Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community

Change is an interesting thing, an interesting process which has been on my mind of late. For instance, how do we ensure good processes around change to assure sustainable, lived and embraced change, how do we teach that change is an inevitable part of life and that resilience comes from embracing it. While change is inevitable, change for the sake of it is empty and not worthy of our time.

I have some favourite short quotes about change that continue to inspire me and give direction in decision making.

The first I heard while watching a West Wing episode many years ago: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

I really like this concept because in many ways I imagine that we are all being called to enact it.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Ghandi

“If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.” — Ed Foreman

and finally

“Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future” — John F. Kennedy

So to change is a part of life within our College.

Firstly, our College uniform continues to evolve to be more equitable for everyone. In the last 18-months we introduced trousers for girls as a part of the winter uniform to ensure they have warm options for the colder months and also to create more opportunity for participation. In addition, there was also the introduction of compulsory tracksuit pants in winter as part of the College sports uniform. Both of these changes have been embraced and I thank you for your support. Adherence to the College uniform policy is agreed upon during enrolment and should never be an issue that causes tension between families and the College.

Our uniform continues to evolve. At the last Advisory Council meeting, after consultation through a small working party and the College Executive, the Council approved a change to the girls’ summer uniform. The Council approved the introduction of a ‘girls cut’ summer shirt and shorts as an alternative to the summer dress. We are now talking to the uniform suppliers to get such items made and hope they will be available from the beginning of 2020. Suitable adjustments will now be made to the implementation guidelines of our Uniform Policy.

A second change worthy of your consideration is a change to the College Mobile Phone Policy and how students use such devices at the College. Going back a few years, the College had a policy whereby mobile phones could not be used whilst at school. Considering the way of the world and technology usage in society, we relaxed that policy to allow a far more liberal approach.

We were wrong. Over these past two years, walking around the campus, it has become obvious that students are using technology way too much and not learning to interact without them. Anecdotally we believe that the social development of some children is being hampered by overuse of technology.

Furthermore, I have received a number of communications from parents, both existing and future, indicating their displeasure with our current policy. I have also formed the belief that issues around cyber safety and cyber bullying are again increasing.

With regard to all of the above and after consultation with parents and staff, we have decided it is time to correct our policy remembering that we do this for educational reasons and for the overall development of our students.

Accordingly we have developed a new College policy around this issue.

POLICY STATEMENT

1.1. This policy explains the circumstances whereby student use of devices is acceptable within the school setting, as well as ensuring students and parents understand the responsibility that goes with the use of such a devices.

1.2. Devices, other than the portable electronic devices (i.e. MacBook or Chromebook) issued by the College, or a BYO device agreed upon by the College, are not to be used or carried by students between the hours of 8.45am and 3.15pm.

1.3. By limiting access to personal devices, students will be:

1.3.1. enabled to concentrate and engage more fully in their learning away from notifications, distractions, and the urge to check their phone;

1.3.2. in a safer, more supportive learning environment, as personal mobile devices (not on the school network) cannot be monitored and inappropriate sites cannot be blocked;

1.3.3. encouraged to develop stronger social skills and build deeper relationships with their peers; and

1.3.4. empowered to improve their physical and mental health by unplugging during the day.

Please find a full copy of the final draft of our updated policy and implementation guidelines attached.

These are final drafts and are yet to be approved at Advisory Council level, although they have been given an in principle agreement.

In reading these draft policies, please remember that no policy can cover every possible situation and it is the spirit of the policy which is important. It is also the spirit of the policy for which we seek your support.

In the coming weeks all students will be told of this change in policy, which will be implemented at the start of Semester 2 this year.

I understand this is a substantial change and it is only with your support that issues will be minimised.

God Bless

PTV Bus Inspectors

On Tuesday 11 June the College was visited by the PTV officers to observe students entering and tapping on to use the bus service. The officers issued over 50 warnings to students who did not:

• have Myki cards
• had myki cards with no credit
• did not tap on.

Can I please ask families to have a conversation with your sons and daughters to ensure that they tap onto the bus when entering and that they always have a positive balance on their Myki cards. The PTV informed us that they will conduct future spot checks and any student not carrying a valid card will be issued with a fine.

End of Term 2 and Start of Term 3 Reminders

End of Term 2 — reminder to parents that students will finish the term on Thursday 27 June. The end of the day will be as per the normal finish time at 3.15pm.

Beginning of Term 3 — a reminder that Monday 15 July is a student free day. On Monday staff will participate in a spirituality day by gathering as a community to strengthen our ministry and grow in faith. Students commence lessons on Tuesday 16 July.

Student Representative Council (SRC) Survey

Soon the SRC will survey students, asking for their feedback about the use of the College study planner. It would seem many students no longer use them, preferring to organise themselves with apps and calendars available to them on their Mac or Chrome book. I welcome the input from you the parents, and your insight as to what you see working best for your child.

Absence from School — Guidelines

Daily absences — please call 9237 1365 as soon as possible. Absences are recorded on our school student administration system. It is important to communicate all absences through the College office, not to the homeroom teacher.

Anticipated absences — if your child will be away from school for more than two days due to illness, please contact the College Office on 9237 1365. If your child can undertake some study during this absence, please make contact with the relevant teacher who may provide you with the appropriate work to help minimise the impact of your child’s absence on their academic progress.

Early leaving time — if your child is required to leave school early please inform the school via the absence line (prior to school starting) on 9237 1365. If you are contacting us to sign out your child during the school day please use the main College number.

For school absences of three days or more (except when related to injury or illness) a request for approval must be sent to the Principal, Mr Philip Morison via principal@mlmc.vic.edu.au

Reminder: Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).

Funding assistance to pay your College fees is available through the CSEF. APPLICATIONS CLOSE 26 June 2019.

A discount off tuition fees is available for parents holding a current Health Care Card or Pension Card up to $225 per student available for eligible applicants. To be eligible you must be, as of the first day of either Term 1 (30 January 2019) or Term 2 (23 April 2019), a holder of a valid means tested Centrelink Card or a temporary Foster Parent. OR — you are a student of 16 years or older who holds a Youth Allowance Health Care Card.

If you have NOT ALREADY APPLIED for the CSEF Funding at the College for 2019, please complete a form and return to the College or contact the Finance Office on 9237 1315, for more information. NB: A signed copy of your valid Centrelink Card must be attached to the form to ensure your application can be processed (nb: we can copy the card for you at the College).

Please note: late applications cannot be accepted. Final applications close on Wednesday 26 June 2019.

Please find attached a Pastoral Letter to the people, clergy and religious Catholic communities in the Victorian Dioceses of Melbourne, Ballarat, Sale and Sandhurst.

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecclesiastes 3

Prayer

There is a winter in all of our lives,
a chill and darkness that makes us yearn
for days that have gone
or put our hope in days yet to be.
Father God, you created seasons for a purpose.
Spring is full of expectation
buds breaking
frosts abating and an awakening
of creation before the first days of summer.
Now the sun gives warmth
and comfort to our lives
reviving aching joints
bringing colour, new life
and crops to fruiting.
Autumn gives nature space
to lean back, relax and enjoy the fruits of its labour
mellow colours in sky and landscape
as the earth prepares to rest.
Then winter, cold and bare as nature takes stock
rests, unwinds, sleeps until the time is right.
An endless cycle
and yet a perfect model.
We need a winter in our lives
a time of rest, a time to stand still
a time to reacquaint ourselves
with the faith in which we live.
It is only then that we can draw strength
from the one in whom we are rooted
take time to grow and rise through the darkness
into the warm glow of your springtime
to blossom and flourish
bring colour and vitality into this world
your garden.
Thank you Father
for the seasons of our lives

Amen

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Congratulations to all involved in the World’s Greatest Shave held on Friday 7 June. As a College we raised $2227.05 for the Leukemia Foundation to support their cause — finding a cure for blood cancer. A special mention goes to one of our Year 12 students, Charlton Pettigrew who raised in excess of $1,400 (nb: Charlton is pictured below being congratulated by the Principal).

There was a wonderful feeling of school spirit, as students came down to clap and cheer for those who were getting their heads shaved for the cause. A large number of students also participated by having their hair colored. Many thanks to the wonderful SRC for their fundraising and organising on the day.

Four teachers (Mr Kelly, Mr Hysted, myself and the Principal Mr Morison) agreed to shave our beards if the students reached their fundraising targets. Having surpassed the all important milestone of $2,000, Mr Morison will keep his promise and have his beard shaved on the last day of term to help us finish the term on a high note.

Our thanks and congratulations to everyone involved in achieving such a wonderful result for this year's World Greatest Shave.

The College’s wine making program has been in operation for five years and continues to grow from strength to strength. The progam is unique in that the students manage every aspect of the process from pruning the vines to bottling the wine in time for the launch in September.

