MacKillop Bulletin - Term 4, Week 6, 2022

From the Principal

Preparations for 2023

As part of the College’s ongoing preparations for 2023, and the introduction of our first Year 11 classes, we can announce the following regarding day times and the 2023 term dates.

As the College transitions to a timetable model that will mostly consist of 100-minute blocks or sessions, the need for the current five minutes of transition between teaching sessions has been amended. Commencing from day one of 2023 the following day times will be in operation:

As seen above, the timing for the beginning and end of the school day remains unchanged. The five minutes of transition or movement time between each of the teaching blocks/sessions and major breaks will provide students and staff sufficient time to move from their current location to their locker/office, return personal items, collect required learning resources for the next timetabled session(s) and to move to the scheduled room/location.

Students studying two ‘single’ classes/subjects in any 100-minute block will be required to take learning materials for both classes/subjects with them rather than miss any scheduled teaching time by returning to their locker before moving to the next classroom/teaching space.

Parents and caregivers are reminded that teacher supervision of the College’s internal and external spaces/areas does not commence until 8:15 am each weekday morning.  Where possible, and other than students traveling by bus, parents, and caregivers are asked to not drop their child at school before 8:15 am.

Additionally, teacher supervision of the bus pick-up area along Currajong Street concludes at 3:50 pm each weekday afternoon. In circumstances when a child cannot be collected or travel from the College by 3:50 pm, parents and caregivers are asked to direct their child to the Front Office/ Administration building until they can be collected by you.

2023 term dates

Having conducted a detailed review of term dates in each of the system’s schools, CET has identified significant discrepancies in term start and finish dates between individual schools. In response, CET has published a 2023 term dates calendar as part of the transition to a uniform CET system calendar from 2024.  The 2023 term dates are as follows:

Term One 2023

Term Two 2023

Term Three 2023

Term Four 2023

 A reminder that the College Office closes Wednesday 21 December 2022 at 3:00 pm.

Employment opportunities at MacKillop Catholic College

You may have noticed that the College continues to advertise a range of ongoing positions. The introduction of Year 11 in 2023, our significant growth in student enrolments, and the typical movement of staff that comes with any end-of-year mean that we are still actively seeking to fill several vacant roles.

While the College makes use of a variety of advertising resources and strategies and has significant success in attracting new employees to the school, we are not immune from the challenges of finding new staff in the highly competitive employment environment that currently exists in so many professions and areas of employment.

I invite you to share these opportunities with any of your contacts who you believe might be interested in or enjoy working at the College.

Stephen Hill

Principal

From the Deputy Principal

FUSION

This week we will witness a showcase of the Arts Department at our College.  Education in the Arts develops students' individual creativity and self-expression.   Our Arts department encompasses studies in Dance, Visual Art, Media Arts, Music and Drama.  These subjects provide wonderful opportunities for our students to increase their confidence and motivation.  In Years 7 and 8, these subjects are compulsory and we believe it is essential to the human experience.  From Year 9 onwards, our students select these subjects to study in more depth.

This week we are going to be privileged to see the work of our young people.  It will a showcase of the many talented students who engage in learning the Arts.  The creative side of our curriculum will come alive.    An important part of learning in the Arts is placing yourself in a vulnerable position and opening yourself up to be 'seen'.  This leads to individual growth and development for our young people.  So, I urge you to come along this week to see the fine talents of our MacKillop Students and contribute to the growth of our young people.

Yours in Christ

Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development

From the Deputy Principal

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, with assignment due dates, upcoming tests and exams. As students balance their time, ensuring they are organised, prepared, and ready for these important assessments, it is critically important to ensure they are getting enough sleep every night.

How much is enough sleep? Well, most experts would agree that your typical teenager, needs between nine and 10 hours of sleep each night. Yet most get about seven or eight hours of sleep. Some get significantly less. Not having enough sleep creates what is known as sleep debt. Sleep debt causes students to feel tired throughout the day, lose their ability to remain focused, weaken their immune system, and make it more difficult to process and store information. Sleep debt does not go away, and maybe the reason why your teenager sleeps until midday when given the chance. Many kids today are sleep deprived. This affects their concentration levels, and ability to process and retain information and can have a significant impact on their mental health. Why is this and what effect is this having?

There are many reasons why teenagers are sleep deprived. The draw of technology and social media definitely has an impact. Fear of missing out, and not responding to messages from others creates a sense of social anxiety. Devices such as mobile phones themselves emit different types of light, but one, in particular, is blue light. Blue light fools the brain into thinking it's daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is nature's way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed. The body starts releasing it a couple of hours before bedtime. Darkness helps trigger the release of melatonin; blue light delays it. Research has shown that teens are especially sensitive to blue light. To add another layer to this, as teenagers go through puberty their body clock shifts, making it harder for them to go to sleep at earlier times.

