MERCY CAMPUS NEWS
It is hard to believe that we are already half way through Term 4, which means that here at the Mercy Campus, we are organising to welcome our new Year 8 students for 2023 and preparing our current students to return to the Enright Campus as Year 9 students. A smooth transition between campuses for us is the key to success. With this in mind, a number of things are happening between now and the end of 2022 to make the change awesome!
Families will be provided with a letter via SkoolBag in relation to the end of year schedule for Year 7 and 8 students. The key information is below for your reference:
- Year 7 students attend school at the Mercy Campus on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December.
- Year 8 students attend school at the Enright Campus on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December.
- Wednesday 7 December, will be a pool day to celebrate the end of the academic year.
- Students are permitted to wear their PE uniforms on these days and will need to bring their laptops and some basic classroom materials: pens, paper, etc.
TRANSITION TIPS
We are often concerned about change because we are afraid of the unknown. A good way to manage this is to think things through to imagine possible scenarios and outcomes.
Think about all the positives and negatives that come with changing campuses and how you will deal with these. Write things down if it helps. Remember, often it is not as bad as it initially seems. Let’s face it, you’ve transitioned before, and here you are now, ready to do it again. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. All of your peers are coming with you, and there are a lot of friendly, knowledgeable staff that can help you out.
Check out this website for some useful tips on change.
IMMERSION DAYS
Throughout 2022 Year 8 students have had the opportunity to be immersed in their studies through what we have called Immersion Days. Each Learning Area was given the opportunity to out together a day to showcase their subject.
The purpose of these days was to be able to give students an extended amount of time on their subject content, using the principles of PBL and covering off on course content in what I hope were entertaining ways. There were a huge number of activities offered on these days: guest speakers, community panels, medieval weapon and fighting displays, material dying, Kahoot! Learning Games, live performances, escape room challenges, creative endeavours from mask-making and bracelet-weaving to designing flying machines and watching movies in another language.
Students were even offered food items on these days that aligned with the theme of the day. On the Italian day we served pizza and pasta, and on the Medieval day they had a medieval-style banquet.
I appreciate the enormous amount of work put in by college staff to make these days possible, as it couldn’t be done without them. I know the students appreciate the chance to be out of the normal classroom environment trying new things and putting their efforts and knowledge to the test. With reflection and fine tuning, I am excited to see what 2023 has in store for these days.
2023 MERCY CAMPUS LEADERSHIP
One of the many benefits of having Year 8 students at the Mercy Campus is that we have the ability to foster and encourage student leadership. There are ten leadership positions available for the 2023 school year at Mercy Campus. Students will be presented with these in classes. I strongly encourage current Year 7 students to apply for these positions. More information can be found in the booklet that students can collect from the House Leaders office or by contacting either myself or Ms Brittany Burns, Assistant Head of Mercy Campus.
Ms Danielle Duscher
Head of Mercy Campus