The Principal Mr Philip Morison is on leave this week. The following is from the Acting Principal, Mr Louis Papadimitriou.

Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community

Welcome back to school for Term 3. I trust that all our students and their families have had the opportunity to relax and take advantage of the opportunity to spend quality time together.

This term we welcome the following staff members who have commenced at the College:

• Miss Emma Thornhill who will be teaching in the English, Arts and Technology faculties for Terms 3 and 4
• Ms Adua Paciocco who will be teaching in the Religious Education, English and Humanities faculties for Term 3
• Miss Sarah Battersby who will be teaching in the Mathematics faculty for Terms 3 and 4
• Mr Shuichi Motoki who is joining us as our Japanese Language Assistant
• Ms Denise Taws who has joined our Learning Support team and
• Miss Georgia Burke who has joined our Learning Support team.

We also welcome back Mr Dan Kelly and Mrs Carrie Rudd who were on long service leave during Term 2.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Miss Cassandra Poynter who will be taking on the role of Year 9 Level Leader Assistant for the Term while Mrs Ann Collins is on long service leave.

At Mount Lilydale Mercy College we are not only committed to providing students with an interesting and challenging curriculum, but also the best possible learning environment. As you may be aware, towards the end of last term, our Year 12 students moved into the Mercy Learning Centre (MLC). This allowed us to refurbish the Calthorpe Building during the holiday break, with new carpets, desks and chairs for our Year 11 students to move into at the beginning of this term. The bold colours, modern design and the light, airy atmosphere make these spaces learning environments that we hope will stimulate active learning by improving student motivation and engagement.

I would like to extend thanks to: the Architects, Cirillo Architecture for assisting us in designing an innovative and flexible space that we hope will improve student learning outcomes and increase deep learning; our project management team, Pure Projects for assisting us in developing a project schedule that ensured every stage of the build was clearly defined and met all our operational needs; Becon Construction for building to a quality that met all our expectations, and finally to our school community for putting up with all the noise and disruption during the build. As we have all witnessed, the end result is a fantastic learning environment. The Mercy Learning Centre will be officially opened on Friday 23 August.

On Monday, 15 July staff gathered together to pray, listen, discuss, reflect and challenge ourselves on our College theme, ‘Compassion through Us’. This was a well organised day that allowed the College staff to gather as a community in faith. I thank Ms Elizabeth Keogh, Deputy Principal - Mission and her team for organising and running this day.

Across the last two weeks, I have had the opportunity to attend each of the year level award ceremonies that recognises those students who have achieved at a high level as well as those who have demonstrated an outstanding attitude towards their studies. I was pleased to see the number of students who had received Academic and Merit Awards. I congratulate those students and challenge the others to set personal best goals and try and improve on their Semester 1 results.

Congratulations to our senior girls’ football team for winning a qualifying game against Emmaus College. As a result, they represented the EISM Association on Wednesday, 24 July in Division 1 Herald Sun Shield against Hallam Senior College in the semi finals. The girls played well, but unfortunately lost by one point in extra time. Hallam Senior College will now play against MLC or Ballarat College.

Finally, I wish to thank parents and families for their support in the implementation of the new Mobile Phone Policy. We have already noticed a number of positive changes such as students talking to one another and playing games during recess and lunch. In relation to the number of students who did not comply with the new policy, I am pleased to report that we only had to confiscate a small number of mobile phones across the first two weeks. Once again thank you for your support.

Condolences

During the week, we were informed of the sad passing of former student, Tyson Noyes. Tyson was in the graduating class of 2017. We keep the Noyes family in our thoughts and prayers, parents Colin and Joanne, brother Clay (Year 12 2019) and sisters Jordan (Class of 2014), Montana (Class of 2016) and their extended families.

May Tyson join with all the other angels in heaven at peace with our God. Eternal rest grant unto Tyson, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Personal Pars

Members of our community would like your support in praying for and with them as they experience loss with the passing of loved ones.

Let us pray for Maria Kermac and Emily Hawkins, grandmothers to Adriana (Year 11) and Antony (Old Collegian 2018).

