MacKillop Bulletin - Term 3, Week 10, 2022

From the Principal

Josephite Mission and History Centre

The September meeting of the MacKillop Catholic College Advisory Board took place at the Josephite Mission and History Centre in New Town. Our students are very familiar with the Josephite Centre as a visit to the Sisters is part of each Year 7 student's induction to the College.

With great grace and wisdom, Sr Jill Dance took members of the Board on a journey through the life and times of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison-Woods. Gently guiding and reminding us of their story and how it has come to shape and continues to inform MacKillop Catholic College.

There can be times when, if we do not make a conscious effort to do so, we might not see what those who have come before us have to offer in our current circumstances. Time spent with Sr Jill reminded all those present that evening that the insights and knowledge of Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison-Woods are as relevant today as they have ever been.

Term 3 Finishes

In what has been yet another incredibly busy term for all at the College, a term where we as staff, students and parents have benefited greatly from the contributions and efforts of the many in our community, I have been drawn, yet again, to a key theme in Mary MacKillop’s pioneering work with the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart – our unity is our strength. 

As I reflect on all that has been achieved this term, I see great wisdom in Mary MacKillop’s words, “So great is the strength we possess in our unity.” Congratulations and thank you to all students, staff, parents and members of the wider MacKillop Catholic College community for your efforts this term!

May the Term 3 break be a special one, please keep safe, and I look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, October 17 ready for Term 4.

Regards

Stephen Hill 
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Year 11 2023

We are very excited to have our planning complete for Year 11, 2023.  Over the past few weeks, we have been working with our students moving to Year 11 and completed course confirming interviews. We have discussed the requirements for the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) and provided information about the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and Vocational Education and Training (VET).  Our students have selected their courses and for 2023 we will be offering classes to meet the needs of our students.  For further information about Year 11, please contact:

Mrs Jennifer Crowden
Director of Senior School (Year 10 - 12)
jcrowden@mackillop.tas. edu.au

Staffing Changes

This week we will farewell Ms Leeann Medwin, Food Technologies teacher.  After two and half years at MacKillop Catholic College, Leeann is needing to move to be closer to her family.  We wish her all the very best and thank her for her contributions to our College.  At the same time, we welcome Mrs Lenna Green as our new Food Technologies teacher.  Welcome to MacKillop Catholic College.

Notification if Not Returning to MacKillop Catholic College in 2023

The College is currently developing classes for 2023. As part of the planning process, we ask that families notify the College if their child(ren), in Years 7- 10 are not returning. This may be because they are transitioning to another educational institution or a workplace. This notification was required by Friday 23 September 2022, it is now overdue. If notification is not received, the 10-week late notification fee (as noted in the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment) will be imposed unless there are extenuating circumstances. Waiving this late fee will be approved at the discretion of the Principal.  Please email enrolments@mackillop.tas.edu.au for notification.

Best Wishes For the Break

As this is the final bulletin for the term, I would like to thank all our parents and community members for your support and collaboration as together, we educate the young people of MacKillop Catholic College.  Our students have remained engaged with their studies and to ensure that their achievement across the range of their subjects is the best they can do.  

I would like to also thank the staff of MacKillop Catholic College for providing the opportunities to extend our young people during Term 3.

Over the break, I hope you have an excellent rest and provide time to renew your spirit.

School resume for all students on Tuesday, 18 October 2022.

Yours in Christ 

Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development

From the Deputy Principal

Student Leadership Model 2023

We are always looking at ways to improve student engagement at MacKillop College and as such we recently completed a review of our student leadership model. One of the outcomes of this review is that we needed to create clear pathways for student engagement, clearly defined roles, investment into key identified domains within the College, detailed duty statements, and clearly defined leadership opportunities for students to get involved in all aspects of College life.

Our new model which we are introducing in 2023 reflects these key outcomes. All roles have a clear focus on service. Our process for our College Captains remains the same, but with a more detailed role description. They will chair the Student Leadership Team and the SRC. Our House Captain positions in 2023 will be opened up to both Year 10 & Year 11 students and also have new detailed role descriptions. The process for their appointment remains similar to nominations and House voting, but with the added step of an interview process, to replicate the process for students to become College Captain.

The new addition is the creation of student committees in each of six key domains: Academic, Arts, Mission, Sport, Sustainability, and Wellbeing. These committees will meet regularly, are open to any student to join, and will have an active involvement in the planning and development of student engagement in that domain across the College.

Each of these committees will be chaired by one of our new captains and will have a dedicated staff member assisting and coordinating. These captains will be appointed through application and through an interview process. These positions will not be voted on by the students and will be awarded on merit to those students who have demonstrated active engagement and passion in their chosen domain.

We will be investing in the formation and training of our 2023 student leaders to ensure they have the confidence and skills to take on these new and expanded roles. We look forward to implementing this new process in Term 4, 2022.

YEAR 11 UNIFORMS 2023

There has been some confusion regarding the uniform for our 2023 Year 11 students. Whilst a number of different uniform items were designed and discussed at various focus groups, it was the recommendation from students and staff that the uniform for our Year 11 & 12 students remains the same moving forward. The one exception is a new student tie to indicate they are in Years 11 & 12. Senior girls are recommended to move from the existing dress to the skirt, however, this is just a recommendation, not a requirement.

Our new navy House Sports Polos are currently in production and will be available in the coming months to all students.

Andrew Pritchard
Deputy Principal - Wellbeing

From the Director of Senior School

Part-time Work and Study

It is very common that young people are starting part-time work at a young age. The areas in which they usually are working in are hospitality and retail. There are pros and cons to students having a part-time job. I will highlight below some of the ways it can assist them when they find a healthy balance of work and study and balance is the key word here. They need to have this balance to fully reach their potential academically, holistically, and physically.

These are the pros of part-time work:

• Source of income- Students are provided with their own money to save or spend as they wish.
• Time management skills- Students are forced to make a weekly plan and stick to it, which can aid in sticking to study timetables down the track.
• Adaptability- Students are becoming more flexible and adaptable in their repertoire of skills and are able to adapt quickly to arising situations at work.
• Communication- It is vital for their jobs to use their communication skills.
• Building connections- This is an important one for involving themselves in their local community and networking with younger and older people.

We have seen some students work and study successfully simultaneously. One student who has done exceptionally well with the balance this year and did the following to make sure they could reach the balance.

1. Have maximum weekly hours they can work
2. Blank out Examination periods for study
3. Plan a study timetable so that they can look at finishing tasks before the due date
4. Communicate with their supervisors if they need fewer shifts depending on their study load.
5. Allowed social time with their peers in their week

We have briefly discussed Study timetables with Year 9 and 10 students this year. At the end of the year, we will focus on study timetables and study techniques to make the most of their time and of their Senior School experience.

Jennifer Crowden
Director of Senior School (Year 10 - 12)

From the Director of Pastoral Care

Following several discussions about how we best plan for our expansion in 2023 and beyond, the decision has been made to add a sixth Pastoral Care Group in each House (eg. Rice 6). 

Some of our 2023 Year 7s will be placed in the sixth group but in order to create a vertical Pastoral Care group (7-11), we are inviting any student currently in Year 7 to 10 (continuing at MacKillop for Year 11) who would like to move into this sixth Pastoral Care group to apply. We are encouraging students to also talk to their Pastoral Care Teacher and parent/guardian about this move before completing an application. 

The House Leader and the Director of Pastoral Care will review these applications, and will then decide which students will move into the sixth Pastoral Care Group. Please be aware that completing an application does not guarantee that students will move into this sixth group. House Leaders will be making contact with those successful applicants.

Regards

Phillipa Coward
Director of Pastoral Care 

From the Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Bellerive/Lindisfarne Parish Update

Earlier in the term, you will recall that Fr Mark Freeman was announced as the new Parish Priest for Bellerive/Lindisfarne. I understand that Fr Mark will commence his Ministry at the beginning of November. He will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday 6th November.

Vinnies Breakfast
The College Vinnies Conference continues to do a great job in providing breakfast for students each Tuesday morning. Donations are always welcome to support their work. Thank you to our Youth Minister, Charlotte Davies, and Ministry Team member Sandra Doyle for supporting this outreach opportunity.

Spirit Magazine
Please keep an eye out for the Term Three addition of the Spirit Magazine. It will contain reports and
photos from recent Ministry events such as the Year 8 Retreats, Vinnies Sleepout, and catholic
Education Week.

Lachlan Marsh

Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Career News

Whilst preparing to complete my final assessment task for my Graduate Certificate in Career Development, I was reminded of a report published by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that explored the importance of lifelong learning.
Lifelong learning can be formal or informal, takes place throughout an individual’s life ‘from cradle to grave’, and is considered an important factor for success within the workforce. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for our workforce to be adaptable and accepting of
change, demonstrating that lifelong learning is the foundation of future work.
Lifelong learning doesn’t happen by accident; it is intentional and proactive.
Lifelong learning is not limited to one group of people or one profession; it is accessible to all.
Lifelong learning is never wasted; the benefits are long-lasting and widespread.
Lifelong learning is all around us. Upon returning to MacKillop for Term 4, I challenge students to ask
their teachers what types of ‘learning’ they have completed since qualifying as educators. The wealth of
learning and experience evidenced by them is inspiring and reminds us all that learning is, indeed, for
life.

Nina Dobie
Program Leader: Career Pathways

MacKillop Stars