MacKillop Chronicles 2023, Week 3 Term 2
Thursday 11 May, 2023
MacKillop Primary students from Years 5 and 6 took part in the College at the Northern Central Coast round of the Paul Kelly Cup. The boy's team played incredibly well, winning three of their five games and finishing 3rd for the day. The girl's team went through the competition undefeated and will progress to the regional final later in the year. Congratulations to all the students involved in the day!
MCC students for Years 2 -12, took part in their Annual Athletics Carnival over 2 days at Mingara. Primary hit the track running on Wednesday 10 May, and Secondary on Thursday 11. All participants gave their events 100% effort while having fun in the amazing Autumn sun.
NSW CCC Netball Championships Congratulations to Lara Stewart, Chloe Radocaj and Mia Jackson who were selected in the U15's BBSSSA netball team that participated in the NSWCCC netball trials at Menai last week.Well done!
On Wednesday 17 May, 0ur 2023 Intermediate and Senior Team will compete in a combined heat against other Central Coast and Newcastle schools. Please come along and support our teams. Tickets are available for $10 at the door. The Competition Show starts at 7 pm, and the anticipated finish time: is 9.45 pm.
Community Feedback: Uniting provides a range of services, programs and family-based centres. They are seeking your feedback to help shape the Warnervale Family Project funded by the Department of Social Services for the next 3 years. Please take a moment to provide your valuable feedback about what is needed for families in the Warnervale area to help shape this project and provide help to those in need. https://forms.office.com/r/DcgUU2BbqX
Remember to check Compass for up-to-date news and information on events
and contact us on 7256 2116 for enquiries.
Primary Matters
Dear Community,
Sunday Gospel Account
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." John 14: 15-21. We are spiritual beings visiting Earth briefly in human form. Having trust in Jesus is having trust that our souls will live forever. Hand your troubles and worries over to God. He made us to care and look over us. This Sunday’s Gospel is about following and having trust in Jesus.
Athletics Carnival
What a wonderful day at Mingara. Once again Mrs Denneman produced another well-run carnival where the children were engaged in meaningful and fun athletics pursuits. A big thank you to all the parent volunteers and Year 10 PASS students for making the carnival run smoothly. Some of the individual efforts by the children indicate how healthy the athletic pedigree is at MacKillop.
Mother’s Day Celebration
Yesterday the children were provided with an opportunity to purchase a lovely gift for their mums and carers. My thanks to the parents who ran the stall and provide such a valuable service.
We have been gearing up all week for a beautiful morning celebrating our mums and significant women in our lives. A hot breakfast and refreshments are available from 7:00 – 8:45. Mass will be held at 7:30, and at assembly, the choir will perform some songs to celebrate Mother’s Day. Rooms will be open for about 20 minutes for parents to read with their children or do a small activity.
It is my hope that the children and males will spoil our beautiful mums this Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day to all our beautiful women.
Assembly this Friday @ 1:20 pm
Our fortnightly awards assembly will be held in the hall this Friday. Parents are always welcome to attend.
Parent and Friends Gathering
It was wonderful to see close to 30 parents at our explore what is possible meeting last night in the library. The parents gathered were shown the draft Catholic Schools Broken Bay Parents Charter and encouraged to write down what they would like to see from parental involvement in the school. We will collate the information and as a College will come up with a way forward that suits the K – 12 school that we have here at MacKillop.
Kindergarten Enrolment for 2024
Our records indicate that we have several enrolment forms not submitted yet from current families. We are genuinely getting close to the full 4 streams for next year, so please do not delay any more. Spread the word that the time is now to avoid disappointment.
Seasons For Growth Begins
Our Seasons For Growth healing from trauma and loss program has begun for children in the early stages of our College. This will run throughout the term with a view for the program to be repeated in Term 3 for the upper grades.
MacKillop Playgroup every Friday
If you have pre-schoolers come along and join other families as our new playgroup takes root. Children are engaged in fun activities and play-based tasks while the parents make new friends. Please contact the school to indicate your involvement or register here: https://forms.office.com/r/uMPyb8Xq4s
A Thought for the Week…
“A mother understands what a child does not say.” Jewish Proverb
God Bless
Frank Cohen
Primary Principal
Little Lighthouse Playgroup
Family Reading and Pizza Night
Order now on Qkr or bring your own picnic.
Parent Engagement Co-ordinator
We are excited to welcome Lucy Marien as the new MCC Parent Engagement Co-ordinator for Primary. She has 3 daughters, two of whom are students at MacKillop in Year 5 and Year 1, and one is still at preschool. So she knows what it is like to be a Parent in our school community.
Lucy will be working with the school and the parish to help build and support our community, as well as our students and families' well-being.
Secondary News
Prayer for Mother’s Day.
Loving God,
You have loved us with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3)
You have loved us even more as a mother loved her child. Today, we give you thanks and praise for the gift of mothers.
We pray for the mothers-to-be, who are just beginning to be the bearers of new life in them, may they welcome their forthcoming child with loving anticipation and joy.
We pray for the young mothers, may they cherish their children with tender care and unconditional love.
We pray for the mothers who are separated from their children especially because of war, poverty, conflict, violence and for any other reasons.
Comfort them, strengthen their hope, and let them feel your loving embrace that wipes every tear away.
We pray for all mother figures, those who have loved, surrounded, and shaped us with motherly care and compassion.
We especially pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us, Their sacrifices and care gave us a glimpse of the extent of your love for us.
Thank you for them.
Grant health, blessings, and well-being to those of our mothers who are still alive.
We also remember those mothers who are no longer with us.
While they live forever in our hearts and memory grant them eternal rest and reward for their labours.
AMEN
Happy Mother’s Day to all our mums and significant women in all our lives.
Learning:
- Teacher Learning
Every two years, Apple opens applications for its Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) program. This program has been running for more than 25 years worldwide and recognises educators who use Apple technology to transform teaching and learning in innovative and engaging ways. This year, Ms Amelia Goodwin, one of our English and HSIE teachers, was named among only 16 teachers across Australia as an Apple Distinguished Educator. She joins two previously awarded ADEs in Catholic Schools in Broken Bay, including Erin Sullivan, our Leader of Professional Growth at MCC. They will both be attending the ADE institute later this term to network with other ADEs across the Asia-Pacific region to learn and share their skills. This is a significant achievement and one we at MacKillop are most proud of. Congratulations, Miss Goodwin.
- High Commendation and Year 12 Academic Awards Assembly
Friday 12 May, we will be holding our Term 1 Awards Ceremony at 12 noon and all parents are warmly invited to attend.
For Years 7 - 11, they will be awarded High Commendation Awards. These awards are not so much about academic prowess but about students who have truly shown engagement and effort during Term 1. These students are those who understand the importance of developing a work ethic and always trying to do their best. Every teacher in every subject is asked to nominate one student from each of their classes for this award. These awards are given at the end of Term 1 and 3. Academic Awards are presented at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2.
Year 12 commenced their Year 12 HSC course in Term 4 last year. So, they have completed their first semester and as a result, will be presented with their Academic Awards for this semester. These are for students who have placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in each HSC subject.
These award ceremonies are always a wonderful way to recognise our students for their effort towards their learning and we look forward to tomorrow.
- JUMP Immersion
Learning comes in many forms. It can be the day-to-day academic work in the classroom, the interactions between people and through experiences we encounter.
Our JUMP program was designed to assist teenagers who are often quite ego-centric by nature, to look beyond themselves and see the marginalised and poor in our society and then be proactive to volunteer assistance to help where possible and needed.
This program has been exceedingly successful, and students have had opportunities to observe and be involved in many events and programs that they normally would not encounter.
The JUMP Leaders have aimed to develop immersion experiences to further our student's knowledge and education. Due to COVID, this has been delayed but this year we were finally able to offer our first immersion which occurred over the school holidays and week 1 of Term 2 and both our students and staff who attended all speak so highly of this Red Earth Immersion.
We thank Mrs Baxter, who researched and organised this amazing experience, and Mrs Swords and Mr Wallis, who attended this immersion with Mrs Baxter and the students.
- Red Earth Immersion
On Tuesday 18 May, a group of eighteen Year 9 through to Year 12 students, along with Mrs Baxter, Mr Wallis and Ms Swords headed off at a ridiculously early hour from the College to Sydney Airport. During their 10-day immersion, students had the privilege and very rare opportunity to camp on privately owned Aboriginal land and to make deep connections with the Traditional Owners. They learned about culture and history, had fun jewellery making and foraging for witchety grubs, tasting kangaroo tail, tried their best in language class, went hiking at the beautiful Kings Canyon, as well as participating in service projects at both of the homelands that we visited.
Each day was jam-packed with wonderful activities led by two amazing Red Earth Leaders in Felix and his assistant Hamish. Both were incredibly knowledgeable about the Northern Territory; in particular Atnarpa and Sandy Bore where we stayed. They also had a strong understanding and connection with the Elders and other community members. Matt our bus driver was quirky, had a love for country music and made sure we were safe on the dry, and at times very rough roads of outback Australia.