Let us pray for the repose of Maria’s and Emily’s souls and may they rest in peace.

God Bless
Louis Papadimitriou
Acting Principal

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

Prayer of Comfort for the Grieving

Lord Jesus I know that You are close to those that are broken-hearted and grieving in their soul
You rescue those that are crushed in spirit.

Draw near to Your many children who are facing times of sadness and loss
and draw each one ever closer into Your precious arms of love and support.

Be close to all that are grieving today I pray, and flood their souls with hope
– knowing that underneath are Your everlasting arms.

Give me a heart that is sensitive to those that are grieving,
the wisdom to know when to speak words of comfort or when to keep silent.

And Lord I also pray that You would use my life to be a channel of encouragement and hope,
through whom the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ will flow into their hearts – to heal and help.

Amen

Key Dates

• Tuesday 30 July VCE/VET/VCAL 2020 information evening at the College from 7:30pm
• College musical 2019 Wicked is on from Wednesday 7 to Saturday 10 August at 7.30pm. Bookings: MLMC Musical 2019 WICKED
• Monday 2 September is a student free day due to Student Progress interviews

Year 12 students with drivers licences

If your child is now driving to school and no longer requires their contract bus pass please inform the office. We have a number of students currently on the waiting list for a contract bus pass. If your child no longer requires their pass, could it please be returned to Student Reception, enabling us to provide seats for students who are on the waiting list.

During Work Experience Week our Year 10 students explored different workplace roles across a wide variety of sectors. The impressive list of occupations with over 200 different employers this year included business, education, retail and the medical and legal professions.

Work experience is not necessarily about making a career choice for the future. Whilst it is an opportunity to learn skills and develop networks, some students select a workplace to help them secure a part-time job or discover the inner working of roles such as hairdressing or drama. Overall, it gives insight into the world of employment and the invaluable opportunity to:

• develop employability skills such as effective communication, commitment and reliability
• explore possible career options
• understand employer expectations
• increase self-awareness, maturity, independence and self-confidence

Mount Lilydale Mercy College students are very well-received in the community and they are great ambassadors for the College. Once again, our Year 10 students performed an exceptional range of tasks, as the photographs indicate, and we can be very proud of their achievements. Well done Year 10s!

Pictured here are Jared Wake, Jessica Bonanno, Kimberley Fiorentino and Bailey O'Neill.

Here is a student reflection on Work Experience Week:

Work experience was a great opportunity that allowed all Year 10 students to experience what it’s like to work in an area that they are interested in. For me that was working in a vet clinic and a rescue shelter. It was hard to find a placement in this area, but I eventually found one at Pets Haven in Bayswater. I helped out by walking the older dogs, cleaning animal cages, hanging and folding washing, cutting up blankets and taking the puppies out to the toilet. The puppies thought it was play time as soon as they were taken outside.

I also helped to look after the cats and kittens when their cages were being cleaned. Many of the dogs we walked and the cats that we looked after got adopted during the week that I was there. I even adopted a 10-week old kitten named Freya. She has settled in well at home. When work experience came to an end I was a little sad as I had made many friends and met many people with the same interests. It was a great experience that I really enjoyed. — Ebony Damen (Year 10 Gold)

A warm thank you to all students, staff, parents and community members who donated to our Winter Appeal this year.

A variety of non-perishable goods, beautiful hand-knitted blankets and toilettries were collected across the last three weeks of term and donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society in Lilydale. Margarite (pictured below) from the local St Vinnies in Lilydale came to the College last week with other members of the conference to collect the items.

We are proud to be able to support Vinnies in their effort to help those less fortunate in our local community.

The process of planning for 2020 has commenced and students currently enrolled in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will be asked to select subjects for the following year.

Letters regarding information evenings were uploaded onto the Parent Portal during Term 2 school holidays. Course Guides can also be accessed via the parent portal and PAM from Wednesday, 31 July onwards. Information about how parents can access web preferences will be available via the parent portal once families have completed the re-enrolment process.

Key dates include:

• Year 11 (2020) VCE/VCAL/VET: Parent Information Evening: – Tuesday 30 July at 7.30pm in Centennial Hall
• Course Guides Availability – Wednesday, 31 July
• Year 11 and 12 (2020): Web Preferences Open – Wednesday, 31 July
• Year 10 (2020): Parent Information Evening – Tuesday 6 August at 7.30pm in Centennial Hall
• Year 8, 9 and 10 (2020): Web Preferences Open – Wednesday, 7 August
• Year 11 and 12 (2020): Web Preferences Close – Monday 12 August at 9.00 am
• Year 11 (2020): Subject Selection Interviews – Tuesday 13 August at 4.00-8.30pm in Mansfield Building
• Year 8, 9 and 10 (2020): Web Preference Close – Monday 19 August at 9.00am
• Year 10 (2020): Subject Selection Interviews – Tuesday 27 August at 4.00-8.30pm in Mansfield Building

As a College, we encourage families to work with their child/children to select courses and subjects that best suit their needs. In particular we suggest:

• Reading the course guide/subject descriptions carefully.
• Giving serious consideration to courses and subjects that:
  • interest your child
  • your child is good at
  • lead to employment that they find appealing
  • are prerequisites for further study
  • have assessment requirements to suit their learning style and ability
• Having your child ask questions from the Campus Learning Advisors, Careers team and VCAL and VET Coordinators if unsure.

Finally, student subject choices are used to determine what classes will run in 2020, as such, it is important that:

• subjects choices are made after careful consideration
• the deadlines listed above are met

The College cannot guarantee that your child will be able alter their selections by changing a subject or course once subject selections close and/or the new year has commenced.

If parents or guardians have any questions about the subject selection process please contact your son or daughter’s Campus Learning Advisor or Ms Tanya Hutton, Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching.

(1) Division 1 Herald Sun Shield

Congratulations to our Senior Girls Football Team who competed in the Semi Final of the prestigious Division 1 Herald Sun Shield on Wednesday against Hallam Senior College at Casey Fields. Competing against a Sports Academy School was always going to be tough, but our girls played so incredibly well. The game was tied at the final siren, which resulted in “next score wins”. 25 minutes of extra time saw Hallam score a point to end the game. Whilst our girls were shattered with the result, we could not have asked for anything more from them and we are so proud of how you played and represented Mount Lilydale Mercy College.

• Mount Lilydale Mercy College 1.3.9
• Hallam Senior Secondary 1.4.10
• Best players: Bridget Deed, Sophia Zappia, Hannah Steele, Jess Dalgleish, Matilda Kelly, Kelly Whitchell
• Goals: Sophia Zappia

(2) Student and Staff Achievements

Karate
Best wishes to Stephen Cameron (Year 8) next week as he competes in the Australian Karate National Titles in Tasmania - Go Stephen!

Indoor Cricket
Congratulations to Ethan Downey (Year 11) who competed in the Indoor Cricket National Championships over the holidays as a member of the Under 17 Victorian Team. Victoria took out the series, and have are National Champions. Well done, Ethan.

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

(3) Missing Sport Team Uniforms
We are missing a number of team uniform tops from kits, including soccer/hockey/touch football, athletics and football. Could parents please check that none of these have been taken home by mistake?! Thank you.

(4) EISM Reminders

With the Winter seasons of Year 8, 9 and Senior EISM Sport all well underway, please remember the following:

• check the Sport plans - up on the Doyle Centre window at the beginning of every week
• if you are unable to play in your team in a particular week, you need to let your coach know as early as possible
• please be on time to the Doyle Centre on your sport day - all EISM Teams need to leave at the start of lunch to get to venues to play
• that your uniform needs to be 100% correct to ensure no forfeited games - hockey, soccer and football must wear long navy socks (available at the Doyle Centre) & mouthguards must be worn for hockey.

NO CORRECT UNIFORM, NO GAME.

(5) Fixtures

Live fixtures for EISM matches can be found online at eism.org (Click on “Weekly sport”, then “Junior” for Year 8 and “Senior/Intermediate” for Year 9 and Senior fixtures.

