Next week (26 July to 1 August) is Queensland Catholic Education Week.

The most recent Federal Census highlighted the decline in organised faith in Australia. Although Roman Catholics remain the largest single religious group, the numbers are declining, the average age of those who call themselves Catholic is rapidly increasing, and the number of people in Australia who have no religion (39%) is greater than those who do. Since as recent as the 1990s, the faith profile of our country has changed a lot.

One would expect that a decline in a Catholic population would mean a decline in the number of Catholic schools and of families wanting to attend Catholic schools. Yet, Catholic education is flourishing - and it is flourishing all over Australia. A staggering 1 in 5 students in Australia attends a Catholic school. As many parents will know, at Mary MacKillop we have been compelled this year to have waiting lists in now 3 of our year groups and I anticipate that number extending to 6 next year. Catholic education remains a really popular choice in our community and nationally.

The first Catholic school in Australia was founded when Catholics did not enjoy full and legal rights in the British Empire. We are now at the point where the current Prime Minster's entire education was in Catholic schools. The focus on a robust, high standard education, the dignity of the human person, an aspiration to fullness of life and a message that we should support the weak and vulnerable in our midst is something that many Australians, regardless of their own faith journey, are compelled by.

Why? Well, the Bishops of Australia rightly refer to the Catholic education system as the 'jewel in the crown' of the Catholic Church in Australia. The focus right now on the building of a community of Faith, Hope and Love underpins why. In a time where it is easy to return to our everyday and forget about the life of those around us, the Catholic school asks us to lift up our neighbour.

Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal

We are pleased to announce the name of the new College oval will be Fitzroy Oval.

To celebrate, we would like to invite you to join us for the Grand Opening and Picnic Gala Day. The day will include the blessing of the oval by Most Reverend Bishop Ken Howell, Bishop of Toowoomba, as well as rugby, touch football and soccer matches, good food, drinks and an afternoon of coming together as a community.  

Fitzroy Oval is named in honour of the birthplace of St Mary MacKillop. Born in the family home, ‘Marino Cottage’ in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, on 15 January 1842, Mary spent her childhood and much of her young adult life in Victoria. Life was hard but it was in this house that Mary’s mother, Flora, taught her to believe in the providence of God, in the strong love of family and in the generosity of community. These values, together with a love of music, singing and education gave Mary a heart for others and one dedicated to God.  Some of her adult ministry was spent serving the poor and vulnerable in the slums of Fitzroy at the request of Archbishop Thomas Carr. 

Lunch is on us for this event, so to assist us with catering, please see the below invitation and click here to RSVP by 14 July.  

We look forward to welcoming you to theCollege for this special event. 

Mary MacKillop Catholic College is scheduled for a Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) quadrennial school review from 21 - 24 August 2023.

TCS has a School renewal and improvement framework which has, as a key element, a quadrennial school review. In this review, a review team consisting of senior staff from TCS's Education Services and a peer principal from another school in the Diocese visit the school for three days.

The aim is to assist schools to strategically plan to improve teaching and learning. These reviews occur in all TCS schools.

Through a process of appreciative inquiry, review team members interview staff, parents/carers, students and community members. The questions asked are, 'in your opinion, what is going well at the school?' and 'What could be done better?'.

As a result of the interviews and analysis of data, a report is provided to the school community and the review team share in this report their findings and suggested improvement strategies. These findings and strategies inform the development of the school's strategic and annual action plans.

The review team would like to hear from representatives of our school community and I encourage anyone who is interested to have their say. Your feedback is important.

Feedback can be provided to the review team in person or by telephone. All feedback remains confidential. Please contact the school office (07 4698 7777) if you are interested in speaking to a member of the review team. You may also register your interest by emailing highfields@twb.catholic.edu.au

Take care
Chris Gabbett
Principal

The Australian Government Department of Education (the department) would like to advise all staff,

parents and guardians that it will collect certain information about your school, its staff and student

body as part of the 2023 Non-Government School Census collection (the Census).

We are in the testing phase of a new Point of Sale system. We will be transitioning away from FlexiSchools in a bid to make the purchase of food from the Cafe as affordable as possible to our families and reduce fees. We will communicate again shortly as testing continues so you can use the remainder of your FlexiSchools balances before we discontinue this product.

