AMSSA REPORT June 2017

Welcome to the second AMSSA Newsletter for 2017. I trust the term has been a successful one and, no doubt, staff are looking forward to the holiday break.

The planning for the Mercy Staff Conference is going very well and the AMSSA Executive and Planning Committee are looking forward to welcoming you to Melbourne from August 3 – 5, 2017 at the Catholic Leadership Centre where the Conference will be held. If you have not already registered for the Conference, the Conference Brochure is on the website.

Before the Conference officially starts on the morning of Thursday, August 3, Mercy Principals will be meeting at the Conference Leadership Centre. Further details and the agenda will be emailed directly to principals.

The AMSSA Biennial General Meeting will be held during the Conference and I ask that all schools please send a representative to the BGM.

Mercy Principals in Perth have now started to organise the next Mercy Student Conference which will held in Perth at the Santa Maria College Boarding House from September 22 – 26 2018. Please add the dates to your diary and further details will be available at the Staff Conference.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Conference which will a great gathering of staff from our Mercy schools in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Kitty Guerin

AMSSA Executive Officer

Damascus re-enacts the Easter story with ‘The Final Hours’

Every second year Damascus transforms the College campus back to the middle-east of 2000 years ago, to tell the tale of the last few hours of the man we call Jesus. ‘

The Final Hours’ is a College drama production that will run for four shows, commencing tomorrow, Tuesday 11th April and will conclude on Friday 14th April, involving a cast and crew of over 40 students from Years 8- 12.

Mr Andrew Seeary, Performing Arts Coordinator said that for more than a quarter of a century and through fourteen individual seasons ‘The Final Hours’ has been presented at the same time of year, with the same words, same subject matter and the same music, and has proudly continued to be one of College’s longest running traditions.

“The production is the proclamation of our identity as a Catholic school by the dramatic retelling of one of the Gospel’s central stories and at the same time actively serving our College motto to ‘Live by the light of Christ’, he said. “From its simple beginnings in 1990 when a group of senior drama students at the then St. Martins in the Pines stepped up onto a small wooden platform this Passion play has grown into a complex and technically challenging theatrical event.”

The performance will again utilize both interior and exterior locations around the College grounds and involve over forty students in both acting and technical roles.

The play showcases not only the talents and skills of these students but the wonderful natural beauty and architecture of the Mount Clear site.

Damascus students speed date a scientist

On Monday 8th May, all Year 9 students will have the opportunity to take part in the annual ‘Speed date a Scientist’ event at Damascus College.

Now in its seventh year, this event promotes careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) amongst the student body.

Past students and parents of Damascus College who work in the STEM area are invited back to speak and inspire students about their occupation.

Each student will speed date six to eight scientists for 10 to 15 minutes each. Students will rotate amongst speakers, where they will listen, talk, ask questions and complete a worksheet on their experience.

Ivanka Saric, Science Learning Area Leader said that this event exposes students to careers in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics and Psychology.

Damascus College student is published in Australian teen magazine

Year 11 student Caitlyn Pitcher has recently had her illustration and article published in the ‘Exploring Teens’ magazine, in the May-July edition which was published in early May 2017.

Exploring Teens is Australia’s only magazine aimed at helping parents of teenagers, arming them with what they need to know about the wellbeing of adolescents. Articles cover communication, teen health – mental and physical, work, finance and much more.

Caitlyn said that she is very crafty and thought that this particular magazine suited her ideally as it is about adolescents with different needs, including learning difficulties.

“I also thought that it is a good way to spread my artistic talent around Australia,” she said.

“Art is something I have had since I was a little kid, and I have been working at my talent since I was little, trying to expand my art knowledge by trying different mediums, but my favourite is using greylead.”

Caitlyn’s article is titled ‘Struggling to understand – A Teen’s Take’ and her accompanying illustration focuses on all the words and emotions involved with exams. Caitlyn writes her personal story, and of her own struggles with learning. It is a brilliant first person narrative that provides the parent readers with an incredibly privileged view into her world.

Caitlyn writes that her life drastically improved when she started at Damascus. She now has friends all over the school and all over Ballarat which is fantastic. She now believes in herself as a leader and loves helping people, and is very keen to make a difference in the world.

