Dear members of the Mount Liydale Mercy College community

Welcome to a wicked week or a week of wicked whichever you prefer. The College musical Wicked is well under way with three performances having already taken place and two more shows (Friday and Saturday nights) yet to see the light on the stage in Centennial Hall. If you have been lucky enough to have already seen it, you are to be congratulated for there are limited tickets available for the remaining two shows.

I don’t think it is too much of a secret that I am a huge fan of the College musical and all that is contained within the process. I believe that learnings from such a production are immeasurable and the cross year level friendships that are made, are of huge importance.

Wicked is an extraordinary Broadway musical. The music and lyrics are written by Stephen Schwartz based on the book by Winnie Holzman, which in turn is based on the book by Gregory Maquire. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (published in 1995), is a retelling of the classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz (1939).

The musical itself is a great story and tells of the relationships between the witches of the Land of Oz, but this all takes place long before Dorothy entered the plot. It is a lovely story of great fantasy. Wicked is a very successful Broadway production which is only second to The Lion King in total sales revenue. It is something very special and I hope that many of you have had, or will have, the opportunity to see the MLMC's wonderful production.

Having been on leave at the start of term, I feel a little disconnected from this year’s production because I have missed dropping in on rehearsals, set construction and the technical run through that I usually witness on various occasions often after school hours. I have not seen the production as yet, but I look forward to both Friday and Saturday night performances. There are two casts for this production, so I will be going Friday night and Saturday night to ensure I see both casts.

What a talented group of students and staff we have, to be able to produce such a technically challenging musical to such a high standard and with two sets of students in leading roles. Last week I did hear discussion amongst students about whether they were ready which caused me to smile, because this is part of the fantastic learning opportunity that the College musical represents. It does not matter whether they were ready or not. The time line was set and the curtain will go up and they will tread the boards of the stage ready or not. Very few life experiences provide such learning opportunities. There are no extensions, no excuses, and no cancellations. The show must go on.

The cast itself amazes me. Some of the students have been involved in production companies outside of the College for some time, whilst others study Theatre and Drama as a part of their studies. Some of our students want to pursue a life of performance while others do it as an interest. Some students have no history of formal studies in performance at all and yet are involved year after year. The on stage ensemble are ably supported by musicians in the orchestra pit, backstage crew, lighting, sound and a whole array of other technical skills. The program lists companies that support the production as well as past students who have come back each year to continue their involvement.

The College musical is a whole community production and I am grateful for and to all those who participated this year. It is a reflection of our community and it is indeed something in which we can all take pride. To all involved, thank you and break a leg.

As you know the start of this term saw me taking some personal leave and during that period some significant events occurred.

This period saw the College host the Semester Awards ceremonies in which student achievement was celebrated. These ceremonies saw a new format, which I believe, was well received. Again thank you to all involved who worked to ensure their success but particularly to Tanya Hutton who planned the ceremonies and to Louis Papadimitriou who was the acting Principal for the ceremonies during my absence.

Personal pars

The tragic passing of past student Tyson Noyes also happend during this period which had a profound impact on our community and I am grateful for the leadership team at our College who carefully put plans in place to ensure we cared for our students both past and present, as well as our extended community. This too is a clear indication of who we are. We keep Tyson and his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.

Let us also pray for Eileen Poropat, grandmother to Monica Mackiewicz (year 9), who passed away recently. Let us pray for the respose of Eileen's soul and may she rest in peace.

God Bless.

New Medical Profile system - now accessed via PAM
We recently started using the new Medical Profile system which means that all student medical information will now be accessed and updated via PAM instead of the Parent Portal. By utilising the Medical Profile on PAM teachers have quicker and clearer access to any important, relevant medical information through the student desktop, rather than needing to access it on a different system. We believe this is the most effective way in continuing to keep students safe at school.

New system – new information required
Please be aware that as this is a new system, all previous medical information is not able to be transported across from the Parent Portal to PAM (including any management plans), therefore you will be required to complete the PAM online medical form, regardless of whether you have provided us with the information before. So far we have 507/1471 students with valid updated medical profiles. This means we still have 964 students whose medical profiles have not yet been completed on PAM.

If you have not yet completed your child’s/children’s medical profiles on Pam, please do so as soon as possible.

Of course, we are available to assist you with any queries, concerns or support to access the system.

Every year, the Holy Father asks for our prayers for a specific intention each month. You are invited to answer the Holy Father's request and to join with many people worldwide in praying for this intention each month. The prayer intention for August is, Families, Schools of Human Growth — that families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly "schools of true human growth".

Prayer for Peace in Our Family

Lord Jesus, be with my family.

Grant us Your peace and harmony, an end to conflict and division.

