MacKillop Catholic College Warnervale eNewsletter

Thursday 31 August, 2023

Reading certainly does inspire all the staff and students at MCC, and this was clearly evident at our Book Week Parade on Wednesday. There was such a variety of amazing costumes that represented our community's love of reading and the characters that inspire us. From superheroes to fandom anti-heroes, whimsical, fantastical, inspirational and all-around FUN. So much thought and creativity went into this year's parade; thank you to all the parents and students for dressing up and taking part in our Kindy Yana - Year 12 (and staff) parade.

Save the date, Saturday 18 November, for our 20th Anniversary, adults-only, social event for members of the MCC community past and present. You can register your interest in attending here: 20th Anniversary at Wyong Leagues Club. More information to follow, but the entertainment has been booked - Steamboat Hollow, so get set to dance!! If you would like to be a part of the planning committee, please contact Lucy Marien.

Father's Day Celebrations are on Friday, 1 September. The whole College K - 12 invites all significant male role models in our MCC community to come along to a special cooked breakfast and liturgy. Breakfast from 7 am and Mass starts at 7.30 am

Primary then invites Fathers / Carers to stay for the primary choir, open classrooms and some Fathers/Carers v Year 6 sporting events.

Important reminder to Year 9 parents/carers: Please go to Compass and give permission for your child to attend Camp in Term 4. You will also need to log into the Urban Challenge and fill out their permissions: www.theurbanchallenge.com.au.The username and password have been posted on the Facebook Grade Page for Year 9 and COMPASS.

If you haven't anything on this Saturday, 2nd September, then head to the website mactrivia.com.au and book your place in the Parish Trivia. Tickets are $7 per person via the website or after Mass, and Trivia starts at 6:30 pm in MacKillop College Hall.

Remember to check Compass for up-to-date news and information on events
and contact us on 7256 2116 for enquiries.

Sacrament of First Holy Communion

If your child is in Year 4 or older and you would like him/her to receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion (First Eucharist), a program is underway at St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish at Warnervale.

First Holy Communion preparation classes have commenced. We ask you to please keep the children in our parish who are preparing for the sacrament in your prayers.

First Holy Communion will be celebrated in our Parish on Sunday 17th September at 12noon.

For more details, contact the parish office 8379 1740 or email warnervaleparish@bbcatholic.org.au

Little Lighthouse Playgroup- Postponed

Due to all our Father's Day celebrations, playgroup will be postponed this week. See you all on Friday 8 September at 9.30 am.

For more information, please contact our Parent Engagement Coordinator, Lucy Marien

Primary Matters

Dear Community,

Father's Day is a time to celebrate and honour the role of fathers in our lives. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find a notable passage that reflects the father figure influence, particularly in the spiritual realm.

In Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus uses the analogy of a human father to illustrate the goodness and care of our heavenly Father:

"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11)

Here, Jesus compares the natural inclination of earthly fathers to provide for their children's needs and desires with the even greater care and generosity of our heavenly Father. This passage highlights the concept of God as a loving and attentive Father who desires to give us good things, meet our needs, and bless us abundantly.

On Father's Day, as we honour our earthly fathers and those who take on a fatherly role, we are reminded of God's nurturing and protective role in our lives, as well as the unconditional love and care that these men strive to provide. Just as an earthly father's love is a reflection of the heavenly Father's love, we are encouraged to draw closer to God and trust in His gifts and guidance.

As we celebrate Father's Day, let's not only express gratitude to our earthly fathers and father figures but also take a moment to appreciate the spiritual wisdom and lessons that can be gleaned from the Gospel of Matthew.

Student Absences

Please ensure that if your child is absent from school, you notify us through COMPASS prior to 9 am on their day of absence. It can, however, be done well in advance if you are aware of the date and intended absence.

Thank you to Parents and Carers

Thank you to all the parents and carers out there who tirelessly encourage their children to wear the correct uniform. It is a battle that is ongoing, yet it is also what sets us apart from the other local schools in the area.

Kinder Yana

We are now three-quarters through our Term 3 Yana session for our 2024 Kindergarten children. It was lovely this week to see them, and some parents join in the love of literature and dress up in their favour book-character outfits.

Religious Education in 1 Grevillea

In Year 1, students are learning about scripture and are given the opportunity to reflect on these passages using reflection stations. Students are given the choice to use different activities to reflect upon what they have heard and watched using special materials.

PUBLIC SPEAKING FINALS - WEEK 8

Congratulations to all our students who presented a speech to their class this week. Next week our Public Speaking finals will be on Monday, 4 September, for Kindergarten and Stage 2, and Tuesday, 5 September, for Stage 1 and Stage 3. Each class in Years 1-6 has nominated two finalists, while our Kindergarten classes have 3 finalists nominated. The finalists will present their speeches to their Stage, the Stage teachers and two independent judges. We look forward to hearing their well-written, well-prepared and well-presented speeches.

