From the Principal
From the Principal
From the Principal
As the 2022 College year comes to a close, I would like to recognise the dedicated efforts of our teaching staff and farewell members who will be leaving us this year.
We wish all the best to Matthew Morrison and Bora Nam from our Mathematics faculty, Amani Habib from Science, Jenny Lee from the Diverse Learning Centre, Thao Nguyen-Trinh from TAS and Maria Bujnowski from our LOTE Department. We thank them for their time with us, the contributions they have made to OLMC students learning and their dedication to our Mercy Values in all they do.
Kathy Batten has taught at the College for 20 years and will retire from teaching in December. We wish Kathy all the best in her future and to take a well-earned rest after many years of service.
Stephen Dufty commenced as a Visual Arts teacher at OLMC in 1993 and has given over 30 years of service to the College. Stephen became Visual Arts Coordinator in 2000 and from the start of 2020, took on the role of Head of Visual Arts and Design & Technology. As a practicing artist, Stephen is currently building an art studio at his home, and we hope Stephen will have some well-earned rest to purse his artistic talents. We wish him all the very best for his retirement.
We also farewell our Deputy Principal, Marie Wood. Marie joined OLMC in 2016 and during her time with us, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that the school was run smoothly, with clear communication and direction. This was most evident during her role as Acting Principal during 2019 to 2020, as she steered the OLMC community through the first year of COVID-19 lockdowns. Marie will leave a profound legacy of achievements and a positive mark in OLMC history. I take this opportunity to thank her and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours as she moves from OLMC into the next chapter of her life.
Next Monday evening is the inaugural Celebration of Achievement at the Quay Centre in Sydney Olympic Park. Many hours have been spent preparing for what will be a spectacular night of joy and celebration of student academic achievements for the year.
This event is compulsory for all students and parents are strongly urged to attend. Please email me directly at lucie.farrugia@olmc.nsw.edu.au should you need to request approved leave for your daughter. All rolls will be taken on the night and records kept for any future reference. If you have not already done so, please register your attendance by clicking here.
In closing, I wish all our students and families the very best of the Liturgical season we are entering. Advent is a time particularly close to my heart, as it reminds me to wait patiently and quietly prepare for Christmas. To reflect on the humbling event which is the birth of our brother, Jesus. In this time, I remember the depth of commitment made to the world by Mother Mary and the dawn of what we value most in our Catholic tradition.
As we all look forward to sharing this time with family, friends and community, may we also take time to participate in Parish worship. May the lessons taught within our Churches and sharing of Eucharistic celebrations prepare us for the coming of Jesus and bless our year ahead.
I look forward to another joyful year with this wonderful OLMC community.
Ms Lucie Farrugia
College Principal
Key Dates
Teaching And Learning
Year 9 PASS
Year 9 PASS
OLMC Reignites Cross Coaching Primary School Program with St Pat’s
‘Year 9 Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS) took part in a coaching unit that aimed to increase our confidence to train others, while developing knowledge of key directives in sports. Throughout the term, Mr. Fricot and the Western Sydney Wanderers, worked closely to provide us firsthand experiences about effective coaching. After much learning and planning, on 18 November our class put our hard work into action. We worked with the Year 4 St Patrick’s Primary Parramatta students, offering them the opportunity to learn something new and enhance their cooperative skills in a physical activity setting. In the College, we set up stations and sessions that focused on our choice of skill such as shooting, passing, and dribbling. Other groups focused on soccer, netball and basketball to allow students to walk away with new talents and abilities. This experience nurtured our learning from Term 4, giving us the chance to apply the many theory and practical lessons we spent developing our knowledge and physical abilities.
On behalf of our Year 9 PASS class, we would like to thank our teacher Mr. Fricot for the tireless effort he put into the organisation of our coaching module and training. We would also like to thank Mr. Younes for bringing his class over to OLMC. We hope that the session was engaging for the children as well as effective in teaching them some new skills they can carry in their individual sports!’
Year 9 PASS Class
Languages
Languages
‘For my first year in high school, I was so excited to start learning a new language. I was eager to learn about the world and when I discovered I was going to learn the Spanish language, I was thrilled! I have loved every topic we have covered and how quickly we were able to learn all about Spanish culture.’
Zahra Saadullah, Year 7
Virtual Online Exchange- OLMC and Enami Junior High School, Japan
On Monday, 28 November, Year 9 Japanese students had an opportunity to connect via a virtual online exchange with students from Enami Junior High School in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, in Japan. OLMC students had been preparing self-introductions and information about our College and Australian school life. The girls enjoyed creating and presenting in Japanese and learning about Enami Junior High students through introductions in English. Both schools had an opportunity to ask questions and interact via Zoom using their language skills. Students were very excited about the opportunity to make connections with students on the other side of the world and use their language skills in an authentic setting. Thank you to Ms Hammond for guiding the session and to PCR Altia Central in Japan for facilitating and providing the opportunity.
Mrs Sheila Ibarra
Head of Languages
Student Wellbeing
Identity
Identity
Identity
Vocations Lecture
Today, Year 10 listened to a moving lecture on vocations by our College chaplain Father Walter. He said 'God has created us for a purpose and finding that purpose is finding our vocation.' It was a great opportunity for students to reflect on their faith. We are so fortunate to have members in our OLMC community who are open to share their beliefs and answer questions.
Mrs Gabby Scanlon
Director of Identity
OLMC Connect
Public Speaking and Debating
Public Speaking and Debating
Christmas Competition
This year’s Christmas Competition has proven to be a resounding success. This event has separate divisions for Years 7, 8 and 9 and the quality of speeches were outstanding. In two of the Year levels, the three judges all selected different winners, so the ultimate decisions required considerable discussion. In the end, the three girls who won were:
- Year 7 - Amariah Tamaro
- Year 8 - Claire Giffney
- Year 9 - Sierra Lake
Congratulations to these girls who will receive their engraved shields at the first assembly next year. All entrants should be proud of their efforts in making the event such an exciting one. Thank you also to DAPS Leaders Olivia Easton and Tijana Pavlovic (Year 12) who acted as adjudicators as well as Freya Scothern and Ella McGirr (Years 12) who stood in when one of the DAPS Leaders was not available.
Sports Report
Sports Report
Merry Christmas
I would like to finish off by thanking everyone who participated in sport in 2022 and to all the family supporters who came out to watch and cheer on the OLMC girls. It is always wonderful to see our OLMC community at sporting events.
I wish everyone a very Merry, safe and active Christmas and look forward to seeing everyone again in 2023!
Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator
