Principal

Dear Members of the Academy Community,

It has been a wonderful start to the 2026 school year.  Our Year 7 students are a very focused and mature group who have settled in very well and  seem very happy to be members of the Academy community.  They are already contributing well to the life of the College.

We welcome, too, a number of  new students in the middle years of the College, Years 9 and 10, and we look forward to their contribution.  I extend a special welcome to all our new parents and families and hope you will soon come to appreciate the joy of belonging to this strong, united mercy community.

We were delighted that so many families participated in the recent Year 7 Welcome evening and in the BBQ that followed.  Hopefully this evening enabled parents to begin to make connections with one another – connections that can be enhanced as the year progresses.  We extend our best wishes to Year 7 students as they embark on their camp to Phillip Island next week. 

Last Friday, the Academy community gathered together for a threefold event – the Beginning of Year College Mass, the acknowledgment of our 2025 High Achievers and  the Investiture of our 2026 Student Leaders.   We are very proud of our High Achievers and wish them well as they move into tertiary studies and also extremely proud of our new 2026 Senior Student Leadership Team who are a team full of ideas and open to all possibilities.  It will be an exciting year ahead and we look forward in anticipation to the leadership they will bring to the College.

Our College theme this year is “Courage to Care” and this theme will be explored and unpacked at our annual College conversation evening scheduled  for Monday, 16 March.   This event, the College Conversation, has taken place for the past ten years.  Each year  there is a particular topic discussed, or a particular aspect of college life explored with  the Conversation providing direction for the future.

High Achievers 2025

Alice Portz, College Dux (ATAR 99.9 ), reflected on her Academy journey: 

I wish there was a magic ‘secret to success’ I could give you all to doing well.

Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple.  But one thing which I think was really important was studying subjects I was genuinely passionate about.  Throughout VCE, I was able to explore my varied interests - whether by wracking my brains over a difficult maths problem, showing my artistic side in creative and digital media, or connecting closer to my Italian heritage by doing a language.  It really does help to make those hours spent hunched over my desk to feel a lot more enjoyable.  You’ve probably heard it before, but please don’t pick a subject just based on how high it scales.  Take it from me, who albeit did spesh (Specialist Maths), but also did a VET subject with horrible scaling, and studied Literature instead of English, despite being told it would likely lower my ATAR.  

Truthfully, though, I definitely stressed about these choices much more than I should have!  Because, despite all the pressure accumulated leading up to it, Year 12 is ultimately just one year.  It’s so, so important to remember that your ATAR doesn’t define you, and in the   end is just a number for course entry that will be forgotten about before you know it.

Whatever score you get at the end of the year, whichever subjects you may pass or fail, there is always a pathway to get where you want to go. 

Success in VCE comes in so many different forms, not just getting Dux, and no grade is worth stressing yourself sick over.  Don’t be tempted to lock yourself up in the library every lunchtime, but instead spend time with your friends and make the most of all the amazing experiences that come with this last year of high school.

Investiture of Student Leaders  

The Blazer Ceremony  is a special investiture ceremony at Academy, where the Year 7 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.

Big Sister Little Sister blazer ceremony

Senior Student Leadership Team 2026

Back - L to R:  Charlize H, Stella M, Grace C, Eloise R, Indiana D, Samantha T, Yuliya L

Front - L to R:  Pia G, Mira R,  Charlotte B, Zoe D & Grace T (College Co Captains), Siona S, Zara F, Chiara P

Beginning of Year College Mass

Homily - Fr Michael McEntee 

Gospel reading: Mt 5:13-16

The Dux for 2025 reminded us not to lock ourselves away in the library at lunch-time, but to spend that free time with friends.  Making friends is a building block of my life.  We feel the difference to be sitting beside our friend during this Mass or to be among classmates whom we don’t really know.  We treasure happy memories of midnight chats at sleepovers or school camps.

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At the Last Supper with the disciples Jesus said, “I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn 15:15).  “All that I’ve heard from my Father, I’ve made known to you,” isn’t that one definition of a friend?  The words we speak to one another is one way that friendship grows.  Still today, the words of Jesus we hear in the Scriptures express his friendship.  It’s the same words of Jesus, spoken by Jesus to us today as with his friends then at the Last Supper.

Today’s reading from the gospel of St Matthew is a word between friends when we hear Jesus say that we are the light of the world, the salt that gives taste and zest to living.  This is not a demand, it’s his invitation to do something beautiful and good with my life, but not alone.  He said about himself, ‘I am the light of the world’ (Jn 9:5) and St. John begins his gospel writing that ‘the Light has come into the world and the darkness could not overcome the Light.’ (Jn 1:4-5)  It’s not a lonely task to be light of the world, it’s the light of Jesus himself that we shine, it’s because I am his friend that he asks me to shine light. 

In Holy Communion or in a blessing today, we receive Jesus, the Light of the world.  He is the light we share, let’s share it each day.

As you embark upon this new school year, in the words of Dr Seuss: your mountain awaits, go climb it! 

International Women’s Day Breakfast 

Each year in honour of International Women’s Day, an Academy past student is invited to give the annual International Women’s Day address, reflecting on her own journey through life, how Academy shaped her journey and her current contribution to the world around her.  This is always a wonderful event.

This year we are delighted that Grace Pucci, Class of 2017, will give the keynote address. Grace is a lawyer practising in Queensland.  She has entitled her address “Own your own Path, Find your Power, Leave your Mark”.

Details for booking will be posted on Compass this week along with the Trybooking link. 

International Study Tours

In March, we  are looking forward to welcoming staff and students from our Japanese Sister school, Nishiyama High School in Kyoto, Japan.  Our guests will arrive on Saturday, 14 March and leave on Thursday, 26 March.

In August, the  Justice Immersion Experience to Cambodia will take place  and in September a number of staff and students will  travel to France.   So, exciting times ahead.

Best wishes to all for 2026 and Every Blessing.

Sr Mary Moloney rsm 

Principal