Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community,

It is cold and I am starting to feel it. Each day as I arrive at about 7.00am I drive up our hill to be greeted by our new digital sign which greets me with a welcome, the date and the current temperature. I am not totally sure that I want to know the temperature. This past week it has been one degree, zero degrees and minus one degree. I am sure it has been colder out in the valley.

The concept of temperature has me reflecting on why we talk about it so much. Having lived in rural communities for many years, I recognise that temperature, rain, frosts, etc. have such an impact on the livelihood of those whom we serve. It was certainly true in a dairy community like Warrnambool where I lived for 11 years and it is certainly true for the flower, fruit and wine communities that surround us. Temperature is also something that impacts each and every one of us. Today is the last day of winter and I am sure we look forward to the beautiful new growth of spring.

Melbourne weather is both beautiful and ever changing. The cold conditions of winter help us appreciate the magnificent days of autumn and spring and the heat of summer. Melbourne weather is ever changing and I must admit that I like change and the whole concept of change. To me, change builds adaptability which, in turn, builds resilience. I hope that as students graduate and leave our great College they are indeed both adaptable and resilient as there are many opportunities within our College to build both.

Tournament of Minds

Last weekend the College hosted one such opportunity in Tournament of the Minds, affectionately known as TOM. Their website explains that TOM is about ‘Challenging the world to develop problem solving skills’. It offers the opportunity to solve authentic, open-ended challenges that foster creative, divergent thinking while developing collaborative enterprise, excellence and teamwork.

TOM actually began in Melbourne in 1987 with only 300 students and now over 16,000 students participate nationally. It is a great pleasure and thrill that MLMC hosts the regional event.

The TOM website explains their objectives as:

• To provide the challenge of real, open-ended challenges
• To develop creative problem solving approaches and techniques
• To foster cooperative learning and teamwork
• To promote knowledge and appreciation of self and others
• To encourage experimentation and risk taking
• To expand and reward creative and divergent thinking
• To stimulate a spirit of inquiry and a love of learning
• To develop enterprise
• To celebrate excellence.

What better way to build adaptability and resilience.

I am indeed honoured to be the Principal of the College to host it and grateful to the staff and students who give their time to participate. The merits cannot be measured. Students across year levels working together, parents, teachers, and students enjoying the challenge together.

Frayne Speech Festival

Another activity that I have enjoyed for many years is the Frayne Speech Festival, which this year was hosted by Notre Dame College in Shepparton. This festival is a celebration of the spoken word with students participating in Debating (Years 10-12), Individual Speech (Years 10-12) and Voice Choir (Years 7–10). The Voice Choir is spectacular. A group of students bring poetry to life by voice and stance with very few props. The Frayne Speech Festival is a very special event, made more special by the fact that in many ways it, too, is a celebration of the resilience of our College processes. It started as a festival in 1996 to celebrate the centenary of our College here at MLMC. It is now a festival attended by many Mercy and Mercy connected schools in Southern seaboard of Australia. The Voice Choir has been working for some years under the direction of Ms Caroline Dickason and so it is fantastic to bring the trophy back to MLMC. Congratulations to all involved in the Frayne Speech Festival for 2018 and the staff that trekked to Shepparton to be with them.

Football

Girls football is an ever-growing sport and has been on offer here at MLMC for many years. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate our Senior Girls’ Football team on winning the EISM grand final against Emmaus College this week. I understand that it was a very tight game and our footballers played extremely well. They now move on to the Herald Sun Shield competition.

Father’s Day

Father’s Day is celebrated this Sunday. Congratulations and thank you to all male caregivers who support our children in providing male role models that are authentic and caring. Know that your contribution can never be underestimated.

Farewell

Members of our community continue to suffer with the passing of family members. We remember and pray for Michael, brother to Mrs Mary Hicks (teacher) who passed away suddenly last weekend; and Lionel Rose, grandfather to Matthew (Year 11) and Chelsea-Leigh (Class of 2016). Lionel passed away in South Africa earlier this month. Let us pray for the repose of the souls of Michael and Lionel. May they rest in peace.

God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal

Tuesday 4 September is a STUDENT-FREE DAY. Parent teacher interviews will be held across the course of the day and early evening.

Friday 14 September is MERCY DAY. Please support this important day by allowing your child to bring some spending money. As it is an out-of-uniform day, we will be asking for a $2 donation from each student. Homeroom teachers will start collecting money from Monday 10 September. Please find attached the schedule for the day and a guide to Mercy Day prices.

Key times for Mercy Day are:

• 8.50-9.05am Homeroom
• 9.05am Move to Doyle Centre
• 9.15-9.45am Liturgy
• 10am-2.40pm Activities and food stalls
• 10.20-11.30am Mercy Idol/House Performing Arts Show 1
• 11.50am-1pm Mercy Idol/House Performing Arts/ Show 2
• 1.45-2.40pm Parade
• 2.45-3.15pm Return to homerooms, clean up and homeroom dismissal

Please contact Ms Elizabeth Keogh should you require any further information.

God our Father,

We give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old.
We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation;
may they find courage and perseverance
to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice.

We pray for fathers around the world
whose children are lost or suffering;
may they know that the God of compassion
walks with them in their sorrow.

We pray for men who are not fathers
but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice.

We remember fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers
who are no longer with us
but who live forever in our memory
and nourish us with their love.

Amen

Our students excelled at the latest Frayne Speech Festival which was held on Friday 17 August in Sheperton, hosted by Notre Dame College. A group of 24 students from various year levels and three staff travelled to Shepparton to take part in the public speaking competition that involves Mercy schools from around Australia and began in 1996 at MLMC.

The students competed in one of three public speaking activities: the Voice (Speech) Choir, a Debating competition and an Individual Speech section, with MLMC claiming first place in the Voice Choir section. Kelly Edyvane (Year 12 Purple) and Bella Hamment (Year 12 Orange) represented the College in the Individual Speech section. Kelly’s chosen topic was “Laughter is the best medicine” and Bella’s topic was “Manners matter”. Both girls dealt with their nerves well and presented beautiful speeches on the day.

In the Debating competition, we were represented by three accomplished DAV (Debating Association of Victoria) debaters in Kaitlyn Crymble (Year 10 Gold), Jamieson Manger (Year 10 Bronze) and Rebecca Snell (Year 10 Silver). The girls debated two topics on the day, losing one and winning the other. Kaitlyn earned Best Speaker honours in the second debate. Unfortunately, neither of these teams made it through to finals but all of the students enjoyed the experience of meeting students from other Mercy schools and participating in the day.

The Voice Choir section is a very challenging event and Ms Caroline Dickason has coached this group for the last four years. Please find a information realting to Voice component of the Frayne Festival below.

The MLMC Voice Choir at the Frayne Festival

By Ms Caroline Dickason

MLMC’s Voice Choir team of 18 girls clinched first place at the Festival, winning the perpetual wooden plaque and a glass trophy. The Voice Choir section is open to Years 7-10 and is separate from the College Choir. The girls had to present a piece with speech (not singing). We can play with the delivery of the words, but essentially, everyone speaks together, in unison, using the same inflections, tonal qualities, pronunciation, etc.

For the last two years, our Voice Choir was the only one using props, and this year we included spoken harmony. One of the rules forbids singing, but allows spoken harmony, and it is a fine line between the two.

The host school chooses a published Australian compulsory piece (poem or prose) which all schools need to prepare. Each school then chooses a self-selected piece. There are various rules in place, such as no movement at all in the compulsory piece, and limited movement with some props for the self-selected piece.

This was my fourth year directing the Voice Choir. The first year was a good learning experience and in the second we achieved the third-highest score but only first and second are recognised as 'places'. Last year, we achieved second place, and it was wonderful to win it this year.

MLMC’s Voice Choir team comprised these 18 students:

• Amy Roberts (Year 10 Green)
• Kirra Smark (Year 10 Green)
• Brianna Moore (Year 9 Green)
• Shae Preston (Year 9 White)
• Alisha Rowden (Year 9 White)
• Talissa Tocci (Year 9 Jade)
• Alyssia Trinnick (Year 9 Jade)
• Melinda Virgona (Year 9 Jade)
• Ella Mae Aranco (Year 8 Gold)
• Tegan Banks (Year 8 Gold)
• Jessica Finette (Year 8 Purple)
• Danielle Gazzola (Year 8 Orange)
• Grace George (Year 8 Gold)
• Monica Mockiewicz (Year 8 Silver)
• Cheyenne Moore (Year 8 Orange)
• Victoria Prasel (Year 8 White)
• Bethany Tipping (Year 8 Silver)
• Emma Williamson (Year 8 Orange)

SENIOR GIRLS FOOTBALL SUCCESS

Congratulations to our senior girls football team on their EISM grand final win on Wednesday. For photos and a report, see "EISM grand final success" in this newsletter.

HOUSE CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

The House Cross Country Carnival took place in ideal weather conditions on Friday 17 August and our congratulations go to everyone who participated. Our students from Years 7-12 made their way around the challenging 3km course along Warburton trail and through the school grounds, all with smiles on their faces! Please see the results section below for the full list of placegetters.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Gymnastics
Congratulations to Abbey Wheeler (Year 9) who competed in another gymnastics competition at Eclipse Gymnastics recently. She scored (out of 15): 12 on bars, 12.35 on floor, 14.50 on parallel bars, 14.70 on rings, 11.90 on vault and 11.00 on beam. She finished first on parallel bars and on rings. Well done, Abbey.

Netball
Congratulations to Serena Gibbs (Year 12) who has been nominated for the Victorian Netball League 19/Under Team of the Year. We also wish her well in the Victorian Netball League Under-19 Grand Final this weekend, where she will represent DC North East Blaze.

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

EISM CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

• Wednesday 12 September at Ruffey Lake Park, Doncaster East
• All teams have been displayed at the Doyle Centre and notified via email.
• Please let Miss Webb know if you cannot run due to injury
• We have three training sessions left. If you have qualified for the EISM Team, please try to get to at least one of these sessions (Monday 4 September, Wednesday 6 September and Monday 10 September)
• Cross Country training is held Mondays 3.30-4.30pm and Wednesday 7.00-8.00am (breakfast provided afterwards). Meet at the Doyle Centre for both sessions. All abilities and fitness levels welcome
• For details, please contact Miss Webb. Best wishes to all runners!

RESULTS - House Cross Country Carnival

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

RESULTS - EISM sports

Year 8 Results 21 August

Senior Results 22 August

Year 9 Results 23 August

Year 8 Results 28 August

Senior Results 29 August - Grand Finals

Year 9 Results 30 August - Grand Finals

We can be very proud of the 84 students who represented us at Tournament of Minds on Saturday 25 August. MLMC hosted one of the regional finals, featuring 49 teams from 19 primary and secondary schools.

MLMC’s students showed great teamwork and commitment, working hard on many nights after school to prepare themselves. We received Honours in all four challenges — STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Language Literature, Social Sciences and The Arts — which shows the diversity of skills and talents we foster at the College. STEM and The Arts were new disciplines for 2018.

One of our teams in The Arts section has been offered a wildcard entry into the State Final in recognition of their high score. The seven students in the team (pictured) will go on to contest the State Final on Sunday 9 September at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus. Congratulations to Kaitlyn Crymble (Year 10 Gold), Michael Douthwaite (Year 7 Silver), Ella Preston (Year 8 Bronze), Emma Di Paolo (Year 9 White), Jelinna Santiago (Year 10 Red), Molly Bollaart (Year 10 Jade) and Madeline Onley (Year 7 Bronze).

TOM comprises two challenges — one is a long-term Challenge. Teams of seven students spent six weeks preparing their solution/presentation, which they performed before the judges on competition day. Teams were marked on their unique and creative solutions to various aspects of the challenge as well as their presentation skills. In the Spontaneous Challenge, the students heard, solved and presented all in less than seven minutes on the day. The scoring of this challenge was mainly related to the teamwork shown and the creativity of the solution.

Teams have a mix of Year 7-10 students but must include two Year 7s. There is an emphasis on sustainability too, only allowing students to use recyclable materials for the challenge (including any costumes and props), and they are limited to a budget of $75 for materials.

Each team has a facilitator. Teachers Miss Natasha McKenzie, Mr Stuart Thornhill, Mr Michael Modini, Miss Rebecca Doyle, Mr Tom Warren and Miss Christeen Fernando were facilitators this year and spent plenty of time polishing performances and asking important questions that make teams think. Mrs Helen Lewis judged on our behalf.

At MLMC, senior students acted as mentors, but they could only ask questions of the team. The solution had to be entirely the team’s own work and ideas. Special thanks to our Year 11 and 12 mentors who, in the middle of their own studies, encouraged and supported the MLMC teams. Well done Ethan Cornish (Year 11 Jade), Ethan Preston (Year 11 Red), Benito Di Battista (Year 12 White), Tristan Mifsud, Jamie Marshall, Harry Stolzenhain and Ashlee Sumner (all Year 11 Bronze).

Thanks also to the Parents and Friends' Association who ran the barbecue and welcomed visitors.

Our Honours recipients this year are: Kaitlyn Crymble, Michael Douthwaite, Ella Preston, Emma Di Paolo, Jelinna Santiago, Molly Bollaart, Madeline Onley, Samantha Badgery, Zelie Zmegac, Ashtyn Crabtree, Millie Barker, Charlotte Lorbek, Hannah Bainbridge, Rebecca Bullen, Jamieson Manger, Tara Vanstan, Cheyenne Moore, Brianna Moore, Melinda Virgona, Sarah Janssen, Jasmine Ryan, Sebastien Stevens, Ryan Finette, Stephen Cameron, Malindu Chandrasekara, Ben Renouf, Jack Thompson and Jess Herrod.

This year’s Challenges:

STEM
Students had to design a new species that was a hybrid of three known Phyla, build a model of the creature that showed how it moved, ate and vocalised, and create a three-minute film showing the discovery of the creature.

The Arts
Students were required to write a musical around the theme of freedom. It had to include reference to a painting from the 1940s, a dance from the 1920s, fashion from the 1980s and a song from the 1960s.

Language Literature
Students had to make a pitch to convince a group of investors to make a movie from a book (chosen from a supplied list). They had to include a short scene from the proposed movie and the social impact of making the selected book into a movie.

Social Sciences
Students were asked to research and explain how fences can be used in society to isolate or strengthen society and use an example to illustrate their understandings.

MLMC 2018 Tournament of Minds teams:

Across three days at the end of August, the Semester 2 classes of Year 10 Geography went to Portsea beach to learn more about the beach and what can be done to preserve it. The Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project (dredging) began in February 2008 to deepen the shipping channels leading to Melbourne to allow greater access for container ships.The students were looking at the impact of the channel deepening project on the area as part of their Environmental Change and Management unit.

Here is a student reflection of the excursion:

This week Year 10 Geography classes went to Portsea beach to assess damage to the beach and discuss what can be done to preserve it. We spoke to Amy and Paul of BayPlay, a company that runs experiences in the bay, and discussed the impact of the Channel Deepening Project on the front beach. We assessed the effect the weather and new wave patterns have had on the businesses surrounding the beach including Dive Australia, which shut its doors after the Channel Deepening Project began. It was a great day spent exploring the beach for our upcoming assignment. — Lexie Cilia (Year 10 Green)

On 13 August, 10 of our Year 10 students and two teachers attended the Future Earth Breakfast at Melbourne Zoo. St Aloysius, in partnership with the zoo, invited us to attend an amazing event which included a Q&A with professional women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), opportunities to interact with panellists and a relaxed meet and greet over breakfast. MLMC students were also given the unique experience of spending more time with zoo staff to understand their role in looking after the animals.