E = Eastern division (MLMC are in this section)

(6) Cross Country Training

Training has resumed, with carnivals running in Term 3. Commendations to be awarded for training milestones!

Cross Country training days and times are as follows:

• Monday afternoons 3.30-4.30pm
• Wednesday mornings 7.00-8.00 am (breakfast provided afterwards)

For details about Cross Country training, please contact Ms Webb in the Doyle Centre.

(7) Results

Senior Results 17 July

Senior Results 24 July

Year 9 Results 25 July

Students, staff and family members gathered to celebrate the hard work and commitment of our students at the Semester 1 Awards which were held in Centennial Hall across the first two weeks of July.

Acting Principal Mr Louis Papadimitriou addressed the students about the importance of working hard, taking advantage of all the opportunities that come their way and striving to be the best in everything they do.

Academic Awards for excellence in learning and Merit Awards were presented. Recipients of Academic Awards were recognised for their:

• academic excellence
• personal organisation
• positive contribution to the learning environment
• originality and creativity
• enthusiasm for the subject

Merit Awards were limited to a maximum of four per class, awarding students who demonstrated an enthusiasm for study, consistency in effort, punctuality, completion of homework, meeting task due dates and having a cooperative approach to others.

The full list of award recipients by year level is attached below. Congratulations to each student who received an award — we are very proud of you.

Once again the Rotary Club of Healesville will sponsor two boys and two girls from Years 11 and 12 to attend the Lord and Lady Somers Camps from 4 to 11 January 2020 and 12 to 18 January 2020 respectively.

For the past 15 years, MLMC has upheld a proud tradition of sending at least four students to this excellent leadership camp each year. Many of our students have gone on to become prefects and all who attended have been strengthened by the challenges the camp offers. The Rotary committee involved in this initiative welcomes applicants from MLMC as many of our past students have returned the next year as voluntary helpers.

To be eligible applicants must be between the ages of 16 ½ to 18 as at January 2020. The Rotary Club of Healesville will sponsor the four successful candidates covering $476 of the $576 total cost per candidate. Candidates only have to pay $100 for an experience of a lifetime.

This year the selection process has changed — teachers must nominate students online. Although applications close officially on Friday, 20 September 2019, the earlier the application is submitted, the better are your chances. Successful applicants will be contacted in late October and made an offer.

So how do you apply? Firstly, visit the Big Camp website for more information. Then email me or come and see me soon to register your interest.

For the 2019 College Musical MLMC is proud to present Stephen Schwartz's Wicked — the untold true story of the Witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy dropped in, there is another girl, born with emerald-green skin — smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships... Until the world decides to call one "good" and the other one “wicked”.

Our production involves a cast and crew of over 70 students from across all year levels. This talented group (pictured below) has been rehearsing since March (including during the first week of their July school holidays) and they are responsible for all aspects of the musical including vocals, acting, dance, as well as technical lighting and sound design. No doubt all their dedication and hard work will pay off on opening night.

Performances will be in Centennial Hall over four nights:

• Wednesday 7 August at 7.30pm
• Thursday 8 August at 7.30pm
• Friday 9 August at 7.30pm
• Saturday 10 August at 7.30pm

Ticket prices are only $12 and you can book here: MLMC Musical 2019 WICKED

Don't miss out — you're in for a treat.

A highlight of NAIDOC Week 2019 (7-14 July) was the NAIDOC Ball and Awards Night. This year, our very own Chloe Baulch (Year 12 Green) received a Youth Education and Employment Achievement Award at the Eastern Metropolitan Region’s NAIDOC Ball held on Friday 12 July at the Dorset Hotel, Croydon.

The award is in recognition of Chloe’s extensive work to promote awareness and understanding of indigenous culture in the community and at the College. Chloe was nominated for the award by her mum and one of the elders Auntie Irene from Mullum Mullum Gatherine Place where Chloe does much of her cultural work. One of the elders at the occasion, Aunty Duff presented the award to Chloe who was accompanied on her big night by her mum Angela, her uncle Lang and her nan Lou.

