Principal

Dear Members of the Academy Community,

Welcome again to the 2025 school year!  It has been a busy but very positive start to the year.  We are particularly impressed with our Year 7 students who have settled in to the College so well.  I hope Year 7 and all new students will soon come to appreciate the joy of belonging to this strong, united and caring Mercy community. 

Last Friday, we gathered together for our Beginning of Year Eucharist once again celebrated by our College Chaplain, Fr Peter Varengo.  The gathering also included two key events - the acknowledgment of our 2024 VCE High Achievers and the Investiture of the new Senior Student Leadership Team for 2025.  It was wonderful to see so many parents of both groups present to join in the acknowledgement of academic excellence and the recognition of leadership.

High Achievers 2024 

Once again we congratulate the Class of 2024 on their outstanding results.  Detailed information can be found https://www.academy.vic.edu.au/our-college/academy-achievements/

Harper Smith, DUX of 2024, delivered an inspirational address to the students refelecting on her VCE journey and encouraging students to know themselves and build on their strengths.   

Top Awards

We celebrate with the following students:

Top Class Drama 2025

Harper Smith

Congratulations to Harper Smith, who has been selected to perform her 2024 Drama solo "The Wannabe" (Time Person of the Year) at Top Class Drama 2025 at Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday, 12 March, 2.00pm.

Top Designs 2025

Alice Portz

Congratulations to Alice Portz, who has been selected to exhibit her VCE VET Creative and Digital Media work in Top Designs 2025.

More information about Top Class Drama can be found at https://newsletters.naavi.com/issue/N6Zb2KN/edit/M1POZdJ 

Investiture of Student leaders 2025

At the Academy there is a special Investiture ceremony, the Blazer Ceremony, where the Little Sisters of our senior leaders play a prominent part.  Their responsibility is to assist their Big Sisters into their newly embroidered blazers which signify their new positions. This is a duty the Year 7 Little Sisters performed to perfection.

Later, after the Investiture ceremony, our Co Captains and Co Justice Captains addressed the Assembly.  I quote from the speeches of Eloise and Emma, our Co Justice Captains as they challenged the students to involve themselves in improving the lives of others.

Their speech can be read here: 

Back row (L-R): Eloise A,Clara F,Alyssa N, Sophia D

Middle row (L-R): Phoebe G,Emma O, Amelia G,Allegra K,Olivia P,Jessica N

Front Row (L-R):  Alice P,Florencia H, Principal Sr Mary Moloney, Angela L

                           College Co Captains: Sienna K, Niamh C 

We have already celebrated one of the two events that we always look forward to early in the year.  The first being the Year 7 Family Welcome BBQ that took place on Tuesday, 11 February.  It was affirming to see so many families there and to see how quickly our newest students have settled into Academy life.   

Our second event is the Year 7 camp scheduled for Monday, 17 February to Wednesday, 19 February.  This is always a time for our Year 7s to meet new friends and bond together.

We pray for a safe and fulfilling three days together.

There is much for all of us to look forward to this term and I highlight a few of the key events:

International Study Tours

Plans are well in place for our France study tour in March and arrangements are starting to evolve for our visit to our sister school, Nishiyama High School in Kyoto, Japan in September.   A new initiative for 2025 is the immersion experience to Cambodia in August.   This immersion experience will be a combined OLMC and Academy event umder the auspices of the Justice group.   Exciting times ahead!

2025 - Jubilee Year

As you know, Pope Francis has declared 2025 a Jubilee Year with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope".   

The logo for the Jubilee year is most fitting – 

Humanity from the 4 corners of the earth, they are embracing each other – strength and solidarity, working and journeying together.

The cross – our faith - and note the cross is held and is a sign of hope as the waters are rough – life’s pilgrimage does not always go as we would like, and we need the hope symbolised in the holding of the cross - and the courage to endure.  But the cross is also an anchor.  It is elongated and turned into an anchor that is put down into the waters.  The anchor is a symbol of stability.  Thus, the journey of the Pilgrim – our journey - something communal, there are rough waters but there is hope.  Note the top part of the cross is bending down to humanity.  Our faith tells us that we are not left alone, even if the waves are rough, there is the certainty of God’s presence and the security of hope.  Thus, our journey of reconciliation, forgiveness and transformation. 

We look forward as "Pilgrims of Hope" to "Paving the Way" to a hope filled future for all members of the Academy community.

Every blessing,

Sr Mary Moloney rsm 

Principal

Academy College Prayer

Loving God, 

 

We give thanks for the unique gifts you have bestowed on each of us and are grateful for the rich learning opportunities you offer to us each day.

 

Jesus, we thank you for calling us to be people of hope and welcome, united in our service of others. Remind us that our simple everyday gestures are what shape a better world 

and , as we go forth today, we pray that our mercy values are lived in all our actions.

 

May we continue to follow in the footsteps of our foundress’:

 

Catherine McAuley: Lead us

Ursula Frayne: Inspire us

 

So we live every day, in Mercy