Caitlyn’s favourite subject at Damascus College is the Hospitality VETis course, where she is studying a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations, this will help her achieve her dream of becoming a chef after secondary school.

Damascus College student wins top honours for academic results

Damascus College student Brooke Hutchinson received top honours last week for her outstanding VCE results in 2016.

Brooke was presented with a Premier’s VCE award for excellence in Food and Technology, making her one of the top Food and Technology students in the state.

Brooke said that it was a surreal experience being invited to attend the award ceremony at the opulent Palladium at Crown Casino, and being sat amongst the highest achievers for Victoria’s class of 2016 was not intimidating as much as it was humbling to know that my tireless work was being recognised and celebrated alongside them.

“I was in awe of the remarkable young people who filled the room, all of whom had triumphed in their studies. Many of the awards were presented to those who excelled in either Language, Mathematics or Science subjects, but very few for areas like Food Technology. Just because it’s perceived as a ‘bludge’ doesn’t make it any easier to succeed in, but the fact that I beat the odds made me even prouder of what I accomplished. Hearing from numerous All-Rounders (A.K.A those who achieved 46+ in 5 or more subjects) made me feel immensely gratified to be a part of a generation who want to proactively make the world a better, more peaceful place,” she said.

Brooke was studying a Bachelor of Arts, International Studies at RMIT University. However, after 4 weeks, she decided to leave her university studies, instead opting to travel and explore her various other options before re-settling into further education. Brooke will be jetting off to trek through South America for two months in late June.

“The most difficult aspect of Year 12 was not the SAC’s or the prospect of exams, it was staying motivated until the end. Exam time was especially hard because suddenly I had so much spare time at home. The ‘difficult’ choice between television and revising was always biased.”

“To say I was lucky in not only Year 12 but throughout my entire time at Damascus is an enormous understatement. It was the greatest privilege to have teachers who were always encouraging me but also challenging me to see things from a different perspective. Some of the greatest life lessons that I stand by today were those that I learnt at high school.”

“Jenny Kinghorn, my Food Technology Teacher, was never just a teacher but a wonderful friend and someone who went beyond the realm of simply relaying the textbook. She taught me a lot more than just cooking techniques, with her endlessly preaching the necessity of embracing who you are, this is one of my fondest memories from Food class.”

Matthew Byrne, Damascus College Principal said the entire school community is extremely proud of Brooke.

“Brooke is a passionate and committed individual, and she worked extremely hard throughout her six years at Damascus, so much so that she received an academic award in every year of her secondary schooling. A true testament to her hard work and determination is that we also celebrated Brooke’s achievement as the Damascus College dux in 2016” he said.

Damascus students win the Spirit Award

Well done to the group of Year 12 Damascus students who participated in the 2017 Ultimate Frisbee State High School Championships in Melbourne on Wednesday 17th May.

The Damascus team performed well and won 4 of 8 matches and made it through to the Semi Finals. The team received the 'Spirit Award' which was scored after each game, where each team gave a score out of 10 to the opposing team based on their ‘spirit’ shown throughout the game. The votes were then tallied for a final result.

The unique part about this frisbee game is that there are no umpires, and the players respect the rules and follow them accordingly. A great show of team spirit and maturity.

Our 2017 School Captain, Flynn Jamieson also made the team of the tournament. Well done Flynn.

Vanuatu High Commissioner and ex-student visits OLMC Parramatta

Australia’s High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Ms Jenny Da Rin, returned to her Alma Mater, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta, on Thursday March 30, 2017, to speak with Year 11 students and meet with staff and the College Leadership Team.

Ms Da Rin is in Sydney as part of the government’s consultation program for the development of the new Foreign Policy White Paper. She joins over one hundred Heads of Mission who returned to Canberra for a two-day meeting to discuss how Australia can navigate its foreign, trade and development policies on the global stage.

