After such a vibrant and ‘jam-packed’ Term 1, it is safe to say that all our students and teachers are looking forward to a well-earned break. This particular school break is my favourite. We celebrate our Christian Easter, as daylight hours become a little shorter and the mornings and evenings are particularly chilly. Autumn leaves become the backdrop to religious services and family outings. There is time to gather together, as extended family and friends are often on a break and family feasts are usually featured across the Easter Weekend. It comes at the right time to slow us down after a busy 10 weeks of College life and invites us to reflect, notice and connect. To breathe in the beauty of creation and give thanks for our faith in our Lord and our religion, by commemorating the most significant time in our Liturgical calendar.

I feel most fortunate to be spending this Easter in Dublin, Ireland; the birthplace of Venerable Catherine McAuley. This extraordinary opportunity has been taken up by five Mercy Principals, offered by the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta and North Sydney, and is led by Caroline Thompson, the Director of Formation in Mercy Partners.

Part of this journey will enable us to live for a few days in the House of Mercy, which was Catherine’s home and place of her ministry whilst alive. It is here that she began the congregation which has spread throughout the world and is treasured by countless numbers of people.

I am looking forward to sharing the insights I will gain about Catherine and her life on my return. In particular, I hope to visit each of our House Groups during their Chapel times throughout the term and show pictures and scenes from this special time.

New Deputy Principal - Anthony Blomfield

We warmly congratulate and welcome Mr Anthony Blomfield to the role of Deputy Principal at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta.

Anthony is a highly qualified educator and brings a wealth of experience to this role. He is currently Assistant Principal, Head of School of St Luke’s Catholic College. Prior to this, he held leadership positions of: Assistant Principal-Learning and Wellbeing Leader at Delaney College; Mathematics Leader of Learning at Parramatta Marist High School and Mathematics Leader of Learning at Marist College, Pagewood. 

Anthony is a dedicated and extremely well-regarded leader of education and teacher of Mathematics and Computer Studies within the Parramatta Diocese. He has worked closely with Leadership Teams, students and families, teaching and support staff as well as beginning teachers, Heads of Department and Wellbeing Coordinators.

Additionally, Anthony is a man of Catholic faith and a member of St Kevin’s Parish, Eastwood.  We wish him every success as he takes up this important position at the College and thank him in anticipation of all he will contribute to our OLMC Community.

Anthony will commence with us on 8 May.

College Assembly

Last week at our College Assembly, it was wonderful to recognise the extraordinary talent of our students. For the first time ever, we offered the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award to students who had completed their Bronze Award and were over 16 years of age. It was lovely to present these awards to Mia Cleary and Mia Totino.

Our Swimming Carnival Age Champions were also acknowledged, as were our recent Fuse Cup Just Dance Winners.

We have long realised the benefits of co-curricular activities and this year at the College, the offering to students has increased. From e-Sports to the Drone Squadron, from Run Club to Maths Olympiad, there are limitless possibilities. Co-curricular activities can help students develop important life skills such as teamwork, leadership, time management, and communication. It can also provide opportunities for our girls to explore their interests and passions outside of the classroom.   

Year 7 Camp

It was great to visit to our newest Mercy Girls in Year 7 on their first overnight camp at Canton Beach on the Central Coast a few weeks ago. The theme of the camp was, ‘The Possibilities are Endless’ and the two days provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the start of their high school journey. The girls participated in many activities including Raft Building, Canoeing, Orienteering, Flying Fox and the Giant Swing, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zone, develop new friendships and seek to become the best version of themselves. 

Staff Spirituality Day

Our entire staff have participated in our Annual Spirituality Day this week. In our busy College, it is important that we gather together from time to time to pray and to reflect on this vital ministry of catholic education in which are involved. I thank the staff who facilitated workshops throughout the day and Mrs Scanlon and the Identity team for their thoughtful organisation of this wonderful opportunity.

The Little Mermaid

Rehearsals for our upcoming production of The Little Mermaid are well underway. The girls are getting very excited to showcase their talents to our community. Tickets are selling fast for all three productions with the final performance on Saturday, 20 May sold out. There are still limited tickets available for Friday, 19 May and tickets available for Thursday, 18 May.

I would love to see you at the production. Come along before the show and enjoy dinner from a variety of food trucks available from 5.30pm. Free parking is available at Parramatta Leagues Club. To purchase tickets, please click here.  

Enrolments Year 7, 2025

Year 7 2025 Applications are now closed. We are thrilled with the high demand for places at the College.  

Enrolment interviews will take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023. The Registrar will be in contact within the next few weeks to schedule your appointment.

Open Morning Tour

We welcome all prospective families to our Open Morning Tour on Thursday, 11 May from 9.30am - 11.00am. Learn how your daughter will flourish while exploring our campus and discovering the benefits of a Mercy Education. To register, please click here.

The Voice to Parliament: A Guide to Understanding the Talk

You may have heard people talking about the 'Voice to Parliament'

What is it?
Constitutional recognition enshrined in the constitution that would enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide advice to the Parliament on policies and projects that impact their lives.

A Voice to Parliament gives the Australian Government the opportunity to make policies with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rather than for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Why is it important?
A Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous communities a route to help inform policy and legal decisions that impact their lives. Giving people a say will lead to more effective results.

How will this affect you?
By giving greater rights and responsibilities back to the First Nations communities, it gives us all the ability to improve reconciliation and ultimately, healing.

How will I vote?
It will be voted on in a referendum. Everyone will be asked to answer a simple question with a YES or a NO answer. For a referendum to be successful, it requires a majority of voters across the nation and a majority of voters in a majority of states.

Watch this:
The following video is very good and answers lots of questions. Whilst it runs for eight minutes, it gives a great snapshot of the issues and reasons for this process.
Indigenous voice to parliament: what is it and how would it work? – video explainer |australia news | The Guardian

Further Resources:
The Catholic Church has joined other churches and religious organisations signing an open letter calling on parliamentarians 'to find ways to collaborate constructively across political divides' to support the Indigenous Voice to parliament.

• https://catholicleader.com.au/news/religious-leaders-pen-support-for-an-indigenous-voice/
• https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/fr-frank-brennan-sj-how-to-vote-on-the-voice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fr-frank-brennan-sj-how-to-vote-on-the-voice

Leave from School

At OLMC, we pride ourselves on providing a quality education for Mercy Girls and we believe in fostering the best possible environment for learning.

It is optimal that your daughter's schooling remains uninterrupted as far as possible. The College's preference is for families to carefully consider not making any requests for extended leave to travel in term time. The term breaks are published a year in advance so that holiday travel can occur during these breaks. All requests for leave are to be made in writing to the Principal on the Application for Leave Form. This is available on the Parent Portal. CLICK HERE to log into the parent portal. Forms should be submitted with a minimum of two weeks’ notice. It is essential that families receive a formal letter from the Principal granting or not granting the leave before any leave from the College takes place. Only one period of leave will be granted for your daughter in the six years she is at OLMC. The Principal should be contacted in extreme cases for leave. Insufficient notice of requests may lead to your daughter’s absence being recorded as unapproved leave.

I wish all families a safe and wonderful easter Season and I look forward to seeing everyone again in Term 2.

Lucie Farrugia
Principal

A group of Year 10 students participated in a multifaith mass sponsored by ARRCC on the 9th of March at St. Patricks Cathedral. We are all passionate about developing a new perspective on climate change, and the personal religious responses to the environmental issues present in this day. While global warming is actively addressed at the college through subjects and cocurricular activities like ecoOLMC, this experience granted us with the opportunity to delve deeper into the religious perspective. We were joined by representatives from Jewish, Christian, Quakers, Islamic, and Hindu religious traditions and were lucky enough to encounter the cultural practices of these individual communities. We were able to distinguish the fact that while we shared different beliefs, we all had one thing in common, a passion for recognising the detriment humanity has brought to our home. We listened to songs, homilies, speeches, meditations, and prayers that signified the importance of understanding the global call to action we as the younger generation need to make. Overall, we walked away with an enlightened mindset and full heart in knowing that no matter your race, religion, values, or personal life, we can all make change, so long as we value the possibility of a better world and happier community. 

Year 9 students enjoyed a day full of music, reflection, prayer and dancing as Chris Doyle and Fr Walter brought their Refection Day to life.

Chris raised important issues such as acceptance, self-worth and human dignity whilst always sharing his Catholic views, belief and links to Scripture which ground us in our faith.

OLMC staff have put their Mercy values into action by signing up to assist with the Night Patrol Van, supported by Vinnies. Staff made sandwiches and donated food for snack packs then went out and served the most vulnerable members of our local community. One staff member commented,

'I would be lying if I said that the stories and situations, I heard about last night weren't heartbreaking, but being able to provide someone needing support with some sense of community and warmth is something that I will not forget. I had a particular conversation with a man in Parramatta and when he thanked me for my kindness, it was something that will stick with me for a long time.'

On Wednesday, 22 March, a group of Year 12 Leaders was privileged to participate in the Senior Mercy 5 student forum at Monte Sant' Angelo in North Sydney. Mercy 5 is the five schools founded by the Sisters of Mercy. Collaborating together for justice and advocacy is one way the work of the Sisters will continue to live on. The focus of the forum was The Uluru Statement from the Heart and how we, as Mercy women, can advocate for a constitutionally enshrined Voice in Parliament. We spent the morning learning more about the Statement and hearing the perspective of Gamilaroi/Yularoi woman Walgan Priscilla. Walgan emphasised the need for a Voice given the historical power imbalance between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The rest of the day was more reflective - learning to weave, painting with ochre and taking time to reflect and connect on Cameragal country.  It opened our eyes and allowed new friendships to form.

Joanna Davino

Our recycling efforts are paying off!

A local road in Penrith, NSW is the first to have coffee cups used in its roads, PAK-PAVE™ Roads. These roads are made from more than 50% recycled content including coffee cups, glass stubbies, scrap metal residue and reclaimed asphalt. Not only are these roads more sustainable than regular asphalt as they have a 24% reduction in carbon footprint, but they are also more durable. More than 135,000 coffee cups went into the 850-metre road. We will continue to recycle these cups for future projects!

The annual Mother Daughter Mass is being held next Term on Monday, 15 May commencing at 4.30pm. All mothers, grandmothers and other significant women to the students of OLMC are very welcome to the Mass and afternoon tea, which is kindly supplied by the P&F.  Click here to RSVP.

As we head towards Holy Week, I wish you and your family a safe and restful break with time to spend in prayer and reflection as we remember the great sacrifice of Jesus, whose death and resurrection we remember at this time.

Mrs Gabby Scanlon
Director of identity

Another wonderful term of learning has occurred at OLMC. I’ve been privileged to spend time in classrooms recently and am inspired by the engagement of our learners. The end of term does involve assessment periods for students, and this often raises questions that I hope to answer below.

Illness or misadventure during formal assessments

At OLMC we take the position that student health and wellbeing is paramount in supporting girls through their academic careers. When a student experiences genuine illness or meets with circumstances beyond their control that cause them some difficulties in meeting assessment requirements, we aim to care for the student’s wellbeing as well as their academic progress. 

The Illness & Misadventure process is there to support students experiencing genuine illness or misadventure. The process brings with it a commitment from the College to understand the individual circumstances of a student’s illness or misadventure, but it also comes with significant responsibilities on the part of the student (or her parents on her behalf). These responsibilities must be met in order to ensure that all students can have confidence in the validity and reliability of the assessment program.

The most significant part of the Illness & Misadventure process is that a student provides independent evidence of their illness or misadventure, and that the evidence clearly identifies the impact on their assessment performance. Students who correctly follow the process as outlined in their relevant cohort’s Assessment Handbook, have little trouble receiving the recognition they require of their circumstances.

Please familiarise yourself with the Assessment Handbook that is relevant to your daughter’s year group as a way of being prepared to support her through any assessment challenges.

Our senior students in particular need to be very familiar with this process as NESA is exacting when it comes to these requirements for the HSC. Students have access to this handbook through the Canvas Learning Management System.

Save the date!

The following events are coming up for parents and students in Term 2:

Year 12

• Half Yearly Report: Published prior to Parent and Teacher Conferences
• Parent and Teacher Conferences: Wed 10 May, 3:35pm – 7.00pm
• Student Study Week Mon 26 June – Fri 30 June (1st week of Term 2 break) – essential preparation for Trial HSC Exams

Year 11

• Interim Reports: Published prior to Parent and Teacher Conferences
• Parent and Teacher Conferences: Tue 23 May, 3:35pm – 7.00pm

Year 10

• Course Preference Evening Year 11 2024: Wednesday 21 June, 5.00pm – 7:30pm
• Parent and Teacher Conferences occur early in Term 3

Years 7-10

• Half Yearly Reports: Published at the end of Term 2
• Years 7, 8 and 9 Parent and Teacher Conferences occur on the first day of Term 3

Louise Millar
Director of Teaching and Learning

On 30 March, students from Year 10 were given the opportunity to discuss their Major Works in a small-group session with Felicity Castagna, an award-winning author and university lecturer on creative writing. Our Major Work is an original, creative story we are writing based on one of the literary classics we read during Term 1. The aim of the workshop was to share what we had written and receive personalised feedback on our tone, structure and language choices. It was extremely helpful to hear not just the constructive feedback directed toward our own pieces, but the feedback also given to others. The group learnt from each other, and Felicity’s expertise helped to highlight areas of writing that we hadn’t thought about before. The importance of both large and small details in stories was a concept that was explored, and this helped us to think about how to edit our writing. This workshop provided us with new creative writing skills that will help us as we delve deeper into the construction of our Major Works. 

Kathryn Redulic and Sierra Lake

The Mathematics department celebrated Pi Day on Monday, 13 March running several activities culminating in a lunchtime Trivia contest.

Here are some of the highlights of the celebration:

• The Run Club co-curricular group ran 3.14km on Pi Day 
• Year 8 created a Pi Skyline. Each building’s height represents the digits of Pi. 
• Students used their baking skills to make some delicious treats to express pi (as pie!) 
• Chantelle, Jana, Ally, Steph, Valerie, Wendy and Cassie from Year 12 made the longest paper chain (in 2 minutes) using different colours to represent the digits of Pi. 

Congratulations to Bailee Blackman, Zivelle Seasay, Julia Phan, Isabelle Liew, Raavia Riar who won the inaugural Pi Day Trivia. 

Thank you to all the students and teachers who participated and contributed to making the day a fun day for all involved. See you again - same time next year.

Last week, a group of enthusiastic Year 10 Information Software and Technology (IST) students from OLMC had the privilege of visiting the local council to participate in a design workshop. The aim of the workshop was to brainstorm and create design briefs for a new technology hub that will be available for public use soon. The local council has recognised the importance of incorporating technology and innovation into our community spaces. With the help of our students, they hope to create an inclusive and cutting-edge technology hub that will cater to various interests and age groups.

During the design workshop, the students split into smaller groups to work on individual design briefs. These briefs were developed with the intent of showcasing unique perspectives and ideas that could be incorporated into the technology hub. Our students' creativity shone through, as they came up with a range of innovative concepts.

One group proposed the idea of a 'Create Your Own Avatar' station, where visitors can design their own digital personas. These avatars can then be used to engage with other users, attend virtual events, or explore virtual worlds in the technology hub. Another group of students focused on the exciting world of filmmaking, suggesting the use of green screens to create self-starring movies. This would allow visitors to immerse themselves in their favourite film scenes, or even create their own short films and share them with others.

Virtual reality was also a popular theme among the students, with a design brief focused on virtual reality visits to popular destinations. This concept would enable users to 'travel' to different parts of the world, experience new cultures, and explore exotic locations without ever leaving the technology hub. Finally, the students suggested the inclusion of a technology maker space, providing tools and resources for community members to create their own technology projects, whether it be robotics, electronics or software development.

The facilitators of the workshop were incredibly impressed with the student's ideas and are looking forward to incorporating these design briefs into the planning process for the technology hub. This experience has been a fantastic opportunity for our Year 10 IST students to apply their knowledge and creativity to a real-world project and we eagerly await the opening of the new technology hub in the community.

'It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head.' Henri Cartier-Bresson

This term, Year 9 Photographic and Digital Media commenced their photographic journey, learning digital camera skills and photographic compositional techniques. Year 10 ventured into the ‘old fashioned’ world of 35mm SLR photography and darkroom processing. Along with developing practical skills, students studied the works of well-known street photographers, focusing on how these artists use light, shadows, shape and textures to bring interest to their black-and-white imagery. Both groups put their learning into practice while on several walking excursions around Parramatta, where they aimed to show others the magic in their surroundings and the hidden wonders they observed. We are excited that the images taken by Stage 5 students will be on display at the inaugural ‘Create West’ Exhibition at Parramatta Council’s new Phive facility later this year.

In Term 1, the Year 9 Dance class explored safe dance practices and examined the musculoskeletal system. They applied this knowledge in practical lessons, learning a series of movement sequences based on classical ballet and modern dance technique. Through these, students improved their execution of complex skills and developed their strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. The Year 9 Dance class was excited to perform these in Week 9 for their first Dance practical assessment task.

At last week’s College Assembly, we launched the new Mercy Multicredential initiative. The Mercy Multicredential is a portfolio of badges, mapped to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) standards. This allows students to gather evidence from across their school experience and be recognised for the skills and competencies they display.

Students can use evidence from curriculum, co-curricular, Wellbeing and other activities and projects to fulfill each badge. Therefore, each student will have a unique portfolio that demonstrates their skills within a consistent and nationally recognised framework.

For example, by taking part in the eSports co-curricular program, students will generate evidence that they are growing their Digital Skills. They can upload reflections, activities, screenshots and/or other evidence to Canvas to show their skills growth at other times. They might then use evidence from English to show their skills in communication using digital tools and layer this with some goal-setting from the Wellbeing program. They can then earn a Digital Skills badge, which maps to the ASQA standards.

Every student at OLMC can earn their way to a portfolio, and have the opportunity to convert this into a fully recognised certification through our project partners, AlphaCrucis Univeristy College.

We look forward to seeing our students gain their Personal Growth, Leadership, Digital Skills and Career Cadetship badges over the course of this year. More badges will become available as we roll out later phases of this project.

This is the first of its kind in Australia, so we look forward to seeing our girls use the Mercy Multicredential to show us that they are indeed courageous advocates with limitless possibilities.

For more information, please go to: https://www.olmc.nsw.edu.au/learning/mercy-multicredential/

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
• 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.

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

As the Term draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our newest members of the College from Year 7 to Year 11 on all their efforts to settle into a new school. We hope their time, so far, at the College has been truly rewarding.

Congratulations must also go the girls for their hard work and effort this term – their perseverance has been appreciated by their teachers. I did remind the girls this week that it is always good to remember to thank their teachers as we end the Term for all that they have done to support them.

In Term 2, we have engaged a number of guest speakers for our parents/carers.

On Monday 29 May, Paul Dillon, from Drugs, Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA), has been engaged to present a session in the Edith Angel Hall for parents and carers only.        

This session is titled ‘Teens, parties, gatherings and alcohol: What do parents need to know?’ and, using the most current data, will examine the use of alcohol and other drugs by school-based young people. It aims to empower parents with a positive message and assist them in having open and honest family discussions in this complex area.

On Tuesday 6 June, Year 7 Parents/Carers and their daughters are invited to the Year 7 Compulsory Study Skills Evening in the Ailsa McKinnon Community Centre (AMCC). This interactive evening, facilitated by Dr Prue Salter, will outline tools and techniques for students to achieve their personal academic best. Parent/carer(s) and students must attend together to experience the full value of the session. The presentation will commence at 6:00pm sharp with the gates open from 5:30pm and will conclude at 7:30pm. For further information, click here.

Term 2 Winter Uniform

Next term your daughter may wear either her full summer uniform or her full winter uniform in Weeks 1 and 2 of Term 2. No combinations of the two uniforms are allowed.

Your daughter will be expected to wear her winter uniform from Monday, 8 May.

I would ask your assistance in ensuring that your daughter’s winter uniform complies with the College Dress Code. In particular:

• The junior dress or senior skirt is to be worn at the correct length (at least 2 cm below the bottom of the kneecap).
• The College blazer is to be worn as the outer garment to and from school in Terms 2 and 3. The jumper/cardigan is not to be worn to or from school unless under the blazer. Year 12 jerseys are also not to be worn under the blazer.
• Please also note that blazers are to be worn to House Assemblies in the Chapel and College Assemblies in Terms 2 and 3.
• Full-length 70-denier pantyhose are to be worn with the winter uniform.

Thank you in advance for your support in ensuring that your daughter wears the correct uniform. When I speak to the girls about uniforms, I emphasise that how they wear their uniforms is a sign of respect. When the girls wear the uniform with pride, they show respect for themselves and for the College. I appreciate the financial commitment you as parents make to purchasing the uniform and it is for this reason that I ask that all items of the uniform are labelled with your daughter’s name so any misplaced items can be returned promptly to the rightful owner.

Finally, on behalf of the Wellbeing Team, I wish you and your family a happy and Holy Easter and I hope that the break provides you with plenty of rest, relaxation and quality time with family and friends.

Ann-Marie Herd
Director of Student Wellbeing

Most tests and examinations still require students to handwrite. For your daughter to improve her handwriting, first consider how healthy she is in the four elements of legible handwriting:  letter formation, sizing, alignment on the line and spacing between words. If you want to know more click here for some tips by Dr Prue Salter on how to improve this vital skill.

Tips to help become more organised

Being organised is a life-long skill that can make a major difference to both productivity and mindset. Generally, it is not an innate skill, but rather one that can be taught, and skills practiced consistently can then develop into habits. Young people may need encouragement or tips to assist them to develop this skill. Some tips that may help after the holidays to transition into Term 2 include:

1. Create a routine: creating a routine can help you stay consistent and create habits. Write down your general weekly schedule on a whiteboard or calendar, then establish time blocks that you will spend doing homework, co-curricular and other activities. This also allows you to see blocks of time that can be used for study or revision.
2. Work out a study timeline: do not leave revision or assessment tasks until the week or night before. Whilst some insist that they perform best under pressure, the reality is, it creates unnecessary anxiety and is not usually their best effort. Instead, plan backward from these due dates and work out each day, one thing that will contribute towards the assessment task. Start with a small block of time, such as 20 minutes, and build from there, until you can study for longer periods without distractions.
3. Make lists: write everything down and prioritise important tasks. Find a method that works for you such as the College diary, whiteboard in the study area, or even virtual sticky notes on your laptop.
4. Break down big tasks into smaller ones: assessment tasks with multiple parts can seem overwhelming. However, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable parts allows you to feel more in control and focused. It allows you to complete small chunks of work each day rather than leaving it all to the last minute.
5. Keep a clean study space: a clean study space is more conducive to productivity and effective study.
6. Avoid distractions: multi-tasking is not efficient. Find a quiet space, free from distractions such as devices and re-focus yourself, each time you find yourself getting off task.
7. Take breaks: short breaks are important in keeping momentum when completing homework or studying. It is important to get up, stretch, move around and clear your mind between tasks.
8. Organise yourself the night before: tasks such as packing lunch, charging devices, laying out uniforms and knowing what tasks, activities and classes are on the next day can go a long way to allowing for a smoother morning.

Mrs Sandra Portela
Senior School Counsellor

Our College Photo Day is coming up on Tuesday, 16 May. For further information, click here.

CSDA Grand Final

Last month, Elissa Abboud of Year 8 reached the Grand Final of CSDA Public Speaking. Elissa was one of twelve speakers from an original entry of 120 who reached this level. Despite not being in the major placegetters, Elissa spoke eloquently on the importance of having dreams for the future and is to be congratulated for her performance.

