A Celebration of Music and Community

Our Annual Celebration Music Concert was a wonderful evening of talent, dedication and community spirit. The evening showcased the remarkable achievements of our student musicians, vocalists and ensembles, whose performances reflected countless hours of practice, perseverance and collaboration.

Music holds a special place in education. It nurtures creativity, confidence and self-expression while fostering teamwork, discipline and resilience. The concert demonstrated not only the exceptional musical abilities of our students but also their willingness to challenge themselves and support one another in pursuit of excellence.

I extend my sincere gratitude to our Music Department, instrumental teachers, staff and families whose encouragement and commitment make these opportunities possible. Most importantly, I congratulate our students for their courage in sharing their gifts with others. Their performances reminded us of the profound way music brings people together, strengthens community and enriches school life.

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary

On 15 August, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the most significant Marian feasts in the liturgical calendar. This feast celebrates when Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul, at the completion of her earthly life.

The Assumption is a powerful sign of hope. Mary's life was marked by faith, courage and trust in God's plan. From her 'yes' at the Annunciation to her presence at the foot of the Cross, she remained steadfast in her discipleship. Her Assumption reminds us of God's promise of eternal life and calls us to live with faith, hope and purpose.

At OLMC, Mary continues to be an inspiring model for our students. She exemplifies strength, compassion, humility and leadership grounded in service. As we reflect on her example, we encourage our students to recognise their own God-given gifts and to use them to make a positive difference in their families, communities and the wider world.

As always, I thank our families for their partnership in the education and formation of our students. Together, we continue to nurture young people who are confident, compassionate and committed to making a meaningful contribution to society.

On Saturday, the Church celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of our ancient and beautiful celebrations of Mary.

The feast has its origins in the Eastern Church of the fifth and sixth centuries, where it became known as the Dormition, or the 'Falling Asleep', of the Mother of God. Ancient Christian tradition tells of Mary completing her earthly life surrounded by the Apostles, being received by Christ, and ultimately being taken, body and soul, into heavenly glory.

To this day, the Eastern Churches celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God, emphasising Mary’s peaceful passing from earthly life into the fullness of life with God. By the seventh century, the feast had spread to Rome and gradually throughout Western Christianity. In the Catholic tradition, the Assumption ultimately became a celebration not only of Mary, but also of Christian hope: the conviction that death does not have the final word and that our whole human life is destined for transformation in God.

From Mary, the first disciple, we see:

a woman who trusted,
who journeyed,
who served,
who stood faithfully with others,
and who allowed God to shape her life for the good of the world.

May we learn from her.

Loving God,
as we celebrate Mary’s Assumption,
we give thanks for her courage, trust and faithfulness.

Like Mary,
help us to listen for your presence,
to respond generously when we are called,
to notice those who need our care,
and to carry your hope into the lives of others.

May we have the courage of Catherine McAuley
and all those who have gone before us,
trusting that the story of Mercy
is now entrusted to us.

Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.
Venerable Catherine McAuley, pray for us.
Mother Ursula Frayne, pray for us.

Amen.

In recent weeks, OLMC staff have been engaging in faith formation sessions, as part of ongoing professional learning, and formation of the heart, mind and soul. At OLMC, our Catholic faith is lived, explored, celebrated and integrated into all aspects of school life, promoting the spiritual, moral and social development of all members of the community. Our faith formation aims to nurture and animate our Catholic identity and Mercy charism, within the context of our lived experience and the evolving needs of our time.

Our Middle Leaders (staff who hold a position of leadership and/or an area of responsibility) engaged in a faith formation session that focused on artificial intelligence and the implications of this from a faith perspective, including ethics and ecology. We welcomed Sr Adele Howard RSM OAM who shared her experience and expertise, also drawing from her recently published article, The Crossroads of AI in the Age of Ecological Crisis, and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity): On safeguarding the human person in the time of Artificial Intelligence. Some staff attended a faith formation session that was organised by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) and led by Bishop-Elect Stephen Wang, which focused on the vision of Catholic education and how the Sycamore program can help.

Last Friday all OLMC staff participated in our annual Staff Spirituality Day, which was an opportunity to expand our hearts, open our minds and nourish our souls in the context of our Catholic tradition and Mercy charism, as well as take time out from our busy schedules to connect with each other as colleagues within the OLMC community. We were blessed to have Dr Gavin Brown join us and deliver a keynote address, From the Boxer to the Dancer: The Catholic Church in Australia, presenting the history of the Catholic Church in Australia, with the various challenges, responses and developments over time. This was followed by workshops focusing on Mercy women, including Catherine McAuley RSM, Mary Elizabeth (Anne) Moore RSM, Ursula (Clara Mary) Frayne RSM and the founding Sisters of Mercy in Heidelberg, and culminating with small group discussions and reflections on contemporary issues in Church and society and our Mercy response.

