Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community

Welcome to the 40 days of Lent that started with Ash Wednesday on the 14 February. At the College, year level services were held throughout the day, very capably led by the Year 10 Youth Ministry Team. I attended the service with Year 9 students. During the service ashes are used to draw a cross on each person’s forehead while one of the following is said: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return".

The Ashes are made by burning the palms that were used on Palm Sunday last year.

This may seem a strange ritual to the uninitiated. In the past I have heard it said by adults that it is wonderful the way the Catholic Church has come to remember the Ash Wednesday bush fires and honour those that have lost their lives. Now whilst this may be a nice sentiment, we know that Ash Wednesday has a longer and more widespread tradition and so too does the practice of having one's forehead signed with ashes. It has a biblical parallel. Putting ashes on one's head was a common biblical expression of mourning seen in both the Old and New Testaments. We start Lent by doing it as an outward sign that we mourn Christ's suffering on the cross and that we recognise that we are not perfect and are with sin, which is what made that suffering on the cross necessary. Lent itself is the 40 day period in which we prepare for the Easter season and the Paschal Mystery.

His Grace, Archbishop Denis Hart has written to each and every one of us in his 2018 Lenten Pastoral Letter, the text of which I have included below for you to read.

The 2018 College year has started very well and although busy, it is great to see the buzz across the grounds and in the classrooms. Last week I had the pleasure of visiting all nine Year 12 homerooms as they started their year together with a Retreat. This is a very important part of their final year together and it helps them to reflect on their relationship with each other, with God and to be open to all the messages that they will receive this year. Messages that will hopefully prepare them academically, but also prepare them for the life that is to follow their time at Mount Lilydale Mercy College.

So too, I had the pleasure of visiting all ten, Year 7 groups as they joined together in their camp. This camp, while lots of fun, is about welcoming each other and forming as students starting at our College. Hopefully it was a bonding experience that saw friendships made and respectful relationships initiated. I know you can see a marked difference within groups from the start to the finish of the camp.

Ash Wednesday this week highlighted to us that the printed College calendar sent home to you contains a handful of errors and omissions for which I apologise. It indicated that Ash Wednesday was Wednesday 21 February, which it clearly is not. Similarly the Night of Excellence will take place on Friday 14 December (not Monday 17 December). Please make these changes in your printed calendars and refer to the calendar on the website for the most up-to-date source of information. The following dates have been confirmed on the website calendar ie: Open Day (14 March), College Play (10, 11, 12 May), Careers Expo (27 July) College Musical (2,3,4 August) and Year 12 Graduation (24 November).

God Bless

PASTORAL LETTER OF ARCHBISHOP DENIS HART

LENT 2018
'Repent and believe the good news!'

Dear Friends,

Lent is a time for ‘Spring cleaning’ in our souls. We move the furniture in our life, take down the curtains, wash the windows and create space by removing what clutters our daily lives. It is not just a matter of getting rid of mess. It is rearranging things, finding ways to create more room, a better space. We see ourselves differently and make more room for God.

During the holy season of Lent we open our hearts and minds to a fresh, deeper, fuller awareness of God within us, around us: a deeper awareness of God's will for us. We are each called to spend extra time in prayer and to confess our sins honestly to Christ in the Sacrament of Penance.

Lent reminds us forcefully that we will be judged at our death and must give an account of our life.

Yet death is such a taboo subject in our culture. Some treat it as a ’problem’ that can be 'solved' and legislated about. But Lent reminds us we must ponder deeply its stark reality.

During our life on earth we struggle to protect our future with bank accounts, credit cards and investments. We protect the future with health plans, life insurance, social security and retirement plans. There is nothing wrong with that. But the statistic on death has not changed. It is still one per person.

There comes a moment when no amount of cash or plastic or investment protects us. We die. No human support goes with us to the grave. Human companionship stops at the tomb, and we enter alone, except that the Lord goes with us. Because of his dying and rising to new life, the Lord is with us at death, through death, and takes us to the other side to share in the transformed life which God has prepared for us.

This is why we could wear ashes on our forehead for four weeks and say "dust to dust" without being morbid. We were entering into the dying and rising of Christ.

So this Lent please fast, pray, and give alms. When we reduce our intake of food we discover what it is like for so many in our world to go hungry all day. We reflect more deeply about life… and death. When we pray more intensely, our mind opens up to wider horizons. When we give things away and support Project Compassion, we create more space in our lives, more room for God, and we realise how much we depend on God.

And during this Lent of 2018 we have a special duty. At every Mass we pray ‘through my fault, through my most grievous fault’, and the recent Royal Commission has indeed highlighted the evil and sins that have done so much damage to children, families and all of the Body of Christ.

I urge each of you this Lent and beyond to pray and act for healing for all victims. I commit our Church once again to the sacred vocation of ensuring such terrible evils are never again inflicted on Christ’s ‘little ones”.

Yes, let us pray for the grace of repentance. Christ’s message is demanding, but let us never forget, it is our Good News and salvation!

Listen to Christ Jesus as he cries out to each of our hearts, this Lent 2018:

Do not be greedy.
Be lavish in giving your goods to others.
Live the generosity of God.

Do not be violent.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Do not be spiteful.
Be merciful as your heavenly father is merciful.

Do not be frightened.
I am with you all days, even to the end of time.

Come to me all you who find life weary and burdensome,
and I will refresh you.

As we prepare to celebrate the Sacred Triduum - the dying and rising of Christ ... and our dying and rising with him … let us all: “Repent and believe the good news!”

+ Denis J Hart
ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, Christian growth, penitence, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring-cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him.

Prayer of Releasing

Holy, holy, holy God

We place ourselves in your presence; we rest in the promise of your grace.

Our minds and our spirits are cluttered with many thoughts and feelings that threaten to pull our attention away from you.

We release all that we have done today–whether for good or for ill.

We release all that we feel like we should have done today, but did not do.

We release all that we need to do tomorrow.

We release our fear. We release our anxiety. We release our impatience. We release our pride.

All of the thoughts, all of the feelings that pull us away from you, O God, we release.

Fill us now with the joy and the peace of your deep, abiding presence.

We offer all of ourselves to you, our One God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.

Amen

The VET Sport and Recreation's first camp of the year was to the Cathedral Ranges — it started our school year two days early, but it was well worth the premature end to holidays.

We arrived at school bright and early, packed our usual camp stuff, minus the 15kg packs which we were all relieved about. The drive was about an hour. On arrival we separated into two groups, each taking a bus to each end of the track where we would swap onto the other bus at the end. Group one started their hike along Ned's Gully Track and finished at Jawbone Creek while group two did the hike in the opposite direction, ending at Ned's Gully Track. The hike was approximately four hours long including a lunch break in the middle where we stopped halfway along the track and met up with group two. As we climbed to the peak of the track the sights became clear. They were amazing and brutally breathtaking. You witnessed the vast open land from above, viewing large properties, with houses that looked like the size of ants. We slowly headed down to the bus, from there we travelled to Cooks Mill camp site where both groups set up camp and settled in for the night. It was snags on the BBQ for dinner, games and chatter among peers for entertainment and a rock hard ground to sleep on.

Cereal and Milo for breakfast that morning and an organised quick pack up. This day then lead to the same deal as yesterday where both groups separated but one started at Sugarloaf Saddle and the other from the campsite (Cooks Mill). My group encountered a climb up the rocks, slowly making our way to the top. Rock climbing was the way to go. To reach the top we first had to climb through a small gap in the huge rocks called Well's Cave track, which was so tight that our day packs had to come off so that we could slowly pull ourselves through the tight space. After that small adventure Mr Murray had set a rope up for us, for safety, as we had to climb up a vertical rock wall. Once we all reached the top we continued on with our hike and again met the other group halfway. After all completing the hike we made lunch back at the bus, packed up and then headed back to school. This camp was such a great way to start the school year. After all, many laughs were had and our eyes had seen many beautiful views.