Rostrum Voice of Youth

On Thursday 30 March, the College hosted a round of Rostrum Voice of Youth. Six of our outstanding speakers were involved. The results of the evening were exceptional. In the Junior section, Sofia Tong and Kavya Samtani (Year 9) won their heats, as did Gabby Fleming (Year 10) in the Senior division. Special thanks to Gabby who stood in at short notice when another student had to withdraw. Lizzy Butler (Year 9) and Hasini Madukuri (Year 10) were runners-up in their heats and well done also to Ela Akca (Year 10) who delivered a particularly amusing speech. The three winners now progress to the Regional Finals in early May. Good luck to them all. Thanks must go to teachers Mr Esterman, Mrs Lonergan, Mrs Rugg and Mrs Webb who gave up their time to support this event as well as all the wonderful student volunteers who, as always, impressed all our visitors.

Interschool Debating

As always, there were a large number of applications for CSDA Interschool Debating in Term 2. Teams have now been selected and it is unfortunate that so many talented speakers could not be included in the limited places available. Those who missed out, and in fact, any other students in Years 7 to 10 will have the opportunity to participate in the Intraschool competition in Term 3. We thank the four Western Sydney University Law students as well as several of our talented ex-students who will act as coaches.

7A: Harini Niranjan Kumar, Alisha Pradhan, Lavanyaa Saravanan, Matilda Scothern, Aishani Singh. Coach: Yaser Yousef (WSU).

7B: Sophie Ackroyd, Kashika Ghosh, Sarah Kenna, Shreeya Kochikar, Saisha Mehta. Coach: Efua Wallace (WSU).

8A: Shriya Menon, Saanvi Sharma, Pari Tailor, Natasha Tween, Emily Wong. Coach Aish Naidu (WSU).

8B: Shalini Kanagasundaram, Aarya Khanal, Angela Lees, Hiya Mahida, Anushka Mishra. Coach Anne Nguyen

9A: Vishnu Gude, Isabel Homairi, Celeste Ieronimo, Shiloh Julien, Sofia Tong. Coach: Priyanka Sangar.

9B: A’ishah Ali, Lizzy Butler, Pia Goradia, Bianca Mina, Matilda Webb. Coach: Lily Tambrchi.

10A: Isabella Cotter, Kaira Dasgupta, Lohita Gollavilli, Bronte Herberstein, Sierra Lake. Coach: Sakshi Chouta.

10B: Gabby Fleming, Charlotte Lee, Stefanie Gabriel, Siona Trivedi, Jennifer Wang. Coach: Riley Rodewald.

11A: Tia Monga, Niamh Nolan, Ruwindri Parndigamage, Neha Sharma, Alyssa Taouk. Coach: Yasmine Alwakal.

11B: Prarthana Ambareesh, Sophie Assaad, Megan Keller, Hayden Rodewald, Mia Totino. Coach: Mary Hinchcliffe (WSU).

12A: Olivia Easton, Arlene Kumar, Tijana Pavlovic, Freya Scothern. Coach: Mr Walsh.

12B: Tanya Bhatara, Lucy D’Silva, Sharanya Kugan, Nimrat Kang, Anushka Palayanur. Coach: Mr Altura.

Over the Easter holidays, the Year 7 teams will participate in an all-day seminar to prepare them for competition, while all debaters (including those who might be involved in Intraschool Debating) have been invited to a special two-hour presentation on Friday, 14 April by Mr Dan Walsh who is competing in the World Debating Titles over Easter. This is a wonderful opportunity for our debaters to learn from the very best. All students were emailed application forms and late submissions can still be emailed to Mr Ostrowski.

New Appointment

I’d like to congratulate Mr Gerard Altura on his appointment as Assistant Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator. Mr Altura has a wide range of experience in this field and is certain to contribute significantly to providing our girls with further continuing opportunities in these co-curricular activities.

Christopher Ostrowski
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

The Mock Mediation team competed in the first round of the NSW Law Society Competition on Friday, 31 March. The team consisted of Year 9 and 10 students, with our Year 9 students entering into their first experience of this competition. The students were praised by the adjudicator for their mature mediator and excellent characterisation, earning them an extremely respectable score that has placed the team in an excellent position moving into Round 2. This team was well supported by members of the wider Mock Mediation squad who are keen to be involved in future rounds. We look forward to seeing what these students can produce across the remainder of the competition!

Congratulations to Matilda Webb, Sarah Stewart, Lizzy Butler, Athalya Alemao, Georgia Wright, Celine Nicolas, Olivia Colusso, Kimberly Almira, Jenisha John-Wilfred, Rachael Perillo, Ashlyn Kumar

Last year, several students from Years 7-10 took the opportunity to enter the ‘Canal to Creek’ Art Competition. They worked on their piece at home and attended workshops during lunch. With over 700 entries from across Australia, our talented students were awarded the ‘Overall School Prize’ for 2022! A number of students attended the prizegiving ceremony in St Peters, receiving a $5,000 Eckersley’s voucher for the College. Whilst there, students were able to explore the Traffic Control Centre for Westconnex, who were the event sponsors.

