Year 9 Reflection Day

One of the recent highlights for our Year 9 students was, undoubtedly, the Reflection Day. Students visited the Shrine of Remembrance to honour the services and sacrifice of Australians in war and peacekeeping and to learn about the national and personal healing required following war. The day was incredibly rewarding for students and staff alike, serving as a welcome reminder of the Canberra trip earlier in the year.

In the afternoon, students visited St Mary Star of the Sea Church in West Melbourne for further reflection and prayer. They also had the opportunity to view statues of Mother Mary from countries across the globe.

In sporting news, many of our Year 9 students spent their last ACS netball training session celebrating their achievements as a team in a round of challenges. They created their own teams and team chants before competing in various events such as the Team Chant Dance, Who Can Make the Tallest Spaghetti Tower, Water Bucket Challenge, and Pop the Balloon Challenge.

Ms Madeline Vines, the ACS Netball Coach is very proud of the excitement, energy and determination the students showed throughout the season. Each and every one of the students involved worked hard to improve not only their own skills, but also encourage each other's success.

January Ma
Year 9 Leader

Year 9 Italian Poetry Mentors

Our Year 9 Italian students’ mentors have played a pivotal role in supporting the Year 7 and 8 students with the Centre of Italian Studies Poetry Recitation Competition.

They have generously dedicated several lunchtimes to assisting with poetry pronunciation, expression, and memorization. Their commitment to guiding and encouraging their peers has been truly impressive. By sharing their knowledge and offering personalised support, they have set a positive example and empowered others to excel.

Their efforts embody our Mercy values of service and compassion. We greatly appreciate their significant contributions and the positive impact they are making within our school community.

In the past few weeks, some Year 9 to 12 students had the opportunity to mentor the Year 7 and 8 students for their poetry competition. The younger students recited their poems to us, and we offered them advice, which we hope was beneficial. This experience also helped build the confidence of the Year 9 to 12 students in speaking Italian.
Audrey F 9B

Mentoring the Year 7 and 8 students was a fulfilling and fun experience that allowed us to work with peers across different year levels and create strong academic bonds. We assisted them with pronunciation, expression, and pacing in preparation for the competition day. A standout moment for me was practicing the poems so often that I began to memorize them myself. Overall, this was an amazing opportunity for language students to become familiar with new vocabulary and improve their intonation and delivery.
In bocca al lupo to all the competitors!
Nina C 9C

Mentoring younger students in Italian was a great opportunity to help them while also strengthening my own understanding of the language. It was inspiring to see their passion for Italian and the effort they put into memorizing their poems. Listening to the students also helped me improve my own grasp of the language.
Gracie S 9B

Mentoring Year 7 & 8 Italian students provided valuable insights into guiding them through challenges and growth. The most rewarding aspect was witnessing their progress and learning. Key takeaways include the importance of active listening and the fulfillment that comes from fostering someone else's development and success.
Sara 9B

Congratulations to our Year 9 mentors for their exceptional work!

Rita Stangherlin and Claudia Schiliro
Italian Teachers