Dear members of the MLMC community,

I seriously thought about writing a COVID-19-free newsletter article this week because I thought you have been inundated with information about it. So, besides being in information overload, you are being subjected to misleading and mischievous information. I know, for example, within the media there has been discussion about the closing of schools. I agree that the question must be asked but, in answering, we must ensure that we seek out as much information as possible and then make a decision.

Over the course of this week we have received many emails thanking the College for the updates we provide and the decision to keep the learning and teaching program centred around classroom teaching. Thank you for the many emails of support. In a very busy week, they are very much appreciated. We also received a number of inquiries asking why we have kept the College open. In response to those I provide you with a copy of a letter from the Victorian Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton (attached).

MLMC has been, and is in, the process of further readying itself for the possibility of closure and students being isolated, therefore being required to work from home. Each day over the past week I have sent via the Parent Portal an update. Please take the opportunity to read these updates and discuss them with your children. Personal health hygiene remains the best prevention that we have.

At this stage the plan remains as I wrote during the week.Classes for Years 8 to 12 will cease at 3.15pm on Thursday 26 March. On Friday 27 March, the intent is to hold an Athletics Carnival only for Year 7 students at Quarry Road Oval and a Staff PD Day. Classes for Term 2 will resume on Tuesday 14 April. If this changes, you will be notified via the Parent Portal.

Please find below some additional resources which have been made available through Catholic Education Melbourne:

• SPECIAL REPORT: Coronavirus – Dr Michael Carr-Gregg developed this video for parents and school staff. Catholic Education Melbourne acknowledges the generosity of SchoolTV in making the report accessible to parents and staff in Catholic school communities

• How to talk to your children about coronavirus – ABC News article

• Worried about your child getting coronavirus? Here’s what you need to know – The Conversation article

• Talking to children about natural disasters, traumatic events, or worries about the future – This Emerging Minds video introduces ways for parents and carers to manage media coverage of traumatic events, and talk to their children about their worries and fears

• Traumatic events, the media and your child – This Emerging Minds fact sheet provides guidance on how to support and reassure children during ongoing media coverage of COVID-19

A member of our teaching staff who is at home undergoing treatment for cancer sent the reflection below to our staff and I thought it worth sharing with you.

God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal

Lockdown

Yes, there is fear.
Yes, there is isolation.
Yes, there is panic buying.
Yes, there is sickness.
Yes, there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the west of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighbourhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.
Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
are preparing to welcome
and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary
All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.
So we pray and we remember that
Yes, there is fear.
But, there does not have to be hate.
Yes, there is isolation.
But, there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes, there is panic buying.
But, there does not have to be meanness.
Yes, there is sickness.
But, there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes, there is even death.
But, there can always be a rebirth of love.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.
Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
to touch across the empty square,
Sing.
— Fr Richard Hendrick, OFM, 13 March 2020

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
— Romans 15:13 (RSVCE)

Jesus, during Your ministry on Earth You showed Your power and caring by healing people of all ages and stations of life from physical, mental, and spiritual ailments.
Be present now to people who need Your loving touch because of COVID-19. May they feel Your power of healing through the care of doctors and nurses.
Take away the fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation from people receiving treatment or under quarantine. Give them a sense of purpose in pursuing health and protecting others from exposure to the disease. Protect their families and friends and bring peace to all who love them.
Father, we seek Your wisdom daily. Be with people making decisions that affect the lives and futures of our families, communities, countries, and the wider world.
Inspire and invigorate people developing better tests to diagnose the virus, vaccines to prevent it, and protocols and communication to eliminate the disease’s spread. May truth and empathy be the touchstones of people setting policies for our protection.
— Adapted from a prayer by Kathryn Reid, World Vision

Coronavirus updates

Parents and guardians are reminded that all updates regarding the Covid-19 virus and how it affects operations at the College are available on the dedicated zone within the Parent Portal.

Key dates

• The planned student free day on Tuesday 24 March (for Student Progress Interviews) has been cancelled — it will be a normal school day
• The MLMC Athletics Carnival, scheduled for Thursday 26 March, has been cancelled
• The annual Taste of MLMC event will not go ahead on Wednesday 16 April — it has been postponed and will be rescheduled later in the year
• Term 1 will end on Thursday 26 March for all students in Years 8 to 12
• Year 7 students will be expected to attend school on Friday 27 March and will take part in an Athletics Carnival at Quarry Road Oval — dismissal time is 2.30pm due to the earlier arrival of contract buses
• Term 2 begins for all students on Tuesday 14 April 2020, unless advised otherwise.

On Tuesday 10 March, the College took ownership of a small vintage caravan that will be used by students and staff to reach out, as Catherine McAuley did, to serve the poor in our local area.

The van was given a very warm welcome by our VCAL students (pictured) who are in the process of developing a program of activity and exploring possible names for the van.

Thre is still some fitting out of the van to do but when that work is done we envisage senior students, supervised by staff, will have the opportunity to serve food, drinks and engage in conversation with the marginalised in our community. In doing so, our College will bring to life the Mercy values of Respect, Courage, Hospitality, Justice, Compassion and Service.

Although it will still be some weeks before the van will become a presence in Lilydale, the excitement of making a difference to those in need is growing. Watch this space for more details on how you, our wider College community, can help.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

For our first SAC, both Year 12 Physics classes took the opportunity to visit Luna Park in the name of science on Friday 6 March. The 19 students from MLMC and 800 or so more from other schools, as well as our Physics-loving teacher Mr John Parlas, were able to experience in just a matter of hours all the theory we had been learning in class about circular motion over the past few weeks.

Eager to try and get on all 13 rides available, as well as collect important data for our upcoming SAC, we turned on our PocketLabs and went on every ride possible. We were able to record data such as velocity, distance, time and acceleration while in motion, using our PocketLabs and phones to ensure accurate data was collected. This data would become useful in later classes as it can help us to better understand how linear and circular motion work in practice. The PocketLab Voyager is a portable device which connects via Bluetooth to a mobile phone or computer and measures acceleration, rotation, altitude, light, magnetic fields and more.

Students prioritised the rides that were being assessed, including the dodgem cars, supernova, scenic railway, pharaoh’s curse, coney drop and enterprise, before venturing out and experiencing other rides. A class favourite was the power surge ride. Everyone seemed to enjoy the unexpected speed and constant change of direction as well as the adrenaline rush from being thrown around so quickly. Students also enjoyed rides such as the speedy beetle and enterprise.

Unlike the rest of the class who seemed to prefer speed, Mr Parlas really seemed to enjoy the collisions and laughter that came with the dodgem cars. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we weren’t able to go on all the rides, missing the spider, twin dragon and ferris wheel, but the rushed Macca’s run seemed to make up for it.

Overall, the Luna Park excursion was a hit! We all enjoyed everything it had to offer, while getting to experience the theory we had been studying over the past few weeks.

— Olivia Pettinella, Jelinna Santiago, Rory Townend, Harrison George, Michelle Richardson, Adam Camp, Ryan Finette and Joel Starnawski

Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.

Throughout this term, the Year 10 Outdoor Education class has been learning about different coastal environments and aquatic activities and they were lucky enough to head to the Surf Coast for an overnight camp on Thursday 5 March.

Here is a reflection from Jack Dowdle (Year 10 Jade):

On Thursday 5 March the Year 10 Outdoor Education classes embarked on a trip that would show them the wonders of the water. While on the bay cruise, we met John, the skipper. He explained to us that although the seafloor of Port Phillip may look somewhat like a marine desert, there is an abundance of life, which you must seek in order to find. This life was present in the form of brown, red and green algae along with various animals such as decorator crabs. We were also shown and given information on Australian fur seals and Australasian gannets.

