MacKillop Bulletin - Term 2, Week 8, 2023

From the Principal

Feast of the Sacred Heart

The College recently recognised and celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart (June 16). The following reflection by Sr Monica Cavanagh, Congregational Leader of Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, serves to explain and highlight the importance of this Feast Day for Josephite schools.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart invites us into a deepening awareness that all of life is held in the loving embrace of God. This spirituality of the heart calls us to honour that Christ dwells in our hearts through love and we in turn are to “clothe ourselves in love” (Colossians 3:12) so that we may radiate this love to others.

Throughout Jesus’ life, the gospels show us that he acted from his heart, that place of union with God. He confronted injustice, shared meals with those who were considered outcasts and allowed himself to be moved with compassion as he encountered the sick, lonely, heartbroken and wounded.

As Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, our call is to ‘live from the heart’, to be people whose lives speak of God’s love shining through us to our larger world. When our lives are guided by Jesus’ vision, our hearts too are moved with compassion. In these moments, the power of God’s love flows in and through us into our wounded world.

Mary MacKillop had a deep connection to the Sacred Heart. She speaks of climbing into the abyss of God’s heart and finding inner peace. She heard Jesus words: “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and you will find rest. For I am gentle and humble of heart”. (Matthew 11:28)

Mary MacKillop understood what it meant to be on mission with a humble heart. This enabled her to create a church of the heart wherever she went. This feast calls us to be a heart-centred church going out to where the people are and creating a church of the heart in their midst as Mary did.

May the Sacred Heart draw us into the heart of God’s abundance love so that we will have the courage to be God’s compassionate voice in our world today.

“May the Sacred Heart shield you and uphold you in every trouble.” Mary MacKillop 27/6/1873

Stephen Hill

Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Code of Personal Appearance & College Uniform 

I would like to thank all of our students and parents/caregivers for their renewed focus on meeting our expectations around our College uniform and Code of Personal Appearance. We have seen a marked improvement which has been excellent.

Our College’s expectation is that all of our students are in full formal uniform on all days they don’t have HPE (including Outdoor Education, Fitness Experiences, Athlete Development, Community Sport & Rec), Dance or Drama.  This includes the wearing of the College Blazer to and from the College.

Full formal uniform is also to be worn whenever the College has a scheduled assembly. Our next College Assembly is on Friday 7th July.

We have re-confirmed with the uniform shop that all winter stock is in, so all students need to ensure they have the appropriate clothing for cold weather.

• Trackpants- available in all sizes 
• Vests - all sizes available 10, 12, 14, xs, s, m, L, xl
• Softshell jackets - All sizes available 12, 14, xs, s, m, l, xl, xxl, 3xl
• Scarfs 

Pastoral Care Teachers will be following up with any students who do not have appropriate uniform. 

A reminder that all male students should be clean shaven and hair for all students must be neatly groomed and tied back if length touches the top of the collar. Students may wear one pair of simple earrings (gold or silver studs or sleepers) in the lobe of each ear.

We kindly ask that any student that would like to go to the Uniform Shop during school hours please go to our College Admin Office and we will arrange a staff member to accompany them there.

Thank you for your support with this matter. Can you please continue to discuss these expectations with your son/daughter. 

Online orders can be made via this link:

Study Skills Handbook – Dealing with Exam Stress

1. KNOW YOUR MATERIAL

The more confident you are about the topic(s) in your test, the less stress you will feel come exam time.  Make sure you stay on top of your school work and homework throughout the term.  Follow up with your teacher, or another subject matter expert, if there are things you don’t understand, well before the exams.  Trying to understand new concepts the night before a test is very stressful.

1. PRACTISE

Make sure you do practise papers if they are available, or practise questions.  This might include multiple choice, short answer or essay style questions.  Always study in the way you will be tested. Work out a plan of action so you know how long you are going to allocate to each question type, what question types you will start with and what you will do if you come across things you aren’t sure about. Learn more in the Active Studying unit.

