Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

On 26 January 1938, while many Australians celebrated the 150th anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet, a group of over 1000 Aboriginal people gathered at Australia Hall in Sydney to call for full citizenship status’ and laws to improve the lives of First Nations people. As one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world, this day became known as the Day of Mourning. Since then, National NAIDOC Week has grown to become both a commemoration of the first Day of Mourning as well as a celebration of the history, culture and excellence of First Nations people. National NAIDOC Week is observed annually from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday.

This year's theme, For Our Elders, asks us to celebrate our parents, grandparents and great grandparents and acknowledge that they teach us and have taught us. Winangali Infusion Indigenous group has shared their culture with all our students, this week, through storytelling, dance and music. Kynan and Mia have learnt their stories and dance from their elders and now pass it onto us and the next generation.

What have your learnt from your elders?

Please enjoy the photos from the sessions with Winangali Infusion and NAIDOC Week Liturgy.

Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Religious Education

On Thursday, 15 June, Bishop Robert McGuckin confirmed fourteen children amongst family and friends.

Congratulations to the following children:

Madison Conwell, Thomas Brosnan, Isaac Franklin, Molly Grant, Seth Hannant, Jacob Hensler, Aneta Komodzinska, Myles Kent, Johnny Maloney, George Lanson, Tahlia Semmens, Sophie Oosthuizen, Eva-Rae Stanton, and Abigail Smith.

May they be open to the work of the Holy Spirt in their lives as they continue to grow with their faith.

These students will now receive their First Euhcarist on Sunday, 13 August, at 9:00am.

Paula O'Rourke
APRE & Sacramental Team member

On Wednesday night, we held our Annual Subject Showcase. The Subject Showcase has a number of aims, but primarily it’s an opportunity for students and their parents or carers to mingle with the staff and learn about the subjects on offer in Year 11 and 12.

The selection of subjects for Year 11 and 12 can be a stressful time; however, our aim here at the College is to support students to make decisions based on their individual pathway. By the end of Year 12, students need to achieve 20 QCE points to meet the requirements to gain a Queensland Certificate of Education by the end of Year 12. There are a myriad of ways to achieve this goal including, but not limited to:

Successful completion of General and Applied QCAA subjects. Students achieve 1 point each for a pass grade Unit 1 and 2, and 2 points for a pass grade in Unit 3 and 4 combined.
Certificate courses:
- Up to 8 points for a Certificate III and IV
- Up to 4 points for Certificate II
- Up to 3 points for a Certificate I
Up to 8 points for the completion of a School Based Apprenticeship. Students can begin an SBA in Year 10, and student are encouraged to speak to the Careers Team if they are interested in this.
Completion of HeadStart course through UniSQ
Completion of Diplomas

We have had students at the College successfully complete all of the above options over the past few years, and we’ll continue to offer what we can to support all students in their chosen pathway post senior schooling.

On Wednesday night, Mr Gabbett spoke about the ever-changing nature of the world in which we live, and how our students will eventually work in industries and jobs that have not been created yet. It’s not just curriculum and content we strive to teach our students, but also empower them with the skills and qualities they will need to succeed in an ever-changing world when they graduate.

The other important element of Wednesday night was a brief introduction to parents on ATAR, the primary mechanism used for entry to tertiary education. An ATAR is the simplest and most straight forward way to get into the course of their choice, but it is not the only way. It may take a little more time and money at the end of Year 12, or later in life should they choose, to eventually get into the profession of their choosing. There are two primary ways to achieve an ATAR:

Completion of 5 General QCAA subjects
Completion of 4 General subjects plus an Applied subject of Certificate III or higher VET course

Successful completion of an English subject is also mandatory.

Early next term, students in Year 10 and their parents or carers will be invited to a Senior Education and training (SET) Plan meeting. In this meeting, with a member of the College’s Career Team, we’ll discuss future career goals or interests and decipher a plan and pathway for Year 11 and 12 and beyond. Discussion will focus on career paths, interests and hobbies, subject selections and School Based Apprenticeships. Many students will come into this meeting with no idea of their plans for post Year 12, and that’s perfectly fine. This is the purpose of the SET Plan meeting and continue to build upon knowledge gained from the Year 10 Careers Retreat and Subject Selection Showcase. For any queries or questions about anything to do with Senior Schooling, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Chris Bracken
Dean of Studies

Fifteen Year 11 students committed to eating like a refugee during Week 10 of the term. Handed a ration pack of rice, lentils, beans, chickpeas, flour, cooking oil, and sardines the first challenge was making something edible. Many thought that this would be an easy task to undertake and didn't realise the effect of having a limited and unfamiliar diet would have on them.