Gift us with the compassion to better understand each other,

the wisdom and love to assist each other,

and the trust and patience to live peacefully together.

Grant that, through the intercession of Your mother, Mary, and

St. Joseph,

our family too may become a holy family,

accepting each other,

working together in unity,

and selflessly dedicated to one another and to You.

Amen.

LOTE Week (5-9 August) wrapped up today, drawing to a close the many activities run during lunchtime throughout the week. The aim of LOTE Week is for students to see that studying languages can connect us to another culture and way of thinking and foster intercultural awareness and understanding.

The United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages which opens an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate and engage in a national conversation about our indigenous languages. Language is not just about communication. For any group, speaking their traditional language means maintaining strong cultural connection and having a sense of identity and belonging. To acknowledge the International Year of Indigenous Languages, our wonderful bilingual students read the lunchtime prayer. Our thanks to:

• Ciara Robinson (Year 12) Our Father in Italian
• Eliza McDonald (Year 12 ) Our Father in Maori (she sang the prayer).
• Jelinna Santiago (Year 11) Our Father in Tagalog (Filipino)
• Zara Fehring (Year 12) Prayer for peace in Japanese

Across the week students have learnt the fine art of Japanese origami, played an Italian card game called briscola and watched Japanese anime films and shortfilms in Italian. Yesterday the Gelati van was a big hit and today the highly-anticipated students versus staff soccer game pulled a rowdy crowd — the students ultimately come out winners with a 1 - 0 win.

In Terms 1, 2 and 3 our language students have also been working on the Paper Cranes for Peace project which involves making 1000 paper cranes which they will take with them to Hiroshima when they visit Japan in September.

Here is a reflection from Grace Staindl-Dymond (LOTE Prefect)

This year’s LOTE week was a great success. It was so heart-warming to see the whole school come together and celebrate the wide range of cultures and languages that we have at Mount Lilydale Mercy College. Throughout the week, we had a variety of students read the lunchtime in prayers in Italian, Fillipino, Japanese and in addition, a traditional Maori prayer sung by Year 12 student Eliza McDonald.

Thank you to all the staff and students who participated in LOTE week! It is so important that as a society we celebrate our differences when it comes to culture and language. It’s what makes us unique. Coming out of LOTE week, all I can ask is that everyone continues to remain curious about other cultures and languages — it is so crucial in working towards a world full of peace and respect, where our differences and uniqueness are celebrated by all.

On Friday 26 July the Year 10 students had a busy day preparing for their VCE subject selections. In the morning they were presented with their options for VCE, VET and VCAL in 2020 and then spent time researching the exhibitors who would be at the Melbourne Careers Expo later in the day.

After the morning session at the College, we travelled by bus to attend the Careers Expo at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre where the students spent 1.5 hours walking around talking to people from different universities, TAFEs, private colleges and employers in trades, corporate and professional services. After speaking to people in the fields that interested them, the students were excited about their plans for future pathways

By the end of the day our Year 10 students had gained valuable knowledge about the subjects they will need to select as a part of their VCE program in order to get in to their chosen field of study or employment in 2022 and beyond.

The process of planning for 2020 has commenced where students who are 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 the Term 2 school holidays and Course Guides were also made available via the parent portal and PAM from Wednesday 31 July.

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 9.00am
• Year 11 (2020) – subject selection interviews, Tuesday 13 August at 4.00pm to 8.30pm in Mansfield Building
• Year 8, 9 and 10 (2020) — web preferences close, Monday 19 August at 9.00am
• Year 10 (2020) — subject selection interviews, Tuesday 27 August at 4.00pm to 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 and give 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 your child’s learning style and ability.

If your child is unsure, we encourage students to ask questions of the Campus Learning Advisors, Careers team and VCAL and VET Coordinators.

Finally, student subject choices are used to determine what classes will run in 2020 and 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 are closed 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 myself as the Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching.

Interim Reports and Student Progress Interviews

The process of writing the Semester 2 interim Reports for students in Years 7 to 12 has now commenced. This report is an indication of the current academic standard and work habits being displayed by your child so far this term. In readiness for these reports being released on Friday 23 August parents will be able to start booking a student progress interview for their son or daughter from now. Student progress interviews for students in Years 7 to 12 that are being held on Monday 2 September between 10.00am and 8.00pm.

Parents will be invited to book interviews online with subject teachers via the PAM. Parents will be able to make bookings between the following times:

• Year 12 — Friday 23 August until Friday 30 August at 12.00pm
• Years 7 to 11 — Monday 22 August until Friday 30 August at 12.00pm.

If you experience any difficulty making bookings please contact the College Office on 9735 4022 for assistance.

