MacKillop Bulletin - Term 1, Week 8, 2023

From the Deputy Principal

Term 1 Concluding

This week marks the last of our bulletins for the first term of school, and as we reflect on the term there has been much to celebrate.

For students in Year 11, the term of senior school learning is concluding.  This has been a time of great change to our College and we are proud of all the preparations our leadership team and teachers have done to ensure that the learning for our Year 11 students is ensuring the excellence in the standard that we already have in the junior years.

Congratulations to our House Leaders have also run a series of activities over the past fortnight to raise funds for Caritas Australia and to bring together their Houses in the school spirit to support the mission and faith life of our College.   This is a wonderful contribution of our Houses to the Mission life of our College as we move towards Easter.

I would also like to acknowledge the exceptional standard of work that is continuing in classrooms. You will see throughout this bulletin the many opportunities our young MacKillop students have to excel in all that they do.

I would like to warmly thank the MacKillop Catholic College staff for their work with students throughout the term. It is not a surprise that our students cannot be successful without excellent teachers, and we are very lucky to have them.

Time for Support - Year 11

Our Year 11 students are transitioning into the expectations for achievement towards their TCE and TASC requirements.

The academic rigour of Year 11 in all courses becomes a reality for many students. It is timely to remind parents and students of the support structure our college offers. Our goal is to ensure all our Year 11 MacKillop Catholic College students are supported and equiped to navigate their way through their senior years.

Open and clear communication is the most important consideration when navigating the senior years with your young person. We would encourage parents to contact us at the first sign that a student is having any difficulty in managing their life here at the College.  Pastoral Care teachers are the first point of contact and supporting these Pastoral Care teachers are Pastoral House Leaders.  The primary objective of our Pastoral Care system is being able to provide an environment of care that fosters ongoing care and support for our young people. We know that this is the underpinning reason for the success of a senior student.

Supporting the Pastoral Team are the College Counsellors – Di Pitman and Maddie Bowers.  Our counsellors can be contacted by parents and students through an internal appointment system via direct email to our counsellors or by talking with their Pastoral Care Teacher or House Leaders.  Parents are welcome to contact either of our College Counsellors by phone or email with any concerns and are also welcome to make individual appointments to seek advice regarding their child if required.

To complement this support, our Director of Senior School, Ms Jennifer Crowden is also available.  Ms Crowden may be your first place of contact if there are situations that need support that are affecting the direct learning for our students.  We encourage parents to be in communication with Ms Crowden, she will support our Year 11 students throughout their senior school journey and advocate for the development of productive and positive relationships, to ensure quality and healthy engagement in school life while meeting expectations of learning.

Happy Easter

As this is the last MacKillop Bulletin for the term, I would like to take this opportunity to wish our community a happy and holy Easter!  Easter is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar as it is a celebration of Jesus’s resurrection from the dead.   

I wish our families a happy and holy Easter.  May God bless you and keep you safe.

Yours in Christ

Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development

From the Deputy Principal

With Term 2 fast approaching this can only mean one thing, so is the colder weather.

Perm a Pleat has received stock of MacKillop Blazers. If you have been waiting on stock call in and see the staff. They can also help you with all your winter uniform needs. 

Easter Holiday Opening Hours -

The last day of trade is Thursday 6th April 12 pm - 6:00 pm Re-Opens Thursday 20th April 12 pm - 6:00 pm

Boys Formal Winter Uniform

• College blazer
• College long-sleeved crested white shirt (required for Terms 2 and 3)
• College tie (required for Terms 2 and 3)
• College grey shorts
• College grey socks or plain short white socks (no logos or emblems)
• Traditional black leather shoes (no ballet, buckle, or skate shoes)

Girls Formal Winter Uniform

• College blazer
• College pinstriped navy dress
• College white socks or plain short white socks (no logos or emblems) or navy
   stockings.
• Traditional black leather shoes (no ballet, buckle, or skate shoes)
• College white crested shirt
• College pinstriped navy skirt or College navy trousers
• College white socks or plain short white socks (no logos or emblems)
• Traditional black leather shoes (no ballet, buckle, or skate shoes)

Formal Items (Optional)
• College jumper
• College soft shell jacket
• College fleeced vest
• College beanie
• College navy scarf

Can we also remind you when dropping off or picking up your child from school to refrain from parking in the uniform shop car park, this is reserved for customers visiting the perm a pleat store.

Metro Bus Service 

Some changes may apply to your child's bus service for Thursday 6th April 2023. Please check the below schedule carefully.  

If you require any assistance or further information, please contact Metro via email contact@metrotas.com.au or by phoning 13 22 01.

