MacKillop Chronicles 2023 Term 4, Week 4

Thursday 2 November, 2023

Primary Matters

Dear Community

All Saints Gospel Account

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." Matthew 5: 1 – 12a.

The Beatitudes is one of the loveliest Gospel passages as it spells out very clearly that our trials and tribulations here on earth are setting us up for an eternal life in heaven. Life often gives us roses mixed in with brick batts. Life is hard! Some of us look at the glass half empty while others look at the glass half full. Some of us are born afflicted, and some of us have things inflicted upon us. A belief in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Give over to God your troubles, and all will be well.

Kinder Yana

This week the second phase of school readiness has begun. The students entering Kindergarten in 2024 will be participating in literacy, numeracy, fine motor and gross motor tasks. They will do this under the direction of our kindergarten teachers for next year, who will be Mrs Brown, Mrs Dacey, Miss Joyce and Mrs Field. During this time, the parents will gather in the school’s theatre and listen to presentations from College Staff and how to navigate all things MacKillop.

Information from the Principal Coffee n Chat

This week I held the usual Termly Principal chat to outline the events of the term and provide information about teaching and learning and an update on the building program. Over the past few years, all students K – 6 would normally book a one-on-one maths assessment to start the year. This will no longer take place. Only the incoming Kindergarten students will need to book in for a one-on-one Best Start Literacy and Numeracy Assessment.

Throughout Weeks 5 – 8 this term, all students in Years 2 – 6 will be participating in a PAT Maths assessment over and above their normal class assessments so that these results will determine the programming for the next school year. The results will also form part of the student's Semester 2 reports.

As we are getting close to the end of the year, classes for 2024 will be determined by needs. Each student will be asked to do a sociogram which provides the teachers with vital information on which class and teacher will best serve the needs of everyone. Respectfully I do ask that parents do not make requests for certain teachers or classes and please leave it to the staff who know what they are doing.

The complete rebuild of the primary school will take place over stages to accommodate a four-stream K – 6 class arrangement. The plans are before council at present, and it is anticipated that the building works will commence towards the end of 2024.

Leaving MacKillop and Waiting Lists for 2024

To begin 2024, we basically have little to no room in any of the grades, and we are currently placing those students who are on our waiting lists. What we do ask from parents who will be leaving our school is to let us know now, so we can accommodate those who want to come.

Personal Grooming and Uniform

Upon acceptance of enrolment at MacKillop, all parents agreed to the school’s uniform and personal grooming policy. And yet, from time to time, parents need reminders about what is acceptable and what is not. At assembly this week, I reminded all students that hairstyles, jewellery wearing, and uniform rules apply. This means, for a boy, no mohawks, zig-zag patterns in hair, mullets, undercuts, rats’ tails etc. If a boy should want to have long hair, then this must be tied back neatly, same as for the girls. This is purely a hygiene provision.

Girls, in particular, must not have nail polish or acrylic nails, and their hair must be tied back with bands and ties the colour of their natural hair or the school colours. If boys or girls want to wear earrings, then only one set and must be very basic studs or sleepers. No hoop earrings or the type that can easily get caught and cause an injury.

If a child should need a mobile phone, then these must stay in bags and never be brought out. Parents should never message or call students at school via these devices, and any communication needs to go through the front office.

KB and KG Maths Experiment

This week, KB and KG worked together to learn about internal volume. First, the students filled their containers with water and listened to the sounds produced when the container was full, half full and empty. Next, the students played a game of splat! Students determined who had the biggest internal volume by pouring water onto the ground and looking at which container made the biggest splat! It was so much fun working together and experimenting.

NSWPSSA Athletics

Last week  Cameron F represented Polding at the NSWPSSA Athletics Competition at Sydney Olympic Park.  On the first day of the meet, he qualified for the 100m semi-final in the top 20 and the FINAL of 200m. His 200m was a personal best, placing 3rd in his heat and was the 7th fastest qualifier. on the final day of events, Cameron finished 5th fastest in the state for Junior Boys 200m and 10th fastest 10 Year Boys in the state over 100m.  Our students at MCC watched his final and cheered him on in the library & all of Year 5's watched on the big screen at camp.

An amazing effort, Congratulations Cam!

Compass Updates

It is always a tad frustrating when we hear that parents seem not to know what is going on in the school with upcoming events when the Compass APP is the main point of information. We also have the website and Facebook pages, and dare I state this newsletter. Please look at the Compass community calendar and not rely on the grapevine for information.

Kiss n Drop and Pedestrians

As always, thank you to the majority of parents who continue to do the right thing with Kiss n Drop. We are all frustrated at the lack of progress from Central Coast Council and RMS with the road arrangement at the top of the school. Despite our best efforts, our pleas are falling on deaf ears. In order to make the Kiss n Drop pick-up and drop-off as smooth as possible, we need everyone to play their parts. If you have a baby seat installed, is it possible to have this in the middle or on the driver’s side and not the passenger side? Despite my best efforts at knowing cars, it would really be helpful for all parents and their relatives who collect children from time to time to have in big letters your name displayed on the passenger side front screen so that we can get children ready and waiting. Please be mindful of traffic when parking and collecting children from the school grounds to not weave in and out of traffic. We have submitted an application for a pedestrian crossing at the top of the school, but for now, we all need to be very vigilant!

20^th Anniversary Celebration Cancelled

Despite the best efforts of Lucy Marien, our PEC and numerous reminders, the ticket sales for the proposed dinner dance have been disappointing. As a consequence, the event has had to be cancelled. Thank you to those who showed some interest. We also understand there are other competing priorities.

A Thought for the Week…

“Que sera, sera is a lovely song but a lousy philosophy. Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished by anybody who met life with a shrug. Instead, your motto should be: Que quiero sera, whatever I will, will be.” E Bliss

God Bless,

Frank Cohen

Primary Principal

MacKillop Portrait Prize

Little Lighthouse Playgroup - See you Friday!

Secondary News

Prayer: HSC

Please continue to keep our Year 12 in your prayers.

Dear Lord,

We ask for your blessing on our students undertaking HSC Examinations over the coming weeks.

Grant them the confidence they deserve from their years of diligent study.

Grant them the ability to comprehend questions and effectively plan and articulate their responses.

May they be enriched by gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom, Understanding, Fortitude and Knowledge.

May their faith and piety give them the strength to face these examinations and the satisfaction of achieving their personal best.

We ask these things through Christ Our Lord,

Amen

Learning:      

World Teachers Appreciation Day

World Teachers Appreciation Day is celebrated on 27 October each year. This is a day of recognition and appreciation for teachers around the world. It’s an occasion to acknowledge the profound impact teachers have on society by equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and values needed for success. This day also serves as a reminder of the importance of quality education and the role of teachers in achieving it. On the day, each teacher received a yummy doughnut and cards to remind them that MCC truly admire what each teacher does every day and to say thank you.

Each student in the secondary had the opportunity to write a thank you card to their teachers, and these are being distributed. We also would like to thank Mrs Marien and our parents who provided a beautiful morning tea to thank all the teachers last Monday.

HSC Exams End:

Our Year 12 completed their HSC exams this week. There will be a great sigh of relief, and all will now be able to look forward to and enjoy their Formal on Monday, 6 November, at Mingara with their parents and their teachers.

HSC Major Works Nominations:

It is a wonderful achievement to be nominated for your HSC Major Work. To be considered to be placed on display, so the incoming HSC class to see what is the standard for best practice. It also means that the students receiving this honour have work, that is equivalent to a Band 6 – over 90%.

So far, we have 2 students who have achieved this.

Charlie S, HSC Major Work in Dance and Tiffany M in Year 12 for Industrial Technology

Year 10 Exams:

Our Year 10 students are completing a number of exams during this week. These will be our Year 10’s first experience of completing exams under similar conditions to that of the HSC exams. They have a supervisor from outside the College run the exams, and they complete these in the Hall.

PAT Testing:

Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) tests have been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research to assess skills in verbal comprehension and mathematics,

Each year in November, our students in Years 7-10 sit PAT tests. These PAT assessments measure what students in Year 7 to Year 10 know, understand and are capable of across domains and help monitor progress over time.

These tests allow us to observe if we have fulfilled our aim for each year, that being that every student achieves one-year growth for each year they attend our college.

These tests will occur in Maths and English classes and form part of the student’s assessment for Term 4.

Year 7, 2024 Transition Meetings:

Presently, our Leader of Transition, Mrs Kathleen Black, and our Learning Support teachers are visiting or contacting the Year 6 teachers in schools who have Year 6 students coming to our college in 2024. This enables us to know more about all our students and the best way to form classes for next year as well as any assistance some students may require.

Extra- Curricula:

Junior Theatre Festival:

Both our Primary and Secondary Troupes for the Arts won a group award each for Outstanding Acting at the 2023 Junior Theatre Festival Australia, which was presented in Newcastle on October 27 & 28.

On Saturday, 28 October, 24 finalist groups from all states in Australia as well as a group from New Zealand, competed in person for the prestigious awards that are judged by a panel of international visiting artists from Broadway and West End.

Junior Theatre Festival allows students and teachers representing a diverse number of theatre programs to come together to share their talents, cheer each other on, and be part of an international community of people who care as much about the art form as they do.

