MacKillop Bulletin - Term 2, Week 4, 2023
From the Principal
Launch of the updated Building Master Plan
The College’s commitment to join the Catholic Education Tasmania (CET) Greater Hobart Catholic College Extension Plan in 2019, Project 23, sees MacKillop Catholic College once again at the forefront of the latest restructuring of Catholic secondary education in the Hobart region.
MacKillop Catholic College’s commitment to extending into Years 11 and 12 from the commencement of 2023 has been the stimulus for both a very significant increase in enrolment demand and the commencement of a considerable building program.
The rapid growth and demand for enrolments at the College has resulted in the Schools Resourcing
Committee of the Catholic Education Commission Tasmania approving an increase in student enrolments for Year 7 students. Based on current nationwide retention rates, this could see MacKillop Catholic College grow to become a Years 7-12 college with an enrolment in excess of 850 students by 2025.
This rapid expansion of student and staff numbers is both exciting and challenging. Exciting, because
of the new opportunities and programs that will come with being a Year 7-12 secondary school of this size, and challenging because of the buildings, infrastructure, and staffing that will have to be built, developed, and engaged in just a few short years.
While CET has initiated some very preliminary discussions regarding the possible establishment of a second Catholic college on the Eastern Shore, MacKillop Catholic College will remain the only option for parents and caregivers seeking a Catholic secondary education for the immediate future.
In 2022, the College commenced processes for reviewing and updating its Building Master Plan. Following the development of a tender and application process, the College announced the consortium of JAWS Architects and K2LD as the appointed consultants to lead the updating of the Building Master Plan.
Since this time, JAWS Architects and K2LD have been working closely with the College to ensure that the updated Building Master Plan meets our strategic and educational objectives. Specifically, the MacKillop Catholic College Building Master Plan will:
- Recognise and respond to the priorities and strategies outlined in the College’s 2022-2024 Strategic Directions
- Provide the planning and design framework for the future delivery of a contemporary, student-centred Years 7 to 12 co-education
- Be developed through a consultative community process that engages all stakeholders
- Include staged redevelopment, demolition and possible acquisition of existing and new buildings
- Ensure that all development supports the goal of ‘best practice’ and will incorporate contemporary and international trends in the delivery of education services
- Facilitate the design of spaces that promote and enable creativity, self-direction, critical thinking, and inspired learning
- Have a focus on sustainability through the use of natural resources, considered building materials, consideration of green spaces, and building structures that support sustainable practices
- Include as part of its scope a review of existing infrastructure with detail about the possible rejuvenation of current buildings to meet current and future needs.
The review and updating process has now been completed, and the College is pleased to announce
and share its updated Building Master Plan.
Members of the MacKillop Catholic College community and other interested persons can access a
video summary of the Building Master Plan process and outcome, presented by staff from JAWS and
K2LD, and a PDF copy of the Building Master Plan Executive Summary (May 2023) via the following
link:
How can I get involved?
There will be further opportunities in time to come for all members of the MacKillop Catholic College
community to engage with the actioning of the Master Plan. Experienced and/or interested persons
might like to consider joining the Buildings Sub-Committee of the College’s Advisory Board as a
more direct way of contributing to the actioning of the Master Plan.
The Buildings Sub-Committee typically meets twice per term and while meetings are held onsite at
the College, accommodation is made for members to join meetings online. Please contact Mrs. Tania
Burgess, Principal’s Executive Assistant & tburgess@mackillop.tas.edu.au further details.
Stephen Hill
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
A whirlwind of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Recently, we have been caught up in the whirlwind of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which is commonly referred to as Chat GPT (one of the tools of AI). ChatGPT is one such AI tool that has been gaining popularity in recent months, a new form of Artificial intelligence (AI) that was launched by Open AI on 30 November 2022. It is a free website that, when given a prompt, will create an original and non-plagiarised written response. It has taken the education world by storm. It’s not only the case for MacKillop Catholic College but with many schools, the impact of Chat GPT and other forms of AI is still being understood. This is an area of technology that is moving so fast. In a time-poor industry, it is a challenge to keep up and respond to its role in our lives. It is essential for us as educators to stay abreast of these advancements and harness their potential to enhance the learning experience of our students.
The world of education is a space of constant change. I started my teaching career using chalk and a blackboard, having coloured chalk was seen as progressive. This progressed its way through overhead projectors, photocopiers, data projectors, computers, and TV screens. I was caught up in this educational progression and embraced all these changes. Using Technology in my classroom transformed my teaching and my students’ learning. Despite the changes to the ‘tools’ in my teaching toolbox, I always began with the pedagogy (effective learning strategies) and the technology second.
Despite the innovations that technology provided in my classroom, it has always been with challenges. The use of AI brings forth a multitude of both opportunities and challenges. Currently, it is the challenges that we are addressing. One significant challenge is student ownership of work in producing assessment tasks, the second significant challenge is that AI is not producing the quality of work that meets the requirements of our education system. I recently used Chat GPT to respond to one of the questions on the TASC Studies of Religion 3 External Examination 2022 paper. While the response was well written, it did not meet the rubric criteria and therefore, did not achieve higher than a C grade. Therefore, its use is not always going to meet the desired outcome.
Currently, this is the focus of our college staff, the use of AI in students generating responses for their assessment tasks. To put it simply, students generate assessment work claiming it to be their own. This raises concerns regarding the authenticity and originality of student work. It is important for schools and teachers to educate students about the importance of academic honesty and the consequences of plagiarism.
As educators, we must foster an environment where honesty, integrity, and ethical conduct are part of the fabric of our Catholic community. At a recent staff meeting, we addressed this topic and its relationship to the College Academic Integrity Protocol. The use of Chat GPT and other AI tools will make it easier for students to access information and generate responses to assessment tasks. This does constitute to plagiarism and undermines the integrity and authenticity of a student’s work.
An amendment has been made to the College Academic Integrity Protocol to address the use of AI in assessment.
If a student uses artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT, QuillBot, Grammarly, etc to generate material for assessment that they represent as their own ideas, research, and/or analysis, they are NOT submitting their own work.
Knowingly having a third party, including artificial intelligence technologies, write or produce any work that a student submits as their own work for assessment is not in support of the Academic Integrity Protocol.
Teachers will be explicit with students in stating that the use of AI to generate assessments is considered plagiarism and will constitute a breach of the Academic Integrity Protocol. Teachers will be using a variety of strategies to detect the use of AI in student work. In most cases, because teachers know their students well, work that is generated by AI will not be characteristic of their normal work. The ongoing informal and formative assessment that occurs as part of daily learning will be the greatest tool for both learning and detecting no support of the protocol. In addition, teachers will engage with the following strategies: use of TURNITIN (plagiarism-detection software); Authentication of student work strategies; checkpoint conferences with drafting processes; conversations with students; comparative of student work; discussions with Learning Leader and/or Directors of Schools.
I encourage our parents to have conversations with their children about the use of AI and to discuss maintaining academic integrity in their assessments. As we continue to move forward as a college, we will start to focus on the opportunities that AI will bring to education and our classrooms.
Yours in Christ
Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development
From the Deputy Principal
STUDY SKILLS HANDBOOK
7 Ways Mindfulness and Meditation Can be Helpful to Students
Do you experience feelings of anxiousness? Why not give meditation a go? It can be as simple as closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and counting your breaths in and out. There are lots of great Apps out there, for example, ‘Mindfulness’, ‘Headspace’, ‘Relax’, and ‘Positivity’. These will guide you through simple meditation and mindfulness exercises. You could even try the new mindfulness colouring-in books for adults that are all the rage. But what is it all about and why should you try it?
What is Mindfulness?
Headspace (www.headspace.com) defines mindfulness as “the intention to be present in the here and now, fully engaged in whatever is happening, free from distraction or judgement, with a soft and open mind”.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a way of transforming the mind, making it calm and silent. According to the Australian Teachers of Meditation Association, meditation is a discipline that involves turning the mind and attention inward and focusing on a single thought, image, object, or feeling.
How does meditation and practicing mindfulness help you with your schoolwork?
- Reduces anxiety and risk of depression - By becoming mindful, a person stops judging themselves and those around them and recognises that every situation “is what it is”. When you stop judging and comparing, you are able to reduce anxiety.
- Increases resilience - resilience is the ability to experience something bad but not internalise it and to be able to move on, still gaining benefit even from a negative experience. Practicing mindfulness and meditation quietens the mind and enables acceptance without judgment, which is key to achieving resilience.
- Improves ability to learn and recall information - research by the University of Miami has shown that practicing mindfulness for 12 minutes a day improved attention and memory.
- Improves concentration - regular practice of meditation may help improve concentration by enabling the brain to focus more accurately and to filter out unwanted or unhelpful messages.