Winemaking commences in winter on the College vineyard which produces the Cabernet grape variety. Making the McAuley Park Cabernet is a year-long activity for the students. Last Friday 7 June, Year 9 Agriculture students and members of the MLMC Young Farmers club completed the highly anticipated bottling stage of the process. During this all-day activity, students ran the entire process which involved:

• sterilising the bottles
• putting CO2 in the bottles
• filling the bottles to the exact level
• corking the bottles
• capping the bottle with heat shrink caps.

During the bottling process, the students learn to operate a range of appliances such as vacuum filling equipment and also learn the importance of quality control at each stage.

We are feeling optimistic about this 2018 vintage. Willy Lunn (winemaker at Yering Station and long term supporter of the College’s wine making program) has tasted it and gave us some enthusiastic feedback about the quality of the wine. We’re also looking forward to feedback from our wine patron Suzanne Halliday in the run up to the wine launch in September.

On Tuesday 28 May, 20 of our Year 9 Outdoor Education students embarked on a camping and hiking excursion to Wilson's Promontory for three days and three nights. The weather conditions turned out to be worse than predicted and the first night proved to be a challenge for many students. As a result we altered our camping plans and went on to hike Mount Bishop, Mount Oberon and Seals Cove. Despite the weather our students adopted a great attitude and made the most of the experience. My thanks to staff members Mr Dimitracopoulus, Ms Duff and Ms Franken for their support.

Here are two wonderful student reflections:

Jacob Avery (Year 9 Gold)

We did the camp so that we could have a good experience and learn about hiking and camping. We also did it to learn about Wilson's Promontory for our bushcraft assignment. I learnt about how to use a trangia, how to set up a tent properly and other things about camping. I also learnt a lot about the history of Wilson's Promontory, its wildlife and how it is affected. When we arrived at camp I felt excited about the couple of days ahead. When we were setting up our tents in the storm though, I lost all my excitement because I was focused on getting our tent set up.

We arrived at Wilsons Prom,

To be thrown under a storm,

We set up our tents,

But the poles were bent,

We tried to sleep,

But we had to creep,

To the girls bathroom,

We were out of the doom,

In the morning when we awoke,

We thought that night was a joke,

The teachers booked a cabin,

We had been saved from the famine

We began our hike on Wednesday,

The skies were still a bit grey,

We walked to Mount Bishop,

It was a bit of a hop,

But when we reached the top,

Where we all wanted to stop,

We saw the view,

It was pretty true,

That we were all sore,

And didn’t want anymore

Ailish Sheehan (Year 9 Bronze)

On the camp, I experienced many feelings including happy, cold, sad and 'over it'. On the first night when the weather conditions decided not to help us out, I was cold, wet, tired and wanted to go home. I was most certainly not excited about hiking for the next three days. That night I got about fours hours of sleep and that made me very tired. When the teachers told us that we were getting a lodge, I could not have been happier. I had no problem hiking every day if I got to sleep in a proper bed in a proper lodge for the next two nights.

On the Mount Bishop hike that day I was scared of the thunderstorms. We were under lots of trees and there was lightning but we survived nonetheless. That night I was happy because I got to sleep in a comfortable bed in a warm lodge. The next morning when we started to hike to Sealers Cove I was nervous but knew I would be okay. The start of the hike was a little challenging but I got through it and remembered that every step was a step closer to the end of the hike.

When we arrived at Sealers Cove I was pretty done and did not want to walk back another 10km but it went surprisingly quickly. When we got back I was very happy and could not wait to sit down. On the last morning waking up very early was not fun and I was tired. Hiking up Mount Oberon was hard and I did not want to do it. My legs ached and I was ready to go home. Once we got up to the top I’d like to say it was all worth it but it really wasn’t. Walking back down was easy and quick and I was happy to be on the bus on our way home.

On Thursday 30 and Friday 31 May our Year 10 students embarked on an epic adventure — the MLMC City Experience 2019. The program provided students a valuable opportunity to exercise their independence, navigate the CBD, become confident using all types of public transport and learn more about Melbourne’s amazing culture.

Students participated in The Great MLMC Race where teamwork, time management, resilience and problem-solving skills were crucial to their success. They also explored popular attractions such as the MCG, Melbourne Museum, National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Arts Centre. A visit to The Big Issue saw them participate in an eye-opening session that focussed on the struggles faced by Melbourne's most marginalised residents.

