It is World Teacher's Day. This day began in 1994 aimed at focussing on "appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world".
I have been involved in education as a teacher, a middle leader, a government adviser, a Deputy Principal, and a Principal across three countries and two continents. In that time I have not encountered a teaching group that has as much impact and makes such a difference as the colleagues I have the honour of leading at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. I know that so many parents agree that the teachers at our College are exceptional. They consistently model professionalism, expertise, reflection, and warmth, and I am constantly humbled by their dedication.
The tagline of World Teacher's Day this year is 'Hats off to teachers'. Please do take the time to thank the teachers who have made a difference to your child.
Mr Chris Gabbett College Principal
Mary Mac Cafe Special
The Mary Mac Cafe is having a hot dog special next Wednesday, 1 November.
Hot dogs will be delivered to Prep - Year 2 classrooms, all other students will pick up their orders at either the First or Second Break.
Orders will be available until 9:00 a.m. Monday, 30 October.
The Cafe
Mission & Identity
Nurturing Faith in Action: 2023 Praxis Class at MMCC
At Mary MacKillop Catholic College, our Praxis class stands as a practical example of faith in action. Throughout the year, these dedicated students have showcased a passion for service, a commitment to partnership, and an indomitable spirit of perseverance.
In the spirit of practical action, some of their actions have included designing and crafting beautiful drink coasters for our Father's Day liturgy, which demonstrated their dedication to both faith and craftsmanship. Their involvement in preparing and facilitating the Mother's Day liturgy which emphasized the importance of community and prayer in their service work was another example of their commitment to the greater college community.
The Praxis class helped in extending their warm welcome to new Mary MacKillop students by working alongside them as they embark on their educational journey, especially our new Prep students. This partnership exemplifies the heart of our college's mission: fostering a community where faith and support are paramount.
In addition, their role as mentors for Year 6 students during the recent "Moving On Up Day" signifies the possibilities that can emerge from combining faith with action. These students are leaving Mary MacKillop Catholic College with a well-rounded perspective on faith and community, knowing that they have the power to make a difference.
We wish them all the best for their upcoming exams and offer blessings as they embark on the exciting next chapter in their journey.
Ashley Jones Praxis Teacher
Sacrament of Reconciliation
The act of forgiveness can be difficult for people both young and old. You need to learn to forgive others but also accept forgiveness from others. Being able to recognise that you have done wrong is the first step in this process.
Presently, we have some students preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament will be held on Thursday, 9 Novmeber in the MacKillop Centre. Please pray for these children and their families as they continue their faith journey in the Catholic tradition.
I am including a photo of some families who attended a second commitment mass as part of the process of preparing for this sacrament.
Paula O'Rourke APRE & Sacramental Team member.
Hearts on fire, feet on the move!
I wonder what sets your heart on fire AND gets your feet moving for others?
This year's theme for Mission Month is 'Hearts on fire, feet on the move' and so throughout the month, there have been various activities within our College that have exemplified this.
The student's passion for helping others (hearts on fire) has been exemplified by Year 11 SOR students traveling, their feet on the move, to Tony's Op Shop on a Monday morning to sort through donations, placing items on racks, and unload bags of items. This experience has enabled our students to engage in setting hearts on fire for others by enabling them to access clothing and items during this time of struggle.
Focus on feet has occurred through Crazy Sock Day with sausage sizzle and soccer games/activities to raise money for missions. Students were encouraged to wear brightly coloured socks, odd socks, or even meaningful socks as a show of solidarity for those in other countries who have to walk many kilometers to access water, food, health, and education.
Some Year 5 students represented our College at the Mission Month liturgy at St Thomas More's Parish church. These students were part of the liturgy involving themselves in reading, placing our College candle in the sacred space, and accepting a small gift from the organisers - a mission candle and mission rosary beads. I also know that other activities have been occurring around the College as well.
So again, what sets your heart on fire and gets your feet moving for others? I encourage you to look for those who need our support in these very troubling times.
We know that Mary MacKillop had her heart set on fire to support poor children in getting an education but also women who needed support as well. It was through her moving feet that she was able to achieve her goal of improving the education or of poor, rural children through Catholic Education but also providing accommodation for those who needed it. We are ever grateful for her inspiration and determination to improve the education of children.
As you go about your day, may you find ways to have your heart set on fire and your feet moving to support others who need it!
Paula O'Rourke Assistant Principal Religious Education
Term 4 Mission and Service
Term 4 flies by quickly, but it is packed with opportunities for students to serve and advocate for others. Last Friday, the whole College celebrated Mission Month by donning our bright or crazy socks for Socktober. As always, Socktober raises much-needed funds for communities in Timor-Leste. In 2023, our AMMA group purchased stationery, nappies, and feminine hygiene products for teenage girls and women in Timor-Leste who are trying to achieve an education while also grappling with the challenges of being young mothers. We hope that our efforts of raising money for Socktober this year contribute to the continued welfare of these women and children.
It was fantastic to see so many students across the College involved in soccer games and shoot-out activities last Friday. On what was the final day of classes for our graduating students, the Senior College ended the day with a staff versus Year 12s soccer match (well done to the staff who won 2-1!) and House games. Thank you to all staff and students who were involved–there was certainly a positive vibe throughout the day. A huge thank you to Christian and his team at Highfields Gourmet Meats who donated hundreds of delicious sausages for AMMA's annual Socktober BBQ!
Highfields Gourmet Meats - Owner and manager, Christian.Term 4 also features the Vinnies Christmas Gift Appeal, which is facilitated by the AMMA group and Year 5 Mini Vinnies. We invite our families to contribute a gift card or a present for those in our communities who may struggle to put a gift under the tree this year. You will find a list of suggested items, according to age below.
From Monday, Week 5 to Friday, Week 8, students in the Junior College are asked to bring their gifts or gift cards to their classroom where they will be kept in the class's donation basket. Similarly, students in the Senior College can bring donations to their Pastoral Care rooms. Families are reminded that one donation per family is plenty; however, students are welcome to donate more than one item if desired. All donations will be collected by Vinnies in Week 9.
Thank you to Year 11 student volunteers who continue to visit Tony's Community Op Shop each Monday morning to organise shelves and sort donations, and to students who regularly attend Rosie's outreach. Our Year 10 cohort will have an opportunity to engage in Rosies training later this term – this is a chance to 'come as a guest' and show witness to their faith so I encourage all Year 10s to consider joining the Rosies program to support their Year 11 peers and the dedicated staff who attend once a month.
Additionally, well done to the Year 11s who have expressed interest in attending the "Reclaim the Night" Event and Walk in support of those affected by domestic and sexual violence in the Toowoomba region. These events provide an opportunity for our students to advocate for the vulnerable and stand–or in this case walk–in solidarity to support victims of domestic violence.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the following Year 12 students who are the founding members of our Actioning Mary MacKillop Advocacy (AMMA) group: Elise Scrivens, Charlotte Voll, Charlotte Dobson, Sophie Winter, Lilly Hayes, Hannah Rosenthal, and Ava Knihinicki. These students had a vision for service and social justice when they were in Year 8 and have led this group with maturity and passion since then. It has been a privilege working with these young women who truly understand and embody the virtues of St. Mary MacKillop. They are leaving behind a powerful legacy of service for the younger members of AMMA. We are looking forward to recruiting more students who are social justice-minded and full of great ideas. New members are always welcome–see Mrs Radley if you're interested!
Leisa Radley Director of Formation (Year 7 to 12)
Rosies Celebration Dinner
Recently, MMCC Rosies volunteers were invited to attend a dinner celebrating 10 years of Rosies Outreach in Toowoomba, and 35 years of Rosies in Queensland.
Students and staff that attended were treated to a sit-down dinner, a presentation on the evolution of Rosies, and speeches from the Rosies CEO and other key personnel. The dinner was also an opportunity to say thank you to supporting schools and to acknowledge those year 12 students who have consistently and compassionately attended Rosies over the last couple of years.
Two of Mary MacKillop's year 12 students, Lilly Hayes, and Elise Scrivens, received certificates from Garth Hamilton MP, rewarding their ongoing service and contribution to Rosies' efforts, without which Rosies would not be able to do what they do - surprisingly, 98% of the work Rosies does in our area is directly supported by our schools and other local organisations!
We here at MMCC also acknowledge the outstanding work of these two young ladies, and wish them the very best in whatever comes next!
Rebecca Manners and Kate Vanderplas Teachers
Junior School
Moving On Up Day
On Wednesday, 18 November, the College celebrated the annual Moving On Up Day. The purpose of Moving On Up Day is to provide the Year 7 students of 2024 an opportunity to experience a day in Senior School, whilst building relationships amongst peers.
The day began with welcoming approximately 40 Year 6 students from schools across the region. The new students had the opportunity to experience Design Technology with Mr Varley and Food Technology with Mrs Vanderplas. Many of the new students were in awe of the facilities at the College and commented that they can't wait to have these lessons next year.
At lunchtime, our current Year 6 students joined the new students for a sausage sizzle and lunchtime activities. The middle session of the day was spent learning about Senior School, participating in Sports and Cultural activities and learning more about themselves through a character strengths activity. Students were encouraged to begin building relationships that would be continued in Year 7.
The last session of the day was led by the 2024 College Leaders and members of the Year 11 and 12 Praxis class. Senior School students provided time for the Year 6 students to ask questions that they had about Senior School. The leadership displayed by the Senior School students was exceptional.
A huge thank you to all who were involved in Moving On Up Day. It was wonderful to see and hear so many happy and excited students.
We all look forward to welcoming all students into Year 7 in 2024.
Kate Carroll Acting Assistant Principal Wellbeing - Junior School
MMCC Youth Represent in Parliament
Last week, some lucky Year 6 students took part in the Toowoomba Youth Parliament at Picnic Point. This event was facilitated by the Queensland Parliamentary Education Office team. It was an opportunity for them to play the roles of ministers of parliament in the Legislative Assembly. Students from other schools in the region were also in attendance. Trevor Watts, who is the current member for Toowoomba North, was joined by Jim McDonald (Member for Lockyer), Pat Weir (Member for Condamine), and Hon. Curtis Pitt (Speaker of the House) to make the experience more authentic.
In preparation for Youth Parliament, the Year 6 students prepared a 1-minute speech about an issue, event, or positive story that's impacted their local area or Queensland. Some of the topics included affordable housing, rising cost of living, fire ants, electric vehicles, biased referring, youth crime, and endangered animals. Preparing the speech required support from families and Mrs Preston as well as conducting research to ensure accuracy. Colbie Moffett-Dunn and Isabella Stanton both expressed how exciting it was to speak in front of actual politicians.
During the morning tea break, the students got to say 'hello' to Trevor Watts again after he visited us last term, and Jim McDonald (who we found out was related to our current Toowoomba Mayor). There were also a number of activities the students could participate in to learn more about our Queensland government. Overall, the students had an amazing day role playing members of parliament although they had more manners than a normal meeting day at Parliament House. Zac O'Connor summed up the Youth Parliament experience well when he said 'it was all about developing the next generation of contributing citizens and the importance that we can all have a say.'
Lisa-Marie Preston Year 6 Teacher
Student Wellbeing
Wellbeing Week
This week, the College has celebrated Wellbeing Week. The theme for the week was AWARENESS, BELONGING, CONNECTION. Our College Pastoral Plan is guided by the PERMA model where we are supporting students to:
• Build positive emotion.
• Engage in activities.
• develop and maintain healthy Relationships with others.
• develop a sense of Meaning.
• and feel a sense of Accomplishment.
Students and families have been encouraged to engage in a range of activities focusing on wellbeing, including participating in a Digital Detox.
Staff from the College provided students from Prep – 12 an opportunity to participate in lunchtime activities including: juggling, Just Dance, mindful colouring, desk tapping, guided meditation and Finska. Staff from TCS supported Wellbeing week, in providing activities focused on mandalas, labyrinths and a sensory experience station. Thank you to all staff who supported Wellbeing week, giving up lunchtimes to continue building relationships, creating positive emotion and providing opportunities for students to develop meaning and accomplishment.
Today, we welcomed Grandparents to the College. Junior School students excitedly shared some classroom experiences with the grandparents. Thank you to all grandparents who spent time building positive emotion and engaging in activities through their time at the College. It was wonderful to see our students so proud to have their grandparents today.
This morning, staff joined together for the annual Trivia competition run by Chris Gabbett. As always, there were some challenging questions, but ultimately it was a chance for all staff to engage in a fun and relaxed activity, promoting relationship building. Thank you to the PEN who provided staff with a coffee in recognition of World Teachers Day. Your support and acknowledgement of all staff at Mary MacKillop is greatly appreciated.
Kate Carroll Acting Assistant Principal Wellbeing Junior School
The College was a founding member of the Queensland Combined Independent Schools Sports Association, however, our membership was short-lived due to the early stages of developing the Senior campus.
The QCIS board recently reached out to the College, asking whether we would like to re-enter the association, which we have accepted.
The QCIS sporting calendar is one that suits our vision for sport at the College and will present opportunities for students from the ages of 10 and up. Each term, there will be one team sports gala day, plus a traditional individual sports carnival. For example, in Term 1 we will participate in a Swimming Carnival and a Futsal Gala Day. Other sports on offer include Netball, Rugby 7s, Track & Field, and Cross Country.
Mary MacKillop will become the 6th member of the association, joining Downlands, TAS, Concordia, Scots (Warwick) and OLSCC (Dalby). This membership will give us a chance to further develop relationships with local schools and provide students with greater opportunities to represent the College.
Brad Griffiths Middle Leader - Sport
SWQ Primary All Schools Touch Football Competition
Last Sunday, 15 October, 25 students from Years 4-6 represented our College at the annual SWQ Primary All Schools Touch Football Competition in sunny Dalby. Two teams were entered into the mixed competition – Mary Mac A and Mary Mac B – and played 6 games throughout the carnival. The temperatures were in the low 30s for the day, making it both challenging physically and mentally. All students played exceptionally well and represented the College with pride.
The Mary Mac A team won all their round games and narrowly missed out in the grand final, going down to a tough Our Lady of Lourdes team, 4-2. The Mary Mac B team played well throughout the day, scoring some tries but not having any wins. Congratulations to all the students who played.
In three weekends time, our two teams will be representing our College at the upcoming Qld Primary All Schools Touch Competition in Redlands, Brisbane.
A big shout out to Michelle Lever (Mary Mac B team coach), Amy Dwyer (Mary Mac B team manager), Carmen Campbell (Mary Mac B team manager), Lisa-Marie Preston (Mary Mac A team manager), and Craig Hubbard (Mary Mac A team coach) for all your support throughout the carnival.
Over the year the children at OSHC have created various things such as hamabeads, loombands, recycled craft, paintings, origami, and heaps more! Some of these awesome creations have been added to their own individual scrapbooks.
Parents are encouraged to collect their child's scrapbook before the end of Term 4. Please ask one of our friendly educators to acquire your child's scrapbook.
OSHC Relocation
OSHC will be relocating permanently to the MacKillop Centre for the start of the Christmas Holidays, ready for 2024. Parents will need to park in the gravel carpark and walk down to the hall to drop off and collect their children. If you have any questions about this change, please don't hesitate to email us at HIGcare@tckc.qld.edu.au
Enrolments for 2024
Parents wishing to have their children attend in 2024 on the 8th of January will need to have completed their child's enrolments by the 20th of December. Please follow the link below to begin the enrolment process:
