MacKillop Bulletin - Term 4, Week 3, 2023
From the Principal
Welcome back to Term 4!
Hopefully, the Term 3 break was a restful one and provided all in the MacKillop Catholic College community the opportunity to share time with family and friends.
The beginning of Term 4 marks the commencement of an important transition time in the life of the College as we continue the process of preparing for the introduction of Year 12 in 2024, which coincides with our 30 th Year Anniversary, and to welcome our incoming 2024 Year 7 students and their families.
TASC exams
In amongst a year of many firsts for our 2023 Year 11 students, the College will be hosting TASC exams onsite from Tuesday 7 November until Friday 17 November for relevant Levels 3/4 subjects
being studied by our students. TASC exams will take place in the first floor Tension rooms. Further details regarding the adjustments that will need to be made to host these exams will be forwarded to students as soon as available.
Building Master Plan Update:
As part of the College’s ongoing work in the development of the first project to come out of the Building Master Plan, the linking of the Tenison and Kirby buildings, JAWS and K2LD led a series of project development briefings on Friday 27 October. A variety of staff, students, Advisory Board Members and other members of the community have been invited to participate in one of the six briefing sessions.
The information and feedback from these briefings, along with details already included Building Master Plan, will inform the Project Design Brief which will be shared with CET for project approval before the end of 2023. Once the College has project approval from CET, JAWS and K2LD will progress the Design Brief to a full set of architectural drawings before tendering and building contractor engagement.
Additional opportunities for input and feedback will occur over the course of the coming months to ensure that this project fulfills its brief and furthers our learning, teaching and working spaces.
Year 7 2024
Work continues in preparation for the arrival of the 175 current Grade 6 students who will be joining us on Monday, 27 November for the Year 7 2024 Orientation Day.
Our Director of Junior School, Mrs Alison Stevens, and Director of Learning Enhancement, Mr Izaac Feery, have been working closely with and visiting many of our feeder primary school to come to know and understand more of the learning and wellbeing needs of the incoming Year 7 students. Mr Andrew Pritchard, Deputy Principal – Wellbeing, and the College’s Wellbeing Team are preparing for the students and their parents/caregivers introduction to the College’s vertical pastoral care program (including Peer Tutor training for our current Year 9 students).
The 175 students joining us for Year 7 2024 will be part of the approximately 820 students that collectively will form the largest enrolment in the College’s history.
As we enter the final term for 2023, I know that through our sustained and ongoing collective efforts to support all aspects of the College’s teaching, learning and wellbeing programs that, collectively, we will continue to make a real difference to the outcomes of all our students both now and into the future.
Staffing update
Mr Nigel McDuff has commenced his appointment as the College’s new Human Resources Manager. Mr McDuff was previously the Head of Operations and member of the School Executive at Whitsunday Anglican School and has an extensive career in education having previously held various leadership roles including Head of Sport and HaPE. Mr McDuff has a Diploma of Education – Physical Education from QUT Bachelor of Education from CQU 1996 and a Cert IV in Workplace Assessment and Training.
The recent weeks have been very busy with 2024 employment interviews for the previously advertised teaching and positions of leadership. Thanks to the hard work and diligence of all involved in this process, the College has been able to make a significant number of teaching employment offers for 2024 which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Catholic Education Tasmania is leading the process of shortlisting and interviewing applicants for the position of Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching. The current timeline has the announcement of the successful applicant for this important position being made before the end of Week 5 of this term.
Stephen Hill
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
Celebration of Excellence - Awards
We are in the process of planning our Celebration of Excellence events with our first major event commencing Tuesday 31 October. This is a significant occasion on our college calendar which celebrates student academic, sporting, arts and service successes and contributions.
Thanksgiving Liturgy, Commissioning Ceremony, College Special Awards
and Year 11 Celebration of Excellence
Tuesday 31st October, 9am, Br Tony Smith Centre (College Gym)
Years 7, 8 and 9 Celebration of Excellence
Monday 6th November, 9am, Br Tony Smith Centre (College Gym)
Year 10 Celebration of Excellence,
Friday 1 December, 12pm, Br Tony Smith Centre (College Gym)
Our parents and families are welcome to attend their child’s relevant Celebration of Excellence ceremony and/or Thanksgiving Liturgy and Commissioning Ceremony. This is a normal school day for our students. They will return to class after the event.