Why is sleep important? Well, sleep maximises brain growth which occurs in toddlers and teens. It consolidates learning: sleep research has shown that the brain practices what it has learned during the day when a child or young person is asleep. It is during sleep that information is transferred from your short term to long term memory. So, sufficient sleep consolidates past learning as well as keeping kids fresh to maximise their future learning.

The links between sleep debt and poor mental health, including anxiety and depression, are indisputable. Anxiety goes down and confidence and well‐being improve when kids get enough sleep.

Therefore, what are some practical steps to assist teenagers in going to sleep? Most experts would suggest that all electronic devices (computers, gaming systems, mobile phones) should not be used at least an hour before bed. Routines like regular bedtimes are also critically important. To assist teens' self-control, devices should not be kept in bedrooms overnight, rather they should be kept charging in a separate room. Their bedroom should be reserved for sleep and kept as dark as possible. Caffeine drinks should be avoided and especially should not be consumed in the afternoon or evening.

Knowing the critical importance of sleep, it is really important to ensure that all of us have great sleep hygiene and develop sustainable habits to ensure our brains are functioning optimally.

Andrew Pritchard 

Deputy Principal - Wellbeing

From the Director of Junior School

The "Stretch"

I have been doing some planning and reflection around the idea of socio-emotional 'stretch'.  This is the idea of our kids growing their skills and their confidence by engaging in challenges that ask them to step out of their comfort zone, just enough to experience a 'stretch'.  My colleagues here at Mackillop are used to hearing me say, 'there is growth in discomfort'.  Without entering into new experiences and relying on themselves, people become adverse to challenges and are at risk of not coping with the everyday demands of life.  Putting our kids in situations where they 'stretch' is difficult for parents because it is counterintuitive.  It feels wrong to watch our kids struggle.  In fact, a healthy dose of struggle is really important for the development of problem-solving skills, creative thinking, help seeking behaviors, and in turn, resilience.  Consider where you can stretch your child.  Perhaps they should speak to their teacher about difficulties with their assessments before you lean in and make contact.  Perhaps they can go into the supermarket and buy a small number of items without support. Perhaps they should manage the consequences of forgetting their lunch/laptop or should be encouraged to practice their social interaction skills by reaching out to a new friendship group or trying a new activity without their current friends. By its nature school is a great platform for stretching our kids.  It is a safe and predictable place where they learn to navigate complex timetables and workloads, social relationships of different types as well as their own conduct and organisation.  It is so important for our kids to be put into situations where they are their own 'backup plan' and where they don't have old friends to rely on all the time.  Moving into 2023 where teaching staff and learning groups will change for everyone, remind your child that they can handle it.  They have the resources to manage these demands and soon, these demands will become the new normal. Reinforce the strengths that your kids have that will serve them well in these new situations;  kindness, outgoingness, organisation, observation, politeness, etc  Praise your kids each time they try something new in a new situation even when it didn't go as planned.  New skills and new environments take practice.  Praise effort and reassure that the desired outcomes take time: No one actually makes 10 new best friends in one day, even if it looks like that. Remember too that where students miss a lot of school they miss these opportunities for growth and may find attending school again too daunting.  Getting back into the swing of school as quickly as possible gets kids rolling again with their 'stretch' and provides opportunities for praise and for them to have a sense of achievement. I did it!  By myself. It is great to see so many of our students finishing the year well with their best academic efforts and conduct.  This is going to provide them with confidence and strength for their start next year.  Keep up the hard work students (and families).  A well-deserved break is coming.

Alison Stevens
Director of Junior School

From the Director of Senior School

MacKillop students have been keeping busy with a variety of activities in the fields of the Arts, Sports, Academia, and Outdoor Education of late.

In week seven we start our examinations for our Year 9 and 10 students. Please reassure your child that these are practice sessions to help aid in study habits and for them to be able to understand and be aware of the examination procedures before entering into Years 11 and 12.

If your child is unwell or there are any other extenuating circumstances, there is a formal process of a form that may require extra documents from external sources. This form will be emailed in Week 6 to families and students.

Please note the Year 10 students will have a 3-day elevate program from December 7^th to 9th which will assist them in the smooth transition to Year 11 at MacKillop Catholic College. A program for this will be in the next Bulletin and emailed through.

The Year 9 students who are competing in the Triathlon will complete their Thursday examinations on Wednesday.

