We are awash with short weeks for the first third of it, so it does feel a bit ‘part-time’. The two public holidays we are acknowledging are so incredibly important though.
Thank you to those community members who came to watch our students march for the ANZAC Day service at Highfields on Sunday. I was so proud to see us so well represented – and the Drumline were fantastic ambassadors for our Arts department. Our on-site ANZAC service last Friday was intensely moving and we were fortunate to have former student Midshipman Caleb Hayes give the address and lead the ceremony. Big thanks also to Mr Abbott who brought a genuine Australia-built World War Two military jeep on site too.
The respect that communities show for ANZAC Day is such a wonderful thing. When my father was in the RAAF in the 1960s he and his colleagues saw the dwindling numbers at dawn services and believed that it was a day that would stop being celebrated within their lifetimes. That it is still such a key part of our national calendar and our personal commitments says a lot for how we view service, sacrifice, community and history. I am really proud that our College celebrates these too.
Our public holiday on Monday is to acknowledge the awarding of the 8-hour working day in the 19th century. One of the first organised protests to this end was in Melbourne in 1856 – and it was successful, with stonemasons and builders being awarded an 8-hour day with no loss of pay. Whilst this day has been a bit ideological (being called at various times International Worker’s Day) I think of it as being a really strong victory for the common good, and for community, and for the rights of ordinary people to enjoy leisure time with their families.
I do ask that you find time to read the various success stories and calls to action in this newsletter. This will be a busy term, and we are planning a lot of events that touch on all students from P-12. Lastly, please keep our NAPLAN students in your thoughts and prayers as we engage with these exams in week 4.
Mr Chris Gabbett College Principal
Term 2 College Fees and Free Uniforms
Term 2 fees were emailed to all families on Thursday, 22 April. The due date for these fees is next Wednesday, 5 May, unless you have prepaid the annual fee, have a payment plan or pay by direct debit.
Statements will continue to be emailed monthly so all families can monitor their account balances as the year progresses.
Please note that any extra items your children may participate in like school sports, instrumental music, ensembles, and sport trials are billed in addition to your school fees and are not included in your direct debits. These need to be paid separately using the remittance details on the invoices emailed.
Please remember our policy with regards to camps and excursions. If your family is not currently on a payment plan, the College reserves the right to not offer these experiences to your children. Please ensure your payments are up to date so all students can attend these events.
If you have any questions regarding your fees, please contact Maria or Kirsty at the office on 4698 7777.
As we get into the colder months, if you are in need of any top up uniform items, please pop into Senior Admin to see what we have in our second hand uniform cupboard. These are free to all families. So please make use of this great service.
2022 Scholarship Extended!
We are excited to announce our 2022 Scholarships will be extended until Monday, 31 May 2021.
Our General Excellence & Sporting Excellence Scholarships are open to both internal and external applicants. In addition to this, we have also launched the Solidarity Scholarship for any new enrolments for 2022.
The Solidarity Scholarship aims to encourage applicants who are currently educated outside of the Catholic tradition, who feel they can make a positive contribution to the social justice, outreach, and formation elements of the College.
As members of our College community, we encourage you to share this information with any friends or family who you feel may benefit from these scholarships.
Last Friday, we commemorated ANZAC Day as a whole college. This service was a reminder to us all of what people have done before us, affects us - soldiers fighting on foreign soil, for our freedom, that we now have as a country. We are also affected by the loss of family members as this brings sadness and a period of adjustment without these people. It changes us!
This same could also be said for the disciples when Jesus died on the cross. He was taken from them and they grieved this loss. They however got another chance to speak to Jesus when he returned after rising from the dead three days later. We don't get that second chance. This changed the disciples. They then spread the message that Jesus was our saviour and we should follow his good news.
"Battles are experiences that change a person. They not only mark the person who fought, but others involved in their lives too. This change is not always for the worse. As in the Easter story, good can come from evil." (Mary Baynes, sosj.org.au, 2021) So, as ANZAC Day has come and gone we still need to remember these significant people for their bravery, their selflessness, their service to country and their ultimate sacrifice of their life and how we can learn from it.
I would like to acknowledge the Year 12 Praxis students for their organisation of the service and their leading this on the day. We are truly fortunate to have these young adults involving themselves into the life of our College. Huge thank you to five cadets who also performed the guard of honour throughout the service - Amity and Tobie Boston, Lilly Hayes, Andrew Lambert and Jaryn Rowlette. These cadets certainly showed respect and honour in how they were able to maintain their position throughout the service. Supporting these students was also Midshipman Caleb Hayes and Samuel Hayes (staff member) - Thank you! You are all just amazing!
Thank you, also, to all families who marched on Sunday either as a representative of the College or with the marching band. Your presence supports the culture of recognition for those gone before but also promotes the building of community through participation. This commemoration will not be lost when we as a community continue to acknowledge this day.
Mother's Day
As our celebrations continue this term we will be celebrating our mothers or mother figures next Friday, 7 May with a breakfast followed by a liturgy. Information has been sent to all families regarding this. We look forward to sharing this significant day with you. We shall always remember our mothers and what they have done for us and their impact will be everlasting.
College Supported Parish Mass
This term, McCormack House will be invited to attend a weekend mass with our Parish. This will be celebrated on Sunday, 23 May, at 8:00am. Further information will be sent to McCormack families shortly asking for confirmation of attendance but also volunteers for jobs. Please keep an eye out for this email.
Paula O'Rourke Assistant Principal Religious Education
Praxis Reflections: "Go and do the Lord's work"
The Gospels are filled with examples of Jesus' concern for the poor, the sick and those living on the margins. Jesus healed the ill, ate with tax collectors and sinners and involved women in his ministry. Additionally, he drew his disciples from the poor, weak and oppressed of his day, which incited scandal amongst the powerful religious leaders. Jesus privileged those who existed on the fringe of society; he was a voice for the voiceless.
We urge our students to aspire to be like this Jesus.
At the end of 2020, our current Year 12 Religion and Ethics students (who are now completing their Living Water - Praxis program) were introduced to this service learning initiative. While I have written of this course before, given some Praxis students have completed–or are close to completing–their 40 hours of service, there is now an opportunity to consider the benefits of service learning for adolescents in a Catholic school. Through service to others, students have the opportunity to learn about God's love and actions in the world and what this means for them personally.
Led by their teacher Jen Langerak, the Praxis class comprises 14 students in total. Two students in particular–Isaac Williams and Mikayla Rieck–have provided some reflections on their service learning experiences below.
After having completed some service learning experiences, what is your understanding of service learning? Why do you think it is important?
Isaac: To me, it’s a method of authentically connecting with my values. Really, it’s a tangible application of what I’ve been copying from whiteboards in religion class for so many years; a real-feeling way to explore and discover my humanity by connecting with people and bringing my gifts to the table. I suppose that outside of the bubble, its difficult to understand the kind of joy and satisfaction that these intimate interactions bring about.
Mikayla: I believe that service learning is when you go out and assist within the community and don’t ask for any recognition. [You] just do it for the common good of the community. I believe it is important to be a part of your community and help out where you can.
What types of activities have you completed or which organisations have you assisted with to earn your hours?
Isaac: I’ve had the pleasure and opportunity to be involved in live music playing during church services at the Highfields HUB. The chance to enjoy myself while becoming inspired by a whole host of incredible musicians was a hard one to pass up. Rosies has also helped by kindly easing me into their community-based programs, assisting the homeless or marginalised in Toowoomba.
Mikayla: I have completed most of my hours through the Murphy's Creek Rural Fire Brigade, but have also helped out with building our College Chapel, making coffees and also helping out on the Years 7s first day of high school.
Which of these experiences was the most challenging for you and why?
Isaac: Another item in my logbook [has been the most challenging]. We had a pretty personal discussion with Year 6 students about what it means to be a Christian and have faith. These types of conversations are always difficult ones in my experience, but they’re often a worthwhile journey of self-discovery and certainly a healthy integrity check-up from time to time.
Mikayla: Assisting in the organisation of Year 3 Retreat was challenging as it was difficult to get up and talk in front of students to lead the activities. But I really enjoyed organising and participating in activities with smaller groups on this day.
What have you learned about ‘coming as a guest and a welcomer’ through your service learning experiences?
Isaac: In a social and emotional sense, it's simply about listening, understanding and comprehending the story of a person or people.
Mikayla: Throughout this Praxis course, I have been in both the welcomer and guest situations. You have to adapt depending on who you are working with. You sometimes need to take a step back and let people invite you into the experience.
How do you believe service learning reflects what it means to be a Mary MacKillop student?
Isaac: I think it’s a perfect example of what Mary herself inspires us to do. At the end of every Mass, we are called to ‘go and do the Lord’s work’ and this is an opportunity to tangibly put that into action. Having been given so much (and being so fortunate as a student here) in the situation which we are in, it seems only necessary to go out and uplift others, because that’s who we are.
Mikayla: Service learning has helped me to be aware of the teachings of Mary MacKillop and the Catholic Church. For example, I feel I act when I see something that needs to be done, which was a message given through Mary MacKillop.
I thank Isaac and Mikayla for their reflections on Praxis. Well done to Mikayla who has completed all 40 of her service hours. I look forward to being able to share more of these service learning insights throughout 2021.
Leisa Radley Director of Formation
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Confirmation will be held on Thursday, 10 June, 2021, at 7:00pm in the MacKillop Centre. Bishop Robert McGuckin and Fr Brian Noonan will be presiding at the ceremony.
Practice for the sacrament will be on Monday, 7 June at 3:15pm in the MacKillop Centre.
If you haven't already done so could families please return enrolment forms with money and photo to the office ASAP.
You will have received communication from Nadine Dolan recently so please check this email for things that are outstanding.
If you have any questions please ask one the team members - Fr Brian, Beth McCormack, Nadine Dolan, Trish Gall or Marita Tuite or email me Paula.Orourke@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Mary of the Southern Cross Parish
Masses will continue to be celebrated in the MacKillop Centre every Sunday at 8:00am.
As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.
NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.
NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a nationwide exam for students in Year 3, 5, 7, and 9.
Students are tested on 4 topics – Reading and Comprehension, Language Conventions, Writing, and Numeracy. Each paper has a set period of time to be completed in.