Young Vinnies Conference

Recently we hosted the annual Young Vinnies Conference here at OLMC, welcoming lots of students from CLC, Salesian College, Xavier College, and Loyola College. It was great to see and hear each school present on their social justice initiatives. Whilst practicing their public speaking skills, our Year 8 and 10 students were proud to share our work with the Exodus Community, in our dinners, bread run, and Camp Heide. We spoke of our fundraisers and collection drives. It was interesting to hear about great initiatives that other schools run, too. In mixed groups, students also learned about community work and advocacy, showcasing their ideas and practicing 'pitching' them.

Seeds of Justice: Middle Years Conference

Students in Year 10 participated in the middle years Seeds of Justice Conference in Anglesea, with six other Mercy schools from Victoria. We were pleased to have Catherine Glenister with us, director of the Mercy Hub, as well as sessions led by teachers from The Academy of Mary Immaculate, Fitzroy, and from Sacred Heart College, Geelong. Together we shared and deepened our experiences in ecospirituality, in understanding a First Nations connection to Country and the links to St Francis of Assisi. By reflecting on the Laudato Si, we understood more about the Care for Creation. Our students were inspired to re-ignite the FIRE Carriers program here at OLMC; as well as sharing time and meeting new friends from other Mercy schools.

Anita Galli
Social Justice Coordinator

There is no doubt that educationally GenAI offers both opportunities and challenges.

Generative AI can support deeper learning by helping students explain their thinking, explore ideas, receive feedback, and reflect on their existing knowledge and learning. Other uses of GenAI may hinder learning by encouraging students to accept generated responses without thinking critically or engaging deeply. This can result in surface-level learning and a false sense of understanding rather than genuine knowledge development.

How AI Supports Learning:

Evaluate Information

Students need to evaluate the information GenAI provides as it cannot reliably verify its own responses. This means checking claims, questioning sources, and thinking critically rather than accepting AI-generated content at face value. These are important information literacy skills that should be explicitly taught alongside the use of GenAI in the classroom.

Develop Thinking Skills

GenAI can be most useful for developing transfer when it acts as a thinking partner rather than simply providing solutions. It can prompt students to explain their reasoning, identify the key principle behind a problem, or apply a method to a new situation. This helps students move beyond simply knowing how to solve a problem to understanding why a particular approach works, making their knowledge more transferable.

Applying Knowledge

GenAI is most effective when it encourages students to actively work with knowledge rather than simply receive information. This can include creating and answering their own retrieval questions, explaining concepts and identifying gaps, developing analogies through discussion, comparing concepts in their own words, and using feedback to revise and improve their work rather than simply confirm an answer.

An unseen exam question requires students to apply their knowledge to a new situation by recognising the underlying principle. This skill develops through independent problem-solving, which GenAI can easily bypass. Students who regularly practise retrieving and applying knowledge on their own are therefore better prepared for the skills required in exams.

A Way Forward

To realise AI’s educational potential and maintain academic and learning integrity, we need to develop approaches that:

• Promote critical engagement
• Develop students’ skill development by focusing on problem-solving and analytical thinking processes.
• Highlight the limitations and inaccuracies of AI outputs, fostering verification practices.
• Protect intellectual property and academic integrity.

AI is undeniably reshaping education. To ensure it enhances rather than undermines the learning experience, we must prioritise the development of critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and independent learning skills.

Tanti, M., Maddox, A., & Phillips, E. (2026). The Science of Learning and Generative AI: A guide for secondary teachers. La Trobe University. [https://doi.org/10.26181/32775...]

Our College had several Year 10 students participating in the 2026 Brain Bee Challenge. Congratulations to Ariana P (10M5) and Caitlin S (10L2) who were finalists in this competition. Both students were invited to attend a full day of neuroscience related activities at the University of Melbourne. Thank you to Mrs Kirley for entering our students into this competition and for all her work along the way allowing these students to be involved in this memorable event. The following account is written by Caitlin about her experience:

On Monday 10 August, we had the opportunity to attend the Victorian Final of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge at the University of Melbourne. The day was full of equally informative and interesting talks as well as tours of neuroscience laboratories and the University's private Anatomy Museum. We also heard from researchers and PhD students about their work in neuroscience and had the chance to learn more about the field. Along with gaining insight into the field, we were also able to meet like-minded students our age, making connections and friends. It was an extremely rewarding experience that allowed us to test our knowledge of the brain and gain insight into neuroscience and potential careers in the field.