A great camp, with great people and great views!!!

The Yarra Valley Film Festival and Twilight Market is a Mount Lilydale Mercy College Old Collegians' Association initiative. Together with the College community, the Old Collegians are hosting the event on the grass slopes of the College on Saturday 24 February.Last year's innaugral festival was a great success and this year's will be even bigger and better. You can check out the out highlights from last year's festival here
Yarra Valley Film Festival 2017.

The festival celebrates the best in short films, local wines, beers, wines, ciders, live music, produce and lots more! Last year, celebrity entertainer Rob Mills hosted the event and this year we hope to have more guest surprises. If you'd like to come as a guest or as a volunteer, please do so - we'd love to have you. Volunteers get free entry!

• 5.30pm the Twilight Market kicks off
• 7.30pm to 8.30pm PG films
• 9pm onwards grown up films with adult themes.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW at
Tickets - Yarra Valley Film Festival 2018

Special thanks to our supporters: Yarra Ranges Council, Punt Road Wines, Payne's Rise Winery,Global Ballooning Australia Heritage Holden, Heritage & Heritage Funerals, Lisa Angus Photography, Visual Culture, Coldstream Brewery,Yarra Ranges Life TV, Yarra Ranges Film Society, ROTARACT YARRA RANGES, Napoleone Beer and Cider, The BE Council, Mount Lilydale Old Collegians Football Club, Trevor Dudleys Menswear & Gamekeepers of Australia.

The Camps Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families with the costs associated with school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid directly to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is $225 for secondary school students.

Commencing 2018 the requirement for parents to complete and submit a new application form each year has been removed. Parents that received CSEF at the school in 2017 do not need to complete an application form in 2018 unless any of the following changes have occurred:

• new student enrolments ie:your child has started or changed schools in 2018 or you did not apply at the same school in 2017 or
• changed family circumstances such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2018.

If a form was not lodged in 2017, parents or legal guardians are required to complete a CSEF application form and lodge it with their child’s school for processing.

Application forms should be completed and lodged with schools as soon as possible in Term 1, as payments are made from March onwards. However schools will be able to accept and process applications up until the end of Term 2 each year.

CSEF payments are for the current application year and cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years.

The CSEF application form is attached below. They are also available to download from either our MLMC Finance Website or from www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

Parents must lodge their CSEF application form with a photocopy of your Health Care/Pension Card.

NO LATE APPLICATIONS CAN BE ACCEPTED.

For more information about the CSEF visit www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

The 2018 Jigalong Immersion will run from 5 to 11 August.

Completed applications are due in by 9am on Friday 23 February. No late applications will be considered. We do not have a final cost but it will be in the region of $2000 payable in instalments.

Application forms are available from Student Reception (since 9 February). Please ensure you have no calendar clashes before applying.

Further details available from Ms Keogh.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Modern Pentathlon
Congratulations to Lachlan Nicholls (Year 8) who won his age group at the National Championships last weekend in the Modern Pentathlon, meaning he is now the Australian Champion.

Winter Olympics
Congratulations to Casey Wright (ex student) who competed in the Ladies’ Sprint Classic and Ladies’ 10km Free cross country skiing races at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Casey represented her country extremely well and we’re so proud of her here at MLMC!

AFL
Congratulations to Joel Garner (ex student) who debuted for Port Adelaide Football Club against Geelong at the Adelaide Oval in the first game of the new AFL X. Joel, who left Mount Lilydale for Scotch College in Year 9 (2014), was taken pick 60 in the 2017 AFL Draft.