1. FUEL YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND

In the days leading up to an exam make sure you get enough sleep.  Being tired makes it harder to concentrate and remember.  Fuel your body and mind by eating well and drinking plenty of water.  Learn more about this in the Lifestyle and Balance unit.

1. MANAGE THE PHYSICAL SIGNS OF STRESS

Familiarise yourself with how your body feels when you are stressed.  Do you get headaches? Tension in your neck or shoulders? Does your heart race faster?  What happens to your breathing?  Whenever you feel these effects, quickly start some relaxation exercises.  A good one to try during an exam is to breathe in deeply for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and breathe out for 8 seconds.  Do this a few times to calm yourself down and allow yourself to refocus. Learn more about this in the Managing Stress unit.

1. BE PREPARED ON THE DAY

Make sure you have packed or prepared everything you need for the test the night before.  Have a plan for how you are going to get to school on time - including a back-up plan if necessary.  Eat a nutritious breakfast and make sure you are hydrated. Learn more about this in the Test-Taking Techniques unit.

1. VISUALISE

Use visualisation techniques to help reduce your stress on the day.  Every day in the weeks prior to the exam, last thing at night and first thing in the morning, visualise yourself calmly walking into the exam room, preparing your equipment, reviewing and completing your exam paper and feeling good about how you did.  Learn more about this in the Managing Stress unit.

1. INVOLVE YOUR PARENTS IN YOUR SCHOOLWORK

Throughout the term talk to your parents about what you are studying.  Show them your bookwork and homework.  The more your parents understand about what you are doing and how you are going along the way, the better they are able to manage their expectations. They may also be able to help you study by testing you on what you are learning.

1. TALK TO YOUR PARENTS ABOUT REALISTIC GOALS

Keep talking to your parents about what you want to achieve, in individual subjects, at school overall and in other aspects of your life.  Focus more on the learning and developing skills instead of just marks. Involve them in helping you to identify where to concentrate the most effort to achieve your goals.  Learn more about this in the Goal Setting unit.

1. UNDERSTAND EXPECTATIONS

Many students feel like they are not meeting their parents’ expectations.  Often this is a result of poor communication about expectations by both parties. Assessment and reporting systems also change over time and are different in different schools and systems. Making sure your parents really understand what your report means may help them to understand what you are actually achieving.  Your school can assist you to explain these to your parents if need be and most schools provide booklets of explanation.  Often students are achieving, but reporting structures may not clearly represent this to parents.

1. ASK FOR HELP 

The most important way to deal with stress is by talking to people and asking for help. Don’t try and go it alone. Your school, teachers, parents and friends are your support structure so keep lines of communication open (that means talk to them!) and let everyone know how you are feeling and what help you need. 

You can learn more about being more effective at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with the username and password located on SEQTA Learn and SEQTA Engage.

Andrew Pritchard
Deputy Principal - Student and Staff Wellbeing

Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Year 11 Retreat

On Thursday 29 June and Friday 30 June all Year 11 students will be participating in an overnight spirituality retreat at Spring Bay Mill in Triabunna. The theme of the Retreat is Care for our Common Home based on the teachings of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si.

Students will be engaged in many hands-on activities on caring for the environment and living sustainably.

This is a reminder to Year 11 families to please complete the Consent2Go form at your earliest convenience. 

Timor Immersion – Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser

Our Timor Immersion group is now in the final stages of preparation for the great adventure that awaits them. 

The Timor group will be running a fundraising barbeque at Bunnings Warehouse Mornington this Sunday 25th June.

Please come along and support our staff and students by buying a sausage.

All funds raised go to support the work of Mary MacKillop Today in East Timor. One of their major works is the training of teachers. This has an enormous ongoing benefit to local communities.

Year 8 Mass

Last Friday, Year 8 students attended Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Feast Day has an important connection to the charism of our college as our co-founding order is the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.

Our Parish Priest, Fr Mark Freeman, was very impressed with the conduct of the students.

