The College held its Senior Subject Showcase last Wednesday in the MacKillop Centre.
For the first time, we invited students from grade 4 and above to hear the messages and get an idea of what awaits them in senior education. Mr Naiker gave a useful and potentially frightening overview of how our children change from the age of 9 to their teenage years. The changes in the brain, the emergence of hormones and the pushing of boundaries are just small parts of the rich tapestry of the journey to senior schooling. As a P-12 College, we seek to work in partnership with parents to make this journey as smooth as possible. I hope those families who attended found it useful.
Mr Naiker also spoke of our curriculum growth since 2019. Two years ago, our overall elective (that is, optional) subjects totalled 8. Last Wednesday, we advertised 21 subjects to our senior students. This is tremendous growth and enables us to confidently celebrate a full and rounded curriculum offer.
I am very excited to see the number of community members down to attend our Arts in the Park event next Friday. Thank you so much for your support of our students. This will no doubt be a fantastic evening. Thank you so much Mrs Burke and her committee who have enabled this.
I want to congratulate our Confirmation candidates who received this Sacrament last night at the College. It was a real honour to be with you and your families for this lovely event.
I hope you all have a safe and warm weekend.
Chris Gabbett College Principal
PPF Report
Hello Mary MacKillop parents, students and community! It’s the end of week 8, only 2 weeks to go until Semester 1 of 2021 is finished!
The PPF wishes to just check in to see how our parent and student community are doing. It has certainly been a very busy term. If you wish to discuss anything with us, we ask you to please make contact. We are here for your support and engagement to build our College community.
Here’s a quick snapshot of recent and upcoming events:- We are really looking forward to ‘Arts in the Park’ where the College students and teachers can showcase and celebrate their successes in the Music, Art and Drama areas of the College. This will be a great evening, but be sure to rug up!
Thank you to the College for the Senior Subject Showcase held last Wednesday night. It was a fantastic event enjoyed by many. Mr Kris Naiker was outstanding and delivered a great event. Thank you very much to everyone who was involved in making this event happen. Our College Curriculum has so much to offer for the success of our children and the opportunities our students receive to follow their chosen pathways.
We will have more reports from our PPF teams to include in the Week 10 newsletter following our next PPF meeting on the June 15. All the teams have been working hard with the College Leadership Team to enhance aspects of the Annual Action Plan and to align with our Strategic Plan. Together we are working towards the best outcomes for all students at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. We pray for all our students across the College as they complete their end of term assessments over the next couple of weeks. It has been a busy and productive Term 2, and we thank you for supporting your children in all that they do here at the College and in the community.
We send our prayers and congratulations to all our students who have completed their Sacrament of Confirmation. Our next PPF meeting will be on the 15th of June at 5.30pm in Penola 6 at the Senior College. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend. If you have anything you wish to raise or a matter you wish to discuss, please feel free to email us at higppf@twb.catholic.edu.au and we will endeavour to reply as soon as possible. All the best from the PPF!
Upcoming meetings:
Tuesday, 15 June 5.30pm
Tuesday, 20 July 5.30pm
Shayne Cleary & Rowena Voll PPF Co-Chairs
Enrolment Cancellation Procedures
A reminder to any families who may be moving or relocating from Highfields, please note our Cancellation Policy. Any families intending to withdraw their child's enrolment at the end of Term 2, 2021, must notify the College by no later than 4:00pm, Friday, 25 June 2021 to avoid billing of Term 3 fees.
Should your circumstances change and your child/ren will not be continuing at the College, we ask for the earliest notice possible. For the purposes of planning and resourcing, we require notification by the final day of the end of the current term.
Notification is defined as the date of the receipt of the Notification of Transfer form. Invoices for fees are sent in the final week of the previous term, and failure to provide this notice will result in one terms’ fee being invoiced to you.
Exceptions to this Policy are at the discretion of the Principal.
A Notification of Transfer form must be completed to initiate the cancellation of your child’s enrolment at the College.
Please contact the Enrolments Officer to discuss your intentions.
The New Parent Portal
Be on the lookout for more information to come about our new Parent Portal. The Parent Portal will provide parents with access to:
academic reports
student absence
assessment
wellbeing data
book and manage parent teacher interviews
timetable information
daily notices
It is a great College resource that we can't wait to utilise for families. More information will be forthcoming before the end of Term.
Welcome Abbie!
Abbie has commenced full time employment with us as a Trainee, undertaking a Certificate III in Business. When you call the College or come to the office you will be greeted by Abbie.
Abbie completed Year 12 at St Ursula's College in 2020. She is interested in design and photography and is super keen to be a part of the Mary Mac team.
Highfields Road Closure
Council is preparing to upgrade storm water infrastructure on Highfields Road from Friday, 25 June to Saturday, 10 July 2021.
To enable these works to proceed, a full road closure will be required on Highfields Road between Lauder Drive and Rogers Drive.
Detours will be in place for eastbound traffic via Rogers Drive and for westbound bound traffic via O’Brien Road and Polzin Road. Lauder Drive will remain open.
These works and road closure are proposed for the school holiday period when traffic volumes are lower.
This is the same closure Toowoomba Regional Council did back in January.
Good Health - How Can you Help?
Influenza
With influenza season upon us, it is important that we revisit College protocols to ensure everyone is doing their part to prevent the flu from spreading in our community.
