MacKillop Chronicles Term 2, Week 6

A Celebration of Joy, Creativity, and Community!

Last week, MacKillop Primary was buzzing with colour, laughter, and excitement as we celebrated Wellbeing Week—a time dedicated to nurturing our minds, bodies and hearts. Our amazing Student Representative Council (SRC) outdid themselves by organising a week full of fun, creative, and inclusive activities that brought the whole school together.

Each day offered something new and exciting, including a Dance Party, Chalk Drawing, Talent Show, Art Club and “The Great Head of Primary Photo Hunt” – in what might have been the week’s most hilarious highlight, students raced to find all 100 hidden photos of our Head of Primary, Mrs Kerry Power, tucked into every corner of the school! Giggles echoed through the playgrounds as photos popped up in the most unexpected places—on doors, bookshelves, and even inside play equipment in the creek area!

Throughout the week, the message was clear: wellbeing matters, and looking after ourselves and each other can be fun, meaningful and memorable. We are so proud of our SRC for their leadership, creativity and commitment to making Wellbeing Week a success.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated and supported the events. We look forward to carrying the spirit of wellbeing with us every day.

Allison Passafaro, Coordinator of Wellbeing K-6

Our Primary sporting stars of the future have been busy doing what they love over the last few weeks, and we have a few outstanding achievements and congratulations to share with our community.

Caoimhe, a Year 5 student, was selected for the Mid North Coast/Inland Catholic Primary Schools girls' AFL team, and the team won the State Championships competition held in Blacktown last weekend.

Adam and Alexander, Year 6 students, have been chosen for the Polding Rugby Union team. 

Amelia, a Year 6 student, has been confirmed as making the Polding Cross Country team.

Congratulations to you all!

Karen Jones | Representative Sports Coordinator K-6

Student Leadership

I’ve had the pleasure in the last week of addressing a number of prospective student leaders within our College and our current contingent of young leaders.  I am always thoroughly impressed by the calibre of student leaders that exist at MacKillop.  In an era where young people can be portrayed negatively in the media, I can assure you that we see a very different picture at school every day.

As we come to that time in the year where our Year 12 leaders will hand over the baton and a new group of leaders will grab the reins, it is important we pause and reflect on the outstanding contributions our Year 12 leaders have made to MCC.  The list of activities, initiatives and events they have been involved in is enormous, all while juggling these with an HSC.  Their legacy will live on long after they graduate, and I thank each of them for their outstanding service.

As we commence our process of electing new leaders for 2025/2026, I encourage all those students with aspirations to lead to put their hand up, step outside their comfort zone and throw their hat in the ring.  Our school will be better with a strong student voice.  My hope is that we have many candidates nominate from all year groups, from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of strengths.

Being a student leader offers a comprehensive range of benefits, equipping students with the skills, confidence, and networks necessary for personal success and make meaningful contributions to their school, community, and future careers.

I look forward with anticipation to welcoming our next group of student leaders to this very important post at MacKillop.

God bless,

Paul Lynch | Head of Secondary

With Week 6 coming to a close, many representative sporting teams will be heading out to represent the College. Our students have been exceptional. The College's Soccer, Rugby League, Cross-Country, Netball, and Oztag teams all competed in the CSBB and regional gala days.

Our College Athletics will be held on 18 June 2025 at the Mingara Athletics Centre. Please look out for the Compass notification.

The Age champions and house champions are yet to be known. They will be finalised by the end of Term 2 and announced at an assembly in Term 3.

How can a student represent MacKillop?

Sign-ups will be sent via Compass, where the student will register. The Coach (teacher) will hold a meeting / trial / training to then select teams.

What’s next?

The Student will need to make meetings / selection trials / training sessions.

If a student’s behaviour at school has been ongoing, they will be less likely / to represent the College. Suppose a student is selected into a team and is unfortunately suspended from school (internally or externally). In that case, they will not be able to represent the College or the Pathway (CSBB or NSW CCC teams). This occurs in all schools, this is not just Mackillop. Thank you for your understanding.

CSBB (Catholic schools Broken Bay) Sport 

During Weeks 5 and 6, we saw students represent the College as individuals at CSBB Cross Country, Netball (9/10, Opens Boys and Girls). In Week 6, the College Oztag teams have been competing in the Central Coast Regional competitions. Our U13 Boys also will compete this Friday, and the Under 14 Girls Rugby league team will compete in Week 7, along with the U13 Boys and Girls Soccer teams.

Cross Country

Congratulations to our Cross Country team that competed at the CSBB Cross Country Championships at Gosford Racecourse.

Congratulations to Seth G, Year 11, on being crowned CSBB under-17 Champion. Congratulations to Seth G, Year 11, and Riley T, Year 9, on being selected into the CSBB Cross Country team.

NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC)

The first way for a student to be selected is via school representation, in the College team, then selected to represent the CSBB Broken Bay team at the NSW CCC carnival, where a NSW Combined Catholic Colleges team will be chosen.

The second way is for a student to register as an individual. This can be achieved by registering through the CSNSW Sport portal at https://csnsw.sport/.

SPORT SPOTLIGHT

Cameron is a Year 11 student who excels at Softball. In 2024, Cameron was selected into the CSBB, and NSW CCC Softball teams. In 2025, he was selected into the NSW CCC, NSW ALL SCHOOLS teams and the AUSTRALIAN SOFTBALL MERIT team.

How long have you been playing Softball?

I have been playing softball since 2018, which has given me seven years of experience in the sport.

What is your position?

My primary position is Centre Field, though I am also capable of playing Left Field and Right Field when needed.

List of Honours and Achievements

- Selected for the Central Coast Representative Team (2021–2022)

- NSW Country Representative (2022)

- Member of the Georges River Representative Team (2023–present)

- U16 NSW Representative and Team Captain (2024)

- NSW All Schools Representative (2024)

- U18 NSW Representative (2025)

- NSW All Schools Representative (2025)

- All Australian Representative (2025)

Do you play other sports?  

I actively participate in both baseball and golf.

Name a person you admire?

Jesus Christ. He is not only a role model for how I aspire to live my life as a man of faith, but he also serves as an example of how I aim to conduct myself as a sportsman, with humility, integrity, and respect for others.

Name three people you would invite to share lunch with and why?

Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, and Tom Brady. I would value the chance to learn from their insights into both the mental and physical demands of elite sport and to better understand how they developed the mindset and discipline necessary to achieve sustained excellence.

Over the past five weeks, we’ve had the pleasure of connecting with parents across all year levels through our Parent Engagement Talks. These conversations have been an invaluable opportunity to strengthen the home and school partnership and explore how we can work together to support our students' learning and wellbeing.

Throughout these sessions, we focused on several key areas:

• Current classroom learning – What teaching and learning look like now, and our goals for future improvement.
• Classroom routines and structures – How we foster safe, supportive, and effective learning environments.
• Assessment and home routines – Clarifying assessment tasks, homework expectations, and ways families can support learning at home.
• Practical family support – Tips for setting up study spaces, creating routines, and having regular conversations about school.

Research consistently shows that strong partnerships are linked to improved academic outcomes, student motivation, and overall wellbeing. We are grateful to all the families who participated and look forward to continuing these meaningful conversations in the future.

Year 10 Subject Selections: Planning for the Future

Last Friday, we began the important process of subject selection with our Year 10 students. Mr Gasparotto, Mrs Abel, and the PDHPE team led discussions focused on pathways, careers, personal strengths, and areas for growth. These early conversations are designed to help students reflect on their interests and begin planning for life beyond school. Last week in the newsletter, Mrs Abel discussed the importance of these lessons.

Later this term, our Leaders of Learning and Teaching will provide in-depth overviews of all Stage 6 courses, including:

• Course content and key topics
• Literacy and numeracy demands
• Course structure, major works, and assessment components

In Week 10, students will receive a Subject Selection Handbook that outlines all available Stage 6 courses. We encourage families to review this resource together over the holiday break.

Subject Selection Evening – Term 3, Week 1

We invite all Year 10 families to attend our Subject Selection Evening on Thursday, Week 1 of Term 3. This event is a crucial step in helping students make informed choices for their senior years.

The evening will include:

• Key information on the HSC, ATAR, and subject selection process
• Details on alternate pathways, including SBATs, VET, and more
• Insights from representatives of TAFE NSW, the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University, Central Coast Group Training, and CSBB

Each student will receive a personalised package including:

• A “Student on a Page” document (with academic data, attendance, and recommended subjects)
• A UAC guide and helpful resources

Following this event, families will attend a subject selection interview, during which students will receive their unique Edval code to finalise their course selections.

Our subject selection process is structured to be both rigorous and supportive. Our aim is to ensure every student chooses a pathway aligned with their goals, interests and strengths. The time and commitment required from families are both valued and appreciated.

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you to support your child’s journey into Stage 6 and beyond.

Alexandra Walters | Deputy Head of Student Achievement 7-12

Last term, we asked parents to give us an idea of what homework looks like for MacKillop students. This term, we are asking the students to provide details about their homework habits. Secondary students in Years 7-12, please complete the survey here to help us get a better understanding of your homework practices.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=6TdW9-zmC0maab_Nfg2vr0OrWxQR8ilOgTbfI0I-l1tUQkhPMkNLV0dWNkEzUDFENUhJUFdYQkowVS4u

Erin Sullivan | K-12 Professional Growth Lead

Youth Ministry has been well and truly alive at MacKillop during Term 2. The term began with students attending the Youth Leaders in Action conference, organised by Catholic Mission and held at St Vincent’s College, Ashfield. During the evening conference, our students had the opportunity to mix with other like-minded senior students from other Catholic Colleges around Sydney. Together, they attended a variety of workshops that explored relevant topics, including the impact of the fashion industry on the planet's sustainability, global poverty, and acts of solidarity related to migrants and refugees.

Pharus students, who are the Mission leaders in the College, have been busy helping out with the Mother’s Day Mass and organising the Youth Group during the Youth Mass, which takes place on the last Sunday of each month. From next week onwards, the Pharus students will be running a Spark Session each Friday during Break 1 in the Ryan Centre. Spark Sessions are opportunities for students to come together and discuss topics that are meaningful for them. Next week, the topics will be the impact of Mental Health on students and the importance of social media in their lives. All are welcome to come along.

Year 10 Youth Ministry students were able to have a big impact on the faith development of students at St Mary’s Primary school. The Youth Ministry students joined St Mary’s to help celebrate the Feast Day of Mother Mary, where the Year 10 students ran workshops featuring trivia and games that helped deepen the primary students’ understanding of who Mother Mary is and why she is so important within the Catholic Church.

The Shine conference, held at St Peter’s last Friday, was a major opportunity for Youth Ministry students to deepen their own exploration of their faith. Through song, testimony, and creative workshops like craft, dance and drama, students were able to engage with their faith. They were also able to interact with other Youth Ministry students from other CSBB schools and learn about how Youth Ministry is implemented. The highlight of the day was the final section of prayer, which built up to Adoration, where students are able to engage with the Blessed Sacrament through prayer and song.

Term 2 still has much to offer for Youth Ministry, with the Connecting Catholic Coasties pilgrimage to St Pat’s in East Gosford in Week 7, the Venio Retreat taking place in Week 8, and the Ignite Conference during the holidays.

Ashley Sadler | Youth Ministry Coordinator

If you are interested in hosting a student, please contact Mr Kilham. We still require 4 more families to host boys.  Students, please be aware that JUMP hours are awarded for hosting, as well as for the opportunity to participate in class exchanges, a visit to the Reptile Park with the Japanese students, and a farewell party/festival during the stay. Families will also receive some financial support for hosting a student. The Nihon University Daiichi Junior High School students will be visiting from Sunday, 27 July, until Sunday, 10 August 2025.

If you and your family are interested in this wonderful cross-cultural opportunity, please email me at andrew.kilham@dbb.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Kilham | Leader of Learning and Teaching Language, Japanese

The Parish would like to invite parents of children who are baptised Catholic and wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation to attend the upcoming

Parent Enrolment and Information Night on Thursday, 19th June at 7:00 pm in the Church.  

Please note that enrolment letters and forms will be sent to each child in Year 3.

Best regards

Kim McCarthy | Parish Secretary
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish, Warnervale

Ph: 8379 1740

First Holy Communion

With First Holy Communion just around the corner, I’d like to share Mary’s Faithful Wardrobe with the community. We offer a beautiful collection of sacramental garments that are available to borrow for your child’s special day. If you’re in need of a garment, please see the details below.

Blessings,

Lucy Marien | Parent Engagement Coordinator

Camps are an integral part of school life. Away from the daily classroom, teachers and students have an opportunity to engage in new experiences and master new skills.

Listed below are tentative camp dates for 2025. Please consider these dates when booking holidays or other leave requests to take your child/ren out of school. As camps are compulsory school events, we are unable to credit or refund camp costs for non-attendance.

Year 5                 29 October to 31 October 2025

Year 9                 15 - 17 September 2025 // New date

Year 10              28 July to 29 July 2025

Year 11              3 November to 5 November 2025

Mon 09 Jun - King's Birthday Public Holiday
Thu 19 Jun - Year 3 Confirmation Parent Information & Enrolment meeting
Sun 22 Jun - Year 3 Confirmation Session 1
Thu 26 Jun - 2:00PM - 8:00PM Sec Parent Teacher Interview Evening
Thu 26 Jun - 3:30PM - 6:30PM Pri Parent Teacher Interviews Evening
Fri 27 Jun - 8:45AM - 3:00PM K-12 Parent Teacher Day
Sun 29 Jun - 10:00AM - 11:00AM Pri Yr 3 Confirmation Session 2
Fri 4 July - K-12 Pupil Free Day and Year 7-11 Report Released

For the most up to date information please refer to Compass