Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

It is difficult right now to turn on any media and not be greeted by stories about Queen Elizabeth II.

What a giant of the twentieth century and beyond! Regardless of any perspective about the monarchy and its relevance, it is hard to not be overwhelmed by her life. A journey characterised by dignity, service, humility and an adherence to real, lived Christian faith. Many of the borderline cliche comments about her are probably true - we will likely never see a Head of State like her.

I had the good fortune last Tuesday to lead a Formation Day for the Diocese of Toowoomba Secondary School Principals Association (DOTSSPA), focussing on the life and witness of Dorothy Day. She was another inspirational woman of the twentieth century. At times of political division and appalling need she never lost sight of the importance of seeing Christ in the person beside you and supporting them - even when that became almost impossible. One of her most famous quotes was a challenge to all in society to feel different and to be the change that would make a difference, 'The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?'. I am often surprised by how little is known of her ministry by even life-long Catholics.

Thank you very much for the way that you have supported our mission this term. Term 3 is famously hard graft for teachers and students. Year 12 students and teachers are gearing up for external exams and tread their way to the mocks. In other areas of the College the momentum of the start of the year has well and truly dampened and we have to keep our energy buzzing in the colder weather and shorter days. The September holidays always come at just the right time!

This term though, so much has occurred to be proud of. The Arts in the Park was again a resounding success, even with a postponement and a relocation. That, combined with Wakakirri, tells us that we are generating a huge footprint with our Arts endeavours. These successes are a real tribute to the energy and focus of Mrs Burke, and the hard work of Mr Chivers, Ms Lauverjon and Mrs Puhakka. We have also had Futsal success, a fantastic run in the local Rugby Union competition, and increased engagement with inter school Chess too. You will also have seen the advertisements for our 2022 musical, Madagascar. There has been a huge amount of work accomplished here by students, Mrs Duncan, Ms Lauverjon and Ms Chalmers. I think it is going to be a tremendous success.

The other good news we have received this term is about our 2022 NAPLAN. Schools do not get many opportunities to benchmark their success, so we look quite hard at NAPLAN patterns to make sure that our teaching is up to standard. I am very proud of our raw scores as they indicate a fantastic picture of good core learning. Huge congratulations to students and their teachers who have supported this.

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and restful mid-semester break. I know that many year 12 students will take part in the Toowoomba Diocese External Examination Preparation Program which Mary MacKillop supports as one of the inaugural and participant Colleges. Aside from that, I hope you all get some down time, can turn off screens, and be with each other.

Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop can be best understood by looking at her ministry through 6 ‘Ps’ as we strive to follow in her footsteps.

She had Passion. It was a deep passion for God and a passion for supporting people made in His image. Out of these, she believed in Possibilities. In her local and wider community, she saw suffering, injustice, struggles and pain and she wanted to alleviate these things. This led her to Practical Action – a willingness to get her hands dirty and to walk alongside those who suffered. In this, she was never alone – she embraced Partnership as a means of securing the Common Good. She did not let differences of faith, opinion or class be a barrier to her mission. She Persevered – facing barriers that were systemic, institutional and at times personal. Lastly, she was immersed in and believed in Prayer as a means towards transformation, and communion with God.

This statement is in our Strategic Plan and more and more we are unpacking what this really means.

This week, during the staff meeting, our staff have looked at each of these 6P's to gain a better understanding of what they are but also where they see and don't see, examples in our College. All teachers have then been challenged to look at one of the 6P's during the beginning of Term 4 with students, where they will also be identifying examples throughout their day.

Just to give you an idea of some of these, here are some of the examples that have been suggested....

Passion

A suggested Mary MacKillop quote that aligns with Passion could be "Be eager in your desires but patient in their accomplishment." MM 1867

Definition - A strong liking or desire for, or devotion to some activity, object or concept OR we strive and desire to drive positive change/vision and love of or thirst for learning.

Characteristics include motivation, innovative, determined, enthusiastic, excited, courage, leadership skills, confident.

Examples of this would be passionate staff about teaching or students about learning; innovative programs like Inspire Maths; extra-curricula activities like musical, sport, art, chess, choir; students committed to learning; use of growth mindset; AMMA group and social justice activities; buddy system.

Some non-examples of this would be disengagement with school and learning; apathy; lethargy; lack of respect; negativity; low expectations; labelling someone as 'not worth it' or 'too hard to handle'.

Perseverance

A suggested Mary MacKillop quote that aligns with Perseverance could be "There is no duty so small that cannot be done well." MM 1873

Definition - Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Characteristics include not giving up, resilience, fortitude, stoicism, tenacity, patience, determination, dedication, stamina, seeking assistance when in need, seeing a task from beginning to end.

Examples of this would be Positive Learning behaviours, PRAXIS, learning pit and growth mindset, using the 5B's to solve problems (Brain, board, book, buddy, boss), student differentiation, service for others, motivation to keep going.

Some non-examples of this would be giving up, deciding its 'too hard', getting distracted, negative self-talk, impatient, sub-standard work, not achieving to potential, refusal to work, not participating.

I have only shared two of the 6P's with you so why not have a conversation with your child about what these two and what it means at home as well. Next term your child may come home talking about the 6P's more, so engage with them about it and see what evolves.

Ultimately, by looking at these 6P's, we are building up an understanding of Mary MacKillop but also we are forming people in a Christ like way just as Mary MacKillop emulated Jesus throughout her life.

Happy holidays and enjoy God in creation at the many, many activities that are available throughout the holidays especially the Carnival of Flowers.

Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Religious Education

It's almost that time again! Yes, holidays are upon us, but I am actually talking about...Socktober!

Just on the other side of the holiday break, on Friday, 21 October (Week 3), Mary MacKillop Catholic College will be once again be participating Catholic Mission's Socktober.