We remind families that students can only attend school or excursions if they are well. If students are displaying any of the symptoms below they cannot attend school and will require testing for influenza or COVID. Being unwell and at school puts others at risk.
The following are the symptoms that indicate students cannot attend and will require testing:
fever
respiratory symptoms
coughing
sore throat
shortness of breath
Other symptoms can include runny nose, headache, muscle or joint pains, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of sense of smell, altered sense of taste, loss of appetite and fatigue.
Students can return ONLY WHEN symptoms have cleared. If students develop symptoms at school parents/carers will need to collect them as soon as possible.
We will continue to have hand sanitiser for use in classrooms and will remind students not to share water bottles and food.
When families telephone, email or alert us via the College app that their child is unwell, it is helpful to make clear whether the absence is linked to Influenza or COVID-like symptoms and if they will be having a test. We thank families for keeping us up-to-date with their children’s health, including sending through COVID testing results.
Gastroenteritis
Students, staff and visitors with gastroenteritis should not return to the College until 24 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea and/or vomiting.
COVID-19 Procedures 2021
As directed by Public Health, anyone exhibiting any signs of COVID-19 needs to be tested.
As such, we ask that staff, students and visitors do not attend school if unwell and, in particular, if exhibiting any of the following symptoms:
Sore throat
Cough
Fever
Runny nose
Or any other influenza-related symptoms.
PROCEDURES IF YOUR CHILD IS UNWELL – WITH OR WITHOUT COVID SYMPTOMS
If your child is unwell and the symptoms are not related to COVID-19,you will be asked to collect your child and take them home.
If your child is unwell and the symptoms are related to COVID-19, your child will be in isolation until you arrive. Your child will need to be taken for a COVID test and will need to remain in isolation until a negative result is returned.
If your child is diagnosed with COVID-19, your child will be isolated and you will be asked to collect them with urgency. Your child will require full medical clearance to return.
Thank you for supporting the processes we are undertaking to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in our community.
We will continue to make changes to College routines and procedures as required to ensure the health of our community and, at times, this may occur quickly and may be disruptive to plans. Thank you in anticipation of your patience and full support.
Stay 1.5 metres away from other people—think two big steps
Wash your hands often, using soap and water or hand sanitiser
Sneeze or cough into your arm or a tissue. Then put the tissue in the bin
Wear a face mask when you are not able to keep 1.5 metres away from other people or whenever mandatory face masks are required.
Jayne Tyrrell WHS Officer
Mission & Identity
Head, Hearts and Hands!
Our values that shape our school are inspired by Mary MacKillop. She was:
A woman of faith and courage who committed to engaging minds.
A woman of strength and perseverance who believed in igniting hearts.
A woman of compassion and unfailing love who devoted herself to serving others.
These three phrases mean so much to our College - engaging minds, igniting hearts and serving others. We will use our minds to create a better world. Our hearts to continue the mission of Jesus. And serve others in a humble way just as Jesus did. Our mission here at Mary MacKillop Catholic College is to ensure that every student leaves here having reached their potential in readiness for the wider world and in doing so, enable them to carry on the mission of Jesus and Mary MacKillop.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart is celebrated on 11 June and calls the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites) to give expression to the spirituality of the heart. As a Josephite school we are also called to focus on the heart as well, just as Mary MacKillop did every day.
How do we show love to those that need it?
How do we show love in times of stress or hardship?
How do we treat the person who is different - speaks a different language, or has a physical disability?
We must never forget to love those around us and not take people for granted.
In the sharing of our heart, by the way we say hello to those we meet, invite another student to sit for a chat, or even allow another person to go before you in a line when you really need to get home, we open ourselves to the sharing of God as well. This is God's mission at work.
Congregational Leader, Sr Monica Cavanagh, wrote "This feast day calls us to honour through our encounters the sacredness of the other and to live centred in the heart of God. On this feast day, let us lean into the heart of Jesus as John did at the Last Supper and become a heartbeat of God’s love in the world." www.sosj.org.au/feast-of-the-s... June 7, 2021.
Rosies Outreach
Thank you so much for your continued support of our work with Rosies Outreach. Next Wednesday some Year 11 or 12 students and staff will be at the outreach at Harlaxton Park. Please find a link to Rosies Winter Newsletter which they have asked me to share with you.
Biscuits
Recently an email was sent out to families, encouraging some baking of biscuits that we then donate to Rosies and Tony's Kitchen. Please refer to the email for details about this. We would really appreciate all cooking to be dropped to either Junior or Senior admin office on Monday, 14 June, so that we can organise the distribution of these biscuits before the end of term.
Mary MacKillop's quote for reflection this week is "Remember, there is, even on this earth, a day of bright reward for all your prayers and faithful perseverance." (5.6.1874)
In God's Holy Spirit
Paula O'Rourke Assistant Principal Religious Education
A Story Worth Telling
In Week 6, Miss Tamara Niemeyer and I had the privilege of attending a Josephite Colloquium—really just a fancy word for a professional conversation—in Sydney.
This was an important step towards a deeper understanding of our Josephite mission. The Colloquium is a three-day residential experience for people who work and minister in the tradition of Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods.
What better place to be entrenched in the history of Mary MacKillop than at her final resting place—Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney?
So, this is where our three days began.
Alongside 17 other staff from Josephite primary and secondary schools in South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, we met our three retreat facilitators: two Sisters of St Joseph and a lay member of the Josephite Justice Network.
