Open Day

The rains held out long enough for our community to host our annual Open Day on Sunday! It was inspiring to see a record number of visitors come through the gates, despite the weather! Being able to showcase our wonderful College to so many visitors is a privilege. Thank you to all who joined us for this special day. The day could not have been the wonderful success that it was without the hard work and dedication of our students, staff and community. A special thank you to Sue Giacomelli, our event organiser, our parent community for their assistance with the BBQ, in particular our P&F Committee, led by our President Vanessa Cassin, and our Alumnae Ambassadors for welcoming our visitors in our historic Stanley Rooms.

A reminder that the Year 7, 2024 Enrolment Information Evening is coming up on Tuesday 29 March. This is a chance for families who are considering enrolling their daughter into Year 7 in 2024 to gain more information about the enrolment process and College life. Enrolments for Year 7, 2024 will open that evening.

Catherine McAuley Alumnae Award

This year, fittingly, the Catherine McAuley Alumnae Award Assembly fell on International Women’s Day. Since the College was founded in 1889, students have graduated as courageous Mercy Women, ready to lead, make their mark on the world and challenge the societal structures that burden the marginalised.  The Catherine McAuley Alumnae Award celebrates the achievements of remarkable ex-students who have made a difference through their influence or service in the community. The assembly provides not only a chance to honour these award winners, but also reflect on the great contributions Mercy women have made to our broader society over many years. At yesterday’s assembly we congratulated two award winners and were delighted to hear their stories. Congratulations to our 2019 Catherine McAuley Alumnae Award recipient, Brigid Glanville (Class of 1994) and our 2021 recipient, Kirrily McDermott (Aguilera, Class of 1999).

International Women’s Day

Yesterday the College marked International Women’s Day. The theme of the College Assembly that morning was raising awareness against bias and celebrating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. Students viewed a Caritas reflection looking at the important role women play across the world. Our Year 12 Leaders attended the Western Sydney International Women’s Day Breakfast and today Year 11 students engaged in a Young Women's Leadership Seminar hosted by The Parliament of NSW Education. 

Ash Wednesday

Last Wednesday, students and staff took part in our Ash Wednesday House Liturgies. All were invited to receive the ashes (brushed on the hand) as this powerful symbol reminds us that we were all created from dust and to dust we all return, acknowledging our shared humanity and connecting us back to all creation.  The liturgies were an opportunity for reflection as we begin our Lenten journey. 

Masterplan Update

I would like to share with you all an update on our latest Building Masterplan. You may have noticed the hoarding in place near the corner of Villiers Street on Ross Street. Two buildings, identified as having minimal heritage significance by the Heritage Architects, have been removed to make way for the new Northern Wing (one was removed as part of the previous masterplan, to make way for the Gate 1 entry to the College). I invite you to view the video below which provides an overview of this current Masterplan and, in particular, the impressive and innovative learning spaces which will form the new Brigid Shelly Northern Wing.

Lucie Farrugia
Principal 

Gracious God, we pray for ourselves and all women around the world.

Strengthen us to stand in solidarity with our sisters experiencing poverty and injustice.

Open our hearts to listen and serve.

Give us the courage to hope and work for a better future for all women.

Awaken us, that we may fully realise our interconnectedness to our one global human family.

Guide us with your spirit, to welcome, champion, practically and joyfully love each other.

Amen.

Shrove Tuesday

Thank you to the staff and students who purchased pancakes for Shrove Tuesday last week. We raised over $960 which is terrific. Thank you to the many staff and students who assisted on the day to ensure that pancakes were cooked to perfection and were sold to our hungry community members!

Ash Wednesday

House Liturgies were hosted by our Heads of House to mark this very important day in the Church's calendar. These liturgies allowed for prayer, reflection and communal celebration of who we are as a Catholic community. We have now commenced the 40 days in the lead-up to Easter. Many people use Lent as a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  Regardless of the action, the intent during Lent is to make us aware of our humanness and our need to repent for our wrongdoings, but also to accept forgiveness openly and unconditionally.

The  Project Compassion Appeal continues until the end of the Term. All money raised is used by Caritas to provide education, aid through programs that assist people in need both in Australia and overseas.

Watch a short film about Biru’s story here.

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

International Women’s Day

On Tuesday 8 March we celebrated International Women’s Day! This is a day where we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality and encouraging women's empowerment, with this year’s campaign theme being #BREAKTHEBIAS! Mercy Action Representatives distributed purple ribbons to mark the occasion and accepted donations which will be donated to the Parramatta Women’s Community Shelter.

