Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community

Welcome to the 2023 academic year, after what I hope was a restful family Christmas and an inspiring holiday period. The weather has certainly been varied, and in the most part cool to allow outside activity and to enjoy the company of others. I hope you all enjoyed activity with family and friends as it is great to have had the opportunity to share precious time with those we love. May we always be reminded how precarious our time is with family and friends, thus always considering people first and that we must be mindful of our environment. Let us hope and pray for a safe and healthy 2023 after a difficult last three years.

The College has been open and operating for several weeks now and much work has been completed in that time. I believe our students have returned to a College that presents well and provides a welcoming environment for our community, although somewhat different to the campus they left at the end of 2022.

2023 theme — the theme chosen to help guide us through 2023

Some years ago, we started the process of focusing on our Mercy values when considering our yearly themes. In 2018 our focus was Respect, 2019 Compassion, 2020 Justice, 2021 Service, 2022 Hospitality and this year, 2023, we focus on Courage. The Bible reference is 1 Corinthians 16:13.

And the theme itself:

’Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous’.

This is a fantastic theme to help us focus and think about what we believe to be important. It provides a focal point for discussion: Hospitality after a year of focusing on Service in our 125-year celebrations. How could you have one without the other?

In focusing on this theme, we note that for Catherine McAuley: “Courage is a gift from God who gives us the strength to face the demands of our mission, to counter injustice, to work tirelessly and to endure hardship.”

COVID-19

In returning to the 2023 academic year, we do so without any physical restrictions placed on us because of the world pandemic and the various strains of COVID-19 which seem to be so prevalent within our society. Certainly, over the summer period there were reports of high levels of infection, which we should always consider.

So, as in the past, we remain committed to providing the best possible education for each of our students while doing everything possible to keep our community safe and on campus.

In returning to the College it is important for families to understand that although there are no restrictions, it is still important that we consider:

1. wearing masks indoors, especially when social distancing is not possible. Students are encouraged to consider wearing masks while in classrooms
2. students should continue to minimise social contact and maintain a social distance (1.5m) wherever possible
3. students should try to wash their hands as often as possible and if this is not possible to use hand sanitiser
4. students should conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) if they feel unwell. RAT kits are still freely available at the College Reception for those families requiring them
5. students who test positive should isolate at home for at least five days
6. any student who feels unwell should stay at home.

Having said the above, all College events are planned to be conducted in full, including camps, assemblies and excursions. We look forward to a full and productive academic year for 2023.

Community Mass 2023

Last evening, the College hosted its first Community Mass for three years and it was great to welcome it back. This is the first community event for the year whereby we celebrate who we genuinely are by coming together to celebrate the Eucharist. At the event, our Year 12 group, the graduating Class of 2023, were inducted as the senior class of the College and Year 7 students of 2023 were welcomed as the graduating Class of 2028.

All new families to the College were also welcomed. Although the weather was not kind to us, I am thankful that once again we can be such a welcoming community.

You can read more about the Community Mass HERE.

Top Achievers 2022

The College will hold a combined Top Achievers’ Assembly with Our College Opening Mass next week, on Tuesday 7 February, and will acknowledge and congratulate our College Dux for 2022, Jack Drummond, who achieved an ATAR of 99.3.

The College would further like to acknowledge the other top achieving students for 2022 in:

• Baxter Lill
• Noah Ruta
• Teagan McConachy
• Ellie Inglese
• Danielle Gazzola
• Jackson Nunziante
• Forum Patel
• Eloise Graves
• Alannah Finger.

We also acknowledge other students who achieved ATARs in the 90s.

As a College we acknowledge and give thanks for the success and efforts of our 2022 graduating class, recognising that there are many pathways to success and understanding that achievement cannot always be measured in a scoring system. We appreciate the efforts of the graduating class in personal achievement in the understanding that each student aspired to be their best.