While at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney, we were guided through the story of Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop and their formation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Despite being closed since COVID-19 last year, Tamara and I were lucky enough to gain access to the museum which celebrates the life, work and spirituality of Mary MacKillop.
Of course, the most significant part of this visit was to the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel, where the tomb of Mary MacKillop is located–what a special experience!
After immersing ourselves in the Josephite history and mission, we were bussed an hour north to St Joseph's Spirituality and Education Centre situated at Kincumber on the NSW Central Coast.
From 1887 until 1966, the site of the St Joseph’s at Kincumber was a Home for Boys established by Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph. In the early sixties the site was used solely for retreats and in most recent times St Joseph’s Kincumber is a modern conference and retreat centre. Holy Cross Parish Church, built in 1843 (when MacKillop was one year old) stands proudly, and the school rooms once populated by boys, remain–testament to the education provided by dedicated Josephite Sisters.
For the next two days, we were truly blessed to spend time reflecting on our own place in the Josephite story. While, yes, there were some interesting activities (including the creation of a shoe sculpture using the right shoe of each participant), the Colloquium achieved exactly what it intended to. It was an opportunity for us to explore and share the stirrings and challenges in our own hearts and to consider what the Josephite story means for us, as educators in the 21st century.
The Sisters of St Joseph story is absolutely one worth telling.
Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop and, indeed all of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, have a place in this narrative. So too do the parents, staff and students at Mary MacKillop Catholic College in Highfields.
From the time the students enter Prep at MMCC until they exit the gates in November of Year 12, they are a part of the Josephite narrative. But it is bigger than them. Today, there is a wide network of schools and community aid organisations established by the Sisters across Australia and New Zealand. While the number of Sisters has declined to approximately 800 across Australia, the congregation has established an important legacy.
We speak with our students often about the 6Ps in relation to Mary Mackillop. She had Passion, believed in Possibilities, modelled Practical action, embraced Partnership, Persevered and believed in Prayer as a means of transformation.
During our time in Kincumber, we were visited by two Josephite Sisters who relayed stories of their life's work. These Sisters evidenced all of these characteristics of our patron. Particularly, I was moved by their passion. These women–both of whom were 90 or close to it–are activists and advocates for social justice; they know exactly what they've been called to do and they are not afraid to show it.
Theirs is a deep commitment to a God who calls us to justice and compassion, and to those pushed to the edges of society. Such commitment to faith and compassion for those who are vulnerable are characteristics we hope to form in our MMCC students.
We are fortunate that in Week 9, Chrissy Carter and Kate Carroll will also be attending this Josephite Colloquium and there is scope to send staff members in subsequent years.
Undoubtedly, this is a story worth preserving and a story worth telling to our Mary MacKillop Catholic College community, staff, students and parents alike.
Leisa Radley Director of Formation & College Culture
Sacramental Program
Confirmation
Congratulations to the following students who received their Sacrament of Confirmation at the ceremony with Bishop Robert McGuckin last night:
Nicholas Adams
Aly Butler
Patrick Carr
Kade Dungey
Edward Erhlich
Sam Haig
Cormac Maloney
Riley Murphy
Zachary O'Connor
Abi O'Dea
Charlotte Oosthuizen
Imogen Petrie
Kate Scrivens
Aidan Smith
Nicholas Thurston
Thomas Williams
Piper York
Please continue to pray for these students as they complete their sacramental journey of receiving Eucharist next term.
Eucharist
A meeting with 2021 cohort families will be held on Monday, 14 June, at 5:30pm in the MacKillop Centre. Booklets and information will be conveyed then about your next steps on the journey.
Congratulations again to our students on their sacramental journey.
Paula O'Rourke Assistant Principal Religious Education
Please note that Mass will NOT be celebrated at Highfields but instead at St Theresa's Catholic Church, on the corner of Campbell and Curzon Street still at 8:00am, on the following dates:
Sunday, 4 July
Sunday, 11 July
Sunday, 22 August
Teaching and Learning
2021 USQ Science and Engineering Challenge
This year, Mary MacKillop competed for the first time in the prestigious USQ Science and Engineering Challenge - a STEM-based competition for Year 9 and 10 students. At the event, students competed in a number of activities and tests involving teamwork, critical-thinking and problem solving.
Mary MacKillop placed second overall in three categories - 'The Bridge (teams needed to build a light and strong model bridge to carry metal ingots from one side of a simulated valley to another.), 'Grasping at Straws' (teams built a cost-effective robotic hand out of straws and string to complete several tasks.) and 'Helter Skelter Shelter' (teams built a structure out of paper and straws to withstand a simulated earthquake).
All attendees competed to the best of their ability, thought critically, showed excellent teamwork and represented the College incredibly well. All students that attended should be very proud of their efforts!
Jared Nielsen Middle Leader - Science and Technologies
English students near the end of a busy term
Macademics is moving ahead in leaps and bounds, amongst senior students. Students in years 10, 11 and year 12 have been providing younger students with the opportunity to gain in subject-specific expertise and interact with students from older year groups. Almost any subject is available for student-based tuition.
From this week onwards, Macademics is also available to any student who would like to work individually, without assistance or any student who would simply like to sit in a comfortable space to read or write. These pastimes are wonderful forms of skill building and, for many, an excellent form of relaxation.
Macademics takes place at first break, every Monday and Tuesday, in Penola 10. Parents / carers are encouraged to contact Mr Connolly if any additional details are required.
Assessment time, during each term, often brings with it an added emphasis upon the importance of editing and assessment drafting. The preparation of any task is key to the effectiveness of the end product. Students in every English class are receiving consistent and repeated reinforcement of the importance of assessment task drafting. Thorough and long-standing educational research has established the linkages between thorough planning and peer-based appraisal of assessment drafts, in improving overall skills and facilitation of improved academic results. High-quality drafts invariably lead to high-quality assessment submissions. Every student, in every English class is constantly being allowed the opportunity to act upon this highly valuable encouragement, from our excellent English teachers!
Term two has seen excellent opportunities provided to all of our senior students, within the realm of English and exciting possibilities are already under construction for a busy Term 3.
Tim Connolly Middle Leader - Senior English
Inspire Maths Update 8
Did you know that the brain sparks and grows when we make a mistake, even if we are not aware of it? Because it is a time of struggle; the brain is challenged, and this is the time when the brain grows the most.
Jason Moser, a psychologist, studied the neural mechanisms that operate in people’s brains when they make mistakes. His study found that individuals with a growth mindset have more brain activity when they make a mistake than those with a fixed mindset. This is a fascinating concept as it tells us that the ideas we hold about ourselves – in particular, whether we believe in ourselves or not – change the workings of our brains. If we believe we can learn, and that mistakes are valuable, our brains grow to a greater extent when we make a mistake. This highlights just how important it is that all students believe in themselves – and how important it is for all of us to believe in ourselves, particularly when we approach something challenging.
When we teach students, from a very young age, that mistakes are positive, it becomes very liberating for them when they encounter a challenge. (It is important to note that mistakes made should be conceptual not numerical errors)
When a student makes a mistake, it is good because they are in a stage of cognitive struggle and their brain is sparking and growing. In order for this to happen, students need to be given opportunities to engage in challenges which require them to persist and struggle.
The Learning Pit is one way in which we can communicate and support students through challenge and struggle. At our last P-6 Staff Meeting, teachers looked at the implications of not providing students with learning opportunities that involve an element of challenge and the Learning Pit as a pathway to developing a positive attitude to challenge and persistence.
James Nottingham, the developer of the Learning Pit has created a short video to explain how it works. Please have a look here:
When we can collectively see the power of mistakes and view them in a positive light, incredible learning can take place. Research tells us that the most productive classrooms are those in which students work on complex problems, are encouraged to take risks, and can struggle and fail and still feel good about working on hard problems. This means that mathematics tasks should be difficult for students to give them opportunities for brain growth and making connections, but it doesn’t mean just increasing the difficulty, which would leave students frustrated. Rather it means having tasks that all students can access (low floor) and having tasks that take the ideas to high levels (High ceiling).
A challenge for society is to resist valuing effortless achievement, i.e., praising those who finish quickly. Instead, we should value persistence, effort and hard thinking. When students fail and struggle it does not mean anything about their potential; it means that their brains are growing, synapses are firing, and new pathways are being developed that will make them stronger in the future.
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior
Write That Essay Update 8
What does Demand Writing look like in the Prep area of the College?
I had the pleasure of seeing Demand writing in action in Prep Possums last week. I wasn’t disappointed. The enthusiasm and level of engagement was nothing short of impressive.
In Possums, students had to write for 8 minutes of uninterrupted time. You may think that this isn’t a very long time to write, however, to write independently for extended periods of time without becoming distracted or giving up is rather challenging. Not to mention the physical act of forming letters and spelling basic words and generating sentences is labour intensive.
Building writing stamina should be implemented much like we build reading stamina. Starting with short bursts and extending the expectation for how long students can write as their abilities grow.
When I visited Prep Possums, students had focus sight words to use and then could use the word walls to continue to write more sentences during the focused writing time. The students, regardless of their ability were able to access this activity confidently and utilise taught strategies to support them independently writing. In fact, students wanted more time to write and chose to do so, rather than illustrate their writing.
It was such a positive experience for EVERY student!
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior
Our first senior school disco for the year held on Friday, 28 May was a great success!
Over 150 students from Year 7 to Year 12 attended. Funds raised will be used to support further business ventures and a College gift from departing senior students to the College. This was a great learning experience for the senior Certificate III Business students in event promotion and planning, ordering and organisation, rostering and people management.
It is hoped that further events of this type will run in the coming terms. Special thanks must go to teachers that volunteered for supervision and the senior students in the Certificate III Business and Cert III Sport and Recreation classes.
Ryan Cavanough Senior Business Teacher
Tertiary Open Days and Information Sessions
Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) and the Queensland Work & Skills Expo
TSXPO is a fantastic opportunity to find all of the information you need to kick start or redirect your career and find information all under the one roof!
Your Pathways Team Jen Stevenson & Christie Richardson
Career Spotlight - Green Architect
The focus of Green Architects is on sustainable design and is one of the emerging careers – a job that has only recently come about.
The Careermatch website states that a Green Building Architect designs a building with the environment in mind.
There is a purposeful approach to a design that:
increases energy efficiency – using renewable energy such as solar or wind, for example,
uses sustainable materials, for example recycled materials,
decreases waste,
and integrates a building into the surrounding environment.
The aim is to reduce the impacts on human health and the environment.
