These appointments are key to delivering my vision for the ongoing success of the College, and I thank these colleagues for their applications.  Middle Leaders are the engine room of College improvement – and these colleagues will play a crucial role in securing better teaching, greater learning, improved accountability and a more secure and warm College environment.  Our next step as a College leadership group (Executive plus Middle Leaders) is a process of formation and development, and then engagement with the whole Mary MacKillop community, starting with all staff, on the type of young person we want this great College to form – and how we create that environment from Prep to year 12.  It really is a very exciting time to be leading Mary MacKillop. 

We were also very fortunate to appoint Dr Jasmine Slack-Smith to the role of College Psychologist, replacing Amanda Rolls.  Dr Slack-Smith comes with a very strong academic and practical record and has experience of working alongside some of the practitioners in neighbouring Catholic schools.   My vision is that she works alongside Mary MacKillop staff to support student wellbeing, careers guidance and engagement with parents.   

May – the Month of Mary 

As a Marist boy, seldom does a day go by without me saying a Rosary.  Thank you very much to these community members who joined me for the Rosary on Wednesday.  Please do not be put off if you have not prayed the Rosary for a while or indeed are completely unfamiliar with it! We have guidance booklets to support you and you will be made very welcome.  We meet in the Foyer of the MacKillop Centre, 8 am.  The next Rosary is Thursday, 9 May. 

Year 7 Transition 

As per the College Calendar, the year 7 Information Evening will be held on Wednesday, 8 May.  We have written to current year 5 as well as year 6 parents about this event.  This will be an opportunity to hear about the processes we are putting in place regarding effective transition, the bridge between the Junior and Senior College, and ways that the new Middle Leadership processes can support this.  One of the greatest advantages of a P-12 College is ease of transition – but that does not mean we should not put as much support in place as possible.   

College Supported Mass 

The next Parish Mass supported by Mary Mack students will be Sunday, 19 May.  Please do make every effort to attend, even if your child does not have a specific task. 

NAPLAN 

The NAPLAN tests will take place this month.  As I communicated to parents of those children sitting them – these are important tests.  However, they do not define the brilliance that is your whole child and the beauty of them as made perfect, in God’s image.  I am Principal of this College and of course I want the children to succeed in the NAPLAN tests.  Please remember though that they are a day of reading, answering questions, writing down answers.  That is... it is business as usual.  As we do every day, please just encourage them to come here and do their very best.   

Year 11-12 Subject Choice 

We are currently planning, aligned to Pentecost, a retreat for year 10 students.  This will involve workshops looking at Vocations, careers and subject choices for year 11.  The vision is that the College is able to offer all subjects that are desired for every student.  This retreat will become a regular fixture of the yearly calendar. 

Election (18 May) 

Any parents or students able to assist with a Bake Sale at the College on Election Day, please contact the P and F. (leanne.andrews@icloud.com) 

Thank you all for your ongoing support  

New Roles have been appointed at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. Principal, Chris Gabbett believes these roles will "offer the strength and capacity to grow whilst providing the expertise and structure to best support our students now". 

Whilst some of these staff are new, others were appointed internally after a formal application and interview process.

Christopher Bracken

Role: Director of English and Literacy

Chris is a  graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, where he complete an MPhil in Literatures of the Americas. Chris arrived in Australia in 2011 bringing experience from the UK and Ireland as well as strong Catholic schools under the auspices of the Brigidine Sisters.  Chris teaches English and Religious Education at Mary MacKillop, with a new focus on developing the English and Literacy components at the College. He is looking forward to engaging with all staff and students at the College over the coming years. 

Claire Clapham

Role: Director of Maths and Numeracy

Miss Claire Clapham is passionate about being involved in an active school community, this is characterised by a willingness to engage new programs that provide opportunities for students that extend the standard curriculum.  Her career has encompassed schools expanding into senior years, schools growing in number and schools with large numbers. She has over twenty years’ experience in Catholic Education and has held leadership positions as Head of Curriculum: Science, Head of Curriculum: Mathematics 10 – 12 and Curriculum Leader of Enhanced Learning.  In addition to this, Miss Clapham has developed and implemented a whole school Gifted and Talented Programme across several schools and gained a Master of Education (Educational Innovations and Futures).   

Wendy Collins

Role: Middle Leader: Head of Learning: P-12 Humanities, Arts, LOTE, Music
Wendy has been teaching for the past 25 years focusing on Media Arts, Film, Television and New Media and English. She has been Head of Year 11 focusing on Academic Care for the past 4 years and is passionate about the well-being of students. Wendy is excited to be in this new role to work with staff and students with such a diverse curriculum. The subjects in Arts, HaSS and LOTe are especially important as they allow students to use their collaborative and creative skills in the classroom. Wendy is also looking forward to helping in the development of these subjects across the entire College.

Ryan Cavanough

Role: Middle Leader: Head of Learning P-12 Science, Sports Science, Tech, Engineering 

Ryan is a Darling Downs native who completed his own schooling at St Thomas More’s Primary and Downlands College.  Prior to coming to Mary MacKillop he worked as a Curriculum Leader at Downlands College and a District Review Panel Chair for the QCAA.  Ryan has a passion for technology and an expertise in a diverse range of subjects including digital technology, economics and business, mathematics, religious education, and history.  He additionally supports the College by coordinating our involvement in the Darling Downs Secondary Schools debating competition.

Steve Coren

Role: Middle Leader: Wellbeing: P-12 Student Support and Inclusion

Previous to teaching in Toowoomba, Steve taught in both the Rockhampton and Brisbane Dioceses. Having lived in the Highfields area for the past thirteen years, Steve's four children have also attended Mary MacKillop Catholic College. Mr Coren has taught across both the junior and senior schools during this time, holding Middle Leader positions in Senior School and Pastoral roles, and is looking forward to his new role to ensure academic success for each student.

Kate Carroll

Role: Middle Leader Wellbeing: P-12 Tracking and Intervention

Kate Carroll is currently in her 18th year of teaching, having taught a range of year levels, including Prep, Year 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9.  Miss Carroll has previously held a Middle Leader, Wellbeing position whilst working n Dalby, focussing on Years 6 to 9.  In her new position as Middle Leader Wellbeing: P-12 Tracking and Intervention, Miss Carroll is looking forward to monitoring and enhancing student wellbeing throughout the College.

On Wednesday, 24 April, Mary Mackillop Catholic College held our annual ANZAC day service, led by Ms Harrison and Year 6 students. It was a somber day of memorial, reflection and prayer to God, who protected our brave soldiers in battle. Items of importance such as a slouch hat, a handmade quilt and a candle were processed and placed at the front of the assembly. This candle was lit as a symbol of our everlasting faith and trust in God. We prayed to protect people effected by war, those still serving and to heal soldiers injured in war and the hearts of families who have lost loved ones. The Australian anthem was proudly sung, and the service was ended with the song “We are Australian”.

The College was honoured to be joined by Vietnam Veteran Mr Smith, Mrs Wendy Collins’ father, who served in the Vietnam War in 1967. We got a chance to talk to Mr. Smith after the assembly and he shared a memory of his time at war. Caitlin’s Grandfather was an engineer in the Vietnam War in 1971. Travelling from place to place in the war, Mr Smith was joined by multiple engineers. The engineers would hop out front of the trucks and check for landmines. It is scary to believe that things such as landmines were and still sometimes are a common experience for many in our community and around the world.

The College was present at both the dawn service and ANZAC march on ANZAC day. We had a brilliant turnout at both from both junior and senior students and they represented Mary Mackillop Catholic College with pride. We, as College Captains were fortunate enough to lead the College in the march holding our College banner and lay a wreath at foot of the flagpole with many other schools, organisations and community members during the ANZAC service. It was stirring to hear servicemen both past and present speak and to see the passing of the ANZAC spirit torch to the next generation. It reminds us that we must remember and commemorate those who protected our country in the past and support those who continue to, leaving their family behind for the unknown in the present and the future. 

