Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

The picture above represents the blessing of the foundation stone at the first Josephite convent at Lochinvar, Maitland-Newcastle Diocese (1893)

Hello to all in our College community.

Well, winter has definitely arrived. I hope you have not been too shocked by the icy conditions in Highfields - they certainly did seem to come suddenly.

You will see in this newsletter a LOT of extra-curricular activities. Congratulations to all students, staff and parents who have supported these. Our soccer success has been almost unbelievable, so well done to those students! I am so proud also to see such great rates of participation in Sing Out, the Forty for Fortey, and the Kokoda Challenge. Activities like these are the glue that bind us as a community, and it makes me very pleased that we have so many students willing to participate in them. It is these elements that exist additional to the classroom that lift our community, and provide the space where young people can be formed into something greater.

That notion of formation is something that applies to staff as well - even Principals. As a Josephite school, we are called to the example of St Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods, and, of course, the nuns who follow their example. One often repeated message from the remaining Sisters of St Joseph is the fact that it is up to school leaders to carry on the work of Mary MacKillop. A lot of energy is devoted to this. There is a national organisation called the Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools (AJASS) that encourages Principals of secondary and P-12 Josephite schools to meet once a year at a place significant to the story of the Sisters of St Joseph.

Next week, Sr Monica Cavanough, the Congregational Leader of the Sisters of St Joseph, will welcome us to the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese. The purpose is to help us, as Principals, be renewed in our mission, drive and purpose, and focus us on continuing the specific mission of St Mary MacKillop. Just like last year, I will send back some pics and videos to the College so I can share the journey.

Sorry to end my update on an administrative matter, but please be aware that we now have a waitlist for Year 7, 2025 and are taking quite a few enrolment requests for Year 7, 2026. We do have a process and criteria for managing the waitlist which is here. If you or someone you know are looking at Year 7 for the next couple of years do please let them know that places are becoming limited.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Thank you so much for your continued support.

School Locker have provided an update on the arrival of stock at Intersport. Please see below:

Item	Arrival
Junior Boys Long Sleeve Shirts	In Stock
Junior Girls Long Sleeve Blouse	In Stock - All sizes
Senior Boys Long Sleeve Shirts	Arriving early next week
Spray Jackets	In Stock - All sizes
Sports Trackpants	In Stock - All sizes except size 6 and Small (these will be arriving early next week)
Blazers	Arriving early next week
Skirts, skorts, trousers, hats, socks and bags	In stock
Short Sleeve Shirts and Blouses	Arriving by the end of June

To purchase these items you are welcome to go in store to Intersport store located at 334 Ruthven Street or order online.

Click Here To Order Online

We are called to be a witness to the gospel. This means we are a witness to the mission of the church because the church teaches about the gospel. Thus as a Catholic school, we are called to be witnesses to this mission of the church. The mission is to "love God and love one another"!

Mary MacKillop was a perfect example of witness to the gospel and the mission of the church. She sorts out ways to enable other people to have a better life through education but also through relationships with each other and ultimately God. She loved the people she interacted with no matter what their culture or faith or economic status. We too are called to be witness to the mission that enables others to feel they are loved just as Mary MacKillop did in her life.

Next week, Friday, 14 June, we will be celebrating the announcement of the inaugural recipients of the new 'The Josephite Award'. This has been a part of linking of our Josephite charism to our school life more closely. Students being called to be witness to the values of the gospel and its mission. We are encouraging students to look to do this through their daily school life. It highlights the values of passion, partnership, perseverance, possibilities all the while through their practical action and prayer.

The Josephite Award is recognising students from each year level who have displayed the 6 P's throughout the term - Passion, Partnership, Perseverance, Possibilities, Practical Action, and Prayer. This award is about recognising students who have demonstrated, through their actions, to be a witness to living life to the full. Students being able to reach their full potential as members of our MMCC community but also the wider community as well. Emails will be sent out to families whose children will be receiving an award.

It is through our witness that we promote the gospel values to live out the mission of the church! How do you bear witness to the gospel message?

Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Religious Education

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Catholic devotion is symbolic of the love and mercy that Jesus poured out for all. "Love is not blind," G. K. Chesterton remarks in Orthodoxy. "That is the last thing it is. Love is bound; and the more it is bound, the less it is blind." Love is bound to the reality of the beloved, a reality that is fundamentally true, good, and desirable. Love does not build castles in the air, but establishes sturdy foundations. Relationships built on a love are strong and endure the tumult of our lived experiences. By encountering one another with love we are living our lives in accord with the teachings of Jesus. Crucially to love means to give something of us, to make a sacrifice that benefits another.

In our modern world this can often be at odds with secular messages of self-promotion, individuality and identity. It is often much easier to keep people at 'arms reach' showing ambivalence or lukewarmness and thus not having to give of ourselves. I invite you all to recognize that during this month, the 'heart of the matter' is the foundations we build and the love that is shared in our school and wider community.

The second important element we are called to reflect on this month is mercy. The Venerable Fulton J Sheen stated that "the very word mercy is derived from the Latin miserum cor, a sorrowful heart. Mercy is, therefore, a compassionate understanding of another's unhappiness." Whilst sorrow is not something to look forward to, it is something to approach with compassion and empathy. In recognizing the hurt in others and approaching it with compassion we have the opportunity to relieve unhappiness and sorrow. This mercy is an extension of the love we show and supports a culture that upholds the dignity of its members.

Take the time this month to disperse with the busyness of life, put down the technology and look for opportunities to encounter one another with mercy.