A similar role is that of a Retrofit Expert – where existing buildings are made more sustainable, by improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Your Pathway Team Jen Stevenson & Christie Richardson
Junior School
P-6 Reports
In week 10 you will have the pleasure of receiving your child’s Semester 1 Report. It is a formal record of their progress and reflective of the curriculum taught throughout the semester. The first thing I enjoyed doing when my children brought home their report card was to sit and discuss the effort grade they were given for each Learning Area and also, the Positive Learning Behaviours. It was always interesting to get their ‘take’ on the grade given. It gave me insight into areas they enjoyed and were interested in learning about. It gave me insight into how they perceived themselves as a learner. And it also provided a platform to discuss areas in which they could improve upon and set future learning goals.
I can hear you asking, “What about the grades?” Yes, grades are important, but they become negligent when discussed in isolation.
Talent x Effort = Skill
Skill x Effort = Achievement
The greater the effort invested the greater the achievement. This concept applies to all ability levels and is also interwoven and dependent upon a Positive Growth Mindset. In a nutshell, success becomes stagnant without effort and a growth mindset.
No doubt you will be proud of your child’s effort. I wonder if they will be able to identify what they are most proud about, (other then a grade received). Will they be able to articulate why they are proud of the result? It will be interesting to see if they identify elements of achievement with effort or having a growth mindset. Will they recognise the work they have put in or be able to acknowledge the ‘power of yet’?
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the teachers in ensuring a high standard of report is received by families. A reminder that cohort KLA Summaries can be found on the College website from Friday 25 June.
Natalie Adler Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior
Prep 2022 Enrolments
Do you have a child due to start Prep next year?
If so, now is the time to contact the Enrolments Team. We have already filled 2 classes for 2022. With places filling up fast, we don’t want our current families to miss out.
Prep Transition Days will be happening early in Term 4, so now is the time to submit an application to ensure your child’s enrolment is confirmed and to ensure they do not miss out on the valuable opportunity to make friends and meet the teachers before commencing school.
Please contact the Enrolments Team if you would to like to enrol your child for Prep in 2022 or 2023.
This term’s Thrive lessons have centred around respectful relationships. The first lesson explored what a relationship is and how we can demonstrate respect in relation to others to build strong and healthy connections. The second lesson extended on this and supported students to understand that conflict within relationships is normal. We are all different and we all mistakes, so it is inevitable that at times we will disagree or experience strain within our relationships. What matters here, is how we handle these tricky situations, and we introduced the ‘Peace Path’ and steps to facilitate conflict resolution.
Whilst the steps differed slightly for each grade in the Junior School, the key processes were as follows:
Check in and calm myself: It is important to check in and ensure that we are regulated before progressing along our Peace Path toward conflict resolution. Calming strategies have been discussed in previous Thrive lessons and these are called on here, to support students to be in the best position (physiologically) to progress to higher order processes.
Communicate: Students were supported to learn how to assertively share their concerns and needs, whilst listening to the other person with the intention of understanding each other’s perspective and experience.
Compromise: Here, students are empowered to identify a means of moving forward that ensures all parties are considered and respected. Here it was acknowledged that it may not go completely our way, but we can negotiate a solution that means we can both be ok!
The three C’s were explored and practiced during the Thrive lesson and the following recommendations are made to parents and caregivers to support the consolidation of this learning and to provide opportunities to practice these conflict resolution skills as they are required.
When your child raises a problem, use this as an opportunity to coach them through peaceful conflict resolution. It is important to check in and ensure all parties are calm before progressing through the stages of conflict resolution as these require higher order thinking that is often compromised when we are in a stress state.
After checking in and allowing time for regulation, encourage your child to communicate their experience. Here, the use of I statements is important, and it is recommended that students are supported to state how they feel when the problem occurs, and what they need to manage that experience. This can sound like….. “I feel angry when my friends don’t let me be the group leader. I need to feel included and part of the team”.
Once calm, regulated, and having had the opportunity to assertively communicate their concerns (and to have these validated) it is helpful to encourage students to consider the others perspective and needs before identifying potential solutions that will demonstrate respect to all parties. Here, as a parent/caregiver, you might suggest they put themselves in the other persons shoes and tries to imagine what they think, feel, and need. At this stage of the conflict resolution process, we are aiming for a ‘win win’ solution. Both parties feel heard and considered and the outcome reflects this.
Again, please note that conflict within relationships is normal. We need to upskill and empower children to manage these tricky situations in a respectful and adaptive way that will support their social and emotional development.
Jasmin Slack-Smith and Khara Saunders
College Guidance Counsellors (Clinical Psychologists)
Joey Ribbons!
Our positive learning behaviours in the Junior School are implemented in the classroom each week. These learning behaviours are written, using the language from the General Capabilities in ACARA (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority). Joey points are then given to students who display this behaviour or show growth in applying this behaviour to their learning. This week, certificates were given to students who have earned 10 Joey points so far this term. Ribbons, were presented to students who have earned 15 Joey points this term.
Congratulations to the following students on receiving their Joey Ribbon.
