MacKillop Bulletin - Term 1, Week 4, 2023

From the Principal

We recently gather a school community to acknowledge and commission our 2023 Student Leaders. Two key themes were evident throughout the Commissioning Assembly - never see a need without seeking to meet it and having courage and faith when faced with the challenges of leadership.

Leadership, at any level, can be very difficult, it can be challenging, it can be confronting. It can have the person questioning who they are as individual and what they truly stand for.

When we watch and listen to those people we identify as leaders, the difficulty and challenge they are confronting often seem to come about because it appears that they are unsure as to who and where they should turn to for advice, guidance or for example when it comes to making leadership decisions.

“Whose actions should I look to when faced with a particularly difficult or challenging situation?  Whose wisdom will provide me the clarity of mind I need when faced with the dilemmas of leadership?”

This is the great conundrum of leadership that all leaders face every day. In truth, it is what confronts each of us, students, parents and staff members of MacKillop College alike, every day of our lives. This is why we sometimes say that everyone is a leader – a leader because someone is turning to each one of us in times of need because someone is turning to each other for advice, a leader because someone is watching how we respond to certain situations.

Being a part of the MacKillop Catholic College community means that we are blessed to have been given distinct examples, guidance and support in our leadership and our decision-making.  We are able to turn to the life of Christ and the words and actions of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and of Blessed Edmund Rice.

We can look to Jesus for examples of wise, loving leadership. Examples that show us how to be leaders who have the strength to speak the truth with love, even when it might be at personal cost. Leaders who let our love for humanity and respect for the dignity of all guide and direct our interactions with all we encounter. Leaders who let compassion, instead of a desire to be right, motivate our actions. Leaders who are willing to and can forgive, even before being asked. 

Mary MacKillop is quoted as having said, “Never see a need without doing something about it”. Edmund Rice is said to have looked out his window in his Waterford home and when confronted with the inequity he saw, committed himself to act to meet the needs of those around him. The need to be present and to respond to the needs of those around us is no different for each of us today.  

You and I and the 2023 student leaders need to look no further than the example and actions of Christ, of Mary MacKillop and of Edmund Rice as models of what exemplary leadership looks like.  

The 2023 Student Leadership Team comprises 25 elected student members from our Senior School. The College Captains and House Captains were elected by the students and staff of the College to fulfil important service, ceremonial and leadership roles within our school and across the wider community.

In addition, students were also able to self-nominate for a range of other important leadership roles within the College for which they had expertise, interest and passion. These students were appointed by the College to be an example and mentor to all students at MacKillop Catholic College.

Congratulations to the following students on their nomination and election to the 2023 Student Leadership Team: 

2023 College Captains:                         Lachlan Denholm and Lachlan Macgill

Fitzroy House Captains:                      Erin Mullarvey and Liam Legosz

Penola House Captains:                       Connor Eastley and Indiana Wiggins

Rice House Captains:                            Angus Cumming and Ava Hughes

Sion House Captains:                            Katie Simpson and Luke Beard

Tenison House Captains:                    Nena Timsar and Tayla Sheen

Waterford House Captain:                  Leeah Gard-Spaulding

Mission Captains:                                   Brianna Batchelor and Charlotte Cook

Academic Captains:                                Elliott Stee and Eleanor White

Arts Captains:                                           Charlie Marsh and Alycia Skinner

Sustainability Captains:                       Naulu Hunt and Lily Absolom

Wellbeing Captains:                               Faith Jones and Jaime Archer

Sports Captains:                                       Lyla Hastie and Dean Griffiths

Stephen Hill
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

MacKillop Catholic College Duxes 2022

During the Commissioning Ceremony in Week 2, the achievements of our high-ability students for 2022 were also celebrated.  The word Dux is derived from a Scottish word.  It is a word used to identify the top student in a class.  This is the highest award a school can bestow on a student - an overall award for academic excellence.

At MacKillop Catholic College, the Dux is presented to the top student in each year level.  The data used to determine this award is gathered from the whole year, in this situation - 2022.  This is why we present this award at the first assembly at the commencement of the following year.  The following students were the Duxes for 2022.

Year 7 Noah Capaci

Year 8  Pascal Tilyard

Year 9  Eleanor White

Year 10 Katie Johnson

In acknowledging these students, we also acknowledge all of our students for consistently aspiring to succeed.

NAPLAN 2023 Year 7 and Year 9

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point-in-time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills. Each year students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

From 2023, NAPLAN is moving to Term 1 and will take place from Wednesday, 15 March to Monday, 17 March under the leadership of Mrs Alision Stevens, Director of the Junior School.  The reason for this change is so that results can be returned to schools earlier in the year, which will support teachers in understanding the learning needs of their students and plan accordingly.   This is why as a College we do take the implementation of the NAPLAN testing as important.

