吃瓜不打烊

6 August 2019

At , Coburg, three dispositions constitute the college’s learning mantra: ‘be courageous, be inquisitive, be persistent’. Three students share their perspectives on the Mercy College learning mantra and the way this influences their learning journey.

Be courageous in Music and VET (Isabella – Year 11)

The college has created the perfect environment for students like myself to explore and discover what it means to be courageous. The college continuously strives to provide us with opportunities in learning, such as navigating public transport and performing in front of a large audience. Although catching public transport may not seem like the most daunting confrontation life could offer, I had never done it on my own until I had to catch the train from school to attend my first VET (Vocational Education and Training) lesson. My VET subject has allowed me to pursue my passion in equine studies. I don’t own a horse nor had I ever ridden one; however, this learning opportunity has given me the chance to embark on a new experience: one that has been challenging but also so formative. The college has helped prepare me for my future as an independent and courageous woman.

The Music department helps us to be courageous and challenges us to find our strengths. Every performance is an opportunity for us to dig deep to offer heartfelt pieces to the audience. This sometimes requires vulnerability on our part and it is not always easy. We are lucky to have brilliant, talented and courageous teachers that want to help us succeed. They are constantly there, at every rehearsal and every lesson, to ensure that we feel ready for the stage. Later in the year, many students will be performing at the Darebin Arts Centre in our Creative Arts Concert. Some students may find this a little intimidating, but I know with the support of our teachers and each other we will all shine.

Be inquisitive in Science (Olivia – Year 10)

I have a passion for Science and a desire to always know more. Chemistry is my favourite science-based subject because I get to see reactions and learn about the impact these reactions have both in small scale and then on a large scale in our world. The world of Physics has opened my eyes up to motion and the influence of distance, velocity, acceleration, time and speed. I enjoy the interaction in class as together we unpack what this means in the everyday world. We also get to delve into the science of Psychology. I am beginning to understand the complexities of the brain and how it controls our actions.

My experiences in Science have led me to discover a possible future career path. I want to become a mechatronic engineer, building and programming robots in order to improve the world. Through my involvement in RoboGals, interactive programming workshops and a DigiTech and Design elective, I have been able to code robots and consider how mechanical engineering can improve the world. One day I hope to be involved in innovation. I am curious, I want to know more and I am learning about what I can do. I have aspirations to invent a car with no pollution or a prosthetic limb that would allow for nerve transmission and a sense of touch.

Be persistent in Languages (Mia – Year 9)

Learning a language isn’t always easy and comes with many challenges and obstacles. It takes dedication and willpower to get through a hard class or to accomplish a personal goal. Being persistent in learning gives a person a sense of accomplishment, whether it be in the classroom or life outside of school.

In Italian we are learning about directions and the use of prepositions. The learning of vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure has been supported by activities at school, such as the Mercy College Treasure Hunt. This activity was preparation for the excursion to Lygon Street. While walking along Lygon St, Carlton, we were able to apply our learning of directions and locations of place and objects in the real world. This was a very exciting opportunity as we were able to see our language skills that we had developed over the term in action. We demonstrated persistence in learning new phrases and writing Italian sentences, then navigating our way through the streets of Carlton.

Through being persistent in my learning I was fortunate to travel to the other side of the world and take part in the Italian Language Tour. This was an adventure, a very new environment with many different people, but I learnt so many new things and life skills. I had to be persistent in making sure I was organised in the morning, and courageous in taking the step to travel to a new place and try to function with my developing language skills. Learning a whole new language hasn’t always been easy as I don’t have an Italian cultural background, but my inquisitive nature and the experiences I have had at Mercy College have allowed me to find a new passion. With persistence I have found that I get to experience privileges, new things and successes: ones that I thought I could never achieve.