MacKillop Chronicles Term 2, Week 1

Thursday 5 May, 2024

MCC presents Frozen Jr

A Message From Our College Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 2, 2024.  I hope that you had an opportunity to rest or take a holiday with your children.  Term 2 is always action-packed, and I expect that this term will be filled with many exciting ventures for your children.

New Uniform and Grooming Policy

We have had a number of staff update the current Uniform and Grooming Policy, and we have now come to some consensus on what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable in terms of student uniform and grooming.  The staff acknowledged that it has been difficult to monitor students when the current policy has inconsistencies.  It is important to state that enrolling your child at the College means that all families accept our rules, expectations and regulations that we establish.  We will strive to set a high standard with the incoming policy and look to parents for support.  This means that unauthorised jewellery will be confiscated for a school term and that some students may be denied opportunities to participate in activities where they represent the College.  I urge families to please ensure that their children have conservative haircuts, and I encourage you to get their hair cut in the next two weeks.  This means that mullets, or the like, will be deemed unacceptable.  There is also no excuse for our young men to be unshaven at school.  Students will also not be permitted to wear nail polish, artificial lashes, and the like.  Earrings will also be small and simple; we expect conformity in all areas.

The wearing of a school uniform is not a time for individuality.  It is an opportunity to support the ‘uniformity’ of students.  Uniforms are a great equaliser in terms of wealth, and having students wear the same uniform is about the dignity of all people.  There is no distinction between people who can afford expensive jewellery and those who cannot.  When a uniform is worn well, it denotes pride and self-discipline.  We believe that all students have the capacity to achieve this standard.

There are some schools where the wearing of a uniform is not a priority or is not valued; however, this is not such a school.  At MacKillop Catholic College, we desire and expect all our students to be groomed and dressed appropriately.  We neither follow fashion trends nor do we copy ‘influencers’, music stars and/or sporting personalities.  I appreciate that some families may find this a challenge and perhaps, may disagree with the hard stance that we will be taking.  I urge you to consider if this is the right school for your child.  There will be much expected of your child here at Mackillop, and adherence to uniform and grooming is only one expectation.

The new policy will be on the website, and families and students are informed that it will be enacted from approximately Week 3 of Term 2.  The policy will be a K-12 policy to support a whole-school drive to improve the current inconsistencies that are evident.

New Technology – Laptop vs iPad?

With the release of the new MacKillop Educational Model in Term 1, we have had to reconsider whether the College will continue with iPads across Years 7-10.  It is important that all our students are future-ready, and we need to be mindful of the current status quo requirements of the workplace, universities, TAFE and of course, the expense for parents.  Shortly families will be sent a survey asking about the use of technology and their willingness to adopt a laptop from as early as Year 5.  This notion may seem radical to some parents, but I am keen to seek your feedback on the matter.  Please know that we have not made any hard and fast ruling on this matter.  However, the time is coming when a decision will be made for 2025, which may impact the incoming Year 7 (2025) cohort and possibly the Year 5 or Year 6 group.

Regrettably, we cannot support a laptop hire program as our Diocese no longer endorses this Model.  This means that parents will cover the expense of the laptop in addition to their school fees.  As part of our expected due diligence, we would conduct market research to support ICT specifications.  I will provide more on this later as we progress with consultation.

Early NAPLAN Data

We have begun to access some early NAPLAN Data and I thought it might be timely to revisit how NAPLAN data helps the College.

NAPLAN helps:

• teachers to better identify students who need greater challenges or extra support in their learning;
• the College to identify strengths and areas of need in teaching programs;
• the College to set goals in literacy and numeracy to actioned in later 2024 and into 2025 and support their embedding in our MacKillop Educational Model
• and it also supports our review of programs of learning.

NAPLAN also complements other school assessments and provides nationally comparable data to evaluate how our education programs work and whether students meet important literacy and numeracy standards.  I look forward to sharing this data with you as it emerges in a more holistic manner.

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support of our College.  I look forward to meeting more parents at the upcoming Coffee and Chat with Parent sessions next week as we continue to build a partnership with you.

God Bless,

Tanya Appleby,

College Principal

Coffee & Chat with the Principals

Primary Matters

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Gospel Acclamation: 

Jn 15:9-17 “No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.”

Dear Parents and Carers,

Message from the Principal

The national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand engages us with the great struggles of service and duty, peace-keeping and peace-making.

“We gather to pay our respects today.  We hear the kookaburras welcome the dawn, and feel the tears well up as the local trumpeter plays the Last Post.  And we wait, in silent contemplation…for Reveille.  And we walk away touched deeply by the enduring spirit of those who have gone before, and for whose sacrifice we owe so much.  We will remember them.” (Sydney Morning Herald editorial 21/4/15)

I felt very proud to walk with many of our MCC students at last week’s ANZAC Parade.  Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 walked in remembrance of those who have fought and sacrificed in times of war and disaster.  We walk together, not to glorify the actions of war but to remember that values of peace, solidarity and acceptance are vital components of Australian life if we are to live together in harmony today and into the future.

Remembrance, commemoration and prayer are strategies for tackling challenging situations.  Recent traumatic events in our community have impacted all Australians.  We can never truly understand the effect of such events on ourselves and our children. The lasting effects are also captured and distributed via the media, sometimes in messaging that is often difficult to control.

Mr. Danny Casey delivered a message to our Community, and I have included a link to it here: A Message to our Community - Catholic Schools (csbb.catholic.edu.au)

As a way of bringing our community together to begin Term 2, all K-6 students gathered in our Church on Monday to participate in a liturgy themed, Remember the Light. The theme focused on Scripture related to Light and how we can be a light for others who are experiencing darkness.

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Lockdown Drill

Schools are places of safety for children and young people. As a requirement, we must prepare for unexpected events that require action and mobilisation of large numbers of people in a safe and effective manner.  Each term, we have a recognised emergency drill to provide a structure for behaviour in the event of an unexpected situation. Last term, MCC actioned a Fire Drill from our classrooms. This term we will practise a Lockdown Drill. I encourage you to speak to your children about the necessity to practise skills and experiences that may be required in life.  Some skills we may need rarely or not at all, but when we live in communities, it is vital that everyone has a similar way of responding to things that occur. It is also an opportunity to explain that because every human is unique, we respond to experiences in different ways.

Some students will engage in conversations or social stories to enable them to engage with the language or feelings associated with different or stressful events.  All of these experiences enable children to express their feelings and concerns as part of their ongoing health and wellbeing.

Sacrament of Confirmation

The Parish is commencing the Sacrament of Confirmation program for children who are in year 3 and older and have been baptised catholic.

Confirmation letters to parents/carers containing detailed information about the program will be sent home in the Year 3 bags this week. If you wish for your child to participate in this meaningful sacrament, please ensure you attend the information night on Tuesday, 14 May at 7pm in the Church.

For any further inquiries, please fee free to contact the parish office on 8379 1740 or email the parish at warnervaleparish@bbcatholic.org.au.

Winter Uniform

The weather has become cold very quickly, and many students are already sporting new winter jumpers and jackets.  Our 2024 school photos will display our MCC Summer uniform.  As our catchup photos may be required until Wednesday, 8 May, we ask that students continue to wear their summer uniform until the beginning of Week 3. 

Please read Mrs Tanya Appleby’s article on the ‘MCC Uniform and Grooming Policy’ in this week’s newsletter. There is a particular reference to jewellery and haircuts. We want to present a consistent K-12 approach in these elements of College life. Therefore, we ask our families to please comply with the regulations outlined.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mother’s Day

Next week, we will prepare for Mother’s Day on May 12. Our PEC Lucy Marien and her team of dedicated helpers will operate our annual Mother’s Day Stall on Wednesday, 8 May. On Friday, we will gather for Breakfast from 7 am until 8.30 am; liturgy will be in the Church at 7.30 am. Parents are invited to join us in the shade sail for a special prayer and song and then move to open classrooms with their children until 9.30 am. Please join us to celebrate the important role of mothering in our lives, our community, and our world.

Broken Bay Touch

Please congratulate the following students who were successful in making Broken Bay Touch in the last week of Term 1.

Sophie S
Henry K
Lochie F

They will attend Polding Touch in Week 7 this Term.

Welcome to MacKillop

We welcome Mrs Terese Collins to MacKillop.  Mrs Collins will replace Mrs Catherine Brown in Kindergarten Wattle.  Mrs Brown has accepted a specialist role at another CSBB school for the remainder of 2024. 

Blessings for a wonderful week.

Kerry Power

Acting Primary Principal

Primary Events

Secondary News

Dear Community,

NAPLAN

Congratulations to our students in Years 7 and 9 who completed NAPLAN  last term.  These tests occur earlier in the year than they previously did which is a distinct advantage to schools as it will allow us to access this very useful data in a timely fashion and implement the necessary strategies to ensure all our students are challenged at the appropriate level.  NAPLAN results are expected to arrive at the College in the near future.

There is no shortage of critics when it comes to NAPLAN, I am not one of them.  Most critics argue that NAPLAN doesn’t lead to any significant improvements in student learning outcomes, it harms students and causes high levels of anxiety, publication of NAPLAN results damages the reputation of some schools and NAPLAN tests are too narrow.  It’s important to note that none of these criticisms are supported by any rigorous evidence.

