Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

It's the little things that matter

In 1982, social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling published an article entitled 'Broken Windows.' The major premise was that little things that go unchecked really do matter and that sooner or later, the little things snowball into much bigger, much more problematic things. The theory put forward in the article was that if one broken window is not fixed, other broken windows are sure to follow.

"Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighborhoods as in rundown ones. Window-breaking does not necessarily occur on a large scale because some areas are inhabited by determined window-breakers whereas others are populated by window-lovers; rather, one un-repaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing."

This concept is one that I have tried to live by as a school leader (15 years and counting). In my first article as the new Deputy Principal I said that I would always be authentic and that I would highlight where we can all be better. Having been here 6 weeks, here is my list of 'broken windows' that collectively we all need to make a concerted effort to fix before they snowball into behaviours that are unbecoming of such a wonderful College.

No hat, no play. It's very easy to overlook a student not wearing their hat as they play touch, eat with their friends, or run away from those 'on' tag. But they need to wear one. As the warm weather increases, being sunsmart is a priority for the wellbeing and safety of everyone at the College so please impress upon your young person that if they do not have a hat at break when they are out and about, they will be sent to a covered area.
Socks, ties and shoes. I know that it is one of my favourite discussion starters with students (stolen from Mr. Gabbett) to say 'Let's chat ties, shoes and socks.' Again, as the weather improves, it is easy to 'excuse' ties not being worn correctly, socks not pulled up correctly or shoes being scuffed and dusty. But we all know that how we present ourselves matters. Being 'uniformed' and what that represents matters. So, the staff will be picking up on these and ask you to support us when we do.
Litter. Everyone is well aware at the College that this is a real bugbear of mine, and I am on a bit of a mission to try and tackle it. Yes, MMCC is in a wind-tunnel. Yes, it is a very large site. Yes, I'm sure most students don't 'mean to' drop the occasional bit of litter or food. However, all these 'excuses' just highlight the power of the broken windows theory - because the litter at the College is now a problem. It's a problem because it is unsightly. It is a problem because it is attracting wildlife to the college who are eating food that is harmful or being hurt by the plastic or metal left strewn about the place. It is a problem because where there is food and litter then other pests and problems will eventually follow. And most of all it's a problem because (just like the theory suggests) if we don't care enough to do something about this - then what's next? What else will be enable because it's a bit hard or inconvenient to challenge?

I am working with the Pastoral Leaders and ELT to look at how we tackle these seemingly small issues so that our standards remain super high in everything we do. So, expect your young person to come home and tell you that they have been 'kicked off the oval' because they don't have a hat. Be ready for the daily uniform checks that will come if your young person is constantly being challenged about how they present themselves. And enjoy hearing tales of how students have to lose their breaktimes to pick up litter with Mr. Coe because of poor behaviour or lack of care towards the environment.

Little things matter. Collectively, we can and must challenge and fix the little things so that the young people here can continue to live life to the full in a safe, clean, respectful and happy environment.

Mr Richard Coe
Deputy Principal

We are privileged to have as a community many selfless and very capable volunteers who support me in leading the College. The Catholic Schools Parents Queensland ‘Couldn’t do it Without You’ award is an annual award given to volunteers who have made a significant positive difference. The words below, written by College parent Emma Ehrlich, outline successfully why Shayne Cleary and Rowena Voll are very much worthy recipients of this award. We are very lucky to have them in our community.

The ‘Couldn’t Do It Without You Award’ is an award recognised by the Toowoomba Catholic Diocese recognising volunteers from each of the 32 diocesan schools.

This year the award will be presented to two members of our Mary MacKillop community.

The first has been part of our community for 10 years. They have held positions on the school board for three of those years, not only overseeing grounds and buildings, but spent these years as chair before transitioning across to the PPF (now PEN) as co-chair of that group and a member of the Resources team from 2021-2023. It is imperative to mention that this person has been instrumental in lending both their expertise and valuable time overseeing many of the builds throughout our college, most notably their involvement in the Fitzroy Oval development, as well as countless other projects within the College.

The second recipient has been a member of our community for six years. They have also held positions in the Teaching and Learning team in the PEN and PPF, but more notably also as the co-chair of both the PEN and PPF where they lead change and created community with class and poise.

It is together though that they became a mainstay of our PPF and PEN groups and it would not be the same if we did not talk of their efforts as a combined duo - as together they were unfailing in their representation of the parent body. As an unstoppable team they have worked tirelessly behind the scenes and within our community. Their combined representation of the parent body at all school and community school related events was admirable. As well as always and without fail being available and dependable to volunteer to help at P&F and PEN events, as well as any school based volunteer led events - no matter the cause- these recipients have been a major mainstay in leading change within the move from the traditional P&F model to the PPF and later the PEN.

