Science @ Merici

Last year, after a year of bushfires, smoke, hail and the impacts of Covid-19, I started my article by reflecting on the resilience of the Merici community, including the Science Department. As I sit here writing the 2021 article, while in an extended period of lockdown and waiting to teach my next class remotely, I reflect that once again it has been a highly unusual school year and that we perhaps will never be truly free of the impacts of Covid-19.

Dear Merici Community,

Dare to Dream

To ‘dare’ is to call on courage, strength, imagination and strategy. To ‘dare’ is to be willing to take on the unknown, to embrace change and to shape things for the better.  To ‘dare’ is to be futures focused, positive, agile and active. To ‘dare to dream’ is to do all of the above as well as to open oneself to awe and wonder.

Jesus dared to dream and hope. He envisaged a wondrous future defined by love and unity.

Today we gather to celebrate the end of the academic calendar in a year of wonders and challenges. We also take this opportunity to recognise the successes, strength, resilience and passion exhibited by our young women in 2021. So much has been achieved, both academically and more broadly, by our students who have had the courage to dream big and to strive to reach for personal and community stars.

This weekend Merici will host the Australian national team for the 2022 International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) as they complete final training. 

The IJSO is an international competition now in its eighteenth year. Countries enter teams of six students under 16 years of age, and the competition challenges the teams across all areas of science.  This year sixty-five countries will be participating, and the host is the United Arab Emirates.

Congratulations to Merici College students and staff on their extraordinary achievements and presentation of awards at the Actsmart Sustainability Awards 2021. We congratulate Preashika Dhakal who received Highly Commended Award in Sustainability Leadership Secondary, Felicity Maher who received Highly Commended Sustainability Leadership Award Secondary. Merici also received Highly Commended Sustainable Project Secondary for the College’s Christian Service Learning Program Year 8 Upcycling Project.  #mericisustainability #environplan

Today our Year 7, 8 and 9 students were treated to a day of fun cultural activities and performances to allow students to appreciate the cultural diversity in our community and society.

• Iranian Voices
• Kungfu
• Trivia: Around the World in 80 Questions
• International Movie: Children of Heaven
• Cultural Fair

The canteen served delicious international dishes at lunch. After lunch, students participated in different interactive cultural activities organised by Year 9 students.

In our Year 7 RE classes, our students have been exploring the real meaning of Advent and Christmas and to encourage students to think of others, the Year 7 RE Classes ran marketplace stalls today  to raise funds for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Each class made craft items to sell, as well as some homemade sweets,  Student craft items included Christmas decorations and many other small gifts suitable for Christmas.

We congratulate of our Year 7 students on their exceptional effort in making so many fantastic items to sell.