Congratulations to all students who entered the competition:

Aanya Rao, Aarya Khanal, Akira Tai, Alisa Patel, Alyssa Losurdo, Amelia Johnston, Aunkita Kar, Bhadra Prasanth, Calissa Macare, Cecilia Homann, Chloe Skinner, Emma Roberts, Emma Sadek, Jayda Isaia, Kathryn Rendulic, Leanne Cho, Mona Nasr, Rhos Shi Wang, Ruishan Zhang, Saanvi Shah, Satine Tatiana, Sharubini Jeyaseelan, Sophie Ball, Tara Lewis, Trisha Dang and Zahra Maudave-Isse.

The English faculty and the Library hosted the Term 1 meeting of the OLMC Page Turners Book Club on Wednesday evening in Week 9.

Attendees read the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers: A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr. Narrated from a second-person point of view and utilising magical realism, the novel offers a fresh perspective on a family's struggle to find a new home. The characters and their struggles and triumphs captured the hearts and imaginations of all readers in the club. 

'I really enjoyed going to Book Club. The Library was really nicely decorated and my friends were there. We had lots of fun talking about the book and answering fun questions.'  Matilda Howard

'Book Club was a wonderful experience to meet new people and bond over books. It was fun to share our love of the book and learn about other people’s love for books.' Mia Wehbe

Book Club was an amazing experience as we got the opportunity to connect with other book lovers and engage in interesting discussions with parents and other people of my age. I was challenged to think about the themes and messages in the book. We were given lots of things to do and we ate delicious food.' Irene Chen

In Term 1, the girls have worked really hard and have shown dedication and focus. There has been lots of fun learning basic self defence skills and they are excited that they will learn basic sparring next term. Bookings are now open for Term 2 and all interested girls who would like to give jujitsu a try are welcome.

Click here to book. You will receive an email with your booking confirmation and further information for the term upon booking. 

On Wednesday 10 March, the Chamber Ensemble was invited to play at the 2023 International Women’s Day Breakfast. Girls from various high schools in the area attended this event and we had the privilege of listening to a few different guest speakers including the Mayoress Cr Donna Davis and Cr Dr Peter Gangemi. Dr Jennifer Mathews, the Keynote Speaker, spoke to us about her experiences and talked us through her career in marine biology. We were inspired by the way she followed her passion through many challenges. We also learnt about the importance of taking opportunities and making the most of them. Dr Jennifer Matthews’ story taught us that we don’t need to have our entire lives planned out. Instead, we can give ourselves the space to pursue our interests. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the event by playing our instruments during the morning for guest speakers, event organisers and attendees. 

Ruwindri Parndigamage and Tharuki Randeniya

PDSSSC Swimming Carnival

On Thursday 9 March, OLMC competed at the PDSSSC Swimming Championships at SOPAC. The team consisted of Iris Chen, Sophie Ackroyd, Sarah Kenna, Isabel Li, Matilda Webb, Kasey Bolt, Stephanie Lake, Imogen Burns, Mia Cleary, Zoe McIntosh, Lucie Francis and Emily Shumack. The girls all swam exceptionally well with Zoe McIntosh being crowned 16yrs age champion and OLMC being crowned Champion Girls School!

NSWCCCC Swimming

Congratulations to Emily Shumack, Mia Cleary, Zoe McIntosh, Stephanie Lake and Iris Chen who represented OLMC and PDSSSC in 21 events at the NSWCCCC Swimming Championships at SOPAC on 31 March. All the girls swam exceptionally well, with the Open Freestyle Relay (Emily, Mia, Zoe and Stephanie) finishing 2nd, qualifying for the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships to be held in June. Well done girls!

PDSSSC Open Soccer

On Friday 24 March, OLMC competed at the PDSSSC Open Football Championships. The team consisted of Alissia Marrone, Elyssa Wakim, Niamh Nolan, Isabelle Zoghbi, Mia Totino, Lauren Franco, Alexandra Attard, Leah Kolosakas, Sharon Sebastian, Giselle Al-Mir, Samantha Weatherburn and Sofia Maruncic. The girls played extremely well defeating Bede Polding, drawing with St Andrews and narrowly losing in the last 10 seconds to Caroline Chisolm. Overall, they finished 3rd in their pool. The girls should be proud of their efforts. Well done. 

Thank you to Ms Herd for all her help with the team.

NSWCCC Touch Football

Congratulations to Mia Kerr & Maria Saad for being selected in the PDSSSC Touch Football teams who are competing at the NSWCCCC Touch Football Championships in Wagga Wagga this week.

Australian Surf Life Saving Championships

Last week Kasey Bolt competed at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Perth. Kasey was awarded the silver medal for Champion Life Saver. This event combines physical - swim, board and sprint races, CPR/ live patient assessment and a theory exam. The competition was fierce for all disciplines in this event with the top nine U14 girls in Australia.

Along with her teammates, Kasey was part of the silver medal team from North Curl Curl for surf teams, swimming up an age group. In addition, Kasey was successful in qualifying for all individual finals in swim, board and iron person. This is an incredible feat that only a handful of athletes achieve. She also came 7th in Australia for the board race.

A fabulous achievement Kasey, well done!