Mark Prest Award 2022

The Mark Prest Award is an award in honour of past Deputy Principal, Mark Prest. It is awarded to a member of staff who most exemplifies Mark’s educational philosophy and witness as judged by the following criteria:

• a passionate respect for the dignity of each person
• sets a public example of integrity, love, commitment and awareness each day
• shows empathy and concern for the welfare of others
• fosters genuine, honest, authentic, compassionate and just relationships
• has a healthy sense of tolerance, acceptance and openness
• is filled with the excitement of teaching
• is a courageous and a committed learner
• aspires to and encourages excellence
• exhibits a quality of teaching which opens up learning to others
• encourages a love of learning in others
• is willing to take risks and learn from experience
• believes that teaching matters
• fosters a strong climate of community involving students, teachers and parents
• has a sense of civic responsibility and pride
• contributes to the social and spiritual environment of the school.

The 2022 Mark Prest Awardee is Mrs Donna Mulazzani and she was presented with her award at the Night of Excellence in December. Congratulations again, Donna. You can read more about our Night of Excellence HERE.

College Newsletter

The College Newsletter is an important source of formation and information. It is published electronically each fortnight. Parents and families should read it from the College website each Friday evening on an alternative week arrangement. It can be found on the College website, under the ‘News & Events’ menu, and it is also emailed to families. 

Parent Portal and Parent Access Module (PAM)

The Parent Portal is also a very important access point to the College. Excursion information, medical forms and individual family letters are all published via the Parent Portal. Families should become familiar with the processes to use it. The College will send an SMS to parents when there is important information to check on the Parent Portal.

The Parent Access Module (PAM) caters for live ongoing reporting, as well as semester reports, attendance reporting and access to the College calendar. You are also able to advise the College of daily student absences via PAM. Families have been advised of recent changes to login requirements for PAM and we encourage all parents to log in and create their individual passwords.

Logins and passwords for the Parent Portal have not changed in 2023 from previous access in 2022. A user guide for our portals can be requested from our College Office if you require assistance using them.

Welcome new students

This year we welcome to the College a total of 264 Year 7 students:

7 Blue
Illiana Bolger, Ella Burrows, Daniel Butler, Eirini Cagnoni, Olivia Callanan, Flynn Chalmers, Charlie Clay, William Davies, Zoe Davies, Shelby Gallagher, Emmi-Mae Gloury, Riley Hirt, Lochlan Howcroft, Estefania Junca Rodriguez, Madelaine Lord, Evie McSween, Nathan Millington, Mia Morrissey, Aaron Mullasseril, Cate Princi, Harrison Saunders, Tobias Seward Prior, Ella Smith, Noah Stephens, Emily Thiele, Jarrah Thompson and Brandon Warren.

7 Bronze
Harrison Barnes, Tarrin Birthisel, Paige Bode, Grace Bugis, Mikayla Daz, Will Di Ludovico, Braydan Ferguson, Ruby Flynn, Amelia Fry, Alexandra Ginigal Godage, Sophie Griffin, Madeline Grogan, Jesse Hancock, Hamish Howatt, Aaron Lilley, Frances Long, Nicholas McLaine, Evie Pease, Charlotte Pecher, Elan Pereira, Marley Rayner, Lily Skinner, Zac Susigan, Luca Varone, Pearl White, Jeremiah Wintergerst and Jaxon Woodlock.

7 Gold
Stella Abdallah, Ryker Beekhof, Georgia Cochrane, Ryder Crowe, Maizey Dinnage, Ella Eales, Olivia English, Poppi Foley, Myles Fraser, Jaida Freeman, Tripp Goodlet, Xander Harrington, Alistar Hobbs, Samantha Hobson, Ava Klages, Madeleine Neyland, Mia Orlando, Ruby Reed, Samuel Rivas Vaquerano, Charlotte Spiteri, Elena Tarquinio, Stella Turriff, Pablo Ubilla, Isacc Vennix, Charlee Waghorn and Tyler Wilson.

7 Green
Ryder Ainsworth, William Alderman, Ethan Andrews, Erick Davey, Aurelia Dean, William Dixon, Joshua Draffin, Tarnee Glassborow, Aiden Green, Ella Guiheneuf, Madeline Hanson, Summer Kelly, Mikaelah Maggs, Olivia Majdancic, Ari Marappan, Isabella Newsome, Ella Penzo, Kristian Richardson, Tyler Seeger, Summer Thomas, Feofaaki Ula, Maddie Underhill, Stella Upton, Flynn Van Der Klift, Chet Wilkinson and Lily Winter.