Hunger pains, fatigue, cravings, and sugar crashes were some of the physical symptoms experienced by students. Psychologically however students were left with a greater sense of empathy for those in refugee camps and a better appreciation for their own comfortable lives of plenty. I am very proud of the effort of our students and the fundraising they have undertaken. To date, we have raised over $2300 for the Act for Peace charity. Over 75% of this money makes its way to support refugees in camps throughout the world (mainly focusing on Jordan at this point).

In the words of the students, 'It's think it's been a real eye opener to a lot of us, because we have come to realize that we are extremely lucky to have access to a wide variety of food.'

It was really a challenge to resist eating when other people weren’t around. Despite my hunger, low energy, and inability to focus, I’m really glad I did it. I don’t think I’ll ever look at food (especially rice) the same again.

I think a lot of us take for granted the fact that we can simply just eat filling, tasty food without really having a second thought about it.

The ration challenge was harder than I thought it was going to be. It was enjoyable making the food, but it didn't taste very good. There were many times when I wanted to eat some different food or have a snack, but I pushed through because I knew that the money we all raised would make a difference to those who need it.

Having participated in this challenge, I now have a greater appreciation for the magnitude and variety of food that I typically have access to. This small fraction of refugees’ their lives that I was able to see was challenging enough and I can’t imagine the daily difficulty and uncertainty, along with hunger, that they must face. Fortunately, knowing that the money that I raised will go directly to helping refugees and providing them with access to vital resources, was a key motivator throughout the challenge.

I never realised how much I would miss flavour.

Well done Year 11s!

Ryan Cavanough
Teacher

Without doubt, the highlight of the Year 1 calendar is Dr Seuss Day! We celebrated our Term 2 English unit in Week 9 with a whole day celebration!

The morning began in the MacKillop Centre with a presentation all about Dr Seuss and we shared some wacky poems with our parents and Year 5 buddies. We took our audience on a fun filled journey, sharing silly rhymes and met some of the crazy characters that Dr Seuss brought to life through his incredible stories.

We shared a yummy morning tea and went back to class to watch The Lorax and complete a Dr Seuss inspired activity booklet.

The afternoon session was organised by our buddies and we had fun with "green eggs and ham" egg and spoon races, Dr Seuss puzzles and fun games to finish the day!

The Year 1's looked fabulous in their costumes, the Year 1 teachers were dashing as One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish and Blue Fish, and the photo booth was a big hit.

A big thank you to the Year 5 students who assisted backstage, on the tech desk and as welcomers to the parents. And the Year 12 Praxis students who created some amazing lifelike characters for our presentation.

Michelle Lever, Annabelle Cowen & Susan Jones
Year 1 Teachers

As a culminating activity to our HaSS, Science and Health units, Year 4 students attended an excursion to Cooby Reflections.

The day was full of interesting activities which were partaken on rotation. Using teamwork, each group was required to balance the whole class on a huge square see-saw.

With only safety instructions to follow, this proved quite challenging as each class tried different methods and leadership qualities became apparent. The maximum time achieved for the seesaw being balanced was 7.5 seconds. Another rotation involved working together to order downturned numbered blocks from 1 to 20, like a large game of memory in cards. Sounds easy. The challenge was communication, particularly the ability to listen as well as allow your own voice to be heard.

Upon reflection, the students learned much about themselves and how to work as part of an effective team. During our breaks, we were able to visit the new residents, Paddington and Valentine the alpacas, and a small flock of rescue goats. Our sustainability and science elements were encompassed with each student planting a tree to form a koala corridor connecting two areas of habitat. We were grateful to Mark and Sam who dug 64 holes in the shady eroded soil for our trees.

Students were required to work in pairs to clean out the hole, add compost, combine that with the soil, reform the hole, remove the tree from its container, plant the tree, fill in the hole, add mulch, push in three stakes and install a plastic windbreak. Quite a process in which all eagerly participated. It was wonderful to see the growth of trees that MMCC students had planted in the previous 2 years.

The knowledge and sense of achievement that we were improving the local environment and adding to koala habitat for the next hundred years was not lost on the students. It was a great way to conclude our term as we all had fun and learned from our experiences during the day.

Julia Thomas, Kara Sheather & Amy Dwyer
Year 4 Teachers

Last week we celebrated International Men’s Health Week here at Mary MacKillop with lots of internal information packets provided, stories and advice shared between staff, and though-provoking questions posed to our students. International Men’s Health Week came to fruition in 2002 when representatives from key men’s health organisations around the world joined forces to launch an initiative to support and promote the physical and emotional wellbeing of men and boys in our communities. It has since run in the middle of June each year. Look up #menshealthweek on Social Media!

