Dear Principal, Staff members and Students,

This Wednesday night, our Rotary Club of Chatswood will be handing to the winner, Mercy Catholic College, Chatswood, the Trophy and $2000 cheque for submitting the best Program or Project in the 2018 Bob Mugdan Memorial School Citizenship Award activity.

The Head of Student Wellbeing at Mercy College, Mrs Gemma McDermott and her colleagues have developed a fine Program, RISE, an acronym incorporating Relational, Inspire, Spiritual and Empower.

As might be expected in a Mercy school immersed in the spirit of the founder,Irish social reformer, Catherine McAuley, there is a strong emphasis on each girl discovering her talents, including her leadership capabilities, and applying them to enhance the lives of others.

The grouping across the Year-Levels permits the strengthening of morale across the College and the opportunity to develop a strong relationship with a staff member/ tutor outside of the dominant academic settings.

Such a Program works well in an educational environment where the student population of about 680 allows a strong personal dimension while providing a challenging range of learning  experiences.

Bob Mugdan would have been impressed to see so many students being so well-prepared to become vital Australian citizens

My very best wishes

PP Gerard Say, Rotary Club of Chatswood
5 th June, 2018