Caitlin S (10L2)

Assimina Semertjis
Science Learning Leader

For the first half of this year five of our Year 9 students; Audrey D (9E), Dinara D (9H), Bhavi K (9E), Asher M (9B) and Honora P (9F) took part in the BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge. During this program students met regularly with Dr Susan Long and worked collaboratively alongside their industry mentor, Associate Professor Scott Rayburg from the School of Engineering, Swinburne University. Our students were required to research a real-world challenge and develop solutions using STEM skills. Thank you to Dr Susan Long who made this experience possible for our students and for giving them a valuable insight into potential STEM pathways. The account below is written by two of our students who participated in this program:

On Monday 27 July, our BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge team presented our project at RMIT University, sharing the outcomes of our research with students, teachers and industry representatives, who were our mentors. The BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge was about understanding the sustainable development goals and finding some which felt most connected to us. Then we had to discuss this and brainstorm ideas and solutions. The issues which we chose were the environmental and social impact which AI would have on our future. The BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge encouraged us to develop an innovative solution using research, collaboration and creative thinking. Our team explored the social, environmental and ethical consequences of artificial intelligence, examining how AI impacts areas such as employment, misinformation, trust and everyday decision-making. To communicate these ideas, we designed 'Ripple City', an interactive role-playing game where players make AI-related decisions and experience the long-term consequences of their choices, promoting ethical and informed use of AI.

Asher M (9B) and Audrey D (9E)

Assimina Semertjis
Science Learning Leader

Recently OLMC were privileged to host Hannah Samuel, a past student of OLMC who graduated in 2012. Hannah is a successful screenwriter and she outlined her journey after leaving OLMC and then graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Art: Screenwriting. Hannah is now a successful screen writer who has written for Netflix, having been part of the writing team for the third series of Heartbreak High as well as Wentworth. She has also written for a number of children’s television programs for the ABC and other networks.

Hannah led a writing workshop for a group of Year 10, 11 and 12 students for Learn a New Skill as part of the Pastoral lesson. Hannah was an engaging and inspiring presenter. She worked with students to think of a character. She asked a series of unique questions to help develop their character’s traits and create a backstory. Many had not considered the range of ideas that go into the creation of a character to ensure that they are multi-dimensional and believable whilst also being interesting. Students gradually added to their character as a result of the provocations designed to encourage students to reflect on their relationships with others and their thoughts and emotions. Students were invited to share their responses and Hannah was very impressed with the richness of their thinking and descriptions.

The Creative Writing Club meet every Tuesday lunchtime and encompasses up to thirty students from all year levels in the school. They were very excited to participate in a Q and A panel discussion facilitated by OLMC’s very own Ms Salamone, a friend and contemporary of Hannah Samuel. As they explained to students, their lives intersected when they met for the first time as Year 7 students beginning their OLMC journey together.

Hannah was asked about the factors that contributed to her becoming a screenwriter and the decisions that she made as a student at school that shaped her career. She explained that there are challenges working in a creative industry but that they are far outweighed by the benefits of working collaboratively in an exciting field where no day looks the same. She encouraged students considering working in a creative industry to prioritise that rather than thinking that they would pursue something else 'just in case' the creative job did not come to fruition. She reminded them that if something is important, it needs to be the focus of their ambitions.

Hannah outlined the creative processes involved in writers’ rooms and the need for writers to be open to direct feedback. She explained that tv production works extremely quickly and people in the industry are used to working long days and having to think quickly and find solutions to complex problems. Students asked Hannah some thought-provoking questions and valued her good humour and candour. We hope to have the opportunity for students to work again with Hannah in the future.

Anne Morrison
English Learning Area Leader

Anna Apfelstedt
Learning Commons Coordinator

This term, our Year 9 Health and Physical Education students have been involved in a diverse range of learning experiences designed to build knowledge, confidence, creativity and practical skills.

Depending on when students have their Horizon unit during the year, they have studied Health topics, including drug education and respectful relationships.

