ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL LEARNING AND TEACHING

I am excited to be taking on the position of Acting Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching for the remainder of this year. I will continue to serve with passion and pride in our college community. 

SCHOLARSHIPS 

In 2017, the college introduced a scholarship program to encourage and support the continued education of dedicated and hard-working students. This has been a fantastic success, and it is great to be able to recognise and support the students in this manner.

To encourage excellence and to acknowledge our diverse student population, the college is excited to offer a number of scholarship opportunities for our students as they move into Years 11 and 12. Scholarship applications will open late in Term 2, with the process concluding during Term 3. 

Year 11 Founding Sisters of Mercy Scholarships

As in previous years, we are offering the Year 11 Founding Sisters of Mercy Scholarships. The college presents nine $1,500 scholarships annually to Year 10 students transitioning into Year 11 at the college who respect and display our Mercy Core Values and who have shown excellence both in their academic and personal school life. 

Mercy Academic Internal Scholarships

The college has introduced the Mercy Academic Internal Scholarships, which are offered on the basis of academic merit, to students continuing Years 11 and 12 at the college in 2025 and 2026. These scholarships have a tenure of two years and are for the remission of 50% of the global fee each year of the scholarship. They are offered to a limited number of Year 10 students ranked in the top ten percent of the Year 10 cohort. 

Continuing from previous traditions, the VCE VM Excellence Scholarship and the Postgraduate Year 12 Award Scholarships will be awarded to the most successful graduating students of 2024. 

Please click on the link below to view our 2025 Scholarship Information Booklet.

VCE DATA REVIEWS

We have just completed our data review meetings with our 2023 Year 12 teachers. We were very happy with our results and the upward trends in our VCE data. Our standing in the Diocese of Ballarat is impressive, and we are proud of our school ranking on Better Education which affirms teachers’ hard work and our reputation as a provider of educational excellence in our local community and beyond. 

STUDENT PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

Student Parent Teacher Conferences were held on 7 May. 1090 interviews were booked throughout the day from 11:00am–7:00pm. These conferences are an important part of students’ growth and one of the ways we engage families in their child’s educational journey.

If you did not manage to obtain a booking with a teacher, you are invited to contact them via email to arrange a time to meet in person or receive a phone call to discuss your child’s progress. 

This year we trialled an earlier start and finish time for our conferences. This change was informed by feedback that 7:00–8:00pm was not an ideal time for families and teachers to discuss school, and the number of bookings received confirmed this, as there were very few bookings after 7:00pm.

If you have feedback from the day, please email myself and Mr Marcus Parker, who is now the Acting Director of Learning and Teaching.

EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS

Mrs Sam Alexander is starting an Astronomy Club to take advantage of our excellent location to observe the night sky. This is an exciting opportunity, and students will receive information in Homeroom on how they can participate. 

CHANGES TO YEAR 9 END OF SEMESTER/YEAR LEVEL EXAMINATIONS

Due to recent changes in scheduling, timetabling, and the division of subjects between Years 9 and 10, there will be a shift from the traditional full-week format for Year 9 Exams. Instead, Year 9 students will now undergo a condensed examination period comprising only one day during the final week. Year 9 students will only participate in English and Maths examinations.

This modification is aimed at maintaining the beneficial practice that examinations offer to students while also giving an extra four days of teaching at the end of each semester.  Meanwhile, Year 10 and 11 students will continue to follow the standard examination week schedule, ensuring continuity in the examination process for those cohorts.

Mr Emmet Brown

Acting Deputy Principal Learning & Teaching