OLMC Cross Country

On Wednesday 29 March, despite some light rain, our Cross Country went ahead as planned in Parramatta Park. After five years of rain, COVID and double bookings, the girls were finally able to complete a proper cross-country course and they did not disappoint. They all ran exceptionally well, cheering each other on and in doing so set four new records.

Well done to all the girls that competed and congratulations to the following girls who were crowned Age Champions:

• 12 Years – Irene Ding
• 13 Years – Amber Haywood
• 14 Years – Matilda Webb
• 15 Years – Caterina Valore
• 16 Years – Niamh Nolan
• 17+ Years – Lucie Francis

Congratulations to Amber Haywood, Matilda Webb, Caterina Valore & Lucie Francis for all setting new records.

Congratulations also to all the girls from Mercedes as they were crowned House Champions!

Thank you to all staff who helped out on the day and to all of the students for participating.

I wish the best of luck to all the girls who have qualified to compete at the PDSSSC Cross Country Carnival in May.

OLMC Athletics Carnival – Friday, 5 May  

The 2023 College Athletics Carnival is back and will be held at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Warm-Up Arena. This Carnival provides a wonderful opportunity for staff and students to participate in a range of track and field events, whilst enthusiastically supporting their House. The students are encouraged to show their House Spirit by dressing up in their House colours and by cheering on their House. 

All students are required to attend the Carnival as this is a compulsory event and a school day. 

All students will be transported by bus from OLMC to the Athletic Centre at Homebush and back to OLMC. Students are expected to be at the College by 8.00am on the day when they will assemble in their House areas with their Homeroom Teacher, before boarding the buses. Students will be leaving the Athletic Centre at approximately 2:15pm. The time of arrival back at OLMC is approximately 3.00pm when they will be dismissed.

Students that wish to be considered for selection in the PDSSSC Athletics Carnival will need to register via the entry form below. This form has also been emailed to all students. Students that want to compete in the Javelin will need to register and on the day, ensure that they are on the first bus leaving OLMC. Once at the venue, please go straight to this event as it will be conducted from 9.00am.

Please click here to enter. Entries close on 23 April. Students must sign up if they wish to compete seriously in any events.

The carnival layout will be a Traditional Carnival and students will need to listen out for when their events are called. Students are encouraged to have adequate water, food and sun protection. Appropriate attire will be needed. Students that compete in spikes must wear 7mm spikes.

No student is to bring their notebook to school with them on the day as they will not be needed. Phones will also need to be left at school. Parents are able to attend the carnival.

A canteen will be available on the day of the carnival. However, students are highly encouraged to bring their own food for the carnival.  

If for any reason, such as illness, your daughter is unable to attend, please call the school office (9683 3300) after 8.00am. A medical certificate is required for all absences. All absences will be followed up. In the case of rain, as the track is a wet weather track, the carnival will still go ahead. If extreme weather, a decision will be made in the morning.

Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator

On Monday, 15 May 2023, the College will be holding its annual Mother Daughter Mass followed by the P&F Afternoon Tea. We are calling on OLMC Dads to assist with the Afternoon Tea for our wonderful OLMC Mums. Help is needed to plate up food, serve and pack up from 4.00pm - 6.00pm. If you can assist, please CLICK HERE to register.

Opening Hours

The Uniform Shop will be open Monday to Thursday, from 8.00am–9.30am and 3.00pm–4.00pm 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. 

Please note, the uniform shop and the online shop will be closed during the term break. The last day of trading will be Tuesday, 4 April.

Uniform for Terms 2 and 3 

Weeks 1 and 2 of Term 2 are transition weeks, where either the summer or winter uniform can be worn. From Week 3 (Monday,8 May) all girls are to wear the winter uniform.

Winter Uniform Fittings 

Fittings for winter uniforms have now been completed. Please contact the Uniform Shop if you require any further items.

OLMC Hair Ribbons

The College will be gifting the first OLMC hair ribbon to students. These will be distributed during Homeroom in Term 2. 

If you wish to buy further OLMC hair ribbons, they can be purchased from the Uniform Shop.

Previous Sharp Calculators

The Uniform Shop has a small supply of Sharp calculators for sale at a discounted rate of $15.00. Only while stocks last.  

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 

All families will receive Instalment 2, 2023 Statements by email during the holidays.

Those families who pay by Term, please pay the full balance by the due date, 5 May 2023.

For those families who have elected to pay their Tuition, Resource & Building Fund Levy by monthly or fortnightly direct debit, this Statement is for information purposes only. Your direct debit will continue as arranged. Any non-compulsory charges on your statement (eg. Dancing, Public Speaking, Musical Instrument Hire, PDSSSC Sport, All Schools Triathlon, eSport, Maths Olympiad, OLMC Bus, etc.) will need to be paid separately by BPay or credit card by the due date.

Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Finance Office during office hours Mon – Fri 8am – 4pm Finance@olmc.nsw.edu.au or (02) 8838 1214.