Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,
This week our Unit 3/4 VCE students (all students doing a Year 12 subject) completed the GAT, which is a General Achievement Test with the aim of assessing general knowledge in the areas of Written Communication, Mathematics, Science, Technology, the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. It is a very broad test aimed at assessing the accumulation of knowledge and skills over the entire school life of students. The GAT is a test over three hours and 15 minutes. It is important because it is used by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) to support statistical moderation of school-based assessments, to check accuracy of external marking of assessments and to calculate derived examination scores if they are needed. The GAT also signals the final assessment period for Semester 1, which brings with it a special kind of busyness around the College.
Dance, Drama, Music and Performance
These past weeks have seen the staging of the VCE Dance performance evening, which contained a learnt work and a technique solo. The group work had the expressive intention This Is Me from the film The Greatest Showman and explored the theme of being yourself, and being a strong individual with resilience to the cruel world that surrounds you. It was obvious from the quality of the performances that all the students have worked hard to produce their best and quality interpretations. Read more about this in this newsletter.
Last week, the Year 11 and 12 Drama classes presented their Unit 1 and 3 ensemble performances to a small audience. The performance is a group task written completely by the students and about which they have been collaborating these past few months. The Year 11 performances were based on the stimulus topic of “changing Aussie culture”, whereas the Year 12 performances focused on the more abstract topic of the word “Lost”. The performances took on a non-naturalistic style — an abstract style of theatre which is based on themes and issues as opposed to the more traditional theatrical plot line, of which we would all be familiar. All the performances were a huge success and very well received.
Last week also saw the College hold the Semester 1 Music Concert, which was also well attended. Under the tutelage of our Music Coordinator Gus Garces, the concert was a celebration of College students who have the passion for learning an instrument through one of the many programs now on offer at the College. Individual lessons in strings, brass, guitar, drums and voice as well the Jazz Band, the LEAP Concert Band, the Junior and Senior A Capella groups. Seventeen performances in all heralded the great work and dedication of the students in recent months and their progress is easily evident. You can read more about the Concert in this newsletter.
Much of the aforementioned performances were in fact assessment tasks for units of work done during the semester — and important assessment tasks at that. They highlight that learning opportunities take many forms at our College and so, too, does the assessment of that learning. Assessment of performance in front of a live audience is so very different to performance for one’s self and it is so very important in the building of resilience. Congratulations to all the students, staff and audience members who supported our student growth in all the aforementioned performances.
While discussing performance, we congratulate Melanie Verhagen, who has been selected to participate in the Time to Shine concert, which is a celebration of the many talents throughout Catholic Education in Melbourne. The performance will be on Saturday 28 July. Tickets are still available via the Arts Centre website. Please consider attending, as you will not be disappointed. Jenny and I are certainly looking forward to it.
Building project update
This past fortnight, the College, too, can celebrate in another way. After months of work in finalising documents, an extensive tendering program and processes with Council, our new building project has advanced in several ways. Firstly, the Notice of Decision by Council was finalised and planning permits were issued and building permits are just around the corner. Last Wednesday the Mercy Education Limited Board approved the recommended builder and by the time you read this newsletter a letter of intent should have been issued. Contracts should shortly follow. These are substantial milestones and progress is roughly according to planned timelines. The Builders (Becon) should take possession of the site on 2 July and the rock breaking required can then begin. Hopefully you will understand that this building is a substantial undertaking and a complex build given the nature and topography of the site. All such milestones are to be celebrated. The building is a green field site, so not too much relocation of classes will be required, although there will be some noise issues in the first weeks of Term 3 which may require some re-evaluation of class location. The toilet block attached to the Heath Building will also be demolished, but a relocatable toilet block will be available for student use. At last, we actually begin.
Finally, we continue to remember those within our community that suffer loss with the passing of loved ones. We remember and pray for the families of Barry Leigh, grandfather to Sam Crabtree (Year 10) and Ashtyn Crabtree (Year 7), who passed from this world on Wednesday evening, and Wendy Barnett, a valuable and well-liked past staff member of MLMC, who passed away peacefully on Saturday at the age of 65. Wendy had early onset Alzheimer’s.
We pray for the repose of the souls of Wendy and Barry. May they rest in peace.
God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal
