Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community

In this, our last newsletter for the term, I offer you a bit of an eclectic mix of ideas and thoughts in the hope that you find interest in at least one of them.

If memory serves me, I seem to recall that not that long ago there was concern about a lack of rain and how dry it seemed. In fact, I remember seeing cracks in the lawns at home and around the grounds and in thinking of the shrinkage in the ground as it dried out, I wondered whether that would cause cracking in foundations of buildings and the like. Well, that is certainly no longer the case and the rain has certainly come in earnest, and we must celebrate its arrival as I am told we need the rain — just speak to a farmer.

But, then again, it also appears to me the best way to ensure the arrival of rain is for MLMC to hold an event and invite many people on to our campus, as has been the case recently.

(1) Open Day

On Monday 27 March, the College held its annual Open Day, whereby we opened up our campus and invited any and all interested to visit. We understand the main idea of Open Day is to display our College to a future enrolment, but others visit us as well. On Monday, it rained and rained. It was wet. It was so wet that I took my dog Charlie back to my office several times to dry him off with a hair dryer. The rain, however, never dampened the spirits of the staff, the students nor the many who visited.

Open Day was a great achievement and a true representation of the positivity of our community. The staff and students produced impressive displays, but more importantly interacted with guests with a greater sense of positivity and enthusiasm for our College. What is there not to be proud of? Many visitors relayed this to me, and when I apologised for the grey, wet night and how it restricted them really seeing the beauty of our campus, most replied how much they enjoyed the experience — although continually under the protection of an umbrella.

Congratulations to everyone involved in our Open Day.

(2) MLMC Old Collegians’ Business Breakfast

A second experience this week saw the Old Collegians’ Association host their annual Business Breakfast. On Wednesday morning, with mist rolling up the hill, the dark morning quickly turned into rain. Old Collegians came together to enjoy each other’s company over breakfast for the first time since 2021. It poured with rain but, once again, that never dampened the spirit.

The breakfast was hosted and emceed by President Olivia Cox (Class of 1994) and organised by Old Collegians’ Executive Officer Natalie Virgona (Class of 2016). Guests joined in a lovely breakfast, networking with local businesses and heard from a guest speaker or two. This year the main speaker was Andrea McKellar (Class of 1984) who, along with her husband Dean, founded Teacher Presence.

Teacher Presence is a not- for- profit charity with the mission to empower teachers and families to make a difference in the world by redirecting the money that would normally be spent on an end-of-year teacher present to a donation to support a range of charities. Further information about this charity can be found here Teacher Presence. I commend this charity to you.

(3) Social media

Another thought I wish to share with you this week is around social media. I came across an article which was the written testimony of Dr Mitch Prinstein PhD, ABPP, Chief Scientist American Psychological Association, to the Judiciary Committee of the American Senate Called ‘Protecting Our Children Online’ on the 14 February 2023. It is a long article of some 22 pages — you can download a complete copy of Prinstein’s submission at: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/testimony-prinstein-2023-02-14. 

However, author Corey Turner made a summary into 10 points on the 16 February called ‘10 things to know about how social media affects teens’ brains’. Click HERE to read it. 

Social Media and the Teenage Brain

Between 2009 and 2019, depression rates doubled for all teens. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. The question is: Why now?

"Our brains, our bodies, and our society have been evolving together to shape human development for millennia. ... Within the last 20 years, the advent of portable technology and social media platforms [has been] changing what took 60,000 years to evolve," Mitch Prinstein told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We are just beginning to understand how this may impact youth development."

Corey Turner's 10 key takeaways:

Social interaction is key to every child's growth and development.

Prinstein said that “children's interactions with peers have enduring effects on their occupational status, salary, relationship success, emotional development, mental health, and even on physical health and mortality over 40 years later. These effects are stronger than the effects of children's IQ, socioeconomic status and educational attainment”.

This helps explain why social media platforms have grown so big in a relatively short period of time. But is the kind of social interaction they offer healthy?

Social media platforms often traffic in the wrong kind of social interaction.

What's the right kind, you ask? According to Prinstein, it's interactions and relationship-building “characterised by support, emotional intimacy, disclosure, positive regard, reliable alliance (e.g., 'having each other's backs') and trust”.

The problem is, social media platforms often (though not always) emphasise metrics over the humans behind the “likes” and “followers”, which can lead teens to simply post things about themselves, true or not, that they hope will draw the most attention.

It's not all bad.

For many marginalised teens, “digital platforms provide an important space for self-discovery and expression” and can help them forge meaningful relationships that may buffer and protect them from the effects of stress. In fact, when used properly, social media can feed teens' need for social connection in healthy ways.

Adolescence is a "developmentally vulnerable period” when teens crave social rewards, but don't have the ability to restrain themselves.

That's because, as children enter puberty, the areas of the brain “associated with our craving for 'social rewards,' such as visibility, attention and positive feedback from peers” tend to develop well before the bits of the brain “involved in our ability to inhibit our behaviour, and resist temptations”, Prinstein said. Social media platforms that reward teens with “likes” and new “followers” can trigger and feed that craving.

“Likes” can make bad behaviour look good.

When teens viewed these same illegal and/or dangerous behaviours on social media alongside icons suggesting the negative content had been “liked” by others, the part of the brain that keeps us safe stopped working as well, Prinstein said, “suggesting that the 'likes' may reduce youths' inhibition (i.e., perhaps increasing their proclivity) toward dangerous and illegal behaviour.”

In other words, bad behaviour feels bad — until other people start liking it.

Social media can also make “psychologically disordered behaviour” look good.

Prinstein spoke specifically about websites or online accounts that promote disordered-eating behaviours and non-suicidal self-injury, like self-cutting.

Extreme social media use can look a lot like addiction.

“Regions of the brain activated by social-media-use overlap considerably with the regions involved in addictions to illegal and dangerous substances,” Prinstein told lawmakers.

The threat of online bullying is real.

Online bullying can take a terrible physical toll, Prinstein said: “Brain scans of adults and youths reveal that online harassment activates the same regions of the brain that respond to physical pain and trigger a cascade of reactions that replicate physical assault and create physical and mental health damage”

It's hard not to compare yourself to what you see in social media.

Even adults feel it. We go onto social media sites and compare ourselves to everyone else out there, from the sunsets in our vacation pics to our waistlines –— but especially our waistlines and how we look, or feel we should look, based on who's getting “likes” and who's not. For teens, the impacts of such comparisons can be amplified.

Sleep is more important than those “likes”.

Research suggests more than half of adolescents are on screens right before bedtime, and that can keep them from getting the sleep they need. Not only is poor sleep linked to all sorts of downsides, including poor mental health symptoms, poor performance in school and trouble regulating stress.

(4) Community Forum Group

Another thought that I wish to share with you is in regards to our Community Forum Group (CFG).

This group is an interested group of community members that meet twice a term to discuss issues that arise or are relevant in our College. At the last meeting they discussed two very important agenda items:

1. the Student Representative Council (SRC) proposal to change our College approach to uniform policy, and in particular, hair

2. the issue of vaping in our College, where and why it is happening and what we can be doing about.

Two very different topics, but both of importance.

I commend this group to you and remind you that anyone can ask for an agenda item to be added for discussion at this group. Simply email Marilyn Ryan via principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au. The venue will depend on numbers. The next scheduled meeting is Wednesday 17 May 2023.

(5) Shakespeare

Another idea that comes to me as I write is one of my favourite quotes from Shakespeare:

There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

This is a quote from Act IV Scene 11 of Julius Caesar whereby Brutus is trying to convince Cassius that the time has come to begin the battle against Octavius and Antony. Brutus speaks figuratively about the tide in the lives of humans and of course the interplay between fate and free will in our lives. We as readers are constantly asked to contemplate the possibility of action to prevent tragedy or is failure or success predetermined by fate.

Now these four musings to which I refer are in fact connected.

(6) College calendar

On the whole many within our community are positive and understand expectations, yet after the years of COVID-19 and a high level of online interaction by our students, some have simply forgotten or do not understand College expectations. As a staff here at MLMC, we need support and professional development in dealing with such behaviours and the continual aspects of them.

At the same time, 2023 has been designated a review year for MLMC by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and the Victorian Regulations and Qualifications Authority (VRQA). We must undertake an extensive process of review that will require some time.

In discussing both of the above with the College staff, College Executive and College Advisory Council, I am proposing some date changes to the College calendar:

Term 2

1. Monday 24 April: College Closure Day

2. Wednesday 26 April: Day 1 of Term 2 — students return.

3. Wednesday 21 June: 3.15pm — student classes cease - (end of Term 2)

4. Thursday 22 June: College Review Day — staff to work on School Improvement Framework

5. Friday 23 June: Staff Professional Development — Classroom Management

Term 3

1. Monday 10 July: Staff Formation Day (all staff) (already in the calendar)

2. Tuesday 11 July: Staff Professional Development Day — Classroom Management

3. Wednesday 12 July: Day 1 of Term 3 — students return.

I know this process introduces an extra College closure day and three extra Staff Professional Development days and, hence, more time for students away from campus and not in classes. This is the last thing that I want, as we know as a College we believe that students best learn when they attend class. However, at this time, we believe these days are necessary.

I am trying to give you as much notice as possible so that you can arrange any extra supervision that you may require.

At the same time, we are very aware that Year 12 classes are vital and we will look for ways to minimise any loss of class time for our Year 12 cohort. We still expect the Year 10 cohort to do a full Work Experience program.

Please accept my apology for the timing of these date changes.

Thank you for your support over Term 1. I look forward to seeing many of you on campus for our face-to-face Student Progress iInterviews next Tuesday night (Tuesday 4 April) or online on Monday 3 April.

God bless

Philip A Morison
Principal

Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where the crowd of people laid out palm branches to honour him as king. In true humility, Jesus rode over those branches into Jerusalem, not on a magnificent stallion, but on the colt of a donkey. Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, begins Holy Week.

God of love,
My prayer is simple:
Your son, Jesus, suffered and died for me.
I know only
that I cannot have real strength
unless I rely on you.
I cannot feel protected
from my many weaknesses
until I turn to you
for forgiveness and your unalterable love.
Help me to share this
strength, protection and love with others.

Amen

For more prayers for Holy Week click HERE.

Dates

• Monday 3 April — Student Progress Interviews online (student free day)
• Tuesday 4 April — Student Progress Interviews onsite (from 4.00pm)
• Tuesday 4 April — Easter Mass (whole school)
• Thursday 6 April — End of Term 1 (2.30pm finish)
• Friday 7 April — Good Friday (College closed)
• Sunday 9 April — Easter Sunday
• Monday 10 April — Easter Monday (College closed)
• Friday 14 April — College Office closes 4.00pm
• Monday 24 April — College Closed *please read more about this date change in the 'From the Principal' article HERE
• Tuesday 25 April — Anzac Day public holiday (College Office closed)
• Wednesday 26 April — Start of Term 2 (College Office opens 8.00am)

Vaping

Dear parents

Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes, has become a concerning trend over the past few years. Today, I would like to spend a few minutes of your time to address this important issue that is affecting the health of our youth.

Despite the many warnings and regulations surrounding vaping, it continues to be a trend among teenagers and young adults. Many young people ignore the thought that they could become one of the statistics of those who have suffered harm from vaping.

It is essential to understand the harmful effects of vaping on your children's health. Vaping can lead to lung damage, heart disease, respiratory problems, and addiction to nicotine. These health issues can have long-lasting effects on their physical and mental wellbeing.

In addition to these physical and mental health risks, it is also important to understand the social and academic consequences of vaping. Research has shown that young people who vape are more likely to engage in risky behaviours, have lower academic performance, and suffer from social isolation. One piece of research you may be interested in reading can be found at this link: The Vaping Epidemic in Adolescents - PMC

As parents, it is crucial to talk to your children about the risks of vaping and the importance of making healthy choices. Encourage them to make informed decisions and seek help if they are struggling with addiction or other related issues. Even if you do not believe your child is vaping or in danger of taking up vaping, having a conversation about the dangers is important.

Last year the College shared some videos highlighting the dangers of vaping. Below are some links that may assist you in having a conversation with your child about vaping:

Why vaping is bad for you

Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping

If you suspect that your child is vaping, it is important to address the issue immediately. Talk to them about the dangers of vaping, offer support and guidance, and seek medical attention if necessary.

Winter uniform is coming

As we move into the second term of the school year, I would like to remind you that with the change in weather comes the expectation that students will begin wearing the College winter uniform. This includes the appropriate blazers, ties, trousers, shirts, skirts, and footwear.

To avoid any unnecessary conversations about skirt length or missing items, I would like to ask for your help in ensuring that your child is meeting the College uniform expectations. Please take the time to review the Uniform Policy with your child and make sure that they have all the necessary items to comply with the policy. To view the Uniform Policy, please click HERE.

I understand that students may have outgrown some of their uniform items or that some items may have been misplaced, but it is important that we work together to make sure that students are dressed appropriately and represent the College well. Our Uniform Policy is designed to promote a sense of pride and unity among our students, and by adhering to it, we can create a positive learning environment.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns about the Uniform Policy, or need some assistance in replacing uniform items, please do not hesitate to contact me.

As the colder and wetter weather is now upon us, we would like to remind you that the College’s uniform supplier, Bob Stewart, has a spray jacket available for purchase. Investing in a spray jacket will not only protect your child from the elements, but also help to protect their blazers on wet days. We highly recommend this small investment for the benefit of your child's comfort and uniform appearance.

Hot cross bun sale

We are excited to share that the response to pre-orders for hot cross buns has been incredibly strong, demonstrating both a desire to help those in need and a love for delicious treats. We are thrilled to announce that we will be able to make a significant contribution to Project Compassion as a result of your generosity.

Unfortunately, to allow time to organise the purchase of the hot cross buns, orders have now closed. We would like to remind you that students who have placed pre-orders for hot cross buns can collect them on Wednesday 5 April. The SRC will be advertising how to collect the hot cross buns with students soon, so please ask your child to keep an eye out for further details. We also hope to have a limited supply of hot cross buns for sale on Wednesday 5 April

Once again, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our wonderful parent community and the SRC for their unwavering support in making our fundraising efforts a success. Your kindness and generosity will have a significant impact on the lives of those in need.

