Mercy Messenger - Term 1 Week 6 5 March 2021

We are now in the third week of the Lenten period. Sometimes we think of Lent as a time to make sacrifices and certainly we are encouraged to give to the poor during this time. As a College, we are this year, supporting Caritas and are encouraging students to give. Lent offers us a time to reflect more deeply on our lives and to enact positive change. As I have mentioned to the student body, there is so much power in the action of giving, not just our money, but of ourselves to those who are in need of hope and encouragement. Jesus calls us to be present and live in the present. To open our eyes to what is around us. To be blessed and enjoy each moment of our day. We need to extend care to the wider community and realise that we all can contribute to others. May the lent season be a time of reflection, prayer, self-denial and helping others in line with Mercy’s motto ‘To Serve Christ’.

Mercy College Aquatics Carnival
The Aquatics Carnival was held on Wednesday 24 February at the Mackay Memorial Swim Centre.  Thank you to Mr Michael Comerford - Sports Coordinator, staff, St Vinnies Committee and P & F Committee members for your great preparation and running of a highly successful Carnival.  Congratulations to Oraya House on winning. I was very impressed with the student’s attendance and the way everyone had a great time participating in the various events. Congratulations also to Pindar House on your strong performance winning the war cry competition. I must admit, judging this section was difficult and challenging, as the competition was so strong. Thank you also to our parents/guardians and family members, who attended supporting the students and Carnival.

I would also like to make special mention of Midas House Year 9 and 10 students who took part in ‘Laps for Life’. Students swam as many laps as possible, and for every lap completed, they raised funds for mental health and wellbeing services. Thank you to CE Smith & Co, Chartered Accountants for sponsoring the Year 9 students and Spannerman Autocare Mackay for sponsoring the Year 10 students. Well done everyone!

Academic Awards
On Wednesday 3 March we celebrated the House Academic Awards for Years 7, 8, 9 in 2020. A very special mention to all the parents/guardians and families who attended. Your presence is always welcomed at Mercy. I congratulate all awardees for your efforts and I urge all students to continue to improve habits.

Meet and Greet for Indigenous Families
On Tuesday 23 February, we welcomed our Indigenous families to an afternoon tea. I wish to thank Melissa Russell – Indigenous Education Liaison Officer for organising the event and staff for attending. I look forward to getting to know our Indigenous families and their students.

Meet the Teachers Barbeque – Year 7 Families

We have a Meet the Teachers barbeque next Thursday 11 March for our Year 7 families and students. The evening begins with a barbecue commencing at 5:30pm in the Pavilion/Tuckshop area where parents/guardians have a chance to meet staff and talk about ways to help their children achieve during their time at Mercy. Following the barbeque, information sessions on Literacy & Numeracy, Languages and Student Leadership will be held for parents/guardians and students to attend, located in various classrooms (to be advised on the evening). These information sessions will conclude at 7:30pm. I look forward to meeting our Year 7 families next Thursday.

P & F / Board Meeting 10 March
A reminder that our next P & F Meeting will be held next Wednesday 10 March in the College Library. The P & F Meeting will commence at 6:00pm and be followed by the Board Meeting at 7:00pm. All interested parents/guardians are invited to attend the P&F meeting.

Mrs Janelle Agius

All students at Mercy College have access to Google Classroom and all classes will have a google classroom where teachers post information for every lesson. This is helpful for students who may have been away and missed a class.  Parents/Guardians who have not previously been invited to receive an email of the summary of postings to Google Classroom, have now been invited to receive it. Theses emails are a summary showing your child’s progress in the classroom with an option to choose the frequency of the emails i.e. daily or weekly. You are able to unsubscribe or remove yourself from the Classroom at any time.

These email summaries include:
Missing work — work that is late at the time the email was sent
Upcoming work — work that is due today and tomorrow (for daily emails) or work that is due in the upcoming week (for weekly emails)
Class activity — announcements, assignments and questions recently posted by teachers

Below is a sample of the parent/guardian email summary:

Start receiving email summaries
As a parent/guardian, you must receive and accept an email invitation before you can receive email summaries. Only teachers and administrators from your child’s school can send these invitations. 

• The teacher or administrator emails you an invitation for a particular student. 
• You have 120 days to accept an invitation before it expires.
• In your email program, open your email invitation.
• Click Accept.
• If you’re not the parent/guardian, click I’m Not The Guardian.
• Click Accept again.

When you won't receive an email summary
You won’t receive an email summary if:

• there's no activity to report for the given time period.
• you selected No summaries for how often you’d like to receive emails.
• you aren't connected to any students in Classroom.

Remove yourself as parent/guardian
You can remove yourself as a student's parent/guardian at any time by clicking Unsubscribe at the bottom of any email summary.
Click Unsubscribe again to confirm that you want to permanently remove yourself as a parent/guardian.

Mr Adam Skoczylas

There are some stories in the Bible that are so iconic, that they are known even by people who aren’t at all religious.  For instance, most people in our society will have heard of the story of Adam and Eve; most will have heard the story of Noah and the Flood or about Moses leading the slaves to freedom across the Red Sea.  

Another key story that is part of the Sunday Mass readings this weekend is the story of the Ten Commandments (The Decalogue). Again, this story is one that almost everyone has heard of.  Numerous movies have been made about them, and almost everyone knows what is being referred to when someone says, ‘the Ten Commandments’.  And with good reason: because these Ten Commandments give us a fundamental framework for how we are to live.  They are not simply a random list of rules God gave us because he wanted to make life difficult for us; actually it’s the opposite: they are a guide given to us by God for how to make our lives meaningful and joy-filled.  God knows that we are so easily tempted to sin and he knows that sin will not make us happy.  And so he gave the Jewish people these commandments to help give their lives a peace that only comes with being in the right relationship with God and each other.

But, how are they still relevant for us in our modern society?  Let’s remind ourselves of what these fundamentally important words of God says to us today.

The Ten Commandments are the backbone of our moral life, however, they are really just the starting point.  Jesus has shown us that we are called to live by the power of his Spirit, which leads us not just to keep the rules, but to live God’s law to the full by loving him with all of our heart, mind and soul, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. During this season of Lent, may we strive to address our wrongdoings ‘clean out the sinfulness’ in our lives and change our hearts to live the fullness of God’s Law.

Loving God, You bless us with gifts of creation. May we be mindful of how the Ten Commandments are guiding us to live meaningful lives. Lead all people to a life of courage and strength to live them out in a world that is in need of witnesses to them more than ever.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen

Mrs Jeanette Refalo

On Wednesday we gathered for our Academic Awards Ceremony at the College to honor our most outstanding students. This formal acknowledgement of student success has always been a significant event in our calendar. While Covid19 altered the format of last year's learning, we were still excited to recognise the accomplishments of our Mercy students!

The individuals we celebrate, have dedicated a significant amount of time and effort in reaching their educational goals last year. As a result of their hard work, routines and dedication, they have excelled in the classroom and outside the classroom with our period of “Learning from Home”. Their efforts were especially impressive last year, as they maintained high standards and remained actively diligent throughout the College's remote learning environment.

It was great to see over 150 parents/guardians and grandparents attend, as watching students grow, develop and accomplish their goals is a major achievement which gives great satisfaction to all. We also need to recognise all the people around our students who have cared for, encouraged and provided guidance in supporting them to help make their achievements possible. Personal leadership is something that we strive for through our Leader In Me (LIM) Program at Mercy.

My challenge, as I spoke to the Midas students, was to encourage our males to aim high. We see again as our students progress in Year Levels a decrease in males achieving compared to females, but we never give up. There is no reason every student can’t receive a Diligence Award for trying their very best in everything they do. I am grateful that this year’s ceremony allows us to reflect on all that has been accomplished by our students as we definitely have a lot to celebrate!

I congratulate each of these outstanding students on behalf of the entire Mercy community, for a job well done. We are confident that your achievements will continue to grow in the months and years ahead.

Best wishes in your future academic endeavours and hoping 2021 is rewarding for every student.

Mr Christopher Sorbello

We are at that time of the semester when the assignments are beginning to mount up. This can be a new experience for our Year 7s and not always a pleasant time for our older students. To be able to best support your child in this area of keeping on track with assignments, we provide an Assessment Calendar that is able to be accessed by students and parents/guardians alike on the Mercy website. Simply go to the Students tab, Assessment Calendar will be the top option in the drop down box and follow the prompts from there. You can list your child’s assessment by either subject or due date. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going 'old school' and printing this out and sticking it on the fridge!

Assignments in these middle years are an assessment tool used to see how students can apply their knowledge in a more extended format than what exams provide. Students are often stepped through the task and provided time for completion in class, however, all will need some time attributed to them at home, which increases as students move through the years. Here are some pointers for successful assignment completion for younger secondary children:

● Understand the task - take clear notes in class and know what you have to do.
● Plan ahead - don’t leave your assignment to the last minute, it will never be your best work!
● Budget your time - allow time for the fun stuff as well as study, there is room for it all!
● Avoid distractions - find a quiet place and put your phone away, only use your iPad when necessary.
● Avoid studying on your bed - too comfy! You need to work at a desk or table so you feel like you are working, the brain recognises this and responds accordingly.
● Keep moving forward - if you are stuck, move on and see your teacher the next day.
● Take breaks - you have to keep your saw sharpened, so take a spell and re-energise.
● Get organised - make sure you bring everything home you need and take it back to school the next day.
● Submit drafts and get feedback from your teacher - most important! It’s hard to nail it the first time, so find out what you need to improve on.

Sometimes assignments may take the place of regular homework, and on other occasions it may be in addition. Typically it is expected that Year 7 students will one hour of homework a week per subject on average. Some subjects are not 'homework heavy', while others are. When averaged out, a total of 5-7 hours of homework per week would be a reasonable expectation. This will increase year to year until the end of Year 10, when a child’s chosen senior pathway will dictate the amount of homework/study to be completed. For a student wishing to achieve a high ATAR score, up to 3 hours per night would be  required. It is vital that our youngest students develop good study habits so they will be well equipped to cope with the pressures of senior studies in time to come.

Mr Scott McSherry

Last Wednesday night saw another very successful Aquatics Carnival held at the Memorial Pool. High participation and involvement from both students and staff made it a fun filled event that gave everyone the opportunity to play a part for their House. Oraya came away with a well deserved overall points win (1110), followed by Midas (1086), Triton (942), Argos (816), Pindar (792) and Badila (765). Pindar's strong performance saw them take the trophy for the best War Cry. Our Age Champions were as follows:

Year 7 Girls - Mackenzie Neilsen
Year 7 Boys - Rourke Bagley
Year 8 Girls - Chloe Malcolm
Year 8 Boys - Jack Renehan
Year 9 Girls - Mia Bradford
Year 9 Boys - Jack Henderson
Year 10 Girls - Elyse Franettovich
Year 10 Boys - Ethan Banks

Mr Michael Comerford

Miss Molly Rossetto

Thank you for the donation of garden tools for the Grounds Department; your generosity is well appreciated.

Mr Neville Lomas - Grounds

On 24 February 2021, the students of Mercy College attended the annual Aquatics Carnival. One of the six pastoral houses, Midas, joined ‘Laps for Life’ and used the 'all-in', Year 9 and 10 events to raise funds for mental health and wellbeing support services. ‘Laps for Life’ is an initiative where students make a commitment to swim as many laps as possible in a set time period, with the intention being that for every lap swum, a dollar is raised. 

Midas Year 9 and 10 students rose to the challenge and swam hundreds of laps to raise funds for this important cause, helping ‘ReachOut’ achieve its mission of ensuring that all young people have the support they need to be happy and well.

It was a scorching summer afternoon so all students involved were happy to jump in, cool down and swim laps for a charitable cause. We are extremely grateful to our sponsors ‘C E Smith & Co’ (Chartered Accountants), and Spannerman Autocare Mackay for funding our laps and being generous enough to contribute further with additional funds. Along with our sponsors, we are also extremely appreciative to Mrs Wright who kicked things off by generously donating to the cause.

Acknowledging mental health and well-being is just as important as taking care of our physical health and well-being. Life will always have its ups and downs and that is why these services are so important. If you feel you are struggling do not be afraid to reach out to one of our local services. You're not alone.

Our initial goal was to raise $400 and we are happy to report we have surpassed that goal already. We could, with your help reach $500.  If you wish to add to our fund-raising efforts please click on the link below.
https://www.lapsforlife.com.au... 

Abbey Landt - Midas 2

Extension in Mathematics:

This year at Mercy, we are hoping to create more extension activities for students in Mathematics. Our goal is to give them an experience with Mathematics that promotes creativity and a deeper understanding of pattern and number. To get the ball rolling on this plan, we have created a Google Classroom for students to join. Here, we can easily upload information about upcoming events and competitions. Interested students can join the classroom using the following class code: ejnyqq2

Year 10 Mathematics: Screen Time - Mean, Median and 5 Number Summary

In Year 10 Mathematics last week, students collected and analysed data. Some classes used our newly equipped understanding of mean, median and 5 number summaries to take a closer look at students' screen time. The results were very interesting and for some, rather surprising. As a class we found that the average student is spending 4 hours and 35 minutes every day on their phone (and that’s only the phone). With the interquartile range spanning from 5 hours and 20 minutes to 3 hours. Many were shocked by this information, but are hopefully empowered by knowledge and are ready to make a meaningful change. For more information, feel free to visit the video clip by searching: Screen time Review Douglas Bettington on Youtube.

Mr Douglas Bettington

Last weekend, Photography Club members were engaged in a workshop. For some students it was the first time they had picked up a DSLR camera and for other they were refining skills taught in previous years. The workshop began with composition and framing shots, then students learned camera care, file management and many other skills including settings of a camera. There was a migration of skills, learning  and practicing  presets with an understanding on how a camera actually works. Lots of curiosity . . . "What do all these buttons and knobs do"?  . . . Aperture. ISO, white balance, shutter speed! . . .AHHHH what the!. . .but somehow 'CLICKED' at the end of the two hour workshop.

Students practiced their skills and in future will master their creativity at the Aquatics Carnival and other College events.

Mr Rolf Muller  

Chinese Five Spice Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1 large chicken breast
2 spring onions
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 carrot sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ red capsicum
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
10 snow peas
½ teaspoon caster sugar
80g broccoli
½ onion sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
1 tablespoon additional soy sauce
1 cup rice

METHOD
1. Cut chicken into cubes; slice the onion, capsicum, carrot and snow peas. Chop the broccoli into florets.
2. In a bowl, combine the cornflour, sesame oil, Chinese spice, caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to create marinade.
3. Coat chicken cubes in the marinade and set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Heat vegetable oil in an electric fry pan.
5. Add chicken and fry until cooked. Remove and set aside in a small bowl.
6. Fry onion, garlic and ginger until soft.
7. Add the rest of the vegetables, water, oyster sauce and extra sauce then stir-fry until water has evaporated.
8. Add chicken and stir until flavours have combined and ingredients are cooked.
9. Serve on a bed of rice.
10. Garnish with curled red capsicum or green spring roll leaves.

Apple Turnover

INGREDIENTS
2 sheets puff pastry  
3 large apples
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk                                                           

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Peel and core apples, cut into quarters then each into 3 slices.
3. Place in a saucepan with sugar, water and cinnamon and simmer gently until soft. Allow to cool.
4. Cut puff pastry into 4 squares.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of apple into centre of each square. 
6. Fold pastry over to form a triangle. 
7. Brush the edges with milk and press down with a fork to seal. 
8. Place on greased tray.
9. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Cheesy, Herb & Bacon Muffins

INGREDIENTS
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup grated cheese
2 slices bacon chopped 
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
125g melted butter
1 cup milk (250ml)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sweet paprika

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a muffin tray with muffin papers.
2. Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl.
3. Stir in the bacon, cheese, parsley, butter and milk until well combined.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tray.
5. Sprinkle with paprika if you wish.
6. Bake for approximately 15- 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

105 SQUADRON
Australian Air Force Cadets has vacancies for new members wanting to join in 2021.  If you like all things aviation and enjoy being challenged, come along to one of the information sessions being held on each of the Friday nights in February/March at the Squadron headquarters.
You can find us at 100 Bridge Rd (beside the basketball stadium).  Sessions will start at 6.30pm.  For further information, please contact the Administration Officer via email admino.105sqn@airforcecadets.gov.au or the Commanding Officer on 0402 969 831 prior to your planned visit.