Celebrating Our Heritage: Mercy Day 2022

Mercy Day is an important annual event in the College calendar. It is a day where we acknowledge and celebrate Santa Maria’s Mercy heritage and foundation. 

It is also a day in which students play an active part in fundraising. It is the culmination of weeks of hard work and brainstorming, to come up with that perfect idea to raise money for the College’s choice of charity, this year being Mercy Connect.

Launched in Perth in 2017, Mercy Connect’s program helps recruit, train, and support volunteers to assist school students, groups of adults, and their families from refugee backgrounds to adjust to life in Australia.

After training, the volunteers offer mentoring to students as they settle into the Australian schooling and education system. They provide support that nurtures wellbeing and self-esteem and improves students’ literacy and numeracy skills.

To start the day, students attended a whole-school Mercy Day Mass. This was the first time this year that the girls gathered for Mass due to COVID-19 protocols. It was a very special occasion – the Mercy Spirit could certainly be felt.

Making the event even more special were our Sisters of Mercy, who came to the College to join in on the festivities. Morning tea provided a fantastic opportunity for our staff and students to engage with the Sisters and learn more about Santa Maria’s heritage.

This was then followed by the Mercy Day Assembly, which acknowledged the achievements of Year 12 students who received Colours this year. House Captains were also invited to the stage, as we shared the results of Interhouse Public Speaking.

Of course, the much-anticipated winner of the McAuley Shield was announced. A massive congratulations to Kelly, who took out the honour for the sixth year in a row – talk about a winning streak!

The Year 12 Procession out of the Hall is always a highlight. The girls really took in the moment and embraced being together for one last Mercy Day celebration!

After the Mercy Day Assembly, students participated in several fun and interactive activities. From Just Dance, to tug of war, to the iconic skits performed by our Year 11s for Year 12 students, there was lots to be excited about!

Then came the Mercy Day stalls. The amount of planning that went into these, as well as the level of attention to detail, was just phenomenal!

There was something for everyone to get involved in. Food stalls, a silent disco, face painting, ball toss, basketball shootouts, a petting zoo, and a dunking machine, were just a few of the many amazing activities that students coordinated. The girls should be extremely proud of their efforts.

The afternoon also included some exquisite performances from our IGSSA Dance girls and the iconic staff vs student soccer game. Finally, the staff chalked up a 4 – 1 win, after a very successful year for students! 

All in all, Mercy Day was an incredible community event, which saw lots of laughter, happy faces, and Mercy spirit. Thank you to everyone for another hugely successful Mercy Day.

Shortly, we will be announcing how much money was raised and donated to Mercy Connect. Stay tuned…

What A Term! So Many Opportunities – Jennifer Oaten

As I look back on the past nine weeks, I am so grateful for who we are as a community and what we have achieved. Through the dedication of our staff and the enthusiasm of our students, we have established new connections, immersed ourselves in opportunities and worked through challenges.

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