The Awards night sponsored by Swinburne University of Technology was a celebration featuring musical performances by a band and a choir of indigenous students while attendees were treated to a three course meal.

“This award means a lot to me as it gives me a sense of pride in knowing that I have made a contribution in my life so far,” says Chloe on winning the award.

Congratulations Chloe on this wonderful achievement — we are very proud of you.

A number of activities were held across the College from 22 to 26 July to mark Sustainability Week. The week’s program included a range of engaging events that champion environmentally friendly practices and culminated with the national tree planting day today.

Activities included:

• collecting bottle caps from each year level to make a colourful wall display for a dark corridor in the Year 7 area
• repurposing egg cartons as containers to grow flowers
• preapring nude lunches at home, encouraging students to cut down on packaging and food wrapping by bringing their food in a simple lunchbox
• learning about the sustainable practices used every day on the College farm
• selling old for new at a second hand clothing and bric-a-brac stall in the CSYMA lounge and
• a mass tree planting which was undertaken by the Year 7 students on an area of the College near the cricket pitches.

We would like to extend a very big thank you to: Mrs Marie Prusac and the Year 7 teachers who helped with the tree planting over the course of the week; the maintenance team Mr Mick Hill and Mr Andy Cumberford; MrTim Thompson who introduced students to the goats and the work on the College farm; and Ms Janet Barr and Mr David Banfield who all contributed towards the success of the week.

Hannah Steel our Environment Prefect has been doing an exceptional job over the course of the year with the variety of activities she has facilitated. Here is Hannah's review of Sustainability Week below:

As the Environment Group of 2019, over the course of this week we have tried to make the MLMC community more aware of the impact we have on the environment and to inspire students to use the most of every material that they have.

One of the projects that we have been running to support our goal this week has been the creation of a spectacular bottle cap wall. Students got involved by fixing bottle caps to the art wall, while also participating in the year level Competition of collecting the most bottle caps.

Throughout the week we also had a plant stall as well as a showing of MLMC's baby goats so that students could learn about the sustainable practices on the College farm. We also planted 200 hundred native trees on the College grounds!

In the Youth Ministry lounge they hosted an informative session about what can and can’t be recycled. Many students were very surprised to learn that shopping receipts and wrapping paper cannot be recycled due to its glossy coating and pizza boxes due to grease contaminating the paper.

Watch this space as we continue the bottle-cap wall over the course of the next couple of weeks. Also we have started a new project which involves building a wine bottle structure out of grapevine cuttings which will be on display at the MLMC 2019 Wine Launch.

None of this would be possible without the support of Mr Feher, Mr Thompson and the maintenance team.

The 2019 Victorian High School Cancer Symposium was aimed at Year 10 students across the state interested in medical research and the health profession. MLMC students Victoria Cappellucci, Krishia Catungal, Courtney Barnes, Zoe Hendriks, Brianna Moore, Laura Fitzgerald, Clara D'Angelo and Kimberley Fiorentino currently studying Units 1 and 2 Biology chose to attend the Sypmosium which was held at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institue of Medical Research in Parkville on Thursday 18 July.

The students found talking to cancer patients about the treatments that they had undergone or were currently going through was the most impactful part of the day, along with the opportunity to talk to many different medical researchers about their interesting and complex work in cancer research.

Here is a reflection from Zoe Hendriks (Year 10 Bronze)

I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend the 2019 High School Cancer Symposium. Travelling to the city and navigating our way to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research early in the morning was worth it, as the day ahead was packed with some very interesting and eye-opening experiences. Throughout the day, we heard from four different guests, all having completed or currently completing research on different types of cancer. Speaking with survivors of the two biggest cancer killers (breast and prostate) also gave us personal insight into the treatment of cancer and how everyone is affected. From killer T-cells and CAR-T cells, new forms of brain cancer to certain drugs in development to help stop the process of cancer, each student who attended certainly learnt something new and engaging.

