From the Principal
Teaching And Learning
Languages - Learning, Creating, Engaging...
Languages - Learning, Creating, Engaging...
As our students returned to the classroom earlier this term, it was a pleasure to be able to come together so we could share our learning experiences and consolidate concepts face to face once again. Regardless of where we were physically located throughout Semester 1, our Languages students have been engaging in a range of creative and collaborative learning activities.
Year 9 French students created a brochure in French about our College and typical school life as well as a video representing their typical daily routine. For another learning activity, they were assigned a grammatical feature of the language and were required to teach it to the class and explain its significance and function. Year 10 French students also utilised their French language skills and technical knowledge to create a video movie about their ‘pre-COVID’ daily activities.
Year 10 Japanese students produced a video interview about College life with the target audience being future Japanese students and staff visiting OLMC. As part of the unit of study on Food and Etiquette, the Year 10 Japanese students also created and participated in a role play set in a Japanese restaurant. The students researched Japanese food, cooked the selected dishes at home and produced restaurant menus in Japanese. They then performed the role play in the classroom, ordering from the menus and paying using real Japanese money.
Year 9 Japanese students have been learning the script of Katakana and have engaged in creating Katakana name stamps. Students had to write a letter in Japanese talking about their hobbies and free time activities and then placed their created name stamp on the letter. The letter was given to a ‘secret peer’ in the class. Students were very eager to read and write a response to the mystery sender.
This year for the first time, Spanish has been introduced into the curriculum at OLMC with two classes in Year 7 and Year 8, following the Stage 4 Syllabus. Students have been enjoying learning about the Spanish speaking world, making connections between their own language and Spanish. In Term 1, Year 8 students produced a video where they were required to present and explain some of the grammatical features of the Spanish language to beginner students. There were some informative and creative presentations! Students are currently producing digital Family Albums in Spanish as part of the study on this topic. Similarly, the Year 7 and Year 8 French students have been creating posters describing their family as well.
As we come to the end of Term 2, Year 7 and Year 8 Japanese students are consolidating their learning of the first Japanese script of Hiragana through the art of Calligraphy.
Finally, congratulations to all Languages students who participated in the Education Perfect World Championships this year held from 14 May to 21 May. Their participation provided an opportunity to revise concepts and grammar and consolidate their learning, as they responded to questions in the target language. Over 200 OLMC Language students achieved an award, with the College finishing 20th out of 2,155 schools worldwide. This was indeed a fantastic achievement!
Mrs Sheila Ibarra
Leader of Learning Languages
Drama
Drama
Year 12 have been revising the ideas of Jacques Lecoq and the work of his students. They investigated the idea of creating sculptures or moving art, similar to the theatrical work of Mummenschanz. The Mummenschanz process starts with the material and then weaves a story around it. Their task was to recreate a surrealist art piece using household objects whilst learning at home. They then explored their creations during one of our Zoom lessons.
Buffoonery is a key component of Lecoq. The buffoon was created to mock society and usually took the form of a grotesquely padded figure or strange-looking creature. Year 12 created original solo buffoonery performances based on ‘A Stranger in a New Land’. These were filmed at home during Phases 1 & 2A of the Continuous Learning Program.
Year 9 Drama
Students have been exploring the dramatic form, Commedia dell’Arte. During the remote learning phases of the Continuous Learning Program they were able to investigate the techniques and conventions of Commedia dell’Arte by reading scripts, viewing National Theatre clips and experimenting at home.
In the exploration of this physical theatre genre, the students experimented with their faces and bodies to try and convey emotion. The aim of this exercise was to extend their physical choices and for them to become confident to use their bodies to convey meaning. They explored emotions including fear, love, grief, joy and captured them in photos.
The students were then given the opportunity to use their knowledge to design and create a Commedia inspired mask. They were very resourceful, scouring their houses for any materials that might be suitable. The results included masks made with cereal boxes, silicone, duct tape, plastic and paper. Since their return to face to face learning, the students have been able to ‘introduce’ these characters to rest of the class.
OLMC Connect
Public Speaking
Public Speaking
New DAPS Leaders
Congratulations to the new 2020/21 DAPS Leaders, Sabrina Catania and Anne Nguyen. Both girls are not only outstanding public speakers and debaters, but young ladies who epitomize Mercy values. Sabrina and Anne are certain to contribute significantly to the promotion of debating and public speaking over the next year. We welcome them to this important portfolio.
This now means we say goodbye to outgoing leaders, Daphne Fong and Lily Tambrchi, who have been wonderful in their roles as DAPS Leaders. In every situation, the girls displayed enthusiasm, initiative and cooperation. Any request made of them was carried out promptly and efficiently, and with a positive attitude that must be admired. Nothing was too much trouble for either girl. A sincere thank you to Daphne and Lily for their contribution to the OLMC community.
CSDA Grand Finals
Last Friday, the Grand Finals of CSDA Public Speaking were held via a Zoom session. Alexandra Attard of Year 7 was the first student from OLMC to reach this level for several years. While Alexandra did not place in the Year 7 final, her achievement of being in the top 12 from approximately 150 original entrants speaks volumes for her talent and effort. Congratulations to Alexandra for an outstanding performance.
