Dear members of the MLMC community
Uniform Policy
What is in a school uniform and why is it important? A silly question, you may ask. Of late, I am amazed at the amount of time I have spent answering questions about our College uniform: Why do we have it? What is the actual uniform? Why can’t students wear makeup or jewellery or false eyelashes or nose rings? When are shorts too short? And the questions go on. The fact is that uniform, uniform regulation and the correct wearing of the uniform are necessary, and it is important that all parents support the College in the application of our uniform policy.
I believe that a uniform provides many benefits, including:
- Encouraging a culture of equality whereby students are not judged by the clothes they wear
- A uniform provides some assurance in that choice is not an issue
- A sense of belonging and security — students should be free to focus on their education and have pride in their uniform rather than worry or experience anxiety caused by societal pressures to fit in and keep up with the latest fashion trends
- The wearing of a uniform allows staff to easily identify strangers that could present themselves on College grounds
- Lessening financial pressures for parents and being a more sustainable clothing option. Yes, the initial outlay required to purchase uniforms can be expensive, but our uniform is durable and will last with repeated wearing. Families do not need to buy new outfits on a frequent basis or contribute to today’s throwaway culture of fast fashion
- Students learn responsibility by adhering to a dress code. It also prepares them for the world beyond formal education, where they will likely need to adhere to a dress code in their workplace, whether that code be for a tradesperson needing to wear protective clothing or a suit and tie in a corporate environment.
I will also admit that uniform is an important part of our culture here at ‘the Hill’. We aim to take a conservative view of dress, whilst ensuring the items chosen for our uniform are serviceable, reasonably priced, long wearing and do not restrict our students in participation in any activity. This means that we often review our policy, as we have done recently with the introduction of long winter trousers for girls. We are currently investigating summer shorts as an alternative to the summer dress. The sport uniform, for example, is no longer divided into boys' and girls' sections but, rather, one uniform for all. We are forward looking whilst considering our history and the conservative nature of our environment.
The College has updated our Uniform Policy and Implementation Guidelines which can now can be found on our College website and via this link HERE
Please understand that in upgrading these documents consultation has occurred through the College Executive, the College Advisory Council and the College Policy and Curriculum Committee — the last two of which include members of our parent community. Some items within the policy have also been consulted through the College SRC and this will continue to be a part of our process. The latest version of the policy will supersede versions printed in other College resources, such as the Student Planner.
I know that for some within our community our policy may be too conservative, but please understand that in its very nature such a policy is conservative. Please work with us in supporting this policy, as with all other College policies. Please do not be legalistic in outlook and I ask that the spirit in which the guidelines are intended is respected. The uniform policy is there for the benefit of all our students and it should not become a point of contention.
Child Safe School
I am also well aware that within recent weeks the announcement of George Pell’s finding of guilt and the subsequent sentencing has caused much distress and left others questioning the leadership of our Church. Whilst I understand this, as disciples of Jesus our focus must be on helping all victims of such abuse and ensuring the safety of all children within our care. I can assure you that as a College we all, at Mount Lilydale Mercy College, do everything possible to ensure that those entrusted to us are safe and beyond the reach of such hurt. We genuinely are a Child Safe School.
I am hopeful for the future and offer you by way of reflection two pieces of writing. The first is an address by Pope Francis on the topic of the protection of minors given in 2017 and the second is an address given by Archbishop Comensoli at a dinner for St Patrick’s Day.
Address of His Holiness Pope Francis (21 September, 2017)
To the members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I extend a cordial welcome … today, in your presence, I would like to share with you the profound distress I feel in my soul at the condition of abused children, as I have already had the opportunity to do recently, on different occasions.
The sex abuse scandal is truly a terrible disgrace for the whole of humanity and affects so many children, young people and vulnerable adults in all countries and in all societies. For the Church, too, it has been a very painful experience. We feel ashamed of the abuses committed by holy ministers, who should be the most trustworthy. But we have also experienced a call, which we are certain comes directly from our Lord Jesus Christ: to embrace the mission of the Gospel for the protection of all minors and vulnerable adults.
Allow me to say with all clarity that sexual abuse is a horrible sin, completely opposed to and in contradiction to what Christ and the Church teach us. Here in Rome, I had the privilege of listening to the stories that victims and survivors of abuse wanted to share. In those encounters, they openly shared the effects that sexual abuse has had on their lives and those of their families. I know that you, too, have had the blessed occasion to take part in similar meetings and that such encounters continue to foster your personal commitment to do everything possible to combat this evil and eliminate this failure among us.
Therefore, today I reiterate once again that the Church, at all levels, will respond with the application of the firmest measures to all those who have betrayed their call and have abused the Children of God. The disciplinary measures that the particular Churches have adopted must be applied to all those who work in the institutions of the Church. However, the primary responsibility belongs to the Bishops, priests and religious, those who have received from the Lord the vocation to offer their life to service, including the vigilant protection of all children, young people and vulnerable adults. For this reason, the Church irrevocably and at all levels intends to apply the ‘zero tolerance’ principle against the sexual abuse of minors.
The Church is called to be a place of piety and compassion, especially for those who have suffered. For all of us, the Catholic Church continues to be a field hospital that accompanies us on our spiritual journey. It is the place where we can sit with others, listen to them and share with them our struggles and our faith in the Good News of Jesus Christ. I am fully confident that the Commission will continue to be a place where the voices of the victims and survivors will be heard with interest as we have much to learn from them and from their personal stories of courage and perseverance.
Patrick Oration by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli (15 March, 2019):
Remembering that we all live in the Archdiocese of St Patrick, it is the inaugural Patrick Oration delivered by our Archbishop and I believe it to be well worth the read. It offers hope and you can read the full text in the attached document, but in particular, I offer you the last two paragraphs:
Please note: the following is an a excerpt. The document attached contains the full address by the Archbishop.
Patrick was not an institution builder in society, but a Gospel planter among the locals. He did not establish structures and entities; he proclaimed a message of hope to a people. He equipped a band of disciples to be the leaven for their society. Might not these be the markers for our way into the future? For surely our task is not to reinforce crumbling structures on fractured ground, but to find new ground to build new communities of grace.
This is our task ahead: not to foster a nostalgia for the past, but to stake out a new territory. I want to invite you to join with me in becoming the new Patricks for today, carrying with us across broken terrain that precious flame of deep magic, to ignite new beacons of light throughout our city. May we go there with Patrick, who went there before us.
God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal
