Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community
Welcome to the new term, after what I hope has been a refreshing break amidst exciting football finals — about which I can only be disappointed — and some absolutely magnificent weather.
Year 12s
Term 4 is an interesting time in a school as for many the planning for the following year is a priority and is now well underway, as it is in our case. Yet for most, the finalisation of the year’s work and results are also fast approaching. This is especially true for the graduating class. I must admit my thoughts are clearly focused on our Year 12 group at this time of year as they prepare to depart. I have always found farewelling a graduating class a difficult thing because I do not really want them to leave. I just want them to stay at school and be protected from what is to come for just a little bit longer. I want them to live at home, just as I still have my own four children living at home, but it cannot be. Leaving is part of the process of growing and learning and while leaving is hard, I know they do so having been well prepared.
Our Year 12 group has spent the holiday period in practice exams and now they enter their last weeks of formal schooling. They focus on final assemblies, graduations, exam results, university offers or job prospects. Soon I will write to each Year 12 student assuring each of my prayers for them and I will offer them your prayers as well. Let us all make our graduating class the focus of our prayers over the coming weeks. They will need the support and they are certainly deserving of it. May our loving Father watch over and protect them in this important time, and may each find peace knowing that they have been well prepared, which hopefully will bring a sense of accomplishment and peace. The College will farewell our graduating class with an assembly on Monday 22 October and then a Year 12 Mass the following Tuesday.
Advisory Council
Of course, the College is in full planning mode for 2019 and the future. Mount Lilydale Mercy College is a Mercy school, operating under the governance of Mercy Education Limited. As a part of that structure, we have an Advisory Council whose role it is to:
• Act as a consultative group for the Principal
• Promote Mercy ethos and charism
• Assist in policy and foundation documents formation
• Assist in the budget process
• Advise the Principal about:
Financial administration and setting school fees
Fundraising
Capital development
College facilities
Strategic planning
Community development
• Facilitate:
Welcome of parents and families
Promotion of the College.
The College Advisory Council is an important group in the life of the College and we will be looking for several new members for 2019. Members of our community interested in nominating themselves or others to the Advisory Council should contact me at the College (principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au). Council members usually attend two or three meetings a term, as well as participate in one of the Council Committees. Council meetings are generally on Thursday nights, from 6.30pm until 9.00pm. I understand that governance is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is vital in the structure of our College. Please consider enquiring.
2019 prefects
The last weeks of Term 3 saw prospective prefects for 2019 undergoing the application and filtering process. During the first week of the holidays, I wrote to preferred candidates offering particular positions. The process is a detailed one and the outcome is very much about getting a balanced mix to represent the various needs of our College. Please find below the list of students who have been offered prefect positions for 2019 and are to be congratulated. The Prefect Investiture Ceremony is scheduled for Friday 19 October.
College Captain (female) — Grace Clinton
College Captain (male) — Matthew Gamble
College Vice Captain (female) — Darcy Hamilton
College Vice Captain (male) — Ethan Preston
McAuley prefect (female) — Molly Henderson
McAuley prefect (male) — Liam Charles
English prefect — Meg Thompson
Environment prefect — Hannah Steele
Faith and Ministry prefect — Willow Thomas
Health and PE prefect — Mikayla Byrne
House prefect Carr — Matthew Phillips
House prefect Frayne — Alex D'Angelo
House prefect Maguire — Keilani Trewavis
House prefect O’Neill — Alice Tripp
House prefect Ryan — Charlie Wells
House prefect Terry Dunn — Molly Jones
Humanities prefect — Patrick Keating
LOTE prefect — Grace Staindl-Dymond
Maths prefect — Ethan Cornish
Mercy and Justice prefect — Kobi Butcher
Music prefect — Samuel Lees
Performing Arts prefect — Georgia McAleer
Science prefect — Lara Griffin-Krenn
Sport prefect (female) — Sienna Clark
Sport prefect (male) — Jackson Flint
Technology prefect — Tristan Mifsud
VCAL prefect — Chloe Baulch
Visual Arts prefect — Kanit Lewis
Yearbook prefect — Tea Grebe
The Mark Prest Award
With this newsletter you will find a nomination form for the Mark Prest Award, which is presented annually to the staff member who most exemplifies our Mercy education philosophies, values and spirit. Each staff member can only win this award once. The award winner is announced at the Night of Excellence. Staff members can be nominated by parents, students, other staff, or community members. Please consider this process.
In our prayers
Over the holiday period a number of staff and community members experienced loss with the passing of family members.
Our thoughts are with the families of Mieczyslaw ‘Mietek’ Lawrence (24.11.55–18.09.18) father to Mrs Urszula Faulkner; Susan Ann Vallis (11.10.53–23.09.18) mother to Mr Matthew Vallis; Annina (Anna) Del Giudice (16.03.41–30.09.18) mother to Mr Peter Del Giudice; and Betty Whelan, mother to Michelle Stone.
Let us pray for the repose of the souls of Mietek, Susan, Anna and Betty. May they, along with all the faithfully departed, rest in peace.
God bless
Philip A. Morison
Principal
