MacKillop Bulletin - Term 1, Week 10, 2022

From the Principal

Our Lenten Journey

At the end of this week, many of us will gather together as a community in faith to acknowledge and celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead at our various Easter Sunday celebrations. Easter Sunday also marks the end of Holy Week, the end of Lent and the last day of the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday).

As we know from the Gospels, Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day following his crucifixion. His resurrection marks the triumph of good over evil, sin and death. It is the singular event that proves that those who trust in God and accept Christ will be raised from the dead.

As we journey through Holy Week, it is appropriate for us to reflect on Christ’s suffering and the pain and agony which inevitably touches all our lives. The true value of being part of a faith community reveals itself to each of us in different ways and at different times. Our shared faith guides and helps through the most difficult of circumstances. Last week’s news of the death of past-pupil Carter Taylor and the poor health of former John Paul II student Ollie Holmes are examples of such times.

The renewal of our baptismal promises, which is customary at the Easter Sunday Mass, invites us to reflect upon the immense implications of our sharing in the Saviour’s risen life, for the sake of the whole world.

Appointment of Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council (TCSPS) College Representative

Congratulations and thanks to current parent Mrs Charlotte Geeves on her appointment as the TCSPC representative for MacKillop Catholic College.  Included is a link to first TCSPC newsletter for 2022 which provides some insight into the work of the Council and some of their current projects.

I have spoken with Charlotte and we have discussed the various forums, committees and publications that MacKillop has and which she might be able to attend or use to further the work of the TCSPC.

Covid-19 Update

Mr Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth, last week released the COVID-safe Schools Plan for Term 2 for DoE schools.  His communiqué restated that forward planning is important to ensure schools continue to stay open and support learning in COVID-safe ways.  Whilst we are yet to receive an official update from Catholic Education Tasmania regarding the COVID protocols for the commencement of Term 2, we can most likely expect a similar commitment. That is, most, if not all, COVID-19 safety measures will continue into the next term, including COVID-19 testing protocols.

While we saw the announcement of the first of our class clusters last week, the end of the week concluded with daily numbers that are more typical of what we have seen over the past weeks. Despite last week’s peak in numbers, we still had just four staff and 54 students (approx. 8% of students) listed as COVID positive.

I would again like to thank every member of the MacKillop Catholic College community for the work you have done to ensure that the College continues to be in the fortunate position of having relatively few positive COVID-19 cases.

In the final days of Term 1, can I ask that we maintain our commitment to the health and wellbeing of all in our community by continuing to follow the key protocols and procedures that have served us so well to date including:

• The wearing of masks when indoors
• Ensuring maximum ventilation of classrooms and offices
• Adopting hygiene practices (particularly regarding hand sanitising)
• Staying at home if unwell and/or displaying COVID-like symptoms.

Finishing the term well

One of the hallmarks of this term has been the way students quickly settle into the daily routine of their classes and maintain a positive learning environment. The College Leadership Team, the House Leaders, our Learning Leaders, Pastoral Care Teachers and classroom teachers alike have all commented on the level of student engagement this term.

The students have mostly met our expectations relating to uniform, haircuts, homework and completion of assessment tasks which has had a positive impact on the students’ level of preparation and readiness for learning.  Well done to you all!!

As we approach the end of Term One it is important for all students to finish the term in the same positive way they have demonstrated to-date. To do this, all students should be asking themselves the following:

• Have I completed all set homework and home study? Regularly reviewing SEQTA will ensure that all expectations regarding homework and home study have been met.
• Do I know of any assessment tasks that might be taking place or that I need to catch-up in the final week? SEQTA contains all the relevant information regarding assessment tasks and their due dates.
• Do I know all the classwork that has been set for completion before the end of Term One? Students should be speaking with their teachers if they have any further questions or concerns about these tasks and their due dates.

Congratulations to all students on your efforts this term!

Stephen Hill
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Student Achievements 

We encourage parents and caregivers to let us know if their child/children have been involved in activities outside the College which we can and should celebrate.  Please email enquiries@mackillop.tas.edu.au .   Even though the following students are being recognised for sport, we welcome information about our students who are excelling in all areas of endeavour!

Liam Barnett (Year 8, Fitzroy) - Congratulations to Liam on his selection to compete at the upcoming Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane in the 16 & Under Boys Tasmanian team.   Well done, Liam.