We headed to the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre where we met Anne, who taught us so much about the ecosystems around Victoria and more specifically Port Phillip. I enjoyed examining organisms in the touch pond as it gave us a new perspective on what they really were. We then did our snorkelling expedition around Pope’s Eye and Chinaman’s hut in Port Phillip Bay. It was fantastic experiencing the elegance of marine organisms such as seaweeds, various fish types and seals. It enhanced our learning as we were able to see the plants and animals which he had been studying as theory in class. After snorkelling, we got on the bus and drove to our campsite in Torquay. We set up our tents and socialised before fish and chips for dinner, eaten on the headland above the beach.

On Day 2 we woke to the sound of howling winds. Our tents were packed up quickly as we were keen for breakfast. We started with a walk from Torquay to Jan Juc surf beach, up and over the headland. Afterwards, we squeezed into our wetsuits ready for the highly-anticipated surfing lesson. Although the surf was rough and unpredictable, we had lots of fun. After eating lunch we met our kayaking instructors. They taught us how to synchronise our paddling and work with our partner, with the objective of surfing waves in a kayak. This proved very challenging due to the inconsistency of waves and energy required to achieve this. We all managed at least one, though, and enjoyed our time. Sea kayaking concluded our camp; now it was time to drive the three hours back to school. I learnt so much from this camp, met new people and overall enjoyed every minute of it. I am very grateful for this experience.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government's announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

On Wednesday 4 March our College participated in the OzCLO (Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad) competition for the fourth year in a row. It was great to see the enthusiasm of our students as we entered 10 teams. Thirty-eight students from Years 9 to 12 participated in a live competition, completing a series of challenges within a time limit of 20 minutes. Teams used their problem solving and language skills to decode challenges of the ancient Babylonian, modern Dutch and Sami (Lapland) languages, among others.

LOTE prefect Jelinna Santiago contributed to the success of our OzCLO teams through her guidance of Year 9 students, providing great advice on tackling problems and recruiting senior students.

She reflected on this year’s competition, writing:

"This year's OzCLO participants were so enthusiastic! I am glad that so many of my fellow language lovers were keen to learn and make new friends. On competition day, we created a positive atmosphere and supported each other to overcome challenges. I'm so happy how the day turned out and grateful for this new and exciting experience."

The following students’ participation is commended:
Year 12: Joel Bogojevic, Shelby Dewar, Amie Edwards-Tesselaar, Ryan Finette, Alesha Gray, Ashley Herrod, Casey Parker-Turner, Jelinna Santiago, Beccy Snell, Riley Swankie, Lochlann Tipping, Riley van Bockel, Lachlan Van Der Klift, Meghan Wobbes
Year 11: Hana Bainbridge
Year 10: Marisa Lopez Garza
Year 9: Elena Atanasovski, Olivia Barre, Stephen Cameron, Sam Carrington, Holly Chapman-Attwood, Michael Douthwaite, Olivia Gallo, Jett Lang, Olivia Licciardi, Tomas Majdancic, Carissa Manger, Mariano Martinez, Mitchell Mazzarella, Schemaiah Perera, Edgerrin Peters, Ben Richardson, Aaliyah Roberts, Frankie Salomone, Mariz Sewiha, Jasmine Steele, Amber Usenich, Alice Vardy, Josh Wolski.

Thank you to Mr Michael Modini and Mrs Gail Preston who continue to support our students by supervising the event. In particular, a big thank you to Mr Modini for training the students to be well prepared for the live competition.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

The College’s Senior VCAL students packed up and headed for the hills of Rawson for their two-day ‘Health Is Wealth’ camp early on the morning of Sunday 1 March.

In years gone by the VCAL camp has been held on the coast, but this year instead of the beach we went to the bush. Students ran the camp, planning the activities and cooking all of their own food to meet learning outcomes. They had to plan, organise and carry out a complex, self-directed project.