- Improves creativity - practicing mindfulness and meditation has the potential to allow the brain to unlock and unleash creativity. Creativity is of benefit to all students, not just in terms of artistic talents but also in relation to problem-solving.
- Helps manage exam stress - meditation can help you calm and focus your mind which helps to manage stress related to exams. This tool can be used in the lead-up to the exam and also during the exam if stress levels begin to rise.
- Leads to better sleep - getting enough sleep is crucial to ensure students have the mental and physical energy to learn. However, as academic and social pressures increase, this can lead to students having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. By reducing anxiety and stress you can ultimately sleep better and longer.
You can learn in the Managing Stress unit at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with the username and password that is located in the Parent Portal on SEQTA Engage.
Throughout 2023, we will be working closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of our school community.
The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience.
Our Partnership Program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and Parent & Carer Hub (inc. digital presentations) for our parent and carer community.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the Parent and Carer Hub with you. The videos are 5-10 minutes long and will walk through the key pillars of resilience: Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness. You’ll hear stories and be introduced to activities to show how these strategies can support our students' learning and development, and also support you as parents and caregivers.
This program is an important part of our school’s effort to look after the mental health of our community.
View the first presentation of the series here:
In this presentation, Hugh shares a personal experience about his sister's battles with Mental Illness.
Note: This video contains a story about an Eating Disorder that may be triggering. Please consider this before watching. For mental health resources and support information, visit
We will be in touch fortnightly to share the remainder of the program, including research and wellbeing activities to integrate into day to day life.
School TV – Drug & Alcohol Use
In this edition of SchoolTV - DRUG & ALCOHOL USE
Many parents are concerned about the use of alcohol, as well as other
drugs, as their children grow up. For kids, a one-time or infrequent use of
alcohol or drugs can, unfortunately, result in a tragedy such as unintentional injuries, homicide or even suicide. Young people who use alcohol and drugs before their brain is fully developed are often at greater risk of
future addiction.
Research has shown that a young person’s brain keeps developing until they are in their mid-twenties, making alcohol more harmful than previously thought. Even the casual use of certain drugs can cause severe
health problems, such as an overdose or brain damage. Parents will often feel overwhelmed when having to deal with substance abuse issues. However, they are encouraged to lead by example and set behavioural
boundaries for their kids.
In this edition of SchoolTV parents will learn how to deal with the issues surrounding drug and alcohol use and the impact it can have on a child’s development. Alcohol and drug use can lead to serious problems such as
poor academic performance, loss of friends, behavioural issues and even lasting legal problems.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the Drug & Alcohol Use edition of SchoolTV
Andrew Pritchard
Deputy Principal - Student and Staff Wellbeing
From the Director of Junior School
"Down Time"
The importance of 'down time'. We have almost arrived (already!) at the mid-term. Our kids have so many commitments and so many tasks to balance at once. It is an appropriate time to consider how much downtime they have. Down time is not, ipad time, down time, is not wash the dog time, down time is not, read-your-English-novel time, down time is the time when the cognitive demands reduce to almost zero. Laying in front of the fire, taking an extra long bath or shower, staying in bed listening to music, day-dreaming on the couch, shooting hoops without a focus on technique, or keeping score. How many of these kinds of moments do your kids get? These moments are essential for brain growth, memory retention, and learning and for mental health. We live in a world of constant stimulation and often neglect to find these moments for mental breaks.
Do your kids say they're bored?! I say good! This is when the best reflection, revelation, and rejuvenation can happen. Try and make sure your child has at least half an hour of unstructured time, without devices, conversation, tasks etc each day and even more on the weekend. This sounds like a lot within the busy schedule of the week but it is so important.
Alison Stevens
Director of Junior School
The Arts
Award winning actor and theatre maker Emily Goddard (This is Eden) facilitated a workshop on Bouffon: Le Jeu and the liberating art of grotesque satire with our Year 9 Drama and 11 Preliminary Arts students. This was a fantastic introduction for Year 9s to their unit on physical comedy and an extension to Year 11 Preliminary Art's focus on expressive movement.
One of the key takeaway for our students was how taking risks and embracing failure can enhance the creation and success of our performance work. This further supports the work Year 9s have done through Term 1 on improvisation.
Phillipa Coward
Director of Pastoral Care
Drama Teacher
All Schools Surfing Titles
On Friday 12th of May, Seven Mackillop students travelled up to Scamander on the East Coast for the 2023 State All Schools Surfing Titles. The weather was perfect and surf conditions small, however, there was a good choice of both left and right banks.
