Semester is a German word, but is derived from the Latin; 'sex mensis' which means six months.

I offer this mainly to state happily that we have fit an awful lot into the first semester, and I cannot believe that we are already half way through the year. Sticking with etymology - the origin of the word 'College' is collegium - which broadly translated is 'to work together in partnership'. I find that definition really heartening.

I was speaking to a parent at the Junior Athletics Carnival on Tuesday about how fantastic our students are in their conduct, teamwork and general attitude. They do model a really pleasing team spirit almost all of the time. It is evident in classrooms, in the playground and in their more relaxed interactions. As pointed out by the Chairs of the Parent Partnership Forum in this newsletter, the positive environment the children create starts with their parents as their first educators and is helped along by the teachers who - as partners in education - support learning. I have been really pleased with how that partnership is evolving this year.

I had the opportunity this week to address our Year 10 students on their Career's Retreat. We initiated this activity in 2019, with a view to expanding the horizons of our students and to aligning their senior subject choices to the different, exciting pathways that are on offer. My vision is that they feel - all of them - that they have strong agency in their decisions. I spoke to them of a vocation - a calling - and the fact that this is no longer considered about Holy Orders or a sacramental life. Rather, I want them to feel called to a career, in a way that enables them to be authentically fulfilled. Really, it is our goal for all of our young people; that they are formed to make an amazing contribution to their world.

Please let me thank you for all of the ways you have supported us at the College. We have had a wonderful semester full of positive things. With more Covid restrictions relaxing I am looking forward to more activities at the College and more chances to interact with families on site. Thank you so much for your patience whilst we have dealt with that.

I hope you have a safe and restful break.

Chris Gabbett
College Principal

Hello Mary MacKillop Community! How are you? Have you survived the term? Wow, its been a busy one. We have so much to celebrate!

Happy Holidays

Congratulations to all our College staff, teachers and students for their efforts this past term. It has been a very busy term, with huge amounts of learning and extra-curricular activities happening. You are all very worthy of a restful holiday. We hope you can take the time to celebrate all your successes, big and small. We thank you for all that you have done!

The PPF meeting went well on June 15. We covered many aspects and celebrated achievements all around the College based on our Annual Action Plan. It was a great roll up and lovely to see everyone. Our goal is that everyone has a voice. We are seeking parent involvement and investment to help create a collaborative group that achieves the very best for our children. To best do this we seek to work alongside the College staff and create a great partnership.

We discussed how vital it is to accentuate the word ‘Partnership’ in Parent Partnership Forum. Parents have an important role in adding value and support to the educational professionals who are best placed within the college to know and understand our children, which is often in a different light to parents.

It is an important relationship. Parents are called to trust the educators who have the professional knowledge of being able to teach the whole child. Likewise, educators are called to be open to listen to the concerns of parents who have the primary responsibility of care for their children. The partnership is not always perfect, however there is equity in supporting each child to grow and reach their potential.

Team Updates:

Teaching and Learning

Our team has had two productive meetings where we were all eager to discuss the great initiatives and ideas for teaching and learning across the college. Fortunately, both the Junior and Senior School Assistant Principals for Teaching & Learning attend our meetings which provides a wonderful opportunity to channel communication from the college to the parent group. Likewise, it a chance to share parent feedback to two integral members of the college’s Executive Leadership Team.

The team has been looking into priority areas based on the latest qualitative survey seeking ways to improve teaching and learning across the college. Catering to high potential learners was one area of interest for those who participated in the survey.

Already, there have been discussions on ways to engage learners with opportunities in and out of the classroom. These could be in the form of enrichment and extension opportunities for all students. Each of the learning areas in the senior school are already offering several opportunities to engage high potential learners so look out for future communication on these and other wonderful initiatives to engage our children in their learning.

Mission and Identity

In the Mission and Identity space please keep 6:00pm, Saturday, 7 August free to celebrate with us at the new look, student led, Parish Mass. This mass will be a celebration of Saint Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day and we look forward to this celebration together as a school and parish community.

In other news, a group of students from Year 7 to 12 will be attending the Ignite Conference during the September School holidays. If you wish to be part of this group please email Paula O’Rourke : Paula.ORourke@twb.catholic.edu.au so that bookings can be made. We also wish Kim McCosker all the very best for her new move. Best wishes and good luck!

Wellbeing

As for the wellbeing team, we have been lucky enough to meet with the College’s incredible Assistant Principals and Guidance Officers and big things are in the works for the second half of 2021 and beyond! We are working hard on focusing not only on student well being at our College, but that of the staff and of our families. We look forward to fostering increased connections between staff, students, families, wider community and our Parish as we move through this year.