Appointed as High Commissioner in November 2016, Ms Da Rin was a Senior Career Officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) prior to this appointment and before that, Assistant Secretary, Pacific Bilateral & New Zealand Branch. She also served as Senior Adviser to the Minister for Defence (2010) and Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2009-10). She holds a Master of Laws from the Australian National University and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ms Da Rin toured the College to get a sense of continuity and change at OLMC Parramatta, one of the oldest girls’ schools in Western Sydney, before moving to the newest building at the College, the Ailsa Mackinnon Community Centre, to speak with Year 11 students.

Jenny shared her path to her current role, including describing her final years of school and her path after she left in 1981, providing words of wisdom and encouragement to her fellow Mercy Girls.

Her time at OLMC Parramatta, according to Ms Da Rin, left a lasting impact on her life: “When I was at OLMC there were still Sisters of Mercy teaching at the school and living in the convent. One of the things that has stuck with me ever since was that Sister Janet (who was College Principal at the time) never spoke about a glass ceiling; we may have imposed on ourselves what we thought were the norms for girls but she did not ever do that. She thought we could do anything we wanted to do and she aimed to equip us with the skills necessary. I have come to recognise later in life that this is one of the key things I took away from my schooling here.”

Principal Stephen Walsh said the College was very honoured to have Ms Da Rin visit. “Her key advice to our young girls was to be confident, be capable, and not to take no for an answer and this is so important for girls to hear. It is clear that Jenny’s sense of taking action for the good of others, helping those most vulnerable was a key motivator in her path, as responding to the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami in Banda Aceh was a key watershed in her life. She is a true example in many ways of Mercy Excellence.

Ms Da Rin highlighted the importance of being prepared to engage in regional and global issues. We have to acknowledge the significant role we play as a country in shaping global outcomes and Mercy Women have a responsibility to have a voice. I feel it is our role to encourage and build the skills and resilience of young Mercy Women to take their place in these forums as critical thinkers and to challenge the status quo – this is core of our Mercy tradition.”

Fr Ray Sanchez Visits St Joseph’s College

Fr Ray worked with our Year 9 to 11 students in preparing for Lent and Easter. He spent an afternoon with each Year level and all students found him to be an engaging presenter with valuable insights into today’s world. Below are a few views on his presentations.

It started off with Fr Ray introducing himself and explaining what sort of a priest he is. He explained that he wasn’t a priest like Fr James or Fr Mick but more so someone who works with children and adults on more of a retreat setting. He then organised a game for us to play called Clumps which essentially is a game where he calls out a number and then we have to get ourselves into a group of said number. After that game he askedt us to sit down and got into the real chat. He began talking about ‘masks’ the things that people hide behind to hide their true selves and show someone who hopefully will fit in with any group. He went through a few masks, class clown, bully, bookworm. Just to name a few. He went through and discussed what each one meant and asked us as the students to talk about it with people next to us and say what we thought it meant. We ended the time off with a song which Father Rey played on the guitar and put it out for us to sing along to.

Kobe Byrne Year 9

The Year 9 students on Tuesday14th March, listened to Fr Ray, he was inspirational and inspiring. He talked about masks, and why people hide behind them; the masks he was talking about caused people to act differently and there is always a story behind why they are acting like that. This talk really made me think “do I hid behind a mask?” or “have I ever” and alsoabout all my behaviours past and present. This talk showed me it’s ok to be yourself and not pretend to be someone else. This talk was really powerful, and made me think deeply of myself and of others and why they could be acting that way.

Bethany DichieraYear 9

On Thursday 16th March we spent the afternoon with a visiting Passionist Priest, Fr Ray. Fr Ray was extremely engaging and was understanding of the whole subject of death, it gave me a whole new perspective about death and how it will be okay to let someone go if you are holding onto the thought of their death. Our school should be really thankful that he has taken the time to come and talk to us about death. I am very thankful that he gave such an inspirational and understanding talk.

Georgina Devereux Year 10

Cultural Diversity Week at St Joseph’s College

Cultural Diversity Week is held annually to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21st March, and is an opportunity for all Victorians to come together to share their culture, faith and language.

Each year during Cultural Diversity Week, hundreds of communities host their own events across Victoria to celebrate our diversity and the benefits that multiculturalism brings to our State.