Year 9 History Elective engaged in a deep discussion about the role of museums in our understanding of the past with Dr Stephanie Smith from the Museum of Australian Democracy (MOAD) this week. We uncovered some of the secrets of Old Parliament House, including the fact that it’s one of the few museums in which the building itself is also an object in the collection! A huge thank you to @moadlearning for exploring this topic with us. 

For OLMC Parramatta Careers information please visit www.OLMCCareers.com.

The importance of problem-solving skills

Problem-solving is one of the most important skills children can develop, because it prepares them to face both academic and interpersonal challenges. Children develop problem-solving skills at different rates; nevertheless, it is essential that children learn to resolve conflict and/or manage challenges. As parents or teachers, we can’t (and shouldn’t) always be there to solve every problem for our young people. Our job is to teach our young people how to solve problems by themselves.

Instead of giving up or getting frustrated when they encounter a challenge, young people with problem-solving skills are better equipped to manage their emotions, think creatively, and persist until they find a solution. This way, they can become confident, independent, and successful individuals. These abilities align with a growth mindset.

Problem solving also develops grit, a trait that successful students routinely display. Students who learn how to solve problems have a deeper understanding of cause and effect. Teachers often urge students to look for patterns or make predictions. Problem-solving skills, then, boost reflective, critical thinking.

If students practice problem solving consistently, they can develop greater situational and social awareness. Additionally, they learn to manage time and develop patience.

Some steps to teach problem-solving:

• Identify the problem.
• Brainstorm possible solutions, without discounting any at this stage.
• Identify the pros and cons of each possible solution.
• Pick one solution and action it.
• Reflect on the results.
• Natural consequences may also teach problem-solving skills. So, when it's appropriate, allow your child to face the natural consequences of their action. For example, let your teenager spend all their money during the first 10 minutes you're at an amusement park if that's what they want. Then, let them go for the rest of the day without any spending money. This can lead to a discussion about problem-solving to help them make a better choice next time. Consider these natural consequences as a teachable moment to help work together on problem-solving.

Sandra Portela
Senior College Counsellor 

CLICK HERE to read about prioritising your workload.

CLICK HERE to read Study Skills tips for March.

As we are at the halfway mark of Term 1, it is always good to take a look back on what we achieved.  In these first 5 weeks, The Wellbeing team has been ensuring our new students feel welcome through a variety of activities and that all students have had opportunities to develop a greater sense of purpose and wellbeing.

In the spirit of this, I wanted to take time to inform you of some of the upcoming Wellbeing events:

Tuesday 15 March - Year 8 Wellbeing Day 

Our Wellbeing Day will be run by Susie Edmonds from Inner Directions and will provide an opportunity for the girls to build skills in self-awareness to manage thinking, emotions and actions. This interactive workshop will help them with practical strategies to interact positively with others, build confidence and step out of their comfort zone.

This is an all-day event, following Homeroom the girls will move to the Ailsa Mackinnon Community Centre. As a number of the activities are interactive the girls have permission to wear their PE Uniform – please ensure this meets the uniform regulations. Girls can also bring a sports bag on this day as they will only need their diary, pencil case, recess, lunch and water.

Friday 18 March – National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

The theme for 2022 is Kindness Culture. By building Kindness Culture together, we can promote inclusion, respect and community belonging for all students in schools across Australia. OLMC has registered to be part of this day and will be running some initiatives before school. 

Thank you and if you feel there is anything of which we need to be aware to care to aware or your daughter please don’t hesitate to contact your daughter's House Mentor, Head of House or myself.

Ann-Marie Herd,
Director of Student Wellbeing

Year 7 Compulsory Cybersafety evening with Susan McLean Monday 14 March 

On Monday March 14 Year 7 parents/ carers and their daughters are invited to listen to a presentation by Susan McLean.

Susan is passionate about keeping young people safe online and providing education programs to schools and other key youth stakeholders. For the last few years, she has spoken to the Year 7 students and parents/ careers. Her aim is to empower people to use technology with respect and responsibility. She also has a number of resources for parents that also assist in keeping their children safe. She also has a Facebook page and Twitter. 

Details are as follows:

There will be limited afternoon supervision available in the Catherine McAuley Library until 5:30pm. Students who are remaining onsite will be expected to complete their homework or other learning activities.

Take care 

Ann-Marie Herd
Director of Student Wellbeing 

The Entrepreneur Program began in early March with a large number of incredibly energetic and positive-minded students from Years 8 to 11 participating in the afternoon session. Although we haven’t factchecked this, we’re decided that collective noun for the group would be a … Conglomerate

Led by Ms Monteiro and Ms Murray, and supported by Mr Altura and Ms Bujnowski, the Conglomerate participated in a series of games that fostered leadership, communication, and many laughs!