Resources

Over the last few weeks, the resources group have been heavily focusing on reviewing options for our 2022 Schedule of Fees. Perhaps not a very glamorous task but an important one to all at the college. We are seeking out different fee options to bring to the PPF committee. Stay tuned; we hope this will give increased value for money to all and assists the College to grow.

Following this activity, we will focus on the College Master Plan looking at opportunities to develop appropriate buildings and resources that support staff and students. A real priority is enhancing our grounds.

Grant Writing Assistance

We have many more projects that we are looking to work on at MMCC. To help these projects come to fruition, we are looking at applying for some grants. Do you have experience with grant writing? We are looking to form a Grant Writing Committee and welcome those who have grant writing experience to work alongside PPF members and College staff, in completing and submitting grants for the College’s benefit. If you are interested, or know someone who could help, please contact the PPF at higppf@twb.catholic.edu.au

MMCC Community Group

The first Senior School parent social function was held simultaneously with the Senior School disco with about 30 of us gathering for a great meal and couple of beers at the tavern while the kids danced the night away at the disco. Thanks to Theresa Sheath and Brooke Garrels for organising a fun night. Kate Hughes and Kim Ryan also organised a Year 1 parents lunch at the Danish Flower Art cafe following the Dr Seuss day. We are in the process of developing parent social groups across the College, so watch this space. If you are wanting to be involved please contact Tim on 0429 309 265 or email: timford@feedcentral.com.au

Relationships

The team is building momentum, creating industry links and partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce, USQ and potentially ABC, whilst looking to engage with the parent body. The team wants to develop an “interests” database of the Parent body with the idea to bring Parents into the College and engage those parents that might not otherwise be engaged. This is an exciting prospect for the College and Students, and would gain first hand knowledge from our Parents in a real-life situation.

Josephite Colloquium

A big thank you to Leisa Radley - Director of Formation and College Culture for coming along to the recent June PPF Meeting and presenting and discussing her recent trip to Sydney where Leisa Radley and Tamara Niemeyer attended the Josephite Colloquium at Mary MacKillop place. It was lovely to hear from Leisa and the stories about Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods. What a great way to learn about the history of Mary MacKillop.  Leisa spoke of what the College will implement for all students from P to 12 to be fully engaged in the Josephite narrative. Leisa also works alongside Paula O'Rourke - Assistant Principal Religious Education on this delivery of Mary MacKillop's vision. This was a lovely story to hear and what an honour and privilege for Leisa and Tamara to attend as delegates of MMCC. Thank you once again.

Arts in the Park

Huge congratulations to Mrs Jessica Burke, Mrs Natalie Rawle and all College staff, and of course, the stars of the show, our students, for the amazing Arts in the Park event held last Friday evening. It was a wonderful evening, celebrating the amazing talent of our children! We are so impressed with how dedicated our students are, and the very high-level standard of performers we have within our College community. It was great to see families back on site and enjoying these events.

MMCC has a bus!!

Have you seen it? You can’t miss it! Congratulations to the College on the MMCC bus.

It was such a great sight to see it driving into the College with the Drum line in front; Mr Naiker on the PA raising spirits as it entered the College grounds. This will bring so much joy to the College and enable our students to be transported to many external events.  Thank you also to Father Brian for blessing the bus.  

Coffee Anyone?

The College Cafe is a great place to meet with College staff and other parents, and to observe early morning College activities.  The Executive Leadership Team are there after Mass every Tuesday at 8.00am. Everyone is welcome!

Tuesday morning Mass

Please come along to Mass every Tuesday morning in Penola 6. Mass with Father Brian will start at 7.30am. This is a great time to meet staff, parents, to pray and reflect for the upcoming day. This may be a good opportunity for you if you cannot make weekend mass. Please note there is no Mass during the school holidays.

Thank you thus far to all PPF members for their contributions and making time to attend team meetings and all other events.

Our next PPF meeting will be on Tuesday, 20 July at 5.30pm in Penola 6 in the Senior College. All parents are invited and welcome to attend. If you have anything you wish to raise or discuss, please feel free to email higppf@twb.catholic.edu.au and we will endeavour to reply as soon as possible.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday with your family. We look forward to seeing everyone next term!

Shayne Cleary and Rowena Voll
PPF Co-Chairs.

Upcoming Meetings:

Tuesday, 20 July 5.30pm

You will, I hope have seen our new College bus. We have indeed started small (it is only a 35 seater) but it will have a really transformative impact upon our ability to offer extra-curricular opportunities to all of our students. We have had it wrapped in brand new photos so there will be no doubt who we are as we drive around Toowoomba and South East QLD.

This is a big deal for us as a College. We do serve our Highfields community but we have much broader horizons towards Toowoomba, the wider Downs and the South East corner. Toowoomba has a really rich schooling tradition and we see ourselves as a part of that. As we grow we will have the resources of many of the longer-established schools. That starts with things like this bus – it is the next step in our growth.

It is important to me that our students start to see these types of resources being purchased for them. The link below will take you to photos of our 'Bus Bonanza' - when we welcomed the bus onto the site.

Mary MacKillop Catholic College will be further developing the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander strategy in Term 3 and 4. This is in line with the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and Toowoomba Catholic Schools strategy.

This strategy has seven priority areas. These are:

1. Leadership, quality teaching and workforce development
2. Culture and identity
3. Partnerships
4. Attendance
5. Transition points including pathways to post-school options
6. School and child readiness
7. Literacy and numeracy

The strategy, once refined, will be a publicly available document that will be used to monitor the outcomes for indigenous children in the College. It will be monitored by the Parent Partnership Forum executive.

Miss Maddie Stammers has been teaching in Year 3 Kynoch this term, but commencing next term Maddie will teach Year 1 Eyre, replacing Mrs Kim McCosker. 

This week we interviewed Maddie about her time here at Mary Mac, so lets see what she says!

Primary School: Mary MacKillop Catholic College, Highfields

Secondary School: St Ursula's till the end of Year 9, then Downlands College from Year 10 to Year 12.

How have you found working alongside staff who taught you?

At first it seemed rather funny as I didn’t know whether to call my previous teachers by their surname or first name. However, to come full circle is pretty amazing. I am grateful to be working at the same school that I attended, particularly as Mary MacKillop played an instrumental role in my love for learning.

What do you like about working at Mary MacKillop?

I would have to say the best part about working at Mary MacKillop is the strong sense of community and positive relationships, which are evident across the school. I am very lucky to be working alongside the people I do as they have all been incredibly welcoming and supportive.

What are your hobbies/Interests?

I have loved sport from an early age, particularly swimming, athletics and running. This has definitely contributed towards my approach in embracing an active lifestyle. I also enjoy anything where I can express my creative side, whether that be cooking, drawing, photography or some type of craft activity.

Other interesting facts about yourself?

I love travelling! In fact, I have been lucky enough to visit over 20 countries thus far. There is something very special about being able to immerse yourself in different cultures and appreciate all the different perspectives. I cannot wait to continue my overseas travel, as there is still quite a lot of countries on my bucket list.

Stay tuned each fortnight for a new staff profile!

In exciting news, the College will be launching our NEW Parent Portal early in Term 3. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming weeks as we get this underway!

The College Administration office will be staffed from 9:00am to 3:00pm over the school holidays. You can contact the office on 4698 7777 during these hours.

Junior School Reports can also be picked up from the College Administration during this time, if your child is absent from school on Friday, 25 June. Alternatively, they will be handed out to students in Term 3.

Senior School Reports will be emailed to parents as in the previous year.

Don't forget we have a cupboard full of good quality second hand uniforms for both Junior and Senior students. If you are looking for any uniform items please come and help yourself.

"When you get what you want, that is God's direction. When you don't get what you want it is God's protection." (www.idlehearts.com)

The word direction has many meanings depending on how it is used. It may be giving directions to a location. It could be 'my life is going in a certain direction'. Some of these directions we are able to control, others not. But ultimately direction generally means a process of travel or journey.

This week Year 12 students journeyed through compass directions as part of their retreat. This focus on the compass directions uses indigenous spirituality to reflect on themselves and their relationships with others. This process of reflection has allowed students to also experience mental toughness through challenge, confidence, control and commitment.

The students started in the East at Tabletop Mountain to complete this challenging hike to the top and back. During this challenge, these Year 12's were asked to let go of things that have been worrying them, things out of their control as well as issues that are in the past, all while being physically challenged with the hike. It was very exciting to see everyone complete the challenging hike to the top and back. "I really enjoyed the challenge of walking to the top" was some feedback from the students.

Next we travelled South to the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens at USQ. These gardens have been designed by the indigenous custodians of this land, Jarowair People, to connect, interconnect and reconnect. Joshua Waters from Baayangali Cultural Education worked with the students to help them understand their connection to this point in time through their ancestry and storytelling. Through sand play students were able to connect with their ancestry and talk about who they are now. The mental toughness focus here was confidence. Confidence in who you are and where you have come from, knowing yourself!

Day 2 was spent at Crows Nest Falls in the West and North directions. West is about water. Water allows buoyance, adaptability, flexibility, fluidity. It terms of mental toughness it is about taking control. The students were given time to reflect on the story of the lotus flower and how it emerges from the depths of the water to then fold a paper flower which was placed on the water to open. Here students were asked to think about what makes them happy and how can they control this.

The last part of the day is about the North direction. This focuses on lift off, moving forward, commitment. Through a coaching session, students wrote a GROW goal (Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward) around what they are going to commit to for the rest of the year. The retreat finished with a commitment liturgy and walk to the Crows Nest Falls.

As the holidays begin, may you find some exciting activities that could encompass some of these directions and places.

The first week back will be NAIDOC Week celebrations. Peter Mulcahy will be here to work with each year level on Tuesday and Wednesday and then we will have a whole school liturgy on the Friday morning.

Next term is also Catholic Education Week, Mary MacKillop Feast day and Youth Mass. Look out for more information regarding this.

So remember - "When you get what you want that is God's direction. When you don't get what you want it is God's protection." (www.idlehearts.com)

Happy holidays!

Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Religious Education

On Wednesday, 16 June, Tony and Judy from Tony's Community Kitchen visited Mary MacKillop to collect our donated blankets and jackets. We were able to provide them with hundreds of blankets and a variety of warm clothing, which they will offer to their regular patrons. Given the chilly Toowoomba nights, your generous donations will be gratefully received.

Thank you to all families in our community who supported AMMA's Winter Blanket and Jacket Drive this year.

First Communion Mass will be celebrated at 9:00am on two separate Sundays.

Please pray for the following students as they prepare for the Sacrament of First Communion on the following dates:

Sunday, 25 July

• Elke Adamski
• Nash Adamski
• Darbi Argus
• Joseph Brosnan
• Ava Franzmann
• Logan Haslem
• Kaley Jones
• Joseph Kennedy
• Ryan Kruger
• Lexi McCotter
• Olivia McMahon
• William O'Dea
• Reuben Semmems
• Charlie Sheath
• Eliza Skewes
• Charlie Usher
• Deanna Verches
• Emily Wann
• Samantha Wann
• Zoe Ward
• Ashley Williams

Sunday, 1 August

• Nicholas Adams
• Aly Butler
• Patrick Carr
• Kade Dungey
• Edward Erhlich
• Sam Haig
• Cormac Maloney
• Riley Murphy
• Zachary O'Connor
• Abi O'Dea
• Charlotte Oosthuizen
• Imogen Petrie
• Kate Scrivens
• Aidan Smith
• Nicholas Thurston
• Thomas Williams
• Piper York

You are most welcome to join the community to celebrate with these families.

Due to road closure, please note that Mass will not be celebrated at Highfields but instead at St Theresa's Catholic Church, on the corner of Campbell and Curzon Street still at 8:00am, on the following dates:

• Sunday, 27 June
• Sunday, 4 July
• Sunday, 11 July
• Sunday, 22 August

Please use this link to register your attendance

First Communion will be celebrated on 25 July and 1 August at 9am.

Youth Mass will be Saturday, 7 August, at 6:00pm. This mass will be supported by the Mary MacKillop Catholic College students from Cunningham House.

Otherwise, masses will continue to be celebrated in the MacKillop Centre every Sunday at 8:00am.

Wow. What an event!

It was my absolute pleasure and a proud evening for me as Coordinator of the Arts and Student Engagement. To see the results from one semester of hard work from instrumentalists, ensembles, classrooms and student lead groups was an indication of the talent and enthusiasm that we have here at MMCC.

I would like to thank all the parents and families who volunteered and assisted on the night. Without assistance, an event of this calibre is not possible. 

Congratulations to the MMCC Arts staff and students for a fantastic night of performances and showcase.

Jess Burke
Middle Leader

Within the College Annual Action Plan, we have set a target of “95% of students will attain expected level or higher in EVERY Learning Area”. This is quite a high target that we have set ourselves, but I am pleased to share with you that we are meeting this target in nearly every Learning Area and across year levels…. And it’s not the end of the year yet!

NB: The empty cells refer to Learning Areas not covered in Semester 1. They will be taught in Semester 2.

Thank you to the sustained work of classroom teachers and support staff who are working consistently to ensure all students have access to the curriculum and are working to their full potential. College targets can only be met when processes and systems are in place and followed, such as Planning for Personalised Learning, Differentiation, Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. Much of this work is carried out during the Classroom Teacher’s own personal time.

Together as a College Community we should celebrate the success of all students and acknowledge the dedication of our teachers.

Natalie Adler
Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior

Term two has been extremely busy and packed full of memorable moments for our students and teachers. While holidays allow refreshment and relaxation, school time allows many exciting possibilities. This term has seen many of our students living and learning about the world around us via reading and writing.

Many students are currently reading a broad variety of texts.

• The Recruit, by Robert Muchamore is being read by John Condon.
• Shaq Attaq, by Shaquille O’Neal is being read by Jake Butler.
• Marco’s Pendulum, by Thom Madley is being read by Seana Biju.
• Summoner, by Taran Matharu is being read by Kaitlyn Greenhalgh.
• The Darkest Minds, by Alexandra Bracken is being read by Eleisha McInnis
• In the afterlight, by Alexandra Bracken is being read by Remi O’Donoghue.
• Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley is being read by Archie Turner.
• The Mousetrap, by Agatha Christie is soon to be read by Breanna Langley.

A most-notable comment, regarding reading for pleasure, came from one of our keenest readers in Year 8, Paige Clarke: “I have half-finished Murder on the Orient Express and holy moly is it amazing! Any other suggestions for reading?” This comment exemplifies the enjoyment that is typified, through the pastime of reading!

Our latest submissions of assessment material have seen some excellent examples of skilled writing.

Jayden Sunatwanitkul. Year 8. Persuasive speech about the famous novel, The boy in striped Pyjamas.

“Overall, the key themes of friendship and power are effectively displayed throughout this novel and should be valued by the students in Year 8. Fences, represented through the themes can teach us to avoid abusing power and to overcome barriers that divide people. This is shown in the novel – the boys’ friendship is more powerful than the prejudices that separate them. ‘The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas’ is a thrilling book teaching powerful messages about accepting people for who they are rather than judging them. By following these meaningful messages, we can learn not to build barriers but instead break them down. It is an essential novel that is relevant for us today – enforcing its part in the Year 8 curriculum”.

Tom Fagan, Year 9. Speculative fiction composition.

“Waking up, Bailey stood in the middle of a hallway. Bathed in pure white light, he rubbed his crystal-blue eyes, waiting for them to adjust. Smoothing out the creases in his exquisitely patterned three-piece suit, he began to look for a way out, feeling his way around the walls. Cold to the touch, the walls felt smooth, unlike any substance Bailey had ever felt before. Ahead of him, the bright light gradually began to fade into grey, eventually receding to complete blackness. Cautiously, Bailey took a step forward, felt solid ground and walked quickly towards the darkness. As he walked, the wall beside him rose silently, displaying a moving image. Bailey stepped back in awe. Those were his parents... his parents who were murdered when he was ten”.

Bella Stenzell, year 10. Online article related to the novel Jasper Jones.

“Reading novels that explore prejudice, like Jasper Jones, has made me more empathetic, kind, aware, and largely improved my character.

You may think that Australia is the country known for everyone being given a ‘fair go’. If this is true, then why are Australian Indigenous adults seven times more likely to experience racism than their non-Indigenous counterparts? The infectious bite of racism continues to spread through our ‘fair’ communities.

I know what you’re thinking. How can I become better? How can I make this country a fairer and freer place for all?

Luckily, a cure has been found for the disease of prejudice.

That cure is to read”.

Freedom of expression and thought are key aspects of our wonderful country. These examples of student work demonstrate the depth and breadth of personal expression that is continuously encouraged, in English, at our College.

All of our students are now encouraged to relax, refresh and prepare for a new term of reading, writing and personal expression in the fast-approaching term three!

Tim Connolly
Middle Leader - Senior English

Mary MacKillop Catholic College is proud to once again partner with local company integratedSTEM to continue hosting after-school STEM workshops in Term 3!

integratedSTEM's brand new 'Electronics & Wearable Tech' Program will inspire your child to discover the science behind how electricity flows, develop the skills to build electronic circuits and have the opportunity to create their very own wearable costume to take home! 

Key Details

When: Tuesday, Term 3, 3:10pm - 4:10pm

Dates: 27 July (Week 3) - 14 September (Week 10). 8 sessions total.

Where: Mary MacKillop Catholic College - Grevilia classroom

Age: Grade 4 - 6 students Restrictions: Max of 20 students (be quick or miss out!)

Cost: $20 per session (Total: $160)

Registrations will close at the end of Week 2 in Term 3.

All enrolments and payments will be handled by integratedSTEM. They are the primary provider of the workshops. Mary MacKillop is acting as the host school. A staff member from Mary MacKillop will be present at the workshops. In addition to the regular workshop activities, every student that signs up will be given the option to take home the wearable gadget/costume they have designed and assembled (at an additional $40). This is covered as part of the enrolment process (link below).

Jared Nielsen
Middle Leader: Science & Technology

Well done to McCormack House staff and students who facilitated a Senior College Colour Run last Friday, to raise money for the MND and Me Foundation. This foundation supports people and their families living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in Queensland.

There was a wonderful vibe amongst the students who donned their white clothing (despite the chilly weather) and raced through the Senior campus, stopping only for push ups, burpees, Zooper Doopers and to be smashed by colour! I am honestly not sure who had more fun: the students or the teachers who clearly enjoyed throwing coloured powder on Year 7 to 12 students as they passed the four colour stations.

Overall, just under $300 was raised by students who donated a gold coin to the cause and bought Zooper Doopers to quench their thirst.

We can't wait to see what Cunningham House has in store for their service or mission project in Term 3!

Leisa Radley
Director of Formation and College Culture (Years 7 to 12)

Year 10 students at Mary MacKillop Catholic College recently participated in a Careers Retreat and Pathway Showcase over a two-day event at the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office.  

This is the third year the College has held this event.  The aim is to support students in seeing their schooling journey as a pathway to a vocation.   

Principal Chris Gabbett said, ‘We invest heavily as a College in career guidance and planning.  It is important to me that our students develop the skills, learning and attitudes that enable them to discern a meaningful career pathway’.   

This event will assist students and their parents in the upcoming nation wide SET Planning process, a program design to assist in selecting Year 11 and 12 electives and discern their future pathway opportunities. A jam-packed two-day program has been created by the College’s Careers team, including presentations on School Based Apprenticeship options, the QCE and ATAR process, guest presenter, Cr Tim McMahon and Mary MacKillop’s foundation graduates talking on ‘Life after School’. Back by popular demand from the 2020 event, students will hear from local guest speakers on their career journey to where they are today. College Career Support Officer, Christie Richardson says “It’s about ceasing opportunities and knowing that just because you start out on one career pathway when you leave school, doesn’t mean it defines the rest of your life”. 

Students will participate in a group workshop with our resident College Psychologist and Guidance Counsellor to discover their strengths and gifts and use career research tools provided by the Your Pathway Team to determine what pathway their skills could be best suited to. 

Traditionally, these career days are geared towards QCE and ATAR and University course selections. “Now, we look at the whole child, explore pathways for all students from those who are job ready from the time they graduate year 12, to those who want to start an apprenticeship in Year 10, those keen to join the ADF and those securing their entry into university” says College Career Development Practitioner, Jennifer Stevenson.  Careers week has been celebrated across the P-12 College with students in other year levels participating in in-class activities, learning about their skill sets, discovering their parents’ career journey and engaging in a life skills program!  

The two-day event wraps up with a Pathway Showcase, giving students the opportunity to meet and speak to industry professionals. The line-up includes the University of Southern Queensland, Griffith University, Aurora Training, Downs Training Group (DGT), the St Saviour’s College Health Hub, Australian Performing Arts Conservatory and SAE Creative Media Institute Australia. 

During Semester 1, Year 11 Legal Studies students completed a unit of study on criminal law. Throughout this unit, students investigated criminal law foundations, the criminal investigation and trial processes as well as criminal punishment and sentencing. 

On Friday 18 June, these students had the opportunity to experience the law in action during an excursion to the Toowoomba Courthouse. We were able to sit in on the Magistrates Court during a sentencing hearing in which the police prosecutor and defence both presented aggravating and mitigating factors that they wished the magistrate to consider before handing down her sentence. It was a truly valuable experience to witness the complexities involved in criminal sentencing to better understand how the justice system works. 

During the visit and in between cases we were fortunate enough to hear from Magistrate Ryan, the Police Prosecutor and Court Registrar about their insights and experiences working in the justice system. Seeing what we have been learning in class play out in an authentic context was a worthwhile experience for both the students and staff in attendance.

Tamara Niemeyer
Year 11 Legal Studies Teacher

The Your Pathway Team took a group of ten Year 11 and 12 students from the College to Bond University last Monday.

The aim of the day was to find out more about the fascinating study of the human mind. Students were able to meet Bond Universities academics and hear from current students. Some of the sessions throughout the day included: 'Social Psychology and How We Relate to Others', 'Why you Shouldn't Get Married at First Sight' and the Psychology of a Psychopath. Students were given a tour of the campus and participated in a range of activities to help decide if a career in psychology might be for them.

Comments from our students about the day:

“I enjoyed having the opportunity to experience a new area which I find really interesting and meeting new people. I learnt about the many different fields of psychology, and how it could integrate into the area I want to pursue and into everyday life.” - Emma

"The one thing that I would take away from yesterday is that you can change your mind at anytime as I had my mind set on helping people through education but there are many more avenues than just one to achieve your goals and mine is to help people not feel so alone." - Gemma

“The Psychology Experience Day at Bond University on the Gold Coast was so much fun! We were engaged in activities and got to see all of the pathways that psychology links to, including forensic psychology, child psychology, relationship psychology and counselling and the ways that artificial intelligence is now being used within the field. We got to hear from many expert lecturers, as well as students who are currently studying at the university. Overall, I would recommend attending the day even if you aren’t looking at studying psychology—you can see Bond’s beautiful campus!” - Jaymee

"It was an awesome experience, we were set up around all the bond students and could really see what uni life was like for them. We learnt a lot about the degree structure and what it takes to become a psychologist." - Ashlyn

Your Pathway Team
Jennifer Stevenson and Christie Richardson

This term, Year 1 have been learning about Dr Seuss and his ability to use rhyme and peculiar characters to create engaging and entertaining stories. Students started the term with an author study of Theodore Seuss Geisel and went on to read many of his wonderful books. They used their knowledge of rhyme to create their own imaginative rhyming couplets and invented their own character that could belong in a Dr Seuss story. Their work was presented to parents at the annual Dr Seuss Day celebration. Students, parents and teachers dressed up as their favourite Dr Seuss Characters, enjoyed student presentations, yummy food and a Seussical disco.

As part of our current English study, Year 6 students have been reading news reports with a goal of constructing and recording news stories in front of a green screen. From there, students edited their videos to produce newsworthy stories fit for the local news bulletin. 

To support our learning, we were fortunate enough to be treated to an informative show and tell from a local television news journalist. Kathleen O’Connor, local Channel 7 reporter, spoke to students about her role as a journalist, the expectations and demands of her job and the impacts her stories have on the community. She brought her compact, yet powerful camera and demonstrated its usage in capturing stories we see on the news each night. 

Students were lucky enough to use the Channel 7 mic, speaking in front of the camera in mock interviews that could rival local news personality’s stories.

Craig Hubbard
Year 6 Teacher

Throughout Term 2, Year 3 explored Earth’s relationship with the Sun; and how the Sun, Earth and Moon interact. To complete this unit of work a group from Toowoomba Astronomers came to the College on Thursday, 17 June for an evening of star gazing.

The astronomers shared lots of great information with us and we got to experience the night sky through different telescopes. We were able to see the various stars and constellations. We also got to see the surface of the moon. We really enjoyed experiencing this excitement together while consolidating what we learnt throughout the term.

SAVE THE DATE!

We are excited to extend an invitation to all Mary MacKillop parents, Year 11 - 12 students, and College staff to attend a wellbeing event, Monday, 19 July at 5:30pm, for a 6pm start.

We are not immune to challenging times and must be proactive in managing our individual wellbeing first, as we also come together to build the collective wellbeing of the Mary MacKillop Catholic College community. On the night, we will have a LIVIN representative speaking to their mental health experience and why an awareness of where you sit along the mental health continuum at any point in time is important. This presentation normalises fluctuations in mental health and wellbeing, and promotes adaptive coping and social connections to support a state of wellness.

The LIVIN program aims to break the stigma of mental health, enhance self-efficacy (both helping yourself and helping others), and encourage help-seeking. More information is available here.

Further information will follow and you will be asked to register your attendance at the event.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Jasmin Slack-Smith & Khara Saunders
College Guidance Counsellors

Do you have a sweet tooth?

Junior Library is running a Guess the Number of Lollies in the Jar Raffle to raise funds for new furnishings/resources in our Reading Area. First Prize is the amazing lolly jar, with book/game packs for second and third prize. Raffle Tickets are $1 each and available for purchase at the beginning of First Break (Uluru) and Second Break (Billabong.) The Raffle will be drawn at the end of Week 2, Term 3. You've got to be in it to win it!

Premier's Reading Challenge

It is not too late to enter the Challenge - 20 books (P-4) and 15 books (Yr. 5-9) must be read by Friday, 27 August. Holidays are a wonderful time to catch up on reading so please consider entering. Record Forms are available from Junior and Senior libraries.

Returning of Overdue Loans

As the term comes to a close, please encourage students to return their overdue loans and any books that they have finished reading. Students are able to extend loans if they wish to keep a book for a longer period. Overdue Loan emails (from MMCC Library) are sent to parents if overdue books are not returned after several student reminders. Replacement cost for overdue loans are invoiced. Thank you for supporting your children in caring for College resources.

Angela Irvine
Teacher Librarian

It has been a big term in sport at the College and Term 3 promises to be equally busy! The term concluded with our College Athletics Carnivals and there were many stand-out performers across the two days. Probably of more importance, the number of students willing to 'have a go' was outstanding.

We will announce Age Champions and Overall House Winners next term at assembly. Results will also be available. Parents, please keep an eye on your emails during the break as the Primary Schools Catholic Carnival is in Week 1 and I will be sending out invites to those students selected (based on carnival results). We will attempt to run relays and finals for our sprint events next term if scheduling allows.

Congratulations to Kyra (Year 10) and Noah (Year 8) who have had a busy few days umpiring at the QSS Netball and Hockey Championships for 11 and 12-year-old students. As a result of her efforts, Kyra was chosen to represent Queensland Schools Sport as an umpire at the National Championships which is a tremendous honour. Well done Kyra! 

Parents of Year 5 and 6 students should keep an eye on communication regarding Friday Sport. Students have made their selections and we are finalising final activity lists now. We look forward to providing this opportunity to our students.

Brad Griffiths
Middle Leader: Sport and Student Engagement

Instrumental Music Lessons

Enrolment for Term 3 Instrumental Music lessons can be found at the below link. A reminder that unless notified, lessons will automatically transfer over to term 3.

Ensembles

An annual fee of $50 is all that it costs for students to be involved in an MMCC Instrumental Ensemble. This fee covers the purchase of music, photocopying, licensing and entries to events. We do have a policy on attendance so that full potential can be reached. If you would like to know more about our ensembles, please email me. 

• Choir
• Drumline
• Marching Band and Colour Guard
• Junior Guitar Ensemble
• Senior Guitar Ensemble

Mr Morgan Chalmers

This term we sadly farewell Mr Morgan Chalmers who is a well loved Piano Teacher at MMCC. Mr Chalmers has made the decision to return to the classroom and has accepted a position at Fairholme. Mr Chalmers has been a member of our College for a number of years and has been an integral member to its growth and musicianship. We wish him all the best on his new appointment and hope to keep in contact!

Exciting news for Lucy Williams who has been selected into the BPL Under 19s T20 Competition. We wish her the best of luck in this high calibre competition!

Crow's Nest Country Music Festival

Adele Adams recently participated in the Crow's Nest Country Music Festival. Adele initially went for the 'walk ups' on Tuesday afternoon and from then, was asked when she could come back and perform again! The organisers then arranged for her to sing the national anthem as part of the official section on the Saturday and also perform in between the main acts. It was a very supportive crowd and a great opportunity for some stage experience and to work with other backing artists. Congratulations Adele!

Music Achievements- State Honours

We would like to congratulate Adele Adams, Charlotte Voll and Gabrielle Voll for their reserve placements in the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University State Honours Ensemble Program Queensland.

SHEP is for nominated extension level Music students and gives tertiary opportunities to:

• Work in an intensive environment of musical excellence with their peers offering a unique opportunity to extend and develop their musical skills
• Work with a team of eminent conductors from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
• Represent their School AND Community in a Grand Finale Concert
• To be nominated and/or selected as part of Qld’s top Music students’ is an exceptional achievement.

Katherine attended the QLD Schools AFL Competition over the weekend in Cairns. The DD girls fought hard against some amazing teams coming in 7th overall out of 9 teams. Congratulations Katherine on this mighty effort!

Our kids have been utilising their creative brains by enthusiastically decorating our OSHC room with paper chains! The children worked cooperatively together as they linked the different coloured chains together with sticky tape. The children were committed to decorating the whole room and wouldn't settle for just doing one string of paper chain. We can't wait to see what they create next!

Please click on the below links to find out more information about this Picture Show coming to Crows Nest on Friday, 2 July.

This August, Youth Connect is hosting a free series of technical workshops at Empire Theatre to support the careers of young and emerging musicians in the Toowoomba Region.

• Join experienced industry professionals for an exciting, hands-on program
• Gain technical and practical skills in live performance, sound production and lighting
• Learn the art of live production in the region’s premiere performance space.

This masterclass series is open to young people aged 14–30 who live, work or study in the Toowoomba Region.

Workshops

Lighting for Performance

• 10 August 2021
• 5pm - 9pm

Enhancing your sound

• 11 August 2021
• 5pm - 9pm

Live Production

• 14 August 2021
• 10am - 2pm

Places are strictly limited! For more details and to book your spot, please fill in the registration form.