Mercy Messenger - Term 1 Week 4 19 February 2021

The year is now well underway and students should be establishing their routines for study and homework. Routines need to be flexible enough to accommodate the events that normally occur, such as family birthdays. The routines should prioritise homework, but also allow for working on any additional classroom activities. If any parent/guardian or student have concerns, please contact me through the College office.

Opening and Investiture Mass
At our Opening Mass on Wednesday 10 February, we presented senior badges and ties to all our Year 10 students, with our College Leaders also receiving their specialised Leadership badges. I would like to express our thanks to Fr Don White and Fr Jayanthi Maddala, who led us in celebration for the start of another year. 

I would like to congratulate our singers and musicians who led us in worship so beautifully. Thanks also to Mrs Jeanette Refalo and all staff who helped organise this celebration.

Bishop’s Inservice Day 

Last Friday, as you would be aware, was a pupil-free day for all Catholic Primary Schools and Colleges in the Mackay Region. Teachers and staff were involved in online sessions delivered by various staff members from the Diocese. Ms Leesa Jeffcoat AM, Diocesan Director Catholic Education, spoke about ‘What Makes a Catholic School’. Bishop Michael McCarthy DD, Catholic Bishop of Diocese Rockhampton spoke about ‘The Church and its Mission’. Special Guest Speaker Steve Lawrence addressed staff on the subject ‘What is Missionary Discipleship’. His presentation encouraged us to reflect on actions to build relationships. Mercy College and St Patrick’s College staff joined for the afternoon session, where Fr Don White spoke on ‘The Eucharist’, followed by an information session on the Mercy Brekky Van. The day was enjoyed by all.

Ash Wednesday Celebrations 

Ash Wednesday Liturgy was held on Wednesday 17 February with our College Leaders distributing the ashes. Project Compassion was launched and students were reminded of the importance of caring and giving to others in need during the Lent Season.

Mercy St Vinnies Committee
Congratulations to the Mercy St Vinnies Committee for your fundraising events on Valentines Day. All funds raised will go to the St Vincent de Paul Society. Well done students!

Sporting Trials
We have a number of students participating in sporting trials at the moment. Congratulations to all students chosen to represent their sport and good luck in your competitions.

Good luck to Coen Birch and Kai Wilschut who will be competing in the upcoming National Bare Foot Skiing Titles

Mercy College P & F 

The P & F Committee held their first meeting for the year in Week 3 and I welcomed support from all attending. It was good to see such a strong presence and support for the Mercy College students and community. 

We would like to extend our thanks to the 2021 committee for their service to the College community. In particular, we thank:
Michelle King – President
Selena McSherry – Vice-President
Sharon Etwell - Treasurer
Jenny Luke – Minutes & Correspondence Secretary

Thank you to all parents/guardians who have stepped up to fill the current P & F Executive roles. 

Mercy P&F Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:00pm in the College Library. All are welcome.

Mercy College Board 
The first Board meeting for the year followed our P & F meeting and it was a night of induction and discernment. We say farewell and thank you to Jason Green, Anthony Bartolo and Bianca Fewquandie.

We would like to welcome: Shannon Maher – Chairperson, Fr Don White – Spiritual Leader, Derek Worden – Regional Board Liaison Officer & Religious Education Consultant, Bernadette Rasmussen & Rebekkah Pollard – Co Secretary, Helene Vella – Parent, Rebecca Naumann – Parent, New Parents; Matthew Landt, Kris Arnold, Tara Smyth, Sharon Pengelly. Staff; Jeanette Refalo – Acting Spiritual Leader, Scott McSherry – Senior Leadership Team Rep, Helen Patroni – Staff Rep, Janelle Agius – Principal

These members bring a broad range of experience to our College Board which will ensure that our school will be well led now and into the future.

Mrs Janelle Agius

These past three weeks have been very busy. We’ve celebrated the Year 7 Welcome & Candle Ceremony, Year 10 students commenced their Brekky Van service, the Opening Mass and most recently the Ash Wednesday Prayer Service and Ashes Distribution.  From our Opening Mass and the Presentation of the Senior Students ceremony, I would like to share Father Don White’s homily.

We gather for this Mass to dedicate the new school year at a time when many schools and colleges cannot. Although we look back on 2020 as a most challenging year, we also know that God sent many blessings to us. In the imagery of the Old Testament reading  (Numbers 6:22-27), just like the ancient People of God, we too look and pray for blessings in this new year.

The new school year, and especially this Mass with its focus on congratulating new student leaders, draws us to think about our new leaders. We especially welcome Mrs Agius in her role and challenge in leading the uniting of our two Colleges. We also focus on the things we want to achieve in the wider context of the purpose or tasks of our Catholic schools and Colleges.