Latest news about student voice in the College

Some weeks ago, our College Captains Elena Atanasovski and Campbell Manser led a student forum regarding hair styles and the College’s uniform policy. The forum was a success with over 100 students attending, many voicing their opinions. The College Captains have since met with the College Principal, Mr Philip Morison, and made a presentation to the Community Forum Group.

The College Captains have now taken on the responsibility of revising the wording of the policy surrounding hair styles. They will be meeting with me and other student leaders to see where the policy can be revised to reflect the views of our student body. Once the revisions are complete, the policy will be presented to the College Executive. Any changes to the policy will be advertised to our community.

This has been a great learning experience for our student leaders, one they have fully embraced in their effort to represent their peers. We are proud of the leadership they have shown and their dedication to making positive changes at our College.

As a community, we value the input of our students and believe that it is important for them to have a voice in matters that directly affect them. We appreciate the initiative taken by our College Captains and look forward to seeing the positive changes that come from their efforts.

Japanese sister school visit

I would also like to use this space to express my gratitude to host families who generously opened their homes and hearts to our visitors from our sister school, Horyuji, Japan. The Japanese students were made to feel incredibly welcome, and I know that they have fond memories of their stay with us.

The cultural exchange that took place during the visit was truly exceptional. Not only did the Japanese students get to experience life in Australia, but they also had the opportunity to visit classes and engage in warm interactions with all they met. This was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved, and I believe that it has helped to broaden our understanding of different cultures.

Although there were many highlights, the Sayonara part of the visit was one that particularly stood out. Despite the fact that we lost the internationally-acclaimed chopstick/hashi cup (2-1), the event was a huge success.

Looking ahead, I am delighted to let you know that we will be visiting Horyuji in September to keep our relationship strong and provide an opportunity for our students to be fully immersed in a different culture. We will also use the visit as an opportunity to win back the chopstick/hashi cup — training for this event will start soon.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone involved in making this visit such a success. It was an unforgettable experience for all of us, and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Impetigo (school sores)

Just a quick alert that there has been a report of Impetigo (also known as ‘school sores’) at the College. The parent who reported it to us shared that her local GP said there was quite a number of cases being reported at present.

Below is some information we have copied from the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne Health page:

Impetigo (im-pet-eye-go) is an infection of the skin caused by bacteria. It is often called school sores because it is common among school children. Impetigo causes sores on the skin, which are usually itchy. The sores may start out as blisters that burst and become weepy, before being covered with a crust.

Impetigo is not usually a serious infection, and should clear up a few days after starting medical treatment. Children with impetigo are very infectious (contagious), but the spread of impetigo can be reduced by practising good hygiene, covering the sores with dressings and keeping your child away from other children until they are no longer infectious.

Signs and symptoms of impetigo

• the sores can be anywhere on the body, but are often on the face near the mouth and nose, or on the arms and legs
• impetigo may start with a blister or a group of blisters
• the blister bursts leaving a patch of red, wet, weepy skin
• the sore usually becomes coated with a tan or yellowish crust, making it look like it has been covered with honey
• there can be small spots around the first sores, spreading outwards.
• there is often superficial peeling on the edge of the sore
• impetigo is usually itchy
• parents sometimes worry about impetigo because it can look quite serious, but it is usually a mild infection that is easy to treat.

Treatment for impetigo

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic medicine in the form of a cream, ointment, tablets or syrup. Give these to your child as directed, and make sure you complete the course of antibiotics.

If your child gets impetigo repeatedly your doctor may do a nose swab to test for bacteria in the nose. Your child may need antibiotics, which are delivered into the nose, to prevent further instances of impetigo.

Below please find links to fact sheets about impetigo (school sores) with further information, provided by the Royal Children's Hospital and the DHS Better Health Channel:

https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Impetigo_school_sores

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/impetigo-school-sores

Easter break

As we approach the Easter period, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our community for a restful, prayerful, and rewarding break. This time of year provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the sacrifices made for us and to be thankful for all that we have. Whether you are spending this time with family and friends or taking a quiet moment to yourself, I hope that you find peace and joy in this season. May you be surrounded by love and light, and may this break bring you renewed energy and inspiration. Happy Easter to all!

Months of planning came to fruition on Monday 27 March as we opened our doors to the local community. The rainy weather did not dampen anyone’s mood as we welcomed over 700 people to the College to see what Mount Lilydale Mercy College has to offer. With wet weather plans in place, prospective students and their families and many other guests arrived to register at Centennial Hall. They were treated to drinks from our very own Catherine’s Cafe, staffed by our VCE-Vocational Major students, to warm up before exploring our hallways and classrooms.

