Welcome to the 2022 Academic Year. It has been a real joy after an awkward start to welcome students back to the College and we have had a wonderful two weeks. There was no time-wasting at all - by 9:30am on 7 February I walked around the College and saw focussed work in every classroom. We were all very ready to get started.

The ongoing pandemic has made me reflect on the nature and imperatives of faith. As a Catholic school, we can overuse the term and it can become a bit of white noise. My feeling though as we continue to attempt to do our normal in spite of things being a bit abnormal, we need faith. Not just its 'political' meaning of trust and confidence in decisions and leadership. We also need to consider its religious meaning - that we feel an assurance that things will be positive despite a lack of proof that they will.

We are leaning right now on faith in a lot of ways. We have to trust in the actions of others in the community to manage their lives in a way that supports everyone's well being. We also have to have faith that the small things we are asked to do will have a big impact and will help us in delivering a great education in spite of the ongoing Covid context.

I hope you are all happy to be back with us in the community. We will see what the next stage of restrictions looks like and look to having a community event as soon as possible. Until then, please take care and look after each other.

Chris Gabbett
Principal

Term 1 College fees went out this week, so please check your emails for your invoices and current statement. Please contact accounts@highfields.catholic.edu.au if you have any queries regarding your College account. Statements are sent monthly from the accounts@highfields.catholic.edu.au email account so please check your junk mail folders.

Should you wish to take advantage of the 5% prepayment discount, the cut off date for payment upfront of your full annual fees is 25th February, no exceptions. This discount will be processed and show on your March statement.

If you'd like to set up a direct debit or credit card payment, these forms can be accessed from the College's website from the Current Families, Fees and Payments menu. Other methods of payment include cash, cheque, EFTPOS and BPay. Please review the 2022 Schedule of Fees carefully as this has changed from 2021.

You can access the direct debit forms, fee schedule and notice of transfer policy via the link below.

If you are still experiencing difficulty with stock levels at Hannas due to the recent floods, please note we have a large range of giveaway uniforms available at Senior Reception. Please come help yourself.

Kirsty Gillett 

Business Manager

We are excited to welcome some fresh faces to the College and we look forward to introducing them to you in our fortnightly newsletters.

First up we have Annabelle Cowen, who has commenced at the College teaching Year 1. Here's what Annabelle had to say...

Primary School attended: Moreton Bay College

Secondary School attended: Moreton Bay College

What do you like about working at Mary MacKillop?: I love how warm and welcoming all the teachers, staff and parents are. I love that I have received so much support as a first-year teacher, and with such enthusiasm.

What are your hobbies/Interests?: Gardening, art, cooking

Other interesting facts about yourself or anything else you would like to share with the MM community: I used to be a childcare teacher! I have family in Spain! I also love to rescue wildlife in my spare time (snakes, birds, bats, lizards – anything!)

Schools are areas where there is a lot of interaction between cars and pedestrians.

Children behave unpredictably, and are extremely vulnerable. Their lack of road experience means it is difficult for them to judge dangerous situations. Take the time to make sure your children are aware of, understand and follow the College traffic plan.

Plan with your child how you will collect them:

➦When and where you will be after school?

➦Where should they wait? Will you collect from the pick up zone at Uluru or consider exiting at the top gate near Prep onto Highfields Road.

➦ Help children learn about road safety and pedestrian safety by modelling safe behaviour and always use pedestrian crossings.

➦Let children know not to get into your vehicle while it is still moving and always exit and enter the vehicle from the kerbside.

➦Use your Look Out! card at Uluru pick up to display your family name.

➦Reverse park in the car parks outside Junior reception.

➦If you need to exit the vehicle or assist students to disembark please use the car parks available

AM & PM Pick up and drop off area only. You can stop here for a maximum of two minutes to drop off or pick up your children. You must not exit your vehicle.

WHY? To provide a safe place for children to be set down and picked up without endangering other children.

AM drop and go area. In the morning you can stop here for a maximum of two minutes to drop off or pick up your children. You must not exit your vehicle.

PM parking area. In the afternoon you can park here and walk to collect your children. Please do not double park or queue waiting for a park.

When exiting onto Highfields Road turn left.

Let's keep everyone safe!

Jayne Tyrrell
Work Health & Safety Coordinator

We are holidng our first Twilight Principal's Tour for 2022 on Wednesday, 16 March.

This event is open to anyone wishing to learn more about enrolling at the College for Prep to Year 12 in 2023 and 2024.