Year Level
Name
Prep
Zoe Albion
Shreya Biju
Emme Ehrlich
Flynn Hartshorn
Hendrix Jarvis
Jennifer Jones
Charlie Lanson
Edison Lipp
Izzy-Mae Manz
Maya Murphy
Frankie Radley
Michael Reeves
Mackenzie Reinbott
Dominica Sams
Zoe Schmaling
Lucas Taggart
George Trethewie
Joe Wells
Year 1
Theresa Ehrlich
Helena Kennedy
Liliana McCotter
Matthew Wilson
Mitchell Warby
Sophie Butler
Rhythm Dyola Nepali
Vision Dyola Nepali
Jackson Hughes
Hadley Saunders
Mitchell Warby
Year 2
Ava Frizzell
Lucy Urquhart
Lily Watt
Elliana Campbell
Annabelle Domin
George Lanson
Johnny Maloney
Year 3
Luca Bishop
Alicia Bonham
Mia Dwyer
Levi Ellingsen
Jordi Evans
Moses Hanssen
Chad Hourigan
Lyrik Rohlf Johnson
Cooper Kennedy
Henry Lanson
Ethan Moloney
Michael Otto
Isla Radley
Arna Randall
Mitchell Saal
Katie Smith
Isabelle Voll
Lachlan Ward
Year 4
Nicholas Adams
Sophilee Condon
Cormac Maloney
Addy Saal
Malika Stokes
Susie Bullock
Ted Ford
Chelsea Lowien
Bernadette McPhee
Colbie Moffett-Dunn
Piper York
Year 5
Ruby Anlezark
Fletcher Birt
Cooper Dimmick
Hue Garrels
Logan Haslem
Sienna Heir
Joseph Kennedy
Benji Kent
Alice Kimball
Ryan Kruger
Ethan Otto
Connor Phillips
Samuel Richardson
Lulu Rowlette
Dylan Schwarz
Charlie Sheath
Melanie Siokos
Tyler Stead
Aidan Stokes
Emily Thompson
Deanna Verches
Sam Wann
Year 6
Sam Anderson
Annabel Bond
Ayla Brady
Seth Brett
Trinity Burow
Jess Fagan
Leah Franklin
Lucy Jones
Georgia Marshall
Austin Melrose
Sophie Reeves
Sienna Schmaling
Will Skeels
Charlie Usher
Lachlan Wicks
Annie Brosnan
William Campbell
Will Ehrlich
Henry Lipp
Jessie Neale
Jade Allison
Laura Cameron
Nicolas Carrigan
Tom Condon
Molly Ford
Toby Lindenmayer
Layli Schick
Riana Wallace
Mindful Minute!
Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening right here and now, in a kind and accepting way.
For adults, children and young people alike, research supports the view that mindfulness can benefit our mental health and wellbeing in many ways.
Mindfulness practices support us to regulate and manage our emotions, as well as improve our attention, concentration and self-control capacities.
Mindful awareness enhances empathy, compassion and respectful behaviour, supporting relationships to thrive.
Regular practice of mindfulness can also buffer the effects of stress, minimising anxiety and depression, and in turn strengthening resilience.
Introducing children to the practice of mindfulness can positively benefit them in many of these ways. Teaching kids how to meditate is one way we can support them to practice mindfulness. While there are many child-focused guided meditations available these days (Smiling Mind, Bedtime Explorers, etc), one of the best ways to introduce mindfulness meditation with kids is for parents and caregivers to do it with them!
Here’s a simple meditation you can do with your kids:
Show them how to sit or stand with a ‘mindful body’ posture, where they position their body upright in a way that they are alert, but also relaxed. You can play with this by showing them a mindless posture and asking them to move you to the mindful position.
Invite them to sit or stand with you for one minute (or two) with their mindful body posture. They might like to close their eyes or rest them on at a spot on the ground in front of them. You might like to set a timer.
Ask them to pay attention to their breathing… Breathing in… Breathing out… for just one minute.
Afterwards, reflect on how that felt for them, and you can share your experience too! Note that it's not always about feeling calm afterwards. Sometimes they might notice that it was hard to sit still and their mind couldn’t settle, or that they didn’t really like it, it might have felt boring. Any response is okay and should be encouraged – all responses are developing mindful awareness of their experience!
There are countless other ways to introduce mindfulness practices for children. Regardless of the activity used, for children the best approach to is to encourage small moments of awareness, repeated many times.
Khara Saunders & Jasmin Slack-Smith College Guidance Counsellors
Donate a cup of LEGO!
Do you have any unused LEGO at home?
Khara and Jasmin, our College Guidance Counsellors, are seeking your help to grow our College's LEGO collection. This will be great for kids to play in the Library or Emmaus! So talk to your families, brothers, and sisters if you might be able to help us/
You can drop your donation to the Junior Library. Be sure you add your full name so you can get an entry into the draw to win a LEGO prize! Entries close at the end of Term 2.
The benefits these colourful little plastic pieces are many!
Team work and social skills when children work collaboratively to create something together.
Communication and language skills, where children need to learn to read instructions, express thoughts, needs and ideas, negotiate and compromise.
Problem solving, mathematics and spatial awareness too! Following instructions, figuring out the order, understanding quantity, symmetry and patterns.
Physical development, including fine motor skills and coordination.
Perseverance and management of frustrations, learning to tolerate and overcome challenges, mistakes and failure.
Self-confidence, allowing children to achieve a sense of accomplishment, pride and success.
Regulating anxiety, stress and other challenging emotions. LEGO is calming and fun.
Focus and concentration, organisation, planning and following instructions.
And Creativity of course!
