MacKillop Chronicles Term 4, Week 9

Thursday 12 December 2024

A Message From Our College Principal

Dear Families

NAPLAN Results- Best Ever! 

Our results are really something to shout about, and we are all very pleased. Now that we have had a chance to dive deeper into the data and compare our performance, we are well-placed as the best-performing Catholic school in the area. Our results in the Primary are significantly improved and above average. Congratulations to our staff and students! 

Our results in Secondary are also improved and indicate a rising trajectory across all domains. This confirms for me that MacKillop is an academic school and that we pride ourselves in offering a diverse curriculum to support a range of students. These results are the best results that MacKillop has achieved for many years and are testimony to the hard work of staff from all year groups. 

I encourage you to visit the myschool website to check the full results of MacKillop and neighbouring schools. 

 Advent 

"Someone else is coming, someone who is more powerful than I..." Luke 3.10-18

The Gospel of Luke reminds us of the anticipated coming of Jesus Christ. It helps to flag the arrival of a special event and reminds us to prepare for the event. There are many ways to prepare for the arrival of Jesus. We can pray and listen to the words of God through the scriptures. We can also ensure that the Holy Spirit is present in our lives by serving others in our community. 

At school, we prepare by attending mass and celebrating the Eucharist as a community. We also prepare by contributing to the hampers that will support others in our community. It is a time of giving and prayerful reflection as we await the birth of the baby Jesus.  

Congratulations to our Staff

I wish to congratulate and introduce the following staff on the appointments listed below. 

Leader of Learning and Teaching: Languages - Andrew Kilham

Mr Kilham has a passion for the study of languages and is looking forward to heading up this faculty. As part of his work, he will ensure the smooth transition of the study of Japanese into Stage 3. 

Digital Enablement and Innovation Lead 7-12 - Amelia Goodwin

Ms Goodwin is a highly regarded educator with a strong understanding of how technologies and learning work hand in hand. She has an engaging and pragmatic vision for the future and establishes a strong strategic delivery of learning outcomes. 

Acting Leader of Learning and Teaching: Mathematics - Mitchell MacLaren

Mr MacLaren is an accomplished leader with a strong understanding of the Mathematics Curriculum. He has worked overseas and in Australia to develop his skillsets and is keen to harness the skills development of his new team.  

Wellbeing Leader: Year 10 - Craig Morely

Mr Morely is an accomplished leader with vast experience in the area of wellbeing and student pastoral care. He has held leadership roles at his previous two schools and is driven to build relationships and get to know students as quickly as possible. 

Acting Wellbeing Lead (7-12) Term 1 2025 - Megan Phillipson

Megan is a calm, insightful and experienced leader who has developed a solid rapport with the Wellbeing Team. She is delighted to step into this new role and further improve on the good work already achieved by this team. 

Assistant Leader of Learning and Teaching: TAS - Michael Mifsud

Mr Mifsud is a capable, inspiring educator with a passion for technology. He considers himself highly organised and will offer the TAS Faculty fresh insights and looks forward to working with his colleagues.

Assistant Leader of Learning and Teaching Religious Education: Gregg Bryant

Mr Bryant is a faith-filled leader with a strong understanding of curriculum and program writing. He looks forward to working alongside others as they collaborate and engage in teaching the Religious Education Curriculum. 

Thank you from Me

A sincere thank you to the many people who have made me welcome in this community. We have achieved much as a community, and I look forward to spending time with my family and friends over the break that is approaching. I have very much enjoyed my first year at MacKillop and look forward to working alongside you in 2025. 

A Christmas Prayer 

Lord our God, here in a humble stable, we see Joseph and Mary

keeping watch over their newborn son.

We see poor shepherds and animals whose manager serves as a bed for this baby,

the Christ child: Mary's son and God's Son. 

We are reminded of the happy truth of Christmas:

The word became flesh and made his dwelling with us.

Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen. 

Wishing every family many blessings over this Advent Season, until we meet again in 2025. May God keep you and your loved ones in the palm of His hand. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

God Bless,

Tanya Appleby | College Principal

Primary Matters

Third Sunday of Advent

Gospel Acclamation: 

“The Spirit of the lord is upon me, he sent me to bring Good News to the poor.” Is 61:1 & Lk4:18

Dear Parents and Carers,

Message from the Head of Primary

This Sunday marks the Third Sunday of Advent, which celebrates the gift of Joy. In Latin, it is called Gaudete, which means ‘Rejoice’. It marks the halfway point of the Advent journey.
This third pink candle on the Advent Wreath reminds us of the joy of our salvation in Christ. The colour pink speaks of this joy, and we sense that Christmas is now near. It’s not difficult to feel the joy in the air as Christmas draws us closer into the blessings of the season.  Children continue to remind us that joy is found in family, in the giving and receiving of gifts with sincere gratitude and in taking time to rest, reflect and give thanks.

In what area of your life would you like the joy of Christ to enter?