Sam Murray (Year 9, Rice)

Congratulations also to Sam, who was selected as Captain of the Under 15 Boys Tasmanian hockey team.  The national championships were held last week in Newcastle.  Well done, Sam.

Prahlad Dev (Year 8,  Fitzroy)

Congratulations to Prahlad, who will be representing Tasmania in the Australian Junior Squash Open Championships, being held in Bendigo, Victoria this week!  Well done, Prahlad!

College Uniform - Terms 2 and 3

Formal Uniform Reminders

• Boys should be in College ties for Terms 2 and 3
• Long-sleeved shirts are available for both boys and girls at the Uniform Shop
• We encourage families to purchase additional items for “warmth” items over the Term break if you anticipate that your child/children will feel the cold. College vests, College softshell jackets, College woollen jumpers and College rugby jumpers are all available.  A reminder that students are not permitted to wear visible non-MacKillop items before, during or after the school day
• College school bags are in stock
• College blazers are also in stock (including blazers previously ordered but have yet to be picked up). A reminder that all students should have a College blazer - this is a compulsory uniform item

*Uniform Shop opening hours for the Term break are on our website and appear elsewhere in this publication

Student Code of Personal Appearance Reminders

• Families are asked to ensure that their child/children return to the College in Term 2 adhering to the Student COPA. This means no extreme hairstyles or hair colours, extra piercings that go against the Student COPA etc.  A link to the Student COPA is as follows: 

College Sports Tops - What is happening?

Many families would be aware of the supply issues which began last year in relation to several uniform items - including the College sports top.  I would like to thank our families for their understanding - and I particularly acknowledge our newer students, some of whom have been required to wear a plain (non-College) white sports top while we have worked through the issue.

We have taken the time this Term to review the College white sports top item.  The broader context is that the College white sports top has been historically quite unpopular with families and students, mainly because the tops are difficult to keep clean (i.e. white) and the fabric has not tended to “wear” well. Further consideration has been whether the time is right to make available a College house sports top, given the recent move to a vertical pastoral care structure, where House “belonging”  is a cornerstone.  

We have worked with our Uniform supplier (Perm-A-Pleat) to design a new MacKillop Sports top which also denotes the House to which students belong. We have involved our students and staff in providing feedback on the various iterations that have been put forward.   The vast majority of staff and students now seem to be broadly satisfied with the design which I have shared below for Penola and Rice houses:

We have ordered a small amount of ‘sample’ MacKillop house sports tops which reflect the above design and are made of more hardy, yet contemporary fabric than the previous white tops.  We hope to have samples by the end of Term for students across different year levels and Houses to view and try on.   The hope is that new MacKillop house sports tops will be available for purchase during Semester 2.

Senior School Planning - Senior Uniform and Student Leadership Models

Ms Crowden, Mr Davey and I have been meeting with Year 10 Student Leaders and Year 9 SRC members this Term to get their input on important planning areas relating to students in the context of senior schooling at the College.  Our agenda with them has included but not been restricted to: 

• exploring models for student leadership in a senior school context, discussing and evaluating senior school uniform possibilities,
• looking at models for student celebrations/functions during the senior schooling years and
• looking at appropriate memento items for our Foundation Year 11 and Year 12 students.

The participating group of students has been enthusiastic, curious and engaged in this process and their time has been greatly appreciated.  We are looking forward to continuing our work with them as the year progresses. 

We warmly welcome the input of families.  All parents and caregivers, irrespective of the year your child/children are currently in, are invited to get involved.  Please contact Taylor Hay by Friday, April 22 at thay@mackillop.tas.edu.au if you are interested in being part of a parent/caregivers consultation.  Our hope is to hold at least two parent/caregivers consultations at the College during Term 2. 

Donna Brown
Deputy Principal – Organisation, Student Development & Pastoral Care

From the Deputy Principal

Concluding Term 1 and Welcoming Term 2

As we conclude Term 1 it has been wonderful to witness the high standard of teaching and learning, especially given some of the challenges to maintain attendance at school.  The MacKillop family has certainly shown resilience in the face of learning challenges.  Our College has focused on maintaining our usual routines as sometimes consistency can be the grounding factor we need when faced with challenges.  I am sure the Easter break will provide an opportunity for all of us to enjoy some downtime.  Easter is a very important season in our Catholic tradition.  The death and resurrection of Jesus are at the core of our faith.  It is a time of reflection and peace.