Duty groups were allocated which meant students had to work together on certain tasks each day; cooking, cleaning, blog writing or support crew. As a result, many new friendships formed as they navigated roles and responsibilities, working together to ensure everyone was happy, healthy, well-nourished, and ready for the following day. Each night students would also reflect on their experiences and learnings, further considering what they might take away from the adventures that day had brought, before retiring to their swags, mostly exhausted. The best part of going to bed was lying and looking at the amazing sky, filled with a blanket of stars as we had never seen before. Just magic!
For anyone who would like to read more about our RED EARTH Cultural Immersion and experiences via the daily blog, please use the following link and login details:
http://immersion.redearth.edu.au/
Username: CA2308
Password: CA2308mackillop
A Reflection Evening will be held in Week 5 where students will present to their parents and other special guests. Here they become ambassadors for the Traditional Owners whose land they visited sharing hopes and dreams for the future.
Mother’s Day Mass and BBQ:
We invite all our mothers and significant mother figures of our students to attend our Mother’s Day Mass at 7.30 am tomorrow Friday 12 May in our Church and to our BBQ which commences at 7 am and concludes at 8.45 am.
Year 7 Camp:
On Wednesday 3 May, Year 7 gathered in the TAS driveway to embark on our journey to The Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens. For many in Year 7, this was their first time ever being away from family for a school overnight trip. When we arrived at camp students set themselves up in their tent groups and organised their beds before getting instructions on mealtimes and activity groups.
Activities for the camp included orienteering, the leap of faith, survivor challenge, crate climb, vertical challenge, team challenge and Archery.
The first night, was perfect conditions for the commando activities with a full moon. Students had to locate hostages using stealth and go undetected by teachers hiding in the forest. Students made a good effort and came close but the teachers came out the winners. It was very easy to spot the students as many were laughing and had flashlights on. Students went for supper and were warmed by the fire before going to bed.
It was an early start Thursday with students looking very tired. There were 4 activities planned for the day, the students all got involved and were helping each other out, displaying great teamwork. That night students did a night hike to the indoor climbing centre for a disco.
On Friday students were responsible for packing up the campsite ready for a 1 o’clock departure, before going off to 2 more activities.
It was great to witness Year 7 step outside their comfort zone and establish friendships and deeper connections with their house groups. Mr Rickards was very proud of the way they got in and got involved in the program.
We would like to thank Mrs Gorman, Miss Greenwood, Mr O’Malley, Mr Sheely, Mrs Calder, Mrs Moore, and Mrs Black for giving up their time away from families to make the Year 7 camp possible. A special thank you to Mr Rickards who organised the entire camp and worked so hard over the 3 days away.
Athletics Carnival:
Thursday 11 May, all our students went to Mingara for the annual Athletics carnival. They arrived this morning very excited and ready for a great day as a community and win points for their House. So very proud of them all.
Winter Uniform:
We wish to thank our parents for supporting us in ensuring our students all commenced wearing their Winter uniforms this week. They looked resplendent in their blazers, long pants and stockings and they certainly represent their families and our College with pride.
As always, the uniform will be checked each morning and hopefully, there will be no detentions this term for 3 infringements. If there is an issue with the uniform any morning, simply write us a note explaining what has occurred and when this will be rectified.
New Phone System:
At the end of Week 4, we will no longer have phone lines with our provider and will be moving to using our Microsoft Teams Lines where all calls come through our server. This has been the decision of the Catholic Schools Broken Bay Head Office for all the schools within our diocese.
Our phone numbers will change, and we will be sending out all the information for this to you by the end of Week 4. We expect some teething problems, so we ask for your patience when all this occurs.
Important Dates for Term 2 Week 3:
Mon – International Day of Families
Tues – Evacuation Drill
Wed – Theatre Sports competition at 7 pm. All are invited to our Theatre.
Fri – Shine Ministry at St. Peters
Heads-Up for Events this term:
- Parent-Teacher Meetings:
Just a heads up that Semester 1 Reports will be sent later this term and then Parent Teacher Meetings will be held on Thursday 22 June, from 1.30 pm to 8 pm and all-day Friday,23 June 23 from 8.45 to 3.30 pm. Information will come out shortly about how to make bookings on COMPASS as we did last year.
- Staff Training in June
All staff in our Diocese have to undergo Safeguarding Training this year. For the Secondary Staff, this has been organised by Catholic Schools Broken Bay on Thursday 8 June, from 1-3 pm. Therefore, there will be no Sport this Thursday and all students, 7-12 will be able to go home at 1 pm. We will have supervision for those who cannot arrange to leave at this time.
Final Word
If you have any questions or concerns always, please contact the College.
Remember to check COMPASS, our website and, our Facebook pages for information.
God bless.
Debra Ferguson
Secondary Principal
SOS - Navigating Vaping and Social Media