The online test sequence is as follows:
writing (paper for Year 3 only)
reading
conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
numeracy
Each paper is specialised to test different skills your child should have at this stage in their education and place them within a band according to their performance against the rest of the students in their grade across Australia. There are 6 bands, which grow as a student gets older. For example, a year 3 student is measured on a scale of 1 to 6, as a year 9 student is measured on a scale of band 5-10. This means that a student in year 3 and a student in year 9 who receive a Band 6 have achieved very different results!
The writing section provides students the opportunity to get creative and think outside the box! Each year a new stimulus is crafted, prompting students to write either a persuasive or imaginative text. In this paper, students are tested on general aspects of writing such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. However, some parts of the marking criteria are dependent on the stimulus; a persuasive text should include language devices to influence the reader, while an imaginative text should establish a strong character and setting.
Language conventions is the only paper which assesses two distinct aspects of your child’s ability, their spelling, and their grammar and punctuation. The single paper provides a mix of multiple choice and written responses which prompts students to recognise and fix the faults of the provided stimulus. This section prepares students for interactions in the real world by testing them on their writing etiquette and testing their ability to recognise different meanings which can be derived from sentences.
The Reading paper is comprised of numerous different texts of different types and genres to prompt students to use their analytical skills when deducing the intent of a text. Students may be given short stories, poems, advertisements, news articles, autobiographies, or even interviews to read and answer questions on! As the paper progresses, the texts and questions will become increasingly harder and more complex.
The Numeracy paper is derived from the Australian curriculum and gives students a range of different questions to prove where their strengths lie in maths! From geometry to algebra, probability and problem-solving, this paper is designed to get your child’s brain working!
When is NAPLAN Taking place?
At MMCC, NAPLAN will run over Week 4 and 5.
The tests need to be taken in a specific order. Individual students are not permitted to sit the online tests after the 9th day of the testing window.
It’s Important to Remember
NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.
NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results. (Branching)
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum. Teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and will provide appropriate support and guidance.
It is important to normalise NAPLAN for students. i.e., it is assessment, similar to which they would encounter in the classroom.
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior
What in the world is ATAR and QCE?
Over the last year, you may have heard of acronyms such as ATAR and QCE. In this edition of the newsletter, I would like to explain what these two acronyms mean and how it may apply to your child.
What is ATAR?
ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank and is used nationally for university admissions. ATAR indicates a student’s position relative to other students. ATARS are expressed as a number on a 2000-point scale from 99.95 down to 0.00 in steps of 0.05. The highest ATAR is 99.95, then 99.90, then 99.85, and so on, down to 0.00. Students receive their ATAR score at the end of Year 12.
To be eligible for an ATAR score, a student must in Year 12:
complete five General subjects (Units 3 and 4); or
complete four General subjects (Units 3 and 4) plus one Applied subject (at Units 3 and 4) or a VET course at AQF Certificate III level or higher; and
accumulate results within a five-year period.
Students must also satisfactorily complete (i.e. achieve a minimum grade of C or higher) an English subject (one of English, English as an Additional Language, English and Literature Extension, Literature, or Essential English).
An ATAR pathway is for those students who are interested in pursuing a university degree. For those students not interested in attaining a ATAR score, we have various pathways available to equip your child for attaining work related qualifications
What is QCE?
QCE stands for Queensland Certificate of Education. The QCE is Queensland's senior secondary schooling qualification. It provides evidence of senior schooling achievements.
As students in Year 11 and 12 successfully pass their units of work, points will be allocated. A student needs to attain 20 points to achieve the QCE. They will also need to pass at least a semester of an English subject and a semester of a Mathematics subjects. Essential English and Mathematics are included in this.
Students completing traineeships and certificate courses also gain points towards their QCE.
Our goal at MMCC is that every child can achieve their QCE. For Year 10 students, information on QCE and ATAR will be explained at their Careers Retreat at the end of Term 2.
If you would like further information on ATAR and QCE, please use the two links below:
Kris Naiker Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Senior
What makes us effective?
“The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it.”
~ Dr. Stephen R. Covey
During the holidays I had the luxury of some downtime, so I took advantage of this and delved into Dr. Stephen Covey’s book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. The habits outlined in the book not only resonated with me personally and professionally, but I could also see the benefit of students referring to them as they journey through life. For example, the application of Habit 1 when they don’t get the marks they were hoping for on an assignment, or they don’t make the team they were trialling for.
Covey refers to 7 Habits (or practices), which we can utilise to be more effective in our daily lives. Habit 1 is ‘Be proactive, not reactive’. It is possibly the most important one out of the 7.
Responsible for behaviour, results and growth.
The first and most fundamental habit of an effective person is to be proactive. More than just taking the initiative, being proactive means taking responsibility for your life. Our behaviour is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. “Response-ability” is the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people do not blame circumstances, conditions or conditioning for their behaviour. Their behaviour is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of those conditions, based on feeling. Reactive people are often affected by their physical environment. If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn’t, it affects their attitude and performance. Proactive people carry their own weather with them. They are still influenced by external stimuli, but their response, conscious or unconscious, is a value-based response or choice.
Covey uses the ‘Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence’ to explain how we can narrow down the ‘things’ we worry about and therefore how we react. We each have a wide range of concerns — health, children, problems at work, the national debt and nuclear war. We could separate those from things in which we have no mental or emotional involvement by creating a “Circle of Concern.” Within our Circle of Concern are some things over which we have no control and some we can do something about. We could identify those in the latter group as within our Circle of Influence. Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase. Reactive people focus their efforts on the Circle of Concern, which results in blaming, accusing attitudes and increasing feelings of victimization, causing their Circle of Influence to shrink.
If you are interested in this concept of the 7 habits, click on the below link to learn more:
As with anything you read, you only take away the ‘bits and pieces’ that resonate with you. As you think about the the first habit, I invite you to choose one component that spoke to you and how you may use this with your child as they reflect on feedback, homework effort, learnings at school, team sport disappointments etc.
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior
Integrate STEM Workshops
In Term 2, local company integratedSTEM will be hosting after-school drone workshops for Mary MacKillop students (Years 4-8).
This brand new program will inspire students to learn how drones are used in the real-world hands-on through a number of pilot and programming challenges! The members of integratedSTEM will also teach students the skills to develop their own bespoke machine vision and artificial intelligence algorithms for advanced robotic perception techniques such as object detection.
With a particular focus on Ag-tech innovation, this program will inspire students to consider how technology is transforming the future of Australian farming!
There are limited spaces for this exciting opportunity. Please enrol before 5:00pm on Monday, 3 May. For more information or to register your child please click on the below link.
Term 2 has begun with instant action in English and Literacy.
NAPLAN is taking place for students in Years 7 and 9 this term. Tasks related to reading, writing and language conventions form the basis of these activities. These tasks will be carried out via an online process, providing valuable feedback to students and teachers regarding current skills and areas for prospective future development.
Write That Essay has made an obvious impression on our young writers, already this year. Our overall standard of writing is clearly beginning to progress. Many of our writers still have a great deal of potential to fulfil, but the early signs of skill building are very promising. This term, students will be looking at different types of paragraphs, as well as continuing their progression through sentence-skill expansion. Two of these new paragraph forms are the Multipurpose Introduction, which is highly suitable for comparative compositions and the Lawyer paragraph, which is aimed specifically at persuasive compositions.
Macademics is continuing throughout Term 2. All students are encouraged to attend this excellent opportunity to engage in individual tuition, provided by fellow peers. Macademics takes place during first break on Mondays and Tuesdays, in the Penola 10 classroom. Assessment tasks are a popular point of discussion between students and tutors and valuable feedback often results from these interactions.
Many keen readers have been utilising the services readily available in our senior library. One of these readers is Molly Haig, in Year 10. She recently penned her thoughts about her current novel: “Flowers in the Attic”, by Virginia Andrews.
“Four siblings, strangely persuaded by their mother, must hide in an attic, after their father’s unexpected death. Surrounded by betrayal, murder, and illness, these four children need to question their love for each other and for their mother”.
“I enjoyed this book because of its haunting and powerful events, as well as its vivid imagery, that are quite memorable for the reader”.
Molly’s reflections upon this famous novel are a clear indicator of the enthusiasm, held by Molly and many students at our College, for reading. Personal reflections, from various students, will form a regular part of our newsletter articles, over the course of this year.
A broad variety of skills and opportunities will be enabled for all students, this term. Persuasive speaking tasks, short stories, editorials, multimodal presentations and online literary articles will form important aspects of assessment, across the senior College. There is little doubt that many opportunities will be presented to students during this busy time!
Tim Connolly Middle Leader: English
The ARTS: ANZAC Day Memorial Service
The MMCC Marching Band and Drumline led the Australian veterans of wars and peacekeeping deployments along with the Officers, Warrant Officers, Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen and Airwomen of the Defence Force School at the Highfields ANZAC Day memorial service. It was a moving service with the flyovers and something to be proud to be apart of.
ARTS IN THE PARK
Auditions for performances for 'Arts in the Park' are fast approaching in Week 5! Don't be shy, we what to see what you can do!
Jessica Burke Middle Leader: The Arts and Student Engagement
What is NCCD? Does this apply to my child?
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) takes place every year. The NCCD is a collection that counts:
the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability
the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students
The NCCD uses the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Schools provide this information to education authorities each August and all students are de-identified as part of data collection, however, the school maintains well kept records of students included in the data. Informing parents of their son or daughter’s inclusion in the data is a mandatory part of the NCCD process.
If you have any questions or concerns please make contact with the relevant Learning Support Teacher.
Teachers were provided with professional development on the pupil free day on Paragraphs.
So far, students have been explicitly taught the following sentence types:
Very short sentence
Adverb start sentence
W-start sentence
Whilst maintaining these sentence types, this term the students will be explicitly taught the following sentence types:
Verb at the start sentence
Good Ol’ Red, White and Blue sentence
Prepositional phrase sentence
Adding a verb to the start of the sentence adds interest and movement to the writing. There are 2 forms of verbs that work well in this way: either an -ed form of the verb, or an -ing form of the verb. For example:
Walking toward the door, he quickly exited the room.
