MacKillop Catholic College Warnervale eNewsletter

Thursday 6 June, 2024

A Message From Our College Principal

Dear Families

Technology Survey-Thanks

Thank you for the recent feedback from the technology survey that went out to specific year groups to harness feedback around laptop vs. iPad usage in Years 5-10. The data reflects varied ideas, and I appreciate some of the advice provided by families to support the integration of new technology at the College. I also very much appreciated learning about some of the challenges families face with their children and their technology usage.

Supporting families with Tools and Knowledge

To better respond to some of the concerns raised by families, I highly recommend that you read the advice provided by the eSafety Commissioner. Please refer to www.esafety.gov.au to support your understanding of the common issues that parents are facing. In addition, the site offers advice regarding parental controls, sexting, pornography and information related to cyberbullying. There are also free webinars and short videos for parents and carers to support them. I would also like to draw your attention to one part of the site that provides information on how to start hard-to-have conversations with your children.

Some parents mentioned that they were worried that their children were ‘getting addicted to their technology’ and wanted some guidelines to support screen time. Again, the site is very helpful in providing realistic information and tips to support families who have these concerns.

Once a decision is made regarding the status of technology usage at the College regarding iPads vs. laptops, I will be sure to keep you updated.

God Bless,

Tanya Appleby,

College Principal

Primary Matters

11^th Sunday on Ordinary Time

Gospel Acclamation:

“The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Dear Parents and Carers,

Message from the Principal

This week marks our return to the Season of the Church called Ordinary Time. The seasons of Lent and Easter, followed by the Ascension and Pentecost, are the dynamic feast times of our Catholic faith. The Liturgical Year is broken into parts and Ordinary Time is named so because it is numbered in an orderly manner, from the the Latin word ‘ordinalis’ or numbered. There are two periods of Ordinary Time, this longer period from now until Advent and the shorter time following Christmas. The colour for Ordinary Time is green, symbolising the growth of the Early Church as the Apostles spread to the four corners of the world to ‘Spread the Good News’. Ordinary Time is far from ordinary; it is the time when Catholics contemplate the stories from Jesus’ ministry as Christ, the Lamb of God, walks among us, shares His mission and transforms our lives.

Pathways Project

Today, our Year 6 students participated in a Pathways Project in collaboration with the Art Gallery of NSW. The students engaged with curators from the Art Gallery who discussed the elements of work that occur in this amazing facility. The Pathways Project is designed to allow Year 6 students to contemplate the world of work and how this affects their lives. This idea of developing passions and talents into work, allows students to begin to think about an area of industry or profession they may like to pursue as an adult. The concepts students considered were what is an art gallery, jobs that exist in an art gallery, and common skills that people need in any job – highlighting that creativity will be one of them. Students discussed the notion that people may have many jobs in their lifetime (17 on average) with the view to remove some of the pressure that students feel in their later years about ‘making the right decision for the rest of their lives.’ We look forward to receiving student feedback regarding this initiative so we might pursue other pathways projects in the future.

MacKillop Catholic College has six Houses and each is connected to a special place in the life of our Patron, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Together, they form a timeline of Mary’s life. Each House has a colour, a virtue or value and a mascot based on an origin story. Mary was born in a suburb in Melbourne called Fitzroy in 1842, Faith was born in Fitzroy. In 1866, in the small country town of Penola in South Australia, Mary wore her black dress for the first time and called herself a Sister of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart; she became a disciple of Jesus; Discipleship began in Penola. In 1873, Mary travelled to Rome to seek a blessing from the Pope in The Vatican for the Sisters of St Joseph. While she was there, she went to the Gesu Church to pray; Hope was prayed for in Gesu. In 1883, Mary travelled to Temuka in New Zealand to start schools for children in poor areas. Mary truly believed that education was the key to escaping poverty; Justice was delivered in Temuka. In 1887, Mary MacKillop moved many orphans out of the city for their safety and health. The Sisters established a home to care for boys in Kincumber, on the banks of Brisbane Waters; Compassion was enacted in Kincumber. In 1909, and suffering from ill health, Mary MacKillop died in Alma Cottage at the Mother House in North Sydney. Many people who knew Mary MacKillop described her, even then as a saint, she was a woman of great Integrity.

The Feast of St Mary MacKillop is August 8^th and is a day of immense joy and celebration for our community. As a way to begin the celebrations, we would like to encourage our students to dress in their House colours on the last day of the school term, Thursday, 4 July. We invite students to contribute to this as a Year 6 Graduation fundraiser by donating a gold coin. This will be one of three fundraising activities Year 6 has planned for the year. Proceeds will go towards an end-of-year celebration for the Year 6 Graduation Class of 2024. Thank you in advance for your support.

