Mercy Messenger - Term 4, Week 4 - Friday 28 October 2022

All Saints and All Souls
The Feast of ‘All Saints’ will be celebrated on Tuesday 1 November. On the Feast of ‘All Saints’ we think of many ordinary good people who walked with God in their daily lives, and who have now passed. All Souls Day, to be celebrated next Wednesday, remembers all our departed and in particular those who may still need our prayers. It is good for all of us to remember family members and friends who have passed away and to pray for them on these days.

World Teachers’ Day
Today is World Teachers' Day – a day to celebrate, recognise and thank all our teachers for the vital role they play within our College. I offer my sincere thanks to each and every one of our teaching staff for all the hard work, passion and dedication they give to educating, supporting and inspiring our students.

Thank you also to our combined P&F who provided all our teaching staff with a coffee today!

St Patrick’s College 2023 – Vision and Mission Statement
Our combined College Board have now finalised the Vision and Mission Statements for St Patrick’s College 2023. We thank the College community for the valuable feedback which the Board received to assist with this process.

Vision Statement:
Inspired by Jesus Christ and the Catholic Tradition, we foster the holistic development of students to champion compassion, hope, justice and respect.

Mission Statement:
St Patrick’s College provides a Catholic education following the example of Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice, where we strive to:
§ Be a nurturing community of faith with Christ’s teachings at the heart of all that we do.
§ Inspire students to be courageous and defend the dignity of all persons.
§ Foster a quest for educational excellence and a desire to discern truth.
§ Recognise each student’s uniqueness and dedicate ourselves both to knowing them
§ and meeting their needs.

Cultural Showcase and Awards Evening
On Thursday 20 October, a Combined Presentation Evening was held to celebrate the achievements of both Mercy College and St Patrick’s College’s Cultural Departments. It was a wonderful showcase of the cultural life of both Colleges. Congratulations to all award winners, students, parents and guardians for your efforts throughout the year. A special mention and thank you to Mr Marcus McConnell, Mr Samuel Bauer, Mrs Natalie Porter, Ms Molly Rossetto, Miss Ebony Walker, Mr Ashley Fergus, Mrs Carmen Bennett, Mrs Andrea Crocker and all staff, volunteers and students for a great evening.

Year 11 Enrolments – St Patrick’s College 2023
I wish to remind our current Year 10 Mercy students that they are automatically enrolled into Year 11 at St Patrick’s College for 2023. Therefore there will be no notifications of acceptance issued. Please note that the Orientation Day at St Patrick’s College will be held on Thursday 24 November.

National Cheer & Dance Competition
We wish all our students and staff heading to Brisbane on Saturday 5 November for the QLD Asia Pacific Grand Internationals Cheer & Dance Competition the very best of luck! We know you will proudly represent our Colleges and give your very best performance.

Mental Health Week was held in week two of this Term. This week encourages us to look at our own mental health and wellbeing, and to promote help seeking behaviours and self-care. The school counsellors talked to the students during assembly about the importance of practising good self-care all the time, not only when we are in times of stress. Some of the benefits of having daily self-care habits include reduced anxiety, improved mood, more focused, calmer, higher levels of self-esteem which will all help improve our success in school and work, and create better relationships.

To give the students the opportunity to create healthy self-care strategies, we looked at the following five elements:

1. Physical - looking after our bodies through exercise, as well as good eating and sleeping habits.
2. Social - connecting with our friends and family around us, not through social media.
3. Emotional - spending time doing things we enjoy (away from technology) and that bring us happiness.
4. Mental - stimulating our brains through learning and engaging in our work.
5. Spiritual - participating in prayer or mindfulness, as well as being in nature and outside.

Many of these elements can overlap. We could go for a run, which looks after our physical and our spiritual needs; take a friend with you and you have covered social as well!! The students were asked to come up with at least one thing they do everyday in each category to look after themselves. Creating a good self-care routine early and making it a habit will lead our students to be more able to care for their mental health as they grow older.

Throughout the week, the Wellbeing Committee did a number of different activities to promote this initiative. The students practised mindfulness in their classes, as well as challenges to boost their mental energy and social interaction. The two most successful promotions however, was the free fruit the Wellbeing Committee handed out at lunchtimes, as well as the Thank you letter written in Homeroom. Practising gratitude increases positive emotions, creates optimism and assists in building strong relationships.

By looking after our mental health all the time through our self-care strategies, not only when we are faced with challenges, we are more resilient and able to manage more effectively.

If you would like any further information, our have concerns regarding your students mental health, please contact myself through email (donnetta_trannore@rok.catholic.edu.au) or Darcie O’Grady (darcie_ogrady@rok.catholic.edu.au). Alternatively, you can contact the office (07 4969 4199).

The Vinnies Christmas Appeal we are supporting this Term serves to bring joy to families and individuals who may need a little extra support. The Christmas Season, for most, is often a time of celebrating with family and friends, sharing in the joy of giving and receiving presents, laughing over family traditions and silly season moments. However, for 2.2 million Australians, including families and 750,000 children, living below the poverty line, it can be a time when meeting even their most basic needs, like having food on the table, a place to call home, or keeping the lights on is a real struggle.

The items in the St Vincent de Paul hampers are designed to be used for a basic Christmas Lunch. You may also wish to put in other optional items as well. Please note the Woolworths or Select Brand is preferable. To uphold the dignity of those receiving the hampers, please ensure that all food items are not due to expire for another six months and are in date and in good condition.

Here is the list of items required for each Christmas Hamper:

Cash donations are also welcome if preferred. All Homerooms will present their Christmas Hampers to Annamaria from St Vincent de Paul on College Assembly Wednesday 23 November (the Year 10 final assembly).

Thank you to all who supported our Aquatics Carnival stall. All money raised will go towards a cash donation to the Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal.

Furthermore, the Mercy Vinnies Committee are supporting Catholic Care’s 2023 School Savvy Project. Basic stationery supplies and second-hand uniforms from any school in Mackay are made available to families at a very low-cost at a pop-up shop held throughout January 2023. The goal of School Savvy is to ensure that all students have the opportunity to be well-equipped and ready to make the most of each new year. Hairdressers are being called on to donate their time to this project. If you are a qualified hairdresser and are able to assist, please contact Flavia from Catholic Care on 0409 534 895.

Thank you for your support.