A train ride on the old goldfields railway led us to the historical township of Walhalla (10 minutes from Rawson), where the students ran around completing a treasure hunt. Some of the other camp activities included taking on an obstacle course while blind folded, making tie-dye T-shirts, a trivia night, designing mini-golf courses and hut building around the grounds of the Rawson Village camp.

On the way home we stopped for rockclimbing and abseiling at the Traralgon Jump and Climb Centre. The students stepped out of their comfort zones to rise to the occasion.

The camp was a success and the early Sunday morning was worth it. We all came together to complete the tasks and the students really connected as a group.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

On 11-13 March our Year 11 Sport and Recreation students took their learning on the road and to the mountains, with a three-day camp to Victoria’s high country.

Students organised the camp, including planning all aspects of it, and led the camp in terms of navigation and ensuring the class was kept safe. The students had to conduct an educational component and a practical session.

The hike was the iconic Falls Creek to Hotham crossing — all 35km of it — with half of the class going from Falls Creek to Hotham and the other half hiking in the opposite direction.

Mikaela O’Brien (Year 11 Orange) reflects on the camp:

“The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing provided some amazing views and memorable experiences for the Year 11 Sport and Recreation class who tackled the three-day hike last week. The terrain varied throughout, and some parts of the trail challenged the toughest of students along the journey, while Hotham Heights swept us all off our feet. The huts along the way provided educational insights into the history of the area, while the scenery provided us with some spectacular views, including some of the best sunrises and sunsets we will ever see.”

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

(1) Student Achievements

Baseball
Congratulations to Ryder Wilson (Year 8 Green), who has been selected in the Eastern Athletics Junior League All Star Squad. The team is slated to compete in the 2020 Junior League State Championships from 28-30 March. He was also a member of the Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club's Junior League Squad which won the 2019/2020 Victorian Junior League Premiership in February. Well done, Ryder!

Football
Congratulations to Max Hall (Year 12 Silver) who has been selected to play in the Eastern Ranges’ Under 18 team. Congratulations also to Gabby Woods (Year 10 Blue) who made her debut for the Eastern Ranges’ Under 18 team.

If you have any other student achievements, please email them to dwebb@mlmc.vic.edu.au

(2) EISM Division 2 Swimming

Congratulations to the MLMC swimming team who placed third at the Division 2 EISM Carnival on Tuesday 10 March. The Under 14 Girls, Under 15 Girls and Open Boys all won their age groups and we had many swimmers selected to swim at the Champions Carnival, which has been cancelled. I would like to recognise these swimmers for their achievements:

Anastasia Sutton, Terenja Bork, Sophia Nielsen, Chloe McCormick, Brigette Rice, Charlee Dobbin, Poppy Biagini, Kinga Kaczmarek, Alanah Rudan, Olivia Nielsen, Alicia Atkins, Jessica Finette, Maxine Flamsteed, Alice McCormick, Celeste Tisbury, Luke Philiips, Charlie Schneider, Matthew Perry, Daniel Ryan, Riley Swankie, Jack O’Connell, Noah Vulfs, Cody Anderson, Henry Burchmore, Flynn McDonald, Cameron Nyko, Josh Bourke, Justin Beaton, Campbell Manser, Patrick Huynh, Lachlan Nichols, Byron Foster, Sam Wicks.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

(3) Year 7 Athletics Carnival

On Friday 27 March we are looking forward to the Year 7 Athletics Carnival, to be held at the Quarry Road Oval. Further information for this event is available via students' Year 7 Google Classroom pages and Simon.

(4) EISM results

Senior (11 March)

Year 9 (12 March)

On Thursday 5 March MLMC's Year 11 and 12 Media classes went on a trip into the city to view the Top Screen exhibition. This is a screening of the best Year 12 films from Media students in Victoria in 2019.

The films were screened by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in the Treasury Theatre. At this premiere screening, our students got to rub shoulders with the filmmakers from last year and hear the audiences respond to their films in the cinema.