Isabelle Kelly Cup Girls League

Congratulations to the Year 5/6 Girls who were undefeated in their Isabelle Kelly Cup Rugby League Gala Day today. This competition is now a non-competitive pathway, so unfortunately, the team does not progress to Regional or State Finals as has happened in past years. The girls were fine ambassadors for MacKillop and were expertly coached by Mr Field & Miss Cartwright

Central Coast Paul Kelly Cup AFL Gala Day

Congratulations to the Primary Boys team, who won their Central Coast Paul Kelly Cup AFL Gala Day.

They now progress to the Hunter Regional Final next Thursday. Good luck!

Enrolment 2025

The Kindergarten enrolment process is coming to a close. If you know of family or friends who are seeking enrolment for Kindergarten—or other grades—in 2025, please contact the enrolment officer by submitting their application via email to smccwenrolments@dbb.org.au or by completing the online Enrolment Enquiry Form to secure a place.

Blessings for a wonderful week.

Kerry Power

Acting Primary Principal

Primary Events

UPCOMING EVENTS
Week 8
Sun 16 Jun	Confirmation Session 3
Mon 17 Jun
Tue 18 Jun	NSWPSSA Rugby League
Wed 19 Jun
Thu 20 Jun	NSWCPS Softball trials
Fri 21 Jun	Kindergarten Excursion Australian Reptile Park Stage 3 Netball Gala Day
Week 9
Sun 23 Jun	Confirmation Session 4 - 4 pm Year 3 Community Mass 5 pm
Mon 24 Jun
Tues 25 Jun	Rock & Water Year 3 and 5
Wed 26 Jun
Thu 27 Jun
Fri 28 Jun	Stage 2 Netball Gala Day Primary Reports available
Sat 29 Jun	Confirmation Ceremony 11 am
Week 10
Sun 30 Jun	13^th Sunday Ordinary Time
Mon 1 Jul	Polding Rugby
Tue 2 Jul
Wed 3 Jul	Parent Teacher Interviews
Thu 4 Jul	BB Rugby 10s Colour House Day Parent Teacher Interviews
Fri 5 Jul	System Staff Development Day Pupil Free – OSHC available

Eileen O’Connor Catholic School Parent and Student Survey.

Eileen O’Connor Catholic School will provide quality Catholic education for students with a disability from Kindergarten to Year 12. Collaborating in the Mission, focusing on human flourishing, using Christ’s example to serve, we believe that every child is a unique individual created by God and valued as an individual learner with strengths, gifts, and talents.

Eileen O’Connor Catholic School (EOCS) will provide a flexible and responsive model of education for students with disability through the structure of a Base School located in Tuggerah and a network of Support Classes in local parish schools across Broken Bay.

Catholic Schools Broken Bay currently has Eileen O’Connor Support Classes for students with a disability at St Martin’s Catholic School at Davidson, St Brendan’s Catholic School at Lake Munmorah and Prouille Catholic Primary School, Wahroonga.

Engaging with our schools and the wider community has been and will continue to be a priority to ensure we seek feedback, gain further insights, and give opportunities to update as we progress to fulfilling our vision of providing an inclusive model of education for students with disabilities focused on strengths to promote engagement, enable learning growth, and flourish.

We now seek further engagement and consultation and would appreciate your time in completing this brief survey. For more information, please visit www.eocsdbb.catholic.edu.au.

Eileen O’Connor Catholic School Parent and Student Survey

Secondary News

Dear Community,

Providing Parent Permission on Compass

A reminder to all parents that it is essential that permission and payment is made on Compass by the due date. It is very difficult for staff to plan events without this information and unfortunately some events will potentially be cancelled if we don’t have the required information by the due date.

I know that teachers work very hard to provide these valuable opportunities and we would hate for anyone to miss out, but its imperative that we gain your permission via Compass so as to complete the necessary planning, booking of transport, venues, staffing, etc.

Year 10 Retreat

I have had the privilege of going on the Year 10 Retreat to Collaroy this week. I love to grab opportunities like this for a variety of reasons. They facilitate more personalised interactions with students outside the constraints of school and the classroom. They allow teachers to observe students in different contexts and gain insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. They provide a creative outlet for teachers to design immersive, interdisciplinary learning activities. Retreats help teachers build stronger rapport and trust with their students through shared experiences. Overall, retreats enable transformative learning experiences that foster personal growth, strengthen relationships, and reinvigorate the educational process for both students and teachers.