I imagine the tasks of our Catholic schools and Colleges in the shape of a triangle. The first task, at the bottom of the triangle, takes up most of the space, that of learning or education. It takes up most of time and effort, comes in all shapes and forms, and we acknowledge that Mercy College stands in a long tradition of excellence, giving our young people the opportunity for learning for the future.

The second task as we move up the triangle, not taking up as much space is the invitation to understand and express the values from the life of Christ. As a Catholic College, the values of Christ as we know them in the Gospel and as they are expressed in the Church, are the values of our College community. Those values are serious life-giving expression of the Christian life. To believe in what Christ said and taught requires his values to be lived out. The Catholic Tradition tells us that there is an objective truth about good and evil, right, and wrong. It is not something we make up, swayed by thoughts, and influences of secular wisdom; rather it is given to us by God. For God has placed an eternal law in our hearts and it’s most important value, the one we cherish foremost as Catholics, is the unconditional respect for human life dignity from the moment of conception until natural death. Christ defended and protected it, and so too does His Church. As a Catholic College that bears his name through Mercy, we are also about defending and protecting human dignity. When we trample on someone’s dignity or someone tramples on ours, we are diminished: we are lesser people and suffering enters our world. But upholding our dignity and the dignity of others, sets us free and keeps our sight on Christ. As a Catholic College we are drawn to this objective, eternal, unchanging truth that shows us right from wrong and how to discern good and evil in the world. Christ constantly tells us in the Gospel, that God has placed deep within our hearts, this truth. A truth that stands outside of us that guides to a meaningful and rich life.

Thirdly, the last part of the triangle is the top part which although it is the smallest space, it might turn out to be the most significant space of all. That space is prayer. As a Catholic College, we are a community of faith and so we are a community of prayer. Prayer will only take up a small part of our time in College life, or in our personal lives, but it is how we connect with Christ. Prayer might turn out to be the most important thing we do on any given day, taking a moment together or alone, to invite Christ into our hearts, to guide us, to inspire us, to help us. - Fr Don White

Mrs Jeanette Refalo

One of the most important things about being a Catholic school in the 21st century is knowing who we are and what purpose we serve. We need to have a clear understanding of our role as a Catholic school. To assist with this and as an important part of our School Improvement process, Mercy College is participating in a Catholic Identity survey which is conducted by Leuven University in Belgium. The research project is conducted every four years and is aimed at assisting us with understanding how our Catholic identity is expressed in work and practice, as well as supporting plans to further enhance our Catholic Identity for the future.

All staff and students from Years 8 to 10 will participate in the survey at school. We would also like to give all parents/guardians a voice by inviting and encouraging you to take part in the parent survey, which will be conducted online and is not identifiable. 

All parents/guardians who complete the survey can enter the draw for a $300 School Fee reduction. Simply print the completion of participation certificate.  Return this certificate to Student Reception to enter, and your child will also receive a Free Fish Burger voucher to redeem at the Tuckshop..

Please refer to the letter with instructions sent via email on 17 February and complete the surveys by Monday 1 March

Mrs Jeanette Refalo

• Pupil Free Day Thursday 25 February 2021

• Year 7 Meet the Teachers BBQ Thursday11 March - 5:30 - 7:30pm

We are looking for some new hockey players for our Mercy College Team, especially BOYS.  Hockey is a great team sport, where students have lots of fun, form new friendships and learn new skills! No prior experience necessary.  Games will be held on Saturday mornings at the Mackay Hockey Fields.  If you are interested please see Mrs Marino for further details or a permission letter.

Mrs Roselynne Marino

Hoping by now all students, new and returning, have settled into Mercy College and are excited and enthusiastic about the start of 2021. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all new families to the College and hope your time with us over the years is a memorable one. We have begun Term 1 energetically and all students and parents should have signed the Student Diary to become familiar with our expectations. 

As you would be aware our rule of no wearable technology at Mercy is something that we continue to follow up. We insist on students having verbal conversations and interacting face-to-face whilst at school. We also believe this rule eliminates a major distraction and disruption to their learning. If students have smart watches, fitbits or other wearable tech, they are to be kept in their bags or lockers throughout the day. This also applies to mobile phones which must not be kept on their person, they must be in a student’s bag or locker. If these items are seen, heard or used during the hours of 8:00am – 3:00pm, they will be iLogged and returned to the student at the end of the day. On the third occasion, the item will need to be collected by a parent/guardian and a meeting arranged with the Assistant Principal-Students, to discuss further consequences if this were to happen again.

