MacKillop Chronicles Term 3, Week 5

Dear Community,

Restructure Update

As promised in my previous communication, I will continue to update our community on the College restructuring. To date, we have interviewed all 160 staff members and invited some for further consultation. The final consultation process was completed today, and I can report to you that the majority of our 160 staff are not impacted by the restructure and will continue as planned.

Regrettably, four staff in the secondary school will not be continuing their journey with us at MacKillop as a direct result of restructure.  This includes Kathy-Marie Yates, Ryan Herbert, Monica Boyd and Jillian Young, who are finishing at MacKillop Catholic College. Each of these staff members have served the MacKillop Community with devoted professionalism. They have shown enthusiasm and passion for their subject areas and have demonstrated genuine care and concern for their students. We thank them for their professional contributions, the friendships they have forged with colleagues, and the role they have played on the MacKillop shared journey. On behalf of the College, we wish Kathy-Marie, Ryan, Monica and Jillian all the very best in their future endeavours. They will be missed by staff and students. 

Please be assured that we will maintain continuity of learning through our very capable MacKillop teachers. 

Next Steps

There are some promotional leadership roles available, and the process of interviewing staff commences this Thursday for impacted staff. It is expected that additional leadership roles will then be made available to further staff who are aspirational and seek career progression. I will update you when I have key appointments added to the organisational chart for 2026. 

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Careers Education  

The role of Careers education in the world of contemporary education and workforce readiness is fascinating. Careers education is the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes through a planned program of learning experiences that MacKillop will put in place to help students inform their decision-making processes about their work-related options. This includes but is not limited to career advice and career skills development. It is, in fact, any print, electronic or spoken information that helps students understand the world of contemporary employment, education and training opportunities related to work. At its very best, careers education is student-centric and seeks to identify the aspirations of students as young as Stage 3. It then puts strategies and programs of learning in place that support students in being able to identify their own talents and aptitude for careers. It goes beyond offering careers advice and positions students readiness for the world of contemporary work. 

One of the greatest challenges faced by youth is navigating the 'ocean' of information that they have available to them. Much of which is nationally and state-based data and often lacks a localised understanding of what is available and how to access it. Another challenge is that while schools have traditionally endeavoured to teach the 3 R's, what has been lacking are the micro-credentialling, everyday skillsets necessary for future-readiness. Our young people need these everyday life skills to make meaning and operate in their lives as they take their place in the future. 

We are delighted to be able to offer this micro-credentialling course from 2026 that will benefit our young people with job-relevant skills that demonstrate competencies in a range of areas. It will be offered as an elective from Year 9 at MacKillop, and I sincerely thank Mrs Corrine Patil for the work that has gone into developing the curriculum for MacKillop. For more information related to this course, please contact Mrs Alex Walters, Deputy Head of Student Achievement EL-12, on alex.walters@dbb.catholic.edu.au.

Sincerely,

Tanya Appleby | College Principal

PLAYGROUP NEWS

Last Thursday, we held our fortnightly Playgroup, Little Lighthouse, and had a fantastic time exploring shaving cream painting! The children created beautiful, swirling artworks by mixing colours into the foam.  It was messy, creative, and lots of fun.

As always, the parachute activity was a favourite. The kids loved watching the colourful balls bounce and fly off the parachute.  Lots of laughter all around!

To finish off the morning, Mrs Crowe read The Gruffalo during story time, which was a lovely way to wind down.

Next Playgroup: Thursday, 28 August
Bring your pre-schooler along for another morning of fun and connection!

FATHER’S DAY STALL (K–6)

Our Father’s Day Stall will be held on Monday, 1 September. All Primary students will visit the stall with their class and have the opportunity to purchase a gift for their dad or a special person in their life.

Students may purchase up to 2 gifts
All gifts are $5 each

Please send money in a zip-lock bag clearly labelled with your child’s name to help them keep it safe and organised.