On Friday 2 August, we held our annual Footy Colours Day to kick start our fundraising for Mercy Works.

From the staff room to the basketball courts and everything in between students and teachers proudly showed their allegiance to their much loved footy teams. We'd like to thank everyone who joined in the fun, helping to raise vital funds for Mercy Works along the way.

Mercy Works partners with communities to promote justice, self-reliance and to support displaced people within Australia and the South-East Asia Pacific region. The organisation also works with communities who are denied access to basic human needs such as education, healthcare and social welfare.

On Monday 29 July, the Year 11 VCAL students went on a spiritual excursion to visit Hindu and Buddhist temples.

We started at the Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Hindu temple in The Basin where we were warmly greeted by our hosts and given a guided tour and introduction to the Hindu faith. Inside the temple were a number of statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, including the elephant god Ganesha, the patron of arts and sciences and deva of wisdom.

It was interesting for me to learn that for many Hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of belief — it's more what you do, than what you believe. In the temple there were two musicians, one playing a drum and the other, the nadaswaram — a double-reed wind instrument from South India.

We were then offered a blessing along with a piece of fruit by the priest. Before leaving the temple precincts we were invited to the cafeteria and offered a vada (a fried savoury dumpling in the shape of a donut).

After lunch at The Basin we headed to Mount Evelyn where we visited the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery and Meditation Centre. While there, we did some meditation sitting on cushions, guided by Venerable Bhante in a spacious hall that had three large Buddha statues. After meditation, we were shown into a chapel where we paid respects to precious relics of the Buddha. We were then invited to snacks and drinks before it was time to head back to the College.

It turned out to be a very lighthearted and eventful day of learning about Hindu and Buddhist religious practices.

A warm thank you to both organisations for welcoming us into their places of worship and giving us such a memorable introduction to their religions and beliefs.

On Wednesday 24 July, our Year 10 VET Sport and Recreation students and teachers embarked on a four-day action-packed trip to Falls Creek. In near perfect conditions they learnt how to camp overnight in the snow, cross country ski and either snowboard or ski downhill. The students were well prepared for the campaing experience and there was a range of skills that they had to put into practice on the trip including WH&S practices, organising personal work priorities and responding to emergencies.

In addition to the outdoor experiences, students also learnt about the local aboriginal communities and their engagement with the area over the past 65,000 years.

In support of the Mount Beauty township, on the last night we had our 'formal Friday' with teachers and students purchasing special outfits for the occasion from the local op shop.

My thanks to Mr Hysted, Ms Duff and Ms Gibbs for creating such an amazing experience for our students.

Here are some student reflections:

Before dawn on 24 July at 5:15 am, Mr Beard’s Year 10 Sport and Recreation class, under the supervision of teachers Ms Jess Duff, Ms Serena Gibbs and Mr Greg Hysted, arrived at school pumped for the five-hour drive to Falls Creek for a snow camp. We stopped off at Mount Beauty for some lunch then continued on to Falls Creek to arrive at about 12noon. Once we collected our XC skiing gear we got suited up for a skills session to get our bearings before venturing out.

We managed to ski our way to the Healthy Spur campsite without injury in absolute bluebird weather, which put a smile on some faces. The next morning we packed up camp and went for a ski without our packs on, which was the best thing about XC (other than having to head back to return hired gear). After the great return, we headed to Falls Creek village to collect our downhill gear to shred the slopes for an hour or so, without practice! On that first day, I spent the whole time on my back whilst boarding and was ready for a hot meal and a good night sleep by the end of it. A lesson followed the next morning at 8.30am on basic turning skills and controlling of the board, which gave me some confidence to go faster using the manoeuvres we learnt. The last day on the snow was by far the greatest. Refining skills, linking turns and freestyling on the slopes gave me a sense of accomplishment and joy as I picked up snowboarding within two lessons! After a killer day, we were sad but happy to head home on 27July and slept the whole journey back on the bus.

The camp was a great way to improve fitness and learn new skills. More importantly, it was an opportunity to apply work health and safety aspects in an area outside of class. This required some students to respond in case of emergencies, keeping themselves and others safe. This was my first experience in the snow, and it was an absolute blast. Downhill skiing was by far the highlight for me. I was able to learn new skills and utilise them to have a great time. — Andre Parlas (Year 10 Blue)

Blessed with the best weather our class of 12 students embarked on a trip to Falls Creek accompanied by four great teachers (Mr Hysted, Ms Duffy, Ms Serena and Mr Beard) who all brought a different aspect of enjoyment to our trip. Although our feet and hands were numb on the first night camping out in the snow, our hearts were warm with thoughts of warm cabins and actual beds for the next night provided by a lovely lodge in Howmans Gap.