Parents, friends and children wandered curiously through exhibits, activities and demonstrations that our staff had prepared to showcase our College, in true Mercy style. Our greatest ambassadors — our students — shone! They engaged young and old with different activities from our different faculties. Be it in Languages, where people could make a carnivale mask or carve their own Japanese inkan (name stamp), to our Performing Arts students encouraging participation with improv skits. Our Science students were kept busy pointing out something via a microscope or the Technology and Design students showed guests how to use remote control robots. There was something for everyone and our students were true advocates of their joy of learning at the College and the many opportunities that they are privy to.

The College was buzzing with lots of entertainment at various locations, from the choir and ensembles singing as guests arrived to music performances in the entertainment hub. One of the highlights was the tasty sausage sizzle served up by our Parents and Friends’ Association, which was a popular pit-stop with so much still to see and do.

Even though it rained throughout the evening, everyone left with a big smile on their faces. There was an authentic feel of community in the air. A heartfelt thanks to everyone for putting together this event. It was truly a feat of teamwork and organisation that showed our values here at Mercy College, in particular, our hospitality.

On Wednesday 29 March the Old Collegians’ Association hosted its first Business Breakfast at the College since 2021. Our guest speakers were Andrea McKellar (Class of 1984) and her husband Dean who have created a foundation called Teacher Presence.

It was inspiring to listen to their story and learn how the foundation aims to help make a difference in the world through redirecting funds that could be spent on the optional end-of-year teacher present for a donation to a charity supported by Teacher Presence.

The event was a terrific opportunity for business networking and also to come together again as a community. It was a great success with everyone who attended enjoying a morning full of yummy food, hot drinks and, of course, a raffle.

The VET Hospitality students did a wonderful job of making and serving coffee for the guests and providing terrific service. Thank you to teacher Mrs Kristy Brown for organising the students to take part in this invaluable experience.

A special thanks to members of our Old Collegians’ Association committee for volunteering on the morning to direct traffic and sell raffle tickets. A huge thank you to Old Collegians’ President Ms Olivia Cox who did a wonderful job of being the MC. She is pictured above with our guest speakers.

We would like to thank everyone who attended the event and we hope to see more members of our community at the next Old Collegians’ event.

Each year our students and Careers practitioners venture out of the College to focus on different industries of growing student interest.

Earlier this month we went to Avalon Airport to experience Aviation Australia’s Careers Industry Day. This was an opportunity to bring back to the College a wealth of information to share about the pathways to becoming a pilot, as well as the varied roles that support this industry — from aircraft maintenance technician, engineer, manufacturing trades, air traffic controller, avionics technician, pit crew, ground and cabin crew to drone pilot.

Students’ eyes were opened to private employment with Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Qantas, as well as the courses and qualifications offered by RMIT to gain entry to these opportunities.

The Australian Defence Force presented their career pathway model, showing off their Mars Rover and aerospace technology, as well as their aviation assets from cargo carriers to missile launchers and more.

Senior students ventured into the industry trade show and gained an insight into networking with the likes of the US Ambassador team as well as an understanding of the aviation industry's contribution to the global economy, particularly the technology and costs associated with manufacturing jet fighter helmets.

Junior students explored flight simulators and robotics displays. Towards the end of the day, students witnessed up close the light sound barrier and marvelled at the air show’s aerobatics display, with the raptor fighter jet’s free fall stall and recovery a highlight.

Performing Arts

Thank you to our students who hosted and represented the Performing Arts Faculty on Open Day — for Music, members of the College choir, band and drumline ensembles and students Kye Arnot and Celeste Tisbury; for Drama, the Year 10 Catalyst Performing Arts class 'Theatre Kids' Olive Kercher, Caitlyn Fong, Kaitlyn Kennedy, Shiloh Thurrowgood and Sheraiah Perera. These students co-hosted the Performing Arts space on the evening, running games and activities for the many visiting families who attended. Pictured below are the Theatre Kids in rehearsal mode.

Thank you also to Primrose Dillon (Music Prefect) and Vivienne Mackenzie (Performing Arts Prefect) who demonstrated outstanding leadership in setting up, performing and hosting the space.

Music

As we continue to build our instrumental program at MLMC we invite students who would like to learn a woodwind/brass or string instrument to attend try-outs in Term 2 at recess on Wednesday (strings) and at lunchtime on Monday (woodwind/brass). Students should contact me in the Music department or email me at wanderson@mlmc.vic.edu.au if they are interested in trying out one of these instruments.

Pictured above is Year 12 student Sixten Franz mentoring Year 7 student Tripp Goodlet on all things music production and DJing. Music production and composition skills are introduced early in the Classroom Music program at Year 7.

On Friday 24 March, the first Live@Lecture lunchtime music performances were held in the Lecture Theatre. Live@Lecture is a terrific opportunity for our students to enhance their live performance skills. Well done to Taj Ruta and Luca Barkla (pictured below). Students should contact Primrose Dillon if they would like to sign up to perform.