Beyond the selfish reasons why I love the Retreat experience, the benefits for the students are what truly inspire me. Retreat is an immersive learning experience outside the traditional classroom setting, fostering deeper engagement and retention of course material. It allows students to bond with classmates and teachers in a relaxed environment, building stronger relationships and social skills. It exposes students to new environments and experiences that can spark curiosity, creativity, and personal growth and it offers opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning that reinforces theoretical concepts. I also hope that it might renew students' motivation and inspiration to learn by providing a refreshing change of pace.

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to share the Retreat experience with Year 10. I trust that they, too, will take a lot away from the opportunity to pause and reflect, even for a couple of days.

Winter Appeal

Term 2 is our annual St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, run by our Mini Vinnies. During weeks 8 and 9, students will be invited to fill a basket of non-perishable items in their Pastoral groups.

The charity organisations we will support are;

Vinnies WYONG
Mary Mack's, Woy Woy
Toukley Food Care

These organisations have provided a list of items that they desperately need, including long-life milk, cereals, breakfast spreads, pasta and sauces, instant noodles, and canned soups.

More information and a list of items will be sent out over the coming weeks in preparation for Week 8.

HUGE HOUSE POINTS are also up for grabs!!

Jump @ Camp Breakaway

The Information Night for Year 11, 2025, is Week 8, Tuesday, 18 June, from 6.00 pm-7.00 pm.

This is an important meeting as part of preparing students to make good decisions about their senior subject selections. Information will be provided on NESA HSC requirements and ATAR eligibility, advice on selecting suitable courses, and an outline of the senior registration process.
Students are required to attend with a parent/guardian.

A Course Summary handbook has been attached which includes clear descriptions of each course being offered for 2025.

Stage 6 Preliminary Course Summary Handbook Year 11 2025.pdf

Representative Sport

Congratulations to the following students on their CSBB / Metropolitan Rugby League selections: Anabelle R, Katie A, Lacey R, Tyra F, Joey T, Alex T and Will S.

Congratulations to Emily J and Alana M on their selection into the NSW CCC Opens Hockey team.

Congratulations to Brodie S and Seth G on their selection into the CSBB Cross Country team

YMCC Week in Review

Despite the long weekend, it was still a busy week for the YMCC students. On Tuesday afternoon, the Pharus Leadership Team stayed back after school to make final preparations for the YMCC Leadership Camp in Week 10 of this Term. This year, the Pharus team will lead and run the sessions. Imagine that: a leadership camp run by students for students! Students will have the opportunity to apply to be part of the 2024/2025 Pharus Leadership Team soon. If you or someone you know would like to develop their leadership skills, please encourage them to apply.

On Wednesday during break time, Abigal and Sophie from Year 8 ran our Life Essentials session, and the topic was ‘Friends’. It was an interesting episode that explored the idea that the friends we keep have a massive impact on our lives and can influence the decisions we make, our perspective on life, and our overall attitude. The conversation was encouraging, and we enjoyed some chocolate cake for dessert!

We wish the Year 10 students all the best for their Retreat Today and Friday and the newly elected Cabinet, for their Retreat on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Year 9 Called to Healing and Hope

Last week, Year 9 had the opportunity to hear Fr. Philip speak about their current coursework in Religious Education. Fr. Philip explained the Sacraments of Healing, how they offer hope in our world, and how they call us to be witnesses to God’s love, healing, and forgiveness.

Don't Forget

Youth Group and Youth Mass

Everyone is invited to the next Youth Group and Youth Mass next Sunday, June 23. Youth Group starts at 4 pm, Youth Mass is at 5 pm, and there will be a free BBQ dinner afterwards.

Ignite Youth Conference

At the end of Term 3 we are hoping to attend the 2024 Ignite Youth Conference. The theme for this year is Rise Up! There are two options on offer for students this year. The first is the full conference, which is for four days and three nights. If students are unable to attend the full conference, they can attend for one day. Mrs Tenev has posted on Compass to register your interest, or you can email her for more information: Maisie.tenev@dbb.catholic.edu.au

Worlds Greatest Shave

One of our Year 10 students, Alyssa, has signed up for this fantastic fundraiser. She has decided personally to support the Leukemia Foundation by cutting her hair. Alyssa is known for her long hair (she beautifully ties it back each day), which is roughly 80cm long; she has pledged to cut more than half the length off approx. 50cm. She is planning to donate the hair and raise money via the WGS. Cut day is September 6. Click here if you are able donate

It makes us so proud to see our students showing initiative and striving to make a difference; well done, Alyssa.