Welcome to the 2022 year.

"We are Christ-centred educational community - engaging minds, igniting hearts and and serving others." (School vision)

Each year we look at how we can fulfill this vision. This year we continue our outward facing service projects - serving others. For our new families as well as our continuing families I will outline what this looks like.

Rosies Outreach is a service program where our Year 11 and 12 students plus some staff volunteer at Harlaxton Park on a Wednesday evening, once a month. As part of this service we ask for families to donate food (bacon, sausages, onions and bread) to cook a meal for residents of this area. Not only do we cook the BBQ but students spend time playing games with the many children who come on the night. This program is valuable for our students to serve others who are vulnerable.

Another serving others project is Healing Hands. Healing Hands is a simple way to show we can to families in our community who have experienced a tragedy, lost loved one, illness, hospitalisation or isolation. To enable this, we ask our school and parish community to donate items of food towards a cook up. The cook up is completed by volunteer students and staff in our own food tech room, after school about once a term. This cooked food is then frozen ready to be given to those in need via a hamper. Those who receive this hamper remain confidential. How do we know who to give these hampers to, you ask? That is from you. if you know of anyone who is experiencing some challenges, please let your child's teacher know or ring the office. The hamper will be ready to go home by the afternoon either with the student or delivered to the door by you or a friend.

Tony's Kitchen is an organisation that provides an evening meal everyday all year round to those who are homeless, struggling economically or isolation. This service is run by volunteers. Our role in supporting this organisation is to provide home baked biscuits at various times throughout the year. You will receive an email when we are collecting for Tony's Kitchen. So if you are looking for something to do one weekend, we would appreciate a batch of ANZAC biscuits or jam drops or choc chip or any biscuit that holds it shape well. We will send an email out soon for this.

Throughout the year we support other Catholic organisations - Caritas, Project Compassion, St Vincent de Paul and Mini Vinnies plus various other one. Students will have input into these events and fundraising ideas so look out for these.

Lastly, each year, we ask each Senior house group and each junior year level to decide on a project they would like to run that will support those less fortunate than ourselves. Activities that we have supported in the past include Pyjama Angels with books, winter appeals, Greatest Shave, Red Kite, and Children's Hospital to name just few. Information will be communicated about these events as the time arises.

As part of studying religion in Year 11 and 12, these students choose either Religion and Ethics or Study of Religion. As part of the course for Religion and Ethics, these students complete a program called 'Praxis' or 'Living Water'. This program supports students in serving others so as part of the program students are required to complete 40 hours of service out of 120 hours. These students are encouraged to look for ways they are able to volunteer to help others at various organisations around Highfields and Toowoomba. In the past some students have volunteered at Meals on Wheels, St Vincent de Paul stores, holiday programs run by Vinnies, and visiting junior classrooms to help students to name just a few activities.

We look forward to your support throughout the year as we together - serve others.

Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Religious Education

St. Valentine's Day and Affirmation Week

Week 4–commencing of course with St. Valentine's Day on Monday–is Affirmation Week across the College. This is traditionally an opportunity for our staff and students to look outwards and affirm their colleagues and peers and to show gratitude for those who we spend our days with here at MMCC.

Affirmation week kicked off with time provided during Junior classes and Senior PC groups for students to use love hearts or coloured paper to write a message to a friend, a peer or a teacher within whom they saw qualities they wished to affirm.

At First Break on Monday, the Actioning Mary MacKillop Advocacy (AMMA) group, Junior leaders and Year 11 and 12 Business students sold chocolate hearts to P-12 students. Many of these chocolates were paired with lovely affirmations and given to friends, teachers or even taken home to some lucky parents! It was reassuring to see our students showing gratitude for others in their lives and reinforcing for their peers the wonderful gifts and qualities they see within them.

Carnevale - Get your masks ready!

Masking up in recent years has, for most of us, been related to keeping ourselves and others safe from COVID-19. In previous years at our College though, wearing a mask has–much more jubilantly–been associated with masking up for Carnevale!

This year, Shrove Tuesday occurs in Week 6, on Tuesday, 1 March. As has been the tradition for the past two years, we are again inviting all staff and students to participate in Carnevale and wear their brightest, most beautiful, fanciest or glittery masks and join in the fun!