In Health and Physical Education, students have participated in a self-defence program run by Hall’s Taekwondo, developing awareness, confidence and practical strategies for responding to potentially unsafe situations. Students have explored verbal and physical techniques, including communication, blocking, striking and evasion, while practising how to respond calmly and appropriately in different scenarios.

Students have also had the opportunity to get creative through our Design a Game unit, working collaboratively to create, test and refine their own games.

Our Trick Shots task has added plenty of fun and challenge, encouraging students to experiment with different skills, techniques and creative ways to complete a range of fun and creative skill-based challenges.

Students have also developed their frisbee skills, focusing on throwing, catching, movement and teamwork, before putting their skills into practice through a range of fun and competitive games.

It has been a busy and engaging term so far, and one that both staff and students are thoroughly enjoying.

Teresa Cerra
Health and Physical Education Learning Leader

On August 11 and 12, students involved in the OLMC Music Program came together for two intensive days of rehearsals in preparation for our Celebration Concert, titled ‘Childhood Reflections’ held Tuesday evening this week. While rehearsing was at the focus of the two days, students also had the opportunity to reflect on their own childhood memories and the music, movies and moments that have shaped them.

The rehearsal days were filled with collaboration, creativity and plenty of fun. Students took part in group challenges designed to encourage them to meet new people, including trivia and creating newspaper fashion, before coming together as a giant ensemble to rehearse our exciting finale, Dynamite! The Mercedes Hogan Theatre stage was certainly full!

It was wonderful to see the dedication, focus and enthusiasm shown by our students throughout the two days. We were particularly proud to see senior students step into leadership roles, leading rehearsals and supporting their ensembles while demonstrating the confidence and skills that will serve them well into the future.

Congratulations to every student who participated across the two days. The progress made was enormous, and we hope they all feel incredibly proud of what they achieved together.

Jo-Anne Mileto
Instrumental Music Coordinator

Our annual High Tea in Heidelberg is on Sunday 30 August at 2.00pm and we invite you and your friends and family to share in this special event.

The event will support the work of McAuley for Women and Children, an organisation committed to advocating for a better, safer and just society through working with women and children affected by family violence, mental illness or homelessness.

Sunday 30 August 2.00pm – 4.00pm

McAuley Hall, OLMC, Cape Street, Heidelberg

Booking Arrangements

Tickets are priced at $55 for Adults and $30 for Students.

You can purchase tickets online by going to Trybooking and searching OLMC

OR by entering the link https://www.trybooking.com/DOCRE

OR by contacting Monica Agius T: 9455 7571 E: magius@olmc.vic.edu.au

To book a group/table, you can either purchase the whole table in one booking or purchase a ticket on an available table and then notify your guests of the table number they should specify when booking. If you want to rename the table so that your fellow guests can identify the table easily please contact Monica Agius. Tables will seat 10 people.

To book individual tickets, purchase the required number on any table.

OLMC Raffle for McAuley for Women and Children 2026

In addition to booking tickets for this year's High Tea, members of the OLMC community are invited to support the event by participating in the OLMC Raffle for McAuley for Women and Children 2026 which includes a fantastic range of prizes generously donated by loyal supporters and local business owners.

Friends, family and members of the wider community who are unable to attend the event are also warmly invited to purchase raffle tickets online and support the important work of McAuley for Women and Children.

Raffle Tickets: 1 ticket for $10, 3 tickets for $20 or 8 tickets for $50
Purchase Raffle Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/DOCUD

Full Prize List:

All proceeds from the raffle will support McAuley for Women and Children. Winners will be drawn at the High Tea on Sunday 30 August and notified after the event if not present.

Father's Day Breakfast

The Parents' Association invite Fathers & Father Figures along with their Daughter/s to a breakfast to celebrate Father’s Day on:

Wednesday 2 September 7.30 am – 8.30 am

Heagerty Room, Yarra Street, Heidelberg

This is a chance for all students to do something special for Dad, Grandad or a significant person in their life by enjoying a delicious breakfast and sharing quality time together. All are welcome.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE - $35 per family

Book via Trybooking.com and search OLMC

Or enter the link https://www.trybooking.com/DOFSQ

RSVP: Friday 28 August

If you are unable to attend but still wish to support the work of the Parent’s Association we invite you to purchase a raffle ticket by clicking https://www.trybooking.com/DOLGR

For enquires please contact Monica Agius T: 9455 7571 E: magius@olmc.vic.edu.au

Follow the official Our Lady of Mercy College accounts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We’ll be sharing regular news, student achievements and stories from around the College.