Mercy SNAPSHOT - Term 4, Issue 7
- Mercy Stories
- 8 hours ago
- 7 min read
Issue 7, November 2025
IMPORTANT DATES:
11 November: Remembrance Day
13 November: Yr 11 Final Day for 2025
14 November: Student Free Day (College Admin Closed)
17 November: Yr 11 Exams Commence
19 November: Yr 8—Yr 11 Dance Concert (BREC)
21 November: WACE Exams conclude
28 November: Yr 7 2026 Orientation Day
1 December: Yr 10 Exams Commence
2 December: Presentation Evening
3 December: Annual Community Meeting.
12 December: Term 4 Concludes for students
For all activities and events, please view the College calendar here.
Important Message from Principal Vince Bellini
Dear Parents and Caregivers, As we approach the end of another academic year, I have found myself reflecting on the past 12 months since being appointed Principal of Our Lady of Mercy College. During my interview, I was asked what I hoped to achieve in this role. My response was simple, I wanted to hear the voices of all members of our community, students, staff and parents. Click to continue reading:
With the support of our Year 12 Leaders, we launched a student survey at the beginning of the year, followed by staff feedback opportunities, and most recently, the Parent and Caregiver survey, which was shared last week via email and SMS.
A reminder for the Parent and Caregiver survey will be sent next Monday, ahead of its closing date on Wednesday, 12 November. As of writing this Mercy Story, we have received over 170 responses from families, representing just under 25% of our student population.
The feedback so far has been positive, with a few areas that warrant deeper exploration. I sincerely thank those families who have taken the time to provide comments, and I look forward to presenting the findings at our Annual Community Meeting (ACM) on Wednesday, 3 December 2025.
At the ACM, we will also hear reports from the College Advisory Council and the Parents and Friends Committee. Additionally, we will be seeking three new members for the College Advisory Council and welcoming volunteers to assist with the P&F group.
If you are interested in attending or being part and having a voice for the future direction of our vibrant community, please keep an eye out for further information to come.
Social Media
As you may be aware, starting 10 December, Australia will introduce legislation banning social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X, Reddit, Kick, and YouTube, for children under 16. This will impact all students in Years 7, 8, and 9, and will affect students in Years 10 and 11 until they turn 16.
Schools are increasingly managing issues that originate outside their parameters, and we strive to support students and families as best we can when these matters enter the school environment. Having worked in education for nearly 30 years, I have witnessed firsthand the evolution of mobile phones and the increasing use of social media with smartphones by students. Beginning 10 December, I am asking parents, for your support in supporting the staff, to ensure phones are not to be used on the school premises. Students may still bring their phones to school, but they must be stored in lockers once they arrive to school.
This represents a significant cultural shift from current practice. While the legislation focuses on major social media companies, we believe that by encouraging students to engage without devices, once at school, we can support parents in their efforts to keep young people off these social media platforms. You only have to walk through our corridors to see the number of students on snapchat or scrolling their Instagram feeds to understand the impact this is having in our school. I will communicate this to all students next week via Pastoral Care class.
To assist with families to gain a better understanding of the Social Media ban and the implications, I have included several helpful links below, including from the eSafety Commissioner and webinars that parents can attend online.
How the social media ban will work in Australia | Daily Telegraph
Social media age restrictions and your family| eSafety Commissioner
Social media age restrictions webinars | eSafety Commissioner
Thank you for your continued support and involvement in College life.
Vince Bellini Principal
Student Services Information
College Administration Closed, Friday, 14 November
Please note that the College Administration will be closed on Friday, 14 November due to the Pupil Free Day.
Uniform Shop Information
We’re pleased to announce that Tara Uniforms, a trusted WA-based, family-owned business, has taking over the management of our uniform shop. Tara has been supplying our uniforms since 2020 and brings extensive experience working with Catholic schools across the state.
The shop will remain onsite at the College, with Vanessa continuing in her role as Uniform Shop Manager. Online ordering will be available through Tara’s dedicated platform.
Please note that Flexischools will no longer be used for uniform orders.
Normal Opening Hours:
Tuesdays: 8.00 am – 11.00 am
Thursdays: 12.30 pm – 4.00 pm
Online ordering is available through the Tara Uniforms website: www.tarauniforms.com.au.
Uniform Shop Phone: 0432 578 311 (During opening hours only)
Location: Mercy Centre at 101 Leisure Drive, Australind
College Calendar
The 2025 College Calendar can be accessed via the College Website using this link: College Calendar – Please note that this is subject to change.
