MacKillop Chronicles, Term 1 Week 3

Thursday 16 March 2023

Principal Matters

Dear Community,

Sunday Gospel Account before Lent

“When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.” Matthew 5:38-48. This verse is often used to illustrate the ideal way we need to act around others, especially those we despise. It is a challenging Gospel as Jesus wants us not to be so self-absorbed, critical, or cynical. It is so easy to have one’s buttons pushed. I know it is hard to believe that I would be someone who gets to a gym, but I am genuinely annoyed at most teenagers who sit on a piece of gym equipment on their phones and won’t budge. They rarely seem to use it and certainly do not follow gym etiquette of working in with others who would also like to use the equipment (rant over!) This Gospel passage is directed at me to show patience, but also the ‘gym hog’ who needs to be less self-absorbed! Two years ago, a terrible accident took the lives of three siblings and their cousin outside Oatlands Golf Course in Sydney. A drunk driver mounted the footpath killing the children. A tragedy beyond words! And yet Mr and Mrs Abdallah parents of the deceased have shown mercy and have embraced the driver. Rather than hold anger and admonish him in any way, they have forgiven him. How many of us would be so brave to do such a thing? They live the Gospel in action everyday – amazing people!

Ash Wednesday and Lent

The school will gather in the hall next Wednesday for Ash Wednesday but also to welcome in the new year. Kinder and Year 1 will remain in their classrooms to receive the ashes as the mass will be long. Two Year levels in Secondary will also participate in the ceremony by being in the theatre. We are mindful not to have an overcrowded hall but also to allow parents who wish to join us to do so on the day.

At this time of year some parents often ask what the rules around Lent are with fasting and abstinence. On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent: Everyone of age 14 and up must abstain from consuming meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: Everyone of age 18 to 59 must fast, unless exempt due to usually a medical reason. The rules do not impact the Primary children, but it is always wise to alert the children to what Lent is and what adults of a certain age are asked to observe.

Principal Coffee n Chat

This Friday 17 February @ 9am parents are welcome to come along to the library for a coffee n chat with me. During this time, we will discuss the term ahead, building program, parent involvement and much more. For those unable to join you can hook in live via zoom. Please register for zoom with the details below.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Feb 17, 2023, 09:00 AM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

 Register in advance for this meeting:

https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5csf--prjIiH93fr2cmeASVEeHcJdXZyRK5

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Commissioning Assembly tomorrow Friday 17^th @ 1:20 pm in the Hall

Tomorrow we will commission our new Year 6 school Leaders with a special blessing and presentation of badges. It is also our first assembly where we distribute awards for learning culture. Parents are most welcome to attend.

Afternoon Pick Up

If you are waiting near Kiss N Drop, please meet your child on the grassed area to ensure that the path and gate is free for parents leaving the grounds with their children.  This is becoming a safety issue, so we ask you to help us out and make this zone clear. A reminder also that Friday 17 February is the last day of staggered pick-ups. From Monday 20February pick up in Kiss n Drop will resume at normal 3pm time.

Parent / Teacher / Student Goal Setting Interviews

By now it is my hope that you have all completed the Goal setting information sheet and have returned these to your child’s teacher. Please ensure you have booked online your interview time for next week which begins on Monday 20February and Tuesday 21 February. Go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/t6mmm . K – 2 it is for teacher and parent only and for Year 3 – 6 it is for teacher, student and parent to discuss the year ahead. Use the 10 minutes time slot wisely to get to the point of what is to be achieved in 2023.

Attendance

All absences can be logged through COMPASS, and we encourage you to do so prior to 8:45am if your child is away. 

If you are intending on being away for a period time of 10 days or more, please complete an “Application for Extended Leave” form, prior to your child taking leave.

If your child arrives at school after 8:50am they must collect a late slip from the Front Office. 

Second Step – Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Program

This year we are implementing Second Step, a social and emotional skills program teaching students about feelings and behaviours for life. Last fortnight, our schoolwide Second Step theme was ‘our school as a welcoming place’ where every student feels like he or she belongs. Students are to welcome others and act and speak in safe, respectful, and responsible ways. Each year groups completed their first second step lesson:

• Kindy and Grade 1: learning to listen
• Year 2: being respectful
• Year 3: Being a respectful learner
• Year 4 and 5: empathy and Respect
• Year 6: empathy and communication.

Here is what the kids have said about Second Steps last week:

• “On Friday we learned about Empathy and Respect and enjoyed the song Walk, Walk, Walk”. (Lochie. F, 5G)
• “I enjoyed singing ‘Follow Follow’” (Abigail. R, KG)
• “This week we sung about being respectful and practiced our ‘think, turn, tell’. I liked it when we got to role play how to ask for a pencil” (Olivia. H, 2G)

Next week we will introduce our next whole school focus, and students will continue to earn House Points for demonstrating these skills.

Get in on the action by logging in and viewing the parent resources on the Second Step website www.secondstep.org using the following activation codes:

KINDER   SSPK FAMI LY70

YEAR 1    SSP1 FAMI LY71

YEAR 2    SSP2 FAMI LY72

YEAR 3    SSP3 FAMI LY73

YEAR 4    SSP4 FAMI LY74

YEAR 5    SSP5 FAMI LY75

YEAR 6    SSP5 FAMI LY12

Christine Owen and Kellie Denneman SEL Coordinators

Welcome Mass for New Families this Sunday @ 5pm in the Church

We are looking forward to seeing as many families as possible, new and old at the beginning of school year Welcome Mass this Sunday 19 February @ 5pm. This mass is especially important for all new Kindergarten, Year 7, and new students in other grades to be formally welcomed. Kinder students will receive a special MacKillop Teddy Bear. Following the mass pizza will be served for all who attend, please come along!

A Thought for the Week …

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word ‘happiness’ would lose it’s meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.” Carl Jung.

God Bless

Frank Cohen

Primary Principal

Kindergarten visit Fr Philip

From the Secondary Principal

Prayer:

God, Our Father, loving and merciful, bring together and keep all families in perfect unity of love and mutual support. Instil in each member the spirit of understanding and affection for each other. Keep quarrels and bitterness far from them, and for their occasional failures instil forgiveness and peace.

Learning:

Our students have made a very settled start and we are very impressed with their cooperation and for embracing the new Vertical Pastoral Classes. Change is difficult for some, but we are now seeing the vast majority of our students arriving for class with their devices charged, full pencil cases and are ready to learn.

We still have some students who have not organised a book to read. This is not negotiable, and our Librarians are only too happy to assist any of our students find a novel they might enjoy.

All our students are now completing their Learning Goals for the first Semester and their teachers are sitting with each of them to ensure each student has attainable goals as well as strategies on how they will attain their goals. By the end of next week all parents will be able to go into COMPASS and see these and we would ask that you further discuss their goals with them.

A reminder also to all parents that your child’s assessment calendar for this term is both on COMPASS and on our website. Contact us if you cannot find these. Support from parents to plan out their child’s time to be able to complete their assessments is very helpful.

Farewell Mr Hanrahan:

Last Thursday, we had the opportunity to thank and farewell Mr Jason Hanrahan. All students from Year 6 to 10 gathered in the Hall to congratulate him on his promotion and to thank him for all he did last year. The students presented him with a gift as did the staff. Mr Hanrahan thanked all the students and staff and asked them to keep working hard to become the best version of themselves.

Senior Mass and Luncheon:

We all left school last Thursday with such pride for our Senior students who were so respectful, reverent, appreciative, and well-mannered at both the Senior mass and luncheon.

Fr Philip presided over the Mass and our Music Faculty supplied beautiful hymns throughout. At the mass our seniors made their pledge for leadership and all Year 11 received their Senior badges. We thank Fr Philip and Mrs Price for organising such a beautiful Mass.

We then travelled to Wyong leagues Club to enjoy a 2-course meal together. Invited to the luncheon were all Year 11 and 12 as well as our top performers in the HSC in 2022 and their parents. We also celebrate the 2 former College Captains for all their hard work.

Each of our top students from 2022 were presented with a certificate and they told everyone what they would be doing in 2023. All are pursuing future study in impressive areas.

Our College Dux, Preston Lorusso, sent his apologies as he is presently travelling around Australia with his great grandfather, but he sent a video full of advice for our Senior students about how to approach their HSC and Senior years.

A former student, Brian Van de Wakker, was our guest speaker. Brian attended MCC from 2007 to 2012. He attended university studying Sports Journalism at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst for 4 years as soon as he left high school in 2013. During that time, he worked at 2BS/B-Rock radio in Bathurst where he had his own Saturday morning show and was the lead commentator for their Bathurst 1000 coverage for four years. Once he graduated from university, he gained a job with WIN News in Orange where he was a TV Sports Reporter for 3.5 years before moving to Fox Sports News in Sydney in 2019. He will be leaving there at the end of the month to pursue his dream of working in the Motorsport media - having signed with Supercars lead commentator Neil Crompton and his Airtime Media Production Company. This year he’ll be travelling to all Supercar events across Australia, plus other leading categories, creating content for online plus for Fox Sports and Channel Seven.

Brian gave wonderful and mature advice to our students about what is important in their senior years and beyond.

The afternoon began to conclude with Mr Hanrahan addressing the staff and students and this was very emotional at times as he explained why he resigned last year and what he is doing this year.

Our present College Captains, Tess and Ryley, then presented gifts and some words of thanks and wisdom to conclude the afternoon.

Period 6:

Each week at 2.40pm our seniors are allowed to leave early, and all our staff meet in faculties in Professional Learning Teams for Professional Learning and Planning.

Years 7-10 meet in the Hall with me and we look at many different topics. EVERY student MUST attend this time and may NOT leave early unless there is a legitimate reason.

For the next 2 weeks a great community activity occurs in this time as each House practice their cheers and plan their decorations and costumes for our Swimming Carnival in Week 5. Our Senior Parliament Leaders prepare for these afternoons and lead the rehearsals.

Well done to our student leaders who are working hard to create a strong community for both learning and fun.

Year 12 Major Works

It was so informative to meet with all our student’s parents who have children completing major works this year in Term 4, 2022.

Please encourage your children to do planned and continued work on these so that they complete them early and not have the stress near the time they are due.

We plan to meet with some parents again at the end of this term and with everyone in the Middle of Term 2. This may include parents we did not see last term such as those subjects where the major works are research projects.

House Leaders:

This year we have appointed 6 House Leaders who are teachers who volunteered to lead their Houses to assist in creating more House connection and to have a great deal of fun and competition.

The House leaders are:
 
Fitzroy – Mrs Beeson

Penola- Ms Goodwin

Gesu – Mr Langbridge

Alma – Mr Hodgson

Temuka – Mrs Gorman

Kincumber – Mr Gasparotto

They already participated in a very loud singing competition of our national Anthem and organised a House Kahoot last Friday in Break 1.

I am sure there is much fun and laughter to occur.

Breakfast:

One thing we have noticed since students returned to school is that by the end of Period 1 they are trying to eat between lessons and saying they are hungry. When we have asked why, most have admitted that they have not had breakfast, usually because they get up too late to do this. Just thought we would mention this to our parents.

Important Dates for Week 4:

Mon - Red Earth Immersion - Pre departure session 1 - 5.30-6.30pm

Tues – Shrove Tuesday / U/15 boys and girls Touch

Wed – Ash Wednesday – Opening College Mass 10am (normal lessons P3, 4 and 5)

Sun – 1^st Sunday of Lent

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