Australian Titles
Each year, eight of our girls are selected to compete at the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Titles and its Junior parallel, Speakfest. The current pandemic has affected so many competitions but AIDPSC and Speakfest are going ahead at PLC Croydon this year, if not live, then via Zoom.
Students selected for these events are chosen based on their ability, reliability and commitment to public speaking and debating at the College. They also need to be worthy representatives of OLMC. The girls who will be competing at the Senior competition are Sabrina Catania and Riley Rodewald (Year 11) and Maeve Nolan and Stephanie Ogle (Year 10). The Junior team competing at Speakfest comprises Karshini Dahal (Year 9), and Sophie Assaad, Avni Mathur and Tia Monga (Year 8).
Although the competition is not until September, training begins with an all-day workshop during the July holidays, followed up by further practice throughout Term 3.
Well done to all girls on their selection. OLMC has an excellent reputation in this competition, built up over many years and 2020 is certain to maintain that tradition.
Mr Christopher Ostrowski
Public Speaking Coordinator
From The Uniform Shop
College Notices
Other Careers Event
From the Counsellors
From the Counsellors
Lord, no one is a stranger to you and no one is ever far from your loving care
In your kindness watch over refugees and asylum seekers,
those separated from their loved ones, those who are lost,
and those who have been exiled from their homes.
Bring them safely to the place where they long to be,
and help us always to show your kindness to strangers and those in need.
Australian Catholic Social Justice Council
Refugee Week
National Refugee Week is celebrated in June every year. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the issues affecting refugees and helps the community to understand what it is like to be a refugee and the refugee experience. This year the theme was The Year of Welcome. At the College, the Mercy Action and Stewardship Leaders led a week long program of activities including AV clips, advocacy information sessions, hands-on activities and a Zoom presentation by Deena Yako. We were all able to learn a great deal about refugees and their personal experiences, stories and challenges.
Watching Deena Yako's speech was an eye-opening experience that I'm glad I was able to listen to! Talking predominantly about her journey as an Iraqi refugee at a young age, Deena shared her understanding that highlighted the struggles of the decision to leave Iraq, the journey across the border, her time in a detention centre and her experience growing up as an Iraqi refugee living in Australia. Anya Maclure
The simulation activity we did was an engaging and interactive way of getting the girls to understand and empathise with the challenges and confusion faced by refugees. Many refugees come to another country or are placed in detention centres without knowledge or understanding of what they need to do or where they are going to go. The process of applying for asylum is complicated, underregulated and frustrating. Abi Prakash
Listening to Renuga’s personal experiences of visiting Villawood Detention Centre made me think about how I would feel living in a detention centre filled with uncertainty about when I would be able to get out and live a humane life. I couldn't even begin to fathom the pain and fear I would feel. Feeling helpless and unsure about how I could personally help refugees, I was inspired by Renuga’s suggestion that we need to take small steps like educating ourselves by listening to refugee stories in order to truly understand their pain and instigating discussions regarding the refugee experience. After all, small steps can lead to big changes! Charlotte Burns
Winter Appeal
Thank you to all the families who have made a donation to our Winter Appeal. We are still very much in the middle of our cooler months and if you happen to be sorting through your clothes during the upcoming holidays, we would love any jumpers, jackets or warm clothes that are in good condition. These can be dropped off to the Staff Common Room in the labelled tubs.
This is one small way we can be people of Mercy working with our local community to restore the dignity of those who are suffering through the Winter months without adequate clothing.
Waste Management and the Environment
One of our Mercy Values is Stewardship and at OLMC we consciously try to reduce the impact we make on the environment. We have had plastic free campaigns, created our own energy with solar panels, recycled bottles with Return & Earn and even changed the packaging used in the canteen to recycled more environmentally friendly cardboard.
We have now engaged with a waste company who have built a new Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). This MRF has amazing potential to sort, separate and repurpose much of our waste which reduces the amount that ends up as landfill. Waste that cannot be recycled can be repurposed into a product called RDF (refuse-derived fuel) that is used as a fuel alternative to fossil fuels. What a terrific partnership this will be - not only keeping our local school environment clean but being responsible citizens for the future as well. Watch a short presentation here.
Face masks for the Children's Hospital
Two of our very generous Year 11 Mercy girls, Veronica Chacty and Helena Thomas, put their sewing skills to good use and made over 40 face masks in both adult and children sizes. These were donated to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. (Photos used with permission)
‘The masks mean that we can safely treat children who are often immune-compromised in a safe manner in treatment rooms that are often quite small. This generous donation will assist many children and staff alike. We would like to thank the girls for thinking of others during these difficult days.’ Katie Geering, Head Orthoptist.
Friday Morning Mass
We look forward to welcoming all girls back into the Chapel next Term when we recommence Friday Morning Mass. Mass is celebrated by College Chaplain, Fr Walter Fogarty, and commences at 8.10am each Friday morning. All are welcome!
As this is the last Newsletter for Term 2, I want to take the opportunity to thank our 2019/2020 Mission Leaders who have made an extraordinary effort leading the school in their individual portfolio areas.
To Gabby Nimmo and Amelie Loof (Liturgy), Anya Maclure and Charlotte Burns (Mercy Action) and Kat Butler and Abi Prakash (Stewardship); thank you all for your leadership, guidance and passion. We are a richer school because of your contributions.
Mrs Gabby Scanlon
Director of Mission