Newsletter

Recently there have two key learning experiences for VCE Year 11 students that highlight the Mercy community values and who we are as a College community.

Firstly, on Tuesday 12 May, the Year 11 Reflection Day enriched student learning as part of all students’ Religious Education studies and Mercy formation. And on Wednesday 13 May, students involved in the Year 11 Mercy in Action pilot program visited the Big Issue offices in Melbourne to deepen their understanding of the role of the Big Issue magazine in addressing homelessness through paid employment and targeted support for homeless people in Melbourne.

Year 11 Reflection Day: “Understanding our common ground”

On Tuesday 12 May, the Year 11 enriched their learning and understanding of their Religious Education studies by visiting three important sites of worship in Melbourne: the Albanian Australian Islamic Society in Carlton, the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in South Yarra and, finally, St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne where the year level celebrated mass as a core ritual in student religious formation. This experience supported students to develop a deeper understanding of the key beliefs, practices and values of Islam, Judaism and Christianity; cultivate empathy and respect for people of different faiths and cultures and equip them with the skills to engage in interfaith dialogue in a respectful, open-minded and non-judgemental way.

Below is a student report and reflection on the Year 11 Reflection Day

On Tuesday, 12 May, the Year 11 students visited the Albanian Australian Islamic Society, the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, and St Patrick’s Cathedral, where we immersed ourselves in a range of different religious beliefs and practices. Throughout the day, we learned about Islam and Judaism, and finished by attending Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. The excursion was both educational and enjoyable, giving us a greater understanding and appreciation of different religions and cultures.
Catherine F and Alyssa W

Mercy in Action: The Big Issue excursion

Students in the Mercy in Action program were very fortunate to have an excursion to the Big Issue Office this Wednesday, taking apart in a program to build awareness around homelessness in Australia. Structured as a workshop, students were encouraged to engage in the presentation through sharing their own knowledge of how and why homelessness occurs, as well as a puzzle that challenged our ways of thinking. The puzzles, with unique handicaps (such as one group not being allowed to talk to one another), created a hands-on display of how different home environments can create and impact marginalisation. Furthermore, we were given the immense privilege to hear from a woman who had personally experienced homelessness, the talk broadening our perspectives and creating a new sense of empathy towards the struggles many Australians face. The work the Big Issue does is very vital for homeless people and having insight towards their role in combatting homelessness was an immense privilege! Thank you to the teachers & the Big Issue staff who organised this special opportunity for us.
Lilian Kalnajs

For our Year 12 VCE VM students their vocational learning was enriched through an excursion to the VCE Careers Expo which developed their understanding of future career pathway options aligned to their studies in Work Related Skills.

VCE VM: Careers Expo

The VCE Vocational Major is one of the VCE streams offered at the College. As part of their studies, students enrolled in this VCE course engage in the world of work and careers, in their subject Work Related Skills. As part of their learning, the students attended the Careers Expo on Friday 15 May. This deepened their learning and was an opportunity to engage with a vast array of career opportunities and information about life beyond their final VCE year. Thank you to Ms Arina Mizuno and Ms Chloe Cornell for organizing the excursion. Below is a student reflection from the class:

Today, the VCE-VM students attended the careers expo excursion where we were able to explore different future pathways and career opportunities. We got to walk around and speak to lots of people from different industries and training organisations, who were showcasing information about jobs, apprenticeships, courses, and further education options. We found the experience very informative and interesting, as it gave us a better understanding of the opportunities available after school and helped us think more about our future careers and goals.
Nanny P