Students in the Year 10 STEM - Advanced Science class are fortunate to be participating in a NASA-sponsored program called Growing Beyond Earth (GBE). It is an initiative designed to have students grow a variety of edible plants in a controlled environment for spaceflight. MLMC is one of only two schools in Australia to take part in the GBE project.

The class took delivery of the chamber used to grow plants from seed on Thursday 23 March with a run-down of what the project involves provided by Mr Ben Liu (Creative Producer, Learning and Participation, Programming and Audience Development from Royal Botanic Gardens), as well as Mrs Shelley Waldon (STEM and Science Leader from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools). They are pictured above with some of our students and myself.

NASA's research criteria for the plant growing conditions includes; the randomness of plant location in the chamber, the intensity and type of light, as well as the length of time the plants receive light. The students will collect data on different crop types and growing techniques, and report the data to NASA scientists, and crops and approaches that work well in the classroom may then be tested at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.

Students in Semester 1 will be growing common garden variety basil and in Semester 2 we will be working with members of our local indigenous community to help select and grow an edible native plant. This is the first time in six years that the program will be trialled outside of the USA and our students are rightly very excited to be a part of an international citizen science project.

The Catalyst program is an exciting new addition to the curriculum in Year 10 at MLMC this year. The program runs on Wednesday afternoons and it allows students to choose between EISM Sport, Visual Arts, Performing Arts and STEM, aiming to create a space for students to be coached rather than taught in a field of their choosing.

In the Visual Arts Catalyst program, students are allowed to work solo or in groups using any art or design medium. The only requirements of the course are that they must follow a design process that includes exploring techniques and ideas as they work towards an end-of-semester exhibition. The work will not be assessed and is designed to accentuate the intrinsic benefits of learning.

The students seem to be loving the program and flourishing under the flexible guidelines. We have students working in a vast array of mediums including drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, digital art, photography and videography.

Here are some reflections from the students who have been taking part in the program:

I enjoy that I can freely express my artistic ability without it being a stressful and strictly structured classroom. There are many different mediums to choose from and lots of time in class to create art. I also like that there is nothing to be harshly marked and just evaluated and looked at. There are lots of positive vibes in the classroom and just a really good place to be where I can have enjoyment.
— Ai Bainbridge (Year 10 Silver)

I am enjoying the freedom of this program. I don't have to worry about fitting criteria, I can just create what I want.
— Alexis Bush (Year 10 Silver)

Catalyst is fun and stress-free.
— Charlotte Donovan (Year 10 Purple)

This class have given me so many opportunities to experiment with different mediums.
— Sinead Francis (Year 10 Red)

I enjoy the freedom that we have been given to create anything that we would like to. I like the fact that there is no set work for us to accomplish, rather it is whatever comes to our minds.
— Ava Griffin (Year 10 Jade)

I am really enjoying how Catalyst is such a hands-on program. I've always loved being creative freely, and doing this every Wednesday has been a stress reliever for me.
— Ava Licciardi (Year 10 Jade)

It is incredibly relaxing. I like that I have a choice on whether or not to do physical activity. It’s fun getting to be creative and it's a good wind-down from a hard day having to use all my brain power.
— Lillian Lucas (Year 10 Silver)

This program is a great way for the more creative students who are willing to try something new and express themselves in different ways. It has been a great way for me to enhance my skills and give me freedom in an environment I love.
— Leonilda Parrella (Year 10 Red)

What I enjoy about the program is that it is very freeing and we are able to do what we want and adaptable to all our different styles of art. It is also a nice way to be social with friends and a good way to learn a new style of art.
— Emily Spence (Year 10 Jade)

I enjoy the freedom to create what I want.
— Noah Tarulli (Year 10 Silver)

I enjoy trying new things that I never thought I would have enjoyed. I had never done pottery before, now I love it and I'm doing a whole project on it.
— Patrick Van Der Linden (Year 10 Gold)

Throughout the week of 20-24 March we were lucky enough to send our Year 9 students to the Summit Adventure Camp in Trafalgar East, where they were were able to spend three days immersed in activities designed to extend, stretch and super stretch their beliefs in what they could actually achieve.

It was amazing to see the students be challenged and grow as individuals while at the camp. The Summit staff guided our students in making the most of every opportunity and the energy they presented with was truly infectious. The Summit provides everything we need as a school to ensure a highly successful camp — outstanding facilities, skillful and motivated instructors and a genuine commitment to achieving the target outcomes set by our school ethos. And the students absolutely loved it — from the leap of faith, the summit window to the sky bridge and the monster night mud run.

Our students learned to look after themselves and one another. Each group created a special bond and in the end they rewarded one of their group members as their champion. Their champion was then given a hot lap in the Camp's WWI tank.

Overall, we thank our predecessors that understood the value of this camp and were the forefathers of the MLMC camp legacy that we were able to enjoy. The developmental growth in our students was on display and it is our hope that they will carry this on in their daily life in our community.