The event is part of the global Junior Theatre Festivals circuit, conceived by iTheatrics in New York, which takes place in the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. A “rousing celebration of theatre” (The New York Times), the Junior Theatre Festivals are the world's largest events exclusively dedicated to celebrating young people and student-driven musical theatre. In 2022, nearly 20,000 people worldwide attended a Junior Theatre Festival.

The primary students presented selections from Disney’s ‘Madagascar’ and the secondary from Disney’s “Frozen’ for leading musical theatre personalities from the USA.

 “Each of the student participants had the unique opportunity to receive tips from some of the world’s best producers, directors and writers who joined us from New York” said Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) co-producer Shane Bransdon.

 “As a major treat, the students got to meet celebrity performer Rob Mills, who is currently touring with the hit musical “&Juliet”.

The Junior Theatre Festival Australia 2023 would not be possible without generous funding grants from Music Theatre International (MTI) and the City of Newcastle. Stuart Hendricks from MTI commended the JTF Australia team on their monumental pivoting efforts to deliver the event.

“Around the world, Junior Theatre Festivals offer young people the opportunity to bond with their peers in an immersive celebration of the art form they love,” said Mr Hendricks. "MTI is committed to promoting the value of theatre in education and giving performers additional opportunities to demonstrate their talents and to support and learn from each other."

Participating in this year’s Junior Theatre Festival were Daniel J Mertzlufft, Broadway composer and TikTok influencer; Ryan Macauley, West End Musical Director; Vidya Makan, performer from SIX the musical; Stuart Hendricks, Managing Director of MTI Australasia; Founder of Jeter Backyard Theatre (Pennsylvania), and many more.

Our students’ performances were outstanding, and their behaviour, sense of fun and willingness to take risks was exemplary.

A huge thank you to all the teachers involved in this – Mrs Baird, Mrs Calder, Mrs Caruana, Mrs Hale, Mrs Broadley and Mrs Passafarro, who spent hours with the students to prepare them for this wonderful experience.

World Youth Day (WYD) Reunion and Reflection Sessions

Last Wednesday, the WYD pilgrims gathered in the Ryan Centre for the first reunion and reflection session. The students and staff reminisced about their experience, and Br Shayne ran a reflection session during the lunch break. The group will meet a few more times this term for more prayer and formation but also to brainstorm some ideas on how the group continue the spirit of WYD in our school, parish and local community.

Preparation for Sacraments

This term, Mrs Tenev and Br Shayne are meeting weekly with 7 students to prepare them to be received into the Catholic Church. This is an exciting time for the students, ranging from Year 7 to 12. We ask you to keep these students in your prayers as they continue to support each other and learn more about the Catholic faith.

HSC and debut in the A League

Last weekend, Zoe K from our Year 12 2023 class made her debut in the A-league, playing for the Newcastle Jets. Zoe has balanced her very impressive sporting career with her schoolwork, excelling in both. Congratulations Zoe.

Other Items:

Attendance:

It is so important that all students attend school every day to enhance their learning. Please strive for the 92% attendance that NESA suggests at least and please encourage and assist your children to be resilient. Of course, they should stay home if they are ill, but they need to be in a good routine to be able to be successful and committed to their education.

It is also important that they are at school every day, including the very last day on Tuesday 12 December.

Important Dates for T4 Week 5:

• Mon – Fri –PAT tests occurring in Weeks 5 and 6 in English and Maths Lessons
• Mon – launch of the Minni-Vinnies Christmas Appeal / Yr 12 Formal
• Wed – Peer Support Training / SportsReady Traineeship student and parent meeting
• Thursday – Peer Support Training / CSBB School Parents Leadership Meeting
• Fri – Assembly / 9 PASS assisting at Primary Gala day

Sat – NZ Bunnings bbq

A Heads Up:

COMPASS Notification:

From the beginning of this term, parents are not 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.

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

Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser - Buy a snag

Getting to know: Mrs Maryellen Lowe

Council of Catholic School Parents - eSafety Webinar

Mary's Faithful Wardrobe and Mary's Formal Closet

Our amazing PEC (Parent Engagement Coordinator), Lucy Marien, in collaboration with our Parish, have developed a community wardrobe for families to borrow special outfits for their child's sacrament celebrations.

Mrs Marien is also starting a Formal version for our Secondary students looking for a special graduation dress or suit.

We are currently looking for donations to get the clothing library started. We are asking the community to go through their wardrobes and consider giving your forgotten good-quality items a new purpose.

For full details, please see the flyers below.

Supporting young people with the transition to Secondary school

CHIME After-School Art Workshops!

NSW and ACT Pathways to Post School Life

Term 4 Dates

COMPASS Sign-in Update

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