It is untrue that NAPLAN results haven’t improved over time, in many areas they have improved markedly.  Writing still needs lots of work on a national level and this will continue to be a focus for us here at MacKillop.  NAPLAN is not designed to solve learning issues within schools, it identifies areas for improvement and then it is up to the schools to implement strategies to address areas of deficiency.

The claim that NAPLAN harms students is based on very small studies with methodological issues and a strong conclusion cannot be drawn based on the current evidence.  It is important that we draw a distinction between the low-level anxiety that can occur in preparation for any test which is entirely normal which is very different from serious mental health issues.

The suggestion that NAPLAN results harm the reputation of schools is again unsupported by any substantial data.  Academic achievement is typically just one of many factors’ parents consider when choosing a school for their child.  It is far better that parents have access to objective data to aid their decision-making process instead of relying solely on reputation, school websites or glossy brochures.

Some people float the idea that NAPLAN tests are too narrow but solutions to this are less forthcoming.  I don’t think anyone could argue against the fact that reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy are all necessary skills for students to succeed in later education and their careers beyond school.  At this stage it has not been established if broader capabilities like creativity can be taught or assessed effectively.

In my opinion NAPLAN is an important national assessment tool and it offers a range of benefits.  The main ones include that it can provide data to assist in improving schools and the quality of teaching, it provides a level of transparency as well as accountability for school performance.

NAPLAN results enable the identification of problems in the school system over time, and are a means for evaluating potential solutions, from the national level all the way down to individual students.  Any school serious about improving needs to know where they are starting from and where they aim to be in the future, NAPLAN results are one data set that can help inform this process.

Literacy and numeracy results are made transparent at a national, state and territory, and school level.  Parents are also able to see how their children are progressing against an objective national benchmark.  We expect parents to engage with their child’s education, so as far as I’m concerned, we need to equip them with the information they need to track their child’s progress.

NAPLAN holds governments and schools accountable for literacy and numeracy results, which is important given the significant financial investment made in them by taxpayers and parents.  One of the major purposes of accountability based on performance is to encourage schools to focus their efforts on improving performance above all else.  Everyone held accountable has an incentive to ensure that performance increases.

I have no doubt that NAPLAN will continue to be maligned into the future but please be assured that at MacKillop we take this testing seriously and we will continue to analyse the data to help guide our direction in teaching and learning. 

Red Earth Immersion 2025

We have the special privilege to be invited back to the two homelands we visited in 2023 and I'm so excited that we can build our relationships with these communities.

If your child is interested in taking part in next years Immersion, further information about flights, costs, insurance etc will be discussed at the Parent Information Evening on Wednesday 8 May at 6.15pm.

RSVP link will be available soon.

Touch Football House Challenge

Last Term the students took part in a Touch Footbal House Challenege during break time. Heats ran over several lunch times  for students that wanted to represent their house with PRIDE! There were lots of great plays making for some very entertaining games to watch.

House Champions were .......... KINCUMBER!

Highlights reel: House Touch Competition

Free CCGT Apprenticeship and Traineeship Information session

We are pleased to invite you to attend a FREE information session on post school options, presented by Central Coast Group Training (CCGT) brought to you by CSBB Pathways and Partnerships. 

Date: Wednesday, 15 May

Time: 6pm - 7pm

Where: Mackillop Catholic College

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/future-fit-session-mackillop-catholic-college-tickets-873154226797

The session will focus on apprenticeship and traineeship pathways and aims to improve parents' knowledge and capacity to help student's navigate the school to work transition. 98% of parents that have attended one of these sessions in the past have felt more informed about employment opportunities in the area and would recommend that you attend.

Specifically the session will cover:

 The future of work and the changes in career culture

• VET vs Uni – the statistics and $ around dropout rates and costs
• Potential earnings and career progression for apprentices and trainees
• How VET can lead to university and the bouses of a decreased cost and time for a degree
• What is an apprenticeship and traineeship?
• What students and caregivers can do now to help their child
• Where to access information
• The up-and-coming industries in the region

Further information can be found in the attached flyer. Please don't hesitate to contact Mrs Shana Kuziow at shana.kuziow@dbb.catholic.edu.au with any queries. Oraganised by Mrs Kerrie Pearce (MCCW Careers Advisor and VET Co-ordinator) and Mrs Shana Kuziow (CSBB Pathways and Partnerships Leader).

God Bless,

Paul Lynch

Acting Principal Secondary

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College Photo Days 2024

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Religious Creative Arts Competition 2024

Free Parenting Training and Support

Mary's Faithful Wardrobe and Mary's Formal Closet

Term 2 Dates