Special thanks to Lachlan Szczerbanik, Simone Angel, Ooli Sands, Isabella Patten, Amielle Patten, Ruby Waller, Rylan Estcourt, and Tayla Semelbauer for their assistance in reading or preparing the offertory at Mass.

Sacrament of Confirmation

This Wednesday 21^st June the Parish of Bellerive/Lindisfarne will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at Corpus Christi Church in Bellerive. The Sacrament will be conferred by His Grace, Archbishop Julian Porteous. The liturgy will begin at 6 pm for any families wishing to attend.

While most sacramental preparation occurs during the primary school years, we are always happy to hear from families whose children may have missed their sacraments, which can happen for a variety of reasons.

Please contact Mr Marsh, Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry, should you need any further information regarding Sacramental Preparation.

Lachlan Marsh

Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry 

From the Director of Junior School

What are your kids watching?

At the risk of alarming you, I want to implore that you explore with your kids what they are watching on their devices.  I have overheard a number of conversations in the Junior School in recent weeks about extremely inappropriate content being watched and re-watched.  I am certain that what I am hearing is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the number of students accessing highly concerning material.  The nature of some of this online content is truly horrifying and has the capacity to derail your kids' sleep and their well-being.  Your child's right to privacy on their devices is important and for you to preserve this as much as possible sends them the message that you trust them.  It helps them to begin to make decisions and navigate the digital world with some independence.  I am not suggesting that you raid devices for information without consent and each family manages this in a different way.  However, giving young people access to the internet is giving them a ticket to ANYTHING.  Have you had thorough and repeated conversations with your child about the effects of real-life violence (and worse) on their developing brain and on their emotional state?  Do you limit time alone on their devices?  It is often at night alone or with friends that kids find themselves exploring content they would not readily explore sitting on the couch in daylight with their family close by.  Limiting alone time on devices and having frequent conversations, although cringeworthy, give the underlying message to your child that you care about them.  You are attempting to protect them. The effects of some of this online content, on your child's brain and mental health can be diabolical.  Did you know there could be other serious implications for your family?  As the Legal Guardian of your child, where they might be accessing explicit material on the internet, you are responsible for this.  It really is up to you to be monitoring and managing the internet use of your children.  This is very daunting for parents, I know. 
An effective way to help your children gauge the appropriateness of what they are watching is for them to consider if they would watch the content with their Grandmother, their Teacher, or you.  If the answer to this is 'no', it's most probably not OK. Get conversations going and keep them going.  Please reach out if you would like further information or support with this.  I also encourage every parent to follow: SafeonSocialMedia on whichever platforms they use.  This keeps you up to date with what kids are up to online (trends) and any immediate risks as they are identified.

Alison Stevens
Director of Junior School

Director of Pastoral Care

School Refusal 

Many young people experience some worries and difficulties during their education, particularly around transition, after holidays or before major assessment tasks. The onset of school avoidance behaviours can be gradual or appear suddenly. While anxiety is normal it becomes problematic when it affects our daily function including school attendance.

Recurring behaviours that might indicate school avoidance include 

• Struggling to get out of bed or get dressed and in the car in the morning 
• Disrupted sleep 
• Feeling sick 
• Tearfulness or complaints about attending school 
• Reluctance to attend school after weekends or holidays 
• Isolating themselves at home or from friends/connections at school 
• Frequent visits to sick bay or wellbeing centre when at school 
• Frequent visits to go home early 

If you are concerned your child is exhibiting signs of school avoidance behaviours please contact their Pastoral Care teacher so we can discuss ways to support them. In most cases if these behaviours are addressed early on with a school and home focus chances of escalating to school refusal are reduced. 

The following tips for promoting school attendance and information from parenting expert Maggie Dent on tackling school avoidance head on may also help. 

Tips 

• Maintain clear expectations about school attendance and why it is important 
• Practice clear and assertive communication about school attendance 
• Acknowledge and validate anxious feelings about attending school 
• Externalise the problem when talking about school refusal or anxiety. The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem. 