I would like to congratulate several of our Year 9 leaders who assisted at the STCPSSA Primary Athletics carnival on the 3^rd of November, Primary Athletics carnival. The carnival involves all the Southern Catholic Schools. They demonstrated one of our core values of Service and assisted the younger students with their techniques and gave them endless encouragement. A big thank you to Sandy Clarke for his organization and the smooth running of the event.

Jennifer Crowden 
Director of Senior School

From the Director of Pastoral Care

The importance of connection and Pastoral Care

At MacKillop Catholic College we provide a vertical pastoral care system for Years 7-12. We consider pastoral care to be of critical importance, sitting alongside the spiritual development of the student. Students must be known and connected to the community is crucial to support student well-being.

Vertical pastoral care encourages the development of genuine and effective relationships between each student and his/her Pastoral Care teacher and peers. Having daily contact with the student over a six year period, the Pastoral Care teacher is in an ideal position to get to know the student. Our students genuinely care for and about each other and truly bond as part of the MacKillop Catholic College family.
The College day starts at 8:35. If a student arrives before 8:45 they should head directly to Pastoral Care. In the past they may have signed in at the office, this is not necessary as their Pastoral Care Teacher can adjust their attendance up till 8:50 am. 
Being in Pastoral Care is essential to a student's sense of connection. This ensures Pastoral Care Teachers can check in with students and provide any additional support they might need to be ready for the day. If they are feeling anxious or concerned this is a safe space where a student may speak with their Pastoral Care Teacher or House Leader to get the support they may need to refocus and regulate for the school day. 

The best way you can support a young person to form positive connections at the start of their day is to ensure they are on time for Pastoral Care. If you have concerns about a young person's engagement in Pastoral Care please contact their Pastoral Care Teacher so together we can support them. 

Phillipa Coward 
Director of Pastoral Care  

From the Learning Leader - VET and Vocational Learning

VOCATIONAL PATHWAYS AT MACKILLOP

School-Based Apprenticeships - Learn & Earn

An Australian School-based Apprenticeship (ASbA) or Traineeship is an employment-based training arrangement where if you’re a Year 10, 11, or 12 students you can combine employment with training and school as an apprentice or trainee.

An ASbA allows you to continue attending school, at the same time as undertaking a nationally recognised qualification whilst in paid employment. The qualification is usually at a Certificate II or III level and is nationally recognised by industry and employers. As an ASbA student, you will enter into a contract of training as an apprentice trainee, and participate in a minimum of 7.5 hours per week during the school term, however, you are able to work additional hours during the school holiday periods.

Through work, you will develop skills under the guidance of your employer, while a Register Training Organisation (RTO) provides the formal training required to complete the qualification. An ASbA is a smart way to study to gain your Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE), get a “head start” in your chosen career, and link it to a vocational or university pathway.

Advantages of an ASbA:

• Earn money while training
• Get on-the-job training and experiences
• Gain the possibility of full-time employment
• Gain points towards TCE
• Complete a nationally recognised qualification
• Continuing into higher education/qualification upon completion of an ASbA

Australian Apprenticeships are available in over 500occupations, so chances are there will be one that matches your career interest.

Steps in the ASBA Process

• Start exploring your own career interests
• Undertake a work placement or work experience
• Talk to your Career Advisor (Mrs. Dobie) or the Learning Leader VET or Vocational Studies (Mrs. Howard)
• Look out for opportunities, is there someone you or your family is a friend of who already works in your career choice field? Check our employment websites and career noticeboards
• Tap into your network of family and friends – for employment possibilities.

Sue Howard
Learning Leader: VET and Vocational Studies

Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

For the next two weeks in the Ministry, our Vinnies Group will be collecting donations to give to those in need this Christmas season. The St Vincent de Paul Foundation will be re-homing our donations as part of their Christmas Appeal. Students have been asked to bring gifts such as pamper packs, toys, books, accessories, and gifts that the students would enjoy receiving themselves. We ask that nothing secondhand is to be brought in, please. We don't ask for much, but we do ask that as a community, to think of others during the holiday season. Please see the poster attached for more information. 

Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Back to School 2023

Office National

Our stationery supplier has a new store. It's Opening on the 5^th of December 2022.

The new store will be a one-stop shop for all your education supply needs - including stationery, textbooks, and teacher resources. Online orders for the booklist will begin on the 7^th of December, the link and access code for this are to come.

Southern Regional Basketball Championships 2023

RESULTS 

7/8 Boys Division 1: 3rd Place  
7/8 Boys Division 2:Champions
7/8 Girls Divison 1: 4th Place 
9/10 Boys Red: 5th Place
9/10 Boys Blue: 6th Place

MacKillop Stars