November 28, 2024

Year 10 Academic Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to all our Year 10 students!

As part of our celebration today we presented students with their Year 10 certificates – This certificate indicates levels of achievement and shows patterns of development as the students move closer to being fully independent learners; it is the culmination of two years of schooling.

Merici is very proud of the progress that our students make in the area of vocational training. The statements of attainment and vocational certificates presented today are qualifications recognised across Australia. Some students may have gained their national qualifications with Certificate I and II in Active Volunteering, Certificate II in Sport & Recreation, Certificate I Hospitality or Certificate II in Business.

We also present the academic awards for students who have achieved High Distinctions and Distinctions determined from the Grade Point Average of their Semester 2 reports, and awards for academic achievement and outstanding effort.

Congratulations to all our students on their exceptional academic results this year.

Principal’s Address: Mrs Anna Masters

Today we gather to celebrate the end of the academic calendar in a year where we have focused on hope and the building of a culture that celebrates resilience, forgiveness, positivity and being visionary. We also take this opportunity to recognise the successes, strength, determination and passion exhibited by our young women in 2024. So much has been achieved, both academically and more broadly, by our students who have had the courage to impact on each other with positivity and kindness whilst honouring their own dreams and capabilities.

I want to thank the parents and carers of our young women for their support and commitment to the growth of their loved ones. I also thank their teachers for the exceptional learning opportunities and guidance they have provided this year.

Of course, I want to give thanks to and for each and every student at Merici College. They have worked to become people of “high hope” by:

  • Being grateful no matter how difficult things seem to be
  • Limiting their “bad news” intake
  • Focusing on what they can look forward to
  • And surrounding themselves with hopeful people.

Most have learnt that to forgive each other and “the powers that be” frees them to move into positive, healthy, generative, and loving action.

You have shown that our college values: fidelitas, integritas, communitas and spes are integral to our theme for this year. You have worked with your heads, hearts and hands in order to find direction whilst being guided by love and compassion. I believe that many of you have come to understand that hope is like a steadfast and calm anchor that gives us courage, composure, stability, joy, positivity and wonder as we move through our lives, however challenging and chaotic seeming they may be. You have answered Jesus’ call to be people of hope, answering his invitation to live his message of hope and so contribute to the building of God’s glorious kingdom on earth. We have been inspired by his Passion and Resurrection which is, at its very essence, a story of hope and unconditional love.

This year I challenged you to make hope an action, not just an attitude or state of mind:

You might like to reflect on the following ideas and questions I posed to you in our opening assembly. Did you find the answers to these questions during 2024?

  1. What will you turn to when you know you need to keep going, to not give up?
  2. Who or what are the anchors in your life?
  3. How will you use hopeful language in order to make hope real and embed it as a heartstring?
  4. What hopeful actions can you take to create a ripple effect of joy and positivity in our community?
  5. What do you feel and think is possible for you to achieve this year?
  6. How might you use forgiveness to set you free and move on from pain and upset?
  7. Did you, as Joan Chittister says, “grasp the grace of new possibilities”, choose to become someone new, to live in hope in 2024?

I believe that many of you have achieved the personal goals set at the start of this year. Congratulations. If you didn’t, welcome to the world of aspiration and determination – a place where most of us exist! Just remember that “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (C.S.Lewis) Listen to the wisdom in the words from the First Testament: that “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

For most of you I so look forward to you continuing your learning years with us and to walking with you as you journey on your individual stellar, dream fuelled trajectories. I can’t wait to see who you emerge to be in your senior years.

That being said, have a wonderful safe and restorative break!

For those moving within the ACT or moving interstate or overseas – never be a stranger to us and know that you will always be loved as Alumni of Merici College.

Merry Christmas and every blessing to you all.

SPECIAL ACADEMIC AWARDS

The Merici All-Rounder Award: Awarded to a student who has excelled in most but not necessarily all of the following categories: Academic, Co-Curricular, Personal Conduct, Leadership, Service, Sport, Cultural. The 2024 winner is an exceptional student and her contribution to the College has been outstanding. She is a true all-rounder. She has received numerous academic effort and excellence awards throughout her time at the College. Her academic record is astonishing, with almost all A’s. She has completed over 150 hours of service through the Christian Service-Learning Program. This student has represented the school in sport every year. This student is held in high regard by all staff and students. She is a someone who gives much to the Merici community. She is also the only recipient thus far in Year 10 of the prestigious St Angela Merici Award.

The recipient of the Merici All-Rounder Award is: Tara Holmes

Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award: The Australian Defence Force has sponsored a leadership award for a student in Years 10 and 12. The Year 12 award was given earlier this week, and today we recognise a deserving student in Year 10. This award is given to a student who demonstrates respect, integrity, compassion, teamwork, strength and wisdom. The winner of this award is an exceptional student.

The recipient of the Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork award is: Dakota Robinson

The ADFA Future Innovators Award is presented to a student who has shown great potential, motivation and achievement in the areas of Science, Mathematics and other STEM areas. The recipient of this award is: Eliza Bell

The ACU Spirit of St Angel Merici Award:

The 2024 Spirit of St Angela Merici Award is presented by the Australian Catholic University and is awarded to a student who exemplifies the spirit of the College’s patron, Saint Angela Merici.

Angela Merici’s spirit which continues to live on in the lives of women today is:

  • a spirit of attentive listening and trust
  • a spirit of wisdom and courage
  • a spirit of inner peace and mercy
  • and a spirit of openness and hospitality.

The recipient of this year’s award is the epitome of this spirit. She is kind and generous to all who come across her path. She has strong morals and values and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She gives of her time generously at all College events. She is respected by peers and staff alike.  She is a role model to younger students and stands out for her leadership, maturity and grace under pressure. Congratulations to Alizaih Malik

Congratulations to all our awardees!

Congratulations to all our Year 10 students!

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