This year the theme of International Men’s Health Week is ‘Healthy Habits’. The key message shared under this theme is about the importance of building healthy habits by making small, positive changes for the benefit of increasing overall mental health and wellbeing.

In keeping with this theme, we would like to share with the broader Mary MacKillop Catholic College community the SEEDS acronym, created by Dr John B. Arden, that promotes five healthy lifestyle factors that are evidence-based to improve emotional stability, cognitive function and resilience.

Planting SEEDS for Wellbeing:

S – Social connection and support
E – Education/ Engagement in enjoyable activities
E – Exercise
D – Diet
S – Sleep

Social Connection –

This ‘seed’ encompasses the importance of each person reaching out to others to start conversations about mental health and wellbeing. This supports in the normalisation of help-seeking behaviours and reduces the stigma that remains around mental health to this day.

Education/ Engagement in Enjoyable Activities –

This ‘seed’ focuses on the importance of engaging in ongoing learning through enjoyable activities which are meaningful and add value to our lives. Learning is important for our overall wellbeing because it builds new connections in the brain, promotes joy and satisfaction, and gives us a sense of connection and purpose. Sports, reading and meditation were key themes for the MMCC men when some were interviewed about their favourite activities outside the classroom!

Exercise –

This ‘seed’ focuses on the ways in which regular exercise can have a positive impact to our mental health and wellbeing. Beyond Blue (2022) reports that improved fitness can release natural chemicals in the brain which help sleep patterns, increased energy and feelings of connectedness, and decreased feelings of stress or worry. Activity scheduling is known to support with the successfulness or follow through towards achieving 30 minutes of movement per day.

Diet –

This ‘seed’ focuses on the importance of the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the things we consume. This means that it is not only important to nourish our bodies with good food and drinks of water, but the content we consume as well; whether this be the information we read online or the shows we watch in the evening. All of these different elements of our daily intake can have a big impact on our overall physical and emotional wellbeing.

Sleep –

Our final ‘seed’ relates to our sleep hygiene; that is, the way in which our evening routines positively (or negatively) impact the quality and amount of sleep obtained each night. A good self-check here can be to consciously consider what occurs in the lead up to getting into bed and what steps are in place to support with down-regulation. Down-regulation can promote the feeling of relaxation that is conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Invitation to a Conversation

International Men’s Health Week is also about raising the profile of men and boys; to celebrate their strengths and acknowledge the vital roles they play in our lives, communities, and broader society. We encourage each person to take some time this week to reach out to and connect with the males in your life and let them know just how important they are, the strengths you admire and appreciate, and how they contribute to yours and others lives in a positive and important way.

Resources

To read more about Dr Arden’s work on SEEDS via a great interview conducted with him by the Good Therapy team, click the link below.

Read More Here

Khara Saunders and Leah Moffett
Guidance Counsellors

This week, 57 Mary Mac Arts students took part in masterclasses, collaborative sessions and a combined concert with the 30 other Catholic schools in the Toowoomba Diocese to celebrate the incredible diversity of The Arts.

The Arts celebration week commenced with the Visual Arts display on Monday with our College dominating the Micah Centre with their unique creations. Twenty of these talented students then spent Tuesday at Cobb and Co developing and creating the 50 Year Jubilee of Toowoomba Catholic schools office art work facilitated by Catherine Conaty.

Headed by the talented Miss Chloe Lauverjon, selected Junior and Senior dancers rehearsed on Tuesday and Wednesday for their performances in the main concert. The Senior Dance Troupe performed their contemporary piece as a main individual item at the final concert! This was as well as their appearance in the combined performing of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The Junior troupe combined in the collaborative schools' performance (with 17 other schools!) of the Little Mermaid, a music theatre medley arranged by Mark Brymer.

The College Rock Band spent the morning performing live at the Empire alongside the professional Brisbane based band Flamingo Blonde. They received feedback and encouragement and were recommended to a Victoria based company for further development and help to be discovered in the Youth program for emerging talent. They too will be representing the MMCC Arts in the second act of the Concert program.

The Senior Drama students along with a junior team spent Wednesday morning at St Mary's College challenging other schools in Theatresports.

Straight after this session, our 10 advanced instrumental music students spent the afternoon rehearsing at St Mary's as part of the 80 plus Combined Schools Orchestra featuring songs such as 'Whiplash' and 'Cake by the Ocean'. They too featured at the Belief in the Arts Concert program.

