On Monday 12 August, our community gathered together to congratulate and celebrate students who have a high level of academic achievement across all subjects and students who are recognised by their teachers in individual subjects in Semester 1. Year 7 students received awards for the first time which always bring some extra excitement.
The pinnacle of Merici’s Principles of Powerful Learning is Academic Excellence which assists our girls to build successful futures. At the ceremony, we recognised students whose efforts have led to personal levels of Academic Excellence, as well as being role models to other students.
The awards fall into two categories:
Academic Excellence and Outstanding Effort within individual classes. Teachers nominate students for Outstanding Effort awards while Academic Excellence awards in each subject are decided by the top ranked students in each course. We also award special certificates of Credit, Distinction and High Distinction to those students whose academic achievement has been excellent across all of their subjects. The calculation of these awards is linked to what is called a student’s Grade Point Average: all A grades are worth 5 points, B worth 4, C worth 3 etc, this is then added up and divided by the number of subjects a student has studied. A total calculation of 4.75 and above, earns a High Distinction award, 4.5 a Distinction, and, for seniors only, 4.25 a Credit. In the case of our IB Diploma students, their GPA’s are measured out of 7. Their overall awards are calculated through the parameters on the screen. Senior students study only 5-6 subjects and it is extremely difficult to achieve one of these Distinction awards – nearly straight A’s or straight 7’s at senior level is a huge ask. So, for seniors only, the credit award recognises the considerable effort required to achieve A’s and B’s or 6’s & 7’s.
Mrs Masters congratulated all the students for their achievements and expressed her thanks to students for building a culture of ‘spes’ (hope).
“Today we gather to celebrate Semester 1, 2024. It is always good to reflect on the challenges, joys, achievements and mistakes experienced and made half-way through a calendar year. I encourage you to take time to reflect on the half year lived and to set new goals for Semester 2. I am proud of how all at Merici have worked to build a culture of hope thus far in 2024…keep looking to gain strength from positive habits and finding the richness of being hopeful through acts of love and forgiveness.
Today we take the time to recognise the successes, strength, resilience and passion exhibited by our young women thus far in 2024. So much has been achieved, both academically and more broadly, by our students who have had the courage to chase their dreams and build habits of hope. You have worked with your heads, hearts and hands in order to find direction whilst anchored in love and forgiveness. You are responding so positively to Jesus’ invitation to live his message of hope and to contribute to the building of God’s glorious kingdom on earth.
At the start of the year I said to you that hope is a human imperative. That we need to avoid using the language of despair, bile, vitriol, gossip and innuendo and speak with love, tenderness and sympathy. That we need to use ideas that uplift and rejuvenate, encourage and express solidarity.
Today is a day where we overtly seek to uplift, encourage and express pride in the achievements of so many. It is a day where we look to encourage all to continue to grow and chase our aspirations through habits and actions that drip with hope.
Congratulations to every award winner today.”
Mrs Anna Masters, Principal
We were honoured to welcome ex-student Hannah Robertson as our guest speaker. Hannah graduated from Merici in 2016 as Tullow House Captain. She went on to pursue a Bachelor of Criminology at the Australian National University, where she developed a passion for research in criminal justice. She has spent the last few years pursuing a PhD at the ANU Centre for Social Policy Research – where she investigates violence and abuse that takes place on dating apps. During her PhD studies, she has become an active member of the National Women’s Safety Alliance, through which she got the opportunity to attend the 2023 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women as an Australian civil society delegate. Hannah also writes regularly for several media publications including Women’s Agenda, Crikey and The Canberra Times, where she shares her perspectives on the latest issues effecting women and girls in Australia.
Thank you Hannah for your inspiring speech. Your journey in life beyond Merici is quite inspirational and such a great example of a Merici woman who is making the world a better and more safe place for all.
Congratulations to all our students on their exceptional academic achievements!
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