FATHER’S DAY RAFFLE (K–12)

We’re excited to announce our Father’s Day Raffle, which will be drawn on Friday, 5 September, during the Primary morning assembly. 

Tickets: $2 each or 3 for $5

Primary students can purchase tickets at the Father’s Day stall on Monday, 1 September.
Secondary students can buy tickets during break times at the COLA on Monday, 1 September.

Again, please send money in a zip-lock bag clearly labelled with your child’s name to help them keep it safe and organised.

All proceeds will go towards the new Primary School playground build.

Some of the Prizes include:

• 25L BCF Ice Box (valued at $89.99)
• Wanderer Premium Cooler Armchair (valued at $99.99)
• Bistro vouchers for The Dam Hotel
• Voucher from Donut King Lake Haven

FATHER’S DAY LITURGY & BREAKFAST (K–12)

We warmly invite all dads, carers and special male role models to join us for our Father’s Day Liturgy and Breakfast on Friday, 5 September.

Breakfast: 7:00 am–8:45 am at the COLA
Liturgy: 7:30 am in the Church
Primary classrooms will be open for you to visit following the morning assembly.

Please send a photo of your child with their father or special person to Mrs Farrell at zoe.farrell@dbb.catholic.edu.au  to be included in the Liturgy slideshow.

RSVP for catering by Monday, 1 September: https://forms.office.com/r/Nsty31W11D

We look forward to welcoming you on Friday, 5 September.

Warm regards,

Lucy Marien | Parent Engagement Coordinator

A Vibrant Community

MacKillop is always a busy place with lots happening.  There are always so many amazing opportunities on offer for our students, most of them provided by our dedicated staff who are always looking for meaningful ways to further engage the kids in their education.

I often think about my own education.  Make no mistake, I thoroughly enjoyed my education at Cessnock High School but it's fair to say that it didn’t come with the wide-ranging opportunities that exist here at MacKillop.

Whilst it’s important to note that the teaching and learning will always be the cornerstone of what we offer at MCC, the co-curricular and faith formation opportunities are also vital in their contribution to a truly holistic Catholic education.

When choosing a school for your child, I personally hope that most parents want their child’s journey to be well-rounded and truly holistic, where their experiences are broad rather than focused in just one area.  MacKillop offers this type of education.

If I just look at a recent one-week snapshot alone, students in Secondary School have had the chance to engage with such fantastic opportunities.  There have been sporting competitions, a snow trip to Perisher, House activities on MacKillop Day, a whole school Mass for Feast Day, amazing activities throughout Science Week, a motivational speaker for our Student Leaders, Brainstorm Productions for Years 7 to 10, HSC Trial Examinations (OK, that might be less than exciting), our Japanese Exchange Program, a visit to BStreetSmart for our Year 10s, a reptile show, etc.  The activities I mention aren't an exhaustive list, but it gives you some idea of what’s on offer at MCC.

Next time you ask your child, “What happened at school today?” and they reply with “Not much, it's pretty boring”.  I encourage you to probe a little further.  Our teachers are truly committed to providing that incredible holistic education, and I sincerely hope that our students understand just how fortunate they are.

God bless,

Paul Lynch | Head of Secondary

Greg Inglis is coming to Mackillop Catholic College! 2nd December 2025

One of rugby league’s greatest players, Greg Inglis, will be visiting Mackillop Catholic College to share his journey of triumphs and hardship after a glittering career. This is part of the Stick With It campaign, which encourages people to seek help during tough times.

Find out more about the campaign:

Watch the video

Exclusive Student Lunch with Greg Inglis!

After his talk, Greg will have lunch with a select group of students to discuss his experiences further.

Want to be in the draw? Here’s how to qualify:

 85%+ Attendance in Term 3 & 4 (From Week 3)

10+ Merits in Term 3 & 4 (From Week 3)

 No Afternoon Detentions in Term 3 & 4 (From Week 3)

 Open to all Secondary MCC students

 Eligible students will be entered into a ballot and drawn before the visit

"I want people to know that they're not alone, and it is OK to actually reach out."