Your child may have also informed you of the rule regarding hats. A school hat must be worn at all times except indoors. I have been very impressed with the attitude of students towards this rule and it is a rule that requires constant reminders. Students have been informed on Assembly, that they are required to wear their hat before entering the school, as they hop off the bus or out of their car, during all break times and moving between classes. If for any reason your child doesn’t have their hat or is wearing the incorrect uniform, they require a note from their parent/guardian explaining the reason why. On Monday 22 February we require all students to wear their full Formal Uniform including their hat for a uniform check during Homeroom. If they have a PE Practical lesson during the day, then they are allowed to change into their Mercy Sports Uniform for that lesson. We insist on one uniform check every term, as students are expected to wear the correct uniform which helps with self-discipline, commitment and a sense of belonging. 

The final rule I would like to draw to your attention, is uniform expectations and ‘hair’ which can be found in the grooming section of our Student Diary. We have recognised a number of male students making an effort to adjust their hair styles and I thank those parents/guardians who have been working with us to correct this situation. Our guidelines are very clear with photograph examples included in the Diary for parents/guardians and students to refer to. Please do take the time to read over these rules with your child and ensure you understand them. If you have any questions or concerns with regard to these rules or any other rule, please feel free to contact your child’s House Coordinator or myself.
 
Mr Chris Sorbello

Mrs Carmen Bennett

The first couple of weeks’ anxieties of new beginnings for our Year 7 students may now be subsiding. However, with the anxiety of the unknown diminishing, stress about achieving may be taking its place. Our Year 8 - 10 students may also be experiencing stressful moments as the realisation of their next year of schooling becomes a reality. Students and their parents/guardians can assist each other by recognising that the young person is experiencing stress and looking at ways to deal and cope with it.

“Stress is a normal reaction to life’s changes and challenges. It can motivate us to get things done and to feel better about trying new things”. (Beyond Blue) Stress can be helpful if managed. Stress is different to anxiety.

Anxiety can present as anxious feelings which can be very intense and consistently occur. The person may still be feeling anxious after the stressful event has passed. Anxiety can cause so much distress, that it interferes with everyday life and hinders the person’s ability to learn, socialise and carry on with normal day to day living.

Below is a link to the beyou web site that has easy to read fact sheets regarding stress.
https://beyou.edu.au/fact-shee... 

Please contact a member of the Counselling team if you have any concerns regarding your student.

Ms Susan McKay, Mrs Tarnah Kemp and Mrs Edie Weiss 

Year 10 Brekky Van

Almost all of our Year 10 students have completed their inductions to serve on the Brekky Van. Underneath the supervision of staff, students have started cooking and serving breakfast on Wednesday and Friday mornings from the St Vincent de Paul building in Juliet Street. They are engaging in conversations with others and learning about the positive impact that they can have on those whose life experiences vary greatly from their own.

Year 8 Buddy Reading

Our Year 8 students have begun a reading program with younger students at St Mary’s Primary School. This week we had our wonderful Argos students go and listen to the Year 2 students read. Students will be rostered on in Homeroom groups, however, they are welcome to go along anytime.

Year 7 Market Garden

The Market Garden has grown into a jungle over the holiday break. Year 7s from Triton have started cleaning up the garden by removing the weeds. We have some new corn coming through and some wonderful veggies that are almost ready to harvest. Once the garden is tidied up, we will have new space to plant more produce. They are enjoying getting their hands dirty.

Mrs Cecila McLoughlin

Did you see your child curled up with a book for a blind date on Sunday?

It may have been Valentine’s Day on Sunday but it was also Library Lovers’ Week all last week! 

The students found our “Blind Date with a Book” very popular, and Library staff had to find and wrap more books on 3 separate occasions; such was the demand.

Our promotion is running all this week too, so maybe you may want to mention it to your child?

What a busy start to the year it has been for the St Vinnies Committee! Our fundraising efforts are already in full swing with the annual St Valentine’s Day fundraiser painting our school a sea of red last Thursday. We sold over 300 heart-shaped lollipops and 100 single red roses for the St Vincent de Paul Society. 

Thank you to our wonderful Committee Chair, Mikaela Penny, and the rest of the committee on such an excellent effort. A special thank you to justice@mercy for helping out with the sorting of the roses and lollipops – we really appreciated the help! Ash Wednesday took place this week, so we are now turning our attention to Project Compassion. Please support this great cause if you are able. Furthermore, for the first time, St Vinnies will have a stall at the school Aquatics Carnival in Week 5 selling chips, lollies and soft drinks.  

A huge thank you to Ms Mitchell and Ms Saikovski for their work with Vinnies last year. Vinnies welcomes new students and staff to the Committee this year, and new faces are always welcome. Our meetings are on Fridays on even weeks, in C01 from 11:00am. Looking forward to a fantastic year!

Mrs Louise Mullaney

The 2021 Mercy College Aquatics Carnival will be held next Wednesday February 24.  It is an annual event where all students are required to attend and be involved in representing their House. All students have a number of opportunities to participate in a range of both participation and competitive events at the carnival. 