Christopher Reeve said that, “a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”. It is clear to see that our ANZAC soldiers were ordinary men and women but were able to do extraordinary things for each other and their country in the face of death. We not only remember them on ANZAC day, but on every day we are able to live with freedom in this beautiful country.

Lest we forget.

Written by Caitlin Lang and Connor McKerrow

College Captains (Year 11)

The P&F AGM was held on 12 March with a great attendance. 

A link to the President’s Report is below and is a great review of the successful year for the P&F in 2018. 

Executive for 2019 

• President - Leanne Andrews 
• Vice President - Bec Lopez 
• Treasurer - Jo Maloney
• Secretary - Jodine O’Connor 
• Fundraising Officer - Vacant
• Grants Officer - Vacant
• Communications Officer - Jodine O’Connor
• Committee Members - Emma Elrich and Naomi Preston 

The structure of the P&F Subcommittees will change this year to reflect the key areas of MMCC and the Diocese. More information to come in Term 2.

If you would like to contribute to your child/children’s education and experience at MMCC and be part of P&F, please email 

HIGPandF@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Best wishes to our College Receptionist, Miss Bethany Campbell as she competes in the Crows Nest Miss Showgirl competition this weekend, after many months of fundraising for her community! 

At Mary MacKillop Catholic College we understand the importance of reading to a child and the direct impact it has on their ability to be independent learners. 

Not only does parent involvement have a specific and profound impact on children’s reading, but also on children’s language and literacy learning in general. It is through interactions with parents and carers that children learn new vocabulary, seek clarification of new understandings, and learn to comprehend their expanding worlds. Talk is the key to reading and writing success. Talking with children (walking to school, at the table, in the car, bedtime) has a significant effect on literacy learning in general.

Parents and carers who read aloud with children in a secure, safe and comfortable context motivate their children to read.

Parents’ perceptions, values, attitudes, and expectations play an important role in influencing their children’s attitudes toward reading, and subsequent literacy development. When children share a book with someone who makes them feel special, the attitude that reading is pleasurable is transferred to other reading encounters.

At the core of reading is a relationship and it is the bond between children and parents that is enhanced through reading together. It only takes ten minutes a day to build this relationship.

The research is conclusive: When parents successfully support their children’s literacy learning from an early age, everyone benefits. When teachers and parents work together to support children’s reading and academic success, learning outcomes for all children improve.

Students who read with their parents are better prepared for school. They begin school with knowledge of book language and familiarity with concepts of print. They understand how books work and have many more exposures to text types and vocabulary.

Knowing someone cares enough to take time out of a busy schedule to give you undivided attention around a book makes a significant difference to how students perceive themselves as learners and readers. When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, children respond positively.

Some tips for home reading

• Establish a home reading routine. Read aloud with your children everyday. Ten minutes for each child around a book of his/her choice. If English is your second language, read in your home language. If you lack confidence in reading aloud, the fact that you are reading with your child is what matters. Talk about the illustrations and contribute where you can. Share your excitement for reading and this will be the model your child will adopt.
• The reader holds the book! There is a lot of power and control in the world of reading. The reader needs to have the power.
• Before you read a book, set your child up for success. Reading is not a test! Reading time is only ten minutes so do some of the following: Keep the introduction short – one minute is enough. Talk about the illustrations and the title. Read the blurb and talk about the author, talk about any unusual words, read a page here and there as your child flicks through the book, discuss the characters. This is a short introduction, not an interrogation. If the book is already a familiar one, then this step is unnecessary.
• If reading time is stressful, move the reading to a new location. Instead of sitting at the kitchen bench, move to the lounge room floor, or go outside and sit under a tree or take the books to the local coffee shop.
• Find a reading time that works for your family. Limit the time and set the timer if reading in the past has always been difficult. It is better to have an enjoyable 10 minutes than a laborious 30 minutes where everyone is left feeling frustrated.
• At the end of the 10 minutes, ask questions that encourage discussion, for example: What was your favourite part? Tell me about the characters. What do you think will happen next? What did you think about that setting? What do like/ dislike about this book? There is no need to interrogate the reader. Make it a conversation as you would in a book club.
• Encourage your child to read independently. A bedside light is one of the best enticements for your child to read before going to sleep. After the 10 minutes of reading with you, the child can elect to continue reading independently.
• The less you interrupt the 10 minutes of reading, the more you are supporting the readers independence, resilience and confidence. Zip your lips, monitor the miscues, and listen as your child reads.
• Avoid judging your child’s reading with words such as: ‘good’, ‘excellent’ or ‘getting better’. Instead say things about the strategies your child uses when reading such as: ‘I like how you read on when you came to that difficult word.’ ‘I like how you changed your voice to be the voice of the character in the story’. ‘I noticed that you reread the bit that did not make sense.’
• If you child is reading independently and has reached the level of chapter books, it is not necessary for you to read aloud together any more. Your job is done. That is not to say, you cannot continue to share reading time because it is what you love to do as a family or that you sit and read silently together or that you talk about the books your child is reading because you are interested in his reading choices. Readers read differently in their heads as compared to reading aloud.
• Visit the local library — make it a family ritual on a set day every week. Let your children select their books while you select books you are interested in reading. Not every book has to be read cover to cover. Your child might select books based on illustrations or factual information about a topic of interest.
• Independent readers pick and choose what they read. They are entitled to read some and reject others. They are entitled to not complete books because they are boring. Readers make choices.
• Model what it means to be an enthusiastic reader. Create a home of readers where everyone reads – It is just what we do in this house! Talk about what you have read. Read aloud what makes you laugh and share it with your child.

Please see your classroom teacher if you would like any further information regarding your child’s reading.

(Source: PETAA)

Isla and Priya from Year 1B have been working hard on their writing. Both students have been approaching their writing with bravery and determination. Congratulations ladies!

School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships

This year we have a number of students completing a School Based Traineeships or Apprenticeship (SBA). Students at Mary MacKillop Catholic College can commence their apprenticeships one day per week while they are completing high school. We currently have students in year 10 and 11 involved in SBA’s. If there are any students who are interested in completing an SBA while completing school please contact the College to discuss your options. 

Jack Files

Jack will be completing a  Cert 111 in Carpentry with 3 little Pigs Builders. He will spend 1 day per week onsite in paid employment, completing the practical component of his apprenticeship and complete his schooling on the remaining 4 days at school. 

Ben Ziviani

Ben will be completing his Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Trade this year at Toowoomba Toyota.

Gabby will be completing a Cert III in Business at Priceline Pharmacy – North Point. 

SET PLANs,  Career Education and Work Experience

During Term 2, all year 10 students will begin a  Career Education and SETPLAN program to assist them in making subject and career choices as they move into year 11 and 12. All year 10 students will be required to complete Work Experience during the last week of term 2. We urge both parents and students to begin discussions on potential work experience options they could undertake during this time. Students are responsible for finding work experience placements. The College will provide the necessary paperwork and insurance to cover the student while they are completing their work experience. There will be more information distributed early in term 2. The earlier you can organise a placement for your child the better as there will be quite a lot of demand for places in Highfields.
 

Mr Andrew Nielsen
Senior School Teacher

andrew.nielsen@twb.catholic.edu.au

Year 11 Art student, Holly Hutchison attended an art workshop at first coat studios on Friday, 26 April and had the privilege of working with Artist Catherine PARKER. Holly interviewed Catherine about her work and art practice for her art research assignment and also spent the day working on her own final artwork with input and advice from Catherine. This was a fantastic and meaningful learning experience which enabled Holly to immerse herself in her art for a full day and benefit from the interaction and advice from a practising artist in a professional context. 

Toowoomba Eisteddfod

Toowoomba Eisteddfod is approaching fast with many students preparing for individual and group performances.

For the Year 2,3 Choir and Year 4,5,6 Choir it is important to keep the Sunday the 19th of May available as these choirs will be performing at the Empire Theatre. Permission notes with further information regarding the event will be sent out to families via Edsmart. Please let me know if you do not receive a form.

Some of the individual performance sections are taking place on days that NAPLAN testing take place. Please either contact myself or the instrumental tutor if you have any questions about options to take exams at the catch up times if this will impact your child.

Important Dates for Term 2

Please save the date for the following events. More information will be announced about the concert evenings in future newsletters and via Edsmart

Ensemble Rehearsals

Please note that all ensembles have commenced rehearsals for Term 2. It is important that students attend all rehearsals and arrive promptly. It is very useful for ensemble directors to be notified if absences are unavoidable and I thank those parents for their assistance in this so far this year.

Wellbeing Framework 

I would like to draw your attention to the College Wellbeing Framework, available on the College webpage. This framework provides us all with guidelines around learning and behaviour at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. Each newsletter, different components of the framework will be highlighted for your reference. Central to developing 21st century learners are shared beliefs amongst members of our College. To support all students, I invite you to read the student, parent and College beliefs and reflect upon how you can support both your own child/ren and the College as a whole. This is also an opportunity to discuss these expectations with your child/ren. 

Students are expected to: 

• actively participate in College programs  
• behave in a respectful, responsible and safe manner that recognises the rights of others 
• take responsibility for their own behaviour and learning  
• display respect for themselves and their belongings, other members of the College community and the College environment  
• behave in a way that respects the rights of others to learn and participate  
• cooperate with all members of the College community  

Parents are expected to: 

• take an active role in their child’s learning  
• cooperate with the College in the pursuit of positive outcomes for their child  
• support the College in maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all its members  
• develop and maintain constructive and appropriate communication and relationships with College staff where their child is concerned
• contribute positively in the development and implementation of support plans concerning their child  

College staff are expected to:  

• provide safe and supportive learning environments  
• provide inclusive and engaging curriculum and teaching and learning practices  
• develop and maintain constructive and appropriate communication and relationships with students and other members of the College community
• promote the skills of responsible self-management  

College leaders are expected to:  

• lead the community in implementing these standards and procedures  
• ensure consistency and fairness in implementing the standards and procedures  
• communicate high expectations for individual achievement and behaviour  
• review and monitor the effectiveness and impact of these standards and procedures  
• provide support to staff in ensuring compliance with the standards and procedures and facilitate professional development to improve skills of staff in managing and developing responsible and appropriate behaviour.  

I look forward to continuing to work with all members of the College community, as we create an environment for each to child to engage their minds, ignite their hearts and serve others. 

Uniform Expectations 

As we move into Term 2 and the weather begins to change I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the College’s expectations around uniform and student presentation. During Term 2 and 3 students are expected to wear the winter uniform. During the colder months students are encouraged to wear layers underneath their uniform to keep warm and the appropriate jumper for the uniform they are wearing. Blazer’s will also be available for students in Yr 7-11 in the near future. These blazers are not compulsory until 2020, however, they can be purchased and worn this year.  

Students are required to wear the appropriate College uniform correctly from the time of departure from home each morning through until arrival home at the end of the day. Outside of College hours, students should either remain in their full uniform or out of it completely. A copy of the code of presentation can be found on the College website. If you have any queries about the uniform or the College’s expectations about presentation please direct these to Sean Albion in the Senior school and Bridget Rillie in the Junior school. 

The College is aware of the items that are unavailable at Hanna’s. We will continue to work with Hanna’s and inform your when items become available. If your child is unable to wear the correct uniform please contact their classroom teacher in junior or their PC teacher in senior. Once all of the items are in stock at Hanna’s it will be expected that all students meet the expectations outlined in the code of presentation.  

Sean Albion 

Assistant Principal Wellbeing- Senior 

Bridget Rillie 

Assistant Principal Wellbeing: Junior 

Inner Downs Cross Country Trials

Congratulations to Jonas Vandersee, Tristan Smith and Hayley Cuthbert who have been selected in the Inner Downs Cross Country team.  These students have been selected to participate in the Darling Downs Cross Country Championships on Tuesday 21 May at the Highfields Sport and Recreation Park, Highfields.  

AFL
Good luck to Henry Sheath who has been selected in the Darling Downs Team to attend the AFL State championships for 13-15 year old boys at Broadbeach from 9 – 12 May 2019.  

Orienteering
Caelan Williams will be representing our school at the Darling Downs Schools Regional Orienteering Trials on Tuesday, 7 May at Cooby Dam.  

Upcoming events in May

Fitness

Fitness sessions commenced yesterday. From Week 3 onwards, we will hold sessions on both Tuesday and Thursday mornings starting at 7:15am. These sessions are open to all students from Years 7-11 and there is no cost.

Rugby

Rugby skills sessions started this week. These sessions are for all students interested in playing Rugby 7s in Term 4, but will also be of benefit to those wishing to trial for other rugby style sports (we are hoping to offer 15’s as well as some touch football gala days later in the year). The focus will be on passing. Students will learn how to pass PROPERLY from both sides and also improve their ability to pass the ball from the ruck. Sessions are open to boys and girls and will be held in Ignatius from 7:30am. Wednesday morning will be for 12 and 13 yrs and Friday morning will be for 14/15 yrs.

Football (Soccer)

We would love to enter a Mary Mac team into the Girls Football Competition that will be happening this term. Girls will need to be available on Monday afternoons and be able to travel into Toowoomba straight after school for games. This opportunity is open to girls in Years 7-11. Please let Mr Griffiths know asap.

Gold Coast Marathon

Last week parents received information regarding the Gold Coast Marathon. Early Bird entries closed on April 30, but entries are still open. So gather your family and friends (all welcome to join the team) and register at:
https://goldcoastmarathon.com.au/enter/
When registering, make sure you tick the box for participating in a Team.  Search for Mary Mackillop Catholic College. 
The team PIN is: Celebrate

Mary Mackillop entered the Bill Turner Cup Football (15 years and under) tournament played at Highfields Sports Precinct earlier this week. A very young team were placed into the ‘Pool of Death’ and were drawn to play Toowoomba Grammar first up. The Mary MacKillop team was made up of predominantly Year 7 boys with a handful of older boys completing the team. There were a number of boys who had not played much football before.

In a great showing, the boys played some great team football to post a competitive 4-0 loss to a team that has won this competition before (the Bill Turner Cup is a Nation-wide competition). A special mention to team Captain Tobey Burling who ran the team in a mature fashion and was a supportive leader.

The bulk of this team will now play the ISSA Cup for 14 years boys over the next few weeks.
 
Thanks to Mr Albion and Holly Hutchison for looking after the team and to the boys for being fine representatives of MMCC.

Our College will be participating in the Woolworths Earn & Learn campaign, so please start collecting your stickers from Woolworths.  For every $10 you spend in a single transaction between Wednesday, 1 May and Tuesday, 25 June 2019, you will collect a single sticker.  

Please stick them on a sticker sheet and pop them into a collection box at one of our student reception desks. 

The more you collect, the more our school can redeem. 

Round 3 of debating saw both teams experience a short-preparation secret topic for the first time.  This involves being given an unknown topic and 1 hour as a team to plan and prepare three speeches.  The topic presented was 'That we should ban all commercial recreational activities from national parks.'  Both teams 9.1 and 9.2 were arguing the negative side of the topic to defend commercial interests in Australian national parks.  

While we were unsuccessful this round it is pleasing to see the personal confidence boost that debating provides our students and the improved critical thinking skills that come with often defending or arguing a point that you don't necessarily agree with.  Round 4 of debating wraps up the round-robin competition on 22nd May (Team 9.1 has a postponement and will be debating in a later week).  Team speakers this round included - Team 9.1 - Cassie Lawson, Josie McQueen, Celine Samin; Team 9.2 - Amity Boston, Lilly Hayes, Bronte Gillett.

Coding Club / Makerspace

Students with an interest in coding, robotics, 3d printing or embedded systems (programmable electronic systems) are encouraged to get involved in this exciting extensions activity.  Sessions will run on Monday afternoons in Penola 14 (Senior School) are are open to all students from Years 5 - 11.  Student interests and involvement will dictate the direction of learning.  For further information please contact Mr Ryan Cavanough - Middle Leader: Teaching and Learning.