Here are some student reflections of the experience:

The Girls in STEM excursion at the Melbourne Zoo was such a fantastic opportunity for a group of Year 10 girls to be part of. Our College was very lucky to be one of six schools that were part of such an amazing chance to talk and listen to extraordinary women working in different fields of Science. We heard about their struggles and their career highlights. They also shared their own experiences, such as how you don't need to know exactly what your future will look like heading into university as long as you're in a course that you love. We all got an insight into the work they do at the zoo, including enrichment activities for improving the enclosures for the animals, like adding puzzles, hiding food as well as changing the way they place branches, etc. — Ashley Herrod (Year 10 Purple)

I was fortunate to be one of the 10 girls invited to the Girls in STEM excursion. We listened to a panel of four female scientists talk about their career journeys. After that, we were free to walk around the room and talk to them and ask questions, as well as other people who work at the zoo. The highlight was learning that I will have my doubts about whether or not I can make it, but I can get past that, like they have done. We then had a woman from the zoo talk to us about the animal enrichment activities they do, where we learnt about how they try to instill elements of the animals’ life in the wild into activities to boost the mental health of the animals. We learnt about how the zookeepers observe the animals in their enclosures to see what enrichment activities they need. We were then sent off to an enclosure of our choice, where we observed the animals and then had to design an enrichment activity. For my partner, Ash, and I, we observed the orang-utans. We found that they enjoyed both creating noise and showing off to their observers, so we designed an enrichment activity that allowed the orang-utans to create music. I enjoyed the day so much. It gave me clearer thoughts about what I want to do in the future and how to get there. — Kaitlyn Crymble (Year 10 Gold)

It was a great opportunity to get an insight into women in the field of STEM. We had the chance to interact with four panellists who shared their amazing stories, gave us many ideas of different fields we could get into as well as inspiring us to pursue a career in Science. We also had the opportunity to have a closer look at the job of a zoologist by observing some animals and creating ideas for improving their enclosures. It was an amazing day to investigate women in STEM and to talk about all the possibilities available if you have a passion. — Summer Thomas (Year 10 Jade)

The Girls in STEM excursion was an incredible experience and I was fortunate enough to share it with a great group of girls. Not only did I learn about the challenges and difficulties faced by the women, but I was also able to relate to a few of them. This gave me a clearer idea of the career path that I would like to follow. It also assisted me with setting clear goals. — Tomadia Ghali (Year 10 Bronze)

On Wednesday 29 August, our Year 9 Photography students visited the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Lilydale. We were lucky to be able to view the current exhibition, the Australian National Portrait Prize in Photography, which is touring Australia.

The National Portrait Prize is annual event intended to promote the very best in contemporary photography portraiture by both professional and aspiring Australian photographers. Students were enlightened when realising they, too, could enter their own work into this competition.

While viewing the works they engaged in discussion questioning ‘what is a portrait and what makes a good portrait?’. They paired up, chose their favourite artwork and justified which one they personally felt should have won this prestigious prize, valued at $50,000. They also spent time drawing each other’s portraits. They left inspired and with a greater understanding of what one might focus on and consider when telling someone’s story through the camera lens.

On Mercy Day, an op-shop will be run in the Ministry Lounge along with lucky jars which will be for sale. We are looking for donations of small gifts such as hair accessories, stationary, lollies, or anything creative you can think of to fill in a jar. Anything you may be able to donate, whether small or large, would be appreciated.

We are also looking for items you may like to donate to our op-shop. Items such as toiletries, unwanted gifts, trinkets and jewellery are very welcome. Please note the only clothing we can accept is good quality teenagers’ items. Please wash clothes before donating. Items not sold on the day will be donated to Vinnies’ op-shop. Please drop off items at the Ministry Lounge or Reception.

Thank you for your support.

Each year the College organises a series of guest speakers and workshops to motivate, encourage and support those Year 11 and 12 students who are striving for their best results possible and to be the best they can be. Two of these programs are outlined below:

The 40+ Club
The aim of the series is to share key insights into the attitudes and techniques that can help students realise their ambition of excelling in their subject areas.

Topics for this year’s sessions included:

• Playing the Year 12 Game — How To Use Time Effectively (run by Mrs Alison Schlueter and Mr John Rodgers)
• The Inner Thoughts of an Experienced Teacher — What works for those who achieve (run by Mr Michael Johnson)
• Marginal Gains — What can you do to bring out your best (series of workshops run by staff who have a broad knowledge of expectations within the VCE structure)
• Top Achievers Series was organised by Candice Farrugia-Roberts — please see below for further details
• OMG, The Exams are Coming will be held in October and is the final session for the year. It will be run by past students who have achieved a 90+ ATAR and will focus on exam techniques that work.

Top Achievers Series
In addition to the 40+ Club events, Top Achievers from each subject area from previous years are invited back to the College to share their secrets of success with this year’s VCE students. This series has been running since 2013, with great success for all involved.

The format for these sessions varies.The Top Achievers may choose to focus on one topic or provide overall advice for their subject area. Alternatively they can choose to set their session up like a tutorial and they offer instruction and support on a one-on-one basis with specific questions.

The sessions took place throughout August on Wednesday afternoons and Fridays after school. We are extremely grateful to those past students (listed below) who took the time to return to the school to share their ‘insider tips’ from their very successful VCE year, including Katharine Graziano (Class of 2016), pictured with (from left) students Talia Colombani and Sophie Williamson.

Past students:
English – Candice Farrugia-Roberts
Literature – Steven Presutto
Physical Education – Chloe Dickson
Further Maths – Meg Dolphin
Psychology – Chloe Dickson
Drama and Theatre – Joel Peters
Biology – Meg Dolphin
Dance - Abigail Pettigrew
Media – Bella Preston
Business Management – Emily Corbett
Chemistry – Isabelle Townend
Studio Arts – Marlee Carter
Italian – Katharine Graziano
Methods Maths – Darcy Myring
Accounting – Jessica Wyatt
Japanese – Darcy Myring
Physics – Isabelle Townend

On Friday 7 September, at 7.30pm, special guests and the College community will gather to celebrate the great work of students from the MLMC Music, Arts, Hospitality and Agriculture areas at the launch of the 2017 College wine. The 2017 cabernet is the first student-made vintage to wear the title of Reserve. Produced in the College winery by students, from fruit grown and harvested by them, the wine is a great reflection of the talents and commitment of these young people.

The McAuley Park Farm student-made cabernet has been collecting a range of awards since the initial vintage of 2014. These have included medals at the Victorian, Royal Adelaide and Eltham wine shows. The 2017 Reserve cabernet continues this tradition and is a reflection of many hours of hard work and attention to quality by the students.

Make sure that you put this year’s wine launch date into your diary and enjoy a wonderful evening hosted by some of the students involved in crafting the product.

We hope you can join us.

Our Senior Girls Football team dominated the EISM season, going into Wednesday's grand final undefeated. The team confidently secured victory over Emmaus in the season decider with a 3.2 (20) to 1.7 (13) victory and MLMC's Bridget Deed was named Best on Ground.

The girls will now set their sights on the Herald Sun Shield competition on Wednesday 19 September. MLMC are in this competition for the third year in a row. Fantastic effort girls - congratulations to all!

The College has a fruitful partnership with Team H Cattle Care, a Gippsland-based cattle show team. Each year our students are able to exhibit cattle at the Royal Melbourne Show thanks to the Team H sponsorship.Last Sunday, our students spent the day preparing and parading the school cattle for the sponsors and suppliers of the program in Garfield.

A significant day in the Young Farmers calendar of events, it provides the opportunity for our students to get feedback from industry professionals and high quality judges. Expert advice is provided on both the quality of the animals and students’ performance. Many thanks to Tibbooburra Angus and Anvil Angus for the supply to the school of such high quality show animals. The ability of the students to present well is enhanced by the opportunity to work for the year preparing such high quality stock. The day was a resounding success, with students Ivy Ferguson-Mayer (Year 11 Jade), Bella Green (Year 10 White) and Kirsten Moerth (Year 10 Blue) preparing and expertly parading their animals.

Programs on the school farm, McAuley Park, prepare students for the realities of various agricultural industries. Without amazing support from organisations like Team H, and without students of talent and dedication such as we have, such programs would not be possible.

Make sure that you visit the Royal Melbourne Show on the morning of Tuesday 25 September to see these amazing young people showcase a year’s work in the parade ring.

Our Year 8 students attended a wonderful and challenging incursion with Real Talk in Centennial and McAuley halls last Tuesday. Based on Christian values Real Talk is an organisation that encourages students to 'get real' on a range of issues related to personal identity. Led by engaging presenters the day was full of activities and interactive discussions around the core themes of ‘Love and Life’.

The students learnt about The Four Facts of Life:
1) People are a gift from God
2) People are sacred
3) We are made in the image of God, and
4) Every person is created by God for a purpose.

In essence, the nature of human relationships was at the core of the day’s activities. After lunch, the groups were split into single-gender groupings, with gender specific discussions around the nature of respectful relationships. This day tied in beautifully with the Religious Education curriculum in Year 8.

Here are some student reflections from the day:

Real Talk showed me that no matter what happens to you, you are worth the same. Real Talk showed me how to be a good person in a relationship. — Kale

The sessions made me think about the relationships I have in my life and how I view myself as a person. — Lauren

The Real talk session showed me the responsibility and worth that comes with relationships and understanding emotions. It also taught me about self worth and correct actions in wrong situations. — Perry

During Real Talk I found out about relationships and how I view myself. This is important because it can affect the way that I treat myself and others. The way that we view ourselves can affect our decisions in life. In the talk we learnt basic concepts for us to be able to accept ourselves and others in healthy relationships. — Lucille

Real Talk made me think about how I view the world and how it changed my perceptions of how I think about myself and my worth and relationships between two people. — Chloe

The Real Talk session made me change my perspective about how I view everyone and the relationships I have between people and that we shouldn't change who we are to feel good enough for someone else. — Jasmin

I learnt that God will always love you no matter what and to respect others and yourself. — Will

Real Talk was good because they talked about how to treat yourself with respect and others. — Virgilio

The games, although fun, also made us think about real life and tough decisions that we have to make. The most knowledgeable game was where we were given scenarios where we had four choices and we had to order the answers from the most to the least sensible. — Danielle

I learned a lot about the consequences of doing the wrong things on social media and in real life, and it made me a lot more aware of the things I should and shouldn’t do. They were also very open with us and made us comfortable so we were more open to say things and answer their questions. — Jett

The fantastic speakers from Real talk gave us a great opportunity to learn and experience new things such as what to do in situations when being peer pressured, making choices, tips on relationships and much more. The boys learnt things about strength and the girls talked about what beauty is. — Cheyenne

When we teach young people to drive we give them information, guidance, encouragement, practice and support. Learning to drive is a gradual process with young people developing competence over time. We build skills and remind them of their responsibility to themselves and others and that there are consequences for actions.

Internet usage is no different, but it is an area many parents feel less confident in managing. Talking with young people about technology use is essential, it is an integral part of their world whether you are someone who embraces it or not. When digital technology is used thoughtfully and appropriately, it can enhance daily life. But, when used inappropriately or without thought, technology can displace many important activities such as face-to-face interaction, family time, outdoor play, exercise, unplugged downtime and sleep. Digital technology should work for you and work within your family values and parenting style. This is not the forum to explore the pros and cons of internet usage in depth, but to promote conversation and to highlight some resources which are readily available to assist you.

Families need to consider the age of their children/young person, what works for them and develop clear communication around expectations of technology use. A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation with your whole family about how you all use the internet and discuss together how to behave in a positive way when online at home, at school or at a friend’s house. There are some websites listed below which may assist you in navigating the online world with your young person and assist in generating your own family agreement:

esafety.gov.au/iparent
Where you can learn about the digital environment and how to help your child have safe and enjoyable online experiences.

thinkuknow.org.au
Advice on what children SEE, SAY and DO online. It is an easy way to remember what your children may encounter online, and the potential challenges they may face.

Family internet agreements: irules.co/
​​Visit HealthyChildren.org to create a personalised Family Media Use Plan that works within your family's values and busy lifestyles.

MLMC is pleased to offer a Parent Seminar later this term with Hugh van Cuylenburg from The Resilience Project (see the attached flyer). The seminar, The Impact of Social Media on Adolescents, will be held on Monday 17 September from 7pm in the Lecture Theatre. Please join us for a coffee and an engaging presentation on an issue that impacts on so many young people today.