After taking out first place at the Eisteddfod in the music theatre section, Adele Adams and Georgianna Reisinger were requested to perform this work in the Concert program. The girls performed 'Loathing- What is this Feeling' from Wicked and were extremely well received.

A proud week of Arts representation, presentation and performing. Well done to the students and staff for their involvement and showcase of all the things we do here at Mary Mac!

Jess Burke
Middle Leader The Arts & Student Engagement

Expression, imagination, and the extraordinarily dedicated application of human creative skill typically in a visual form is something artists do. The vast experience of being human in all its glory can be expressed through art. Art is personal, connective, a way of sharing our experiences of the world with the world. Art and visual expression remains our first language, our core language.

Words don’t cut it. Words diminish an experience, an event, an emotion, or personal reality. Words lack the power to accurately and truly express the complete dimensions of an experience. Even a certain great writer admits this, he says that “words shrink things that seemed limitless”.

Art is about understanding and contextualising our human experience and unlike the disciplines of the sciences, ‘The Arts’ aren’t limited to the physical world. 'The Arts' let us grasp and explore our spirituality and our humanity. ‘The Arts’ let us express the whole experience of being human from the whimsical to the seriously tragic. ‘The Arts’ provide the means to define what it means to be human.

This week, the acknowledgement of the importance of ‘The Arts’ has been celebrated in many diverse incarnations. Uplifting and empowering celebrations of skill, movement, and creative expression have created an environment for our creatives to thrive. David Walsh, the owner of the “Museum of Old and New Art” in Hobart contextualises the role of the artist when he states;

“Artists work in a narrow band of creativity. Though they may make great things, they make specific things.”

Unique, bespoke creations created in the moment, shared with an audience or shared with a single admirer, this is the role our artists aspire to. Our artists wear their hearts on their sleeves when they share this passion with an audience. They are braver than most.

The opportunity to work exclusively in these narrow fields of excellence this week has been wonderfully facilitated by TCSO. Our artists have been celebrated for their gifts and capabilities, their uniqueness, even their fragility. They have had the opportunity to express, to shine, to play, and most importantly to create. Those of us fortunate to exist within this unique and privileged world genuinely understand the gift of ‘The Arts’ to our personal reality, and this informs our definition of being human. Art makes us better. To work, live, and express ourself in ‘the arts’ is to rid ourselves of the drab, dreary, and wretchedly muted existence that some would argue is reality.

Matt Chivers
Art Teacher

Hello from the Parent Engagement Network!

Thank you to Mr Gabbett, our wonderful teachers, support staff and administration staff within our College community for the great work that has occurred throughout Term 2. Everyone deserves a well-earned break and recharge those depleted batteries.

TERM 2 - Recent Events and Updates

School Officer Day

We wish to acknowledge the hard work being done by all of our School Officers which we celebrated on Wednesday 14th June. The PEN provided our School Officers with a cupcake and a coffee to recognise that Schools would not run without these amazing people and what they do on a daily basis. Thank you Katherine Preston from Kat’s Creations for supplying the cupcakes.

Pie Drive for Term 2

The PEN and the College are excited to announce the funds raised were $998.16 from the recent Pie Drive in Term 2. Thank you to those who were able to support this fundraising event again this year. This is a great way to help local business and to have a nice and warm hearty meal during those winter cold months.

40 for Fortey Relay

Thank you to the College for supporting the PEN and supporting this great event. This was a great morning to come together as a community and show our support and team spirit in raising funds to support a great cause. Teachers, parents and students represented our College with pride and the Forte family with compassion.

We look forward to this event in 2024 and build on the 4 teams that represented the College in 2023. Thank you to all involved.

TERM 3 - Upcoming Events

Strategic Plan 2025-2029 – Working Team

The PEN will be looking for College Community members, students and staff to assist with this new Strategic Plan. This working team will be developed early in Term 3. The College will also be engaging in the SRIP (Student Renewal Improvement Process) later this year to discern our current Strategic Plan. Please watch this space for future updates and assistance needed.

Fitzroy Oval Opening - Sunday 30th July – Volunteers Needed

This day will be a very special day to mark a historic occasion and to witness numerous College and visiting sporting teams contest Rugby, Soccer and Touch football matches on Fitzroy Oval.

The College and PEN will be seeking support from parent Volunteers to assist in the Bar and Drinks area throughout this day. Please support this day. This is a great way to be involved and meet new families. Please be on the lookout for communication from the College for opportunity to assist on this day or make contact via the email address below for further information about joining the PEN group.