The Cafe will offer another Hot Dog special on Wednesday, 26 July. We will be taking online orders only. Stay tuned for the College email outlining how to order.

The Cafe is always on the lookout for volunteers. Please contact Parent Engagement Network to register your interest. Your assistance is invaluable to the running of this service for our College families.

Every month, around the 10th, a steady trickle of generosity starts hitting my inbox - the notifications from our order form letting me know that people have put their hand up to donate some sausages, a loaf of bread, a bag of onions, some bacon or biscuits - for the next MMCC-supported Rosies outreach.

Collectively, these individual contributions bring so many blessings to so many people. Your kindness provides the opportunity for our students to volunteer and turn their faith into action, as they help those less fortunate in a very tangible and practical way. It helps the pensioners who attend outreach, that come along as much for a warm chat as for a warm meal. It shows the many Yazidi mothers and children that attend that they are welcome and valued in our community. It assists those who come along because they simply have to, as we provide what may be the only meal they have that day. It lets those young people - the same age as our students, who often come by themselves or with a sibling or cousin - know that they matter, and that they have a place they can turn to for support and a friendly face if they need it. Finally, it doubly benefits the teachers who oversee outreaches, who not only get to experience the fulfilment of volunteering alongside our students, but also get to see the spiritual and personal growth in them as they selflessly, respectfully, and with compassion, serve others.

So thank you, MMCC community, for your ongoing support of our Rosies outreach - we couldn't do it without you!

Rebecca Manners
Teacher

Today marks the final day of the AMMA Winter Appeal. We are immensely grateful to members of our College community who donated to this appeal over the past six weeks.

Our Junior classroom and Pastoral Care baskets are overflowing with generous donations of warm blankets and jackets, bamboo cutlery, serviettes and tinned goods!

Via morning notices, classroom visits and assembly speeches, members of our AMMA group have reminded staff and students in the MMCC community that while we light our fires and crank up our air conditioners during the chilly winter nights, there are hundreds of people in Toowoomba who are experiencing homelessness.

Of course, Mary MacKillop's mission was to seek the vulnerable and serve those on the margins of her community; in our Josephite tradition, we aim to do the same by raising awareness, and taking practical action.

Over the next week, the AMMA group will sort our community's donations and aim to provide these many items to patrons of Tony's Community Kitchen and Op Shop and Rosies–Friends on the Street.

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

Have you ever wondered - Where do I find God? How do I see God?

God is ever present in our world we just need to know where to look and how to listen for him.

Have you ever considered how beautiful the sunset is?

That is where you will see God.

Have you ever cooed over a baby?

That is where you will see God.

Have you ever listened to the rain or a thunderstorm?

That is where we hear God.

Have you ever sat in total silence?

That is when God is present also.

God is present everywhere we just need to be able to recognise him. And we begin to recognise him when we take the time to stop and wonder.

For the past two weeks, I have been using a breathing meditation in my classes to begin the lesson but also for students to stop and listen. To stop and listen for the noises they hear but also for the presence they feel when they stop. The students start with 10 breaths in and out. As they breath they close their eyes so that their sense of hearing is able to really hear the noises or lack of noise. You may like to try this when you have a moment - stopped at the traffic lights, waiting for you child to finish training or in the pick up line.

The Mary MacKillop quote at the beginning is one of my favourites. It was on a card that I once picked out of a deck and it has always stuck with me. Mary MacKillop firmly believed that God was present no matter where she was or what she was doing and so I am reminded that God is always present wherever I am as well.

I was reminded this morning, when I was at Josephite Companions of God's presence in the burning bush story from Exodus 3:1-6. Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock in wilderness when the Lord appeared to him as a voice from a burning bush. When we read this account, I have questions like why did Moses recognise it was God? Wasn't Moses afraid of what he was seeing and hearing? We need to be ready to listen and see God which Moses was. So this piece of scripture invites us to be ready to see and hear God because we may never know exactly when God will speak to us.

But always remember that God is always present and wherever you are God will be also. So as we begin this term, where will you make time to be aware of God's presence?

Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Religious Education

Eucharist is the last of the sacraments people receive to initiate them into the Catholic faith. Eucharist is very special as this is where you receive Jesus in the form of bread and wine - his body and blood - so that you can grow more in the faith journey. You are then like everyone else in the Catholic faith who will continue to receive Jesus in this way for the rest of your life.

We have currently some students preparing for this sacrament. Please continue to pray for them.

First Eucharist will be held on Sunday, 13 August at 9:00am in the MacKillop Centre. You are most welcome to join the Parish is celebrating with the children and their families.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Information about this will be coming out after First Eucharist is celebrated. An email will be sent to all families in our College. In the meantime if you have any questions please let me know.

Paula O'Rourke
APRE & Member of Sacramental Team

Every Sunday, St Mary MacKillop Catholic Parish gathers in the MacKillop Centre to celebrate together.

YOU are invited to be part of this celebration.

Mass starts at 8:00am and is lead by Fr Brian Noonan.

Please remember with the construction site blocking the road to the MacKillop Centre people will need to park and walk to the centre.

A potluck dinner will be held on Saturday, 17 June. Mass will be at 5:00pm followed by dinner at 6:00pm. This dinner will be a chance to catch up with fellow parishioners and enjoy each other's company. This time change is to accommodate the winter evening. Please bring a pot of something to share with others for dinner.

Term 3 for the Your Pathway Team means SET Plans.

This term all year 10 students will complete their SET Plan interview with their families and the staff of MMCC.

Families of year 10 students have been sent information on with is involved in this process, but if you are interested in what a SET Plan is please have a look at the information video that Mrs Stevenson has created.

What is a SET Plan?

Welcome back!

Jennifer Stevenson and Christie Richardson
Your Pathway Team

After a super busy Term 2, our Senior students were off to Perisher for a week at the slopes on an overnight coach. Arriving at the lodge a little tired and weary, they collected all their equipment and snow gear and took to the slopes for lessons in skiing or snowboarding. The resort hosted a range of activities each evening like magic shows and live music which was the perfect chance to catch up and tell stories about the day. 

For many of our senior students, this was there first-time seeing snow, “My favourite part was when the snow was falling on the third day, before then I had not seen snow, it was so surreal at first,” said Year 12 student, Elise. There were many moments during the trip where our students had to test their patience and show support and encouragement to their peers as they tested their balance on the skis and worked together to build their confidence on the slopes.  

This inaugural ski trip gave a lot of our senior students the chance to interact with other students and teachers they ordinarily would not have. Bella, a Year 12 student, spoke about her experience of the trip and said, “It was a chance to become closer with your friends, learn a new skill, see snow for the first time, and explore different parts of Australia.” The trip created an environment where everyone was learning a completely new skill and each person could rely on the group as a team to encourage each other.   

This was the first ski trip for Mary MacKillop Catholic College, by all reports, it won’t be the last!  

In Week 10 of Term 2, the Junior School celebrated Inspirational Week. Each cohort undertook a range of hands-on Mathematics activities throughout the week focusing on skills and mindset, designed to inspire critical and creative thinking.

Some of the activities included: beading and threading linking to patterning, collecting data to create graphs, creating 3D shapes using boxes and chance experiments, solving time problems, creating grid systems and finding area and perimeter.

Students were also given the opportunity to participate in fun, hands on lunch time activities, promoting mathematical thinking.

Kate Carroll 
Year 3-6 Coordinator

It is likely that we have all had an experience where a child or young person close to us has used a phrase or mannerism that has caught you off guard and it felt like you were looking in a mirror! Children and young people have brains which are often described as being like a sponge- absorbing all the information around them as they work to make sense of the world and their place in it.

It is for this reason that our words matter!

Children constantly learn from the adults around them and they way they talk to and about themselves, and to and about others. Children also learn how to conduct themselves, to navigate difficult experiences and to manage their emotions by watching the people around them. Through this, we can unconsciously teach our children to have either a fixed or a growth mindset. This can have a big impact on their emotional wellbeing, including their self-esteem.

A fixed mindset is “the belief that intelligence is static and cannot be changed” (Mindset Works, 2017) and can eventuate in children or young people who find it hard to persist when a task is hard due to negative thoughts about themselves and their ability. Alternately, a growth mindset is the belief “that abilities can be developed through effort and practice” (Mindset Works, 2017) which allows for the understanding that practice and effort can facilitate positive development in skills and abilities.

Through our interactions with young people, we can be intentional in supporting them to develop positive self-reflection skills, self-esteem and to have a growth mindset through the language choices we make both directly to them and when around them. When we use language that ties the behaviour occurring directly to who the child is, it can create an internal monologue and connect with their self-identity. An example of this could be “why are you being so bad” being then internalised as “I am a bad person”.

We can reframe this to separate the child from the behaviour by identifying the behaviours and the emotion independently. This could look like: “Your stomping feet and shouting voice tells me you might be feeling angry … how can I help you?”. This style of communication not only supports a child’s understanding of the correlation between their body symptoms and emotional expression but also normalises help-seeking behaviour.

Role-modelling problem-solving, acknowledging when a mistake occurs, and being open about experiencing different feelings (in age-appropriate ways!) are all other great opportunities in which we can show our young people ways to manage. Experiencing disappointment over not achieving something we really wanted, becoming frustrated during a task, being tired and angry … these are all experiences that are felt regularly by lots of people. It is, therefore, important that our young people know it is okay to feel them but also know what to do next!

To end, I wanted to share a great quote by the team at BigLifeJournal (2021):

“When we encourage: self-control, self-expression, flexible thinking, acceptance of all emotions, boundaries, accountability. We nurture our child’s spirit and authenticity”.

In relation to this article, the resources drawn from can be found here:

Leah Moffett
Guidance Counsellor

The term is only 6 days old at the time of writing but Mary Mac students have already set a cracking pace on and off the sports field!

Our Junior College Swans Cup Touch Football teams commenced their campaigns on Monday afternoon. The College has entered two mixed teams into the competition. We had a comprehensive win and a close loss in our opening games and our coaches Mr Hubbard and Mrs Lever are excited to assist the teams in their progression throughout the season.

Last week, approximately 70 Junior College students contested the Toowoomba Catholic Primary Schools Sports Association's annual Track & Field Gala Day. Whilst there were many ribbons and personal bests recorded on the day, the real focus of the day is to build community and friendships whilst participating in healthy competitions with other schools in the diocese. Many of these students contested the Inner Downs Athletics Trials on Thursday, and we look forward to hearing of their success.

Wednesday was a big day for Senior College Sport. A team of Year 10 and 11 Girls contested the DD Senior Schools Cup Volleyball Championships at Harristown. The girls had a slow start to the tournament, before clicking into gear only to lose their first match by 2 points. From there, they recorded a series of victories and played a great game against Harristown to only lose by 5 points (25-20). At the end of the Pool Games, the girls had done enough to sneak into second place in their pool meaning they played off for Bronze against Harristown A. In what was a great battle, the girls looked home but tightened up, before holding their nerve to secure the bling 25-23! Outstanding work girls!

A mad dash back to Highfields followed for the first round of the Darling Downs Super Schools Cup Boys Rugby. All three teams played competitive matches against Faith Lutheran. Whilst there were no victories recorded, there were some slashing tries scored and some tough rugby played. Many of the lads played in their first games of contact sport and all boys wearing the Navy and Maroon can walk away with their heads held high. Our next match is at Highfields next Wednesday vs St Mary's. The action kicks off at 4:30 pm.

Brad Griffiths
Middle Leader Sport & Student Engagement

This term is a big one for the Arts!

We have our hands full with designing and presenting items for these so if you have an interest with dance, design, music or would like to be involved as a supervisor, please let me know! We would love the help from our Arts families.

We will be finalising costumes and props for Wakakirri and Carnival of Flowers in the next few weeks.

TERM 3 EVENTS

• Darling Downs Dance Eisteddfod - 27 - 30 July - Senior Dance Troupe
• Toowoomba Eisteddfod - 28 July - 7 August - Soloists/Duets/Trios, Primary and Secondary Drumlines, Primary and Secondary Guitar ensembles, Primary Speech and Drama, Primary and Secondary Dance Troupes
• Ekka Performance - 17 August - Band and Colour guard
• Creative Generations Tour - (TBA) - Visual Arts and Multi-Media Students
• Wakakirri - (Brisbane Performance) - 24 August - Primary Arts students)
• Carnival of Flowers - 16 September - Band, Colour guard and selected Primary Dancers

Jess Burke
Middle Leader - The Arts & Student Engagement

A reminder that we will be celebrating Book Week (Read, Thrive, Inspire) in week 7 of the term. Some of the planned activities include:

Tuesday, 22 - Thursday, 24 August:

Pre-Loved Book Sale where books will be priced at 50c, $1 and $2. All donations of children's books in good condition are welcomed. Profits from the sale will be used to purchase additional resources for the library. Books that are not sold will be donated to PNG schools.

Friday 25th August:

Book Character/Dress in Green to Match the Theme Dress-Up Day and Readers Cup Competition, where students will work in teams to answer literary quiz questions.

Entries for the Premiers' Readers Cup Challenge are due at school on the final day of Book Week, Friday 25th August. Reader Record Forms are available from the library and a copy is also attached. 

Further information regarding the Reading Challenge can be found here.

MMCC Library Staff

Congratulations to our Week 1 Assembly Award Recipients.

Congratulations to our Week 2 Assembly Award Recipients.

The road to your ideal career pathway is not always a straight line, and for some it’s about acquiring a broad range of skills along the way. Mary MacKillop Catholic College Year 11 student, Lucy Hutchison has proven that and in doing so has been awarded the School-Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year Award at the Darling Downs Queensland Training Awards evening. 

Lucy has shown how her passions have turned to possibilities and now this award puts her in the running against students from all over Queensland in the Queensland Training Awards in Brisbane later this year. This award recognises the power of skills, displaying the hard work and dedication that is essential in completing a traineeship. Lucy has shown her determination in completing her Certificate III in Business in under 10 months resulting in multiple job offers, setting her up for life outside of school.

The Darling Downs Training Awards evening was a beautifully set up cocktail event that celebrated everyone who walked in the door from training organisations to local businesses to trainees. The atmosphere was welcoming making it the perfect opportunity to network with all people from the Darling Downs.  Mary MacKillop Careers Development Practitioner, Jennifer Stevenson said “It was an absolute honour and privilege to attend this event with Lucy and see her being celebrated for her commitment to exploring her career pathway. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Lucy.”

Mary Mac student Martin Logan was recently selected in the Southern Queensland Rugby team that competed in the Queensland Country Rugby Tournament held in Rockhampton over the school holidays. Martin played an instrumental role throughout the event with the team recording no losses in any game. The team took home the Queensland Country Rugby Championship trophy for their age division. Well done Martin!

Being selected for an Australian sporting team is an achievement many can only dream about but for Mary MacKillop Catholic College’s Year 11 student, Nicolene Snyman, her dream is about to become a reality. After Nicolene’s outstanding performance at the Indoor Cricket National Championships, she has been specifically selected in the Junior Australian Touring Team for the World Indoor Cricket Federation (WICF) Junior Series. 

Still riding the excitement of winning the grand final in the Indoor Cricket National Championships against the Western Australia team in June, Nicolene got the call that she had been selected for the Australian team. She was shocked but extremely excited to play at such a competitive level and improve her cricket skills. During September, Nicolene will fly all the way to Dubai with her teammates and compete with teams from around the world. The opportunity to play for Australia is astonishing, “I love being able to go overseas to Dubai for cricket. I am very excited to play at such a competitive level and improve my skills,” she says. 

This is an incredible achievement and does not come without a lot of hard work and training from Nicolene. Each weekend she travels down to Brisbane to play for Wynnum Manly and attends team training among the multiple training sessions in Toowoomba and Brisbane, throughout the week.  Nicolene would tell younger students who also aspire to play for Australia, that putting in the effort is the most important thing you can do. She says, “It’s important to always have fun and enjoy what you are doing and give it 100%”. 

What an incredible display of perseverance Nicolene has shown, to be playing for Australia and proving that hard work and dedication really does pay off!

The CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music

From the 1st to the 8th or July, I attended the CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music Course in Tamworth. ‘The Academy is Australia’s premier music program for emerging, talented singer/songwriters, performers and instrumentalists’. The Academy offers two courses: Junior (17 years and under) and Senior (18 years and above) and some online courses. A team of industry leaders, mentors and music professionals come together to bridge the gap between emerging artists current experience and the foundations of a professional career. The main areas of activity at the Academy are; songwriting, musicianship, music business and performance.

Over the 8 days it was a real privilege to meet and collaborate with artists and industry leaders & professionals such as Roger Corbett (Academy GM), Dobe Newton, Lyn Bowtell (Academy Director), Liam Kennedy-Clark, Aleyce Simmonds, Ashleigh Dallas, and David Carter. Students travelled from all over Australia for the 8 days, some travelling as far as the Clare Valley, SA to Charters Towers, North Qld.

