From the Principal – 22 June 2022

Dear Parents and Carers,

We regret to inform families that today the difficult decision has been made to close the whole school on Friday 24 June, due to illness and staff shortages. Unfortunately, this means that our plans for Rug Up Day and to welcome guest speakers at our Whole College Assembly as part of Refugee Week will be postponed until Term 3. Click for full details.

Refugee Week (19 – 25 June 2022)

This week we have reflected on Refugee Week and the incredible legacy that we all enjoy as a result of the contribution that refugees have made to Australia. The support of refugees is at the heart of the Mercy Charism and the work of Caritas, and other Catholic agencies. Given the impact of the invasion of Ukraine, the need to support those impacted is critical.

The number of refugees caused by war and global warming has increased markedly since COVID started. During that time, the ability for people to escape oppression and displacement has been more difficult due to border closures and strict immigration laws. We look forward to the stories being presented by our Karen students and members of our community when we next have the opportunity.

Prayer for Refugee Week

Lord, make us bearers of hope,
so that where there is darkness,
your light may shine,
and where there is discouragement,
confidence in the future may be reborn.
Lord, make us instruments of your justice,
so that where there is exclusion, fraternity may flourish,
and where there is greed, a spirit of sharing may grow.
Lord, make us builders of your Kingdom,
together with migrants and refugees
and with all who dwell on the peripheries.
Lord, let us learn how beautiful it is
to live together as brothers and sisters.

Amen.

(Prayer from Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 20 June 2022.)

Term 2 Reflection

This term has been marred by COVID, winter illnesses and the flu and I want to thank everyone across our community for your patience and understanding. Thankfully, we have been able to minimise major interruptions for most of the term, only to be hit hard in this final week of term. We are hopeful that these circumstances will ease to allow for normal operations for our students in Term 3.

The highlight of the term has been the return of extra-curricular activities and events that are pivotal traditions of CMC. For many students and recently appointed staff this is the longest consistent sequence of school for a few years.

Last week our Year 12 students were able to take part in Retreat at Federation University. The Retreat is such an important opportunity for Year 12s to reflect and spend quality time with their peers. We were also delighted to welcome the CMC Production back to the stage. This year, students and staff from across the College worked tirelessly to present Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’.

Our music and drama students have also been able to perform in front of audiences, our Year 9 students enjoyed the trials and triumphs of their outdoor experience in Victoria’s spectacular Southwest, we have gathered for Masses and assemblies and have welcomed guest speakers back to the College. Our sports teams have also appreciated the chance to take part in a range of competitions, including our senior football making it to the SSV Premier League final in Ballarat against another Mercy School, Emmanuel College. from Warrnambool. Read more about Term 2’s sporting endeavours in the Sports Update – Term 2, 2022. All these events form community and tradition. We will persevere to ensure these events are still held and planned into the future.

Please remember to take a moment and read the Semester 1 reports with your child or children at home. Share in their success and discuss areas that might be opportunities for growth through Semester 2. If there are any questions, please contact the College.

Building Progress

We are delighted to announce that the Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct is progressing accordingly, and the delays have been minimal. This is outstanding given the rain and challenges with materials in the market over the past months. This time next year it will be a vastly different space and our patient Coolock students will have lots of options at recess and lunch.

At St Mary’s, there are new gates located at each end of Wright Street. They have been designed in keeping with the architectural style of the nearby buildings and fit in very well. The installation of the gates was a recommendation to improve safety and ensure that we can better secure the location if an emergency or critical incident was activated. We pray they will not be needed for that purpose.

Keeping our Community Safe

Recently you received information detailing the increased presence of police at Coolock. Thank you to the number of families who contacted the College to ensure everyone was safe, and who supported the course of action. As was stated, the presence was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of everyone at CMC. We will take a proactive response to any information that is forwarded and always include the appropriate authorities. The College is in regular close contact with the local police as we share information and support one another. The students have been very receptive to the police presence in the classroom and the yard. They will continue to be present regularly and actively involved at both campuses. We thank Bendigo Police for their support.

Last weekend, the state government made several changes to the COVID-Safe settings in Victoria which are applicable from 11.59pm on Friday 24 June. Please read the COVID Update about changes to vaccination requirements, transport of children to school by positive cases, and special provision for senior secondary classroom learning and school-based assessment.

Year 7, 2023

Our enrolments for Year 7 2023 are the highest ever for CMC, and presently are well beyond three hundred. We are delighted with this outcome and incredibly grateful for such support. The process this year has been far more rigorous, with less interruption, and will provide better transition into Year 7. To have finalised enrolments before the end of Term 2 is a credit to Mrs Audra Petri, our CMC Registrar, and all the staff who have been involved in interviewing Year 6 students and organising enrolments.

Thank You to Our Staff

Thank you once again to all our CMC staff for their perseverance and professionalism through this semester. The transition back to the routine and habit of school is still progressing and slowly everyone is returning to some normality. The impact of COVID and isolation is becoming more apparent.

SRC Taking Action in Pride Month

Finally, I want to thank our CMC Student Representative Council (SRC) members at both Coolock and St Mary’s for their hard work in raising awareness and inclusion across our school. During Pride month, the SRC has proposed that we appropriately identify members of our community with the preferred pronoun and this proposal will be formed into policy and presented to the CMC Advisory Council by them early next term. At both campuses Pride posters and flags have been located to raise awareness and support our LGBTQIA+ students and community members.

Prayer for LGBT Catholics

Lord, you are my shepherd, the one who knows my voice, recognises me, and calls me by my name.
You gather me up, hold me close, and feed me.
You strengthen me when I am weak, heal me when I am sick, and bind up all my wounds.
Lord, you are my shepherd, the one who refreshes my soul, invites me to the table, and welcomes me to dwell in your house.
I am your LGBT child, baptised into your flock, O Lord.
My family and I cry out to you for shepherds here on earth – your church and among ourselves – who like you know us, feed us, care for us, and invite us to your table.

Amen.

(Prayer from LGBT CATHOLICS website “Building Bridges of Ministry in our Catholic Church”)

Have a great holiday – stay safe and warm.

Kind regards,

Brian Turner, Principal

Year 12 Retreat, Federation University, Ballarat 15 – 17 June 2022