The PEN is always looking for new members from P – 12 to be a voice across all areas of the College.

Father’s Day Raffle - Term 3

Watch this space for a PEN supported raffle for our Dads, Grandfathers and carers! This raffle helps raise funds for the purchase of College Resources. Last year’s Father’s Day Raffle was a great success and we raised much needed funds to support the College. Watch early in the Term 3 for more details to follow. This raffle will be drawn at the College Father’s Day Breakfast for our Dads, Grandfathers and Carers.

PEN - Mission and Identity - Update

In the Mission and Identity space we would like to once again introduce the concept of Healing Hands. Healing Hands is a simple but powerful way to tell someone that they are being thought of during a time of stress, grieving, hospitalisation of family members or sickness.

If you would like to contribute, by cooking meals or baking to assist this group, please collect supplied containers suitable for freezing and portion sizing from the Junior or Senior Reception Offices. Please ensure you and any family in your house are well while cooking meals or baking goods. Return these items in the provided containers, labelled with all ingredients and date, prepared to the Junior Administration Block to be frozen for future distribution to families or individuals in need.

As always, if you know someone who needs a hamper, the best contacts are Emma Ehrlich, Paula O'Rourke or the Junior or Senior Reception. These hampers are given in confidentiality always.

College Café – Needed Volunteers – we need you!!

Just a reminder to all of our College families. The College Café needs more volunteers to help out throughout the remainder of the year (Term 3 and 4). If there is an area of the College you would like to assist with, please reach out to us or the College. This can be very rewarding for anyone that can help. Just a few hours a week can make a big difference. Please consider this. You will be required to complete the College’s Safety Induction form prior to starting. If you have any questions, please email us below.

Fundraising – we need your help!

Each year we run some smaller fundraisers to help with sourcing resources for our College. This year we are looking to continue on with the same fundraising events i.e. pie drive, mango drive and ham drive. If you are interested in assisting with any of these events, please reach out to the PEN, many hands make light work. Refer to our email address below for any feedback or areas which you feel may need attention throughout the College.

The College is also looking to run some larger fundraising events this year and we’d really appreciate your help. If this is an area of interest to you, please reach out to the PEN at higpen@twb.catholic.edu.au

Grant Writing to support of College –PEN Resources Team

Does this interest you? We are still in need of assistance in this area. If this is of an interest to you, please make contact via the below email. There are many grants available and we need your help!

If you have a topic or matters for discussions, please send through to the PEN email higpen@twb.catholic.edu.au and we can add it to our next Meeting Agenda.

We always welcome new attendees to join our PEN and Mary Mac Family.

Take care.
Shayne Cleary and Rowena Voll
Co-Chairs PEN

Next Meeting for 2023:

Date: Week 4 Term 3 - August 1st.

Room: Senior Admin – teachers’ lunchroom.

Time: 5.30pm start – 7pm conclude.

Week 10, Term 2 - 2023

In This Newsletter

Whole College Announcements

Principal's Report

Farewell Anne-Marie

From the Office

Notice of Transfer

Mission & Identity

For Our Elders

Congratulations

St Mary MacKillop Catholic Parish

Teaching and Learning

From the Library

Senior School

MMCC Subject Showcase

Ag Inspiration Tour

Act for Peace - Ration Challenge Reflection

Hospitality and Tourism Roadshow

Junior School

Fake News Promoting Literacy

Year 1 Dr Seuss Day

Cooby Excursion

Student Wellbeing

The Five SEEDS of Wellbeing

Extra-Curricular

What a Week in the Arts! TOOWOOMBA 'BELIEF IN THE ARTS' CELEBRATIONS.

Arts Fest 2023

MMCC Athletics - Perseverance and Passion Personified!

Student Awards & Achievements

MJR Awards

MMCC Radio Star!

Community Noticeboard

PEN (Parent Engagement Network)

Winter Vacation Care at Mary MacKillop OSHC!

Fire Ants Found In Kleinton

Accept the Challenge

Hear for You Art Workshop

TRC Future with AI Workshop

Golden Oldies Picture Show

Whole College Announcements

Mission & Identity

Teaching and Learning

Senior School

Junior School

Student Wellbeing

Extra-Curricular

Student Awards & Achievements

Community Noticeboard

Whole College Announcements

Mission & Identity

Teaching and Learning

Senior School

Junior School

Student Wellbeing

Extra-Curricular

Student Awards & Achievements

Community Noticeboard