We pray:
Jesus, your presence in our lives brings us a joy that is
unwavering. Give us an awareness of a deep sense of joy even in the ordinary moments of our life, as well as in our more difficult times. You came to bring life and joy to all people of the world. We pray for those who are hurting this Christmas, that they might experience Your joy through hearing the Good News of Christ and through the love of others. 
Amen.

End of Year Events

This week has delivered so many joyful events.  Times where we gathered as a community to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments and hard work of a year of learning and faith.  I have been inspired by the artwork that the students created for the Jesse Tree competition based on the ‘Miracles of Jesus’. I was grateful for the respectful encouragement shown by students at the Awards Ceremony. I was proud of the reverence and responsibility of Year 6 at their Graduation Mass and the shared fun we had at the ‘dance party’ later in the day. I was mindful of the anxiety and nervousness surrounding ‘Step Up Day’. Preparing yourself and your child for the unknown is a truly daunting task, one that requires courage and determination.  I was overwhelmed by the joy and enthusiasm of the Christmas Concert and the way it reminded me of what Christmas is all about: the magical, warm, familiar feeling of love. The College End of Year Mass is an acknowledgement of the conclusion of our academic year. A year of learning and faith. Pope Francis declared 2024 a year of Prayer, in preparation for 2025 as a Year of Jubilee. Thank you, 2024. You’ve provided so much to be thankful for. 

Farewells to Staff

I want to take this opportunity to thank the Staff who will be leaving MacKillop in 2024. Permanent Staff Members Mrs Alicia Hanson and Mrs Felicity Banfield have made the decision not to return to MacKillop in 2025.  Mrs Hanson leaves MacKillop after 13 years as a classroom teacher; she has accepted an appointment at another CSBB school closer to her home.

 
Mrs Banfield was an original staff member at MacKillop. For 21 years she has been a dedicated and devoted member of the Learning Support Team. Mrs Banfield has decided to take an opportunity to travel and think about life and work in a different working space.

Mrs Peeta Gainsford has accepted a temporary role at MacKillop in Secondary and will join the HSIE Faculty in 2025.

Staff who have worked in a temporary role and will also leave MacKillop for other placements and opportunities. Mrs Abbie Field, Mrs Clare Hood, Mrs Chelsea Shelley, Ms Amy Cunningham, Mr Caleb Field and Mrs Leanne Schillert will all leave us after various periods of time. We thank them for their wonderful contribution to our community, and we wish them well in the next chapter of their lives. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your welcome, well-wishes and prayers throughout 2024. I have enjoyed getting to know the College community again and working with our students, parents and staff to build our community of faith and learning.
We have many exciting events to come in 2025 including our new building project.  You will notice some changes to the footprint of the College over the break as we shift to accommodate the foundations of our new buildings. I look forward to working with you in 2025 as we continue to build our community together.

Blessings for Holy and Peace-filled Christmas Holiday. See you in 2025!

Congratulations to our Staff

Curriculum Lead Early Stage 1 & Stage 1 - Chris Shilling 

Mrs Shilling's leadership will complement, cooperate and collaborate with the Curriculum Lead Stage 2 & 3 providing a synergy across K-6 and beyond. Her expertise as a subject matter expert in Literacy, Collaborative Coaching and Early Stage1 & Stage 1 Coordinator, provide a strong foundation for the implementation of the new CHPS Syllabuses over the next two years.

Curriculum Lead Stage 2 and Stage 3 - Cathy Whitmore 

Mrs Whitmore brings a wealth of experience to this role as a subject matter expert in numeracy, Collaborative Coach and Stage 3 Coordinator. Her recent experiences in Stage 4 Mathematics classrooms will provide valuable insight into the development of a scope and sequence of learning across Stages 2 to 4. The Stage 2 and Stage 3 Curriculum Lead will provide a strong foundation for the implementation of the new CHPS Syllabuses over the next two years.

Wellbeing Lead - Kellie Denneman

Mrs Denneman will continue to build upon the delivery of wellbeing initiatives that exist at MacKillop.  Her understanding of our current practices and programs will assist the new Director of Wellbeing in understanding the complexities of our College. She will use the Wellbeing Framework and SEL Continuum to assist teachers in developing a better understanding of student wellbeing needs.

Learner Diversity Lead - Allison Passafaro

Mrs Passafaro brings a strength in data analysis and experience in the Learning Support role to assist the Learner Diversity Lead K-12 in addressing the complexities of students with diverse needs.  She has familiarity and experience with current procedures and practices in NCCD data collection and collation and will provide additional support to the Learner Diversity Team.

Digital Enablement and Innovation Lead - Karen Jones 

Mrs Jones's passion and skill in the digital enablement space will be a welcome support as the College moves into a hybrid phase of learning in 2025.  She will work in cooperation and collaboration with the Digital Enablement and Innovation Lead 7-12 in the development of innovative and inspired E-Learning principles across K-12.

I thank these good people for their willingness to lead and serve others in our community. Please join me in congratulating them.

End of Year Awards Assemby

On Tuesday, the MacKillop Primary students and teachers celebrated the end-of-year awards at a morning assembly with the parents and carers of our school community. It was great to see and hear about all of our clever students' wonderful achievements and to celebrate 2024. Congratulations to all of our MacKillop community.  

Tim Snelling | Religious Education Coordinator K - 6

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 23

Next

2025 Primary Leaders

At our end-of-year assembly, we proudly introduced our Primary Leadership team! Let’s give a big round of applause to these amazing students who embraced this challenge!

Wellbeing Captains: Hannah F and Isabella L
Mission Captains: Chrissa M and Edward A
Culture Captains: Hannah J and Dean F
House Captains: Avah J-S and Riley E-M
Vice Captains - Elisha K and Raphael M
Captains - Amelia S and Alex D

Congratulations to you all.

Cathy Whitmore | Leader of Learning - Numeracy /Stage 3 Co-ordinator 

Broken Bay Primary Tennis Trials

Congratulations to Abbey and Victoria who represented MacKillop with pride at Broken Bay Primary Tennis Trials on Wednesday.

Vacation Care with CatholicCare

CatholicCare has released its Vacation Care Program for the upcoming term break. Programs are designed to keep your child active and engaged whilst maintaining the need for a well-earned holiday break. To find out more about CatholicCare's Vacation Care, please visit: Vacation Care - CatholicCare

Or by phone 0409 758 603 and email oshc.warnervale@catholiccaredbb.org.au

Relocating in 2025?

As the calendar year draws rapidly to a close, families take time to consider their movement for the new year. Work contracts or family dynamics can sometimes lead to circumstances that call for change. If you are leaving the MacKillop community at the end of 2024, please remember to complete an Exit Form. This form provides valuable information about our services and allows the College to plan effectively for 2025.  We want to provide families on our Waiting List with adequate opportunity to formalise their child’s placement at MacKillop in the new year.

2025 Stationery Lists

For those of you wanting to get extra organised so you can maximise your Christmas Break or even take advantage of the sales. Here is the most recent stationery list for each year group. 

Blessings for a wonderful week 

Kerry Power | Head of Primary

Secondary News

Dear Community,

End of Year

As we come to the end of a productive school year, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you.  We commenced this year with several changes, and with any change, there are the inevitable challenges that go with it, but through it all, we have come together as a community to support one another and ensure that our students continue to receive the best education possible.

To our teachers, support staff and our administration team, thank you for your tireless dedication to our students.  Your hard work and commitment to their success have not gone unnoticed.  You have gone above and beyond to ensure that our students receive the support and guidance they need to thrive, and for that, we are truly grateful.

To our students, thank you for your hard work and perseverance.  You have shown us what you are capable of, and we commit to holding high expectations for you moving forward.  We are so proud of all that you have accomplished this year.  We know that there is more improvement possible, and in partnership with you, we aim to maximise your learning growth.

To our community, thank you for your unwavering support.  Your encouragement and generosity have helped us to continue providing the best possible education to our students.  We are so grateful for your partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to support our students and our community.

As we look ahead to the next year, I am filled with hope and optimism.  Together, we can overcome any obstacle and continue to provide our students with the education they deserve.  Thank you again for all that you do, and I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas.

2024 Performing Arts Showcase

The Performing Arts Showcase was held on Monday, 9 December, in the Theatre. It was an opportunity for our students to showcase the work they have been doing in class as part of their day-to-day studies. There were performances from students in all Secondary year groups (7-12) and covered Music, Dance and Drama. 

It was great to see so many students perform, but it was even better to have a chance to catch up with the parents and friends who stand behind these students and support them so much.

Congratulations to all of our Music, Dance and Drama students for the tireless practice, effort and passion you put into your daily work in the classroom throughout 2024!

Shane LeBreton | Performing Arts

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 12

Next

YMCC Update 

On Wednesday, during break one, the YMCC students met for the last time this year to farewell Mrs Tenev. It was a great party with games, prizes, speeches and lots of love and well-wishes. Thank you to Miss Sullivan and Mrs Baxter for your assistance and support and to Harleen in Year 7 for organising the farewell card, games and prizes! 

Maisie Tenev | Youth Ministry Coordinator 

Christmas Appeal 2024

Thank you for your generous and thoughtful donations. This year, we have created many hampers. Your kindness will help everyone in our community enjoy Christmas even more.

James Hodgeson | JUMP Coordinator

Coast Shelter @ Erina Fair

We're thrilled to continue our partnership with Coast Shelter by supporting their annual gift-wrapping fundraising stall at Erina Fair! Our students truly enjoyed the experience, pouring their hearts into wrapping each present with love and care. It's such a joy to make a positive difference together!

Michelle Baxter | Acting REC - Curriculum 

God Bless,

Paul Lynch

Acting Head of Secondary

BYOD - Enrolling your new device for 2025

Parish invitation to Carols by Candlelight

Christmas Mass Times

Important Dates from the Finance Office

Uniform Fittings - Alinta Uniform Shop

A Message from Transport for NSW

2025 CAMP DATES

Mary's Faithful Wardrobe and Formal Closet

Term 4 Dates