7 Jade
Austin Aju, Charlotte Arnott, Genevieve Arrif, Evan Attwood, Bae Bissels, Robin Brar, Rocco Corrone, Ashlyn Dowthwaite, Lucas Ghali, Austin Hathaway, Joshua Jackson, Charlotte Kirby, Lilly Kitto, Jeremy Kwah, Naiah Lang, Krishabelle Lawa, Jasper Moss, Lily Nash, Scarlett North, Jasmine Rogers, Claudia Ryan, Anabelle Sciore, Chloe Sherry, Jesse Usenich, Bella Rae Walker and Thomas Ziino.

7 Orange
Annabelle Brewster, Madison Coates, Henry Craig, Nate Exton, Emily Fiedler, Tarsha Flynn, Kiara Geerling, Makenzie Gill, Jacob Grant, Ethan Hodge, Sierra Hoegel, Alex Koupparis, Maddison Lowe, Brodie Manger, Elice Mzila, Oliver Northwood, Patrick Rice, Zach Robertson, Diesel Rogers, Abby Simpson-Leitch, Jessica Taylor, Joshua Thang, Chenoa Twomey, Isabella Vear, Jack Waldron and Tea Ward.

7 Purple
Islah Battistella, Evie Brookes, Tully Caccia, Archie Carolan, Alexander Conway, Leighton Cook, Ethan Dawson, Delilah Fritz, Bridie Goyne, Riley Hannah, Mia Healy, Bridie Hoyne, Holly Hunt, Kayla Kanaris, Charlotte Kelly, Jay Lillie, Joshua Locantio, Layla Murray, Milla Pasini, Dougal Stephen, William Story, Marina Tevi, Kate Tricarico, Daniel Tuang, Oliver Vuarchoz, Gabriella Weir and Yasmyn Woodhead.

7 Red
Jade Allamby, Natalia Aquilina-Hart, Harper Barrie, Ella Bergin, Grace Brown, Xavier Crellin, Aidan Cruz, Nathan Delaney, Grace Earl, Erika Faulkner, Laylah Festini, Harrison Frey, Angeliki Hagianis, Indiana Ironmonger, Jordi James, Ariel Jarvis, Joshua Kelly, Adam Koupparis, Jeremiah Kwah, Max Litchfield, Melissa Musilli, Elly Primiero, Echo Schaak-Taylor, Austin Simmons, Charlotte Stuart and Jake Wills.

7 Silver
Grace Athanasopoulos, Ebony Braden, Ruby Budziarski, Ruby Corney, Larissa de Zylva, Alexander Duffy, Logan Ellis, Julian Ferguson, Clara Fernandez, Joshua Finn, Abby Gray, Ella Hathaway, Raymond Hoyek, Nathan Hutton, Sylar Kirkwood, Cooper Lennox, Naoki Luntayao, Keira Maggs, Ava Manton, Joshua McCoy, Yuanna Mendoza, Mathew Miotto, Teal Mizzi, Georgios Panagiotidis, Ethan Pugh, Sienna Vallack and Saskia Vanzin.

7 White
Samantha Atkins, Liliana Bonanno, Oliver Brahe, Mia Christie, Emma Csik, Koby Dickson, Mitchell Florance, William Garnsworthy, Ben Griffiths, Eva Hough, Marry Kim, William McConville, Samuel Ngaihte, Zoe Oberman-Katsaras, Skye O'Connor, Mia Orr, Bethany Parker, Violet Rayner, Sadie Savage, Noah Sibilia, Scarlett Stevens, Alexander Sulda, Ashley Taylor, Oakley Taylor, Sharna Thomsen and Persephone Tzanatos.

We also welcome a number of students and their families to other year levels:

Year 8
Olivia Kennedy (8GO), Charlotte Lowrie (8AQ), George Lyons (8PU), Jesse March (8GO), Stella Pearse-Evans (08GR), Aaron Perez (8SI) and Summer Powell (8SI).

Year 9
Zach Ashworth (9GR), Troy Casey (9GR), Genevieve Crockett (9RE), Lucas Hays (9GO), Holly Judd 9GR), Mya Malaeb (9RE), Rama McClelland (9BL), Hannah Smith (9RE) and Koby Tibb (9JA).