Our student singer/songwriter/performer (SSP) course started off by being put into random groups on our first day, and working together to put on a gig that night. We had to come up with what our gig would look and sound like, and how we would work together to put on a show for an audience. This was a great experience, breaking through the nerves and getting to know what we were all capable of. I am proud to say that my group put on a great gig! With seven musicians in the group, we were able to put on a 30-minute show for our audience.

Over the 8 day course, we experienced the following:

• Learned how to write and co-write songs leady by Roger Corbett
• Learned how to use the Nashville number system to write professional chord charts
• Performance master classes
• Vocal master classes with Lyn Bowtell
• Guitar master classes with Ashleigh Dallas
• Multi-tasking in the music industry with Aleyce Simmonds
• Learned about having a music career in the digital age with Amber Lawrence
• Interview techniques with Bec Gracie Publicity and Sophie Hamley from Sunburnt Country
• Star Spot sessions with The Buckleys, Max Jackson, Sinead Burgess and Blake O’Connor

The latter part of the course consisted of songwriting workshops, co-writing sessions, vocal, guitar and performance masterclasses and most importantly, group sessions with group mentors in preparation for the Graduation Concert at Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth. My group mentor was the one and only David Carter from Carter & Carter, and he really brought out the best musician in me, along with the other student in my group.

For me, the songwriting component of the Academy was something I really enjoyed; I’d never songwritten before, so learning about how to do that and then being able to co-write a song with someone as amazing as Ashleigh Dallas was such an amazing experience. I’ve found that I really enjoy songwriting, it’s a great creative outlet to my emotions, and I like having the freedom to make it truly my own—from the melody to my own emotional connection to the lyrics.

While I was participating the Student Course, there was also a Parent Course lead by Dobe Newton, where parents of the attending students learned how to best support their child wishing to pursue a music career with topics covered such as: Music Industry 101; the reality of Reality TV; Career opportunities in music; PR Workshop; Management and touring; Booking agents; Streaming & Digital Income; Music and mental health; Managing your Talented Child and social media; Charting an independent career vs signed to a label; and Multi-Tasking in the Music Industry.

The Junior Course concluded with The CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music Showcase held at Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth; our first ticketed show! Performing at Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar has always been a dream of mine, and being able to finally do that, whilst singing an original song was just a dream come true. It was the most magical night spent with my beautiful newfound friends, especially since performing with a band for a crowd is my favourite thing to do.

Lastly, I’d like to say thankyou to my Mum, Dad and sisters, and to all my wonderful music family for supporting and inspiring me to be where I am today.

Charlotte Voll

Hello from the Parent Engagement Network!

Welcome back to Term 3! We hope our College families had a relaxing mid-semester break and are feeling refreshed, ready for another term!

TERM 3 - Upcoming Events

College SRIP and Strategic Plan 2025-2029 – Working Team

This week, families will have received a perception survey via email. As stated in the email, every two years, Toowoomba Catholic Schools seeks feedback from staff, parents and students in our Diocesan schools to share their views and to ‘check in’ on each school within our community. We ask you to consider completing this survey to help our College shape its ideas, innovations and quality of education moving forward to shape full and flourishing lives of our students.

Furthermore, the PEN will be looking for College Community members, students and staff to assist with this new Strategic plan. This working team will be developed in Term 3. The College will also be engaging in the SRIP (Student Renewal Improvement Process) later this term to discern our current Strategic Plan. Please watch this space for future updates and assistance needed. If this is something you are interested in, please contact Shayne and Rowena via the email at the bottom of this article.

Father’s Day Raffle - Term 3

Watch this space for a PEN supported raffle for our Dads, Grandfathers and carers! This raffle helps raise funds for the purchase of College Resources. Last year’s Father’s Day Raffle was a great success and we raised much needed funds to support the College. Watch early in the Term 3 for more details to follow. This raffle will be drawn at the College’s Father’s Day Breakfast for our Dads, Grandfathers and Carers.

PEN - Mission and Identity - Update

In the Mission and Identity space we would like to once again introduce the concept of Healing Hands. Healing Hands is a simple but powerful way to tell someone that they are being thought of during a time of stress, grieving, hospitalisation of family members or sickness.