YEAR 6 Northern Central Coast Public Speaking

Earlier this week, Malak and Dean competed against other Year 6 students from our Northern Central Coast schools. Both students spoke extremely well in both the prepared and impromptu speeches. A huge congratulations to Dean, who placed second and will be competing against Year 6 students from Broken Bay early next month.

Kinder and Year 11

Term 3 has seen the Year 11 Exploring Early Childhood (11EEC) students excitedly working within the Kindergarten classrooms as part of their "Starting School" unit. These students have been working in small groups and eagerly visiting their allocated kindergarten class each week, assisting the classroom teacher, and developing their interaction skills with the kindergarten students.

This week, the EEC students dressed up and paraded with their class for the book week parade. They are also about to complete their final assessment task that involves designing and implementing a 30-minute learning experience. Working in small groups, the EEC students will read a book to their allocated class, ask questions for comprehension and then facilitate a craft activity. What a lucky school we are and a wonderful celebration of the K-12 community.

Central Coast Years 3 & 4 OZTAG Gala Day

What a fabulous day our students from Years 3 and 4 had last Thursday, 24 August, at the Central Coast OZTAG Gala Day held at Umina. Our MacKillop girls' and boys' teams did us proud against some tough opposition, with the girls' team narrowly beaten in a very high-standard quarter-final.Thanks to Mr Bondfield & Miss Grace for their expert assistance.

Broken Bay Primary Athletics Carnival

It was a fabulous effort by all our MCC students involved in the Broken Bay Athletics Carnival held at Narrabeen on Wednesday, 30 August. Six students have qualified to go on to the next level of competition.

Ethan A-G (100m & 200m), Isla D (Discus), Ellis D (100m), Cameron F (100m & 200m) both first place, Lochie F (100m & Long Jump) and Aiden L (Shot Put).

Last Friday, 160 Stage 2 students from 11 catholic schools from Catholic Schools Broken Bay participated in a Soccer and Netball Gala Day. It was an amazing day filled with sportsmanship, laughs and good times. All teams performed extremely well. Congratulations to our Division 1 Year 4 Boys Soccer Team and Girls Netball team, who were undefeated! I am extremely proud of every student who attended and gave their personal best! Another proud MacKillop Day!

Sherylyn Kenney
Acting Primary Principal

School TV

This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.

All our MCC families have access to this resource: Home Page SchoolTV | MacKillop Catholic College - Warnervale

This month on SchoolTV - Respectful Relationships

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month's edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month's edition: https://mccwdbb.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships

Secondary News

From the Secondary Principal

Prayer:

This Sunday is Father’s Day

God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers, young and old.

We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation: may they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice.

We pray for all fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering: may they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow.

We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice.

We remember fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.

Amen

This Friday, we are celebrating Father’s Day at school with a barbeque breakfast from 7 am and a Mass at 7.30 am. We always have such a wonderful turnout on this day as we celebrate all those males who make a difference in children’s lives. To all our fathers and significant males in our student's lives, we say:

Thank you, and Happy Father’s Day

RISK AND DARE (RAD): making our present and future count

On Thursday, 24 and Friday 25 August, four of our Year 11 Senior Leaders and John McNamara travelled to MacKillop Place in Sydney to attend the Annual RAD Conference. Our two College Captains for 2023/24, Manuel A G and Ashleigh J, along with two Portfolio Leaders, Patrick E and Keely S, left early on Thursday morning. The Risk and Dare conference takes place over two days and involves leaders of all of our MacKillop schools from all over the country.

The RAD Conference is an advocacy event for young people focused on empowering them to become voices that challenge and act for positive change in the community and within their schools. Our four leaders were given the opportunity to attend a range of workshops during their stay, to ask questions and to learn from young people making a difference in the world today. During one workshop, leaders were given access to current members of Parliament to ask them questions about the challenges of leadership and representation of others. They were given hints on how to take issues forward that they felt passionate about in a productive way.

Throughout their stay at MacKillop Place and RAD, our leaders could share stories and inspiration with other school leaders, making genuine connections for the future. RAD truly adds value to Student Leadership.

Sister Jan remains as inspiring as she has always been, and we are indebted to her and her team for all that they did to make RAD a wonderful event. To Mackillop Place and all the staff, thanks so much for your hospitality. We also thank Mr McNamara for attending this with our students

Learning:

Education Perfect:

A regular part of our Science Week celebrations is the annual Education Perfect Science Championships. This year, our students competed against 1409 schools worldwide. Students gain points for themselves, their Science class, and our school by answering science-related questions. Each correct answer gets one point. This year, the competition was shortened to only three days, but our results were as impressive as other years. Our College ended up 4th in the world, which is an incredible achievement. Our students gained 80 certificates, ranging from 46 credits, 19 bronze, 6 silver, 3 gold, 5 emerald and one elite. The inter-class competition was closely contested this year, and the class that won the pizza lunch was Mr Herbert's 10 Blue class. Congratulations to all students who engaged in this year's Science competition. An incredible achievement to be the top school in the Diocese once again. We are excited to see your achievements next year.