The carnival runs from 2:00pm to approximately 8:45pm. Due to the late finish, there will be no school for students on Thursday February 25.  Students will have a study day at home. 

Throughout the carnival, students are asked to remain in their House areas when not participating in an event.  Parents/Guardians are welcome to attend and support students, but are asked to remain in the designated parent area. 

Students will need to be collected by their parents/guardians at the conclusion of the carnival (approximately 8:45pm). They will not be allowed to leave the venue without a parent/guardian present.

See below the Student Expectations for the Aquatics Carnival:
⮚ students can wear their House shirt on the day of the carnival. 
⮚ no brief swimming costumes.
⮚ all students are requested to leave their iPad at home on the day of the carnival (February 24).  
⮚ the Interact and Vinnies Committees will be selling drinks, lollies and chips. The P&F will be providing a BBQ and selling steak burgers - $5 and sausages on bread - $2 for students to purchase food.
⮚ no crepe paper, coloured zinc, glitter, coloured hair spray or hair fudge.
⮚ don’t bring any valuables to the carnival, e.g. phones, large amounts of money, etc.
⮚ if students are unable to swim on the night a note must be given to their House Coordinator on the day prior to the carnival.
⮚ students who are unable to attend the carnival must attend school for the normal school day on the day of the carnival and have submitted a letter to their House Coordinator explaining their absence from the carnival. 
⮚ students are to remain with their House when not competing in an event. Parents/Guardians are not to be in student areas.
⮚ as parent/guardian seating will be extremely limited, it is recommended you bring a chair.
⮚ if a student needs to leave prior to the Carnival’s conclusion, a signed note must be presented to the relevant House Coordinator. The student must be collected from the front gate and signed out by the parent/guardian;  this letter needs to be submitted prior to the day of the carnival.
⮚ our usual School Rules apply for the carnival and any student who chooses not to follow them will be sent home.

Mr Michael Comerford

Fee Statements for 2021 were issued on Saturday 5 February 2021. If you did not receive your Statement please contact the Finance Office immediately.
 
We encourage families to contact the Finance Office if assistance is required in setting up regular payment plans.  Payments can be made by either Parent Lounge, Cash, Cheque, BPay, Credit Card, Direct Debit or Internet Banking Transfer.

If you have not already done so, please complete and forward your 2021 Account & Discount Information Form to the Finance Office, to allow us to calculate any family discounts due. This form is to be completed by all parents/guardians yearly and is a requirement for College audit purposes.

If you have any concerns with the payment of your account, please contact the Finance Manager to discuss your situation. We have a number of concessions and payment options that we can put in place to assist you. All conversations will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Mr David McKie

The rosters for Tuckshop were emailed before school started. If you volunteered and have not received a roster or could not read it, would you please ring me on 4969 4155 (Mercy College Mackay) or 0401 003919 (mobile).

I am still seeking volunteers. If you have a couple of hours to spare it would be greatly appreciated - mums, dads, grandparents, guardians. The hours are 9:00am till 2:30pm. Our busy period is in the morning from 9:00am till 12:00 noon.

Mrs Margaret Floyd

Year 7

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS 
1 ½ cups self raising flour
½ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup chocolate chips
⅓ cup caster sugar
½ cup brown sugar
125g butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Whisk egg and vanilla in a small jug then add to butter mixture. Stir in the flour mixture
4. Sift self raising flour and cocoa into a bowl. Stir in the brown sugar.
5. Add to butter mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Add chocolate chips and mix well.
7. Roll a tablespoonful of mixture into balls and place onto baking tray.
8. Leave space between cookies to allow for expansion.
9. Flatten balls with a floured fork.
10. Bake cookies in the oven for 15 minutes. 
11. Allow to cool on tray before moving.

Year 9

Vanilla Cup Cakes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups self raising flour
Glace’ Icing
250g softened butter
½ cup icing
1 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon warm water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
185ml milk
12 cupcake paper cases

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line cupcake tin with paper cases.
2. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add sugar, butter, vanilla essence, eggs and milk and beat well.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared patty tin.
5. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. 
6. Cool and decorate as desired. 

Year 10

Welsh Cheesecakes

INGREDIENTS

1¾ cups self raising flour
170g butter, softened
¾ cups caster sugar
3 medium eggs
60ml milk
2 sheets shortcrust pastry
4 tablespoons raspberry jam

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 190*C. Lightly spray one muffin pan.
2. Cut out rounds of pastry with a scone cutter (large enough to come up half-way of the muffin pan).
3. Place all the ingredients (excluding the jam) into a mixing bowl and using an electric beater, beat until creamy. Do not over beat.
4. Carefully place 1 level teaspoon of jam into the middle of the pastry cases (do not allow jam to touch the edges of the pastry).
5. Spoon the cake mixture on top of the jam so it is level with the top of the pan.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops of the cakes are golden.