Please use the following form to indicate attendance: https://forms.gle/8SvMUXjyBH5CkGjF7
Yours in Christ
Lorraine Wolffe
Director of Pastoral Care
Term 4 is a very busy and short term with many important events early on. It can also be a challenging term for students as they start to think about significant changes and transitions in the coming 6 months. One of the best ways we can support our students is to provide relevant information to ensure they are prepared for minor and major events. This consistency will make sure students feel safe and confident when they confront new things.
In order to prepare students for the rest of this term please take the time to go through some of the following
Uniform Expectations, Term 4. A reminder it is important students are meeting uniform expectations as representatives of the College up until the last day they attend the College for 2023. This includes when students are attending the College during exam week when they should be in full formal uniform including travelling to and from the College.
Please note changes to uniform for Term 4 with male students, except senior students, not required to wear a tie.
Thanksgiving Liturgy, Commissioning, and Year 11 Celebration of Excellence, 31st October. We will gather as a whole College to celebrate our Year 11 students’ achievements and show gratitude for the year we have spent together. As this is a formal occasion students are required to wear full formal uniform on this day.
Pastoral Care teachers will be following up with students who are unable to meet these expectations during Term 4, especially expectations regarding the code of personal appearance. If you have any questions regarding these events, please contact the Pastoral Care Group Teacher.
The below excerpt from an article by 'teenage expert' Michelle Mitchell provides some good tips on supporting our young people to prepare for big changes and transitions as well as the everyday challenges they may face throughout the term.
TIP 1: SO I WILL MOVES. Try and finish anxious conversations with positive, actionable ideas. I call them SO I WILL takeaways. (For example: I am worried about making new friends, SO I WILL…think about how I might start conversations with new people and remind myself that I can still connect with old friends). Together, you and your young one can create SO I WILL MOVES for anything including asking a teacher a question or catching public transport. And you can also revisit and practise these moves anytime.
TIP 2: DIAL IT DOWN. WAY DOWN. Help them set realistic expectations for their first day. This might mean you have to dial down your enthusiasm. Instead of saying, “You are going to have a GREAT, AMAZING, FANTASTIC day” you might consider saying, “Today is going to be the beginning of a wonderful journey.” Sometimes our encouragement doesn’t leave a lot of room for the real ups and downs of school life.
TIP 3: THE WORK STATION. Setting up a workstation on Sunday night is a great way to prepare for the week ahead. Remember that for ALL our kids, completing something feels good. Small wins, even if it is setting up their desk, will build their confidence.
TIP 4: JUST DO IT. Many young people hit academic overwhelm very early in the year, and some don’t ever regroup. Term 3 becomes a compound of half completed assignments, under average grades, and deteriorating communication with teachers. Much of the time, procrastination plays a big part in the downward spiral. Make a JUST DO IT pack with your young one. Doing things NOW (before gaming, before youtube, before over thinking and talking yourself out of it) will feel good!
TIP 5: THE 20-MIN HOMEWORK CYCLE. My youngest son doesn’t have great organisational skills, as you can see when you enter his bedroom. Homework was always a struggle in our home. He and I eventually managed to negotiate a 20-minute homework cycle, that we would set on repeat. He would spend 15 minutes studying, 5 mins boxing (yes, he had a boxing bag in his room), and 5 minutes eating. In between each cycle, he would pause, chat, re-group, and repeat. Is it a lot of fuss to get some homework done? Yes, but we couldn’t have gotten through school without the boxing bag and that sandwich maker.
TIP 6: A BROAD FRIENDSHIP BASE. Getting to know a broad range of people (the broader the better) is so important in high schools. Besties are fine, but they need MORE than this in high school. According to Michael Carr Gregg and Sharon Witt, authors of Starting Secondary School, one of the greatest predictors of success in high school is a large friendship base. It offers them multiple levels of support. I also talk more about this in my book The Everyday Resilience Journal: A book for tweens about friendships, school work and growing up.
TIP 7. APPRECIATING TEACHERS. For most kids, the learning experience in and of itself is not enough to keep them motivated. What makes all the difference is a strong connection to least one TEACHER who cares. Kids often learn through their teacher rather than through their subject. Please appreciate those high school teachers, especially those who connect with your child!
TIP 8. GET REALISTIC ABOUT BEDTIME. This one can be complicated, and the reason why some schools opt for a later start to the school day. Teenager’s brains release melatonin (the hormone which makes us sleepy) about 2 hours later adults do. You might set bedtime at 9pm, and their body may set it at 11pm. Their melatonin also takes longer to wear off in the morning, so they will be sleepier for longer. All this usually calls for parents to have a lot of patience, especially in the morning. Set a realistic bedtime for YOUR child, and establish boundaries (like no phones in rooms after 8 pm and a quiet bedtime routine to help their mind unwind.) They may also need to sleep in on the weekend as they are constantly accumulating sleep debt.
TIP 9: ONE THING ABOUT TECH. Group texts, late night emergency calls, and friendship drama now make their way into our kid’s lives. It’s a lot for parents to manage and navigate, so prepare yourself and get educated. If there is ONE THING I’d like to you consider, it’s make sure they don’t have their phone in their room at night when they need to be sleeping. (They are not equipped to be Kids Help Line.) Without sleep, everything goes pear shaped. I’ve written this free eBook Social Media and Your Tween for help out.
TIP 10: KEEP HOME THE HERO. As they move into new environments and experience new things, the safe place called home is more important than ever, so protect your time together. It’s the base line that allows them to journey into the world. Continue to place priority on their relationship with siblings and special time with them. In fact, plan for it.
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry
Timor Immersion
Caritas Just Leadership Day
Selected Year 7 & 8 students will be attending the Just Leadership Day hosted and led by Caritas Australia on Wednesday the 8th of November. During the day, students will learn skills involved with being a leader and how they can positively grow while assisting the community. Selected students have received further details via Consent2Go.
JPII After School Buddies Programme
Our Outreach Group will soon be running Buddy Afternoons with students from John Paul ll, providing fun experiences and forming connections. The first afternoon will be on the 3rd of November and held after school. Any students interested in being part of the outreach group should speak with Mr Marsh or Charlotte Davies.
Vinnies Christmas Appeal
Beginning in November, The Vinnies Group will be taking Christmas Hamper items to donate to the Vinnies Christmas Appeal, please keep an eye out for any advertisements involving required items and we appreciate your generosity.
Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry
Careers and Pathways News
Movies and TV shows and their career influence:
I read an interesting post on LinkedIn this week around how some movies and TV shows can influence career decisions and inspire young people to pursue a certain pathway.
Has this ever happened to you?
Just by scrolling through Netflix we can see a whole range of different careers, like Police Officers in Brooklyn 99, Lawyers in Suits, Real Estate Agents in Selling Sunset and lots more. These portrayals can excite us about a certain career pathway. However, sometimes we need to look further to see if what is on the TV is the full and complete picture of what is being represented.
Many other career advisers shared similar experiences with students in their roles, saying they would see an increase in students wanting to become forensic scientists and psychologists after shows like CSI and Criminal Minds had come out, or an increase in students wanting to become midwives when One Born Every Minute was in its prime.
If you have been inspired by a career through a movie or TV show, I urge you to explore this interest and ask some deeper questions like:
- What would a day in the life of this role look like?
- What qualifications or experience do you need to get into this role?
- What are the pros and cons of this role?
- Is a role like this realistic for my future?
Careers and Pathways Bookings:
A reminder to all students and families that the Careers Office is open for bookings and they can be made via the following link:
Tasmania Police Information and Fitness Session | Saturday 25 November | 10.00 am – 1.00 pm
Located at the Tasmania Police Academy in Rokeby.
Sarah Gurney
Careers and Pathways Advisor
Year 9 Dance
On Saturday the 14th of October, MKC's Year 9 Dance students performed a Hip Hop routine at Tassie Dancers Against Cancer (TDAC)
TDAC is an annual event where the dance community comes together to support and raise money for cancer. Also, providing young Tasmanian dancers with the opportunity to dance on stage in a supportive and non-competitive environment. They did an amazing job and should be extremely proud of their efforts in supporting such a great cause.
Rachel Williams
Teacher
Fusion 2023
SAVE THE DATE
21st - 23rd November 2023
The Arts Department Presents
Fusion Influenced 2023
A celebration of the arts learning area exhibiting and performing works
from the classroom and co-curricular, showcasing student work from Years 7-11.
Drama - Tuesday 21st November
Dance - Wednesday 22nd November
Music - Thursday 23rd November
Visual and Media Arts - 21st - 23rd November
Quiz Night
Thank you to everyone who assisted with the success of this event.
Special Mention to our generous community and their donations.
MacKillop Stars
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 enquiries@mackillop.tas.edu.au and we will highlight achievements in our bulletin.
Darcy Gregory Year 7 has been selected to represent Tasmania at the SchoolsTennis 12 Years and Under Championship (Bruce Cup).
Jacob Etherington, Tarkyn Squibb, and Tom Divin Year 10 selected to represent Tasmania Under 16 Football Championships in Sydney. The boys also won the South Hobarts NPL U21 state league and ground final.