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

MLMC SWIMMING TRAINING

When: Monday afternoons (3.30-4.45pm) and Wednesday mornings (7.00-8.00am)
Where: Kilsyth Pool
Why: To improve your swimming and fitness levels - ALL abilities welcome. Commendations and house points up for grabs!
Cost: FREE

*Students will be bussed from school to pool on Mondays and back to school from pool on Wednesdays
*Breakfast provided on Wednesdays

Please see/email Miss Webb in the Doyle Centre for more details

MLMC SWIMMING CARNIVAL

When: Friday 23 February
Where: Lilydale Outdoor Pool
Who: Years 7-9: Compulsory attendance Periods 1-4. Years 10-12: Invitational from lunch - end of the day.

EISM WEEKLY SPORT REMINDERS

With the Summer seasons of Year 8, 9 and Senior EISM Sport all now 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
• 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 for $10) & mouthguards 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. Change the sport in the drop down box and click “Go”

Victorian All Schools Triathlon Championship
If there are any students interested in competing in the 2018 Victorian All Schools Triathlon Championships on March 4, please see Miss Webb in the Doyle Centre.

Independent Schools Golf Championships
If there are any students interested in competing at the 2018 Independent Schools Golf Championships on March 19, please see Miss Webb in the Doyle Centre. Students thinking about this should already play golf outside of school and have a handicap.

FOLLOW US FOR ALL THE UPDATES!
Instagram - mlmc.sport
Facebook - Mount Lilydale Mercy College Sport.

SENIOR RESULTS 7 February - HEAT OUT

Year 9 Results 8 February

Year 8 Results 13 February

Senior Results 14 February

Year 9 Results 15 February

The annual Japanese Summer Festival is on again next weekend. We encourage all our students (and their families) studying Japanese at the College to attend and indeed anyone interested in Japanese culture. It is a wonderful day out showcasing all things Japanese.

Welcome to the season of Lent and the annual Caritas Project Compassion collection for those most in need. In 2018, MLMC is giving members of our entire College community the opportunity to donate on-line. This is in addition to the usual collections made in homeroom groups and at various sites around the College.

When you donate, you are giving those on the margins of society, the opportunity to have life and live it to the full.

We have established an online link (see below) which appears on the Caritas website and your generous contribution will be instantly added to the MLMC 'scoreboard'. A tax invoice and receipt will be issued the moment you donate so that your contribution can be claimed as a tax deduction.

The link is: https://fundraise.caritas.org.... year Project Compassion demonstrates how Caritas Australia empowers young people to become channels of love and positive change for their entire communities. A Just Future is possible for all generations and communities, who are part of one human family. A Just Future starts today.

Thank you once again for your support and may I wish you every blessing for the Lenten season.

School anxiety, reluctance and/or refusal is an issue that can effect any family. Joanne Garfi is a psychologist with 23 years experience and expertise in child and adolescent issues. Don’t miss this chance for expert advice. The workshop will take place at the College on Monday 19 March at 7.00pm. You can find all the details about the workshop in the attachment below. 

Do you want the opportunity to become more involved in the life of Mount Lilydale Mercy College? Now is your chance. The Parents and Friends' Association are holding their AGM on Tuesday 20 February at 7.00pm in the Staff Dining Room (at the back of the Mount Saint Joseph building) and everyone is invited.

The meetings are held in a relaxed and friendly environment and your presence at the meeting does not mean you have to sign up to help at every activity. To assist with catering, please complete the Parents and Friends AGM form. If you are unable to access the link please email me at ryanm@mlmc.vic.edu.au

If you are unable to attend the meeting/s and still want to support the Parents and Friends' Association, please sign up on the form anyway and you will be placed on the email list to be included in all correspondence.

Save the date! There are a number of other activities for you to add to your calendar for this term:

• Tuesday 6 March is the Year 7 Special Persons’ Day assembly, tour and morning tea
• Open Day is Wednesday 14 March and
• the Year 7 Family Picnic is on the evening of Friday 16 March.

More details will be included in future newsletters.

I would like to remind you that the Uniform shop run by the Parents and Friends' Association is open every Thursday this term. They sell uniforms on consignment and are very short of small winter uniforms. If you have uniforms to sell please complete the form which is available from Reception and leave it with the laundered uniform. They also have a good stock of new Lab Coats for sale.

2018 Instrumental Music Lessons

The Instrumental Music Department still has a few vacancies in Term 1 for private 30-minute lessons in brass, cello, drums, bass guitar, piano, violin, voice and woodwind. Be quick! All private lessons are run during school hours. If you are interested in joining this exciting program please download an enrolment form from the MLMC Parent Portal website or alternatively, email the Instrumental Music Secretary Sharon Flint on sflint@mlmc.vic.edu.au for further information

NEW in 2018 - Cello Lessons

The Music Department is VERY excited to offer cello lessons to our students in 2018. As the College already offers brass, drum, guitar, piano, voice, violin and woodwind lessons to our students, we are thrilled to be able to extend our Instrumental Music Lesson Program to include the beautiful and majestical sound of the cello. For further information on the cello, or to receive an enrolment form for the 2018 cello lessons (commencing in Term 1) please contact Mrs Sharon Flint, Instrumental Music Secretary on sflint@mlmc.vic.edu.au or 9739-2217. Be quick as spots are starting to fill up!

The College has some very exciting news for our NEW Year 7 students. The Music Department has four Music Scholarships to award to the first four students who enrol into brass (only) Instrumental Music Lessons for 2018. Lessons will be held on the same day each week in the Music Department with our new brass tutor. For further information please contact Mrs Sharon Flint on 9739 2217 or email sflint@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Enrolment forms can be downloaded from the Parent Portal (Forms and Information) under Music!

Remember the saying …….”The early bird gets the worm”.

The Homework Club commences on Wedensday 21 February and will run every week from 3.30pm to 4.30pm in McAuley Library.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of a regular homework time slot and there is also assistance with Maths and Science from Year 12 students and support from teaching staff as well.

Parental permission is required and the relevant information is now available on the Parent Portal.

Please be advised that the office will be closed from 8.45am to 10.20am on Wednesday, 21 February due to the Opening School Mass.

Welcome back to school from the College libraries!

Mount Lilydale Mercy College has two libraries, McAuley Library for Years 7-9 and Barak Library for Years 10-12. The College libraries provide:

• welcoming learning spaces
• a range of services and activities, including research and reading activities, after school study/Homework Club, Chess Club and library quizzes
• print and digital material to support learning and recreational needs.

YEAR SEVEN ORIENTATION
On Wednesday 31 January all Year 7 groups enjoyed an introductory library session (with Ms Cooney in McAuley Hall) covering the ways the library can support their learning. This week they continued their orientation with `Stepping Up’ (with Ms Cooney and Miss Ryan) where they looked at the library homepage and how that can also support their learning. The students also learnt how to search for items of their choice using the Oliver catalogue. Most sessions concluded with the selection of a book from the Reading Room, so that all Year 7 students now have some reading to enjoy.

On Wednesday 14 March Mount Lilydale Mercy College will open its doors and provide a warm welcome to prospective students and their parents.

From 11am to 5pm you will be able to see the College in action and experience a normal school day. Guided tours will depart regularly, showcasing our beautiful grounds and outstanding facilities. You will also visit classrooms where you’ll see the teachers and students interacting in a normal class setting.

Enrolment Information Sessions for Year 7, 2020
At 12.45pm, the Principal, Mr Philip Morison, will address visitors in Centennial Hall and provide information regarding Year 7 enrolments. If you can’t make it during working hours, there will be an Information Session the following week at the College on Wednesday 21 March from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

Throughout the day there will displays of the faculties and the extensive range of curricular and cocurricular activities that are available to our students. Refreshments will be served by the Parents and Friends’ Association and the Registrar, teachers and senior students will be there throughout the day to answer any questions you may have.

You can register at Open Day 2018 Registration

We look forward to welcoming you to the College.