— Greg Inglis

Luke Barry-Donnellan | Director of Wellbeing K - 12

In Week 2 of this term, Year 10 attended an overnight retreat at the CRU Lake Mac Camp and Conference Centre. This was the first time we had attended a retreat at this centre as a College and we were very impressed with the facilities on offer.  The students were treated to a huge new dining Hall and new accommodation blocks, as well as the use of state-of-the-art rock-climbing equipment. The venue also boasts a beautiful lake view and offers many activities, such as outdoor volleyball, for students to enjoy during free time.

Retreats are integral to student spiritual formation. It is important for our students to take time away from their learning and focus on their spirituality and wellbeing. The theme of the retreats was ‘Positive relationships’. Our Youth Ministry Coordinator, Dr Ashley Sadler, unpacked the theme with the students, and they participated in various workshops looking at their relationship with God, self, and others. As a Year group, they participated in the celebration of the Eucharist with our Parish Priest, Fr Philip, and then continued their formation further with various prayer stations. This is a very special time where students continue to reflect on the theme of positive relationships, but also share in various forms of prayer. We are always so proud of our students who are open to sharing in different types of formation and encourage them to continue exploring this at Youth Ministry events in the future.

Year 10 finished off their night with an animated Trivia night led by Mr Lee Wilkins and Mr Craig Morely.

We are so grateful to the staff who attended and led the retreat program, and we are proud of the student engagement in the retreat overall.

Blessings,

Chrystal Price Deputy Head: Evangelisation and Catechesis

The Religious Creative Arts Competition is back for its 11th year, and all students from Kindergarten to Year 10 are encouraged to take part. This well-established event, hosted by Catholic Schools Broken Bay, celebrates the incredible skill, creativity, and faith of young people across our diocese.

Here at MacKillop Catholic College, we are proud to have had past students recognised for their outstanding talents in previous years, and now it’s your turn to shine!

The competition invites students to explore the 2025 theme: WITNESS – “You will receive power from the Holy Spirit… and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). This is your opportunity to creatively express what it means to live out this value in your own unique way.

Students can enter one of five categories:

• Visual Arts
• Dance
• Drama
• Music
• Short Film

Key Dates:

• All submissions are due to the school by Friday, 22nd August (Week 5, Term 3).

Finalists will also have the unique opportunity to perform alongside industry professionals. A truly awesome opportunity and experience!

Let your creativity speak your faith. Enter the Religious Creative Arts Competition 2025!

Blessings,

Michelle Baxter | Religious Education Coordinator 7 - 12

JUMP Term 3 Update

It’s been a fantastic start to the Term for JUMP! We’ve already seen many of our students generously give their time through volunteering at Toukley Neighbourhood Centre, making a real difference in our local community. Thank you to all who have stepped up to serve.

We’re also excited to welcome our new Outreach Parliament members to the JUMP team. We look forward to the energy, ideas, and leadership you will bring as we continue to grow our program.

Winter Sleepout – Friday 22nd August

This Friday, we will be holding our Winter Sleepout, open to students from Year 6 to Year 12. It promises to be a rewarding and eye-opening evening as we hear from guest speakers representing Bikers Hand, Coast Shelter, and Toukley Neighbourhood Centre. Alongside raising awareness about homelessness and social justice, the night will also be a fun and meaningful opportunity to come together as a community.

Looking Ahead

Later in the Term, remember that JUMP hours are due on Friday of Week 9. Please make sure you have all your volunteering hours for this term recorded and submitted on time.

Thank you to all our students for your commitment, compassion, and service. We can’t wait to see the amazing things the rest of the term holds for JUMP!

James Hodgson | JUMP Outreach Coordinator

It has been an exciting time in Japanese at MCC. We hosted our sister school for two weeks, and our Year 12 Japanese Continuers students completed their speaking examination.

