Dear members the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
What interesting times we live in. Like many of you, my mind daily is fixed on the coronavirus and the impact it is having both globally and locally. We know that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the Australian Government has issued precautionary warnings. In that precautionary vain, Mercy Education Limited, in considering the safest possible educational environment for both students and staff, has announced that all international trips (except those to the USA, Canada and New Zealand) are to be indefinitely postponed. Travel to or through Asia is certainly not to occur.
Further advice from Catholic Education Melbourne is that parents/guardians/carers should ensure that any child returning from mainland China (not including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) from 1 February 2020 and from Iran from 1 March 2020 is isolated at home and should not attend school until 14 days after they were last in mainland China or Iran.
The Australian Bishops Conference has written to provide advice where large groups meet for Liturgical celebrations which include:
- Holy water should be temporarily removed from stoups at the doors of churches
- When exchanging the sign of peace, individuals should avoid shaking hands but say “peace be with you” and offer a smile, wave, nod or bow
- All Ministers of Holy Communion should take particular care to wash their hands before and after distributing (appropriate means should be made available)
- Parishes should cease distributing Holy Communion from the Chalice until further notice
- The coronavirus is easily spread through saliva. It is, therefore, recommended that the Body of Christ only be administered in the hand because of the high risk of transmission if people continue to receive on the tongue. Ministers should seek to avoid contact with the communicant's hands.
All of these are extraordinary measures that portray the serious nature and the caution that should be taken. Further advice is available to you at https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert
The news services daily provide updates of new cases and even a school in New South Wales that has temporarily closed. We are also shown images of panic buying of toilet paper, rice and other essentials to the point whereby some supermarkets are imposing limits on such items. As with all colds and flus our best protection is personal hygiene.
Personal hygiene advice
Wash your hands frequently
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub (sanitiser) or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub (sanitiser) kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 1m (three feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider
Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.
Protection measures for persons who are in or have recently visited (past 14 days) areas where COVID-19 is spreading:
- Follow the guidance outlined above
- Stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and slight runny nose, until you recover. Why? Avoiding contact with others and visits to medical facilities will allow these facilities to operate more effectively and help protect you and others from possible COVID-19 and other viruses
- If you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Call in advance and tell your provider of any recent travel or contact with travellers
- Why? Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also help to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.
Further information: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
Community Mass
On Wednesday night the College celebrated the Community Mass whereby students, families and staff were formally welcomed to our community. This was highlighted by the graduating class of 2020 receiving their Year 12 badges, making them the senior class and the example to the rest of the student body. The Year 7 class of 2020 (the graduating class of 2025) and all new students to the College were welcomed by receiving their College badge and the word of God by way of a bible. Fr Dean Bradbury celebrated the Mass and blessed all the student leaders for 2020.
At the Community Mass, the College theme for the Year ‘We humbly act for justice’ was again highlighted. The theme was highlighted through the readings, Fr Dean’s homily and in my address given after the Mass. Here I include an extract from my keynote address:
At our College Opening College Mass I focused on three points:
To Act
To Love
To walk.
So tonight I want to focus on some other aspects of our theme, for there is much to discuss. ‘We humbly act for justice’. ‘WE’. This is an important word in our community. The College's Vision Statement clearly states and highlights this word. It means that together we act as one with common purpose and common goals supporting each other as we move. In thinking of the concept of ‘we’, I am reminded of Margaret Mead, who said “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”.
And, again, Barak Obama, who said “change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”.
So, if WE do humbly act for justice, then we can not wait. We together must act and it must be now. We cannot wait for the world to change for us. We must act now and change it.
The second part is humbly, or humility. This is harder to discuss, because in essence we are told it means the quality of not being proud of yourself or having a modest view of your importance. But, I prefer CS Lewis’s definition. He said “humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less”.
Herein lies the importance. Herein lies the difference. You are empowered, but hopefully not self-absorbed. No-one is asking you not to be great or to be your best. In fact, we want you to be the best version of yourself that you can be, but to consider all others in doing so.
I remember the quote by Marianne Williamson — although it is often attributed to Nelson Mandela, as he used it in his inauguration speech. The quote is this:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.”
God does not want you to be small, but to humbly use your talents for the betterment of everyone else. Use your talent to help locally and globally. Develop your gifts to serve the person sitting next to you and to serve the person on the other side of the world. And, so, we humbly act for Justice.
And, lastly, Justice. Justice is an interesting concept. Everyone wants justice — equality, fairness, rightness, but life isn’t fair. I remember my children coming home from school crying about an injustice and saying ‘it’s not fair’ and they were right. It was not. At the time I asked them ‘whoever promised you fair?’ You see, I wanted them to toughen up and become more resilient. The world is not a fair place — hard workers lose their jobs, poor families go hungry every day, people experience fire, floods and famine every day. Life is not fair. But, does it have to be that way?
But, to act for justice, can we not change it? Of course we can and we must try. Is it not possible to be a successful ethical business person? Is it not possible to be a good tradesperson, proud of your work and still be ethical? Is it not possible to be just as courteous to a homeless person as you would to the Prime Minister? Is it not possible to share with those who are in need? Is it not possible to live a life in Mercy? Of course it is.
This week on the six pillars of Mercy outside Dublin House, six small bronzes have been placed. Each has a hand and within each hand is a symbol for each of the Mercy values — Compassion, Respect, Hospitality, Service, Courage and, of course, Justice.
These are a beautiful reminder for us. To me the hands are especially significant. They remind me of the words of St Theresa of Avila:
“Christ has no body on earth now but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world; yours are the feet with which he walks to do good; yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.”
So we humbly act for justice? How will you act today and tomorrow?
Mercy Education Parent Code of Conduct
Lastly I would like to remind families that Mercy Education Limited has previously published a policy entitled ‘Parent Code of Conduct’ which is available to you on the College website. You can access it HERE.
Please consider it in all dealings with the College.
God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal
