It’s great to be back at the College for Term 3. The holiday break provided an opportunity for me to recharge and spend time with family and friends. Whilst OLMC remained as it always does, top of mind, it was a time of rejuvenation and recreation, allowing me to return to work feeling invigorated and ready to begin again. I hope you also were able to take time to relax and spend quality time with your daughters in an ‘out of school’ way.

During the break, our College Leadership Team participated in a workshop facilitated by RodMatthews, Leadership Coach where we looked at innovative ways of working and leading together with a view to always looking to the future of education and the place of OLMC in this. We are fortunate to have a College Leadership Team who individually are expert in the field they lead and collectively are second-to-none at placing student achievement, wellbeing and excellence at the core of all decisions we make.

Like countless Australians, I have been following the Matildas in the lead-up to and the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I am absolutely awe-struck by the positivity and determination of the players. Their unwavering spirit, teamwork and never-give-up attitude is leaving a lasting impression on me. Coming from a family of avid male soccer players, to see the women’s game take its rightful place in the hearts and minds of Australians is a wonderful and long overdue achievement.

This incredible display of sportsmanship and camaraderie reminds me of our own students. Mercy Girls consistently show us their resilience, empathy and eagerness to support one another. It is heartwarming to witness the Mercy values of compassion and community in action. As a Principal, I couldn't be prouder of our students and the bright futures they are building together.

We continue to foster this culture of positivity and support in all we do; cheering on our students as they pursue their passions and make a positive impact on the world around them. Together, we can achieve great things and make a difference in the lives of others.

As we embark on this busy term, I would like to recognise our Year 12 students. This term marks the final leg of their school day journey at the College. Next week, they begin their HSC Trial examinations in preparation for their HSC. I have full confidence in their abilities and the exceptional support provided by our teachers and staff. Let's rally behind them, cheer them on and offer our unwavering encouragement as they strive for excellence in this crucial phase of their lives.

Despite the hectic schedules that lie ahead, we approach this term with a light and happy heart, to cherish the moments of joy, celebrate our achievements and overcome challenges as a united College community. Together, we can create an atmosphere of positivity and enthusiasm that will carry us through this term and beyond.

Open Morning Tour

Earlier today, we held our Open Morning Tour. It was wonderful to welcome over 100 guests onto the campus and show them around the site. If you are keen to express your interest at OLMC, please contact our Registrar, Ms Julie McIntyre on 8838 1222 or enrolments@olmc.nsw.edu.au

OLMsCene

Our latest edition of OLMsCene is now available. To catch up on all the OLMC news, please click here. 

Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.

Lucie Farrugia
College Principal

Bayanami Public School Mercy Engaged

This week, Year 9 students started their Mercy Engaged program with our newly formed partnership with Bayanami Public School. The Year 9 students enjoyed assisting Stage 2 children with some soccer skills.

The program will run as a trial for six weeks and will see our students join with students from Bayanami to assist with Kindergarten learning, literacy and reading guidance, and sports assistance.

This exciting program is really putting our Mercy values into action.

Nyumbar Group Visit

Staff and students who are attending the Central Australia Immersion in September enjoyed an afternoon of Aboriginal culture, history and artifacts. Des and Isaac from Nyumbar shared their family stories and history, as well as explained artifacts and significant objects. The girls were able to ask questions in the lead-up to their Immersion which takes place in the next school holidays.

Father Daughter Mass

At the end of a busy Term 2, Languages students participated in some engaging learning tasks.

Year 10 and Year 12 Japanese students learned about Furoshiki. This is the Japanese art of cloth wrapping. Furoshiki is a square piece of cloth or fabric used for gift wrapping, carrying items, fashion and other objects. What a fun way to end the term learning to wrap gifts and about the history of this Japanese art which is more than 1,200 years old! Thank you to Ms Eri Hammond for providing this activity. This also provided an opportunity to recycle some fabrics and discover a new environmentally friendly way to wrap your gifts!

Year 7 French and Spanish classes created wonderful Family Albums. This showcased their learning of the language since the start of the year. Some very creative and detailed albums were produced which were used as a point of discussion and ‘show and tell’ at the recent Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Mrs Sheila Ibarra
Head of Languages

Students from OLMC and other local schools will have creative works on display at the first-ever CreateWEST exhibition at PHIVE (5 Parramatta Square). We will be joined by TAFENSW, Western Sydney University and Parramatta Artists Studios to exhibit a range of works from across our region, highlighting the creative talent shown by our young people.

Entry is free and it is open from 9:30am-2:30pm, so please feel free to drop in when it suits you throughout the day. There will be a short welcome and some talks by artists at 9:30 and several artists will be present across the day to speak with visitors about their work.

So save the date and tell your family and friends about CreateWEST!

For more information or to share details please click here. 

Last term, we launched the Mercy Multicredential, a new pilot program designed to help students build a portfolio of evidence that will convert into a real and useful qualification well before they graduate in Year 12. They can take this qualification with them into job interviews, scholarship discussions and university applications.

It is different to microcredentials that are currently offered by other organisations as we do not require students to enrol in new courses, but rather we recognise the amazing growth and learning that already occurs at OLMC.

Another key benefit of this approach is that students can gather evidence from across their school experience (such as co-curricular and external events) in order to build a rich and diverse portfolio of evidence.

Students can go to the Mercy Multicredential course in Canvas and explore the badges available. If they are entering for the first time, they will need to complete the Personal Growth Badge – Foundation Level before they can proceed to the next layer of badges.

By completing all badges, students can choose to convert their portfolio into a Certificate I level qualification with an additional fee during Term 4. We will schedule periods of time where students can download and submit their portfolio to the appropriate location as the program unfolds.

For more information, please click here. 

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 is 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.

There is so much happening in Careers during Term 3. We have had a few universities visit us over lunchtime to talk about courses and early entry opportunities. Last week we had UNSW and this week we have Notre Dame and ACU visiting. The students enjoyed the sessions with high attendance rates.

General News

ACU Open Days

29 July - 9 September 2023

Open Day is the perfect opportunity to find out more about your study options, meet our friendly staff and students and explore our campuses.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 2023 Open Days.

Blacktown
Saturday, 29 July
10am – 2pm

North Sydney
Saturday, 5 August
10am – 2pm

Strathfield
Saturday, 9 September
10am – 2pm

Find out more

American author, John C. Maxwell wrote 'Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That’s the Law of Consistency. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key.' Unfortunately, many believe that to succeed in life, we need to find an endless supply of motivation. Yes, motivation is a major driving force behind starting on the pathway to achieving your goal, but it is rituals, routines, habits and discipline that will keep you going.

It is normal for motivation to wax and wane over time, habits are more reliable. Creating a habit eliminates unnecessary decision-making. Habits help us do the right things and move closer to the goals that really matter.

To develop habits there are a few simple rules to follow:

1. Decide whether you can commit to forming a new habit. It is helpful to remember the opportunity costs that everything brings. For example, each hour you spend studying is an hour taken away from other activities such as sleep, exercise, and socialising. Everything we commit to has a cost and we all must consider whether the benefits of a new habit outweigh the costs.
2. Keep it simple, start small and stay consistent. The best new habits are those that are achievable. We are unlikely to be able to commit to studying for an hour a day but will probably find more success if we commit to starting with 30 minutes, three times a week. It may not seem like much or an ideal amount, but it is better than nothing, and you can increase this amount over time as the habit becomes more established. It is better to form one new habit at a time, to avoid overwhelming yourself.
3. One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking. If you want to add study into your afternoon routine, you could add it to a current habit you practice. For example, perhaps your current routine when you arrive home is to get a snack and unpack your bag. In addition to that you could start a habit that introduces study, where you unpack your resources onto your desk and sit and commence study for 30 minutes. Because you are already doing the other things routinely, adding the study is not quite so challenging.

If you think your daughter may benefit from prioritising habits over motivation, share this article with her. For further advice, please reach out to one of the College Counsellors.