At St Joseph’s College, we celebrated this week with a number of activities including our Mercy Action Group St Patrick's Day Food Stall on Friday 17th March selling lots of green food and drinks. On Thursday 23rd March at lunch time, the Mercy Action Group and Music Department organised a Student Concert showcasing the different cultures represented in Mildura. During the week-long celebrations staff and students signed our ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ Harmony Banner that was designed by Miss Andy Higgins and her Photography Class. Money raised during our celebrations went towards Project Compassion. A huge thank you to all the staff and students involved in the food stalls, banner and concert!

Mercy Action Groups 2017

Global Partnership Program

This month Sacred Heart College warmly welcomed Sr Maria Moniz and Eva da Costa Ximenes into our community. Sr Maria is Principal of Canossa College(CTID) in Baucau and Eva leads the College’s Follow Up Programa. Sacred Heart College, Canossa College and Destination Dreaming have been working together in a Global Partnership since 2013.

Our partnership sees staff and students from SHC travel to CTID each year for 10 days to collaborate with the students enrolled in the 12 month Women’s Empowerment Program facilitated by Canossa College. The time SHC and CTID students spend together is used to create the opportunity for the Timorese students to enhance their English language skills whilst participating in activities focussing on The Arts and Technology. The cultural understanding that accompanies such collaboration is rich and rewarding.

The immersion of staff into each others’ educational programs occurs each year.One year two CTID staff come to stay for six weeks at SHC as Sr Maria and Eva are now doing and the alternate year two SHC staff collaborate on site at CTID in Baucau for six weeks each. This is also a most enriching and rewarding program where we have had the opportunity to learn from each other whilst immersed in an alternate community and culture.

Sr Maria and Eva will return home to Timor Leste on 25 June accompanying our 2017 student and staff immersion group.

Western Sydney Community Leader awarded 2016 OLMC Parramatta Alumnae Award

On Tuesday March 14, 2017, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta ex-student Janice Kerrison was awarded the 2016 Catherine McAuley Alumnae Award at a special assembly in the Ailsa Mackinnon Community Centre at the College.

Hailing from the OLMC class of 1956, Janice Kerrison (nee Duck) completed her nursing and midwifery training at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and St Anne’s in Perth after completing her high school studies. Mrs Kerrison then went on to work as a Community Nurse and as an Immunisation Specialist.

Janice Kerrison has a long history of community involvement and volunteering which includes being Secretary and eventually President of the Red Cross Blaxland branch, serving as President of the Ladies Auxiliary at Blaxland Primary School and taking on the role of Secretary of the Blaxland High School P&C Association.

She was an inaugural member of Community Aid Committee (sponsored by Penrith Community Health) which became the Lower Blue Mountains Neighbourhood Centre which, to this day, continues to serve residents from Lapstone to Warrimoo.

In the early 1980s, she played a fundamental role in establishing the Riding School for the Disabled Centre in Blaxland which involved extensive lobbying, negotiations, and project management on her part. The centre has grown and continues to operate today; “The RDA gives rides to about sixty children and adults per week and the Community Centre, which I still manage, is used by four separate community organisations and also has been upgraded,” said Mrs Kerrison.

Principal Stephen Walsh said Janice Kerrison is a true Mercy Girl; “She has dedicated much of her life to the service of others, especially those in most need. Her key role in helping to build the Riding for the Disabled Centre in the lower Blue Mountains is just one important example.”

Ms Kerrison said her time at OLMC profoundly influenced her path: “Throughout my life, the values inculcated by my family and through my time at OLMC have prompted me to act rather than just wring my hands or procrastinate. I strongly feel that someone has to actually make things happen and act to make a difference. This is how the spirit of Catherine McAuley has influenced my life. She made a difference and I have tried, and in a small way succeeded, to do the same.”

Introduced in 2009, the Catherine McAuley OLMC Parramatta Alumnae Award celebrates and acknowledges the great achievements of the OLMC Alumnae community. Nominees are chosen based on a number of criteria such as commitment to social justice activities, personal, academic and professional achievement, leadership, innovation and creativity, community involvement and contribution to Mercy/Christian based activities.