Extra-Curricular
From the Library
Congratulations to the Mac Press Team who recently published the first edition of the student newspaper and whose creative efforts were recognised by an article in the Highfields Herald.
The team worked diligently to meet their deadline and were very excited to officially launch the Mac Press to a select group of VIP guests which included Mrs Richardson, Mr Naiker, Mrs Cridland and Mr Gabbett.
The students ensured that the publication, as 'a newsletter created by kids for kids', contained something for everyone - articles promoting Arts and Sport, Creative Writing, quizzes, jokes, puzzles and fun facts.
Planning has already begun for the next edition which will be released next term.
Chess Challenge Champions
Congratulations to Jackson Stansell who was last week declared Winner of the Senior Library Chess Challenge. Runner Up was William Young. All participants should be recognised for their commitment to the Challenge and for their sense of fair play. The Library has now purchased a Chess Timer Clock to assist in future competitions.
Premiers Reading Challenge Reminder
Just a reminder that it is not too late to enter the Premiers' Reading Challenge. Students have until 27 August to read and submit their Reading Record. Prep to Year 4 students must read 20 books while Year 5 to 9 read 15.
Reading Records are available from Junior and Senior Library. You are not required to register your participation - simply hand in your completed Reading Record by 27 August and it will be submitted by the College. Further information is available here.
Angela Irvine Teacher Librarian
Sporting opportunities abound!
DD Hockey Reps
Jess (Year 11) and Mai (Year 12) recently travelled to Rockhampton to contest the QSSS 13-19 Years Hockey Championships. The girls did well for the duration of the competition with DD only losing two of their seven games. We look forward to these girls leading Mary Mac as we contest the Darling Downs Schools Hockey Cup in September.
Junior College Football
Trials were recently held for Junior College soccer players to represent the College in the SEQ Primary Football Championships. We had a good roll-up for our Girls Years 3/4 team, however, we need more Year 5/6 players. Experience would be great, however, I encourage any girls in Year 5/6 who like running and being active to consider joining the team. Parents can email Mr. Griffiths (brad.griffiths@twb.catholic.edu.au) if their daughter is interested in playing.
ISSA Cup Soccer
The girls and boys ISSA Cup teams have recently played fixtures against West Moreton Anglican College (boys) and St Peter Claver College (girls). The boys played a highly entertaining game against a well-drilled West MAC team. It was nil-all at halftime, but a brace of goals early in the second half opened the game up for the visitors, and despite the best efforts of #teammarymac, the boys were unable to finish their chances and eventually went down 4-0. The girls hosted Claver in an evenly-matched fixture. Nil-all at halftime soon became 1-0 to the good guys after this week's Spotlight Athlete, Charli, scored a cracker from outside the box. Claver kept pushing forward and scored the next two goals and looked to have sealed victory. With about a minute to go, Mary Mac pushed forward for one last attack with Charli hitting a low shot from an acute angle. The ball ricocheted off both posts before a goal was awarded. What a finish! Special mention to both Chloes who shared the goal-keeping duties and saved many genuine scoring opportunities.
Sporting Schools Funding
The College successfully obtained some Sporting Schools funding for Term 2 and Year 4-6 have been engaged in some sessions facilitated by the Queensland Reds over the last few weeks. My experience with the Year 6s has been a positive one and the students have enjoyed the fun activities and have played some Touch 7s which is a feeder activity into Rugby 7s.
Intermediate Schools Cup Volleyball
Volleyball didn't exist at Mary Mac a little over a year ago, but now thanks to the passion and commitment of Mr. Brunner, it has turned into a very popular option at the College. It is offered for Friday Sport and is always a popular choice, and last week, the College participated in the Intermediate Schools Cup for Boys and Girls for the first time. The students played across three days, including Saturday and Sunday, and gained a good understanding of what competition Volleyball is all about. Many thanks to Mr. Brunner and Mr. Albion for the time they spent with the teams over the weekend and to our Year 12 helpers, Nicole and Dusty.
Upcoming events
7-12 Athletics Carnival Monday, 21 June (food, coffee, etc available at the carnival, P-6 online orders only)
P-6 Athletics Carnival Tuesday, 22 June (snacks, coffee, drinks available at carnival, P-12 online orders, as usual, 7-12 purchase from Cafe as usual)
High Jump training and competition Tuesday, June 15 and Wednesday, June 16, 3:10 pm at the Junior College Oval
Toowoomba Schoolgirls Football Comp (Monday afternoons for Years 7-9)
Term 3 Friday Sport (Years 5 and 6 Inter-school, Years 7-12 Intra-school)
SEQ Primary Football, dates TBA (Boys and Girls, Years 3-6)
Brad Griffiths Sports Coordinator
Tuckshop for the Athletics Carnivals - RED FOOD DAY!!!
On Monday and Tuesday, 21 and 22 June, the Cafe are running a canteen down at the oval for Athletics Day.
On Monday, the prep to Year 6 students will be required to order all food online through flexischools. We will not have any food available to purchase at the Cafe on this day. Year 3-6 students will collect their orders from the Cafe as normal.
Seniors will be able to purchase without ordering at the oval.
Menu will be:
Pies $4
Cheese and bacon sausage rolls $4
Hot dogs $5
Chips $2
Sweet treats $1
Soft drink and water $2
Coffee and hot chocolates $3.50
On Tuesday Prep to Year 6 will be required to order online through flexischools. Prep to Year 2 will be delivered to their classrooms as normal once they are finished their races. Year 3 to 6 will be delivered to the oval for collection at normal break times. Seniors can purchase from the Cafe as normal.
We will be selling soft drinks/water, chips, sweet treats, coffee and hot chocolates at the oval. We will have limited hot food available for teachers and parents to purchase.
We will have cash and eftpos available on both days.
We can't wait to serve you.
Sarah Welch & Catherine Rothwell The Cafe
Kicking goals!
Year 9 Student Charli joined MMCC this year after relocating from Townsville with her family. She is a member of the SWQ Thunder Football Club and represents the College in Soccer. She was successful in gaining selection for Darling Downs Football selection and recently contested the QSSS championships. When asked about what she enjoys about sport, Charli cites, fun and friendship as some of her main motivators...but also admits she likes winning and the toughness of competition! We look forward to tracking Charli's progress as she continues to kick goals for her Club and the College.
Brad Griffiths Sports Coordinator
Community Noticeboard
Vacation Care
Vacation care will run from Monday 28 June 2021 until Monday 12 July 2021.
Coordinator: Elissa Chapman
Possible Operating Hours: 6:30am – 6:00pm (opening hours to be determined by times required by majority of families)
Contact: 0408 160 891 or 0429 099 531
Fee and Cancellation Information
Vacation care is charged as a full day fee regardless of the hours attended.
Our fee structure is:
Vacation care casual $85
Vacation care permanent $79
Extra $5 (to cover costs)
Extra $10 (to cover costs)
Extra $15 (to cover costs)
Extra fees are detailed on the program where applicable.
Fees are before any Child Care Subsidy has been applied.
Fees are payable via Direct debit using debit success.
All bookings require two weeks’ notice of cancellation in writing to avoid being charged fees.
Childcare Subsidy
Information about CCS can be found in your MyGov account. It is the parents responsibility to apply for and confirm their CCS information to ensure that subsidies are applied to your account. At this time our CCS approval has not yet been finalised. Please be patient and rest assured that all CCS will be backdated.
What to Bring
Children are required to bring:
Hat
Water bottle
Enclosed shoes
Sunsmart clothing
Morning tea and Lunch - unless otherwise specified (breakfast and afternoon tea will be provided)
Safety equipment on Wheels and Helmets Day (05/07/2021) (no safety gear-no ride)
Children are asked NOT to bring:
Toys from home
Technology unless it is a planned on the program
Please note we are a nut aware service. There is a child attending who is anaphylactic to several nuts (peanuts, cashews and pistachios). If you choose to pack products containing nuts in your child’s lunchbox, please educate them on child allergies and notify a staff member that your child’s lunch contains nuts so preventative measures can be put in place, thank you!
How to book Vacation Care on the Xplor Home app
Open the Xplor Home app
Click on the bookings tab
Click on the relevant day on the calendar
To add a booking click "(+) New" in the top right hand corner and select 'Booking' in the pop up.
Available sessions will be viewable for that day. Select the session you wish to book (i.e. Vacation Care, do not click request a space on this screen)
Swipe down to bring the calendar back up.
For multiple bookings, repeat the process above until all the sessions are selected.
Once selected, click the pram icon in the top right hand corner to move to the summary screen.
The summary screen will display the name of the child, the sessions being booked at their price, time and room. If these are incorrect, click the back arrow to correct selections. Once happy with the selections, click 'Request'.
If the sessions have been booked successfully, the next screen will show a 'confirmed' status for the booking.
Please see the attached flyer for our Vacation Care Program and permission form.
We would like to share this exciting, local sporting event aimed at introducing children and their families to the sport of orienteering in your school newsletter.
Besides the obvious positive aspects of the sport like physical activity, fitness and enjoying Australian parkland or bush, orienteering also teaches valuable life skills.
learn to be self-reliant since most orienteering is individual.
sharpen their decision making skills - navigational decisions and problem solving to locate each control constantly arise that require logical thinking more than quick reactions or instinct.
learn how to plan, think and act under pressure - decision-making under competitive stress and increasing fatigue, helping competitors become mentally tougher in life’s stressful situations.
It is certainly a sport which brings out the best in students of all ages, sporting abilities and academic capabilities and develops skills that are extremely valuable in the school environment.
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Mountain Bike Orienteering comes to the Darling Downs!
Two fabulous events! Sunday 27 June
Mountain Bike Orienteering
cross country cycling and navigation.
using specially produced maps along roads, tracks and trails.
control markers (checkpoints) placed at specific locations.
challenge is interpreting the map find the best way from one control to the next.
Enquiries: Richard Robinson Ph: 0407 880 681 Email: robpart17@gmail.com For further info on Mountain Bike Orienteering, go to www.mtbo.com.au
Orienteering is a competitive international sport that combines racing with navigation. Participants use very detailed maps to select routes and navigate through diverse and often unfamiliar terrain in the fastest time. Many people however, choose to walk or jog while enjoying the stunning scenery by themselves or with family or friends.
Toowoomba’s Indoor Centre - Action Indoor Sports Toowoomba – are chasing Male and Female Junior players in all age groups to compete at the State Indoor Championships during the school holidays. As such, they are holding a trials on Friday, 18 June at the centre which is located at 31 Spencer Street, Harristown, QLD, 4350.