Parents can find some additional information here:

In preparation for NAPLAN 2023, Students and parents can access the public demonstration site below. 

Some of the student’s classes will also use the following material to show the students the styles of questions that they will be asked.

Year 7 -

Year 9 - 

NAPLAN is for everyone. ACARA supports inclusive testing so all students have the opportunity to participate in the national assessment program.  If you have any further questions regarding your child's participation in NAPLAN please do not hesitate to contact me lwolffe@mackillop.tas.edu.au

Yours in Christ

Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development

From the Deputy Principal

Last week from Thursday 16^th until Sunday 19^th February, our College Captains Lachlan Denholm and Lachlan Macgill had the fantastic opportunity to attend the annual JJAMM gathering in NSW.

JJAMM stands for Joseph, Julian, and Mary MacKillop, all whom have relevance to the foundation of the Sisters of St Joseph, whose charism we share.

The JJAMM gathering provides a leadership experience for student leaders in schools sharing the spirit of Mary MacKillop and Julian Woods. Schools invited to JJAMM include those who embrace the Josephite Charism in their past or present tradition. These schools see Mary MacKillop and the Josephites as intrinsic to the vision and mission of the school.

This year JJAMM was attended by the College Captains and staff representatives from 24 schools across Australia and New Zealand.

What does JJAMM aim to do?

This experience aims to inspire student leaders:

• To identify with the broader Josephite community and the core values of the Josephite tradition
• To explore the nature of leadership
• To recognise Mary MacKillop and Julian Woods as role models for living the Gospel
• To develop leadership skills in living the legacy of Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph

This was a powerful and amazing experience for our student leaders, who are now eager to pass on what they have learnt to their peers back here at MacKillop Catholic College.

I wish to thank Sr Jan Barnett for her leadership and organisation along with the rest of the organising JJAMM Team 2023; Carly Richardson, Emilia Nicholas, Joelle Sassine, Maria Boyd, and Nick Lahey.

Andrew Pritchard 
Deputy Principal - Wellbeing

From the Director of Junior School

We have already strutted our stuff at the Domain, had our first assemblies and Commissioning Ceremony, posed for our School Photos, and reverently had ashes placed on our forehead, With so much going on around the College it is not a surprise that there is an underlying sense of fatigue as we head into the weekend (or is that just me?).  Students are now starting to understand the expectations of workload in each class and should be beginning to develop systems for keeping track of their assessments and their homework.  Many students now have extra-curricular commitments too and all these demands combined really test their resources.  It is of utmost importance that whatever your child is spending time on, they are getting enough sleep.  This is the MOST important factor for their ongoing well-being. 

Students in Junior School need 8 - 10 hours of sleep every night to be well-placed to manage their commitments, learn, and grow.  It is not unusual for them to need a minimum of 9 in years 7 &8.  It is not sufficient to catch up on the weekend or to have later nights on the weekend and catch up during the week.  This sleep requirement is for every day.  Overnight, with solid rest, adolescents process what has happened in their day, imbed what they have learned, get perspective on what has been a problem, and wake restored and able to take on new challenges. So how do we preserve sleep? Don't allow your young person to come home from school and nap.  This promotes them staying awake later at night and disrupts their sleep cycle. 

Ideally, they would have a consistent sleep routine that begins at the same time each night and follows a similar pattern.  For example, at 8.30 pm, shower, brush your teeth and use the bathroom, say goodnight, and have a few minutes to read before lights out at 9.  The bedroom should be dark, quiet and cool, and free from interruptions from pets, siblings, etc.  Most significantly, the bedroom should be WITHOUT DEVICES. 

Ideally, your household will have a central place where everyone's devices are abandoned at night, to charge until morning.  Devices should not be used at least an hour before bed as the light and stimulation from engaging with screens can promote the release of 'wake up' hormones and derail falling asleep. As well as being well-slept it is important for our children's well-being that their adolescent brain is given a break from the social ups and downs of each day.  Where our kids are continually connected, there is no pause in the stressors (positive and negative) of their social world. 

Ideally, after school, young people will unplug from schoolmates and social media and engage with people in real-time and the after-school routines at home before preparing themselves for uninterrupted sleep.  To instill positive 'digital habits' in your kids is an essential part of parenting now and also one of those areas where we might find it difficult to 'practice what we preach'. 

It is a challenge for us parents too to look at how we use our devices and how they might affect our sleep and levels of stimulation.  Introducing limits to device use in your household adds to the overall health of family members and in turn promotes healthier, more balanced approaches to devices in your children.

Alison Stevens
Director of Junior School

From the Director of Senior School

Year 10 Welcome to Senior School Dinner March 14th,

6:30 - 9:30 PM

We have our dinner on March 14th, 6:30-9:30 PM at Blundstone, Arena. We are looking forward to welcoming our students into the Senior School with a two-course meal, party360 photos, a photographer, and of course some fabulous dancing skills. 

