I don’t mean to sound ‘Grinch Like’ but I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw retailers setting up for the Christmas Season at the end of September!

Whilst I appreciate that retailers have ‘done it tough’ in the past few years and interest rates are having an effect on regular spending habits, it did seem a little indulgent to be thinking of Christmas so early in the year.

But now, as we edge slowly to the end of our academic year and the weather has settled into true Spring days, thoughts of Christmas are seeming better placed in my psyche. The sight of beautiful Christmas trees covered in brightly covered baubles, traditional family ornaments that are being carefully unpacked in houses across Australia and spectacular outdoor decorations which are popping up in neighbourhoods are all wonderful signs of a festive season enjoyed in the peace and comfort of our lives in our country.

As we approach the busi-ness of the end of the year, and however we spend Christmas, I encourage everyone to pause and find solace in family, friends and work. We know that the true spirit of Christmas cannot be found on a store shelf. It resides within us, in the love we share, the kindness we extend and the gratitude we feel. So, as we navigate the early Christmas decorations and the frenzy of holiday preparations, let it be a reminder to slow down, appreciate the beauty of the season and cherish the moments that truly matter.

Our Celebration of Achievement evening will mark the culmination of the 2023 school year. This special event on our College calendar will be held at Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park on 4 December 2023. Parents/carers are very welcome to attend the event arriving at 3.30pm with the ceremony commencing at 4.00pm. This is a compulsory event for all students. If for any reason a student is unable to attend this event, I require a letter of explanation prior to the event. Student attendance will be recorded on the night.

At the start of this week, registrations for our two OLMC private bus services opened for 2024. The bus that travels from the northwest of Parramatta to the College is now full. Students will now go onto a waiting list. Our new second bus travelling from the Greystanes/Merrylands area currently has limited seats available. Details regarding the two buses including registration and/or waitlist are available on our College website. 

As we approach the end of the year, I am delighted to report that the Brigid Shelly Northern Wing is complete. The Official Opening will take place mid-November and families who purchased seats in the Brigid Shelly Auditorium as part of ‘Sponsor a Seat’ have been invited to attend. However, due to space restrictions, we have unfortunately been unable to invite all families to this event. There will be plenty of opportunities for families to wander through this beautiful addition to our campus either at the P&F Welcome event at the start of 2024, or at Open Day in March.

Applications have now opened for Scholarships for students starting at OLMC in Year 7 in 2025. Rewarding academic excellence, performing arts and sport, as well as an Alumnae Scholarship, we invite families to apply through our website. Please click here for further information.

On behalf of the whole College community, I would like to express our gratitude to the outgoing P&F Committee for their dedication, inclusivity and hard work during 2023. Their contributions are undoubtedly valuable to our community.

As the new Committee steps in, we need to plan for continuity and ensure the P&F Committee remains effective and responsive to the needs of the College. In 2024, four Committee members will be leaving the College as their daughters complete Year 12 which is an important consideration for the future.

As all families pay a P&F Levy in their fees, I encourage parents to attend P&F Meetings and contribute to discussions on how the levies will be dispersed but also engage in supporting community events at the College.

Best wishes to the 2023 Team and a warm welcome to the incoming Committee for 2024!

2024 P&F Committee Members

Mother Mary of Mercy, Pray for us.

Lucie Farrugia
College Principal

I recall, when my children were young, teaching them how to climb the mulberry tree in our backyard. Put your hand here then take a step, twist and hold this branch then put your foot over there... The objective was to reach the branch where they could step over to the roof of the shed, have a seat and set up a picnic. A kids paradise! Of course learning that skill made the entire tree fair game for climbing, and sure enough at some point, my daughter fell out of the tree and thudded to the garden below. Neither bones nor courage were broken, and a couple of days later she was climbing again – tentatively at first, but with confidence in no time. If I had my time over I wouldn't change a thing, and having talked with my daughter about that experience recently, neither would she.

Learning something new is never a linear pathway. We only learn to walk by trying, falling, being picked up, and starting again. It's the same way we learn how to speak. It's the reason I ban liquid paper and correction fluid from my maths class - because the most valuable part of learning is not hiding the mistake, but keeping it on the page as a reminder for your next attempt. One of the greatest impediments to learning is the fear of getting something wrong. As teachers, we sometimes see students who perform very well in tests but are very unwilling to answer questions in class, and this is because they don't want to get the answer wrong. Dr Carol Dweck coined the terms 'fixed mindset' and 'growth mindset'. In its simplest form, a fixed mindset is one where a person either believes they're right and won't engage with an alternative idea, or where a person is unwilling or unable to change for fear of making a mistake. A growth mindset is the opposite.

I believe a school has responsibility to create for students a safe environment in which mistakes are welcomed, encouraged, and even celebrated. To be an effective courageous advocate one needs the courage to speak up, then listen and adapt when necessary. At school, this is true both in the classroom and in terms of students’ wellbeing. For example, when a student at OLMC makes a poor decision and gets in trouble she may very well be placed on detention. But the other side of the response is one of concern, care, counselling and offering a fresh start. 'Let's learn from this so you can make a better decision next time.'

OLMC also has a responsibility and accountability to create a child-safe environment. The Office of the Children's Guardian in the NSW Government has published 10 standards that institutions that care for young people are required to consider. These can be found at www.ocg.nsw.gov.au, and I have included them in this newsletter. When you read the Standards I don't think you'll be surprised by any of them. However, having them listed and having them at the forefront of our decision-making at OLMC means your daughter’s safety, wellbeing and growth is always our first priority. It also means that as we push our students out of their comfort zone, they can have the courage and safety net to take risks, to learn in a zig-zaggy pathway, and to develop a growth mindset and skills and attributes that will serve them for the limitless possibilities on offer in their future lives.

Venerable Catherine McAuley, Pray for us.

Anthony Blomfield

Deputy Principal

At the end of October, over 70 of our talented Dance students from Years 7 to Year 11 took to the stage at our annual Dance Extravaganza. In what was a spectacular demonstration of the wonderful Dance program here at the College, Mercy Girls performed group routines, solo performances and student compositions in a broad range of styles including contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap and musical theatre. 

Well done to all the girls involved. To access more photos of the evening, please visit the photo gallery on our website.   

This week at assembly, we recognised the efforts of 33 students who have built their first Multicredential portfolio, gathering together evidence from across their school experience to show their strengths and capabilities in a range of areas. This portfolio will be converted into a nationally recognised qualification, the Certificate I in New Opportunities for Women, provided by Western Sydney University.

We are proud of all our students who took part in this pilot, proving that OLMC students develop a range of valuable skills both inside and outside the classroom. Our employer partners including Western Sydney Women and Winning Group have been essential in testing the idea and ensuring that not only is it robust enough for recognition by universities and TAFE, but also that it makes sense to employers who sorely need people with a range of skills and capabilities.

I would like to acknowledge the immense efforts of Alison Dalby, Leader of Educational and Vocational Pathways, and Donna McLean, our external assessor, for making this a reality.

We are now working on refining the process for 2024 and expanding the scope to include higher qualifications so that our girls graduate with not only their HSC in hand, but other qualifications as well, creating a Multicredential.

For more information about the Multicredential, please visit the College website.

Matthew Esterman
Director of Partnerships and Innovation

On 23 and 25 October, the Year 9 Elective Music class was thrilled to be able to perform at a series of lunchtime concerts in front of friends and the wider College community.

Throughout the semester, the students have been working hard on their performance skills, with a focus on developing personal expression in pieces. The concert was therefore, a great opportunity for students to share their talents and the results of their hard work and dedication to performance.

Students performed pieces on a variety of different instruments and across a range of different styles, including music theatre, classical music and pop songs.

Congratulations to all students involved. We look forward to hearing you all perform again in the future!

Elizabeth Guild

OLMC is launching a new student support program and we are looking for volunteers from the community who are willing to work with our Diverse Learning team to support our students with their assessments and exams.

We are starting with our Reader and Writer Program and are looking for community members who can support our students during the day, throughout the year. Full training will be provided.

A few requirements are needed including:

• A volunteer Working with Children Check
• An ability to work with a range of students in exam settings.

Unfortunately, this volunteer opportunity is not open to parents or siblings of current Year 11 and 12 students, but we hope that as this program develops you will join us in future years.

For information, questions and expressions of interest please contact Monica Searle, Head of Diverse Learning - monica.searle@olmc.nsw.edu.au

MASSH is our afterschool students’ study, homework and assessment support. We offer general study support and subject specific support every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Subject specific support is available on the days below:

• Monday – Technology, Religious Studies and all junior subject support
• Tuesday – Mathematics and English
• Wednesday and Thursday – Science and Mathematics
• English support available upon request for Wednesdays.

If you would like small group or individual academic support please contact Mrs Rugg, cheryl.rugg@olmc.nsw.edu.au with the following details:

• Name and Year group
• Subject the student would like to work on with a MASSH Supervisor
• Preferred afternoons.

Congratulations to our Year 12s who have completed their HSC! What a fabulous achievement for the students ending 13 years of school! We anticipate supporting students during the interim period as they await their ATAR results.

What's On in the Next Few Weeks

University of Sydney | Exercise and sport science

November 8, 2023

Interested in exercise and sport science? Join this session to hear from the program director for exercise and sport science at the University of Sydney. Find out more about which study options are available and where this degree could take you.

Find out more

Term 4 is always a term full of excitement as we move closer to the end of the year, a well-earned break and a celebration of the true meaning of the Christmas season. However, with four full weeks of school remaining it is always timely to reinforce the values of kindness and respect within our school community. These virtues are the building blocks of a harmonious and supportive learning environment for our students, and we encourage you to join us in fostering a culture of empathy, understanding and respect in and out of school.

As we venture into the last term of this school year, let us remember that we are a community of learners, dreamers and achievers. Together, we can make these remaining weeks meaningful and fulfilling. I know by working in partnership, we can ensure that the students at OLMC not only succeed academically but also grow into empathetic and considerate individuals, mindful of the needs of those around them.

Thank you for your continued support, and let's make the last term of this school year a time of growth and reflection on the importance of kindness and respect.

Ann-Marie Herd
Director of Student Wellbeing

 Click here for some information provided by Dr Prue Salter – Enhanced Learning Educational Services 

Debating

The Intraschool Debating preliminary rounds have now been completed. Congratulations to the following teams for reaching the semi-finals by winning at least three of their four debates.

Yr 7/8

• Blue Team D (Miriam Chacty, Sophie Gahdmar, Siya Kalia coached by Shalini Kanagasundaram)
• Gold Team C (Amariah Tamaro, Ekaspreet Sohi, Mira Sharma and Elissa Abboud)
• Gold Team D (Chaasya Ballapalli, Aditri Roy Chowdhury, Neha Wadhwa coached by Hiya Mahida and Anushka Mishra)
• Blue Team E (Sahana Arudselvan, Disha Bhanushali, Tvisha Patel and Pranuti Saisriraam)

The Year 7/8 topic is 'That giving is better than receiving'.

Yr 9/10     

• Red Team C (Hasini Madukuri, Rhianna O’Neill, Nyssa Suraj, Akanksha Gowd coached by Lohita Gollavilli)
• Green Team A (Paige Harrison, Kavya Samtani, Emily Johnson, Siella Wardle coached by Lizzy Butler)
• Green Team C (Harshini Ramprabhu, Ella Bautista, Maria Wahbe, Emma Kouros coached by Sofia Tong)
• Red team A (Annoushka Maikap, Tiya Bhatnagar, Ashwini Aravinthan, Isabelle Boshell coached by Gabby Fleming)                            

The Year 9/10 topic is 'That we have lost our privacy'.

Well done to these teams but thank you also to the other 13 teams who put in such an outstanding effort in preparing and presenting their speeches, their coaches as well as the long list of teachers and student adjudicators. The Grand Finals will take place next week.

Public Speaking

In Public Speaking, our girls continue to excel. The results of the Speaking 4 the Planet competition were announced last week. Ashwini Aravinthan of Year 10 was awarded second place, while Sierra Lake of Year 10 and Avril Bergado of Year 7 tied for third, something all these girls can be proud of.

The IGSA Festival of Speech was held at Ravenswood this year and all our girls prepared and presented most professionally. Well done to Manasvi Aregakuti and Ritisha Kadire of Year 8, Snigdha Bommasani, Teresa-Maree Saba and Sofia Tong of Year 9 and Mia Fogolin and Tia Monga of Year 11 who contested a variety of events. Special mention must go to Ruwindri Parndigamage, Neha Sharma and Deeya Vashi of Year 11 who reached the semi-finals of Current Affairs, a first for OLMC in an exceptionally challenging event.

The first round of the UN Voice competition was held last week. Sarah Kenna, Mia Siemsen (Year 7), Zara Biswas, Amariah Tamaro (Year 8) and Lohita Gollavilli (Year 10) now await results to see who progresses to the State semi-finals.

During Assembly this week, our DAPS Leaders, Neha Sharma and Deeya Vashi, announced this year’s Christmas Competition, an event all students can enter, not just those who signed up for Public Speaking at the start of this year. Open to students in Years 7, 8 and 9, this year’s theme is based on two amusing but thought-provoking quotes from the Home Alone movie series. A week of competition takes place at lunchtime in the Library beginning Monday 20 November. Entry forms with all details are now available at the Student Centre.

Finally, Matilda Webb of Year 9 travels to Adelaide this weekend to compete in the National Final of the Legacy competition. As NSW State Champion, Matilda is certain to impress in this prestigious event. The very best of luck to this exceptional public speaker.

Christopher Ostrowski
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

Recently two groups of OLMC students visited the Western Sydney University Launchpad startup hub at 6 Hassall St in Parramatta to take part in a pitch session by WSU students and emerging startups.

Students in the Year 10 Business Services class were accompanied by Ms Davie and Ms Montiero to view the pitches by final-year students in the Bachelor of Entrepreneurship program. These students presented on a range of topics, some of which had an emphatic focus on sustainability and other areas of social and environmental good. They were given feedback by the crowd on their pitches, and our students were able to discuss the more effective strategies used by each group to convey their messages.

Last week some of our Enterprising Advocates and Year 9 Commerce students were able to attend 6 Hassall St to see the pitches by those undertaking the WSU Ignition incubator program. This is a program where startup companies engage in a 12-week intensive experience of mentoring and business support, growing their capabilities to reach new levels of output and scale. This experience enabled our students to see the reality of working as an entrepreneur and hear from experts who have been down that path.

We hope these experiences result in our students developing a realistic but ambitious stance for themselves as learners and future entrepreneurs, accessing even more opportunities and transforming their ideas into projects and successful businesses.

Matthew Esterman
Director of Innovation and Partnerships

Four Year 7 students visited the Gold Coast to compete in The Fuse Cup State and National Finals on Friday 27 and 28 October 2023. Eliza Kidd, Radha Lukka, Shree Anthanar and Zara Violaris represented Western Sydney as a team in the Just Dance NSW State Finals and achieved second place. The performances of the girls was outstanding, demonstrating admirable teamwork. Shree Anthanar won the Most Valuable Player Award for her efforts and enthusiasm.

Eliza Kidd competed in the individual finals for Just Dance as she was the highest-scoring dancer during the Western Sydney competition in Term 1. Competing against many other dances, Eliza won first place in the State. This qualified Eliza to compete against the other States for the National Championships the following day. After three gruelling songs, Eliza managed to come away with a commendable second place. Although she did not win on points, she was awarded the Most Dynamic Dancer.

The competition was an incredible experience and all girls are to be congratulated on their achievements. 

Taekwondo

Congratulations to Chelsea Gomez who recently competed at the National Taekwondo Championships held in Perth. Chelsea won gold in her Cadet division -164cm! This is her last major competition as a Cadet.

She will now transition to the Junior division (15-17yr old) as she prepares for National team selections next year for the World Junior Championships. Well done and best of luck Chelsea!

Jujitsu

A number of the girls participating in jujutsu at OLMC competed in the ISKA Martial Arts World Cup recently. The girls’ performances were amazing and came away with some spectacular results.

Among other events, Aoife and Isabel Sia competed, with a team from the other Philotimo Dojo’s, in the Showmanship event and won 1st place taking the IKSA World Title in the 16–17 yrs division. They returned on Sunday night to compete in the Champion of Champions event where they were runners-up, only narrowly missing out on the win.

All the girls from OLMC who participated performed incredibly well. 

The girls competed against an international lineup with 1,400 competitors including teams from USA and India. Plus, there was the Pollet's National team, who compete in elite Karate and some of the largest dojos and clubs in Australia. Overall the Philotimo team, with just 23 students competing, came fourth in the rankings on Saturday afternoon, and then by Sunday night had slipped to tenth spot (because we don't compete in sparring at Iska) - a top ten finish for a first-time team in the World Cup is a great effort.

Congratulations girls, what an amazing achievement! Well done to everyone involved.

Golf

2023 Jack Newton International Junior Classic
Annoushka's golf journey reached new heights at the 2023 Jack Newton International Junior Classic tournament. Nearly 400 elite junior golfers from various parts of the world (including Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore) participated at Australia's challenging Cypress Lake Golf Course in the Hunter Valley. Annoushka showcased her skills brilliantly, securing 4th place in the NETT category and 14th place on the scratch leaderboard for her age group. She competed against elite golfers for four consecutive days, from 26-29 September 2023. 

2023 Fayde Junior Matchplay 
Annoushka was also invited to play in the 2023 Fayde Junior Matchplay event on 5 and 6 October held at the Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club. This prestigious event hosted some of the best players from NSW and ACT. Annoushka was paired against some of the top players, even those above her age group. She won one match and lost two. Overall, it was an experience worth cherishing.

2023 PDSSSC 
Annoushka competed at the 2023 PDSSSC Girls Championships at the Glenmore Heritage Valley Golf Course on 24 October where she secured 1^st place and the Championship trophy! Congratulations Annoushka.

IGSA Gymnastics

On Friday, 3 November the IGSA Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held at Abbotsleigh Girls School. OLMC was represented by Alina Onis who performed superbly, winning three gold medals in the Junior International level with the Ball, Clubs & Ribbon. Congratulations Alina, an amazing result.

PDSSSC Futsal

The PDSSSC Futsal Championships were held on 17 October at the awesome new venue, Wanderers Fives. OLMC was represented by Alexandra Attard, Samantha Weatherburn, Leah Kolosakas, Lauren Franco, Sharon Sebastian, Jessica Waters and Charlise Kairouz. The girls played exceptionally well and must be commended on their superb efforts during the day. After winning all their round games, the fatigue started to set in and they narrowly lost their semi-final against Catherine McAuley, who went on to win the Championships. Despite the loss, the girls should be very proud of their efforts.

Thank you to Ms Herd and Mr Adams for all their help in looking after and coaching the girls.

Cricket

The NSWCCC Cricket Regional Championships were held on 17 October at Peakhurst. The team consisted of Sharon Julien, Shalini Kanagasundaram, Kasey Bolt, Jaaniya Shah, Teyana La Brooy, Sophia Lees, Jemima Scothern, Ekaspreet Sohi and Tvisha Patel. The girls proved why they are the defending champions, easily winning all their games and qualifying for the Championship Finals to be held on 28 November. Best of luck girls!

The CGSSSA Cricket Championships were also held on 3 November at Cammeray. The team consisted of Sharon Julien, Shalini Kanagasundaram, Kasey Bolt, Jaaniya Shah, Teyana La Brooy, Sophia Lees, Jemima Scothern and Rhea Bindroo. After a tough loss to their rivals Monte, the girls went on to win their other games and secured the silver medal. Well done girls.

Thank you to Mrs Bushell and Mr Fricot for looking after and coaching the team.

Congratulations also must go to Teyana La Brooy who has been selected for the 2024 U16 NSW State Indoor cricket team and will compete at the National Tournament in Melbourne in July 2024.

CGSSSA Volleyball

The CGSSSA Volleyball Championships were held on 25 October at the new Billbergia Indoor Centre at Camellia. OLMC was represented by Tina Tran, Tiffany Jie, Jessica Waters, Lauren Franco, Joy Yacoub, Emily Ma, Jennifer Wang, Celeste Ieronimo, Liliana Milic, Ashlyn Kumar, Ava Silveri, Emily Wong, Rebecca Uy, Zara Diuco and Stephanie Hu. The girls all played exceptionally well and showed great improvement during the championships. After some narrow losses and a few wins the girls ended the day with some great teamwork and a lot of fun.

Thank you to Mrs Bushel for all her help with the teams.

Saturday Basketball and Volleyball

Here are the results from weeks 2 - 4:

Basketball

Volleyball

Final weeks – All teams will play up until the Final week of 25 November.

Wednesday Touch Football

Please continue to check the Touch Football fixtures, results and ladders by clicking here.

Final weeks – best of luck to OLMC 1. Semi-finals will be held on Wednesday, 22 November and the Grand Final on Friday, 24 November.

Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator

College fees for Term 4 have now been sent to families and were due on Friday, 27 October 2023.  Please note, that as Term 4 mostly relates to co-curricular sports and other activities, there may be many families that have no charges for this term and, therefore, will not have received a Fees Statement.

If your account remains outstanding, then please ensure that the Finance Office receives payment promptly.

Any queries regarding fees or payments can be directed to the Finance Office on 8838 1214 weekdays during 8.00am – 4.00pm or by email to finance@olmc.nsw.edu.au