For those who are new to our community this year, or just like to be organised, here is everything you need to know:

What is Catholic Mission's Socktober?

Catholic Mission contributes funding and provides project support to church-run initiatives in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America as well as remote dioceses within Australia.

In Australia, October marks World Mission Month, a celebration of the global work of the Church and the dedication of missionaries as they reach out and support children and communities in need around the world.

Socktober provides our students with the opportunity to enact our mission, encouraging them to think not only of what they will do to help, but why they will do it.

Each year, Catholic Mission selects a country/region of focus. This year, throughout World Mission Month, students across Australia will learn about Ethiopia.

Why Ethiopia?

Although it is a beautiful and deeply historic region, Ethiopia's challenges, including conflict, poverty and famine, have troubled its people for centuries. The growing influence of climate change will only serve to exacerbate these issues, and, as Christians, we are called to act to support children and families in need, to preserve their dignity and to safeguard their future.

How do we participate in Socktober at MMCC?

Each year, our staff and students participate in Socktober in three ways:

We align Catholic Mission's goals for Socktober with our Religion curriculum. Starting in Term 3, Week 9 and continuing until Week 4, Term 4, through Religious Education classes, students have an opportunity to connect their learnings about Ethiopia with what we do to serve the vulnerable at MMCC. Specifically, there is a focus on Catholic Social Teachings such as the Common Good, Subsidiarity, Preferential Option for the Weak and Poor, Stewardship and Dignity of the Human Person.
We stand in solidarity on Socktober Day by participating in soccer skills/shootouts (Junior) and staff versus student futsal games (Senior), and by wearing our bright, crazy or odd socks.
We fundraise for Catholic Mission. On Socktober Day, our Actioning Mary MacKillop Advocacy (AMMA) group holds their annual Socktober sausage sizzle and we ask students who wear bright socks to donate to Catholic Mission as well.

How can I prepare my child for Socktober?

Look out for further Newsletter articles, social media stories and App alerts for more information about Socktober Day on Friday, 21 October. In the meantime, you can prepare your child/ren for this day, by:

having a conversation. You might like to ask your child/ren what they have learned in Religion classes about Ethiopia and Socktober

organising some bright, crazy or odd socks or tights that your child/ren can wear with their regular school uniform on Socktober Day next term.

making a sockball! With all these rainy weekends, you may like to follow Catholic Mission's video, How to make a Sockball and, using socks or recyclable materials, have a go at making a sockball. You might be surprised how well these hold up in a soccer game!

How can I support MMCC's Socktober mission this year?

Early next term, just like last year, we'll send out a Jotform for families fill in. The form will allow you to nominate to purchase a sausage sizzle and also provide the equivalent of a gold coin donation for students wearing coloured socks.

In the meantime, if you would like to donate to our MMCC team, or share our fundraising page, Socktober.org

All fundraising will be split between Catholic Mission and our AMMA group, who use the proceeds to support local charities or the vulnerable within our own community.

Leisa Radley
Director of Formation (7-12)

On Tuesday, 13 September, the students of 2C were very fortunate to receive a visit from local dentist Dr Dane Little.

Year 2 have been learning all about oral health throughout the term. 2C students have participated in experiments on what happens if we don't brush our teeth, how plaque grows and the importance of using toothpaste when we brush.

Dr Little arrived to the classroom with some dentist tools and allowed students to be a dentist for the morning. Each student got to paint and decorate a plaster mould of real teeth. They then put on their masks, protective glasses and used a special tool to drill holes in their plaster teeth! Dr Little then demonstrated how he creates the filling paste, and students used the filling tool to put fillings into their plaster teeth.

The students have also been busy creating posters of their very own Tooth Defenders - the superheroes of Tooth City! They were very proud to be showing Dr Little their posters and explain to him what their Tooth Defender does to protect teeth.

"It was so fun using the drill, then filling it in!" - Tess Ehrlich

"I learnt how to fill in the teeth and how tricky it is" - Ethan Randall

"I thought that doing the drilling and filling was fun. Dr Little told me I could be his dentist because I was so careful doing the filling" - Helena Kennedy

"It was fun because we got to use the drill and it was exciting to show Dad my tooth defender poster" - Patrick Little

Vicki Murphy
2C Classroom Teacher

“Enormous talent”, “unlimited potential”, “astonishing craftsmanship”, these are just some of the comments overheard in conversation at Arts in the Park 2022. Despite the spectre of apocalyptic rain, the event was unstoppable, the change of venue taken in our stride.

127 performing students enthralled the audience ably supported by a dedicated team of 41 additional students involved in backstage setup and installation plus the facilitation of event activities. The success of the event made additionally possible through the Parent Engagement Network and the generosity of volunteering parents.

A tremendously sustained effort from all parties ensured one huge night of entertainment! We unleashed our talents across three stages, featuring the performances of music, dance and speech. A mezanine labyrinth facilitated the exploration of an extensive exhibition of our Visual Art students selected from every year level at the College. Within this - magicians amazed, henna tattoo artists adorned and face painters created new identities all within a packed carnival atmosphere. A pop up jewellery shop additionally showcased and sold the work of an extremely talented group of designers to adoring patrons.

On behalf of Mrs Puhakka, Mr Chivers, the Music staff and myself, we would like to sincerely thank all those who came to be entertained and support what we do here in the MMCC Arts department.

Jess Burke
Middle Leader - The Arts

We wish the best of luck to our most outstanding young musicians who will participate in the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University State Honours Ensemble Program 2022. They will be at the conservatorium in Brisbane from Thursday 29 September – Sunday 2 October and will finish the event with an open concert. Have the best time, we are proud of you!