For our families who are new to the College, in our Catholic tradition, Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, marks our final celebration prior to the more pious observances of Lent, which commences the following day–Ash Wednesday. At MMCC, Pancake Tuesday often involves pancake sales, pancake tossing races (using fake pancakes to ensure we avoid wastage) and even pancake making in the Junior College. In the past couple of years though, we have also introduced the celebrations of Carnevale, most notably through the wearing of face masks, into our Shrove Tuesday celebrations.

It was wonderful last year to see students creating masks in their classrooms, their PC groups, or wearing a theme with their friends. As always, the mask parade in the Junior College is a highlight of the day.

If you need any help finding masks or the materials to make one, OMG at Highfields or Northpoint often have animal masks, blank face masks students can paint or colour in, or ready-made masquerade style masks for sale.

We invite all students in Prep through to Year 12 to bring the fun back to wearing a mask this year and to mask up for Carnevale in 2022!

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

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in the Parish on Thursday, 9 June, at 7:00pm with Bishop Robert McGuckin.

Information packs were sent home to families last week. Please keep an eye out for an email from Nadine Dolan, one of the Sacramental Team members.

If you are new to our College, sacramental programs are organised by the Parish Sacramental Team. This team includes members of the parish, Fr Brian Noonan and myself.

Confirmation is celebrated in Term 2.

Eucharist is then celebrated after this in Term 3.

Reconciliation is then in Term 4.

If you have any questions, please email me or contact a member of the via the details below.

Paula O'Rourke
APRE and Sacramental Team member

What a start to 2022. Firstly, I'd like to acknowledge our Year 11 and 12 students and the positive attitude and approach they took to Online Learning. For Year 11 students, the initial introduction to their new subjects took place online, while Year 12 students began preparations for IA1 in earnest. Our students didn't miss a beat, and under the guidance of their teachers, were well prepared for their first day of physical schooling this year. Over the coming weeks, Year 12 students will complete their first Internal Assessment of Unit 3.

Year 7 - 10 students have had a couple of weeks to settle back in and teaching and learning is escalating towards their first assessment piece. Assessment Calendars were distributed last week. Students and parents or guardians are encouraged to print this calendar and be aware of assessment deadlines. Over the next week or two, your support is appreciated with the following initiatives:

1. Students will complete a study plan in PC next week. Please discuss this with your son/daughter and encourage positive learning behaviours with them. The idea behind the study plan is find balance between sporting commitments, hobbies, socialising, mindfulness and school work.

2. Enforcement of Assessment Policy:

• Assessment, both draft and final copies, are due at 8:30am on Turnitin.
• If a draft is not submitted by 8:30am the student is sent to Academic Referral.
• Email will be sent to parents.
• Students have 48 hours to submit final draft.
• Students will receive feedback on what has been submitted.
• If no final copy is received, students will be marked on your draft submission. However, students are still required to submit a full final copy. Same rules apply as draft.

3. Request for extension for assessment conditions. This should be submitted as soon as possible if you realise the assessment submission deadline cannot be met. Being sick the day before it is due would not be considered a reasonable request as the student would have had the two weeks prior to work on that assessment. However, being sick the full week prior would be considered a reasonable request. These request must be initially made with the classroom teacher, who will then discuss with relevant Middle Leaders. For Year 10 - 12 students, a medical certificate is required for extension requests.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me.

CHRISTOPHER BRACKEN
Dean Of Senior Studies & Elearning

1. Encourage your child to set goals and take responsibility!

Encouraging children to set goals and take responsibility for the upcoming school year is a great way to get in them in the right frame of mind. Research shows that kids who participate in setting learning goals are consistently more motivated and take learning more seriously.

Of course, what this means will depend on your child’s age, as a Preppie won’t be able to take on as much responsibility as one heading to primary or secondary school. But even younger children can be given simple goals to focus on, even if it’s just packing their backpack before bed each night.

With younger children, you can ease into the discussion by reading books about school. Find out what they’ll be working on and if there’s anything specific they’d like to accomplish, and then work together to make a list of steps they’ll need to take to reach those goals.

Warren MacKenzie aged 92 years has been at his craft almost his entire life. He is a celebrated potter. Earlier in his life he tried his hand at a variety of artistic ventures. However, it soon became clear that doing something better and better was more satisfying.