Both awardees have given wholeheartedly of their time and skill to be the conduit between the College and parent body. They epitomise Mary MacKillops’ motto of ‘never seeing a need without doing something about it’. They have worked tirelessly and have showed up time and time again to lend a hand no matter the cause. Both are selfless in their giving and have made this college a better place for all their efforts. They are true role models not only within their own families but to each of us here today.

I know I stand here not alone in saying that we are so incredibly proud of their achievements and want to thank them for their dedicated service. The Mary MacKillop community is so much better for the contribution they have given and I know will continue to give to the school.

Today on behalf of the PEN and the MMCC community, our principal, the staff, students and families we would like to present this award to these recipients who quite simply we couldn’t do without - Congratulations Shayne Cleary and Rowena Voll.

Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal

You are invited to attend the Father's Day breakfast and liturgy.

The program is as follows:

7:30am Breakfast at the College Cafe

8:15am Students are to go to class for roll marking before going to their house for liturgy.

8:30am Fathers are invited to attend House liturgy in one of four areas around the College with their child/ren.

9:30am Classrooms to return to normal classes.

Houses	Locations
Penola	Penola
Cunningham	Billabong
McCormack	MacKillop Centre
Tenison	Ignatius

Breakfast:

This year we have a beautiful breakfast box with a burger including an egg, smoked bacon or ham, spinach, cheese with tomato & onion relish, a danish or muffin and seasonal fresh fruit. The GF breakfast box will be available, which will be very similar to the non-gluten-free option.

Specialty coffees will need to be ordered, but a complimentary coffee / tea table will be available as well.

To assist us with catering, please place your order below by 3:00pm on Thursday, 22 August. This is limited to 200 orders. Please click the link below to order breakfast.

Click Here to Order

Raffle:

The PEN are running a Father's Day Raffle with some amazing prizes. If you would like to purchase tickets, please click on the link below.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets

Parking:

Due to many parents visiting the College on the morning, parking is minimal. I suggest families consider parking outside the school grounds and walking into the venue. The most accessible parking would be the Senior carpark or Kratzke Road or outside College grounds. No parking is permitted in the Junior horseshoe as it is a drop-and-go zone in the morning.

The book of Acts follows the church through its first years and records the spread of the gospel. In Acts 1, Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection and provides them with some final instructions before ascending into heaven: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you will be my witnesses...to the end of the earth".

At the time, the disciples–just like us–probably failed to grasp the immensity of this mission. Today, though, Acts 1:8 reminds us–staff, students and parents–that we can be effective witnesses: we can share our faith and share the gospel with others. So, how can our students be effective witnesses to their faith? How can they share the message of the gospel with others in an authentic, modern way?

There are certainly many actions that go unnoticed during our school days which are evidence of students being a genuine witness to their faith. From small actions such as lending a helping hand to another student who is struggling in class or cooking a meal for Healing Hands, to attending the monthly Rosies–Friends on the Street outreach, Catholic witness is alive and well at Mary MacKillop.

Last Thursday, on our College's annual Feast Day, a group of students and staff enacted what probably appeared to be a small example of practical action but was actually a wonderful sacrifice and example of being a witness to their faith. By cutting their hair, and shaving their heads and beards, 12 students and two staff members participated in the Leukemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave". While it is important we acknowledge the $7000 that the team has fundraised, better than the donations is the motivation for looking beyond themselves to act in solidarity.

When Jesus tasked his disciples with the job of spreading his message "to the ends of the earth", he undoubtedly knew the job was bigger than this small group of devoted followers. When St Mary of the Cross MacKillop set out, across the towns and cities of Australia to fulfill the mission of the Sisters of St Joseph by "seek[ing] first the poorest and most neglected of God’s vineyard", Mary understood the importance of seeing dignity in the human person and advocating for the worth of others. Taking action, by "going out and doing" is how we ensure genuine witness to our faith.

As the Year 11 students who organised the event interviewed the World's Greatest Shave team members, some common reasons for shaving their heads or cutting their heads included, "making a sacrifice", "supporting members of our community affected by blood cancer", "raising awareness of Leukemia" and "...so I can spend more time with my Pop". There was certainly an atmosphere of excitement, but also some trepidation amongst those losing their hair as the realisation of what they were sacrificing sunk in.

Commendations to the following MMCC Team members for participating and fundraising this year:

Darby Richardson
Madeline Hintz
Campbell Barnes
Thomas Fagan
Young Sanders
Riley Murphy
Ocean Campbell
Zach Jumper
Archer Turner
Jemima Parrington
John Condon
Isla O’Donoghue
Harley Knapman
Mr Bracken; and
Mr Fowkes

We look forward to next year's World's Greatest Shave and our students courageously showing witness to their faith by shaving and cutting in solidarity.