Wellbeing 

Dear Parents / Guardians

Mercy Day

As you would already know, next week we celebrate Mercy Day on Friday, 13 September.   It is the highlight of the College calendar and brings together the community in a special and most profound way. 

The day begins with the Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral at 10.00am.  Parents/guardians are warmly invited to the mass as we celebrate our Catholic identity as a Mercy school founded upon the very values that we espouse and live each and every day – courage, compassion, hospitality, justice, respect, and service.  We ask that if you intend on coming to the Mass that you are seated by 9.45am in readiness for the liturgy.

Please be aware that it is a compulsory school day and that all students are expected to attend.  Students are expected to be at the College at normal time wearing full college winter uniform including the College Blazer.  After Mentor Group, students will leave for St Patrick’s Cathedral.  After Mass, students will return to the College for a BBQ lunch and entertainment will be provided, followed by The Mercy Day Concert where performers representing Frayne, Goold, McAuley and Sherlock will entertain Staff and Students.

Students are expected to attend for the whole day; and will be dismissed from the College at the conclusion of the festivities at approximately 3.05pm.

Please also note that students who are not in attendance at the Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral will not be permitted to attend the rest of the festivities planned on the day.  The Mass is the formal and most important part of the day and celebrates our Catholic community.   If a student arrives at the College after the Mass, they will be sent home. Further to this, if a student is absent on the day, they will need to provide a medical certificate upon their return.

Unfortunately, the College is unable to accommodate parents or past students at the Mercy Day Concert back at school due to the restrictions on seating in the Dillon Room as there will be 685 students and 80 staff in attendance.

I would like to thank in advance all the parent helpers for all their hard work in preparing, cooking and serving the BBQ lunch and then assisting with the clean-up and pack-up afterwards.  Your support will ensure a wonderful day of celebration of our Mercy story.

MACSSIS - 2024 School Improvement Surveys

A reminder that all families received an email this week, with log in details and a pin, inviting them to participate in the 2024 MACSSIS School Improvement Surveys.  The surveys are totally anonymous and all families are invited to complete them as they will provide us with very rich information about what we as a College community are doing well and perhaps highlight for us areas that we may need to focus on. 

The survey window will close on Friday, 20 September.

Fathers' Day Breakfast

Thank you to the many fathers and grandfathers who attended the Fathers’ Day Breakfast last Friday morning.   With close to 220 attendees, the morning was a most successful one and symbolised the strong relationship the College has with the parent community.  The Academy Music Ensembles provided wonderful music to complement the delightful food provided.  And no doubt the highlight of the morning was our guest speaker, Mr. Ken Hunter.  Ken was able to share his AFL journey with us, and also provided valuable insights into the importance of sport in young women’s lives, as well as the importance of the father – daughter relationship.  A big thank you to Ken for his attendance.  Thank you also to Parents' Association members, to Ms Kerri Ruff and Ms Rita Colosimo who were all instrumental in the organisation of the day. 

I am sure your daughters were most appreciative of the special time they were able to spend with their dads and in some cases, their grandfathers, during the morning.  We hope that the breakfast can continue to grow each year and we thank you for your support.

Tuning into Teens Program

Berry Street Integrated Family Services is offering the "Tuning into Teens" parenting program once more in Term 4.  It is a free 6-week program that will run on Tuesdays from 11.00 am – 1.00 pm, beginning on 29 October and concluding on 10 December (skipping Tuesday, 5 November as it is Melbourne Cup Day).  The Program will be presented online, via Zoom and will be facilitated by two Integrated Family Services staff members.

For those parents / guardians who may be unfamiliar with the group program, here are some of its key features and benefits:

• It is an interactive evidence-based parenting program developed by child and adolescent psychologists from the University of Melbourne
• Sessions are built around group discussion, activities and some role plays where caregivers reflect on their parenting and practice the strategy of Emotion Coaching, sharing their experiences with the group
• It supports caregivers to better attune to their teen’s emotions and support them with these through Emotion Coaching
• It supports caregivers to teach their teens how to better manage their emotions
• It can reduce isolation for caregivers through peer support
• It can help to prevent or reduce behaviour problems in teens through a more connected relationship with their caregiver
• It helps promote resilience in teens

 To express interest, please email Candice and Maddy from Integrated Family Services on fsparentinggroups@berrystreet.org.au.  Parents or guardians who express interest in the program will be assessed for group readiness and appropriateness prior to being offered a place.

As always, please never hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns.

Mr Sam Di Camillo

Deputy Principal - Wellbeing