MacKillop Bulletin - Term 1, Week 2, 2023
From the Principal
To all in our community, a very special and warm welcome to MacKillop Catholic College as we commence the 2023 school year. To all the students and families returning to us and to those who are joining us as the newest members of the College, you are all very welcome.
One year ago, I shared with you photographs of the ground and steel work as part of the initial stages of the Tenison building works:
One year on, and the building has been transformed into a vibrant, welcoming and engaging learning space!
The extension and refurbishment of Tenison and Lochaber throughout the course of 2022 drew significantly on the flexibility and adaptability of our student and College staff, and I would like to thank all members of our community for this. However, the inconvenience and wait has definitely been worth it!
While we still have some work to complete in the first weeks of 2023 (including the completion of the Resource Centre/Library and the staff carpark on the southern edge of the school site), our students and staff are now enjoying full use these new teaching spaces.
With 748 students and 120 staff onsite in 2023, more work will need to be done to ensure that the College can continue to meet growing enrolment demand and our extension into Year 12 in 2024. With the support of Catholic Education Tasmania and members of the MacKillop Catholic College Advisory Board, the College is in entering the final phases of its next Building Master Plan, and I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the extensive process to create this plan with you in the coming weeks.
This edition of the Bulletin includes further details regarding other changes that have been made to our learning and teaching and wellbeing programs to ensure that MacKillop College continues to respond to the diverse learning needs of our students, and I encourage you take a little extra time to read about these.
As always, it was wonderful to see all the students back from Monday 6 February. Their youthful exuberance and genuine want to be back at school was welcomed by all. We start 2023 with 748 students (an increase of 107 students from this same time in 2022) made up of the following:
- Year 7 – 200 students
- Year 8 – 174 students
- Year 9 – 173 students
- Year 10 – 167 students
- Year 11 – 34 students
The introduction of Year 11 classes, and the presence of Year 11 students in our classroom and the College grounds, can already be seen as a positive addition to the story and community of MacKillop Catholic College and I look forward to working with these young people throughout 2023 and as they transition to Year 12 in 2024.
This is a special learning community, and we are blessed to be a part of it!
Stephen Hill
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
Welcome Back
A warm welcome to all our continuing students and families and a very special welcome to our new students and families commencing with us this year. The new year is always filled with 'newness'. New books, new uniforms, new shoes. It is a time of adjustment and transition. It is an important time to set learning goals and establish good routines. Sometimes, we need to give the space and time to 'settle' into the difference from the previous year. It can be the business time of the year. The College staff are still working on being student centred and establishing what is best for our students. Sometimes, this may involve timetable changes in the first few weeks. As we have entered into Week 2, our timetable will now start to settle. We strive to build relationships between home and the College. At this time of transition, the College Leadership Team is available to speak with parents regarding any issues supporting your child to transition into the new learning year and classes.
Year 11
I would like to begin by offering the warmest of welcomes to all our Year 11 students as they enter their senior phase of learning at the College. This year promises again to be packed with opportunities for our Year 11s to achieve their full potential, whether it be spiritually, academically, culturally, or in the sporting arena. Our Year 11s arrived to start the year with an air of excitement as they embark on a new journey and an exciting part in the College's history.
Curriculum at MCK
This year, our Year 7 - 9 students continue their learning journey with the Australian Curriculum. During this year our teachers will review their programs to ensure their teaching for 2024 is ready to meet the requirements of the Australian Curriculum v9. Our Year 10 students begin their foundational studies toward TASC courses in Years 11 and 12. We have reviewed our Year 10 curriculum to ensure that it is mapped to provide the necessary skills and content to ensure our students are successful in years 11 and 12. Our Year 10 students will be very well placed for Year 11 and 12.
This year we have our first cohort of Year 11 students. These students are studying courses from TASC. MacKillop Catholic College has been very attentive to ensuring the success of students towards achieving their Tasmanian Certificate of Education.
An active part of curriculum delivery is assessment and reporting. At the start of the year, it is always worthwhile to review the College's Academic Protocol.
I look forward to working with all students, parents and caregivers throughout 2023.
Yours in Christ
Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development
From the Deputy Principal
SCHOOL TV
Today parents face a multitude of modern-day challenges in raising happy, well, and resilient young people. Whilst there is a great deal of information available, this can often be confusing and overwhelming for parents looking for guidance.
SchoolTV addresses this as a new online resource designed to empower you as parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. It can be found on our College Website.
A SPECIAL REPORT: Starting Year 7
When a child starts high school, they suddenly become one of the youngest and newest kids at school all over again - a small fish in a big pond! The transition between Year 6 and Year 7 is one of the biggest jumps in a child's life and is a very important milestone. This can easily become a daunting time for students and parents alike.
Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Some students may be feeling a little anxious about their expectations of starting Year 7 and finding their place in the “big pond”. As your child grasps new skills and engages in new study practices, it is important for parents to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. Parents and students can easily become overwhelmed during this time of transition but, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented to start things off on the right foot!
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the well-being of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report
Just to remind you that our school is a subscriber to the study skills website - STUDY SKILLS HANDBOOK.
