voices filled the air and created a truly special atmosphere.

Our College Captains, Kate W and Joshua O, represented the College with distinction in their first official duty by laying a wreath at the cenotaph. They did so with dignity and respect, and their presence was a testament to the College's commitment to honouring our veterans.

The ceremony was a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering our past and the sacrifices made by those who have come before us. It was also a time to reflect on the values of peace, tolerance, and respect that are so important to our community.

MLMC students paused their learning on the morning of Thursday 9 November to be part of our annual Remembrance Day service at the College. 2023 Humanities Prefect Olivia B and 2024 Humanities Prefect Zac P presented the service over the PA while students and staff listened in with their homerooms and followed along with a powerpoint presentation. Olivia and Zac then laid a wreath underneath the Australian flag at the College.

MLMC is proud to be a part of the Remembrance Day tradition, and we look forward to continuing to honour our veterans for many years to come.

(1) Student Achievements

Athletics
Three MLMC students competed at the recent Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships in Melbourne. Held over two weekends, the Victorian All Schools titles brought together the best track and field athletes from schools across Victoria and our students had several top 10 finishes.

Brigitte R (Year 10 Orange) excelled, winning the Under 17 girls’ 3000m and she finished second in the 1500m. Congratulations to Emily F (Year 7 Orange), who ran strongly in the Under 14 girls’ 100m, 200m and 400m, and also Kyan E (Year 11 Silver), who had top five finishes in the Under 20 men’s 800m and 5000m.

Week 1:

Female 17
1500m: Brigitte R 4:40.87 (2nd).

Female 14
100m: Emily F 14.00 (-0.2) (S); 14.01 (2.2) (P).
400m: Emily F 65.93 (P).

Week 2:

Female 17
3000m: Brigitte R 10:11.21 (1st).

Female 14
200m: Emily F 28.14 (-1.4) (7th); 27.91 (-0.3) (S); 27.86 (-0.5) (P).

Male 20
800m: Kyan E 2:04.28 (4th);
5000m: Kyan E 17:22.78 (5th).

BMX riding
Well done to Deegan M (Year 8 Orange) who finished 11^th out of all the 14-year-old boys in Australia at the recent AusCycling BMX National Championships. Deegan (pictured below) is currently the fastest rider in Victoria. Deegan struggled to recover from a chest infection in the week leading up to the competition. In the semi-final, he fought hard from a bad gate to push for a top-four finish but he was pushed high on the last bend, ending his chances of making the final.

AFLW football
Congratulations to Jess V (Year 12 Blue) (pictured above) who last week joined Hawthorn as part of the AFLW Expansion U18 Talent Pathway pre-signing period. You can read more about it HERE.

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

(2) EISM results

Year 9 (2 November)

Year 9 (9 November)

Parents and guardians are warmly invited to attend our annual MLMC Family Carols Night.

When: Tuesday 28 November

Time: 6.00pm–7.00pm

Where: College amphitheatre (next to Centennial Hall).

This is a family event. Please come along with the children dressed as shepherds, wise men and angels, and enjoy free pizza (vegetarian option available) and soft drink after the event supplied by the Parents and Friends’ Association.

For catering purposes, please indicate via this trybooking link if you will be attending: https://www.trybooking.com/CNJPK

Carol booklets and candles are available for a gold coin donation. All money raised will go to charity.

For further information, please contact Mr Matthew Burow, Religious Education and Faith Development Faculty Learning Leader, on 9735 4022.

At the start of Term 4 there was one main theme in most Year 10 student’s conversations — the Year 10 Formal. While Friday the 13th of October may have been unlucky for some, it was an excellent day for the Year 10s. The venue for this year’s Year 10 Formal was again Yering Meadows Golf Club.

As the students arrived, they were keen to show their various outfits, and as they entered the venue there was a genuine buzz and positive attitude. Throughout the evening, they danced the night away and the photo booth was a real success. The evening concluded with a special addition from Mr Morgan, who became a DJ for the last three songs.

Our students really enjoyed themselves and reflected an admirable presentation of who they were — the venue staff witnessed a group of young people who really had a great time! We thank the students for their great positive attitude and trust that they have many wonderful and happy memories of their Formal.

On Sunday 12 November, we celebrated our Old Collegians’ Association Memorial Mass in the College Chapel.

College Chaplain Father Dean Bradbury was the celebrant. It was a blessing to gather and worship together, with the presence of current staff and alumni spanning many decades, retired teachers, and several Sisters of Mercy who have been part of the teaching staff.

During the Mass, we took a moment to remember and pray for the souls of the faithful departed connected with our College community. Our prayers, in particular, extended to Elizabeth Calcagno (Class of 1994), whose life was tragically lost in the bus accident near Coober Pedy during the 1993 Central Australia trip. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that event. The Archives team has initiated the creation of a documentary about this incident, incorporating archival footage and interviews with those connected to the trip. Attendees at the afternoon tea following the Mass had the opportunity to preview a segment of this documentary.

In this issue’s From the Archives we remember Sister Margaret Sheehan.

It was with great sadness to the College community that we learnt last week the news that Sister Margaret Sheehan RSM had passed. Sr Marg first came to the College to look after the boarders. She then returned in 1982 and worked both as personal assistant to Principal Sister Beth Calthorpe and in the Library, before taking on the role as Print Room Manager for 14 years. It was in 2005 that Sr Marg retired from the College.

As Print Room Manager, Sr Marg was very strict in her leadership and a stickler for timelines. Staff and students alike approached the print room with trepidation, as Sr Marg made sure staff were held accountable if their printing was not asked for in a timely manner and as students we were very quick to pick up any printing for our teachers.

In the 1989 College yearbook, it states that the College was chosen to be part of a study in the area on photocopying and copyright. The following was written about Sr Marg, as she was in charge of recording the amount of photocopying undertaken and making sure copyright was never breached: “The red hat? This simply means that when Sr Marg is wearing this conspicuous item of apparel, you are advised to approach her with caution or avoid her completely as record numbers do not tally with the respective machines.”

It simply sums up Sr Marg and her matter of fact way in the print room.

Sr Marg was also a great supporter of the College and attended many Old Collegians events over the years. We also remember her kindness and big heart.

Vale Sr Marg — Thursday 9 November 2023.