Andrew Pritchard
Deputy Principal - Student and Staff Wellbeing

From the Director of Senior School

Welcome to Senior School Dinner 

On March 14^th our 165 students and nearly 40 staff celebrated the 2023 Year 10 students being officially welcomed into the Senior School. The students entered gracefully in a variety of cars and felt confident in their best outfits. Students then were greeted with the phenomenal annual welcome to senior school sign that Chrystal and Nikki Davies helped create and then entered via the red carpet through the balloon arch. Once they were seated we have Lachlan Denholm and Lachlan Macgill do a welcome speech. Before the commencement of their dinner, we had some talented performances by Charlotte Allen-Rhodes and the newly formed staff band Art Vs.Science Teachers.

It was so heart-warming to see all the students being inclusive and supportive of one another throughout the evening. This may have been including people in dances, acknowledging students' speeches and songs or just having a chat with some of their peers to make them feel welcomed. All the staff at MacKillop were very proud of the students making everyone feel like they belong and their intense and interesting dance moves. We will have photos soon and will post some as soon as we have them.

Turnitin

What is Turnitin?

Turnitin is an online platform designed to help educators check the originality of their student's written work. It compares submitted papers to a vast database of academic materials, as well as online sources, to identify any instances of plagiarism. This is an essential tool in maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that students are producing their own work. Turnitin provides detailed feedback on any potential matches and generates a similarity report that highlights any problematic areas. It also offers a range of educational resources to help students understand the importance of academic integrity and avoid unintentional plagiarism. Turnitin is widely used in academic institutions across the world and is an important tool for both educators and students in maintaining high academic standards.

MacKillop Catholic College is aiming to use this for Years 9 and above. We do not have a set percentage where we mark down because of plagiarism as there are too many other factors involved. However, we train our staff in scanning them to check if the percentage of plagarised work is fair and reasonable.

Reasons for implementation into our school from Year 9

• For students to submit their best original work and to check before their final submission, to provide our students with agency
• to assist students in referencing
• to demonstrate how Turnitin works and the procedure, to assist them in Years 11 and beyond when it is compulsory
• to allow staff to quickly see if students have not only copied off the internet but also other student's work, as Turnitin saves all the other student's work and compares it

Family-Student-Teacher conferences

Save the date: May 2^nd and 3^rd

Please note we have our Family-Student-Teacher conferences on May 2^nd and 3^rd. Links for making bookings will be sent to all parents soon. This year they will be on site unless otherwise arranged with family and teacher.

Jennifer Crowden
Director of Senior School

From the Director of Junior School

How has the assessment completion process been in your home so far this year? 

While the students in Junior School have different approaches to organisation and different strategies to get work in on time, there is a significant role for parents and carers in supporting them with this at home. For most of us, setting up systems for working efficiently and effectively doesn't come easily.  This in itself is a skill set to learn and relearn as demands change.  In my role as the Director of the Junior School, for example, I have had to establish some new strategies and use some new tools to help me keep organised and make sure I meet the many deadlines. 

Young people may not understand that planning and developing habits like this are an essential factor for success in any endeavour.  Do you have planning and organising systems at work or at home that you use?  It can be helpful for your kids to see these and understand that you make use of systems to manage the demands on you.  You might be able to share examples regarding your approach to the shopping list, how you plan family events or weekend sporting commitments, or even, how you manage your own professional life.

In terms of helping your child to develop an effective system to meet the demands of school work, the best starting point is to sit with them and the Assessment Calendars and other assessment information that is available on SEQTA.  Have your young person map the assessment schedule against the family calendar for the term.  This provides an overview of where there is more and less time to get things done for school.  For example, if 'Mum's birthday' is going to be a weekend event, this weekend will not provide any opportunity for study and work on assessments.  The weeks prior might need to be used to make progress on assessment tasks so that the result is not a late assignment submission.  Ideally, the student/s in your home will slowly get better at judging how much time they need to put into each assessment.  As they practice this, you can partner with them to evaluate their effectiveness and offer some input. 

Regardless of your student's age/s, their goal for study blocks and assignment work should be 25-30 minutes of productive work at one time.  For older students (Years 9 and up) each evening and weekend would involve a number of half an hour sessions, with short breaks in between to stretch, have a glass of water, pat the cat, etc before settling down again for another 25-30 minute session of productivity.  This time frame is recommended because of  'primacy' and 'recency' effects.  These refer to the capacity of our short-term memories to retain information in a workable way.  When we work for longer than half an hour we lose the ability to recall the information that we learnt in the middle of the work session.  We will remember the earliest content (primacy) and the content we looked at toward the end of the session (recency) when a study or work session goes beyond 25-30 minutes our efficiency decreases as what we looked at in the middle of the work block is lost from working memory. If we are encouraging our kids to work in half an hour blocks then it is important that they understand that those half an hour sessions are targeted and meaningful.  There is no room for pencil sharpening or navel-gazing, this can be done in the breaks in between.  It can be a good idea to take unnecessary devices away during the half an hour of work and return to them during the (brief) breaktimes or when all study is finished, as a reward. 