Mrs Sandra Portela
Senior College Counsellor

Elevate Education will be hosting its first free webinar of the term for parents on Wednesday, 2 August.

Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school. 
Click here to register for free

Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:

• What impact does praise and reassurance have on your child’s motivation?
• What are the best type of goals to be setting with your child? 
• How can you help your child create meaningful and lasting motivation?

To learn more about learning collaboratively to maximise your potential and create a well-rounded academic experience access the Study Skills Handbook by logging in with the details below.

username: OLMC

password: 64results

CSDA Debating

The finals series of CSDA Debating last week saw teams competing in quarter-finals at John Paul II College at Schofields. Two of our teams had reached this exceptional stage: 9B (A’ishah Ali, Lizzy Butler, Pia Goradia, Bianca Mina and Matilda Webb, coached by Lily Tambrchi) and 10B (Gabby Fleming, Stefanie Gabriel, Charlotte Lee, Siona Trivedi and Jennifer Wang, coached by Riley Rodewald). In an excellent result, both teams confirmed their talent with victories against very strong opposition and now progress to this Friday’s semi-finals at St Mary’s Cathedral College. We wish them the best of luck as they strive to reach the grand finals the following week.

IntraSchool Debating 

In only its second year, the new Intraschool Debating competition has attracted no fewer than 17 teams, a total of 68 girls with the opportunity to develop their collaborative and debating skills. In addition, a big thank you to the many girls who are acting as coaches to these teams. 

Girls who participated in the CSDA Intraschool Debating competition were not eligible for the Intraschool competition. This means that a total of 127 girls have been involved in Debating in 2023, a testament to the enthusiasm of our students. The Intraschool teams now participate in a series of four debates each over ten weeks, a total of 34 debates. The top four teams in the separate Years 7/8 and Years 9/10 sections then progress to semi-finals to determine the ultimate winners of the Doris Goldie and Sr Barbara McDonough trophies respectively.

A special note of the long list of teachers and students who have volunteered to act as adjudicators throughout Term 3. Thank you to all of them for donating their time and expertise.

Prarthana Ambareesh, Ms Suzanne Ballard, Olivia Easton, Ms Cynthia Martins, Ms Carolyn Matthews, Tia Monga, Mrs Michelle Monteiro, Ruwindri Parndigamage, Tijana Pavlovic, Hayden Rodewald, Neha Sharma, Mrs Danielle Simpson, Deeya Vashi, Mr Ben Walsh.

Information Gateway Upgrades

The Public Speaking and Debating sites on Information Gateway provide our girls with detailed information and examples of each of the many competitions we are involved in throughout the year. An additional feature will be actual videos of many of our best public speakers so that other students can see what can be achieved. Already, video recordings of Sofia Tong (Impromptu Speaking), Sierra Lake (Christmas Competition) and A’ishah Ali and Matilda Webb (Telephone Pairs) have been recorded and will soon be available for all to view. Many more videos will be produced soon, giving all girls wonderful examples of outstanding performances.  

Upcoming Events

This Friday, highly talented speakers Amariah Tamaro of Year 8 and Matilda Webb of Year 9 will participate in the first round of the Legacy competition. In addition, 30 students are involved in the Speaking 4 the Planet competition in August. Good luck to all girls.

Christopher Ostrowski
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator    

NSW All Schools Cross Country

On Friday 21 July, Matilda Webb and Lucie Francis competed at the NSW All Schools Cross Country Championships at Eastern Creek Raceway.

Both girls ran exceptionally well. Congratulations must go to Lucie who finished 6th in the 16/17 years division and has qualified to compete at the School Sport Australia Championships on the 25–28 August in Canberra. Best of luck Lucie!

Snow Sport

On 4 July, Zali Lazarevic and Sophie Ball competed at Perisher in the Regional Interschool’s Snowsport event. This is the first time OLMC has entered this event and the girls absolutely loved it. The girls finished 5th in the Division 2 teams Snowboard Giant Slalom event, while Sophie also competed in Snowboard Cross event.

Thank you to Leanda Lazarevic and Chris Ball for all their help with girls at the slopes.

