Dear members of our Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,

How quickly we sometimes forget to appreciate the many little things that happen around us as they change to provide the life-giving experiences that make us each individual, different and yet the same within community. I see reminders of this each and every day and each small change helps me to focus on the many little, but important, things that help to form us into a genuine community, which I believe is quite different to a school. We continue to aspire to provide the best and fullest overall education possible.

This week I have tried to focus on being more of a presence in the yard at recess and at lunchtime as well as before school. This provides a range of opportunities to engage with students, while at the same time provides Charlie the opportunity to run and greet students. While walking the yard I am surprised by how many students believe that now that summer has passed, so too has the need to wear hats. Now some might say that we have missed much of summer this year as long heat waves never really eventuated, yet as we now enter the beauty of autumn the UV index is still quite high in the middle of the day (11.00am to 3.30pm), so the need for protection from hats is still evident.

We need to remind ourselves that we do things for good reason, and as the change from one season to the next might see temperatures decline it does not necessarily mean that other changes in sun protection can happen quite as quickly. Of course, as winter approaches the change will be from bucket hats to beanies for protection from the cold.

Another reminder of change is the slow reintroduction and transition from summer sports, like cricket, to the reintroduction of winter sports like NRL and football. Just last night I arrived home after a dinner to have my son Ben say to me he had enjoyed a good night. He had watched Collingwood play, as well as NRL team Melbourne Storm, and he was currently watching some cricket. The simple things of change that give us life.

This last week, I had the pleasure to attend the tenpin bowling night at Oz Tenpin in Chirnside Park. The Father Figures Bowling Night was a great initiative of our Parents and Friends’ Association (P&F) and one designed to bring fathers, male caregivers and male role models with their children together in a social activity. We know that building such connections is important in the lives of our young people. I arrived a little late to the event, having attended a Building and Finance Committee meeting before, and my arrival saw many families engaged with each other in fun. My approach to each group almost always had the same questions being asked — about football teams and the start of the season. Great discussion followed and it was a pleasure to meet so many other enthusiastic Collingwood supporters.

The event also highlighted the importance of the P&F within our community and how we must rebuild it after the three years in which COVID-19 has interrupted many events. The P&F, volunteerism and community support is so very important at MLMC and essential to who we are. The P&F provides catering for students at many College events, it also provides events allowing rites of passage for our senior students like the Debutante Ball and classroom assistance programs like Organisational Skills. It encourages families to become involved in social events like the recent bowling event and it helps to provide much-needed funds to support the many programs of our College. It also helps to provide role models to our students on the importance of using our skills to support others. Please consider joining the P&F in some capacity. If you are interested in joining, please contact Miss Natalie Virgona, the Community Development Coordinator, at the College.

Another way the College aspires to be genuine a community and listen to change is by consultation with parents. Last year we introduced the concept of the Community Forum Group (CFG), whereby we invite interested community members to either join the group as permanent members or to attend one-off meetings with specific issues. The next meeting of the CFG is scheduled for Wednesday 22 March at 7.30pm. Issues currently under consideration include the College hair guidelines and issues around vaping. If you would like to add anything to the agenda of the CFG or you wish to attend, please advise me of such by contact with my Executive Assistant Mrs Marilyn Ryan via email to principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au

In the Spirit of Catherine,
May God bless each and every one of you

Philip A Morison

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
— Isaiah 58:6

The Fast Life

Fast from judging others;
Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from fear of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on speech that purifies.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism;
Feast on hope.
Fast from negatives;
Feast on encouragement.
Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion.
Fast from suspicion;
Feast on truth.
Fast from gossip;
Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on prayer that sustains.
Fast from anxiety;
Feast on faith.

— Author unknown

Dates

• Monday 6 March — MLMC Athletics Carnival
• Thursday 9 March — Australia Reads
• Saturday 11 March-Saturday 25 March — Japanese sister school visit
• Monday 13 March — Labour Day public holiday (College closed)

Blazers

As we move into the season of autumn, blazers are once again to be worn to and from school as the outer garment. Understanding that we also enter a period where the weather can be unpredictable, with fluctuating temperatures and weather conditions, we appreciate that it may be a little warm at times during the afternoons. To accommodate this, when the temperature is particularly high an announcement will be made at school informing students that they do not need to wear their blazers when they are leaving school.

We believe that wearing a blazer is an important part of the school uniform, and it helps to create a sense of pride and belonging within the College community. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child wears their blazer to school every day, and that it is kept in good condition.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

It is with great pleasure that I write to congratulate the students who have been elected to the Student Representative Council (SRC). These students have demonstrated their commitment to serving the student body by standing up and being willing to be the student voice in matters that are important to their peers.

The SRC plays a vital role in our College community, representing the interests of students and working with staff and administration to ensure that the student perspective is considered in decision making. I have no doubt that the newly-elected members will do an excellent job in fulfilling their duties and serving the student body with distinction.

At the same time, I would like to offer my condolences to those students who applied but were unsuccessful in their bid for a seat on the SRC. We know that many of these students worked hard to prepare their applications and put themselves forward as candidates, and we want them to know that we appreciate their efforts. We hope that their drive to lead their peers remains strong, and we encourage them to continue to be active in the school community and to assist the SRC throughout the year.

Once again, congratulations to the newly-elected members of the SRC, and thank you to all the students who applied for their willingness to serve and make a difference in the lives of their peers.

The following students will receive their SRC badge at upcoming Year Level assemblies:

Year 12: Taylah Culwick

Year 11: Jena Schaak, Alannah Rudan, Mawson Sunderland, Jordyn Kelly

Year 10: Katherine Hobson, Anika Lill, Ruby Inglese, Jamie Corish, Jar Lewis

Year 9: Blake Schelfhout, Lachlan Hanson, Lilka Faulkiner, Rukiya Sunderland

Year 8: Ezekiel Villani, Ace White, Damon Rudan, Inara Dean

Year 7: Tripp Goodlet, Samantha Hobson, Emma Csik, Kayla Kanaris, Angela Hagianis.

Mercy value badges

Congratulations to the Year 12 students who recently received the Mercy value badge for their outstanding service to the College and wider community. This achievement is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and commitment to making a positive difference in the world around them.

Service is one of the six Mercy values that we embrace and teach at our College, and it is heartening to see our Year 12 students focusing their efforts to ensure that they make a difference in the community, both now and in the future.

The Mercy value badge is a symbol of recognition for the exceptional contributions that these students have made to their local community through volunteering, fundraising, and other initiatives. Their service has undoubtedly touched the lives of many, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments.

As a College community, we are inspired by the dedication and commitment of our Year 12 students. We believe that their efforts will have a lasting impact on those around them, and we are confident that they will continue to make a difference long after they graduate.

Once again, congratulations to our Year 12 students for receiving the Mercy value badge. Your achievements are a reflection of the values that we hold dear at our College, and we are honoured to have you as part of our community.

Congratulations to:

• Tessa Atkinson
• Elliot Atkinson
• Carissa Manger
• Taylah Culwick
• Mitchell Mazzarella
• Noah Clune
• Aashere Manoh
• Isabelle Walliker
• Ginger Borg-McIlroy
• Primrose Dillon
• Monique Bonanno
• Celeste Tisbury
• Kye Arnot
• Thomas Hobley.

Athletics Carnival

A final reminder that on Monday our Athletics Carnival will be run at Quarry Road oval. Parents and guardians are reminded that we are using the day to try and raise some funds to support the survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and closer to home the natural disaster in New Zealand. Students are invited to spend $5 on having their hair coloured in their House colour as a means of making a donation and also raising House spirit. If your child would like to support this cause, please sign off on the Parent Portal that you give permission for them to have their hair coloured. Cash or EFTPOS payments are possible on the day.

Butterfly Foundation webinar

Mrs Tina Tasiopoulos
School Wellbeing Coordinator

I am sharing some important information from the Butterfly Foundation that might be helpful when you are communicating to your young person about positive body image. The foundation is holding a ‘Let's Talk Body Confident Children and Teens’ webinar on Tuesday 21 March via Zoom.

It can be hard for children and teens to be accepting of and confident in their bodies. It can also be hard for parents/carers to know what to say or how best to support them. Hear from the experts at the Butterfly Foundation on how to help your child towards a positive body image.

The webinar is for parents and carers of primary and secondary school-aged children and it will cover body image influences, the importance of positive body image, positive role modelling, reducing toxic body talk, responding to appearance bullying, what to do if concerned and resources and supports available.

It will be held from 7.00pm to 8.15pm and costs $15 each. Please register HERE.

Please note this session is not designed for children to attend or for those caring for someone with an eating disorder.

The smell of freshly-baked biscuits has filled the VET Hospitality kitchens this week. The students have been very busy baking 850 individual biscuits (or 205 packets) for the Missionaries of Charity, an organisation founded by Mother Teresa in 1950 with the goal of serving the poorest of the poor.

The organisation operates in over 130 countries, providing food, shelter and medical care to those in need, as well as establishing homes for the dying and orphanages for children.

Serving the Missionaries of Charity, which is located in Fitzroy, has now become a weekly event for our Year 11 students, who are visiting after school with staff members to assist in serving meals.

This week, the students have had the opportunity to hand out the packets of biscuits that have been carefully baked and packaged by our VET Hospitality students. These biscuits will serve as a sweet treat to the disadvantaged who visit the organisation on a Monday night.

Opportunities like these allow the Hospitality students to not only learn the skills of bulk baking in a limited time frame, but to also grow their understanding and empathy towards our disadvantaged neighbours.

On the evenings of Monday 20 February and Wednesday 22 February, our young men and women of Year 9, along with their parents, celebrated The Calling; a ceremony to acknowledge the transition from childhood to adulthood.

After a symbolic crossing of the Olinda Creek, and a walk in the sunset, our young adults ‘climbed’ up to Mount Lilydale Mercy College, and there was the…

"…valley we look upon. The peaks and troughs; undulations. Areas of pure beauty, areas of painful memories. A valley where the sun always rises and sets in full view. And a valley full of wine...A valley that imbues love but demands respect; one that has a 40,000-year history in its people, and eons more its land".

It was here that we made our connection to how adulthood is the same. It is an ongoing journey, and commences with tomorrow’s sunrise. And as we watched the beauty of the sun setting over the hills, reflecting off this valley, we thought of the beauty of a childhood, and the memories that make us who we are. And we understood that as that same sun comes up tomorrow, it is a different young person who rises with it.

Parents then took their child on a journey through some memories, sharing items with them that are dear to their hearts. Students in return shared a letter of gratitude, expressing their love and thankfulness for taking them this far in the journey. At this point, a note was made for future ceremonies to provide more tissues! Parents in this moment began realising that their child was now ready for their departure on the journey to being an adult.

Assembling together again, we stood under the gum that stands proudly over the greeting place of our College and said:

“Parents, place your hand on your child’s shoulder. Let us look to this beautiful Lemon Scented gum. It isn’t native to this part of the land, but it is welcomed, this perhaps just like many of us. The Wurundjeri look at the country and therefore this tree in many different elements that make up the whole. These are physical elements of culture, such as language (Woi wurrung), dance, animals and the environment, and within those are the spiritual elements. It serves the country as a gracious host. Its leaves bring us together in peace and respect for all life that is cradled by the land. They carry messages of good spirit, and return to the Earth to nourish soil and be born again. The layers of these symbols reflect the layers within us, and within your journey. Together, we then release a leaf to the breeze as a symbol of letting go of childhood — you’re ready to make this step of personal growth. Look to the sunset, take a deep breath and tell yourself you’re ready. THIS is your Rite Journey.”

And with a hug that only a parent can give, our former children started their journey. First stop? A hot chocolate from Catherine's Cafe, basking in the beautiful twilight.

Below are some comments received from our parents:

“You gave us, as parents, a really special gift and moment in time with them. I went home filled with great love, pride, and a sense of community on this night as we all shared in it together."

“These things are so important for our kids. This is something we'll always remember.”

“It was just beautiful.”

Mount Lilydale Mercy College is preparing to open its doors to offer families the interactive experience they are seeking in order to ascertain if MLMC is the place for their child to attend secondary school.

Open Day will be held on Monday 27 March from 4.30pm to 7.00pm.

Families are warmly invited to come along to our Open Day to experience a friendly and engaging evening of faculty displays, tours and activities that will allow them to discover all that the College has to offer.

Staff and students will be available to answer any questions from prospective students and families.

To attend this annual event, we ask that you please register your attendance by clicking HERE. 

We look forward to welcoming prospective families to the College once again. For further information regarding the College Open Day please contact us at 9735 4022.

Our Year 8 students held their Survivor Day on Wednesday 22 February, providing the students an opportunity to bond with their new homerooms and create a sense of connection and belonging. It also assists them to recognise the various strengths of their classmates and identify those with leadership potential prior to upcoming Class Captain elections.

Below are some reflections of the day:

Survivor was so much fun! I loved that we got to do something fun and different from our usual school day. Survivor helped us enhance our teamwork and communication skills, as we had to put our minds together to figure out riddles and build a tower out of sticks and string. It also allowed us to grow as a homeroom and build stronger relationships with our peers. I think the eating challenge was the best (even though I didn’t do it). It was hilarious to watch my peers stuff their faces with Vegemite-covered Tim Tams and eat a dried Weetbix…..eww! The slingshot was really good, too. Watching that tennis ball constantly miss the target was so frustrating. 8 Gold took the overall win. I loved Survivor and would be happy to do it again.
— Olivia Mollo (8 Orange)

Year 8 Survivor was a great and fun experience. It was an opportunity to get to know our homeroom and get closer with our classmates. I really enjoyed it. There were many games such as a ‘tallest tower wins’ competition, dodgeball, and other games which included team skills.
— Zeke Villani (8 Blue)

Winners of the Survivor Day individual team 'gold medal' were 8 Purple Team 2 comprising Zavier Wilson, Bella Dunn, Emmy Newbery, Evan Wolski, Alyra Glassborow, Travis Capell and George Lyons. They put their winning success down to listening to each other, and chocolate!
— Mr Ken Wade (8 Purple homeroom teacher)

Drip cakes are versatile, eye-catching and delightful cakes that are emerging as the latest trend in celebrations. Year 10 Food Fabulous Food students had the opportunity to plan, design and produce their own drip cakes last week.

The students learnt how to use solite icing for decoration. Chocolate shards were prepared and applied as part of the cake decoration. A glaze to prepare drips can be tricky so the students learnt the temperature required to make chocolate ganache in the right consistency. They mastered special piping skills and thoroughly enjoyed creating professional-looking and appetising drip cakes.

The recent Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning (EASL) conference witnessed Sophie Morris, this year’s Environment Prefect, participating in a panel discussion after the viewing of the film Regenerating Australia directed by Damon Gameau.

The film asks “what would Australia look like in 2030 if we simply listened to the needs of its people?” You can view a film trailer HERE.

Sophie was asked to present the views of youth on a range of environmental topics. To her credit, she spoke with true compassion and demonstrated a willingness to do more and be an active participant in making positive change. The College is fortunate to have a such a sincere advocate for the environment. Sophie leads a dedicated crew of Green Team students that meet regularly to discuss actions to be undertaken around the College.

During this conference MLMC alumni Grace Staindl-Dymond (Class of 2019) presented a talk on ‘Engaging the disengaged: waste and litter awareness in secondary students’. The presentation was the culmination of her studies and research for her third year Global Challenges program in her Science degree at Monash University. MLMC is fortunate to have passionate environmental supportive students both from our present student cohort and our Old Collegians.

I am pictured above with Grace (far left) and Sophie as well as Assistant Business Manager Mrs Cathy Pote, who has been part of the College's sustainability initiatives for many years.  

In other examples of the College’s commitment to improving sustainability, Year 10 Geography students recently undertook some practical fieldwork activities investigating the impacts of soil erosion within the College grounds. Read more about their work HERE.

Teacher Mr Paul Morgan also recently negotiated substantial grant funding from Melbourne Water which has allowed a dedicated team of staff and students to undertake a major revegetation/rehabilitation program at the College’s sports ground at Quarry Road (pictured below). This is an ongoing project involving students from the Science, VCE-VM and Humanities faculties contributing to the planning and labour. We will keep you updated on the progress of this major project.

Our youngest students enjoyed their Year 7 Camp experience from 13-17 February, with the Blue, Bronze, Gold, Red and White homerooms spending the Monday and Tuesday nights at Alexandra Adventure Resort, while Green, Jade, Orange, Purple and Silver staying Wednesday and Thursday nights.  

Camp is a terrific opportunity for our youngest cohort to build connections with their homeroom peers and their homeroom teachers and challenge themselves with a variety of fun activities. On the two days not on camp, students took part in the valuable Stepping Forward program at school.

We thank the Year 10 Peer Support students for their visits and their support throughout the week.

We are confident our Year 7s are now ready to capitalise on the relationships they have built in the first few weeks and they are ready to put their best feet forward for the remainder of the school year.

Below are some reflections of the camp experience from students in Year 7 Blue:

Camp was an amazing experience filled with lots of laughs, smiles and bonding. On the first day my group did canoeing, orienteering and leap of faith. The next day we did more activities like the giant swing, flying fox and rock climbing. My favourite activity was the flying fox because it was over a lake and I nearly touched the water! At night there were other activities like night walks, sport nights, trivia and meditation. I also liked seeing all the interesting indigenous animals at the animal show. Camp was amazing and I loved making tons of memories and new friends.
— Charlie Clay

I really enjoyed camp because there were loads of fun activities and I had a great cabin. On the first day we did canoeing, orienteering and the leap of faith. And there were many other fun activities the next day. I loved the night walk and camp fire that we got to do on the first night. I had a great time and made so many new friends.
— Emily Thiele

I really enjoyed camp because it was all about team building and it gave me the opportunity to make more friends in my group and in my cabin. I liked all the activities like leap of faith, high ropes course, giant swing, canoeing, the pool and more. For sharing something special I brought a photo of my family. I liked the animal show, especially the frilled-neck lizard, which was my favourite. I also liked the meditation. Overall camp was an amazing experience.
— Lochlan Howcroft

Our Year 11 Environmental Science students have been learning about a range of biotic and abiotic components that determine environmental conditions as well as the interrelationships that exist in ecosystems.

As part of their studies, under the guidance and leadership of teacher Mr Adam Dean, the Environmental Science students took samples and recorded base readings of parameters that indicate the current quality of soil and water in our local Quarry Road oval precinct. They also conducted some general fieldwork to observe and record the current ecosystem health near the Nelson Drain boundary.

MLMC has begun significant works at the Quarry Road sports complex, along the Nelson Street Drain, thanks to our collaboration with Yarra Valley Water, Melbourne Water and Yarra Ranges Council. The College has been fortunate to be able to begin the consultation process with local Wurundjeri elder, Uncle Dave Wandin, and his son, Darren Wandin.

The area will see many changes over the upcoming months and years, with replanting, fencing and other works done by both MLMC students and our collaborators. You can read more about the College's sustainability initiatives HERE.

It was exciting to begin collecting data on a project that will bring such benefit to the local area. Our MLMC scientists, entrusted with the stewardship of nature, are very excited and privileged to be part of this endeavour to monitor the changes in the ecosystem over time as they develop their understanding of kinship towards their environment.

The Year 9 Psychology classes are learning brain anatomy to find out where our thoughts, emotions, personality and memories work. The carriers of all this information are neurons, and the neuron structure will stick in the mind much better if it's edible.

Last week the students learnt that the red lollies (dendrites) receive an action potential from an adjacent neuron, the DNA is in the fruit ring (soma) with the fruit pastille in the middle (nucleus). From there it travels down the strawberry yoghurt bar (axon) which is protected by a number of rainbow sour straps (myelin) and on through the Haribo spaghetti axon terminals, with their terminal buttons. Across the synapse is the dendrite of the next neuron, ready to receive the electrical action potential and pass it on.

Despite being Friday afternoon, the Year 9 students were fully focussed, and exercised unflinching discipline to refrain from eating their neurons until the end of the lesson. Hopefully they have internalised the anatomy facts as well as the lollies.

Photographs by Eve Schembri and Lilah Newbery (Year 9 Orange)

Congratulations to Kye Arnot (Year 12 Orange) and Celeste Tisbury (Year 12 Green) who performed at the inaugural Live Music @ Catherine's Cafe on Tuesday 21 February. Thank you also to Primrose Dillon, the 2023 Music Prefect, who added her moral and technical support to the event.

Kye and Celeste, pictured during rehearsals, sang and played a mixed set of beautifully performed solos, duets, cover songs and originals to the public and our regular customers, further enhancing the wonderful service Catherine's Cafe provides to the Lilydale community by sharing the gift of music.

Live Music @ Catherine's Cafe is a new initiative and, as such, it is an opportunity that not only serves our community by creating a musically entertaining and calming environment, but one which also extends our students' performance experience in the real world.

Live Music @ Catherine's Cafe is now a regular fixture throughout Term 1 and students interested in performing are encouraged to contact me.

Year 7 Instrumental Music

This semester's Instrumental Music program in Year 7 is dedicated to learning a woodwind or brass instrument. Students have been allocated either a flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet or trombone which they will learn for the remainder of the semester, with the goal of participating and performing in a class ensemble.

Each student is to be commended on their enthusiastic achievement on their individual instruments thus far and have the option of continuing private or small group lessons at the end of the semester.

On Friday 24 February, during Periods 1 and 2, the Year 10 Geography class ventured down to the cricket nets to carry out some soil erosion remediation work. In class students have been focusing on the Environmental Change and Management unit. Part of the investigation within this unit has been to analyse factors that influence environmental change and the impacts of this change on an environment.

With this in mind, students were divided into four groups and each group was given specific instructions as to what remediation work to complete so that we could compare and contrast in classes, then draw conclusions as to what remediation did or didn’t work. Click HERE to view an example of the type of observations students made during their time in the field.

A big congratulations to the class for their hard work in preparing the area for the remediation work. We hope to see some signs of rejuvenation over the next six to eight weeks.

The MLMC Parents and Friends’ Association hosted a new event, Father Figures Bowling Night, on Wednesday 1 March and it was a terrific success. The event was a sell-out with more than 60 students and the dads, grandfathers, uncles and other male caregivers in their lives joining us at Oz Tenpin in Chirnside Park with 13 lanes used.

The event was held to encourage male members of our community to get involved with school activities and for them to be able to socialise and meet new families at the College. It was great to meet new people and be able to see the students’ male role models getting involved in building the community spirit.

Everyone who attended had a great night, the only complaint being that it was only one game of bowling! We are already planning to host the event again next year with more tickets and lanes available so that more families have the opportunity to attend.

We thank everyone who got involved and purchased tickets and apologise to those who unfortunately missed out.

A special thank you to Sharon Daly and Sue Schelfhout, members of the Parents’ and Friends Association, who assisted on the night.

Our VCE Agriculture and Horticulture students have been busy learning about successful innovations in agriculture over recent weeks. As part of their studies, under the guidance of their teacher, Mr Jayden Voorzaat, the group attended an excursion to Mont De Lancey to examine the paddocks and identify dung beetles that help to recycle the nutrients back into the soil, improve soil structure and quality of the pasture and also help with pest control.

Year 12 Jade student Sophie Morris wrote about the excursion:

Our trip to Mont De Lancey was a great opportunity to consolidate the content we have been learning in the classroom. We are studying the 22 species of dung beetles that were initially introduced into Australia as an innovation to control the buffalo fly's impact on the Australian livestock industry. In our studies we learned that eight of the 22 trialled species successfully settled in Australia and have since acted as an effective biological pest control. On our excursion, we were lucky enough to find three of these introduced species, including the Onthophagus Taurus, Euoniticellus Pallipes and Aphdodius Lividus.

(1) Student Achievements

Basketball
Congratulations to Brylee Anderson and Lily Exton (Year 9) who have been named in the Victorian Country squad for the Under 16 State Combine. They will be trying out for the final state team at this event next weekend. Best wishes to both girls.