Absentee Notification
When a student is absent from school, it is required that on the day of the absence, a parent contacts the College before 9.30 am. A medical certificate is required if a student is absent for a period of more than three consecutive days. Contact to the College may be made by:
1. SMS: 0481 883 568
2. Via the SEQTA app
3. Phone: (08) 9720 3300, Option 2
4. Email: admin@olmca.wa.edu.au
Please state Student Name, Year, Date and Reason of Absence.
IT/ SEQTA
Just a quick reminder that IT Help and How-To guides for SEQTA can be found on the IT page of our website.
School Bus Services 2026
To make sure your child has a seat on the bus for the start of Term 1, 2026, SBS are encouraging families to submit applications before 14 November 2025. Families do not need to reapply if there are no changes to current circumstances and you are already receiving transport assistance.
Applications received after 14 November 2025 may be delayed, which could affect your child’s ability to access the bus at the beginning of the school year. If you have any questions, please contact School Bus Services on (08) 9326 2625.
Pupil Free Day – Term 4, 2025
Upon reviewing the College calendar, a pupil-free day was omitted for 2025. However, the College has scheduled a pupil-free day for Friday, 14 November 2025. This date aligns with the Catholic Day at Leschenault Catholic Primary School providing Year 11 students with a study day before their exams. Students involved in the College Workplace Learning Program will still need to attend their work placement on this day.
Parent Survey
On Tuesday, 28 October, we emailed you a link to our Parent Survey. We’ve had a wonderful response so far, but we’d love to hear from even more families.
Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can continue to improve the learning experience and wellbeing of our students.
If you haven’t yet had a chance, please take a few minutes to share your thoughts before the survey closes.
Thank you for your continued support and for being an active part of our College community.
2026 Booklists
The 2026 booklists will be released in Term 4. Please be aware that there will be some changes due to curriculum updates introduced by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) for Science and Humanities.
Because of these changes, several textbooks used in previous years will no longer be suitable. Updated resources will be included for the following subjects:
Science (Years 7–9): Students will use STILE, an interactive online learning platform.
Science (Year 10): Students will continue with the current digital textbook, supported by additional resources.
Humanities (Years 7–10): Students will require the Oxford Humanities and Social Sciences 7–10, 2nd Edition textbook.
For families interested in buying or selling second-hand uniforms and books, a community Facebook page is available. Please note this page is independently managed and not affiliated with the College.
Tutorials
The College offers a successful tutoring program for our students during school hours and after school. It is important that students access these extra classes to assist them in the areas where they are experiencing difficulties. If you have any questions regarding your child's need to attend these tutorials, please feel free to contact your child's teacher or Head of Year.
You'll find the timetable for the tutorials offered in 2025, by visiting this page.
Enrolment Information
Year 7, 2027 Enrolments: The Year 7, 2027 cohort is nearly at capacity. If you have not yet submitted an application, please call Enrolments as soon as possible to discuss availability and waitlisting options.
Year 7, 2028 Enrolments: Please submit your application now.
Year 7, 2026 Enrolments: Please note that this year group is currently at capacity. For further information, please contact our Enrolments Department on (08) 9720 3300.
If you require any assistance or additional information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Enrolments Department on (08) 9720 3300 (option 1).
A Message from our Finance Department
Thank you to all families for their continued support and to all those families who have finalised their 2025 school fees.
A reminder that all fees were due on 31 October 2025. For any outstanding school fees, please settle these immediately, alternatively, please contact the College, if you have not done so already.
Please note that all statements are being emailed once a month. If you have not received a copy of your updated statement, please contact the finance department as soon as possible.
If you have any questions or need to discuss a payment arrangement, please contact our Finance department on (08) 9720 3300 or via email at accounts@olmca.wa.edu.au. More information regarding College Fees can be found on the website here.
Community Notices
Bunbury Netball
Harvey Junior Cricketers Wanted
Harvey-Benger Cricket Club are on the lookout for juniors to join their Year 9/10 & Year 11/12 teams for the 2025/26 season.
Years 9/10 is for juniors in Years 7,8 & 9
Years 11/12 is for junior in Years 10 & 11
Game Days:
Years 9/10 - Saturday mornings
Years 11/12 - Saturday mornings and Friday afternoons
If you are interested in playing, please contact harveybenger@gmail.com
Join LCC Cricket
South 32 Bunbury Tri