Some Important Dates for Term 2

17-18 June Secondary Leadership Retreat

27-28 June Parent Teacher interviews

4 July Last Day of Term

5 July CSBB Professional Learning Day - STUDENT FREE DAY

God Bless,

Paul Lynch

Acting Principal Secondary

Nihon University Daiichi Junior High School Visit 2024 - We Need You!

MacKillop Catholic College is excited to welcome our sister school, Nihon University Daiichi Junior High School, from Tokyo, Japan, again this Year. Their two-week cultural exchange is from Sunday, 27 July, to Sunday, 11 August.

We are calling on 8 more host families from our K - 12 MCC community to open their homes and hearts to host the Nihon Daiichi students.

This is a unique opportunity for the Japanese students to immerse themselves in daily Australian life, share meals, enjoy a family-like atmosphere, and travel together to and from school.

If you are interested in finding out more about being a host family, please email Mrs Beech or Mr Kilham.

Host Family Letter 2024

Go4Fun

Religious Creative Arts Competition 2024

The Religious Creative Arts Competition is a well-established event at Catholic Schools Broken Bay and has been running for the past 10 years. Many talented artists over the years have been recognised for their skill and creativity.

One of the key elements of the competition is how students demonstrate their understanding of and connection to the religious theme. In 2024 the theme is one of the CSBB core values, JOY. “May the God of hope fill you with joy”. (Romans 15:13)

Students will be required to link their creative piece directly to the religious theme by answering the question; How is this theme lived out or demonstrated today? As well as creating an artwork, short film, dance, drama or music piece, students will need to write a 150-word explanation (maximum 150 word count) to accompany their artwork. Students can use the 150 words to outline how their artwork connects with the theme.

Students will plan, prepare and work on their creative pieces during Term 2 and 3. Submissions will need to be handed in to schools by Aug 16, Week 4 of Term 3.

These finalists be featured at the ‘Showcase Night’ to be held at the Hornsby RSL at 5:30pm on 13 November, 2024.

The 2024 Religious Creative Arts Competition is open to all CSBB school students from Kindergarten to Year 10.

Religious Art Prize Promo

Screen Smart Parenting: Navigating the Digital World Together Workshop

The Kidman Centre - UTS is offering a free online workshop, Screen Smart Parenting: Navigating the Digital World Together

WHO IS THIS FOR: All parents and caregivers of children and teens 6-18 years.

DESCRIPTION: This practical workshop provides an overview of the most popular social media, entertainment, and gaming platforms your child may be using. We will explore how to set up healthy boundaries with technology at home as well as the apps and technology you can use to monitor your child or teen's usage to keep them safe in a rapidly changing technological world.

MON 24 JUNE 6-7 PM

Download PDF of workshop calendar (PDF, 494KB)

Remember to keep an eye on the The Kidman Centre Facebook page

Phone: 9514 4077 or Email kidmancentre@uts.edu.au

Drawing Democracy workshop at NSW Parliament House

Free fun workshop with the Parliament of NSW in the July school holidays

Parliament House invites you to attend this free hands-on workshop led by illustrator and children’s book author David Conley in the beautiful Jubilee Room at the Parliament of NSW.

July 17, 9.15-3 pm for children 8 to 12 years. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Bookings via Eventbrite.

Smokeless Tabacco Products - SchoolTV Special Report

"Smokeless tobacco products and vapes were originally developed to help addicts wean themselves off nicotine, believing it to be a healthier and safer alternative to smoking a cigarette. However, the chemicals used in these products can still pose significant health risks."

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

This Special Report will help you become aware of the potential risks of smokeless tobacco products and guide you in age-appropriate discussions with your child.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

To find out more, visit SchoolTV:

SPECIAL REPORTS | MacKillop Catholic College - Warnervale (schooltv.me)

Abilities Unleashed Free School Holidays Clinic

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.

Term 2 Dates

Term 2

Term 2 – Tuesday, 30 April to Thursday, 4 July
Monday 29 April – Staff Development Day/Student Free Day K – 12
Public Holiday – Monarch’s official birthday – Monday, 10 June
Friday 5 July – Staff Development Day/Student Free Day K – 12

MacKillop Chronicles Term 2, Week 7