HSC Speaking examination:

We want to congratulate our Year 12 Japanese Continuers students on completing the speaking component of their course on Saturday, 16/8 at Gosford High School. This 10-minute speaking task requires students to respond to the examiner’s questions based on the prescribed topics as they relate to their personal world. The speaking exam is essentially a conversation in Japanese based on the themes of the individual, the Japanese Speaking Communities and the Changing world.

Preparation for this exam really begins in Year 11 as speaking questions are covered for every topic. There is dedicated class time to focus on this macro-skill. Our class showed great dedication in the lead-up to Saturday’s task. Students had daily Zoom sessions after school over two weeks for conversation practice with their teacher, Mrs Kilham. She is very proud of our students for their enthusiasm and dedication. She reported daily growth in their confidence and ability to communicate in spoken Japanese. Congratulations to our Year 12 Japanese Continuers class:

Thomas A, Nathaniel A, Amelia B, Evie D-F, and Joshua T

Sister school visit:

We enjoyed a very special time with our Japanese sister school students from July 27^th to August 10^th. Our MCC students truly embraced the opportunity to learn more about the Japanese language and culture from students of a similar age. We also enjoyed sharing our Australian culture and lifestyle with the Nihon Daiichi students and teachers.

A huge thank you (arigatou!) to our generous host families who looked after the Japanese students. It was very clear from our farewell assembly that strong and lasting friendships have been made. There will be a full report on the sister school visit in the 2025 yearbook.

Andrew Kilham | Leader of Learning - Japanese

Year 12 HSC Practical Examinations – Term 3

Term 3 is an incredibly busy Term for our Year 12 Performing Arts students. In addition to preparing for the Trial Examinations, they are also preparing for the HSC Practical Examinations in Dance, Drama and Music. Dance students performed their core performance, core composition and major performances on 18^th August. Drama students will be performing their Group Performance and Individual Performances on 4^th September. For students who choose not to do a solo performance, they are also submitting their design project on Monday, 25^th August. For Music, they will be performing their core and elective performances on 17^th September. A team of visiting examiners from N.E.S.A attend MacKillop and assess the students’ major works in the Theatre and Music Rooms. We are proud of the progress each student has made, and we wish them well in these practical examinations.

Academic Classes Update – Term 3

Our elective Dance class has been experimenting with commercial dance and photography to create some stunning artistic dance photographs. We thank Mrs Wells for her assistance with this. Elective Drama has begun their study of the work of the famous practitioner Constantin Stanislavski and his role in the development of Realism. They are now preparing monologues to present for their assessment this term. Elective Music classes have been studying a range of styles and genres and developing both their individual and ensemble skills.

Extra-Curricular Performing Arts – Term 3

In the extra-curricular domain, performing arts students have continued to shine. The Vocal Group performed in their first-ever eisteddfod, Hawkesbury City Eisteddfod, and placed third. Congratulations to this group of students and their teachers, Mrs Caruana and Mrs Hale, who prepared them. Our Secondary academic dancers and Primary dance troupes are also preparing to perform in the Central Coast Catholic Schools Dance Showcase being hosted by St Peter’s. See below for more information. We wish them all the best for this inaugural event.

Sharon Baird | Leader of Learning Performing Arts

Join us in celebrating a night of dance with our CSBB Community! 

You're invited to an exclusive evening celebrating the talent, creativity, and passion of our CSBB Central Coast dance students. Featuring performances by students from St Peter’s, Mackillop, St Joseph's, St Brigid's, St Cecilia's, St John Fisher and Our Lady of the Rosary. This event will showcase the exciting routines currently being developed in our dance programs and is a special opportunity to connect with Dance students from our primary feeder schools and secondary schools, as we come together to build a stronger, united dance community. 

When: Thursday 28th August

https://compasstix.com/e/snl0pg3af1

Work placement successes in Vocational Education

Term 3 has been an inspiring and productive time for our Vocational Education and Training (VET) students at MacKillop Catholic College. With a strong focus on work placements, students have been immersed in authentic industry settings, gaining the experience, skills, and confidence needed to prepare for life beyond the College.