The games relaxed and focused everyone, and they worked extremely well in groups, inspired by the founder of Canva – Melanie Perkins, to articulate what elements make a successful entrepreneur. The most common attributes were:

Determination, Motivation and Perseverance, in a word … Grit!

We look forward to the continued development of the Conglomerate and their high-octane enthusiasm.

DEBATING

Invitations have gone out to all girls to apply for debating auditions on 23, 24 and 25 March. The response for Debating is always overwhelming and we expect the same this year. Unfortunately, the downside to this is that quite a number of girls miss out on selection as team numbers are limited. At the moment, we are looking into the possibility of competing in a second competition later this year which would mean that many more girls may get the opportunity to participate in this very popular co-curricular activity.

Teams will be announced by Monday 28  March and it will give them two weeks before the holidays to meet their coaches and start training. The debates themselves begin on the first Friday in Term 2.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

It has been a whirlwind of activity for our Public Speaking girls. The CSDA competition got underway two weeks ago with 12 of our girls competing in the early rounds. As always, we had a full contingent of 12 speakers who were mentioned in the previous edition of Parragraph. Of those 12, five progressed to the semi-finals, our best result ever. Well done to Miriam Chacty and Krisha Avlani (Year 7), Kripa Joshi (Year 9), Deeya Vashi (Year 10) and Roshni Singh (Year 12). This is an outstanding effort by our girls, but Deeya has gone one step further and qualified for this week’s Grand Final. This is the second year in a row that Deeya has achieved this feat, a testament not just to her skill but also to her dedication in writing, editing (repeatedly) and then presenting her speech. We wish her luck this Friday.

This Thursday, the College once again hosts the first round of Rostrum Voice of Youth. We have six girls ready to compete in this prestigious competition: Lucy Tapley and Sofia Tong of Year 8, Gabbi Fleming (Year 9), Karen Pannu and Neha Sharma (Year 10) and Sakshi Chouta (Year 12). Many of these speakers have wide experience in Public Speaking so we are hopeful several of our girls will advance to the Regional level. Good luck to them all.

The talent of new students at the school continues to amaze. Two outstanding additions to the Mercy family, Amariah Tamaro and Saanvi Sharma, although only in Year 7, amazed the visitors who came to the College’s Open Day with their remarkable skill in public speaking. Facing over a thousand people in the audience over two sessions, Amariah and Saanvi spoke about their early experiences as new students but did so with the skill and confidence that few adult speakers achieve. With such talent in the younger Year levels, the future of Public Speaking at OLMC is assured.

Also at Open Day, our Debating and Public Speaking Leaders Sakshi Chouta and Stephanie Ogle proved to be excellent ambassadors for the College. Sakshi and Steph have been inspirational leaders who have also shown themselves to be excellent role models for younger speakers. Sakshi and Stephanie spoke enthusiastically to all the tour groups who visited the Debating and Public Speaking display and should be thanked for their tireless efforts. Possibly the most amusing highlight of the day was when Celeste Ieronimo of Year 8, another outstanding debater and public speaker, came face to face with our new Debating and Public Speaking banner which displayed a picture of…. Celeste. And she had no idea at all!

Christopher Ostrowski
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

PDSSSSC Basketball

On Wednesday, February 23, OLMC competed at the PDSSSC Open Basketball Championships at Penrith. The team consisted of Kyra Dpenha, Moana Tuala, Gemma Saap, Ella Maroun, Juliana Merioles, Claire Giffney, Chloe D’Sa and Jemima Scothern. The girls played really well, starting off with an 8-7 victory over St Clares. Despite losing the next two games against some very strong teams they finished their round games off with another victory over Cerdon, winning 15-4. Finishing 3rd in their pool pitted them against Marion College in the finals. It was a very even game with the final scoring ending up 15 all and placing the girls 5th overall. Well done girls, you should all be very proud of your efforts. A big thankyou to Mrs Bushell for all her help with the team.

Athletics

Congratulations to Lucie Francis who competed at the NSW Junior Athletics Championships in late February and finished 3rd in the 17yrs 3km event. Well done Lucie.

Netball

Congratulations to Aruvi Nadarajah who has been selected to compete for INNSW U/12 at the Indoor Netball Junior Nationals. Well done and good luck Aruvi.

OLMC Cross Country Carnival

This year’s Cross Country Carnival will be held on Wednesday May 30 (Week 9) through Parramatta Park and will be for Competitors only. This is a normal school day.

Competitors will be participating in the Cross Country Carnival during Periods 1 and 2.