See Maggie’s Parental As Anything episode When your kid hates school

Jennifer Crowden

Director of Senior School

School TV

SPECIAL REPORT: Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers have become powerful individuals who often shape the opinions and beliefs of others due to strong connections with their audiences. In today's fast-paced digital world, attention has become a valuable commodity.
However, the impact of social media influencers on youth mental health is a growing concern, most recently, the controversial actions and statements of Andrew Tate. His rise to fame has made him a polarising figure, amassing a significant following of mostly young males. Educators and families have raised urgent concerns about the damaging nature of Tate’s content, worried that his messages may radicalise students and create a generation of young men with regressive and harmful beliefs.
Young people often compare themselves to the idealised lives presented by influencers, leading to feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth and dissatisfaction. Social media algorithms may also expose them to inappropriate or harmful content such as explicit material, promotion of harmful behaviours, or distorted perceptions of body image or mental health.
It is important to guide a young person’s social media use and promote open communication. Be curious to comprehend why they might be drawn to radical influencers, like Andrew Tate, and actively seek understanding as part of the solution. While not all influencers have a negative impact, parents play a vital role in ensuring a balanced approach to social media. By actively modelling kindness, respect and positive values, parents can help tackle the sway of radical influencers and be part of the solution to countering unhealthy masculinity.
This Special Report provides guidance on how to respond to misinformation and disinformation, instead encouraging critical thinking and emphasising the value of real-life connections. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.
Click on this link to view the Special Report 

The Resilience Report

Empathy and Kindness 

Empathy is our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others to feel and see what they do. We practice this through being kind and compassionate towards other people.

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!
Research shows that practicing empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based.

Here’s an activity to practice empathy and kindness:

1. Reflect on someone in your life who could benefit from an act of kindness today. It could be a friend who would love some affirmation about their work, your pet who deserves an extra treat, or a family member who would love a phone call or text message.
2. Make a plan for who you are going to give an act of kindness to, and what you are going to do.
3. If you want to add accountability to your plan, share it with someone else and encourage them to do the same thing.
4. Follow up with each other in a few day's time, to ask how it went!

Sources: Psychology Today,UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science

For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.

Hosting a Japanese Student from Hokkaido

Japanese Exchange Students Hosting Opportunity 2023

MacKillop families are invited to host exchange students from Japan in late July. In the past (pre-Covid) MacKillop Catholic College has hosted around 20 students for a week every second year. Hosting an overseas student can be a highly rewarding experience for families and will open up your child’s eyes to how we are the same yet different. If your family would like to host a student, contact Ms. Jacqueline Hardman (jhardman@mackillop.tas.edu.au) by Friday 30 June.

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the northern most island in Japan where many Australians go for skiing and snowboarding. The snowfall can be so great that families have a door on the second level of their homes to use in winter. The island is roughly the same size as Tasmania and has four distinct seasons. Both male and female students from two different towns near Sapporo in Hokkaido were selected to visit us on a scholarship. The Japanese students will be travelling direct to Hobart on Sunday 30th July and leaving Sunday 6^th August to return to Japan. Most of the students are just 13 years old and in Year 8. 

Your Commitment

This exchange is run by volunteers from the Hokkaido-Australia Society. They request that MacKillop families simply include the young person from Japan in their daily life and that the student travels to and from MacKillop during the week. You would need to collect your student from Hobart Airport on Sunday 30^th July at 3 pm and return them the following Sunday at 2:30 pm. You will be offered support, such as a language hotline in case of emergency and a Q&A evening at the College prior to the student’s arrival. Please note there is no fiscal remuneration for hosting.  

Obento Day - Tuesday 4th July

All students are invited to order Japanese obento lunch on Tuesday 4th July. Order forms will be available soon from any of the Japanese sensei. Please note that payment must be made in cash and no change is provided. If an overpayment is made the Japanese teaching team will donate the surplus funds to Vinnies. More details on Seqta Notices soon.