Part of the process of planning study blocks is to include a checklist with each work session outlined.  Then, each time a task is completed it can be ticked off.  This 'tick off' provides a sense of satisfaction and a feeling of being 'on track'.  This is very important for continued motivation.  It can be de-motivating for students to think of an assessment in it's 800-word entirety.  It can be overwhelming and lead to avoidance of work.  Academic tasks are much more palatable when broken down into a series of short (half an hour) tasks. The other advantage of working in half-hour tasks is that for the student that spends too much time researching and thinking, a step-by-step plan can limit this.  If an assessment calls for 3 references, for example, finding three that work, might be a task limited to one or two half an hour sessions (depending on the complexity of the topic).  Once the references have been selected, this task should not be revisited, it should be ticked off the list and attention turned to the next job.  There is a simple example below. Remember that breaking the assessment or study task down in the first place is a legitimate use of a half an hour block of time.  It is an essential step in any homework task.  Watch out for the master procrastinators here, don't let them use more than one session on this!

Year 9 report style assessment on the Socialisation of a known individual:

Alison Stevens
Director of Junior School

From the Director of Pastoral Care

Term 1: Connection and Belonging 

Uniform Focus  

The Term 1 focus for Pastoral Care has been on creating a sense of community and belonging.  The essential principles of the MacKillop Catholic College Student Code of Personal Appearance are EXCELLENCE, EQUITY, and SAFETY. Wearing a uniform promotes equity and equality and reflects our respect for our community. 
There has long been a positive linkage between wearing a school logo and students' sense of school-related belonging (Fosseen, 2002). This is important, as discussed, in previous bulletin articles this term because belonging is often seen as a motivational factor (Vas et. al, 2015). While wearing a uniform is not every student's preference MacKillop has worked for several years consulting with students, families, and the community to ensure we are able to provide multiple options which meet students' needs. 
At MacKillop, our new House polo shirts have been specifically designed to strengthen students' sense of belonging to their House. It has been lovely to hear some of our older students talk about how nice it has been to be able to identify the younger students in their House. A reminder as the weather cools that long sleeve polo shirts provide great coverage from not only the sun in Summer but also the wind and chill in winter. 
If you or the student in your care have ideas for the uniform please encourage them to speak to their student leaders who will look at all proposals and bring these to College leadership. 

Week 5-6 Socks and Shoes

Boys:

MacKillop College grey socks or plain short white socks (no logos or emblems). Traditional black leather shoes (no ballet, buckle, or skate shoes)   

Girls: 

College white socks or plain short white socks (no logos or emblems) or navy stockings. Traditional black leather shoes (no ballet, buckle, or skate shoes).

Sports:

College white socks or plain short white socks or plain black sports socks. Sport shoes appropriate for physical exercise (i.e., no skate shoes permitted).

Week 7

As the weather cools down it is important to remember

• that only College approved uniform items should be worn to/from and while at the College 
• Undergarments should not be visible (i.e., long-sleeved white shirts)

Please be aware next Thursday is our Holy Thursday Liturgy and first assembly for the year. All students are expected to be in full formal uniform on this day. Pastoral Care Teachers will be contacting home for students who do not arrive in full formal uniform.   

Clarification around Year 11 uniform requirements

Year 11s are to wear formal uniform except for the days they have practical subjects such as Outdoor Education 2, Community Sport and Recreation, Athlete Development. *students may also be asked to wear formal on these days for special occasions. 

To support Year 11 students' feeling connected to their House, we are introducing House Wednesday. Unless otherwise instructed, all Year 11 students are able to wear sports uniform on a Wednesday.

Students are expected to wear full formal uniform at all other times. This means if you only have one day a week you do not have one of the above subjects you must wear formal uniform once a week. 

Please note, at present, the College protocol does not support students wearing sports uniform if they are involved in sports after school. 

Fosseen, L. 2002. School uniforms and sense of school as a community: Perceptions of belonging, safety, and caring relationships in urban middle school settings. https://www.proquest.com
Vaz, S., Falkmer, M., Ciccarelli, M., Passmore, A., Parsons, R., Black, M., Cuomo, B., Tan, T., & Falkmer, T. (2015). Belongingness in Early Secondary School: Key Factors that Primary and Secondary Schools Need to Consider. PloS one, 10(9), e0136053. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136053

House Committees 
Another way we are fostering a sense of community and belonging is through the creation of our new House Committees which all students are welcome to join. Students from Year 7-10 will be invited to submit an expression of interest to join the committee for this House. Here they will be able to discuss ways to build House spirit and bring important issues affecting the student body to the attention of the House Captains. There is no limit on spaces in the committee and it is a great opportunity for students in younger year levels to get involved in creating a positive sense of community at MacKillop. Expressions of interest will open end of Week 8. 