Any students in Years 7 - 12 who would like to participate will need to register on the nomination link below and has been emailed to all students. All competitors will compete together and will be eligible for selection in the PDSSSC Cross Country Carnival.

Here is the link: https://forms.office.com/r/8kfviYVDTc

Students will need to register from their school notebook.

12 and 13 year olds will run 3km, 14 – 17+yrs run 4km (18 yr olds run 6km at PDSSSC)

Competing students will need to change into their PE uniform when they arrive at school and change back at Recess. Please remember students must wear the full summer PE uniform that complies with the college dress code. Water will be provided but it is encouraged that all students bring their own water, sun protection and medication.

The course can be seen on the OLMC Cross Country program that has been emailed to all students.

Best of luck.

Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator

I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to the many parents who volunteered on the P&F BBQ at the Open Day last Sunday. I particularly want to thank the members of the P&F Committee who assisted on the day - Michael Johnson, Brindha Kugan, Justine Hanks, Katrina Leonardi and Pedro Sampaio. A special thank you must go to Diana Makhoul and Elizabeth Johnson for the ordering and delivery of food.

Vanessa Cassin
President, P&F Committee

Opening Hours and Purchases: The Uniform Shop is open Monday to Thursday, from 8.00am – 9.30am, and 3.00pm – 4.30pm on Monday and Wednesday (school days only).

Online purchases can be made via the Online Uniform Shop (https://shop.olmc.nsw.edu.au/) and all orders will be delivered to the Student Centre for collection by students.

Year 7 2022 – Winter Uniform Fittings will begin during March 2022 and all bookings can be made via the College website under Uniforms, and then click the tab ‘Make a Uniform Shop Appointment’.

Year 10 2022 – Winter Uniform: If a fitting is not required, uniform purchases can be made via the Online Uniform Shop and will be delivered to the Student Centre for pick up.  The shop has stock of tights and optional long sleeve blouses.

Terms 2 and 3: All girls are to wear the full winter uniform. 

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

SCHOOL FEES

A reminder that Instalment 1 school fees were due on 11 February 2022. Unless you have a direct debit arrangement with the College your fees are now overdue.  It would be appreciated if you could arrange payment as soon as possible.

Parents can view their family account with OLMC through their Parent Portal. Here you will be able to see your current account balance, access past statements, view past transactions/payments or make a payment via credit card.

Simply log into your Parent Portal. Go down to Services on the left-hand menu and select Fees and Payments

On the next page click on the first link under Payment of Fees to go into your account to view the balance, transaction history or receipts. 

Any queries on fees should be directed to the Finance Office on 8838 1214 weekdays during 8am – 4pm or email finance@olmc.nsw.edu.au

Anne-Maree Ironside
Finance Manager

Stanley House Leader   

What are the key responsibilities of your Portfolio? Some key responsibilities of my portfolio are; to inspire and encourage others to get involved, to provide ideas and support for competitions and House related activities, to bring a competitive spirit but remain sportsmanlike and finally to listen to others ideas with an open mind during House Councillor meetings.           

What is your vision as Leader of this Portfolio in 2022?  My vision as a leader is to inspire and encourage girls to get involved with a positive and cheerful spirit.    

What is something about you that others might be surprised to know?  That I really enjoy acting and do Drama as a subject at school.         

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why? 'Walking on Sunshine'- by Katrina And The Waves OR 'Happy'- by Pharrell Williams. I think these songs are representative of my life because I always try my best to view others and life with a positive outlook.        

Name one person with whom you would like to share a meal and why? I would love to share a meal with Jennifer Lawrence and Adam Sandler because I think the conversation would be extremely funny and easy-going.          

What would be your superpower? Why? To have power over water, like Poseidon. I would want to have this as my superpower because I love the water/ocean.      

What are your interests outside of school? My interests outside of school are going to the gym, acting, playing soccer or tennis and piano.

Clare House Leader        

What are the key responsibilities of your Portfolio? The key responsibilities of my portfolio are to ensure the Clare House is full of spirit and to encourage everyone to be the best they can possibly be!     

What is your vision as Leader of this Portfolio in 2022?  My vision as a leader this year is to build relationships with students by communicating with them through places such as Vertical Homeroom. This is especially in relation to Year 7 students, who are still getting used to high school. I hope that my House remembers Kirsten and I as being the 'best leaders they ever had.'     

What is something about you that others might be surprised to know? I love watching horror movies - yes that does sound weird! Even if they are being watched on my own at 2am!              

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?Don't Wake Me Up by Chris Brown.

Name one person with whom you would like to share a meal and why ? Kanye West - I admire his music and his producing, and would love to know more about his funny self.    

Year 8 Ash Wednesday Liturgy in 2009