Year 7 movie night - Tuesday 4th July

Year 7s are invited to our second movie night which will be happening on the same day as Obento Day. The G-rated movie will be "A Boy and his Samurai", a time-travel film about a samurai who arrives in present-day Japan. As part of the evening, we will be serving cup noodles and Japanese-style puddings. The Japanese sensei will have permission notices ready soon and this event will also be advertised on Seqta Notices.

Jacqueline Hardman
Learning Extension Coordinator, Learning Leader: Japanese, Teacher

Graphic Design

Graphic Design – Guest Speaker

Students in Year 9 Photography & Graphic Design and Year 10 Media Arts classes had the opportunity this week to speak with and learn from Adele Close, a local Graphic Designer with 25 years of experience. Adele spoke to the students about her career path and where her Graphic Design has taken her over the years as well as the necessary skill set required to be a successful designer. She is the proud owner of her own very successful business Vougish Design and specialises in branding and layout design for print. 

Adele showed the students her folio of works and brought in some printed examples for students to look through and gain inspiration. 

Students reflected upon her visit, here are some of their thoughts;

• I learned that Photography and Graphic Design can branch you out into multiple career paths, for example, game design, illustrations, and web design. – Lucy year 9
• You can get customers from all over the world, and you can work for many different and big companies. Ruby, Year 9
• She designs really cool wedding invitations and business cards and does Stay ChatTY design work. – Latiah, Year 9
• We learned about designer income and logos from big companies, some designers are paid 10 million dollars for creating a logo, it’s a good source of income. – Harry, Year 9
• Graphic design is very broad and there are many different types of graphic design eg. Web, UI and UX, gaming, and advertising. Hayden, Year 9

I would like to sincerely thank Adele for coming in to speak with our budding designers here at MacKillop.

Sally Tew
Media Arts Teacher

Library

Exams and ePlatform Wellness Collection

During the upcoming mid-year exam period for year 10 and 11 students, the Rice Resource Centre is a designated “study only” zone.  The area will be available for quiet study from 8.00 am until 4.00 pm each day throughout the exam period to support students with their preparation.

We know that exams can be a stressful time. Students at MacKillop have access to an extensive range of eBooks and audiobooks relating to mental health and well-being via the ePlatform Wellness Collection.  The Wellness Collection comprises a range of carefully selected fiction as well as research-based, award-winning non-fiction titles.

Titles cover topics including:

• Stress and anxiety management
• Improving sleep and self-care
• Developing positive coping skills

The collection also has great audio resources such as guided relaxations, mindfulness exercises and meditations. To explore the Wellness collection, follow the instructions below or come and speak with me in the library.

How to access ePlatform

To use ePlatform on a school laptop:

1. Log in to the Seqta Student Portal &  go to the welcome page
2. Follow the link to the Library Portal 
3. Click on the eBooks & eAudiobooks link on the Library homepage

To seePlatform on a mobile device:

1. Download the ePlatform app
2. Search for MacKillop Catholic College
3. Enter your school email address and password to sign in

Marissa Allen

Resource Centre/Library Manager

Sleeping Bags for Ukraine

From the Association of Ukrainians in Tasmania

The situation in Ukraine is dire. The country has been through a lot in recent years, including a conflict with Russia. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere.

As winter approaches in Ukraine, the need for warm bedding becomes increasingly urgent for the most vulnerable members of society.

This is why we are asking for your help

If you have a gently used sleeping bag/s that you no longer need, please consider donating it to a Ukrainian family in need. Your donation will help provide warmth and shelter to someone who is struggling to survive the harsh winter.

You can drop your donations to the MacKillop College Office at your next earliest convenience. 

Thank you for your help and support. Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of Ukrainian families this winter.

If you have any further questions please contact chastie@mackillop.tas.edu.au

MacKillop Stars

Oli Talbot has been selected in the State U16 Boys squad for the Tasmania Devils, along with 27 other players from Southern and Northern Tasmania.  He will travel to Victoria and Queensland during June and July, for the 2023 AFL National Development Championships - U16 Boys, competing against teams from the Northern Territory, NSW, and QLD. Congratulations Oli and all the best to you and the team…..Go Devils.

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.