Congratulations to Year 10 Blue who took out the overall win for the Great MLMC Race and to the highest scoring individual teams, Blue 4 and Bronze 1. A huge thank you to all the staff who assisted on the days and in the lead up to the event, particularly our Year 10 Homeroom Teachers, the administration and finance staff and our nurses in first aid.

Here are some student reflections on the experience:

The Great MLMC Race was a fun way to kick off the two days, spending time bonding with mates from our homeroom while searching for Melbourne icons and snapping silly photos. Attending the Big Issue talks gave us a deeper insight into the struggles of the homeless in the city and how to help support these people. Then, venturing out somewhere of interest to us, such as the MCG or the Melbourne Arts Center helped to get to know others in the year level with similar interests. The City Experience was heaps of fun and a great way to get to know the Melbourne CBD while enjoying ourselves with friends. — Zoe Hendriks, Year 10 Bronze

The MLMC City Experience was one that gave me many great memories and taught me skills that will help me later in life including how to successfully catch public transport to find my way around the city without getting lost. On Thursday I got the chance to take a tour around the MCG where I learnt a lot about the stadium and the sport. Later that day we went and met with people from The Big Issue and listened to guest speakers teaching us about homelessness and what we can do to help. The MLMC Great Race was on Friday which was a way for me and my group to find our way around and to see landmarks scattered throughout the city. My favourite activity over the two days was the Great Race as I got the chance to visit famous locations throughout the city. — William Geeves, 10 Silver

Like many other students in my year level I was very interested in finding my way to and from the city and taking part in activities organised by the school with my fellow schoolmates. We did numerous things in the city, for instance I did a tour of the MCG, visiting the rooms where the players warm up and the boxes where the commentators sit. I also participated in the The Great Race which led us to city landmarks such as the State Library and Her Majesty’s Theatre. Over the short time that I spent in the city I learnt countless life skills and it’s fair to say that the only complaint was that I wish it could have gone on for longer! — Declan Barker (Year 10 Jade).

Two weeks ago the Year 10s got to go on the City Experience. It gave us the opportunity to experience a new environment and to learn how to be independent and find our own way around the city. It was a very fun and meaningful experience. We got to do things like tour the MCG, explore the city and also learn about The Big Issue, which was about homelessness. My favourite part was getting to hang out with all my mates in a different environment and learn about the MCG and visit Coliingwood’s change rooms. — Maddy Beard, Year 10 Jade

In this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours, old collegian Peta Searle (class of 1991) was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the AFL. She has been a trailblazer over many years in women’s involvement in the AFL.

Peta was appointed by St Kilda in 2014 as the first fulltime female assistant coach in the men's competition and more recently as the Senior Coach of the inaugural Saints AFLW team — they will play their first game next year.

I worked with Peta as a student teacher back in 1994 and I remember her as a very hardworking, ambitious young lady. Our paths continued to cross as she played cricket for Box Hill womens and I played football for Box Hill in the VFA. Over the years I have followed her rise through the AFL ranks with great interest.

Our warmest congratulations go to Peta from the whole MLMC community – what an inspiring old collegian she is.

MLMC’s dedicated First Aid Officers Kristin Collins and Kate Draffin recently won Ambulance Victoria's Metro-West Team of the Year for their volunteer work in the community. In addition to this work, Kristin and Kate also manage the College’s First Aid facilities providing an exceptional service to approximately 40 students who visit the First Aid team each day.

Winning this award is a significant achievement as the category included teams from all of Melbourne and the north west area. Their win with the Kinglake CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) team was based on the criteria: turn out time ­­(ie: being the first responders), the number of shifts covered and teamwork. They were nominated by the District Manager and the results were based on votes from their peers.

Kristin and Kate both live in Kinglake and have been involved with the CERT team there for nearly four years. After the Black Saturday bushfires an ambulance station was established in Kinglake operating from 7am to 5pm. To provide services to the community overnight a volunteer based service was also set up and Kristin and Kate were quick to put their hands up. They often respond to calls in the middle of the night and then turn up for work the next day at MLMC.

Kristin who has been at MLMC for seven years says, “living in a rural area, it’s important for the community to have access to emergency services that can respond to late night emergencies, so I thought I’d volunteer. I have the skills to offer as I was based at the Box Hill emergency department for 10 years.” Kate attributes her family background in volunteering for her motivation to choose to become a paramedic and is currently undergoing training at Ambulance Victoria. “It’s great being able to put everything I am learning into practice each day at MLMC,” she says. She completes her Diploma by the end of this year before continuing for a further two years to attain a Bachelor’s degree.