Work Placement in Business Services

Our Business Services students have had the opportunity to complete placements in local offices and administrative environments, where they applied their classroom learning to real workplace scenarios. These experiences not only ensured compliance with course requirements but also allowed students to:

• Refine their organisational and digital literacy skills
• Develop professional communication in business contexts
• Build confidence in handling workplace responsibilities

By engaging with employers and industry professionals, students are developing the adaptability and problem-solving skills essential for future careers in administration, management, or further business studies.

Work Placement in Construction

Students undertaking the Construction framework gained valuable insights into the trade through structured work placements on active building sites. Guided by experienced tradespeople, they were able to:

• Apply WHS (Work Health and Safety) practices in real-world environments
• Strengthen their skills in basic construction processes and tool handling
• Understand industry expectations, time management, and teamwork on-site

These placements ensure compliance with industry and training standards, while giving students an authentic taste of what it means to contribute to a workplace team. This hands-on experience prepares them to transition smoothly into apprenticeships, traineeships, or further training in the construction industry.

Work Placement in Hospitality

Hospitality – Commercial Cookery students have thrived during their time in professional kitchens, where they worked alongside qualified chefs and hospitality staff. These placements allowed them to:

• Practise food preparation and cooking techniques in high-pressure environments
• Learn about hygiene, compliance, and food safety standards
• Develop customer service and teamwork skills essential to the hospitality sector

The feedback from industry partners has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising our students’ enthusiasm, professionalism, and willingness to learn. These experiences not only fulfil training requirements but also provide a pathway into casual work, apprenticeships, or advanced study in the hospitality industry.

Building Skills for Future Careers

Work placements are a vital part of the VET journey, bridging the gap between classroom learning and professional practice. By engaging with employers, observing industry standards, and applying their skills in real contexts, our students are:

• Meeting course compliance requirements
• Building strong, transferable employability skills
• Establishing networks that may lead to future opportunities
• Gaining the confidence to succeed in their chosen career pathways

At MacKillop Catholic College, we are proud of the commitment and professionalism demonstrated by our VET students this term. Their achievements highlight the value of Vocational Education in preparing young people for meaningful, successful futures.

Yours sincerely,
Dennis Gasparotto | Leader of Learning, Vocational Education and Training & Careers Adviser

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 11              3 November to 5 November 2025

Fri 22 Aug - Sec Winter Sleepout 

Sun 24 Aug - Youth Group & Mass

Mon 25 Aug - Sec - CSBB Jun/Int Basketball

Mon 25 Aug – Fri 29 Aug - K-12 Book Week & Scholastic Book Fair

Tue 26 Aug - K-12 Book Parade

Tue 26 Aug - Sec Year 11 Interviews for Subject Selections

Wed 27 Aug - Sec CSBB Golf

Tue 02 Sep - Sec CSBB Athletics

Thu 04 Sep - Sec CSBB 14/16 AFL

Fri 05 Sep - K-12 Father's Day Liturgy & Breakfast

Mon 08 Sep - Sec CSBB Jun/Int Basketball

Tue 09 Sep - Sec Yr 11 Exams Begin tbc

Thu 11 Sep - Sec - CSBB 14/16 AFL & Rugby 7’s

Mon 15 Sep – Wed 17 Sep - Sec - Year 9 Camp

Mon 15 Sep – Fri 26 Sep - Pri K-2 Swim Program

Tue 16 Sep - Pri Stage 3 Netball Gala Day

Mon 22 Sep - Sec Yr 12 Grad Rehearsals

Tue 23 Sep - Pri Stage 2 Netball Gala Day

Tue 23 Sep - Sec Yr 12 Charity Morning

Wed 24 Sep - Sec Yr 12 Grad Mass & Guard of Honour

Wed 24 Sep - Sec Yr 12 Awards Night

Fri 26 Sep - Sec Yr 9 PASS RAW challenge

Fri 26 Sep - K-12 Last Day of Term 3

For the most up to date information please refer to Compass