Cross country skiing may have gone ‘downhill’ but we eventually made it to our beloved destination where we returned our gear just to get more. With the pristine views that we enjoyed on the lifts skiing downhill for days, we began to see how easy it is to fall in love with the great weather and the 80cm of snow at Falls Creek.

With every new day came a new challenge therefore instructors were necessary, whilst 6am rises we thought were not. Even though we were thoughtful of OH&S rules always, falling over was a constant certainty. After eight hours of skiing a day, all you could think about was a hot meal and even hotter shower.

Our last day provided a chilly forecast, even though I got to experience real snow fall for the first time ever. It was definitely worth sitting awkwardly next to a stranger on the lift to get some good pictures that day of the beautiful mountain. After four days of wicked snow and sun I could not wait for a feed from Maccas on the way home. After half an hour of unpacking when we got back to school at 11 in the night, I was fit for my bed and nothing else. — Mikaela O’Brien (Year 10 Green)

On Thursday 1 August, a group of Year 10 female students, accompanied by two staff members, attended the Women in STEM conference at Melbourne Zoo. Females are drastically under-represented in STEM subjects and jobs across the world.

The conference was hosted by Zoos Victoria, St Aloysius College and girledworld and began with a presentation explaining what the future of work looks like in an age of rapid change. Students were then introduced to a number of global and local STEM role models and in the afternoon they were involved in a design thinking challenge, which sought to foster a love of STEM and also help them identify STEM skills and interests.

Here's a reflection from student Zoe Hendriks (Year 10 Bronze):

The Women in STEM excursion was really eye-opening. Along with six other Year 10 girls, I heard from guest speakers who are true role models in their fields. They told us about how they use science, technology, engineering and maths in their careers and why it’s important to get more women and girls into STEM subjects and careers.

We also participated in an activity where we had the opportunity to observe animals at the Melbourne Zoo and design enriching toys or add-ons to habitats using the skills we had learnt during the day. The opportunity to attend is one I am very grateful for as it gave us firsthand insight into what a career in STEM involves.

EISM Reminders
With the winter seasons of YearS 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) & mouth guards must be worn for hockey
• NO CORRECT UNIFORM, NO GAME.

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)

Year 9 Grand Finals
Congratulations to the following teams who have qualified to play in Year 9 EISM grand finals next week (15 August):

• girls soccer
• girls football
• girls netball A
• girls netball B
• boys football (22 August)

Best wishes to all teams and coaches!

Cross Country Training
Training has resumed, with carnivals running in Term 3. Commendations will 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.

House cross country carnivals - Thursday 29 August

• Periods 3 + 4 - Year 7 + 10
• Periods 5 + 6 - Year 8 + 9
• Lunchtime (optional) - Year 11 + 12

All Year levels will complete the 3km course along the beautiful Warburton trail and through the school grounds on this day!

Students who are able to run, should run this course.

Walking is encouraged for those who are unable to run - we would like maximum participation in this event - every person who completes the course gets valuable House points (Year 11 + 12 students = double points)!

Students can wear sports uniform all day, please bring a change of shoes, socks as course could be wet.

Details about the course and event schedule will be released soon.

See Ms Webb in the Doyle Centre for more details.

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.

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

Year 8 results — 30 July

Senior Results 31 July

Year 9 Results 1 August

Year 8 Results 6 August

Senior Results 7 August

Year 9 Results 8 August - Semi Finals

If you haven't made it to a performance of Wicked yet, then you're in luck. There are still some tickets available for the last two performances:

• 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 an absolute treat!

This year Mercy Day falls on Tuesday 24 September and the Ministry Lounge is currently looking for donations for the Mercy Day op shop. Items such as small trinkets, books and age-appropriate clothing of good quality would be greatly appreciated.

If you think you can help please drop off your items at the Ministry Lounge or at the College reception.

All money raised will be donated to Mercy Works. Thank you for your support.

Scripture Union Victoria (SUV) runs summer school holiday camps for primary and secondary aged students as well as camps for families at Camp Coolamatong on the Gippsland Lakes. Students who take part enjoy a week of outdoor adventures including: sailing, water tubing, and canoeing, swimming, archery and climbing/abseiling. The camp is a great opportunity to make new friends and explore the Bible through small group activities. All SUV volunteers are Working with Children Check compliant and Child Safe trained.

Family camps provide a relaxed, fully catered opportunity for families to spend time together. SUV runs six family camps over January, including one for sole parent families and two for families with children who have ASD and their siblings.

For more information about SU Summer Camps and to register go to www.suvic.org.au/holiday-camps or call (03) 9487 5700. Early Bird discounts are available on all camps until 30 September.