Please contact me if you have any further questions in regard to the evening at jcrowden@mackillop.tas.edu.au 

Year 11 Camp February 9th to 10th

We started week 1 with our inaugural Year 11 camp. Students were eager and ready to head out of school for two days to enjoy each other’s company, challenge themselves, and create some memorable moments. 

The trip started with us going to the Cambridge Golf centre. Where some students showed off their talents by hitting up a storm, while others may have let go of the club instead of hitting the ball. Mr Cooke showed that he may need to practice a bit more, as he hit the tee further than the ball. 

We then went off to the Blowhole at Eaglehawk neck, where the students ate their weight in chips and ice cream and enjoyed the scenery. After this, we departed to Port Arthur, where we based ourselves for the remainder of the trip. 

We then worked on our communication skills with some articulation to assist the students in their year ahead. After this we went to the Port Arthur Historic Ghost Tour, where we learned about the history of the site, we had Dylan Burdon leading the way with the lamp and making sure everyone was calm. 

The next day we ventured to Stewarts Bay where we met the fabulous Jonno from Coastriders. He took a group of students from Stewarts Bay to the Port Arthur Historic site. Even though there were several students with blue lips, and some mild hypothermia, they ventured through with minimal complaining. 

I would like to thank the teachers Miss Allen, Mr Cooke and Mr Feery for assisting with the camp and I would like to also acknowledge the resilient students who showed perseverance and the ability to adapt in the environment. 

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

JJAMM

From the 16th to the 19th of February, we were privileged enough to attend the 2023 Josephite student leadership conference in Sydney. We were very grateful for this experience as it helped us get in touch and learn more about the Josephite values that are the center of our school’s charism and the people that inspired them. Furthermore, we were able to learn more about what it means to be a leader and how we can accomplish the expectations of our roles in an effective and positive manner. We were able to compare leadership styles with other school captains and share different methods that were used to connect with their respective communities. We thank Mrs Crowden, Mr Pritchard, and any other staff that assisted in the success of the trip, we will definitely implement various ideas we picked up along the way, throughout the school in the upcoming months.

Lachlan Denholm and Lachlan Macgil

2023 College Captains

From the Director of Pastoral Care

Last week we were very excited to launch our re-branded Personal Development program for Years 7-10, lutha (lu dthah) which translates to gum tree in palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aborigines. 

Why gumtree?
There are over 700 species of gumtree and these trees are renowned for adapting to many different habitats. They are affected by the elements in their habitat just as we, humans, are.   Gum trees are well known for being resilient, they can regenerate in challenging times.

1. They drop their branches to save water through droughts.
2. After a fire  they sprout from underground tubers, hidden buds under their bark as well as from seeds sprouting in the ashes after the fire has opened them.

'lutha' recognises that like Gumtrees, MacKillop students are unique and able to adapt to the many experiences and challenges of life.   Similarly to Gumtrees, we know that young people can do more than survive, they can flourish when provided particular conditions, and particular growth points, at particular stages. Gumtrees are used for many different things and have different purposes and ways they contribute their life to the greater ecosystem.   Most Eucalyptus changes the shape of their leaves as they age and most species do not flower until adult leaves start to appear.  Gumtrees require a great deal of energy and resources to become the strong and stately timbers of the forest.  Students develop and change over their lifespan too and with the enrichment of the Personal Development Program might also reach their fullest potential.

Why have we chosen to use palawa kani?
In this way, we can honor the original Tasmanian Aboriginal languages that were once spoken in Tasmania and their speakers by bringing back into use those words that have until recently been resting. palawa kani means ‘Tasmanian Aborigines speak’. It is the only Aboriginal language spoken in Lutruwita/Tasmania today. MacKillop applied to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for approval to use lutha as the name for our personal development program.  

Embedded around the philosophy of Positive Psychology, lutha is based on a particular theme for each year. Year 7: Germinating seed (Developing me)
Year 8: Sprouting (Growing  me)
Year 9: Sapling (Changing me)}
Year 10 Branching (Emerging me)
lutha will continue to combine the best elements from evidence-based programs to empower our students and give them valuable skills to ensure they thrive as young people.

Phillipa Coward 
Director of Pastoral Care 

Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Hello MacKillop Catholic College Community
and
Welcome to 2023 

We hope you’re all well-rested from the holiday season and ready to get back into college life. This past week we’ve welcomed the season of Lent. This short reflection from Brother Michael Moore allows us to focus on the importance of Lent and how we might make the most of this forty-day journey. 

“Lent calls us to make daily choices that will help us grow in relationship with ourselves, God, and those around us. When Easter finally arrives we can look back and know we can celebrate the resurrection with joy and faith.” 

We encourage this community to open their hearts and be challenged during Lent. 