This website will help you develop essential skills for academic success. There are units of work on
improving time management skills, how to study, research skills, summarising, technology use, brain
and memory, and much more. Everything you need to know about becoming a more powerful
learner and improving your marks at school can be found on this site. For example, learn how the
colour of your room affects your ability to study, what the best study techniques are for your type of
brain, how to improve your handwriting, and useful software and Apps to block yourself from
technology distractions. You will also see lots of useful handouts, grids, and planners at the bottom of the THINGS TO PRINT page.
To access the handbook go to the link on our College website or use the link below and login with the username and password that can be found on either the SEQTA Learn (Student) Portal or the SEQTA Engage (Parent) Portal.
Andrew Pritchard
Deputy Principal - Wellbeing
From the Director of Junior School
What an amazing start we have had in Junior School and what a difference a week makes. To see the year 7s in their shiny shoes and brand new blazers was a treat. I suspect there might be a number of blistered feet to look after this weekend. They have all done a really amazing job at adjusting to the new routines and expectations. We are very proud of their efforts. It was lovely to welcome the year 8s back with the added confidence from making it through year 7 and knowing the ropes of Secondary School. Many of the year 9s appeared to have benefited from the summer break growing significantly and have come back full of energy.
A number of students and some parents have inquired about changing class groupings. This is not something that is easy to do as we commit to small class sizes and operate with most classes at capacity. To change a class, we need to swap students around and this is obviously a huge disruption. Remembering that the first few weeks of any change can be difficult, what we aim for is to support the students in their new classes. This involves the teacher establishing relationships with each student, which takes some time. This involves seating plans for each class that take the pressure off students that are unsure where to sit and ensure that everyone has someone to sit and work with. This also involves the students adjusting to many new things and being able to relax and connect with new people. Please support your kids by reassuring them that their feelings are not unusual. That they have the capacity to cope with the changes they are experiencing and that sometimes it takes time for the new to become the norm.
The focus in our year-level welcome assemblies has been on the students setting their minds to Academic Excellence. I have been working on the idea that each student's version of Academic Excellence is unique. It is about hard work and perseverance at whatever level they work at. It is about becoming the best version of themselves and emerging from High School when the time comes with self-confidence and with as many options as possible. I have been encouraging the students to work with their parents and carers to plan the term's workload. The Assessment Planners will be published this week to assist with this. Every student has a different schedule and amount of free time each day to devote to their studies. Using the Assessment Planners, students are advised to create a study schedule that works for them and for their family life. For example, due to weekday travel or sporting commitments, the majority of study time might be on the weekend. This then has to be accommodated in the family plans.
Please congratulate your children on a wonderful start. Get in touch if you have any concerns or comments.astevens@mackillop.tas.edu.au
Alison Stevens
Director of Junior School
From the Director of Pastoral Care
Research has shown that school connectedness is an important protective factor for many students. It influences regular school attendance, which is key to improved education and health outcomes. Connectedness also reduces risk-taking behaviour and violent and antisocial behaviour, as well as the likelihood of emotional problems.
“School connectedness” is about the quality of engagement students have with their peers, teachers, and learning in the school environment. It can include things such as knowing teachers support them, having a friend to talk to about their problems, feeling like they can be themselves at school and like school is an enjoyable place to be, and actively participating in school activities.
Secondary School is a crucial moment in young people's development towards becoming an adult. Contrary to popular belief, however, high school is not the time for parents/guardians to step back. In fact, more and more research has identified a strong correlation between successful student outcomes and positive partnerships between schools, families and the community.
A strong partnership increases
• self-esteem
• engagement in learning
• participation in more challenging subjects
and improves
• literacy and numeracy outcomes
• attendance
• completion of homework
• behaviour at home and school
• connection to school and learning
• school completion rates
On Tuesday night we welcomed families to Meet and Greet with their Pastoral Care Teachers initiating what we hope will be a long relationship of working together to support our young people. This is one of the many ways we are ensuring families and carers feel involved in the Secondary education of their young person. It is important that even though they might not want to share we continue to actively engage with young people about school talking about the highs and lows. While they will continue to become more independent they still need a support network to help them problem-solve and develop their resilience.
Phillipa Coward
Director of Pastoral Care
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry
Sacramental Program 2023:
Our parish program of preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Eucharist will begin soon. Families with children aged grade 4 and above are invited to consider if their child/ren are ready to take this next important step in their faith journey. The program will begin on Thursday 2nd March, at 6:00 pm at Corpus Christi Church with the one and only Parent Information Session for the year covering all three Sacraments – please don’t miss it! The program of preparation activities follow immediately in the days and weeks following the Parent Information Session, so be sure to get a copy of the calendar of dates and pop all the dates in your diary. If you would like to register your child or children for the Sacramental Program of Preparation for 2023 and your attendance at the Parent Information Session please e-mail: bellerive@aohtas.org.au by 1st March. For further information and a copy of the Calendar of Dates for the program please contact the Parish Office.
Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)
PANCAKES NEXT TUESDAY
Next Tuesday 21 February is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day).
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and is marked by the tradition of using up ‘rich’ ingredients such as eggs, flour, milk, and butter before the time of fasting for Lent.