Science and Engineering State Final

Our strong team of 25 regional champions headed up to The University of Newcastle for the State Championships on Wednesday, 23 August. There was a strong contingent on the day, with state and private schools battling it out to make it to the National final. Students undertook the same challenges; however, the students did not get to choose what challenges they would do this time, just to make it a bit more challenging. Groups built rovers, interpreted electricity grids, built bridges, string networks, earthquake towers, gliders, solved puzzles and communicated with each other in secret code. The winning school on the day was James Ruse Agricultural High School, a very strong competitor. MacKillop finished 4th overall, with the students pleased with the result and the fact they had made it to the state level.

The following students should be proud of their excellent achievement; Jared A, Thomas A, Kathir A-T, Jessica B, Joel B, Austin B, Isaac D’A, Travis F, Chadrick F, Jacob F, Ashton H, Leah Ki, Kalan L, Aiden M, Dylan M, Reyes McG, Harry N, Jack N, Maddison R, Fynn S, Antonio S, Tasman S, Millie T, Jarrod W and Dylan W.

Well done to all the students, and a huge thank you to Ms Walters and Mr Clair for accompanying the students.

Year 10 VALID

The Validation of Assessment for Learning and Individual Development (VALID) program is an online end-of-stage assessment for science. The test is linked to the current NSW science syllabuses and assesses students’ knowledge and skill in science. This is a statewide assessment and allows students to gauge their abilities relative to other students across the state. Usually, students would complete this in Year 8 as well, but due to COVID, this Year 10 cohort were unable to take part in that. These VALID assessments were completed by all Year 10 last Tuesday.

Year 11 Frozen Week and Preliminary Exams

Year 11 commences their Frozen Week this Thursday. This is a time where we ask all Year 11 students and all Year 11 teachers to attend every class to prepare for their Preliminary exams, which commence next Wednesday, 6 September. We wish our Year 11 all the best for these important exams.

Year 12 HSC Art Exhibition Night

On Monday night, the MCC community gathered to celebrate the journey and achievements of our Year 12 Visual Arts students, whose creativity, dedication, and artistic expression were on display at the Impressions Art Exhibition. This event marks the culmination of countless months of hard work, sleepless nights, and unwavering passion that these young artists have poured into their creations.

As we walked through the Art Gallery adorned with an array of artworks in a range of forms, including painting, graphics, photo media and drawing, we were met with a breath-taking display that spoke volumes about the depth and diversity of talent within this group.
The path these students have embarked upon was not an easy one. It has demanded sacrifice, perseverance, and a constant quest for self-discovery that often required them to push their boundaries, experiment with new techniques, accept feedback and constructive criticism and delve into the depths of their imagination to bring their visions to life. They have succeeded in creating a body of work that reflects their growth both as artists and individuals.

To the Year 12 Visual Arts students, you are not just artists but storytellers, interpreters of emotions, and architects of your worlds. Your art has the power to evoke feelings, provoke thoughts, and transcend boundaries. This exhibition was not just a celebration of the past months but a launching pad for your future endeavours, and we are all very proud of your efforts and accomplishments.

Congratulations, Year 12 Visual Arts students 2023 and well done! Also, a big thank you to their Art Teacher, Mrs Michelle Baxter and the entire art faculty.

Subject Selections

We are now finalising the subject selections for Year 11 and Year 9, 2024. Over 90% of students received their first options, with only a small number disappointed if a subject could not run due to lack of numbers or due to clashes of subjects on some Year 11 lines. These students are now being assisted to re-select.

We were very impressed with how maturely our students have completed this task of making decisions for their education.

Exploring Early Childhood

Term 3 has seen the Year 11 Exploring Early Childhood (11EEC) students excitedly working within the Kindergarten classrooms as part of their "Starting School" unit. These students have been working in small groups and eagerly visiting their allocated kindergarten class each week, assisting the classroom teacher, and developing their interaction skills with the kindergarten students.

This week, the EEC students got to dress up and parade with their class for the book week parade. They are also about to complete their final assessment task that involves designing and implementing a 30-minute learning experience. Working in small groups, the EEC students will read a book to their allocated class, ask questions for comprehension and then facilitate a craft activity. What a lucky school we are and a wonderful celebration of the K-12 community.

Book Week: READ, GROW, INSPIRE

Book Week was celebrated this week K-12 at MacKillop. Our students were involved in many activities and had a great deal of fun.
Book Week Kahoot!, K-12 Book Parade, Reading Hour and Book Week Speaker Paul Macdonald

Scholastic Book Fair – Students can visit the library to browse and buy books during breaks every day during Book Week.

Years 7-10 also entered a number of competitions and the winners will be in next week’s newsletter.

Haiku Competition Write a Haiku including one or more of the Book Week theme words, ‘READ’ ‘GROW’ ‘INSPIRE’.
Inspirational book quotes survey, look for the QR code in the library and complete the survey with an inspirational quote from a book you’ve read. What does the quote mean for you? Add your name, book title, and author.

About the Author Speaking to Secondary Students for Book Week

Paul Macdonald owns the award-winning The Children's Bookshop, which has been a Sydney literary institution since 1971. Paul has a Master of Education, working for almost 20 years as a teacher of Upper Primary and Secondary.

He has won numerous awards in teaching, such as a Quality Teacher Award and The Premiers English Scholarship. Paul won the inaugural Maurice Saxby Award in 2012 for his contributions to raising the profile of teen fiction. Paul Macdonald also was the winner of the 2016 Lady Cutler Award for services to children's literature and literacy in Australia.

Paul not only manages The Children's Bookshop but is also a consultant working with numerous schools focusing on building reading cultures, and he is currently completing his PhD focusing on Australian Young Adult literature.

Paul is the co-author of the CBCA Notable picture book, The Hole Idea, and has written several other academic texts.

Our students are so lucky to hear from Paul.

Important Dates for T3 Week 8:

Mon &Tues– Yr 11 Frozen Week
Mon – CSSB Athletics /Coast Shelter / Middle Leaders’ meetings
Tues – HSC Music Exams
Wed – Fri – Yr 11 exams
Thurs – WHS Walkthrough/ Deb at CSBB all day /

Fri – Exec meeting p1

A Heads Up:

From the beginning of Term 4, parents will not be able to download and print a hardcopy consent form from COMPASS. Instead, all parents will have to use COMPASS to both give digital permission and make any payment(s). Please refer to the Notice on COMPASS that has this information and an attachment that instructs you on how to complete these forms digitally.

New Phone System:

Our new number is 72562116. Please use this number to contact the School Office.

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

Tuning Into Kids Parenting Program

Disney Magic Trivia Night

On Friday 15 September at 7 pm get set for a magical evening. It's the Disney Magic Trivia night. This is a fundraising event for our USA Tour students which will be a fun night filled with trivia, raffles, games and prizes between rounds as well.

Dress up as your favourite Disney Character! There will be tables of 10, so you can get a group together or join up with a family whose child is going to the USA.

This is always an awesome night full of laughter!

$10 per head, available on Qkr!

Refreshments will be available to purchase on the night, BYO dinner and drinks.

Thank you for supporting our students on this amazing adventure, USA Tour 2024.

PARENT WEBINARS - ONLINE SAFETY

Technology and online spaces are full of opportunities for connection and entertainment; however, they also come with risks and responsibilities. Live webinars from the eSafety Commissioner give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.

Multiple dates in Term 3: Online boundaries and consent

Multiple dates in Term 3: Getting the most out of gaming

31 August 2023: Online relationships and consent: Sending nudes and sexting

Multiple dates in Term 3: Getting started with social media: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram
For more information regarding these webinars and to book, please visit eSaftey Parent Webinars

Lunchtime Cultural Groups

Aboriginal Support Teachers, Ms Cheney and Mrs Noah, are running Cultural lunchtime groups every Tuesday in Primary.

In the first week of our lunchtime cultural group, the students explored Aboriginal culture through stories. Together we read an Indigenous story - My Culture and Me, by Gregg Dreise. This story highlights the importance of culture and explains ways of knowing. Following this experience, the students used various materials to design their own hand artwork.

The following week, the students further explored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing through the story Big Rain Coming, by Katrina Germein. This book is filled with beautiful illustrations by Aboriginal Artist Bronwyn Bancroft, which highlights the central part that Country plays in culture. Also, this story provides knowledge and understanding of kinship and how elders carry knowledge.

The students engaged in sand art using symbols that represent the elements from the story.

Indigenous Literacy Foundation 2nd hand Book Sale

In Weeks 9-10 this term, Mini Macs and the Library will be hosting the Indigenous Literacy Foundation 2^nd Hand Book Sale. We would like to ask parents to donate good quality 2^nd hand books that we can sell to raise money for the foundation (all books will sell for 50c each).

Donated books can be sent to the Library anytime from now.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation will use the money raised to “help provide culturally relevant books and learning resources to children and families living in remote Communities across Australia. Donations also support the publishing of books written by Communities, for Communities, in languages of their choice.”

COMPASS Sign-in Update

Download the app so you are always up to date with school events.

Remember to check Compass for up-to-date news and information on events
and contact us on 7256 2116 for enquiries.

MacKillop Chronicles 2023 Term 3, Week 7