If you would like to contribute, by cooking meals or baking to assist this group, please collect supplied containers suitable for freezing and portion sizing from the Junior or Senior Reception Offices. Please ensure you and any family in your house are well while cooking meals or baking goods. Return these items in the provided containers, labelled with all ingredients and date, prepared to the Junior Administration Block to be frozen for future distribution to families or individuals in need.

As always, if you know someone who needs a hamper, the best contacts are Emma Ehrlich, Paula O'Rourke or the Junior or Senior Reception. These hampers are given in confidentiality always.

MMCC Run Club – All welcome to attend.

Thank you to Mr Gabbett for organising the MMCC Run Club. Everyone is welcome to join us for running on Friday mornings at the College. Yes, it is getting cold, however the MMCC Run Club is continuing over these months to keep up fitness for potential other running events. Everyone is welcome to attend the MMCC Run Club at 6.30am at Junior Admin Friday mornings. Run or walk! This is a great way to release stress levels and continue good well-being.

Coffee Catchup at The Café – Every Tuesday morning 8am till 8.30am

To all College Parents, students and staff, if you love a coffee in the morning, come along and show your support for the College Barista Students in the Café area. Beverages available are coffees, hot chocolate, chai and more! This is a great opportunity for us all to meet. We’d love to see you there!

College Café – Needed Volunteers – we need you!!

Just a reminder to all of our College families. The College Café needs more volunteers to help out throughout the remainder of the year (Term 3 and 4). If there is an area of the College you would like to assist with, please reach out to us or the College. This can be very rewarding for anyone that can help. Just a few hours a week can make a big difference. Please consider this. You will be required to complete the College’s Safety Induction form prior to starting. If you have any questions, please email us below.

Fundraising – we need your help!

Each year we run some smaller fundraisers to help with sourcing resources for our College. For the remainder of the year we are looking to continue on with the same fundraising events i.e. mango drive and ham drive. If you are interested in assisting with any of these events, please reach out to the PEN, many hands make light work. Refer to our email address below for any feedback or areas which you feel may need attention throughout the College.

The PEN and College are always looking to run fundraising events throughout the year and we’d really appreciate your help. If this is an area of interest to you, please reach out to the PEN at higpen@twb.catholic.edu.au

Grant Writing to support of College –PEN Resources Team

Does this interest you? We are still in need of assistance in this area. If this is of an interest to you, please make contact via the below email. There are many grants available and we need your help!

Have a great Term 3 from the PEN!!

We are very excited for the Upcoming Oval opening and other future College events for this term with success and growth across all academic, arts, cultural and sporting codes!

If you have a topic or matters for discussions, please send through to the PEN email higpen@twb.catholic.edu.au and we can add it to our next Meeting Agenda.

We always welcome new attendees to join our PEN and Mary Mac Family.

Next Meeting for 2023:

Date: Week 4 Term 3 - August 1st.

Room: Senior Admin – teachers’ lunchroom.

Time: 5.30pm start – 7pm conclude.

Shayne Cleary and Rowena Voll
Co-Chairs PEN

We have had the Young Engineers of Australia organize a Lego Robotics Incursion; where we got to build catapults out of Lego and see how far we can shoot ping pong balls. We made heaps of winter themed craft, such as paper chains and salt painting; we even got to play with some fake snow. We went to The Strand and watched Elemental whilst munching down on lollies and popcorn. We had Nerf Gun Battles. Road around the school on our bikes/scooters/roller blades; and no one got injured! We finished off the week at Sunset Superbowl; we had plenty of strikes. And many more exciting things happened! Overall, it was a great vacation care at Mary MacKillop OSHC with each day averaging 30 children.

Please see below for some snap shots of the fortnight!

Garth Rochford
Coordinator

The Mobile BreastScreen Service will be visiting Highfields from 7-14 August 2023 (incl Saturday 12 Aug), located at Highfields Village Shopping Centre.

Women aged 40+ can have a FREE breast screen every two years at the Service, with those aged 50-74 especially encouraged to attend. Appointments can be made by phoning 13 20 50, seeing your local Health Worker, or online (breastscreen.qld.gov.au).

One in seven women in Australia will develop breast cancer at some stage in their life. A breast screen is the best way to find breast cancer in its earliest stages for better health outcomes.