The Caritas group will be selling short stack pancakes with jam and cream at Lunch on Tuesday outside Food Technology.
Pancakes will be $2 for two pancakes and stocks will be limited.
All donations will go to Project Compassion and the work of Caritas Australia.
Ash Wednesday (22 February)
On Wednesday 22 February the MacKillop College staff and students will gather in House Groups in Period 5 to commemorate Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season.
Lent is a time when Christians are called to examine their lives and make a commitment to be better people. The ashes symbolise our desire to cast aside our past mistakes and start life anew. In ancient times, people would place ashes on their heads to indicate that they were seeking forgiveness for their sins.
During the liturgy, all participants will have the opportunity to receive the ashes as a small cross placed on the forehead. This act is not exclusive to Catholics as the ashes ceremony is not a Sacrament.
Please feel free to contact Mr Marsh, lmarsh@mackillop.tas.edu.au should you have any questions about Ash Wednesday.
Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry
Career News
Thank you Mrs Dobie
This week our Program Leader: Careers and Pathways, Mrs Dobie, after much consideration resigned from her role. We would like to thank Mrs Dobie for her contributions to this area of the College and the support she has provided to our students over the years.
As we begin the recruitment for this position, we have established an email for our students and parents to contact when they need support careers@mackillop.tas.edu.au Please feel free to use this email when you need to seek some support for career planning and pathways.
Career education is an important element in preparing our students to start thinking about how to successfully prepare for employment, training, or further education post-Year 12.
Year 11 students - Are you interested in a career in Marine Biology?
UTAS is offering an opportunity for year 11 and 12 students from around Australia who want to experience life as a marine biologist for a week on Tasmania’s rugged Maria Island.
Just 24 places are available for the 6-day 'XAS101 A Practical Introduction to Temperate Marine Biology' course during the April school holidays, including five days on Maria Island and one day at IMAS in Hobart. Applications are now open.
Year 10 Work Experience
Last Friday, we launched the Creating Futures program to our Year 10s with our Work Experience opportunity. Students received their packs and parents were emailed the information. The first deadline is 24th February when Employer Details need to be submitted.
Benefits and expectations of work experience
Work experience should give you: an understanding of the work environment and what employers expect of their workers. an opportunity to explore possible career options. increased self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence. (http://myfuture.edu.au)
Mathematics
MacKillop Mathematics and Mathspace
At MacKillop, we use Mathspace to support our teaching and learning of Mathematics. Our Mathematics teachers frequently assign weekly check-in tasks/quizzes which are usually aligned with the classroom work and lead to the upcoming achievement standards being assessed. Mathspace will be conducting two Back to School Parent and Carer Webinars, where they will share tips on how you can support your student’s learning on Mathspace.
To register please email info@mathspace.com.au
We would strongly encourage families to spend a little time sitting with their student and watching the recording of the webinar together.
Sandra Doyle
Learning Leader: Mathematics, Teacher
Japanese
日本語（Nihongo） Japanese Semester 1
We welcome Rabe Sensei to our team. She joins Hardman Sensei, Quinn Sensei, and Sullivan Sensei.
Food days
All MacKillop students will have the chance to order authentic Japanese lunch on our Term 1 and Term 2 food days. Each term the food theme changes. Sushi, obento and noodle boxes have traditionally been very popular. Students will find out about Semester 1 food days in Japanese class and via Seqta.
Japan Club
The new Japan Room (K11) will be staffed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during lunch for one-on-one tutoring. Students are invited to attend when they miss a lesson or need additional help.
N5
The after-school Japanese extension program resumes in Week 3 and will continue throughout the year. N5 is designed to train MacKillop students to pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test at Level 5 by the end of Year 10.
Tsuzuki Scholarship
Congratulations to Year 10 students Patrick Bealey and Ava Mackey on being awarded a Tsuzuki Scholarship to spend 10 weeks in Japan. The Scholarship covers boarding, meals, and tuition in Japanese language classes. Ava and Patrick will head to Japan during the April break and return to MacKillop in time for Term 3. The selection process included writing an intercultural essay and an interview. The Japanese word for congratulations is おめでとう (oh-meh-deh-toe).
Patrick Bealey
Ava Mackey
Year 7 Movie Afternoons
Two movie nights for Year 7 students will give our newest students some insight into Japanese culture. Japanese snacks will be provided. Details will appear on Seqta soon.
Jacqueline Hardman
Learning Extension Coordinator, Learning Leader: Japanese, Teacher
College Annual
MacKillop Catholic College 2022 Annual Magazine
If you haven't already done so, please have your child collect your 2022 Annual magazine from the College Office before school, during recess/lunch, or after school.
One (1) Annual magazine is allocated to each family per the eldest enrolled student. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact me Mrs Hastie chastie@mackillop.tas.edu.au
Thank you
MacKillop Stars
Is your son or daughter doing something outstanding, amazing, extraordinary that they want to share with us? We would love to hear from you!
Please send your stories and photos to Mrs Hastie, chastie@mackillop.tas.edu.au and we will highlight achievements in our bulletin.