Shaken by the episode, she soon recovered.
Questioned over the usefulness of the breakthrough, the scientist demonstrated its worth for all to see
The Good Ol’ Red, White and Blue sentence uses the ‘serial comma’. This sentence type is used when you have three ideas which you wish to convey. To do this requires the use of commas to separate the three terms accurately. The rule is red, white and blue. If all three items have equal merit, use the serial comma.
For example:
The car was stylish, white and expensive.
He wanted to write well, to write clearly, and to write with impact.
The serial comma can also be used to describe terms within a sentence.
For example:
The grass was soft, green, and lush on the hillside.
The year 1815 was a memorable one for the emperor, his army, and his government as their downfall was imminent.
A Preposition is a word that goes at the head of a phrase, typically a noun phrase, which modifies that phrase in some way. Often, prepositions indicate movement or position, e.g., in, against, before, between, within, despite, regardless etc. A prepositional sentence quickly spice up the writing and give it added interest and movement.
For example:
In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.
From the outset, it was clear it was going to be a difficult month.
By this time, Harry knew it was going to turn out well.
Write That Essay is a 3 year roll out. The first year is all about learning and introducing concepts, slowing down, and ensuring student understanding is embedded. The sentence types give the student a ‘tool kit’ to use when writing.
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior
Inspire Maths Update 5
P-3 teachers, along with a champion from 4 -6 attended the Module 2 Inspire Maths professional development on the pupil free day.
Teachers extended their knowledge of how to take student learning from ‘surface to deep to transfer’. Creating a culture of thinking aids the teacher to deepen student understanding. It requires the student to:
Observe closely and describe what is there. Ask questions.
Build an explanation and interpretation.
Reason with evidence. Identify and gather.
Make connections. Examine.
Consider different viewpoints and perspectives. Delve deeper to uncover the complexities.
Capture the heart and form conclusions.
An intentional use of questioning is required to take this learning from surface to transfer. Questioning is important as it:
Clarifies thinking.
Recognises conceptions/misconceptions.
Allows for collaboration and sharing of ideas.
It is reciprocal.
Questioning provides a platform to use mathematical language.
Questioning promotes dialogue.
Informs teaching.
Gives the student a voice, which supports a growth mindset.
This term, teachers will continue to use the strategy of a Number Talk and introduce a new strategy: A Thinking Routine. A thinking routine is a strategy used to take students from surface to transfer thinking. Teachers use questioning to illicit student thinking. Each thinking routine begins with a thinking prompt, i.e., a picture stimulus from the real world, word etc. Teachers use the solo taxonomy model of questions to ask questions to deepen student thinking. Each week, teachers implement the Thinking Routine strategy based on the weeks concept.
In week 3, Ms Rebecca Brownhall will be on site to model this new strategy for all teachers. With anything new, additional time and effort is required to learn and implement it. The passion and dedication in which teachers at MMCC are embracing this tier 1 project is commendable and I thank them for working over and above.
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning Junior
Senior School
Work Experience 2021
The aim of the Mary MacKillop Work experience program was to expose our Year 10 students to employment in a field of their choosing, whilst developing skills, knowledge and explore career options at the same time. From the feedback received from our placement providers they have exceeded both ours and their expectations.
The Your Pathway Team have had an outstanding response from the providers regarding the professional way our students conducted themselves whilst seeking placement and during their work experience.
“has had a great rapport with adults and children and has been a great help”
“took his time and was respectful when working with expensive items of the clients”
“speaks well with patients and was just part of the team”
“Very helpful and polite”
“More mature than most of the students we have had”
“Enthusiastic and great contribution”
“His assistance to day has been a God sent…..so reliable”
“Encourages and supports students with additional needs well”
“self-directed and showed initiative”
As a result, some students have been offered part-time employment, and some of our Year 10 students have also indicated an interest in investigating a School Based Traineeship or Apprenticeship. If this includes your child and you would like to understand more about this program, please contact the college.
I have also included the SBA Program brochure for your information.
We hope this program has prompted some engaging conversations with your child and they have started to consider their post school pathway after Year 12. During Week 10 of this term the Year 10 cohort will participate in the Career Retreat. During these two days students will be given time to discover their personal strengths and explore careers that will take advantage of these traits. Community members will join us sharing their career journeys. At the end of the two days students will participate in our Pathways Showcase where they can talk to training organisations, Universities, the Australian Defence Force careers team and many more.
Jen Stevenson & Christie Richardson Your Pathways Team
Senior Studies
As Term 2 unfolds and winter approaches, Write That Essay will continue to evolve and heat up your child's writing!
During the student free day last week, staff were inducted in Write That Essay paragraph styles. Stuart, from WTE, guided staff through the various paragraph styles, and we even had time to preach what we teach, through implementing some of the paragraphs in our own writing. Staff will take what we learnt from this PD opportunity and implement it into our teaching and learning to empower all students in our classes to achieve their best.
Students will be exposed to the different paragraph styles in their subjects. Our curriculum Middle Leaders have chosen specific paragraphs that complement the type of writing expected of their students, this term. Teachers in this subject area will explicitly teach and model these paragraph styles and expect to see them being utilised in assessment pieces, later in the term.
Of course, we will also continue to consolidate and build upon our learnings from last term. The WTE sentence types will be revisited, and new sentence types will be introduced to students. Consolidation activities will be provided to students on the WTE Online Tool, where students receive valuable feedback on their progress.
See the above image of a short writing activity we used this week in PC, to consolidate our learning from last term. Feel free to ask your son or daughter to show you the online tool and the kind of feedback that is provided to them.
Christopher Bracken Dean of Senior Studies and eLearning
Let Them Eat Cake!
Our 9/10 Hospitality Class has hit the ground running this term smashing out a whopping 40 delicious sponge cakes in Week 1 and then turning them into amazing decorated pieces in just one class. Take a look at what they can do in such a short time. A big shout out to our resident chef Sarah Welch guiding the students into how to make traditional Genoise Sponge and sharing her cake decorating tips. Well done 9 and 10's.
After an unprecedented year where most of us were stuck at home, universities are opening back up again. And one of the things you can now do is tour their campuses in person.
We’ve gathered a list of universities that are currently offering on-campus tours. Take a look and see if there are any you’re interested in.
Remember, if you decide to go on a tour, you will have to adhere to social distancing guidelines, and if you’ve recently been in a hotspot area, you may not be allowed to come.
Find out why UQ is the university of choice for women in engineering in Queensland.
Discover why engineers are society’s problem-solvers by exploring UQ’s 6 engineering specialisations through hands-on workshops and presentations. There will also be tours available of our state-of-the-art engineering precinct and makerspace facilities.
What’s involved:
Experience life as a student at UQ.
Get insider tips from our current Women in Engineering student leaders.
Select 3 workshops to attend during the day. Choose from 10 exciting workshops and tours, including Sun Smart Code, Renewable Energy, Giving Movement Back, Rockets, Clean Water and Floating Homes.
QSFT’s FILM IT! – Introduction to Video Production workshop offers an ideal introduction for those who desire a better understanding of the principles behind shooting video.
Trained by an industry professional, this four-hour workshop is designed for everyone and covers all basic areas in digital video production.
Attend class as if you were at university, and learn about the diverse range of careers in marine biology, coastal and ocean science that await you after you complete a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) at UQ.
What’s involved:
Mini-lecture on oceanography by Associate Professor Helen Bostock Lyman
Information session on pathways to studying marine biology, and coastal and ocean science
Experience what it is like to manage the care of real patients, from start to finish. Health Simulation Day is your chance to consult with clinical doctors, physiotherapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, biomedical and exercise scientists, and other allied health professionals, gaining a deep understanding of the different career options available in the health sciences.
Students will take the fictional role of a ‘Health Care Advisor’, working with patients to consolidate all their primary and allied health practitioner’s assessments, and provide the next steps going forward in the management of these patients.
You will work with the health team and individual patients to determine optimal courses of treatment for the best outcome.
The best way to learn is to immerse yourself in the situation, so come along and see what it’s like to work in a health professional team.
This event is complimentary and registrations are essential.
University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Campus
The Television and Radio Two Day Experience is designed for years 10, 11 and 12 students who have a high interest in the industry and future aspirations to study a Bachelor of Communication and Media (Television and Radio) or a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Film, Television and Radio).
Places are limited to 35 school students (25 Television and 10 Radio), who will have the opportunity to engage with USQ academics, Dr Ashley Jones and Spencer Howson, current students and our industry partners. The event will outline some of the opportunities and the future needs the industry is facing, and give attendees a chance to experience the industry first-hand.
University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Campus
The Film Two Day Experience is designed for years 10, 11 and 12 students who have an interest in the film industry and aspirations to study a Bachelor of Film and Screen Production with USQ.
Places are limited to 25 school students, who will have the opportunity to engage with USQ academic Dr Daryl Sparkes, current students and our industry partners. This two day experience will outline some of the opportunities and future needs the film industry is facing while giving attendees a chance to experience the creative arts first-hand.
University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Campus
The Aviation Two Day Experience is designed for those year 11 and 12 students who have a high interest in the aviation industry and future aspirations to study a Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations) or a Bachelor of Aviation (Aviation Management).
Places are limited to 25 school students, who will have the opportunity to engage with USQ academics Dr Paul Lee and Ms Natasha Heap, current students and industry partners.
The One-Day Cabin Crew Experience course is designed for people who have been dreaming of a career in the skies and are yet to decide if it’s the right path for them. You will have a taster of what it’s really like to be a flight attendant and, by the end of the day, you will understand what you need to do to earn your wings and see your career take off.
Your day will involve a range of typical activities undertaken by cabin crew on the job or while they are in Ground School. You will also practice tasks required in the recruitment journey.
Topics include:
A Day in the Life of Cabin Crew
Cabin Crew Professional Image : learn how to get the flight attendant look!
Recruitment Journey: Applications, video interviews, assessment days, team building .
Emergency procedures: see safety demonstrations, visit the training facilities and experience an evacuation slide.
Knowing what university course you’re going to be studying next year can make it much easier to focus on finishing your Year 12 studies. Even if it’s an unconfirmed offer (or conditional offer), it can help take the pressure off you. But finding and applying for these programs can be confusing.
The attached University Early Entry 2022 Guide from Study Work Grow will help:
Find an early entry pathway at every participating Australian university
Discover what each program offers and any application requirements
Understand what you need to have achieved to apply (or what to aim for in your Year 12 results)
Apply, or prepare to apply early so that you can focus on your studies
University Early Entry Programs take students based on their skills, attributes and experiences, not just your ATAR. This means the university has more control over who is admitted to their programs, and in return you can get a place without needing to rely on (or wait for) your ATAR.
If you have any questions or would like assistance in applying please contact the Your Pathway Team.
Hastings Deering – 2022 Apprentice Intake opens 3 May – For one month only
Apprenticeships On Offer:
Engine Reconditioner
Auto Electrician
Boilermaker
Diesel Fitter
Mechanical Fitter
Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the website to access further information about apprenticeships with Hastings Deering and to assist with their applications.
Please see the Your Pathway Team if you are interested and need assistance with the application process.
Part of the Year 5 Religion learning involves the study of how the followers of Judaism live their relationship with God through their personal and communal worship. Year 5 students were able to participate in a Zoom call to a former colleague of Miss Wittman, Mr Paulo Cohen-Myres. Mr Paulo is a teacher at Dwight School in Seoul and a member of the Jewish faith.
He was able to explain to us more about the Sabbath, the Torah and practices within the Synagogue. Mr Paulo also showed us many objects used in ritual and prayer including a copy of the Torah given to him at his Bar Mitzvah. We had the opportunity to ask all sorts of questions and would like to thank Miss Wittman and Mr Paulo for providing such an interesting and informative session.
Student Wellbeing
Attendance Matters!
Attendance at school is essential for students to achieve their best both in and out of the classroom. When a student misses time at school it has an effect on their education, interactions with others and their sense of belonging at school. It is also very difficult and almost impossible for them to catch up on missing work.
Did you know?
* 1 day off school each fortnight equals one year of learning over 12 years
* 15 minutes late to school each day equals 8 absent days in a school year
If you would like to speak to someone in regards to supporting your family in regular school attendance, please contact either Mr Albion (Senior school) or Mrs Rillie (Junior school).
TERM 1 JOEY BADGE RECIPIENTS
Congratulations to the follow students who reached 20 Joey Points in Term 1. These students will receive their Bronze Joey badge at assembly this week. The Joey Points are awarded in connection to the Positive Learning Behaviour each week.
Sienna Bond
Ruby Stevens
Alicia Bonham
Declan Stokes
Jordi Evans
Matthew Wilson
Moses Hanssen
Summer Jones
Emily Lipp
Michael Otto
Isla Radley
Arna Randall
Dom Siokos
Katie Smith
Isabelle Voll
Annabel Bond
Trinity Burrow
Leah Franklin
Lucy Jones
Austin Melrose
Sophie Reeves
Sienna Schmaling
Charlie Usher
Lachlan Wicks
Willow Barnes
Isabelle Dhillon
Theresa Ehrlich
Austin Griffiths
Zara Johnson
Fletcher Keefe
Hilary Kelly
Helena Kennedy
Liliana McCotter
Matilda Pigozzo
Ethan Randall
Senior School Uniform Reminders and Family Zone Update
Welcome back to Term 2!
The term has started well and it is great to see students engaging positively in classes and the many additional activities that we have already seen occur in the first two weeks.
I would like to remind all families that during Term 2 and 3 students in the senior school should be wearing a blazer to and from school while in their academic uniform. Student's should wear the blazer to PC each morning and are able to remove this during the day if they feel it is too hot and store it in their locker. In addition to the blazer, male students are required to wear a tie during Term 2 and 3. If you have any questions regarding this please contact me.
Another important area I would like to remind and encourage families to engage with is the family zone Insights portal available for our Year 4-12 students. By now all families should have received an email from family zone insights inviting you to sign up. Thank you to the families that have actioned this request and signed up to this service or made the College aware that they have not received this email. Currently there are still a number of families who have not completed this registration.
It is your choice if you register or not, however, if you choose not to register there are some implications I need to make you aware of:
Once registered and the family zone parental controls are installed:
you will receive insights into your child's use of technology, you can add personal mobile devices to the platform and receive insights into their use at home also (iPads, iPhones etc)
you are able to set your child's profile to a rest day if you would like them to access the Internet during that day. This is a very quick process for each individual profile
If not registered and the family zone parental controls app is not installed:
your child will not be able to access the Internet while off the school network during school hours 8:30-3:00pm
This means that if your child is at home sick or any other reason, family zone will think that they are trying to access a personal hot-spot during school time and therefore block their Internet use
If you have not registered and your child needs access to the Internet while at home on a school day, this creates a time consuming process for our IT staff to rectify for each individual request
Regularly I have conversations with families about how to manage the use of technology. This tool is one method the College has invested in to support students and families. I encourage you to register for this service and install the parental controls app to support your child's digital awareness and development.
If you have any questions about family zone or need the email re-sent please contact me.
Sean Albion Assistant Principal Wellbeing: Senior
Extra-Curricular
Sporting in Term 2 starts with a bang!
It is a beautiful time of year in Toowoomba and we have many different sporting activities kicking off as we head into the cooler months. The following is a sample of what you can expect to hear about this term:
Bill Turner Cup Soccer (Senior College)
ISSA Cup Soccer (Senior College)
TFL Girls Soccer (Senior College)
H-Series Netball (Whole College)
Inner Downs Cross Country (Junior College)
Vicki Wilson Shield (Senior College)
Sporting Schools Sessions (Junior College)
Our recently held Cross Country Carnival was a wonderful P-12 event. We were blessed to be able to invite parents to sport for the first time in quite some time and the coffee and cake served up by MMCC staff member Mrs. Vanderplas was very much appreciated! Results will be announced in Week 5 at a P-12 Assembly. There are only a few points separating the top Houses! The day catered for the serious athlete and the House participant alike and most importantly, allowed us to celebrate our unique P-12 community. Images of Year 12 students running with P-2 students are certainly precious and I'd like to commend the Senior College students and Year 5 and 6 buddies who ably assisted their young peers.
One of our previous feature athletes in our fortnightly Athlete Spotlight was Year 10 student Brendan Williams. Brendan travelled to Sydney for the Australian Track & Field Championships during the recent school holidays. Running fast is hard work. Running fast for 400m can be torture! Brendan is a brilliant 400m runner and he proved this by qualifying for the Under 17 400m National final. To be one of the top 8 athletes in the country for your chosen event is a magnificent achievement and one that Brendan and his coach Mr. Logan can be proud of. Brendan ran almost 1 second quicker in his heat than he has ever run before and we look forward to following his progress as he further develops.
This week, we shine the spotlight on Year 8 student Will Marshall. Will competed in the Toowoomba & Lockyer Valley Kart Club’s Easter Cup on the weekend. He won all 3 heats and the final. Next weekend he is competing in round 3 of the Australian Karting Championship in Bolivar South Australia. The first two rounds were held in Ipswich and Melbourne. He raced the best drivers in Australia and finished top 20, a massive achievement. Will is establishing himself as one of the top drivers in the State in his class KA3 Senior. He is the youngest driver in his class competing against 16-35 year olds.
We look forward to following Will as he progresses in this fast and exciting sport. Great job Will!
The Premier's Reading Challenge is an annual statewide initiative for Queensland state and non-state schools and home-educated students from Prep to Year 9, as well as children (aged up to 5 years) enrolled in an early childhood centre.
The Premier's Reading Challenge aims to improve literacy and encourage children to read for pleasure and learning.
Last year's challenge saw 905 schools (including Mary MacKillop Catholic College) and 318 centres participate, with a combination of more than 161,000 Queensland children and students reading 2.23 million books. A fantastic effort!
We would like to encourage as many students as possible to participate in the 2021 Challenge. It is as easy as read and record. Read a number of books appropriate for your age and then record the title and author on a form. The Premier's Reading Challenge begins on the 10 May and concludes on 27 August.
Further details will be provided via College email and in future newsletters.
Angela Irvine Teacher Librarian
Instrumental Music lessons and Ensembles
Instrumental Music lessons have all been timetabled and distributed to students and families. If you have any questions, please email jessica.burke@twb.catholic.edu.au
ENSEMBLES TIMETABLE
Drumline- Monday 7.30am
Guitar ensemble- Tuesday 7.45am
Concert Band- Wednesday first break
Choir- Wednesday second break
Marching Band- Friday 7.30am
Colour guard flags- Friday first break
Student Awards & Achievements
Prime Ministers Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Makayla Petrie (Year 6) who made it to the Queensland Championships for the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee and participated in this on Thursday. Well done for making it this far!
Thank you Mrs Wittman for organising this wonderful opportunity for the Year 6 class.
Community Noticeboard
Parent Partnership Forum
The Mary MacKillop Catholic College Parent Partnership Forum met for the second time last Tuesday night.
It was another productive meeting, with the new constitution confirmed, together with the Co-chairs. The new Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Team was formed, and added to existing teams of:
Wellbeing
Relationships
Teaching, Learning and Curriculum and
Resources
These teams then met to discuss the results of Qualitative Whole College Survey and draft an agenda for these sub committee meetings to take place in the future.
We then heard from Joan Conway who was appointed as a representative for Parish engagement from the Parish.
Finally we received feedback from the Catholic School Parents Queensland AGM that was attended by a number of the PPF members.
The next meeting will be held on 18 May, 2021 with Bernadette Kay to attend from Catholic School Parents Queensland. This session will be open to all families at Mary MacKillop with further details to be sent out from the PPF. Please keep an eye out for this invitation.
Kirsty Gillett Business Manager
Introducing our new OSHC Providers
Welcome to the new OSHC service at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. We are Toowoomba Catholic Kindergartens and Care (TCKC) within the Diocese of Toowoomba. Our team consists of Elissa Chapman as Coordinator, Garth Rochford and Emily Lane as Educators. All three of us are currently studying Bachelor of Education and have a wide range of experience working with children of all ages. We are excited to meet all the new faces who will be joining us in our before and after school care and vacation care.