The students had a great night and have come back very inspired to make their productions live up to these very high standards.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

On Saturday 29 February, MLMC hosted a screening of Damon Gameau’s film 2040 in conjunction with Yarra Ranges Council. It was screened at MLMC in Centennial Hall. The screening provided the opportunity for members of the Yarra Ranges community to come in and enjoy the movie and also to ask Damon some questions about the film. It was also an opportunity for MLMC to share information about the steps we have taken to make our school a sustainable learning environment.

Some of our initiatives include our Year 7 students taking part in the Melbourne Water River Detectives program, where they collect and analyse water from Olinda Creek to test the water quality. The results are then used by Melbourne Water to monitor the health of water in the local community.

Our school is also very fortunate to be able to take part in National Tree Planting Day each year. These activities have made a clear difference which can be seen in the abundance of plant life around the school. With our own veggie plots, edible garden, vineyard and greenhouse we are able to grow produce on school grounds that can then be used in cooking classes and agricultural classes. This year we are once again using food products to cook meals that can be donated to those less fortunate in the local community.

Furthermore, our solar panels on top of the Doyle Centre, Centennial Hall and the CWC building, along with our 260,000 and 160,000 litre water tanks, have contributed to the reduction in water consumption and improved energy usage and costs, as well as reducing our carbon footprint.

The film screening was a very successful event and it was a great day for our school to get involved with the local community and create environmental awareness. We thank Yarra Ranges Council for organising the event and director Damon Gameau for attending.

We encourage everyone to view the film 2040 and start a conversation that is based on facts, and work toward doing your small bit in helping the planet.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

Our students are settling in well to the new Barak Library and making the most of all the facilities it offers. Below are just some examples of how different student groups are using the various spaces.

Senior study

The private study area provides the Year 12 students an opportunity to complete homework, research, revision for SACs and exams, write up notes or work in small groups in purpose-built meeting rooms, print, photocopy or seek one-on-one assistance from teachers, all in a fully-supervised environment. The students have nine periods of private study built into their timetables. Having the opportunity to complete some work at school assists students to create a more balanced school/work/social life outside of school hours. MLMC also provides senior after-school study sessions every afternoon from 3.15-5.00pm when teaching staff are available.

VCE book discussion

English Faculty VCE book discussions provide wonderful opportunities for students to delve deeper into their texts. Students and staff gather to discuss set English texts in an informal setting that encourages engagement through book club-type discussion.

Language groups

LOTE Language groups meet in the Barak Campus Library for additional oral language practice exposure to languages studied at the VCE level. This assists with preparation for the VCE oral exams.

Homework Club

McAuley Campus Library hosts Homework Club on Wednesday afternoons from 3.30 to 4.30pm. Students from Years 7 to 9 are supported with completing their homework by teaching staff, education support staff and VCE Maths and Science students.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)

As part of the Agriculture program at MLMC we are very focused on providing real world opportunities for students. This is achieved not only by offering industry-standard training in both the VCE and now VET pathways but by also securing important links with local industry.

One of our important partnerships is with Yering Station winery. Last month our Year 10 Agriculture and Horticulture and VET Certificate II Agriculture students spent time working at the winery. The work they completed expanded on and framed learning and tasks already undertaken on the school farm and vineyard. This time the work was for real, bunch thinning a premium pinot noir block during early veraison (ripening) to set final crop levels and improve quality. The students enjoyed the responsibility this task offered them and worked very carefully as a team to complete the task. They then learned about mechanical harvesting and grape and wine quality standards.

A number of students are pursuing placements and work experience with school partners as a result of their experiences. MLMC actively pursues these partnerships within the Yarra Valley for our students to expand into. Students that are informed and motivated by experience are now choosing placements in agriculture that they are passionate about. The opportunities in our region are incredible and many of the agriculture careers now available can literally take you around the world.

We look forward to our current students taking the pathways of those before them and entering rewarding careers in agriculture after finding their passion at MLMC. It is a privilege to work with great partners like Yering Station and provide a gateway into the future for so many of our wonderful students.

(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government’s announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)