MacKillop Bulletin - Term 2, Week 2, 2022

From the Principal

Not quite the end to week one that we had planned…

While we were able to make the call earlier in the week that Friday’s expected weather would not allow us to run that College Cross Country as scheduled, the extreme weather we experienced last week far exceeded what was predicted.

Road closures, local power outages, restricted and delayed transport, water saturation and washouts across the school grounds all contributed to the decision to restrict access last Friday to only those students and staff who needed to be onsite.  I would like to acknowledge and thank all our parents and caregivers who supported our decision to reduce site access out of our need to keep everyone who was present safe.

I would also like to thank the members of the College Executive, our Grounds and Maintenance Team and our cleaning contractors whose combined efforts and commitment, including work done over the weekend, ensured that the school was fully open and ready for learning this week. A huge effort by all concerned!

Once again, calm and controlled thinking and actions of the MacKillop Catholic College staff ensured that we finish the end of an eventful first week safely. Whether it be in response to student safety needs, the reimagining or cancellation of whole school events or their combined efforts to deal with the outcomes of last Friday’s weather event, the entire community has benefited from the commitment and collective capacity of the MacKillop staff.  How fortunate and blessed we all are to be a part of the MacKillop community!

Edmund Rice Feast Day

Our dual charisms are core in informing all that we do here at MacKillop Catholic College.  The stories and actions of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Blessed Edmund Rice are critical touchstones and points of reflection for all members of the College community.

Last week’s House-based gatherings to reflect on the life of Blessed Edmund and how his legacy has, and will continue to, form the staff and students of MacKillop Catholic College were an important reminder of this.  Many thanks to the College’s Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry, Mr Lachlan Marsh, for the work he did in preparing the Edmund Rice Feast Day presentation and reflection.

At a time when we acknowledged and celebrated the life of Blessed Edmund Rice, we pray:

Loving God,

When we look through our window with hope, we are responding with love – give us the courage to take your light to the world.

Loving God,

We walk by faith, not by sight. Grant us the light of faith that, as Edmund Rice did, we too may be examples of generosity and endurance.

Loving God,

Open our hearts to your mercy so that we may be examples of forgiveness, patience and love to all those we meet just as Edmund was to the boys he met on the streets of Waterford.

Loving God,

You gently call each one of us to choose the right path. May we be the person of Edmund Rice who finds the good and joyful in each day and rejoices in helping others to do the same.

Unite us in our desire to continue the traditions of Blessed Edmund.    Amen

Thank you for keeping Blessed Edmund’s vision alive today for the benefit of all our young people, especially during these challenging times.

Regards

Stephen Hill
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Student Achievements 

Lachlan Jones (Year 7, Rice House)

Lachie recently completed his Open Water Diving Certification. This certification involved 20 hours of study and four dives on which he was assessed, including a dive to a depth of 18 metres! Age 12 is the minimum age to complethis diving certification.  It is clear that Lachie has demonstrated both persistence and grit in achieving this certification at such a young age.  Well done, Lachie.  

Ben Sargent (Year 10, Penola House)

Ben Sargent recently competed at the U/15 National Hockey championships in Newcastle.  The team finished 8th out of 12 competing teams - a formidable effort for Tassie.  Congratulations, Ben!

Ben Hyland (Year 9, Rice House)

Ben has had a huge passion for aviation for many years and last year began his journey to achieve his Recreational Pilots Licence.  A few weeks back, after about 13 hours with his flight trainer, Ben took to the skies and flew completely on his own!  Ben has plans to become a commercial pilot for Virgin Australia - he is certainly now well on his way toward that goal!  An amazing effort, Ben!

Student representation in State Waterpolo team 

Carolyn Townsend (Year 8, Rice House)

Carolyn Townsend Year 8, Rice House, recently competed in the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane, which was the largest water polo competition in the southern hemisphere with over 600 games played over five days.  The competition was open for clubs to compete in, with Tasmania sending a combined clubs Tasmanian team.  Carolyn competed as a member of the 14 and under team.  The team performed very well defensively against stronger teams and improved as the competition went on.  Despite COVID causing some team members to withdraw during the competition, Caroline and her team members had an amazing experience together.  Well done, Carolyn!  

Congratulations to Year 10 student Hamish Paynter of Sion 4 and Year 8 Student Liam Barnett of Fitzroy 4 upon being selected to represent Tasmania at the 2022 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane held over the Easter break.  These students helped Tassie to achieve an impressive fourth place.  We did feature Liam in our previous bulletin and we welcome recognition of Hamish's achievements also.  Well done!  

*We welcome the opportunity to celebrate our students who are excelling in all areas of endeavour. We encourage parents and caregivers to let us know if their child/children have been involved in activities outside the College which we can acknowledge.  Please email enquiries@mackillop.tas.edu.au.

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:

Passenger Conduct Code for School Bus Services

A reminder that our students are expected to comply with the newly enacted Passenger Code of Conduct for School Bus Services.  If you are interested in reading further please follow this link: 

Electronic School Speed Limit Signs Replacement Changes 

The Department of State Growth recently advised the College that they will be starting work to replace the Electronic School Speed Limit Signs near MacKillop Catholic College from May 2, 2022.

The Department will be carrying out this work between 7.00a.m. and 5.00p.m. from Monday to Friday, however during school terms, work will stop during peak drop off and pickup times -  8.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and 2.30p.m. and 3.30p.m.  

The Department advises that there will be temporary traffic changes at some school locations to ensure the safety of workers and road users.  Lane closures and a reduced speed limit may be in place during work hours and affect travel time.  Please keep to speed limits and follow the directions of traffic controllers and signs.  

Any questions in relation to this matter can be directed to Peter Thompson, Project Manager on 0448 982 307 or info@stategrowth.tas.gov.au

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

From the Deputy Principal

Term 2 begins....

We have enjoyed welcoming back our MacKillop students after a well-deserved break.  It is always exciting for teachers and students to begin a new term, share holiday stories and to reconnect.  This is an important part of feeling safe and secure as we begin to re-engage with our teaching and learning.

A glance at the College calendar will confirm for you that the term will have many opportunities for students to be involved in both curricular and extracurricular activities.  Our emphasis this term is on mastering those necessary organisation and time management skills that are so often the key to improving our overall results. We want our students to achieve their full potential.  An important way to do this is to improve the use of our Student Planner.  It is an essential tool for students to record their homework, assignments and general organisation.  Students are asked to have their Student Planner with them every lesson.  We ask our parents to also take time to look at their child's Student Planner to see how well they are engaging with it.

NAPLAN 

The 2022 NAPLAN assessments begin this week for our Year 7 and Year 9 students.  All we ask of you in the lead-up to tomorrow is that you express to your son or daughter the need to take these opportunities seriously and to do their very best. We use this literacy and numeracy data, in addition to other data, to plan our educational programs at the school level and to deliver differentiated instruction at the relevant student level so it is important that this point in time data is an accurate reflection of each student's skill set at the time of these assessments.

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

Catholic Identity and Mission

Last week, we celebrated the Feast of Edmund Rice, Founder of the Presentation and Christian Brothers. Brother Rice was born in Callan, Ireland in 1762 to a relatively wealthy family. While working in his uncle's shipping supplies business in Waterford, he became aware of the poverty and lack of education of the city’s children. When he inherited his uncle’s business he sold much of his wealth in order to begin educating these children. His first school was called Mt Sion which still exists today. In the early 1800s, Edmund’s Christian Brothers began to travel the world setting up schools, including in Australia.

MacKillop Catholic College’s connection with the brothers began at its founding in 1994 with the appointment of Br Tony Smith as Principal and later with the appointment of Br Shane Lavery as Deputy Principal. We continue to live out the Charism of Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers by seeing a need and taking action. 

Please find below a report on recent and upcoming events by our Youth Minister, Charlotte Davies.

Lachlan Marsh
Director of Catholic Identity and Ministry

Hello MacKillop Catholic College Community,

Welcome back from the MacKillop College Ministry Team. We hope all our school community enjoyed the Easter holiday.

In the Liturgical Calendar, the month of May has a strong association with Mary, Mother of God.  It is also the month when Mother's Day is celebrated. We extend thanks and gratitude to all the mothers and women in our community who spread love, support and nurture those who make up MacKillop Catholic College.

Edmund Rice Camp Term One

Twelve of our Year 10 Students stepped outside their comfort zones last term and straight into the deep end on Friday the 1st of April. They participated in an overnight Head 2 Heart programme run by Edmund Rice Camps, filled with fun and beneficial life skill experiences. The camp consisted of our students buddying up with a younger person, whom they would help, be attentive to and assist them in enjoying their Zoo themed camp experience. The MKC students participated with considerate spirit, displaying versatility, connection and leadership all in the span of a ten-hour-long camp.  Mr de la Motte, Mr O’Leary and I'm sure the rest of the college would join me in congratulating these students and communicating how proud we are of them. We extend our thanks to the Edmund Rice Camp staff for organising this event and for giving the opportunity for our students to grow and display their unknown strengths.

Coming Up - TERM 2

Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice - In Week 1, we celebrated the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice with House Liturgies on Thursday the 5th of May. Blessed Edmund Rice founded the Christian Brothers who with the Sisters of St Joseph, founded MacKillop College in 1994.

You can watch our Edmund Rice Feast Day reflection by following this link:

Year 10 Spirituality Retreat - These retreats will be held at Blundstone Arena and run by adventurer and Public Speaker, Sam Clear on the 13th (Sion, Ten, Wat) and 19th (Fitz, Pen, Rice) of May. Families of Year 10 students should have received detailed information via Consent2Go.

You can learn more about Sam’s story by following this link:

Year 7 Spirituality Retreat - The Year 7 Retreats will be facilitated by the MacKillop College Ministry Team at Blundstone Arena and will be held on the 23rd (T & S classes C, E, F), 24th (T&S Classes A & B) and 25th (T&S Classes D & G) of May.

Thank you!

Charlotte Davies
Trainee Youth Minister

Teaching and Learning @ MCK

Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Competition

On Thursday 5th May, twelve students across all year groups participated in the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Competition. This one-hour problem-solving competition is designed to encourage student curiosity and promote multiple modes of thinking. Although the results are not immediately available, the experience was both enjoyable and challenging for those involved.  Of particular interest was the challenge of identifying patterns, using trial and error, and algorithmic thinking to find solutions. 

If this type of competition interests you, keep a lookout on Seqta for entries in the upcoming Australian Mathematics Competition held early in Term 3, or join the Squadrilaterals on Thursday lunch for more Maths fun.

Learning Extension News

High ability students at MacKillop are supported both in and out of the classroom. Here are some of the co-curricular extension opportunities happening in Term 2.

It is Debating season, with 3 teams from MacKillop travelling to various schools each Wednesday afternoon from Week 3.

As part of the Kaleidoscope Program, sessions are happening every Wednesday after school for students of high ability in Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS). The students are learning about juvenile crime and punishment from a variety of HASS teachers and will travel to Port Arthur Historic Site.

N5 Japanese Extension continues every Monday after school for students aiming to sit the Japanese Language Proficiency Test at Level 5. This term’s Week 10 event will be a J-Drama called “Good Morning Call”. It is on Netflix and is recommended by our Japanese team for fun family viewing.

Four MacKillop students competed in the Rostrum Voice of Youth Competition on Saturday 7^th May. They wrote original 6-minute speeches and delivered them to an audience at The Friends School. 

The Senior Ethics Olympiad Team represented MacKillop as “ethletes” on May 6th. Mr Cameron Quinn will soon be working with Year 7-9 students to prepare for the Junior Ethics Olympiad in November.

Some of the content for Term 3 Spirit magazine will again be produced by students wanting to extend their writing and interviewing skills.

Squadrilaterals are a group of multiyear level students who love maths. The team meets regularly on Thursdays during lunch in K5 to interact with mathematical applications and be with like-minded peers. This term the students will participate in the Australian Maths Challenge and the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Competition run by the Australian Maths Trust. Mrs Rachel Reeves will also be working with the group to create something for Ember Festival.

Congratulations to Katelyn Johnson - State Finalist - 2022 Rostrum Voice of Youth

We would like to congratulate Katelyn for winning her way through to the State Final of Rostrum Voice of Youth to be held in Launceston on Saturday June 25th.  Katelyn (Year 10) was competing against Year 11 and 12 students.  Congratulations Katelyn and all the very best for the State Final.

Career News

You may remember that I have referenced in earlier communications the need to embrace change. I have reflected upon this need myself in recent weeks. My decision to pursue a career in education was made at a ‘different’ time in the world:

• Teachers did not have computers when I began; if I was organised, I could place work in a tray for the typist to convert for me, but this had to be ready 2-3 days in advance and written so neatly to ensure it could be read
• Photocopiers were black and white only, double-sided copying was ‘sketchy’, and don’t get me started on automatic staplers. I even remember using a gestener! This was a duplicating machine that ran on copious amounts of methylated spirits

• Blackboards and chalk were the standard
• Lessons were about books and lectures
• Hours were spent in libraries poring through books for the most relevant information
• The only web was in the back of a cupboard where spiders lived
• Google was a number
• Macs were trucks, and
• Books were … books!
  

When I explore Job Outlook, it is clear that what hasn’t changed, however, is that students are the focus of all we do. The French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was quite prophetic when he said, “… plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” (the more things change, the more they remain the same).

In Weeks 2 and 3, our Year 10 students will be participating in numerous career-based activities as part of Careers and Transition Week including Work Experience, designed to guide them in their journey to senior secondary education and the world of work. The next publication will showcase many of these activities.

And finally, here is another piece of advice from a staff member. Remember, we were also young once!

Nina Dobie
Program Leader - Careers and Pathways Leader