Taekwondo

Chelsea Gomez competed in three major competitions recently in Queensland. These competitions were the Cadet Selections for World Championships, WT President’s Cup (Oceania) and Australian Open.

Congratulations to Chelsea as she won gold in all 3 events!

She has now been selected to represent Australia at the Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo. In addition to this, her coach Abby Sangalang (alumnae) has also been selected as one of the coaches to join the team. We wish Chelsea all the best in her lead-up to the World Championships!

Golf

Congratulations to Annoushka Maikap who has been a part of the Western Sydney Academy of Sports 2022-23 Golf program. She has attended numerous sports educational sessions and sporting camps as part of the program. Ending with the annual Academy Games at Wagga Wagga, Annoushka competed against other regional academies, finishing 4th amongst all girls in the Scratch Event. Well done Anoushka!

Table Tennis

During July, Amy Cai competed at the National Table Tennis Championships at Sydney Olympic Park. She finished fourth in the Teams event while also competing in the U15 and U17 Mixed Double events, finishing 4th in the U13 Doubles event and making the quarter-finals in her U13 singles event. Fantastic results Amy! Her goal is to finish in the top three and gain a position in the Australian national team.

Jujitsu

OLMC has had some outstanding results in the half-year grading for Jujitsu. Three dojos attended the grading and were put to the test in front of 120 parents and friends.

Representing OLMC were Aiofe Mitchell, Shiza Veerani, Annalise Cheung, Meihan Sun, Ellen Tse, Isabelle Sia-Stone, Tiffany McCluskey and Gabrielle Blaine

While all the OLMC girls did very well, we had a couple who were worthy of note. Grading with a High Distinction were Aiofe Mitchell and Annalise Cheung, with outstanding results across all three sections of the grading: kata, general syllabus and ukemi. In particular, the improvement in Aiofe was noted as being significant - her ukemi on the day was that of an intermediate student, not a beginner.

Several other girls from OLMC will attempt their gradings very soon.

Aiofe, Meihan, Annalise and Isabelle also attended a winter camp for a week of specialised training during the July School holidays.

On Sunday 18 June, Amelie Collins, alongside teammates from Monte Sant Angelo and Marist Sisters College Woolwich, took 1st place in Synchronised forms at the ISKA Winter Open. Amelie also came 2nd place in Individual forms, an excellent achievement. Her squad is now practicing for the World Cup, to be held in Sydney in October this year.

Saturday Netball

OLMC has been scheduled for Table and Canteen Duty on 12 August. If you are willing and able to help on that day, details have been emailed to students with a link to a roster.

You can continue to check the Netball fixtures, results and ladders by clicking here. 

The ERNA Netball season will finish with Round 14 games being played on 19 August. Teams finishing in the top four places of each grade will play Finals on 26 August. The winning teams then play Semi-Finals on 2 September and the Grand Final on 9 September.

Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator

Opening Hours

The Uniform Shop will be open Monday to Thursday, from 8.00am – 9.30am and Monday - Wednesday from 3.00pm – 4.00pm (school days only).  

Online purchases can be made via the Online Uniform Shop and all orders will be delivered to the Student Centre for collection by students.  

Scarves and Hair Ribbons 

Scarves and hair ribbons have arrived and are available for purchase either online or at the Uniform Shop. 

Previous stock for Sale

Sharp Calculators - The Uniform Shop has a small batch of the previous Sharp calculators for sale at a discounted rate of $10.00 – available while stocks last!

Black tights - In size Medium, $2

Reminder

Just a reminder that all online orders are taken to the Student Centre for students to collect. 

If you have any concerns regarding uniform items, please don't hesitate to contact the Uniform Shop on 8838 1275 or uniformshop@olmc.nsw.edu.au

College Fees

College fees were due on Friday,  21 July 2023.  If your account remains outstanding, please ensure that the Finance Office receives payment promptly.

Any queries on fees can be directed to the Finance Office on 8838 1214 between 8.00am - 4.00pm or email finance@olmc.nsw.edu.au