Mackillop Students battled it out all day against schools from the North, East, and South of the State. Students had to pair with another student from their school to be counted in the MR Shield and could also enter individually in the All-Stars Division. Winners of these events would then secure automatic entry into the All-Schools National Competition that takes place in December in Port Phillip Bay.
Congratulations to the following students who have now been selected for the Tasmanian State Team.
Willow Direen and Poppy Woodbury – Winners of the U16 girl's Shield
Amelie Brown and Sienna Lawrence - Winners of the U18 Girls Shield
Duke Armstrong - Second place in the U16 boys All-Stars.
The first and second-place winners also gain entry into the team.
Poppy and Sienna also placed 1st and 2nd in the All-Stars, so will be competing across multiple events.
Special mention to Sienna Lawrence also achieved the highest-scoring female wave of the competition and to Duke Armstrong, who was the judge’s choice for best styling on the wave.
Jesse Fleming also won the U18 boys MR Shield with Cowen Duncan from another school. Due to this pairing of two different schools, both were void of being selected for the school’s competition. Both boys showed strong dynamic surfing skills.
Charlie Gibson also narrowly missed out on placing 2nd with Duke Armstrong in the School’s shield.
A great day by all, and the best result we have ever had at Mackillop! Awesome work team!
MacKillop Catholic College Surfing Team
Katie Gardner
Health and Physical Education Teacher
Careers News
ADF | STEM Careers Information Session, Hobart
May 24, 2023
Work at the leading edge of technical innovation in the Navy, Army or Air Force, making the most of your interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Check out the different ways the Australian Defence Force (ADF) can pay for some or all of your engineering degree or consider a trade career and receive on the job training that will set you up for life.
Find a STEM role that suits you and speak with current serving ADF members at our upcoming info session.
Electrical Apprenticeship Spotlight
Becoming an electrician offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic field that is in high demand, ensuring a steady stream of job opportunities. If this is a career that interests you, the best way to get qualified is by undertaking an electrical apprenticeship.
What is a career in electrical?
A career as an electrician involves working with electrical systems and wiring in buildings, homes, or other structures. Electricians install, repair, and maintain electrical equipment, such as lighting fixtures, outlets, and circuit breakers. They use tools like wire cutters, pliers, and voltage testers to complete their work. Troubleshooting is an important part of the job, and you’ll need to identify and fix electrical problems, such as malfunctioning outlets or flickering lights.
What skills do I need for a career as an electrician?
You’ll need to be able to understand electrical systems, wiring, and circuitry, as well as read and interpret blueprints and electrical diagrams. Being able to use various hand and power tools is essential, along with the ability to troubleshoot and repair electrical issues. A strong mind for safety is crucial to ensure compliance and maintain a safe working environment. Effective communication skills are also important, as electricians often collaborate with clients, colleagues, and other professionals on projects.
Why should I consider an electrical apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are a great way to get your foot in the door with an employer and start building valuable skills. There are often lots of opportunities to continue working with your employer after your apprenticeship is complete, and even advance your career down the track.
As part of an electrical apprenticeship, you will be doing real work for an employer while completing study with a TAFE or RTO. An electrical apprenticeship usually takes 2-3 years to complete, depending on whether you work and study full- or part-time.
Here are some common qualifications you might want to look into:
There are tons of benefits to an apprenticeship, rather than just work or study alone, including:
- Getting paid while you learn – unlike uni, you can work and study without having to take on an insane work load.
- The opportunity to get hands-on experience, not just endless reading.
- The potential to connect with an employer and continue working with them after your traineeship is finished.
- Your qualification will be nationally recognised, meaning you can go anywhere with it.
MacKillop Stars
Ryan Long
Last month Ryan Long competed in the Tasmanian Judo state titles, held at Bridgewater P.C.Y.C. Ryan completed in his weight category of under 66kg and won that division he was then asked to fight up a division in under 73 kg also taking the gold medal in that division as well. Since then he has been accepted into the state team where he will fly out early next month to compete at the Australian National Judo Championships in Queensland.
Congratulations Ryan!
The following boys have been selected for the School Sport Australia - Tasmanian Under 15 team (AFL)
Jack Vermey
Blake Philpott
Sam Orr
The championships are to be held in Ballarat from 22nd July - 29th July. We wish them all the very best and look forward to seeing them proudly represent Tasmania and the College.
Where are our MacKillop Stars?
Is your son or daughter doing something outstanding, amazing, or 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.