Student reflections of Year 9 camp:

At the camp, we learnt about challenging and stretching ourselves. We participated in activities such as the giant swing, the flying fox, the leap of faith, summit window. All of the activities pushed us. On Wednesday night we participated in breaking wooden boards, on one side we wrote limiting beliefs and on the other side supporting beliefs. We then broke the boards in half.

The camp tested our limits and helped us be the best person we can be. During camp, there were coaches for each group. Your coaches would vary on what activity you were doing. The coaches taught us about believing in ourselves and the step to achieve the activities. The camp was about learning life lessons that we can apply in life, however it was also about teamwork. Definitely, I connected a lot more with my class throughout camp. We got to work as a team and help each other no matter the circumstance. The environment of the Summit Camp was amazing and we got to surprise ourselves with what we can do.

My camp experience was absolutely amazing. I had so much fun while learning to overcome my fears and doubts and to push past my limits. Activities such as the leap of faith and giant swing opened my eyes towards a new approach to obstacles/challenges in my life.

Camp was a great experience we did many activities. Camp was meant to be outside of your comfort zone and I did that. I am scared of heights and I still did the summit window.

Camp was something different and challenging. I found it easier to get out of my comfort zone when the whole team cheered and supported me.

I went to camp with a fixed mindset, one of the things being that I wouldn't do the leap of faith. We did a workshop that night that talked about growth mindset and how our beliefs dictate the way we think, and that helped me to reconsider the thoughts I had. When I was climbing the ladder and ready to jump, I remember thinking about my goal instead of the worst-case scenario. The Summit Camp really helped me develop a better growth mindset and it taught me to give things a try and push past my limits even if I am uncomfortable.

I had a great time from swinging side to side in the air with a friend, to getting dirty in the mud helping the team along the mud run. My favourite part was probably the laser skirmish, and least favourite being the scavenger hunt.

My experience of the Summit Camp was a very different experience to all my other camps that I've ever done in my life. The mud run was the highlight of my camp experience and I was very glad that I did it. It was a good way to get to know other people in my class. Now I feel more comfortable to communicate with them.

On Tuesday 14 March we celebrated Pi Day at MLMC, where we explored the mysterious number in a variety of interesting and creative ways. 14 March is recognised as Pi Day for a reason: 3.14 are Pi’s first three digits.

Students and teachers worked together on activities including solving Pi-themed picture riddles, making a paper chain with each coloured link representing a digit of Pi and, of course, attempting to recite as many digits of Pi as possible.

The day was a great opportunity to better our understanding of such a significant mathematical concept, through simple and engaging ways. Hopefully everyone found it worthwhile — perhaps even ins-pi-ring!

(1) Student Achievements

Karate
Congratulations to Stephen Cameron (Year 12 Silver) and Casey Cameron (Year 10 Purple) who have both qualified to represent Australia in May at the 22nd Oceania Championships in Sydney. Having siblings represent the country at the same event is a very rare occurrence and we wish you both the best for the championships.

Triathlon
Congratulations to Rukiya Sunderland (Year 9 Gold) who represented MLMC in the 2XU triathlon series over summer (six races in total and very early Sunday mornings). The final race was held at St Kilda last weekend. Well done, Ru!

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

(2) EISM Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to all students who represented MLMC at the recent Division 2/3 EISM Swimming Carnival at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. MLMC took home the girls’ aggregate trophy and had many students place and qualify for the Champions Carnival the following week. 

We had 31 swimmers who qualified for the Champions Carnival, held on Monday 27 March. To even qualify for this carnival is an excellent achievement, as the standard of competition is extremely high. In particular, congratulations to Sienna Santolin (Year 8 Aqua) (pictured in the gallery below) who finished with a silver medal in the Under 14 50m breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke.

(3) MLMC athletics training

Track and field training is being held on Wednesdays (7.00-8.00am) at Morrison Reserve in Mount Evelyn for students to qualify for the upcoming EISM Athletics Carnival. It’s free to join in. Students will be bussed back to school, with breakfast then provided. Students should see or email me in the Doyle Centre for details.

(4) Equestrian team

Congratulations to the MLMC equestrian team who competed last weekend at the Tintern Interschool Horse Trials. The MLMC team comprised Imogen Bergin (Year 11 Purple), Sophie Dillon (Year 10 Bronze), Caitlin Vaughan (Year 9 Green), Sofie Wijsman (Year 8 Silver) and Ruby Rose (Year 8 Bronze) finished fifth out of 24 teams. Congratulations, girls!

(5) EISM reminders

Congratulations to our Senior EISM teams who competed in Grand Finals on Wednesday 29 March, including our Senior ultimate frisbee teams (pictured above). Results from all EISM competition is included below.

Heading into Term 2 of Year 8, 9 and Senior EISM sport, the following points are important to remember:

• students should 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.