As mentioned in the previous MacKillop Bulletin we will not be issuing formal Term 1 reports. We have adopted a continuous online feedback model of reporting to indicate your child's progress continuously throughout Term 1.  A separate parent/caregiver letter will be sent home later this week to provide details of the family/student/teacher conferences in the first week of Term 2.  

I would like to conclude Term 1 by acknowledging the exceptional standard of work that is continuing in classrooms.  I would like to thank the MacKillop Catholic College staff for their work with students throughout the term to ensure that our young people strive for excellence.  We look forward to Term 2 with many continued opportunities for our young people to continue to grow.

Yours in Christ
Lorraine Wolffe
Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching; Staff Development

Catholic Identity and Mission

Holy Week is the most sacred time in the Liturgical Calendar where Catholics commemorate Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. It comes at the end of the Season of Lent where we are asked to reflect on our lives and make our own sacrifices in terms of prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Jesus demonstrated for us the ultimate example of sacrifice and he challenges us, 2000 years later, to put ourselves last in favour of the least of our brothers and sisters.

On Holy Thursday, the College will gather in House groups in Period 1 to participate in the Holy Week Liturgy. House Captains and other Year 10 students will lead the ceremony by proclaiming the readings and prayers. Students will then watch a pre-recorded re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross performed by Dance, Drama and Music students. The liturgy will end with a pre-recorded reflection by our Campus Minister, Daniel de la Motte, following on from his thoughts at the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

I wish everyone in our College Community a joyful Easter as we journey towards the great celebration of the resurrection of our Lord on Sunday.

Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing

Caring for our students

Vaping / E-Cigarettes

The use of E-Cigarette or ‘Vaping’ has significantly increased over the past few years. Originally designed to help support smokers ‘kick the habit.’ They have now become a popular item for many young people especially through their glorification on social media and through targeted advertising.

At MacKillop Catholic College, each student undertook a specialist presentation in Personal Development Education class, highlighting the risks, what is actually in an e-cigarette and the short/long term effects on their wellbeing.

Due to these items being relatively new, longitudinal studies regarding their impacts is still uncertain.  A recent article in the Herald Sun stated:

‘The bottom line is e-cigarettes do have harms and they are particularly harmful to non-smokers and to young people. There is evidence that they cause addiction, seizures, poisoning, lung injury, and trauma and burns.'

They increase blood pressure and heart rate and they do have adverse effects on lung functioning.

The government report found more than two million Australians had used e-cigarettes, which contain up to 243 different chemicals and release vapor that is also a potential danger to non-users.’

We continue to try and educate our young people to make positive choices for their wellbeing and encourage families to also have an open discussion about the risks associated.

Aaron Davey
Director of Pastoral Care

Teaching and Learning @ MCK

Design Technology

Students are well underway with their practical projects in Design Technology. Here, the Year 8s are creating their own toolbox. Students in Year 8 have also completed activities on technical drawing this term and completed training on relevant equipment and safety through OnGuard.   A great start to the year. 

Phillipa Coward
Learning Leader - Technologies

Mathematics

All things Maths in March and a MKC Maths' Record is broken.

A significant day in our Mathematical world occurs in March.

Yes, it was the 14 of March. Here in Australia, it is written as 14.3, but for some of our northern hemisphere neighbours it is written as 3.14 and known as Pi Day. This is the annual celebration of the mathematical constant Pi, and 3.14 is the first three significant digits of Pi.

Each year we celebrate Pi at MKC with a Pi Battle Day, where students challenge themselves to recite as many digits of Pi. This year the battle day was delayed by a week to Week 7 to accommodate the Year 7 students.

Our MKC Pi champion for 2022 is Elliott Stee (Year 9) who managed to recite a magnificent 430 digits of Pi.

Well done to all participants who managed to say more than 20 digits and hence earnt themselves an edible pi or two from the canteen.

A new interest group has formed during lunch breaks on Thursdays. The ‘Squadrilaterals’ is an initiative of Ms Reeves and provides an opportunity for students to challenge themselves at various problems and quizzes. This will be the platform to excite, encourage and engage students in the various mathematical events which happen during the year. Please check the notices on Seqta for further details.

Sandra Doyle
Learning Leader - Mathematics

From the Uniform Shop

EASTER HOLIDAYS TRADING HOURS  

15th April - 25th April CLOSED
Tuesday 26th Apirl -  11am - 5.30pm
Saturday 30^th April - 9am - 12pm

Resume trading hours as normal Term 2 2022