Wellbeing 

Dear Parents/Guardians

Study Tour to Japan

I had the absolute privilege to accompany 19 students and two staff on the recent Japanese Study Tour.  Tours of this nature are beneficial for many reasons, namely: real world learning, cultural immersion, improving language skills, building independence, resilience, confidence and team work and providing a real connection for the students studying Japanese.   I cannot commend the students enough for the manner in which they conducted themselves and represented the College over the 17 days.  

We travelled extensively, including Narita, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Shibuya, Harajuku and Tokyo – all without any major incidents or concern.  The students were great ambassadors of the College and fully immersed themselves in all of the activities.  

During this time, students participated in a homestay component and whilst somewhat trepidatious at the beginning, many tears were shed at the end when it was time to depart. The Japanese host families went above and beyond to ensure that our girls’ experience was authentic and genuine and to make sure they felt at home.  

The Nishiyama High School experience was in many ways the highlight of the tour, with two students staying on for an additional six weeks.  

Staff and students from Nishiyama High School will be visiting Academy in March 2026 where we will do our very best to reciprocate the experience for them all.

I would like to offer a huge thank you to Ms Amelia Bongetti and Ms Elena Camera for all of their organisation before the trip, as well as to Ms Karen Fogarty and Ms Hannah Hale for all their work during our time overseas.

Regulatory Guidance on Social Media Minimum Age

From 10 December 2025, a number of social-media platforms will be required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or keeping an account. This has occurred as a result of the ‘Let Them Be Kids’ Campaign run by Newscorp, which exposed the daily harm caused by social media.  The law won’t impose a criminal penalty on young people or parents for attempting to use an account, but the enforcement is directed at the platforms themselves, which could face penalties of up to $49.5 million if they fail to comply.  Platforms covered so far include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit.

Some services, such as standalone messaging apps, gaming platforms or services whose primary purpose is not “online social interaction” are excluded at this point.  However, the list is not final and we are still waiting on more information.  As I write this, it is also still unclear as to how age verification will work.  What we know is that there will be no blanket approach to age verification across the different platforms.  But there are concerns about privacy and data retention.  There are still many gaps and details to be finalised in the next 6 weeks.

At the Academy, we will support these changes through ongoing education and conversation with students, staff and parents.  Students will continue to learn about digital safety, privacy and responsible online behaviour, and we will continue to try to provide information to parents with regards to guidance and suggestions on age-appropriate technology use and managing online access at home.  My aim is to work together with families, with the hope that every student is both protected and empowered in their digital lives.

Year 10, 11 & 12 Exams and "Headstart" Program

Well done to all of our Year 10, 11 & 12 students for the manner in which they approached their respective examination periods over the last few weeks.  As I write this article, the Year 12s are approaching the end of exams, and the Year 10s and Year 11s are about to commence theirs.

Year 10s and Year 11s will then begin their "Headstart" Program for 2026 on Monday, 24 November.  We have reminded them that the purpose of this program is to give them a ‘head start’ to their VCE studies and it is an opportunity to really lay some solid foundations over the holidays in preparation for their VCE journey. 

I would like to acknowledge and thank all staff in the preparation and execution of these lessons as well.

Final Weeks

As the final few weeks of the year approach, students have been asked and reminded to remain focused on finishing well and with the same vigour and attitude with which they have applied themselves throughout the course of this year.  There are still the Headstart 2026 preparation classes  for Year 10 and Year 11 and Year 7, 8, and 9 students still have tasks to complete.  The expectations do not change, nor should we allow standards to decline.  Students have been asked to continue to work to the very best of their ability, and in doing so, live up to the talents and gifts that God has given them.  The active involvement of our students in all aspects of College life engenders the very spirit of the community of which we are a part and truly represents the Mercy values which we work and live by each and every day.

Facebook Buy Swap and Sell Page 

A reminder to all that there is a Facebook Group for families to post and sell second hand uniforms and books.  This page has been running for some time and it is a great platform that can be utilised. 

In the last 12 months it has been overseen by Parents’ Association Admin to ensure it is a safe space and only used for its intended purpose.  The link is below.   Please feel free to join the group and if you have any questions the admin of the group can assist you. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/academybss

Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or concerns. 

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Mr Sam Di Camillo

Deputy Principal - Wellbeing & Operations