Year 10
Madison Leaumont (10GO), Samantha Love (10RE), Rufus Moorhead (10WH), Coco Owen (10RE) and Lauren Pierce (10GR).

Year 11
Alexander Deans (11WH), Bonnie O'Hare (11RE) and Abbey Walters (11BR).

Staffing

At our first staff meeting for 2022, we as a staff welcomed back Mrs Emily Tineo from maternity leave.

We also welcomed and commissioned a number of new staff at the Liturgy:

• Wendy Anderson Faculty (Learning Leader Performing Arts and Music)
• Tom Barthelson (teacher of Mathematics and Science)
• Pamela Budge (teacher of Food Technology and Health)
• Stacey Falla (teacher of English, Literacy and Humanities)
• Erica Foden (teacher of English, Humanities and Psychology)
• Zara Howells (teacher of English and Mathematics)
• Skye Jennings (teacher of Science, Biology and Health)
• Braid Matthews (teacher of Textiles, Food Technology, Drama and Arts)
• Conna Matthews (teacher of Mathematics and Science)
• Lauren O’Toole (teacher of Mathematics, PE and Sport)
• Ruby Parsons (teacher of Religious Education, PE and Sport)
• Eden Pritchard (teacher of Mathematics, PE and Sport)
• Lauren Smith (teacher of Literature and Drama)
• Jayden Voorzat (teacher of Agricultural Science and Science)
• Ken Wade (teacher of English)
• Gavin Wall (teacher of VET Agriculture)
• Elissa White (teacher of Science and Religious Education)
• Paul Wulfrun (teacher of Science and Mathematics)
• Elizabeth Wright (teacher of English)
• Victoria Minichilli (College Nurse)
• Liam Charles (Learning Support)
• Jessica Gatehouse (Learning Support)
• Vanessa Harding (Learning Support)
• Robyn Knight (Learning Support)
• Brad Chandler (Maintenance team)
• Bronwyn Krueger (Grounds and Farm Assistant).

We also welcomed our AFL Trainees for 2022:

• Tyler Flint (Outdoor Education)
• Cheyenne Moore (Sport)
• Holly Johns (Events Management).

College Advisory Council

Mount Lilydale Mercy College encourages community involvement within our College through the many activities, but one such way is through our College committee structure. Parents and community members are asked to participate in committees to ensure the College is consultative, but also to increase expertise and skills when making decisions that affect the short and long-term future of the College. This year we have vacancies with:

• College Advisory Council (CAC) (up to two places)
  The College Advisory Council constitution may be found on our College website along with an application form. Interested family members are invited to read the documents and apply by completing the application and emailing it to principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au
• Community Forum Group (CFG)
  The Community Forum Group is another committee by which the College consults with families. It recognises the importance of parent’s views on the holistic education of the young people in our care. This forum is committed to strengthening our partnerships with families by consulting with them on a vast range of College policies and in so doing parents and guardians are invited to attend these meetings via our College Newsletter. The CFG meets twice per term at 7.30pm and is invited to raise issues with the Principal to be foreshadowed on the agenda.

If you are interested in being nominated for either of these committees, or know of someone who you would recommend nominating, please contact me at the College or via email at principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au

The Parents and Friends’ Association (P&F) is also vital within our College and is another avenue used for consultation. We also encourage new members to the P&F and interested parents should contact Community Development Coordinator Miss Sarah Shallcross on sshallcross@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Car parking and dropping off students

Please remember that there is a drop-off and pick-up zone inside the main entrance. Car parking is restricted in The Eyrie. Throughout Semester 1 the Allison Crescent gate will also be inaccessible to students due to building works at the College. Please do not drop off or pick up students in either of these streets. Such action will cause unnecessary congestion to our neighbours. Be aware of the strict parking restrictions that apply in the streets adjacent to the College. Cars are not allowed to stop in sections of these streets at the usual drop-off and pick-up times. Council Officers are likely to be present to supervise these parking restrictions and drivers who stop in the NO STANDING areas are likely to be fined. Students who have a medical condition that prevents them walking should be driven into the College via the main gate and dropped off as close as possible to her/his locker.

Who should I call?

Below is a downloadable Communications Guide. Hopefully it will help you when you wish to communicate with staff at the College.

