Middle School

Student of the Term

Year 9

Ivana Matic, 9 Mackillop 

Ivana is a student who truly lives out the Mercy values. She always shows respect to teachers, hospitality to her peers and courage in her leadership position. Ivana is a motivated and hard-working student who takes initiative and embraces challenges with enthusiasm, demonstrating aptitude for creative problem solving. Her teachers comment that Ivana is hard working, tenacious, a positive influence, asks thoughtful questions and is a pleasure to teach. Ivana is active in extracurricular activities. She is a member of Leonora strings where she demonstrates leadership and is always willing to help others. Moreover, she holds a formal leadership position as 9 Mackillop’s Vice-Captain where she displays her compassionate nature and a willingness to help others which sets her apart as a role model for all students. 

Year 10

Jenna George, 10 Silver

Jenna stands out as a shining example of academic excellence and exemplary character. Her multifaceted talents are recognized and celebrated across various subjects. In Art, her creativity knows no bounds, as she diligently completes her work with focused determination. In French, Jenna demonstrates a remarkable commitment to learning, consistently engaging in class activities and assignments. 

Jenna's contributions extend beyond the classroom, as shown by her commendable efforts in her Mentor Group, where her friendly demeanor and proactive involvement in the Project Compassion fundraiser showcase her dedication to community service. In the STEM challenge, her enthusiasm and engagement highlight her passion for exploring scientific concepts. Inside the Science classroom, her positive attitude and determination shine through, as Jenna not only excels in her own studies but also extends a helping hand to her peers, embodying the spirit of collaboration and leadership. 

Jenna's skillfulness in English reflects her exceptional communication skills and empathy towards her classmates. Additionally, in Maths, Jenna's exceptional performance in Methods Unit 1 underscores her intellectual curiosity and diligent work ethic, as she seeks to deepen her understanding through active participation and inquiry. Jenna's consistent excellence and positive influence serve as an inspiration to her peers and teachers alike, setting a high standard for academic achievement and personal integrity. 

Year 9 English

Eminent author Alice Pung visits Year 9 to talk about her book Laurinda

Alice Pung's visit was very helpful for all the Year 9 students studying her book, 'Laurinda'.  She was a really good storyteller when she recounted stories that had happened to her and all of the events in her book are very realistic and based on true stories in her life, like the incident with Ms Vanderwerp and the blue snot from baby Lamb.  Pung was very enjoyable to listen to at and very relatable to me as a girl who feels the same way as her. I loved her because she is able to express the feelings of women of colour in environments where they don't feel familiar in.  Her book, ‘Laurinda’, was fun to study and read at school. I'd like to thank her for visiting the Academy.

Charlene Phan, 9 Melba

Alice Pung's talk was incredibly thought-provoking, diving deep into the themes of identity, culture, and belonging. She had a captivating way of storytelling, drawing us in with personal anecdotes while also shedding light on broader social issues. What stood out the most for me was her authenticity as she shared her upbringing in an immigrant family in Australia. Pung's ability to navigate the complexities of having a dual identity resonated deeply with many of us, sparking insightful discussions about multiculturalism and the immigrant journey.

Mailys Nguyen, 9 Melba

Year 10 English

On 7 March, the Year 10 English students had the privilege of meeting the award-winning author, Tony Birch. He is the author of many short stories and novels such as Dark as Last Night, Ghost River, Father’s Day, Common People, Whisper Songs and The White Girl. This year we are fortunate enough to be studying The White Girl, a novel highly credited for its ability to portray the story of an Aboriginal woman’s desire to protect her loving granddaughter, and to provide them both with a better, freer, safer future. We gained so much insight into the characters, themes and authorial intent and many of us sat scribbling notes, attempting to capture all of the rich information Birch was generously sharing with us. He shared his own experiences growing up as an Aboriginal boy living in Fitzroy, and informed us of his inspiration to write the novel, explaining that he ultimately wanted to write a novel with love at the heart of the story, despite the darker themes explored throughout. Our year level feel immensely fortunate to have met with such an inspirational man to and be studying such a powerful novel.

Zoe Dafnias, 10 Purple

Work Experience

From 4-8 March I participated in work experience at the Victorian Police station in Altona. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the police force and the many different roles inside it. I was shown inside the cars various departments use such as a normal police car, a crime scene office van and a highway patrol car. Some of the time I was sitting in the Watch House, which is where Police take their calls from civilians. I was extremely lucky that they had arranged for me to go out and see different departments in the police force. I was shown where they collect DNA from stolen cars and was even able to lift a few fingerprints myself! I visited the Victorian Forensic Services Lab where I was able to observe property destruction including firearms and drugs.  

On Thursday, I visited the Police Dog Squad and Mounted Branch and was shown around the facilities and got close to the police dogs and horses! In the afternoon I was taken to the Airwing in Essendon where I was able to get up close to the helicopters and was shown how they use surveillance from the air.  

I finished the week with a trip to the Williamstown police station to learn about the Water Police and Search and Rescue. I was shown around the station and then out to the docks where I was able to see and learn about the different boats used in the Water Police and was even allowed to board a few. 

Overall, it was an amazing week that I am so grateful for. I am so thankful to the Altona officers and Senior Sergeant Whelan for exposing me to so many unbelievable learning opportunities. And thank you to Ms. Allan for helping coordinate this exciting placement. It has definitely opened my eyes to a possible future with the police. 

Millie Bain, 10 Red