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

(2) Swimming training

Kilsyth Centenary Pool has been closed. We are trying to secure a booking elsewhere for Wednesday morning swimming training on 8, 15 and 22 March. Training is held on Wednesdays 7.00-8.00am to help students of all swimming abilities to improve their swimming and fitness. Commendations and House points are also up for grabs. Students are bussed back to school from the pool and breakfast is provided. For further information, students should see me in the Doyle Centre.

(3) Term 1 dates

• College Athletics Carnival — Monday 6 March
• EISM Division 2/3 Swimming Carnival — Monday 20 March
• EISM Champions Swimming Carnival — Monday 27 March

(4) EISM reminders

With the summer seasons of Year 8, 9 and Senior EISM sport already underway or beginning in the next week or so, please remember the following:

• check the sport plans which are on the Doyle Centre window and Google Classroom pages at the beginning of every week
• if a student is unable to play in their team in a particular week, they need to let their coach know as early as possible
• students should be on time to the Doyle Centre on their sport day. All EISM teams need to leave at the start of lunch (occasionally earlier) to get to venues to play
• uniforms need to be 100% correct to ensure no forfeited games — hockey, soccer and football players must wear long navy socks (available at the Doyle Centre to purchase for $10) and mouthguards must be worn for hockey. NO CORRECT UNIFORM, NO GAME.

(5) EISM results

Year 8 (21 February)

Year 8 (28 February)

Senior (22 February)

Senior (1 March)

(5) MLBC Lakers news

The Mount Lilydale Basketball Club, known as the Lakers, have been part of the MLMC community since the club was formed by MLMC teachers in 1996 and then taken over by a parent committee in 1998. Teams continue to use the Doyle Centre and Bradshaw building at MLMC for training. The club is now seeking registrations for the upcoming winter season.

Please see the flyer below for details.

Did you know that the College has an Archives area? It is a place that holds the history of the College from its beginnings in 1896 — 127 years ago! A dedicated group of volunteers assist the Archivist to manage the Archives and the Heritage Centre in the Mount Saint Joseph building.

The role of our College Archive team is to find and share objects and stories that give us a window into the past, connecting 127 years of history and community and enriching the lives of our students today. Key tasks include providing research services to staff, alumni and members of the community, as well as holding activities to promote the history and heritage of the College.

It was in 2006 that a volunteer committee under the leadership of Mrs Irene McClue set up the College’s first Heritage Centre in the Mansfield House building vacated by the Sisters. Mrs Patricia Olson was the College’s Archivist from 2010 until retiring from the position and from 43 years of service to Mount Lilydale Mercy College in 2022. Patricia has been a pillar in establishing many of the events, awards and practices still celebrated today. These include the Glenys Heath Memorial Award which recognises and celebrates leadership, courage, creativity and strength through adversity and is awarded annually to a Year 12 student. Patricia also helped to establish the Frayne Speech Festival which has grown into an annual event hosted by Mercy schools Victoria wide. She has also been a very active member of the College community with her involvement in various committees and groups. It was in 2011 that Patricia founded and was the Executive Officer of the MLMC Old Collegians’ Association. We thank Patricia for her devotion, dedication and tireless service to the MLMC community.

Tours of the Heritage Centre are available each Wednesday. If you have a story to share or would like to inquire about a tour please contact me via email to ltabacchiera@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Members of the MLMC community and businesses in the area are invited to attend the Old Collegians’ Association Business Breakfast to be held at the College on Wednesday 29 March.

It will begin at 7.00am and run until 8.30am with guest speakers Andrea McKellar (Class of 1984) and Dean McKellar, founders of Teacher Presence.

Teacher Presence empowers teachers and families to make a difference in the world by redirecting the money spent on the traditional end of year teacher present for a donation to a charity supported by Teacher Presence, so together we can help people whose voices are struggling to be heard.

Tickets are just $35 each and includes breakfast. To make a booking, please visit: https://www.trybooking.com/CCGJU

It is a wonderful opportunity to network and enjoy a lovely breakfast at the College.

For any queries regarding this event please email oc@mlmc.vic.edu.au

We look forward to seeing you there!