God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal

Heavenly Father

As we begin a new school year we ask for your blessing on all members of our community.

Help us to step out with courage so we may
Reach out to those in need
Encourage those who are experiencing difficultly
And comfort those who are mourn.

Together, may we strive to be our best
Celebrate the joys and achievements of one another
And always remember that you are our one true purpose.
We pray for the strength and the power of the Holy Spirit
To guide us and enable us to live courageously every moment.

Amen

Dates

• Monday 6 February — student photo day
• Monday 6 February — Japan Study Tour Information Night
• Tuesday 7 February — Opening Mass and Top Achievers' Assembly, 9.00am (Doyle Centre)
• Tuesday 7 February — Year 7 2023 Parent Information Night, 7.00pm (Centennial Hall)
• Tuesday 7 February — Old Collegians' Association meeting, 7.30pm (College Reception)
• Monday 13 February-Friday 17 February — Year 7 camp/Stepping Forward
• Wednesday 15 February — Parents and Friends' Association meeting, 7.30pm (College Reception)
• Tuesday 21 February — catch-up student photo day/sibling photos

Contacting staff

Parents and guardians are advised that new email addresses for Year Level teams are now available. Emails will go to all members of that Year Level team to allow for a faster response. You can contact the Year Level teams at the following addresses:

Year 7
Cassandra Poynter and Natalie Hamment (Year Level Leaders)
year07levelleader@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Year 8
Rachel Berka (Year Level Leader)
Kassidy Grant-Whiting (Assistant Year Level Leader)
Stephanie Tonietto (Year Level Learning Advisor)
year08levelleader@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Year 9
Alan Torcello and Morgan Scott (Year Level Leaders)
year09levelleader@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Year 10
Richard Komizayk (Semester 1), Greg Hysted (Semester 2) and Denver Carron (Year Level Leaders)
year10levelleader@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Year 11
Marie Prusac and Tom Warren (Year Level Leaders)
year11levelleader@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Year 12
Andrew Leaumont and Alison Schlueter (Year Level Leaders)
year12levelleader@mlmc.vic.edu.au

College Fees

Finance Office

Thank you to all 2022 MLMC parents and guardians who greatly cooperated with the payment of school fees allowing for the College to be in a strong position going into 2023. We are very proud to report that the College only had four outstanding accounts at the year’s end, with a couple of these accounts already paid it leaves just a few to be managed.

By now all families should have access to their annual College Fee Statement on the Parent Portal.

If you have not set up an automatic direct debit, credit card or other authorised payment plan, please make note of the following important dates:

13 February
1st quarterly instalment due. Please refer to your College Fee Statement for the amount. NB: If you are not paying your College Fees in full and are not on an automatic or authorised College payment plan then you must pay your 1st quarterly instalment amount by this date.

6 March
Annual fees paid by this date will be eligible for an early payment discount. Please refer to your College Fee Statement (emailed 12 January 2023) for the amount, but remember to take off your early payment discount from this amount (pro rata amount for split billers).

Families that have set up an automatic payment plan must ensure funds are available on the day the payment is processed. Please see below for dates:

If you require any information regarding the College Fees, please contact our Finance Office on 9237 1315 or 9739 2209.

Enrolment for Year 7 2025

Mrs Sharon Elderhurst
Enrolments Officer

Applications for Year 7 2025 are now open. Parents and guardians are asked to submit an online application via our website’s enrolment section as soon as possible and preferably before Friday 5 May 2023, with applicants to be contacted to arrange an application interview in Terms 2 or 3. Applications for Year 7 2025 will officially close on Friday 18 August 2023. All applicants are encouraged to attend a College Tour. Offers of places will be sent to prospective students on Friday 20 October 2023.

Organisation Skills

Miss Sarah Shallcross
Community Development Coordinator

With Term 1 underway, we are looking for parent volunteers to help our Year 7 students with the Organisational Skills Program.

What is Organisational Skills?

This program is run by volunteer parents. The program helps our young students to develop fundamental skills that they will carry with them throughout their years at high school. These skills include how to keep track of homework and assignments as well as how to keep a tidy locker. Our volunteers visit their assigned homeroom regularly, some visit every fortnight, others monthly (this is flexible and can work around your schedule).