Cancer is a horrible disease and it affects everyone. Whether it’s us personally or someone we know (such as a close friend or family member), cancer drastically affects anyone it touches. We discovered at the Symposium that cancer research is providing us with many new drugs and less harmful methods of treatment, giving hope that someday the harm cancer does to society may be eradicated.

A quick thank you to Mrs Faulkner for creating the opportunity for us to visit the Symposium, as well as to Miss Fitzpatrick and Mr Dale for taking us along. Attending the Cancer Symposium was a very special opportunity; it gave me insight into the work involved in a specific and demanding area of medical research, and how scientists are truly saving lives every day.

The College has a range of music ensembles for students interested in all areas of music including:

• Guitar Ensemble
• Violin Ensemble
• Junior A Capella
• Senior A Capella
• Choir
• Concert Band
• Stage Band
• Guitar Ensemble
• Violin Ensemble

Why would you not take advantage of our FREE Ensemble Rehearsals? Ensembles are run at either lunch times or after school. There is no cost for students to join any of the MLMC Ensembles, just pure fun and skill building. For further information email Mrs Sharon Flint on sflint@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Rounds three and four of the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) interschool debating competition saw MLMC facing some stiff competition.

The topics covered during round three held on Monday, 3 June were:

A Grade: ‘That music that glorifies violence against women should be banned.’
Jamieson Manager, Beccy Snell and Kaitlyn Crymble argued the affirmative and were defeated. This was a secret topic which was announced an hour before start time. The team prepared the arguments on their own without access to any electronic devices, and presented the debate within a time limit of eight minutes.

D Grade: ‘That we should abolish standardised testing, (e.g. NAPLAN).’
This was quite topical for the students, especially the Year 9s who had just completed their final NAPLAN testing period.

• MLMC1 Danya Moreth, Liam Furey, Ellen Bradley lost to Ringwood Secondary College
• MLMC 2 Scott Colliver, Ella McNair, Charlotte Lorbek defeated Yarra Valley Grammar School
• MLMC 3 Kalia Dewar, Emma Williamson, Millie Baker lost to Our Lady of Sion

Congratulations to Charlotte Lorbek who was awarded Best Speaker in her debate.

The topics covered during round four held on Wednesday, 24 July were:

A Grade: ‘That the government should be able to seize the files of journalists’.
Jamieson Manager, Beccy Snell, Kaitlyn Crymble and Chloe Rickard won their debate. They successfully presented affirmative arguments drawing on their subject experience with Legal Studies and History as well as their own knowledge on media.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Crymble who was awarded Best Speaker.

C Grade: ‘That school bullies should face criminal charges’. Chelsea Emary, Maddison Macpherson, Ethan Prentice and Shae Preston won their debate, successfully substantiating their arguments against the negative side. They were able to draw on their subject knowledge of Legal Studies and Psychology as well as their own experiences.

Once again both teams were given secret topics, which was a first-time experience for the C Grade students.

D Grade: ‘That convicted criminals should not be allowed to publish accounts of their crimes.’
The two MLMC teams posed the negative arguments.

• MLMC 2: Jena Schaak, Emma Williamson, Charlotte Lorbek defeated Yarra Valley Grammar School 3
• MLMC 4: Kahlia Dewar, Baxter Lil, Millie Baker defeated Luther College 1

Congratulations to Jena Schaak and Millie Baker who were awarded Best Speaker in their respective debates.

The final round of debating will take place on Wednesday 7 August.

On Thursday 18 July, our Year 10 students studying Italian travelled to the Catholic Leadership Centre in East Melbourne to meet with other Year 10 language students and engage in a range of language-rich activities.

The students found the film comprehension and the language-as-play activities particularly engaing and we hope that these activities, along with others across the course of the day, gave them ideas and stimulus to assist with their ongoing study of Italian. Students Melinda Virgona and Jayden Askham did an exceptional job in representing MLMC at the group sessions and Sarah Nichols went on to win the lucky door prize.

A special thank you must go to Signora Prusac for driving ‘il grande autobus'.

Grazie a tutti che hanno partecipato a questa giornata!