MacKillop Chronicles Term 4, Week 1

Thursday 17 October 2024

A Message From Our College Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 4; I hope that you had a restful break surrounded by family and friends.

Awareness of Life-threatening Allergies

Families, as you prepare lunch and recess for your children, I ask that you please talk to your child about not swapping their lunch or letting others have a bite of their lunch. I appreciate that children will be children, but it is important that your child is aware that some children may have an extreme and potentially life-threatening response to specific foods.  I also urge you to be very aware of any food that is being prepared for the purpose of sharing in the classroom context. It is wise to inform the classroom teacher if any food items prepared contain eggs, for example, a birthday cake. This will raise the awareness of the teacher that he/she will need to protect the child from an allergic response. Most often, families would have supplied the teacher with an alternate ‘safe’ treat for their child so that the child does not miss out on the special event.

Raising Student Awareness

One of our senior school leaders, Charlotte K, will be taking the role as a student-based spokesperson to raise awareness on life-threatening allergies and their impact on families. Charlotte will draw on personal experience and will be introduced to our Primary school students shortly through assemblies so that she can lead the awareness program promoting safe food awareness across the College.

Below, I have added the link related to living with allergies and urge families to raise their awareness to the challenges faced by individuals who have potentially life-threatening allergic responses. https://allergyfacts.org.au/living-with-allergies/

Thank you for your understanding, and I urge you to have a conversation with your son or daughter as soon as possible.

Digital Transition from iPad to Laptops from Year 5 onwards

Families have now received information related to the transition process of iPads to laptops. I have, however, added a link to the information again that was provided late in Term 3.

College Backpacks

College backpacks that support a laptop will be added to our uniform shop stock for the cost of $100. It is a very robust bag that is purposeful in design and taking into account growing bodies, and the weight of textbooks etc.  I thank the students who were involved in the ‘road-testing’ trial of the two styles that we were offered by the manufacturer. The Uniform Shop Manager has now put in our order for 2025. So, as we move forward, the College Backpack will be made compulsory for Year 7 students from 2025. Having spoken to parents, we have also agreed that Year 5 and Year 6 students may also purchase the senior backpack if they wish.

New students to the College will be required to buy the College backpack. We will transition the purchase of the College backpack over the next few years, but we urge families to consider buying a purposeful school backpack that will last the distance from Year 5 into Year 12.

Lockers

It is also worth noting that students from Year 7 onwards are also provided with a school locker. They are encouraged not to carry all their books and belongings but rather use their lockers to reduce the weight of their bags. Parents are required to supply their children with a lock with a long shank to secure their belongings.

Insert picture of backpack (I have attached a picture of the backpack to this email)

Staffing Update

Retirement news

We take the opportunity to acknowledge a very special non-teaching staff who has served our community for many years. We would like to thank Mrs Janine Silver who has been at the College since its inception. Janine has held several roles at the College and, most recently, has been EA to the Principals and managed the non-teaching staff. Janine has served MacKillop with diligence and care. She has a genuine high regard for all staff, and her professionalism and attention to detail are noteworthy. Janine has played a significant role in developing relationships and building a culture that supports our values and Josephite ethos. We are pleased that Janine will be able to spend more time at home with her loved ones and that she deserves the rest afforded to her in retirement.

Below is an extract of her salutation to the community:

My time at MacKillop has come to an end, and my family must now come first. my wonderful parents now need more of my time and, in particular, our 8 precious grandchildren. (The) many incredible people I have worked with over the past 22 years have made my role so very rewarding, in particular the beautiful, supportive Office Staff.  I will definitely miss the traditions that were first established by Mr Stephen Aitken and carried on by the most incredible leaders who I had the privilege of working very closely with. I have learnt something from each of these leaders, and I am honoured to call them close friends.  I also want to sincerely thank so many of you who have walked this journey with me and those who joined along the way. 

Primary Matters

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Acclamation: 

“The Son of Man came to serve and give his life as a ransom for all." Mk 10:45

Dear Parents and Carers,  

Message from the Head of Primary

Welcome back to Term 4. This past Monday was a Pupil Free Day, Staff of CSBB (Catholic Schools Broken Bay) dedicate one day per year to the development of Spiritual Formation. The focus for 2024 was ‘Exploring the many ways to Pray‘. Staff gathered to celebrate Mass with Fr. Philip, followed by Adoration and then selected workshops to deepen engagement with various forms of prayer.  Workshops included, Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Visio Divina, Sacred Walking and Praying with Music.   

2024 is The Year of Prayer, the Holy Father, Pope Francis explained at the beginning, is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer, prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world.” 

Pope Francis goes on to say "Prayer is the breath of faith; it is its most proper expression. Like a cry that issues from the heart of those who believe and entrust themselves to God. Only prayer gives space to God in our lives and in the history of the world: and with God everything is possible." 

Staff Spirituality Day is a gift given to us from our Director, Mr. Danny Casey and our bishop, Bishop Anthony Randazzo. This time to focus on the vital work of witnessing to our Catholic Identity is essential in forming our students to “know Christ” in their lives. We give genuine and heartfelt thanks for the opportunity to engage with prayer and its impact on our daily life. Sometimes we don’t realise the necessity of this space until we enter into it with time and commitment. We took this idea with us as we left on Monday, that Prayer is the ‘breath of faith’, an opportunity to encounter Jesus, have Him accompany us on the journey of our life and feel transformed by His love. This is our faith. May we go make disciples. 

Year 12 HSC Exams begin 

Fr. Philip included this prayer in our Parish Bulletin. May we be reminded of the anxiety and trepidation of our end-of-school examinations and the importance they play in the months and years to come.  We pray for our dear students in a most heartfelt way. 

Lord, we come to You with hopeful hearts for our Year 12 students. As they prepare for their HSC exams, grant them guidance, strength, and peace. Give them clarity as they study and calm in stressful moments. May they trust in their abilities and know their worth is in Your love, not in results. Surround them with support and lift them up through our prayers. Bless their efforts and remind them of Your constant presence and peace throughout their exams and beyond. Amen 

Allergy Awareness 

As the new term begins, I would like to take this opportunity to remind our community about the serious nature of allergies and their implications for all our students. Celebrating events such as birthdays is a natural and beautiful way to show fellowship and communion. Sharing is a wonderful idea and one we wish to foster and encourage, but not in the area of food. In celebrating your child’s birthday with classmates, we encourage stickers or balloons as an alternative to food.  Please reaffirm with your child that the lunch you have provided is for them alone, as there are children in their class who cannot eat foods due to allergies.  Allergies Australia has wonderful resources to discuss this with your child. 

About Allergies - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (allergyfacts.org.au) 

Thank you for your consideration in this area 

Mission Sunday – October 20 
Pope Francis chose the theme for the day “Go and invite everyone to the Banquet” as this year's theme.  Please click the link  for the Holy Father’s message for World Mission Day.  

“Today, in a world torn apart by divisions and conflicts, Christ’s Gospel remains the gentle yet firm voice that calls individuals to encounter one another, to recognize that they are brothers and sisters, and to rejoice in harmony amid diversity. “God our Saviour desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). Let us never forget, then, that in our missionary activities we are asked to preach the Gospel to all: “Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, [we] should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet” (Evangelii Gaudium, 14). 

National Children’s Week 

National Children’s Week commences on October 19th, 2024, and is a key safeguarding date for 2024. The event is celebrated with a theme that is based on an Article from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This year, the theme is based on the UNCRC Article 24, “the right of children to a clean and safe environment”. The aim is for all Australians to recognise the importance of safe environments for children, ensuring they attain the highest standard of health. 
  
National Children’s Week highlights that all children and young people can participate in and make a valuable contribution to their society. There are multiple resources that have been created by the Children’s Week Council of Australia and can be accessed via the following link : Children's Week Council of Australia (childrens-week.org.au) 

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) - The Good Village Program

Year 6 are taking part in the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) - The Good Village program during PDH this term. The interactive health and wellbeing program encourages students to engage in design thinking and problem-solving while learning from a high-performance athlete. We are very fortunate to have been assigned Tori Pendergast, who has represented Australia twice at the Paralympic Games in Alpine Skiing. Tori presented Year 6 with a problem regarding sports participation in our local area that the students will need to solve while considering sustainability, diversity, nutrition, wellbeing and physical activity creatively. We look forward to Tori returning later in the term to present our solution.

Ashlee Garling, Sharon London and Sarah Shorter | Primary PDH Teachers

BODY BRIGHT - Year 5 and 6 Student and Parent Presentations

We are delighted to be launching Body Bright at MacKillop next term.  This positive body image awareness and education program from Butterfly Foundation will be delivered across all Years K-6 during Wellbeing Week.  Years 5 and 6 are lucky to be involved in a launch event in Week 2.  Students will participate in a face-to-face presentation by Body Bright facilitators at 11:30 am on Monday, 28 October; parents are invited to attend a Zoom Presentation from 6:30 pm that night.  

Please see attached a Parent Information letter with more information about the program.
Also attached is a Flyer/Booking Form for the Parent Zoom Session with a digital link to register.
Parents must register in order to get the Zoom link & specific information for the evening Seminar.

 Parent letter

 Body Bright Zoom 

- Kellie Denneman | Leader Primary PDHPE, Sport and Wellbeing

Blessings for a wonderful week 

Kerry Power | Head of Primary

Primary Events

Secondary News

Dear Community,

Welcome Back to Term 4

As we embark on Term 4, I want to extend a warm welcome back to each of you.  I hope you had a refreshing break and are ready to embrace the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

A special shout-out goes to our Year 12 students who have just commenced their Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams.  This is a significant milestone in your academic journey, and we are incredibly proud of all the hard work and dedication you have shown.  I spoke briefly to Year 12 before they entered their first exam, it was mostly to wish them well but also reminding them to keep studying hard as they approach each exam.  It’s important that they ensure they are getting enough rest, eating well, and taking breaks.  I also urge them to seek support if they need it, don’t hesitate to reach out to teachers, friends, or family if you need help or encouragement.

We met with our new student leaders on Tuesday and they are eager to hit the ground running this term.  They are already proposing a range of exciting initiatives aimed at enhancing our school community.  These initiatives reflect our student leaders' commitment to making a positive impact within our school and the broader community.  Stay tuned for more updates as these projects unfold.

For all students, Term 4 is filled with opportunities for growth and learning.  Engage actively in your classes, participate in extracurricular activities, and make the most of this final term of the year.

Spring Cleaning? Don't throw it away!

If anyone does a Spring Clean over the holidays and is getting rid of old white sheets or preloved denim items, the Stage 5 Textile students are going to be doing a recycled project next term, and they will be happy to take them off your hands.

Jane Edwards

Representative Sport

Year 8 student, Harry is a member of the Sydney Swans Academy and was recently selected in the AFL Super 24 series for U13’s Youth Boys. 

He travelled to Albury over the holidays, where he competed in a two-day tournament against GWS Giants and scored two goals, contributing to a team win. 

Congratulations, Harry. MCC is so proud of your achievement.

God Bless,

Paul Lynch

Acting Principal Secondary

Lifeline Skills-for-Life Training

Registrations Open for Go4Fun Term 4

2025 CAMP DATES

SchoolTV Special Report: The Cost of Living Crisis

headspace

Mary's Faithful Wardrobe and Formal Closet

Term 4 Dates