How to sign up?

If you are interested in signing up for this program please call or email me, Sarah Shallcross, at sshallcross@mlmc.vic.edu.au or phone 9739 2220. Further information will be provided in the coming weeks to those who sign up.

I look forward to hearing from you!

College Choir

Mrs Caroline Dickason
Choir Director

Does your child enjoy singing? The College Choir is open to all students who love to sing. We sing at College assemblies, Mass and some liturgies, providing service for these important events. We also sing at community events such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day and at the end of every term we celebrate our work with a fun ‘snack and sing’. The Choir is an excellent opportunity for your child to participate in a year-long program and sing with other students under professional guidance.

College Choir will run every Wednesday. There is no cost to parents, as it is fully funded by the College. It will be held in SLR1.1 (the music rooms next to Centennial Hall) each Wednesday at lunchtime from next week. It is open to anyone who likes to sing. Students are encouraged to come along, bring a friend, their lunch and a drink.

Instrumental Music

Mrs Sharon Flint
Instrumental Music Secretary

The College’s Instrumental Music program will commence for Year 8-12 students in the week beginning Monday 13 February. For Year 7 students, lessons will commence in the week beginning Monday 20 February. Parents and guardians are asked to please check your emails prior to these start dates to view the Term 1 timetable.

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)

Finance Office

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school excursions, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card, are a temporary foster parent or a student between 16 to 18 years old and have a means-tested Disability Pension or Youth Allowance card, you may be eligible for the CSEF.

The allowance is paid directly to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is $225 for secondary school students.

Parents who received the CSEF at the school in 2022 do not need to complete an application form in 2023, unless any of the following changes have occurred:

• new student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools in 2023 or you did not apply at the same school in 2022; or

• changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2023.

If a form was not lodged in 2022, parents or legal guardians are required to complete a CSEF application form and lodge it with their child’s school for processing.

Application forms should be completed and lodged with the College as soon as possible in Term 1 as payments are made from March onwards. The College will be able to accept and process applications up until the end of Term 2 each year.

For concession card holders, CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/carer concession card being validated successfully with Centrelink on the first day of either Term 1 (30 January 2023) or Term 2 (24 April 2023).

For more information please contact the Finance Office on 9237 1315.

CSEF payments are for the current application year and cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years. CSEF application forms are available to download below, click HERE, or by visiting the College website, or visit www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

Parents must lodge a CSEF application form with a photocopy of your Health Care/Pension Card. No late applications can be accepted.

The MLMC community came together on Tuesday 13 December 2022 for the first full Night of Excellence event held at the Doyle Centre since 2019. 

Night of Excellence is one of the few events where we celebrate achievement across the whole College, with Year 7 top achieving students having the opportunity to witness and celebrate the success of our graduating Year 12 students and vice versa.

After two years of scaled down events due to the pandemic, the community reunited in celebration of academic results across all year levels, achievement including VCE, VCAL, VET, and also recognition of service and community spirit. 

Performances by Elena Atanasovski and Vivienne Mackenzie (each pictured in the gallery below) also demonstrated the exceptional talents of our students. 

The Mark Prest Award for 2022 went to English Faculty Learning Leader Mrs Donna Mulazzani.

Unfortunately our 2022 Dux, Jack Drummond, and recipient of the Catherine McAuley Student of the Year award, Danielle Gazzola, were absent on the night due to family holidays. Principal Mr Philip Morison regrettably was also unable to attend, with Deputy Principal — Organisation Mr Louis Papadimitriou delivering the Principal's address in his absence.

We congratulate all of our amazing students on their achievements in 2022.

YEAR LEVEL AWARDS

TOP 10 ATAR SCORES 

SPECIALTY AWARDS

YEAR 12 TOP SUBJECT SCORE AWARDS

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas holiday break and that you are now refreshed and ready to tackle the new year. It's great to have you back!

I hope your holidays were restful and renewing, providing you with the energy and inspiration you need to take on the challenges ahead. Whether you traveled, spent time with loved ones, or simply relaxed at home, we hope you were able to make the most of your time off.

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new members of the community. We are excited to have your family join us and look forward to getting to know you better.

With the College as busy as ever, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to keep a close eye on the College calendar for events coming up. We have a lot of exciting things planned, and we would love for you to be a part of them.

Additionally, if you have had any changes in your personal details, please make sure to update them if you haven't already done so. Keeping our records up-to-date is important for ensuring that we can keep in touch and that you receive all of the latest news and updates from the College.

As we move forward into the new year, we are excited to announce that our new theme for the year is ‘Courage’. We believe that this Mercy value is particularly inspiring and provides us with the motivation needed to get involved in all the College offers. We encourage all students to embrace this theme, and for them to be brave and bold in all that they do, and to always be willing to take on new challenges and opportunities.

By now our uniform expectations have been well advertised. Please support us in ensuring your child arrives at the College each day ready to learn, thus avoiding the need to use valuable time addressing uniform issues. Also, as a SunSmart school, we remind you that with the summer uniform, a College hat must be worn at recess and lunchtimes.

Child Safety

The College places the highest level of importance on ensuring a child safe environment. This means taking active steps to protect children from harm, promoting their welfare, and creating a culture of safety throughout the College. This is accomplished by implementing policies and procedures that prevent and respond to child abuse, providing ongoing training and education to staff and students, and fostering a culture that promotes child safety and encourages the reporting of any incidents or concerns. Ensuring a child safe environment is crucial in maintaining the trust and confidence of students, families, and the wider community, and is essential in fulfilling the College's obligations as a responsible member of society, ensuring all requirements of Ministerial Order 1359 are met. More information about the College’s commitment to ensure a child safe environment can be found on our College website. Click HERE.

As always, I am only an email or phone call away. Please let me know if ever there is something you need.

Mount Lilydale Mercy College is excited to announce that our College Dux for 2022 is Jack Drummond, who achieved an ATAR of 99.3.

Jack is hoping to study a double degree in Science and Engineering at Monash University. “I really enjoy Science and with the double degree I’m keeping my options open.”

Reflecting on the reasons behind his success, Jack said having a good circle of friends, a supportive family, staying focused and “trying to find things to enjoy in every subject” helped him in his studies. “I had hopes of scoring a 95 so to get a score of 99, I was really surprised. I’m really happy with that.”

Jack studied English Language, Specialist Mathematics, Maths Methods, Physics and Chemistry this year, having already studied Units 3 and 4 of VCE Music Performance while in Year 11. He was one of the College Vice Captains in 2022 and also took part in the College Musical and the Kool Skools music recording project. He said was grateful to have enjoyed “the full Year 12 experience” in 2022 after two years impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.

On Tuesday 13 December 2022 our VCE students received their ATAR results from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. We are immensely proud of the achievements of the Class of 2022 students who demonstrated a passion for learning and achieving their best.

All students in our top 10 received an ATAR score above 90, with Baxter Lill scoring 98.2, while Noah Ruta and Teagan McConachy each scored 97.45.  

7.52% of our VCE cohort who applied for an ATAR achieved a score above 90, 26.32% of the cohort achieved above 80 and 45.11% of the cohort achieved above 70, while 63.91% of the cohort achieved an ATAR above 60.

We also congratulate all students who completed their VCAL studies, along with our VET students who fully or partially achieved dual certification.

The College congratulates all Class of 2022 graduates who studied and achieved their results following an extraordinary three years of education impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We warmly wish all of our Class of 2022 students the very best for their future endeavours and look forward to seeing what the next chapter will bring.

On Thursday evening (2 February) we had a beautiful celebration of the Eucharist, led by our College Chaplain, Father Dean Bradbury, in the Doyle Centre. In his homily he spoke about the importance of community and how each of us has a part to play. The Student Leadership Team received a special blessing and were reminded of their calling to serve.

Year 7 students were welcomed into our community and were presented with a school badge and the Year 12 students were given a special Year 12 badge. We also welcomed students in Years 8-11 who are new to the College this year.

Principal Mr Philip Morison spoke about our theme for the year and the importance of courage and standing firm in the faith. Fr Dean also blessed a number of bibles and these will be presented to all new students as a personal gift.

Thank you to all who attended this special event.

Our most senior students and our newest cohort came together to start the 2023 academic year on Monday 30 January with a combined assembly in Centennial Hall.

There were big smiles all around as the Class of 2023 students came together again to chat about holidays and what lies ahead for them in their final year at MLMC, while the Year 7s reunited with their homerooms for the first time since December’s Orientation Day.

Principal Mr Philip Morison spoke to the Year 7 and Year 12 students about this year’s College theme, the Mercy value of Courage, and also asked them to “reflect on success and how we might go about achieving it”.

He encouraged the students to recognise that the road ahead could be lonely but not to think they had to do it alone. “You can achieve your best when everybody achieves their best,” Mr Morison said. “Be courageous and keep working for and with each other. I hope each of you will be courageous.”

It was a fantastic way to welcome our newest members of the MLMC community. Meanwhile, parents and guardians were encouraged to be part of the parent liturgy held in the Chapel, where they joined in reading prayers for our students and lighting tapers. The ritual of lighting the candles reminds us of God’s presence lighting our way.

Mr Morison repeated his message the following morning when the Year 8-11 students began their school year.

After their first assembly, the Year 7s began their time in the Mansfield building with their new peers and homeroom teachers. The students were able to set up their lockers with guidance from Year 10 Peer Support leaders and begin to understand their timetables — an exciting part of starting secondary school. Each class had a special induction schedule, which aimed to connect students with each other and the College. We thank our Year 10 Peer Support leaders for their time in assisting our new students.

They spent time in the Chapel where they learnt more about the Catholic Ethos within MLMC and prepared for the upcoming Community Mass. They explored the Library, where they were shown how to access books and other online resources and they participated in an organisational skills session where they focussed on arranging their lockers and books so that they could start the year in a positive way.

They also enjoyed a scavenger hunt, and with terrific energy they excitedly left their classrooms to explore the College grounds and find key services including Student Reception, the IT department, the McAuley Library and more.

The routine of secondary school is beginning to feel normal again and the Year 7s can now look forward to their camp being held in Alexandra in the week of Monday 13 February to Friday 17 February.

“Trust Yourself to God and Dare to Dream”

Year 12 students and their homeroom teachers spent a day together on Tuesday 31 January exploring how they would strive to live this theme throughout the year. Their Retreat experience gave them the opportunity to reflect on relationships with God, self and others, and how as individuals they can be true to themselves. It was a lovely way to start the year, to begin building community and getting to know one another. The day finished with a celebration of the Eucharist and some words of wisdom from our College Chaplain, Father Dean Bradbury.

It was an opportunity to reflect on family and appreciate all that they do. It was good to take time to look at what we have, to be thankful; and to learn how we can grow as people and help our community.
— Mitchell Mazzarella (Faith and Ministry Prefect)

This was a special time of meeting and working together with our homeroom and having the opportunity to share our faith. It made me reflect on how lucky we are to have the opportunity to serve others. I appreciated how we were able to gain explanations about aspects of faith and life.
— Thomas Hobley (Mercy and Justice Prefect)

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.

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.

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.

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

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you or another MLMC community member/alumni have recently celebrated a milestone we would love to hear from you. This includes news of engagements, weddings and babies as well as any other big life events you may have celebrated or any outstanding achievements.

Through our bi-annual Connections magazine, we want to continue to build connections between our alumni and our current MLMC families and students by celebrating our former students’ successes and the milestones in their lives with the MLMC community.

Please send contact details with your exciting news in an email to oc@mlmc.vic.edu.au

For further information about our Old Collegians’ Association, to subscribe to our Connections magazine or to receive information about upcoming Old Collegians’ Association events, please visit the Old Collegians' page on our website. Click HERE. 

The MLMC Parents and Friends’ Association is hosting a Father Figures Bowling Night for all MLMC students and the male role models in their lives. This could be a dad, an older brother, an uncle or a friend.

It is a great opportunity to have a relaxed game of tenpin bowling with other families and make new connections or strengthen existing ones.

It will be held on Wednesday 1 March, 6.00pm-7.30pm, at Oz Tenpin in Chirnside Park.

Tickets include one bowling game and party food. Click HERE to purchase tickets, which cost $25 each for a general ticket and tickets for under 16s are just $20 each.

For further information please email me at sshallcross@mlmc.vic.edu.au

We hope to see you there!