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O U R L A DY O F M E R C Y C AT H O L I C C O L L E G E B U R R A N E E R
2
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
2015 has been a wonderful
year for the Our Lady of
Mercy Catholic College
community. We have an
excellent reputation, which
has resulted in record
enrolment numbers. I am
constantly reminded from
the words of others and
the actions of our staff and
students that we are a school
that truly nurtures girls and
creates women who are independent, intelligent and
good communicators as well as honest, caring and
friendly.
Throughout the year we have experienced many joys
and successes. I congratulate our 2015 award winners.
In Semester 1, 12 students attained a Principal’s
Award for Academic Excellence and in Semester
2 another 18 students received this same award.
Congratulations toTaya Michel who was awarded Dux
of the College for 2015 and to ourYear 10 graduating
class of 2015. At OLMC we were also very proud of
the outstanding achievements of our ex-students in
the Higher School Certificate and it would be remiss
of me not to acknowledge them. Congratulations to
Elyse McCormack, who was the OLMC Dux in 2012
for attaining the highest ATAR of 99.5 and 12 other
ex-students who achieved an ATAR over 90 at De La
Salle Catholic (Senior) College.
2015 has very much been marked as a year of building.
The most obvious building is our building project.
The building project has brought a mix of frustration
and excitement. Frustration, due to the challenge of
negotiating tight pathways, limited playground space,
timetable changes building noise and excitement,as we
moved into the new Music Classrooms and Practice
Rooms, the new Drama Room and got to use the
modifications to the Hall. There was excitement, as
we viewed the building stills and video, and watched
the enormous structure grow before our eyes. The
roof is on, window frames are in and we expect to
be learning in what will be known as the Catherine
McAuley Building in 2016.
If we compare our school community to a building
then we know that the planning, foundations, walls
and the interior are crucial for its uniqueness and
longevity. When constructing a sturdy building, we
start with a firm and level foundation, which in our
case is Jesus Christ. In Matthew’s Gospel, the Parable
of the Two Builders reminds us that to build a strong
foundation we should build on rock and not sand, and
most importantly follow the guidance of Christ.When
the foundations of our building are firm, we can then
construct walls, add the wiring and plumbing properly
and finalise our exterior with a weatherproof roof.
We choose materials that will last a lifetime, as well
as decorating an interior that will be comfortable
and uniquely us. Similarly the education our students
receive is developed after the foundations of Christ
are firm.
We are extremely proud of our Catholic tradition
and in 2015 have been building on our understanding
of what it means to be a school in the Mercy charism.