MacKillop Chronicles Term 2, Week 9

Thursday 27 June, 2024

A Message From Our College Principal

Dear Families

Invitation to participate in Research Absent from the Table

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is undertaking a research project aimed at investigating why some Catholics do not participate in regular weekly Sunday Mass (Sunday Mass includes the Saturday Vigil). The project will provide in-depth information about contemporary religious practices and beliefs of Catholics in Australia. The insights would enable parishes, movements, and school communities to respond to the trends in participation in the Church, update the Church’s awareness and understanding of the present-day context, and enable responses and collaboration around the underlying factors for non/dis-engagement.

We would like to invite adults to participate in this research. Please click on the link below (or copy and paste the link into your browser) to access information about the project and to enter the survey itself. Some important participant information is also included.

https://bit.ly/AbsentFromTheTableSurvey

The survey will run from Monday, 17 June 2024 and close on Tuesday, 20 August 2024. Thank you for considering this invitation to participate.

God Bless,

Tanya Appleby,

College Principal

Primary Matters

13^th Sunday on Ordinary Time

Gospel Acclamation: 

“He bore our sicknesses and endured our suffering.” Mt 8:17

Dear Parents and Carers,

Message from the Principal

Thursday, 27 June, is the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help/Succour. Our Kindergarten children have been learning all about Mary and her role as the mother of Jesus and mother to all; she is holy, especially in the Catholic Tradition. They also examine historical images called icons, such as the one presented here, a very famous artwork from the Byzantine era.  These young students learn to see messages in art and connect the image to other stories they hear. They learn that these special images can tell miraculous stories. Our Kindergarteners have become experts on Mary, especially as they pray the ‘Hail Mary’ as part of the Angelus each day.

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help represents the Christian mystery of Redemption.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Byzantine icon believed to have originated sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries. The image is also known as “Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.” The icon is known for being miraculous; over the centuries, countless healings and special graces have been attributed to it, so much so that the image has been honoured and venerated by many Popes.

The miraculous icon, painted on wood and measuring about 20" in height (54 x 41.5 centimetres), depicts the Virgin Mary, who is called “Mother of God,” holding the Child Jesus.

The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion. St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns. St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds the cross and the nails.

The artist's intent was to portray the Child Jesus contemplating the vision of His future Passion. Frightened by the vision, He runs to His mother for consolation. The anguish He feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals as He quickly flees into His Mother's arms. 

Despite a foreboding vision of suffering, the icon also conveys Christ's triumph over sin and death, symbolised by the golden background, which is a sign of the glory of the resurrection. The royal crowns on the heads of Jesus and Mary also symbolise their triumph as the King of Kings with his Queen Mother.

In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother.  He seeks comfort from His mother as He sees the instruments of His passion.  The position of Mary’s hands – both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small adult) and at the same time presenting Him to us – convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that He is true God who became also true man.

What Our Lady of Perpetual Help Means for Us

Just as the Child Jesus fled into his Mother's arms when He was frightened, so too do we flee into the arms of our Blessed Mother with child-like confidence whenever fear envelopes our hearts. Just as the Virgin Mother consoled and comforted her Divine Child, so too does she console and comfort us, her spiritual children, in our afflictions. We can always come to her in our time of need and receive her help.

In this iconography, Mary is represented as the one who guides us to the Redeemer. The Virgin Mother is also our Help, and she intercedes with her Son on our behalf.  The star painted on Mary’s veil, centred on her forehead, highlights her role in the plan of salvation as both the Mother of God and our Mother.

To this day, the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome displays the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. They are the guardians and promoters of the holy icon, the only religious order entrusted with the task of doing so with a venerated image of Our Lady.

 The Meaning of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Icon | The Catholic Company®

Parent Teacher Interviews

Next week, all families are invited to attend Parent Teacher Interviews with their child’s teacher. These interviews offer the opportunity to discuss progress so far and to explore opportunities for further development. For grades K-2, these are parent and teacher only. For grades 3-6, these are 3-way conversations between the student, parent and teacher. Please check Compass for details on how to book.

Student Academic Reports will be available on Compass from Friday this week. Reading and discussing the report with your child before their interview is advisable.

Understanding the English Focus Areas of Your Child’s Report

From this year, our school reports will inform you about your child’s performance in the various focus areas within the English Syllabus. Different stages have different focus areas. The focus areas for each stage support students’ growing knowledge and understanding. Below, each focus area is explained to help you interpret your child’s semester report. Should you have any questions, please contact our Leader of Learning – Literacy, Mrs Chris Shilling.

Oral Language and Communication: Oral language and communication focuses on speaking and listening effectively in different contexts. From Kindergarten, children develop skills in listening attentively, speaking clearly, and participating in discussions. They learn to express ideas coherently, use appropriate language for different audiences, and engage in activities such as presentations and speeches.

Vocabulary: Vocabulary development involves learning new words and understanding their meanings. In all stages, children are exposed to a wide range of words through reading, discussions, and explicit vocabulary instruction. A rich vocabulary enhances reading comprehension and overall language skills.

Phonological Awareness: Phonological awareness is a foundational skill in learning to read and write. It refers to the ability to recognise and manipulate the sounds of spoken language. Developing phonological awareness helps children understand the structure and patterns of sounds within words, which is essential for decoding words when reading and spelling words when writing. This skill is generally mastered by the end of Kindergarten, and so is not reported on as a focus area in Stages 1-3.

Print Conventions: Understanding print conventions involves students understanding the features of print, such as being able to identify the difference between a letter and a word and print directionality, for example, reading from left to right and top to bottom. This skill is generally mastered by the end of Kindergarten, and so is not reported on as a focus area in Stages 1-3.

Phonic Knowledge: Phonic knowledge involves the relationship between letters (graphemes) and their sounds (phonemes). From Kindergarten onwards, children learn how letters represent sounds and how to blend these sounds together to read words. Phonics instruction helps build foundational reading skills.

Reading Fluency: Reading fluency refers to reading smoothly, accurately, and with expression. As children progress through primary school, they develop skills in reading aloud and silently to improve their speed and comprehension. Fluency enhances their ability to understand and enjoy what they read.

Reading Comprehension: Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is read. It involves skills such as understanding main ideas, making inferences, and connecting texts to personal experiences or prior knowledge. Children develop these skills through small group and whole class reading sessions and discussions about texts.

Creating Written Texts: Creating written texts involves composing and structuring written pieces across different genres and purposes. From Kindergarten, children start by learning to write simple sentences and progress to crafting narratives, informative texts and persuasive texts. They develop skills in organising ideas, using appropriate language, and editing their work for clarity and coherence.

Spelling: Spelling involves learning how to spell words correctly. From Kindergarten onwards, children learn spelling patterns, common suffixes and prefixes and strategies for decoding unfamiliar words. Spelling skills are reinforced through regular practice and application in writing tasks.

Handwriting: Handwriting focuses on developing legible and fluent handwriting skills. In K-2, children learn correct letter formation and practice writing individual letters and words. As they progress, they refine their handwriting to ensure consistency and readability across different writing tasks. All students are taught to write using the NSW Foundation Style Font.

Understanding and Responding to Literature: Understanding and responding to literature involves engaging with texts to comprehend their meaning, analysing characters and themes, and making connections to personal experiences or other texts through discussions and written responses. Children explore various genres such as fiction, poetry and non-fiction texts.

Stage 3 Netball Gala Day

On Friday, June 21, schools across the Central Coast gathered to play Netball. It was a great day of Netball at the Wyong courts, Baker Park, for the Stage 3 Netball Gala Day. MCC had 16 teams and over 30 Umpires; needless to say, it was a fun-filled day of fast action on the court, with games catering to every player's ability. With so many teams to organise, we would like to give special thanks to all the teachers, parent helpers and the secondary student umpires who helped facilitate the success of the day.

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Kindergarten @ The Reptile Park

Kindergarten attended the Reptile Park on Friday, June 21. The students enjoyed an immersive animal show, getting up close to snakes, koalas, lizards, and alligators. Then, they wandered around the park, looking at various animals. Kinder had a fabulous day! 

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Rock and Water

Our Years 3 and 5 students participated in their fourth session on Tuesday. The Rock and Water Program aims to develop confidence and self-reflection in students through participation in a series of exercises and games. Students learn to stand strong, negotiate using “rock” or “water” verbal approaches, walk away from trouble, consider alternatives to aggression, and develop an understanding of who they are, their intuitive feelings, and their personal direction.