We send our wholehearted congratulations to Kristin and Kate on receiving this award - it is an outstanding achievement and we are grateful for their ongoing contribution to the MLMC community.

A group of 17 students from our Senior VCAL class attended a course on effective research skills at the State Library of Victoria on Tuesday 11 June. The students spent the day learning how to navigate the internet to ensure their research is from credible and reliable sources. They were then tasked with researching different topics that took them to various sections within the library.

This is the first year that we have taken part in this program and it proved to be an invaluable exercise for the students. They were able to develop their skills in research and to learn about the resources available to them at the State Library of Victoria. It also helped them meet outcomes for their Skills for Further Study class.

As one of our VCAL students Natalee Marchese (Year 12 Gold) said:“This is awesome. I never even knew this was here and available to us”.

We would like to extend our thanks to the State Library of Victoria and Ms Fitzpatrick for a wonderful day.

On Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 June 338 Grade 5 students from eight local Catholic primary schools visited MLMC to experience a day in the life of a secondary school student as part of our Future Stars program. The program has been running at the College for a decade and offers primary school students an opportunity to spend a day with students from other primary schools and to experience a range of classes and activities.

On their arrival, a new MLMC backpack, a bounce ball and a pair of white sunglasses were given to the students as a souvenir of their day at MLMC which were received with great enthusiasm. The students from different schools were divided into groups so that they were mixed together as they will be in secondary school. Each group had two MLMC student helpers from the Year 9 leadership group to accompany and look after the nine and ten year old students across the day.

Tahliya William (Year 9 Purple) officially welcomed the primary students and Cheyenne Moore (Year 9 Silver) did a great job behind the scenes supporting the MLMC teachers involved in the various classes and activities. Across the day the students took part in eight different classes, just like they would in secondary school. Some learnt about chemical reactions in Science, some made pin-wheel pizzas in Food, while some others played drums and used their bodies to pose as objects in Drama.

Everyone had an enjoyable day and we are thankful to the teachers and students from our local Catholic primary schools for visiting us and taking part in the day with such great energy and enthusiasm.

Many of our Senior VCAL students are at the age when they have, or will soon have, their driver’s licence. To prepare them for the risks of driving, this week they attended the Motorvation driver education program that focuses on changing young driver attitudes and behaviours. This is very important as evidence suggests that many young drivers can be overly confident and take unnecessary risks while driving.

Motorvation is based in Kangarro Ground and takes a unique approach to changing young driver attitudes. They work with groups of young drivers aged 15-20 years to decrease risk-taking and collison risk. This hands-on program is regarded as a highly engaging excursion for secondary students and our Senior VCAL students reported that the session was extremely valuable and definitely had a positive impact on their driving habits.

(1) Student Achievements

Baseball
Congratulations to Harry Doyle (Year 7) who has recently competed in the Australian Little League Baseball Championships in NSW, representing the Eastern Athletics Baseball Charter. Well done, Harry!

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

Cross Country Training
It’s that time of year again – cross country season! Training has begun, with carnivals run in Term 3 - start training now. 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.

(2) 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.

(3) 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)

(4) Results

Year 8 Results 4 June

Year 9 Results 6 June

Year 8 Results 11 June

Year 9 Results 13 June

On Monday 3 June the entire Year 12 level went on an excursion to the Box Hill Institute at the Lilydale Lakeside Campus to attend the Tertiary Information Service (TIS) Event.

TIS is a collective of universities, TAFE institutes and independent colleges that help students prepare for future careers. The Year 12 students attended a presentation about VTAC and transitioning to tertiary education after secondary school. They then had the opportunity to meet and gain knowledge from a range of tertiary institutions during a mini expo held at the event.

VTAC applications for courses for the year 2020 open to Year 12 students on Monday 5 August. Year 12 students will receive more information regarding this in Term 3, but are welcome to come to the Careers Centre at any time to talk about pathways for 2020.

The FRG (Father Rob Galea) Ministry has asked us to let you know about an opportunity for members of the community to get involved in a concert that will be held at 5pm on Sunday 14 July in Moonee Ponds.

The Coming Home concert will be a contemporary witness of faith that will reach out to young people. The organisers of this initiative hope to draw as many young people as possible to further inspire them in their Catholic faith and to encourage them to know how Jesus can work in their daily live. They also encourage people of all ages to come along and experience this unique evangelistic event.

Please see the poster attached for all the booking and event details.