Commissioning Ceremony

On the 15th of February, we commissioned and blessed our inaugural Year 11 students, college captains, and staff. This year, we are lucky to have Charlotte Cook and Brianna Batchelor leading our ministry work in their role as our College Mission Captains. We thank Fr Mark Freeman for leading the celebration of the liturgy.

Project Compassion Launch

On Tuesday 21 February, our Mission Captains, Mr Marsh, and Charlotte Davies attended a service at St Mary’s Cathedral to launch the 2023 Project Compassion appeal for Caritas Australia. Project Compassion is an annual fundraising campaign during the season of Lent where Catholics are called to give to those in need. The focus of Project Compassion is to alleviate poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity in the most vulnerable and marginalised areas of our world. Our Captain, Brianna read from the scripture, representing MacKillop Catholic College with great confidence. Thank you to Leanne Pritchard from Catholic Education Tasmania for inviting us to be involved and for organising the liturgy. 

Shrove Tuesday

Also on Tuesday the 21st, we began our fundraising for Project Compassion by taking part in Shrove Tuesday celebrations. Our Vinnies crew and other staff members graciously volunteered to help serve pancakes during lunchtime, to what turned out to be an enormous amount of hungry students. Thank you to Jayne Mackenzie who cooked the massive dishes of pancakes, your commitment every year is extremely helpful. Our stall was cleaned up within around 20 minutes, which must have been because of the whipped cream and jam. Thank you to all that helped and all that donated.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday this year was commemorated in our house groups and led by our House Captains.

Ash Wednesday is a day for fasting and prayer. This day signifies the beginning of our Lenten journey in the Catholic calendar. During this 40-day period, prayer cloths are now purple, followers make lists of habits they wish to control, and fasting from certain foods is encouraged.. However, a part of Lent that is forgotten is the ability to take things up, such that we don’t all have to give things up to better ourselves. Sometimes Lent means to give our time and to look after ourselves. This year during our separate liturgies, our student leaders distributed the ashes to their peers, a step out of their comfort zones. We encourage all to find healing during the Lent period of 2023, rather than judgment.

You can view the liturgy here: https://youtu.be/h6EuxRlYMcY

Thank you all!

Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Charlotte Davies

Youth Minister

Career News

The 25 fastest-growing job titles over the past five years

Here is some very interesting data released by LinkedIn.  They have identified the 25 roles in Australia that are growing in demand.

The 2023 LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise list reveals the 25 fastest-growing job titles over the past five years and the trends defining the future world of work. From the rise in skills-based hiring to the demand for hybrid work , the employment landscape has been undergoing a wave of changes. Their 2023 Jobs on the Rise list uses LinkedIn data to identify these 25 fastest-growing job titles. Too many to list here, click here to find out:

• Job title
• What they do
• Most common skills
• Most common industries
• Current gender distribution
• Educational share
• Median years of prior experience
• Top roles transitioned from
• Remote job availability

Attention Yr. 10 and 11 students:  If you are interested in a career in Medicine...

Some university courses in medicine require you to have the additional entry requirements of a UCAT - University Clinical Aptitude Test.  This can be a challenging test and it does require preparation.  Commencing preparation in Years 10 and 11 can be beneficial.  To find out more information, visit this information regarding UCAT and UTAS:

There are also some organisations that assist in the preparation for UCAT.  One such organisation is the National Institute of Education.

UCAT NIE | UCAT Preparation Workshop (live online interactive). The National Institute of Education is conducting a full-day UCAT Preparation Workshop on 5 March 2023 (9am-5pm).   For further enquiries please contact NIE at enquiries@nie.edu.au or call (02) 4367 0404 M: 0404 197 178 

To register: visit:  

Contact details for Career Advice

careers@mackillop.tas.edu.au

HaSS

Go Geo - Year 9 Geography Excursions

The Year 9 HaSS classes participated in an excursion to kunanyi/Mt Wellington this week to investigate the forest biome.  Students gathered primary data to identify forest features, including biotic and abiotic factors.  This data will be used to answer their inquiry questions and form a fieldwork report.  Geography has many career pathway opportunities, including environmental and land management, forestry, surveying, and field technicians.  We thank the Forestry Education Foundation for its expertise in guiding our students to explore and learn in the real world.

Sarah Sturt

Learning Leader Humanities and Social Sciences, Teacher

Library

I'm excited to join the team at MacKillop Catholic College in 2023 as the Library/Resource Centre Manager.  The Rice Resource Centre is currently closed for renovation and I'm looking forward to welcoming students into a revamped library space during Term 2.  In the meantime, students are able to access a wide range of quality digital resources, including eBooks and audiobooks, via the library resources link on Seqta.
I've included some information about Britannica School which has recently been added to the library's digital resources.  I'd encourage students and parents to take some time to explore this fantastic educational resource.

Marissa Allen

Library/Resource Centre Manager

MacKillop Stars