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Colour House Day

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 of 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 and 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 8th, 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.

Confirmation

Bishop Anthony Randazzo will visit St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with our children this Sunday.  I feel so blessed to participate in the sacraments of our young people as they continue their sacramental journey initiated at Baptism.  As adults, we can recall our own sacramental journey and what it means to walk as disciples of Jesus. Confirmation is full of symbolism; fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which ignited action in apostles at Pentecost, and the dove represents the Spirit as a dynamic messenger. The Gifts of the Spirit provide the activity the Holy Spirit can provide to believers (fortitude, piety, knowledge, understanding, counsel, wisdom and fear of the Lord), and the Fruits of the Spirit are the qualities that are the result of our ‘good works’ (joy, patience, kindness, faithfulness, love, gentleness, self-control, peace and goodness). May we seek the gifts and fruits in our own lives.

Congratulations to our candidates, and blessings to you, your families and sponsors for a wonderful celebration. The MacKillop College Community prays for you.

Our Confirmation candidates celebrate with Bishop Anthony Randazzo this Sunday, 30 June, at 10 am.

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, don't hesitate to get in touch with 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

Secondary News

Dear Community,

Student Leader Speeches

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to each student who stepped forward and ran for student leadership positions this year.  Your willingness to serve your fellow students and our College community is truly commendable.  Running for a leadership role takes courage, dedication, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact.  Whether you are elected or not, please know that your efforts are deeply appreciated.  You have demonstrated important qualities that will serve you well in your future endeavours.

By putting yourself out there as a candidate, you showed remarkable courage and initiative.  It's not easy to campaign and open yourself up to the election process.  In delivering your speeches, you shared thoughtful ideas and visions for how to improve our College.  Your fresh perspectives and innovative suggestions are valuable, regardless of the election outcome.  Your desire to take on additional responsibilities and serve your peers reflects a commendable commitment to your school community.  This spirit of service is something to be proud of.  The process of running a campaign and articulating your platform has provided you with real-world leadership experience that will benefit you in the future.

Please remember that leadership comes in many forms, and there are numerous ways to positively influence our College community.  Even if you don’t secure a formal leadership position this time, I encourage all of you to stay involved and continue to share your ideas and energy.  Your engagement makes our school a better place for everyone.

Thank you again to all those who delivered leadership speeches and for your ongoing commitment to MCC.  We are proud of each of you.

Parent / Teacher Interviews

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who took the time to attend the recent parent-teacher interviews.  Your presence and engagement are invaluable to your child's educational journey.

These meetings provide a wonderful opportunity for us to collaborate and ensure that your child is receiving the best possible support and guidance. Your insights and feedback are crucial in helping us better understand your child's needs and aspirations.

I appreciate that a number of our staff were on leave during these interviews. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of illness within the community, and our college has not been immune to it. If your child’s teacher was away, please feel free to reach out to them on their return via phone or email.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.  Together, we can create a nurturing and effective learning environment for your child.

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 Place, Woy Woy 
• Toukley Neighbourhood Centre

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!! 

Central Coast Oz-Tag Years 7 / 8

Some exciting news coming out of the Central Coast Oztag Championships.

Our 7/8 girls have progressed to the state finals, known as the NSW Champions of Champions schools, which are held over two days in August.

Our girls played extremely well and demonstrated exceptional talent, teamwork, and humility, placing in the top two out of 24 schools.

Our girls' results:

MCC v Adventist - Win 3-1

MCC v Lake Munmorah HS - Win 12 - 0

MCC v Green Point CS - Win 7 - 1

MCC v Brisbane Water (Year 7) - Win 16 - 0

This placed our girls 1st out of 24 schools going into the finals. The top 8 teams progressed to finals.

Quarterfinal

MCC v Brisbane Water (Year 8) - Win 8 - 0

Semi-Final

MCC v St Joseph's - Win 1 - 0

Grand Final

MCC v CC Sports College - Loss 2 - 1

The grand final was a nail-biter, with our wingers sustaining a few injuries. However, our girls held on with players down in a close-scoring game, conceding 2-1. Both teams will progress to the state finals, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts.

Team:

Year 8 - Maddisn, Olivia, Abigail, Rahni, Mollie, Poppy, Mia, and Nikita. 
Year 7 - Suzie, Isla, Willow, Elyse, Kristel and Danika. 

Isabelle Kelly Cup 

Yesterday, the College had two U 14 teams playing in the Isabelle Kelly Cup at Morrie Breen Oval.

All the girls have been training for the last nine weeks, either in the mornings or at lunchtime. 

Both teams played some very exciting rugby league. Huge congratulations to the girls for taking out the championship.

CSBB 18's Netball Trials

The CSBB Open Girls Netball trials were held on Monday.

Congratulations to Emily, Year 12, on her selection into the team.

Leadership Retreat

The 12 Year 11 students chosen for Cabinet 2024/25 attended a two-day retreat at St Joseph's Spirituality and Education Centre at Kincumber. They were accompanied by Mrs Teneve, Mr Lynch and myself - Mr Taragel.

During their time at Kincumber, students participated in workshops that focused on effective teamwork, personal attributes and challenges, and the qualities of an effective leader. They also participated in some challenging team activities, indoors and outdoors, that required effective communication and enabled them to think creatively. During these activities, students developed their leadership skills and strengthened relationships with their peers. The liturgy coordinated by Mrs Teneve was invaluable in helping students reflect on their personal qualities.

Mr Lynch spoke to our student cabinet members about what makes a good leader, and Mrs Appleby presented different scenarios that our leaders may encounter during their time as leaders. Our current College Captains, Ashleigh and Manuel, also spoke with the students and answered any questions they may have about leadership at MacKillop.

All of the students possess outstanding ability to be effective leaders. They will be a valuable asset to our college.

Glen Taragel, Year 11 Pastoral Leader

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Year 11 Drama presents

On Friday, 26 July, Year 11 Drama will present a contemporary Australian play, The Turquoise Elephant, by Stephen Carleton. This wickedly funny play is part of Year 11 Drama's Major Production unit. In Year 11 Drama, students explore many areas of theatre and drama, including theatrical traditions and elements of production in performance. This class has worked extremely hard throughout Term 2 to bring you this full-length satire on the state of action, or rather inaction, on climate change. Filled with larger-than-life characters and fuelled by family conflict, this play is well worth seeing. Tickets will be available at the door for $10.

A Day at the Theatre

Year 11 and 12 Drama students attended the Sydney Theatre Company production of "Stolen" by Jane Harrison, performed at the Wharf Theatre on Wednesday, 19 June. Year 12 is studying this Indigenous play for the HSC in 2024. Seeing the play staged has allowed them to explore the issues and techniques of Contemporary Australian Theatre practice in more detail. They were privileged to hear the director speak about the play prior to the performance and to ask questions of the cast post-show. It was a wonderful experience for our students; thank you, Mrs Calder, for accompanying on the day.

Junior Theatre Festival

MacKillop is entering the Junior Theatre Festival, Australia again this year. Rehearsals start Term 3 during sports. We will be presenting a new 15-minute extract from Frozen Jr. incorporating the fun group numbers of Hygge and Fixer Upper plus more. We welcome students from the musical as well as new participants. So, if you are interested in being part of the fabulous tradition of JTF, then please add your name to the expression of interest form.

JTF Expressions of Interest Form

Vinnies Youth Conference

Yesterday, our Mini Vinnies and Social Justice group attended the Vinnies Youth Conference.  Kate Conroy and Ket Wasnika, Youth Engagement Officers from St Vincent de Paul, led the conference, which was held in the Ryan Centre. The students worked collectively, discussing big social justice issues on Homelessness and the Housing Crisis, considering ways we can work to improve outcomes for those most vulnerable and to be a voice for those who need our support. We’re so excited to continue our Good Works… and particularly looking forward to presenting some of these ideas at the upcoming Winter Sleepout.

God Bless,

Paul Lynch

Acting Principal Secondary

Only 4 more Host Families Opportunities - We Need You!

Photography Permission Compass

The Turquoise Elephant - Year 11 Drama

Grand Parents Day - Thursday 25 July

School Holidays

Library - Be Kind to Our Books

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. 

Religious Creative Arts Competition 2024

Mary's Faithful Wardrobe and Mary's Formal Closet

Term 2 Dates