Phillipa Coward 
Director of Pastoral Care 

Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Thank you to everyone in our college community for their contribution to our Catholic Identity this Term. We now look forward to the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus as we journey toward Holy Week.

St Joseph’s Feast Mass

The Year 7’s ventured to Lindisfarne’s Church of the Incarnation to celebrate St Joseph’s and St Patrick’s Feast Days last Friday. The students participated well during the Mass and we thank Fr Mark Freeman for celebrating with us. We thank James Atherton, Harry Bryant, Madeline Iles, and Hamish Smith-Allanson for reading the Scripture. We also thank our gift bearers Isabella Sackley, Montana Laredo, Juliet Monks, and Kellisha Marriott. 

Josephite Mission and History Centre Visit

Our Year 7 Theology and Spirituality classes have recently attended interactive tours at the Josephite Mission and History Centre. The tour led by Daniel de la Motte provides students with knowledge about Mary MacKillop, Julian Tenison Woods and the history of the Josephites. This will help our new students to understand the importance of our charisms. Please see Consent2Go for upcoming excursions to the Josephite Centre.

Vinnies Visit

Year 11 students have been visiting the St Vincent de Paul Society in Hobart to support them in their Religion in Society Course. Zane Bennis reports on what he and his peers got up to on their excursions…

For Religion in Society 2, all classes had a chance to visit the Hobart Vinnies headquarters for two lessons. Our visits provided us with hands-on experience to learn and gather insight into the organisation and the amazing work they do in our community. We participated in many aspects of volunteer work such as food preparation for Louis Van, cleaning of the van, restocking of the emergency pantry, and working in the op shop, all whilst learning about the values and work Vinnies do. Throughout these experiences we worked with amazing people who shared stories and helped us understand how our actions helped. The experience benefited everyone and was a great chance to get out of the classroom and work in our community.

Project Compassion Fundraisers

Each House this year has put together a small fundraiser to donate to Caritas’ Project Compassion. We’ve had a Cookie Sale, Calculator Engraving, Guess the Lollies in the Jar, and more to come. We thank the House Staff and Student Leaders for organising their fundraisers with those less fortunate in mind. The funds will go to people struggling around the world, if you’d like to donate or view the chosen stories for this year's appeal, please follow this link to the Caritas website…

Vinnies Commissioning 

Some of our Vinnies members gathered at St Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church last Tuesday, to celebrate together a new year of Vinnies Groups in Catholic Schools. We thank our President Eleanor White for reading the Psalm, and we thank Rylan Estcourt for representing the group and MacKillop Catholic College. We wish the Vinnie's Group a successful year in service and community outreach. 

Thank you to our Youth Minister, Charlotte Davies for putting together this article.

Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Charlotte Davies
Youth Minister

Year 11 Outdoor Ed Camp

Last week, Zane and Bailey had an exciting and adventurous Year 11 Outdoor Education 2 camp experience, which took place over two days. The highlight of their camp was undoubtedly the thrilling rafting trip they took on the Huon River, which provided a perfect opportunity to work on their paddling skills and teamwork. They also had the opportunity to stay at a beautiful campsite in Judbury, right alongside the Huon River. To add to the experience, the students from St. Mary's College also came and took part in the camp, even cooking a delicious pasta dinner for everyone to enjoy. Overall, the camp was a great success and left Zane and Bailey feeling grateful for the opportunity to explore the outdoors and make new friends.

Academic Writing Workshop

The first Academic Writing Workshop for High-Ability students was held on Wednesday, 22 March. The focus of this workshop was for the students to gain a better understanding of academic writing style, and to practice their skills by gathering interview data and writing a short case study report. Students also participated in timed writing exercises using writing prompts and a community of inquiry. A big thank you and congratulations to Mrs Jakki Hardman for organising this experience.

Spotlight on Students involved in Vocational Studies Programs at MacKillop

What is Vocational Education?
“Vocational education and training” is defined as “training for a specific occupation through a combination of practical experience and theoretical training”. MacKillop Catholic College is instrumental in providing further education through the provision of VET courses.

Pathways in Automotive

MacKillop Catholic College works with several Registered Training Organisations to provide individualised
pathways into careers of choice for our students. One such training authority is TasTAFE where our Year 11 and 10 students get the opportunity to participate in workplace training in Automotive.

Our Year 10 students will be offered a taster unit each Monday afternoon during Term 3 to support their pathway towards Year 11 AUR20720 Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation

Our Year 11 students are currently enrolled in AUR20720 Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation, whereby they attend training at the Campbell Street TasTAFE location each Wednesday.  This is included as one of their courses of study on their five line timetable.

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. 

College Office Hours

Easter Holiday College office hours: