{"id":6103,"date":"2026-05-29T14:44:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T04:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/?post_type=article&p=6103"},"modified":"2026-05-29T14:44:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T04:44:15","slug":"message-from-the-principal-christine-harding-23","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/article\/message-from-the-principal-christine-harding-23\/","title":{"rendered":"Message from the Principal – Christine Harding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Welcome to the community of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer<\/strong>. Striving for excellence, we are the only specialist all-girls school in the Sutherland Shire.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Pentecost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentecost is one of the most significant feast days in the Catholic Church, celebrating the moment the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Mary, an event often described as the birth of the Church. Occurring 50 days after Easter, Pentecost recalls the \u201ctongues of fire\u201d and the powerful wind that filled the disciples with courage to go out and share the Gospel with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with your presence and kindle within us the fire of your love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breathe new life into us, that we may be strengthened, renewed, and made whole.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guide us to be bearers of peace, hope, and joy, so that together we may help renew the face of the earth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Term 2 has progressed very quickly and our students have been working well in the classroom and focused on their learning. There is much to be proud of this term, with our students participating in so many extra curricular events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers can open doors but you must enter it yourself.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

National Reconciliation Week 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Reconciliation Week is from 27 May to 3 June. This year\u2019s theme, All In<\/strong>, is a reminder that we are all responsible for taking action as part of our reconciliation journey. One that calls on each of us to learn, reflect, and take meaningful action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Reconciliation Week started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 and was supported by Australia\u2019s major faith communities. It is therefore a reminder that reconciliation is not only a social responsibility but also a deeply spiritual one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year will also mark the 40th anniversary of Saint Pope John Paul II\u2019s visit to Alice Springs, where he spoke of the Church’s love and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples\u2019 spiritual and material needs. His message urging us to uphold the dignity of every person is as relevant today as it was then. As a school community, we are committed to fostering understanding, respect, and stronger relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and all Australians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Thought to Consider<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the most important skills we can develop is the ability to see things from someone else\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you visit someone\u2019s home, consider what it\u2019s like to be the host. When interacting with a family member, whether a parent, child or a sibling, take a moment to imagine how the situation might feel from their perspective. If you\u2019re a teacher, try to see through the eyes of your students and if you\u2019re a student, consider how things might feel for your teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The better we understand the perspectives of those around us, parents or children, teachers or students or colleagues the more effectively we can work together to find meaningful solutions.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Year 9 and 10 Assessment Block<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to commend our Year 9 and 10 students on their commitment to their recent Assessment block. They have approached these exams with maturity and a strong sense of responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been encouraging to see many students making the most of their study time, whether it\u2019s using the library during lunch, attending Open Learning on Wednesday afternoon, or diligently preparing study notes. Their efforts and dedication are to be recognised and commended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chamber Ensemble<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations to our OLM Chamber Ensemble members who participated in the SCS Eisteddfod this week. Under the guidance of Mr Lee, they delivered an outstanding performance and were proudly awarded first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dance Troupe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A huge congratulations to the OLM Dance Troupe on achieving first place in the SCS Eisteddfod, secondary Lyrical Contemporary dance ensemble. This achievement is a reflection of the teamwork and dedication shown by our students. A thank you to Mrs Mason and Mrs Owen for their guidance, hard work and unwavering support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Red Earth Immersion to Cape York<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wish our Year 10 students, Ms Clemenson and Mrs Owen a safe and enriching journey as they travel to Cape York next week for their immersion experience. Cape York is an extraordinary place where two World Heritage areas meet, the world\u2019s oldest rainforest, the Daintree, borders the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The region is home to some of the longest standing and most diverse Homelands, and our students will have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with the Guugu Yimithirr and Kuku Yalanji clan groups who hold deep cultural connections to this land. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During their immersion, students will stay in remote communities, visit local schools and groups, listen to stories, and experience Homeland culture firsthand. This journey offers a profound opportunity for our students to learn, connect and grow as they deepen their understanding of Country, culture and community.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Tell Them From Me Parent Survey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM)<\/strong> <\/em>Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at OLM. The survey closes on 12 June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell Them From Me Survey Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs Christine Harding<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the community of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer. Striving for excellence, we are the only specialist all-girls school in the Sutherland Shire. Pentecost Pentecost is one of the most significant feast days in the Catholic Church, celebrating the moment the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Mary, an event often […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-6103","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/6103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=6103"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=6103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}