(6) EISM results

Year 8 (21 March)

Year 8 (28 March)

Senior (22 March)

Senior finals (29 March)

Year 9 (30 March)

Reading4Me is an important component of an extensive program at MLMC which encourages our students to read more habitually and to recognise the importance to their own learning of being a capable reader.

The Reading4Me program is conducted at the beginning of one lesson a day in Years 7-9; students are encouraged to bring in a book of their choosing to read. A survey of our student cohort during Semester 2 in 2022 found the following to be the most popular genres:

• Fiction: action/adventure, fantasy and mystery
• Non-fiction: war, history, true crime and sport.

The survey also revealed that 80% of our students enjoyed the book that they were reading and that 55% of our Year 7-9 students read at least once a week or more at home.

The overall goal of any independent reading program is to build habitual readers with conscious reading identities.

The more one reads, the:

• better one reads
• more knowledge of words and language one has
• more fluent one becomes as a reader
• easier it becomes to develop reading stamina, which is necessary to comprehend more complex texts
• more one learns about people and happenings in our world (prior knowledge).

Consider the following table of three separate readers:

The Reading4Me sub-committee for 2023 has set the modest goal of increasing the percentage of students who read at home at least once or more a week from 55% to 65%. Considering the statistics presented above, the support of parents in our students reaching this goal would be enormously beneficial.

The Reading4Me sub-committee will continue to work with students, staff and parents to improve reading participation and, as a consequence, the academic results of MLMC students.

As part of the Year 10 Outdoor Education course students investigate a range of conservation and environmental issues, look at tourism and how this impacts coastal regions, along with a host of historical considerations relating to First Nations people and the past 200 years. The jewel in the crown of this unit is a two-day surf camp to Queenscliff and the surf coast, which occurred on 2-3 March.

Students participated in an investigation of sea life within Port Phillip Bay and snorkelling, followed by surfing and sea kayak sessions on the second day.

This was a wonderful opportunity for students to live out the practical aspects of the course and for some students to have experiences they may not otherwise have.

Thanks to the staff who attended and made this camp happen and a huge congratulations to the students. The organisations we work with to deliver the programs are always complimentary about the enthusiasm, participation and manners of our students.

Here are some student reflections of the camp:

On Surf Camp the best thing that we did was the marine biology cruise. We went out on a boat in Port Phillip Bay and we skimmed the ocean to get seaweed to see all the creatures that hide out in the seaweed. We found seahorses, sea stars and so many other little things. We also went to Chinaman's Hut and Pope's Eye and learnt about the animals that live there.
— Hannah Biggin (Year 10 Aqua)

My highlight of the camp was snorkelling. We were able to get really close to all the wildlife such as the seals, mantarays and fish. I also enjoyed it because I got to learn how to dive when snorkelling.
— Zeke Dewhurst-Sibley (Year 10 Silver)

Easily surfing was the highlight. I’ve never been surfing before so it was a great experience for a beginner. The waves were easy, and it wasn’t too windy so it was great for a day out. I also really enjoyed kayaking. Snorkelling was really fun, too.
— Riley George (Year 10 Red)

My favourite activity was surfing; it was so much fun doing it for the first time because it went so fast. I would do it a thousand times because it is so much fun. I got one good wave and did a switch, which was a goal.
— Khushal Naran (Year 10 Blue)

Camp was so much fun. I really enjoyed getting to know people because I am new. It was a little nerve-wracking but people were so lovely and it was so nice getting to know all the teachers more. A highlight was definitely snorkelling with the seals but surfing was my favourite. The atmosphere of catching a wave with all the instructors cheering you on was the best.
— Coco Owen (Year 10 Red)

On Wednesday 26 April, author Kirsty Murray will be returning to our College for an evening event for families. Last year’s event (pictured) offered participants the opportunity to explore creative writing with a mini workshop activity which was enjoyed by all who attended.

In a fractured and disconnected world, stories build resilience and connection for people of all ages. Parents and families are invited to join Ms Murray in an interactive discussion about the joy of deep-diving into reading, writing and the vibrant stories that grow strong communities.

Ms Murray is the author of over 20 books for children and young adults. Her works have won national awards, including: the Western Australian Premier’s Literary Awards, New South Wales Premier’s History Awards and honours in the Children's Book of the Year Awards. She was also nominated for the international Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for contributions to children’s literature.

More information about the event and how to register your attendance is available from the Parent Portal.

Families can also learn more about Ms Murray and her books by visiting her website. Click HERE.

Delicious brownies, truffle balls, iced chocolate and coffees were made and sold at the recent Athletics Carnival by our Senior VCE-Vocational Major 1 students. They had to plan, organise and participate in a Community Project and decided to make and sell these items on Athletics Day.

All profits from this project were donated to the Turkey/Syria and New Zealand disaster appeals. Senior VCE-VM1 students did a great job planning, organising and carrying out this project for all MLMC students and staff to enjoy. Well done to everyone involved.