“…. A good potter can make forty or fifty pots in a day. Out of these some are good, some are mediocre and some are really bad. Only a few will be worth selling, and of those, even fewer will continue to engage the senses after daily use”. (Grit by Angela Duckworth)

Over time, with effort, resilience and passion, MacKenzie’s skill improved. In the beginning what he thought was good, was in reality really awful. The pots lacked quality and richness. Over time, it got easier. As things got easier, and as he improved, he produced more good pots a day:

Talent X Effort = Skill

At the same time, the number of good pots he produced increased:

Skill X Effort = Achievement

With effort, MacKenzie kept on improving. With continued effort, he became more accomplished.

Why do I share this story with you? The answer is very simple. If students can apply the same principles of MacKenzie’s to their learning, they too would be masters of their learning. With persistent effort students can become master learners. Even the most talented students are at risk of not reaching their potential. That is, the learning of new content comes readily to them, so they require very little effort to acquire the knowledge, (Talent X Effort = Skill) which results in minimal achievement. Both skill and effort are required to achieve.

Students need to show up every day and be prepared to do the work. To put in the effort, and not just for the short term, but for the long term. This type of stamina is known as ‘Grit’.

As the new year begins, I encourage you to discuss talent, effort, skill, achievement and grit with your chid/ren. What are their goals academically for the year? What grit is required to achieve them?

2. Engage with their curriculum

If you want to help your child set appropriate learning goals, it’s important to engage with their curriculum and be aware of what they will be learning and are expected to be proficient in. Your child’s teacher can support you with this, however as a starting point refer to the Curriculum overview provided in the Welcome Letter.

Most children deal with some level of stress or anxiety about school. One survey found that 53 per cent of parents cite homework and schoolwork as the greatest driver of stress in their children. But when parents are aware of what their children will be learning, they’re better able to provide support and manage stress before it takes root.

It’s always a good idea to talk to your child about what they have been learning, but if you can, try to speak with your child’s teacher as well. This will give you a chance to find out what you can do to support your child at home and also be aware of any specific areas they may need to work on.

3. Get organised

The more organised you are the easier your first few weeks of back-to-school mornings will be, so take the time to plan your morning routine in advance. This may include figuring out what time you need to get up, what you’ll prepare for breakfast and laying out some outfits the night before.

Lunches are also best prepared the night before, and you can even get the children involved by asking them what they’d like to eat and see if they’d like to help you chop vegetables, prepare sandwiches and organise the kitchen once you’re finished.

4. Have fun with it

School days may not be as exciting as holidays, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a sombre or boring time. Look for ways to keep things fun, whether it’s upholding family traditions, such as family breakfast and reading or watching a TV series together, or looking for extracurricular activities the children will enjoy, such as swimming, football or music and art.

Also keep in mind that children are often quick to pick up on our attitudes towards things, so try to speak positively about school and emphasise the positive aspects of it, such as their friends and teachers or the cool things they’ll have a chance to learn.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/going-to-school/preparing/starting-primary-school/5-back-to-school-preparation-tips-for-parents

Mrs Natalie Adler
Assistant Principal: Teaching & Learning

2022 has already been a year of great excitement, for English students, at our College.

The continuation of the Write that Essay programme is sure to provide broad opportunities for every student from years 4 - 12 to enhance their writing skills and expand their use of constructive sentences, in improving their overall expression capabilities. This interactive, online tool allows students the chance to learn about targeted sentence types, practise the use of these and incorporate this learning into everyday lessons, planning for assessment and daily writing.

Sustained individual reading and writing will also form important aspects of new initiatives, in English. Opportunities to read for enjoyment and sustained reading tasks will form some of the possibilities for students to engage in this important skill. Writing for enjoyment will also be linked clearly to the daily routines of English students, this year.

This year will see the continuation of new course opportunities for senior students. Creative Writing and Literature has seen clear growth in popularity for students in years 9 & 10. It will take place in Semester 2 and will offer students the opportunity to explore a broad range of literary genres in both reading and written composition. English Literature will see our first group of students make their journey through year twelve. This course has also seen a clear rise in student interest. This growth in student interest and class numbers is a great indicator of the vitality and energy, within the student body, in all things English.

The growth of opportunities, for all students, to access and explore the world of English is a clear theme in all of these initiatives. It is with great anticipation that all students and teachers look forward to what 2022 has for us to learn and to achieve!

Tim Connolly
Middle Leader: Senior English

After a successful 2021- Maths Club is back to support and extended all our students from Y7-Y12. Whether you are brushing up on skills, training for a competition, need some help with homework or just want to hangout with the cool kids - Maths Club has you covered.

Maths Club is on every Wednesday before (8:00am - 08:25am) and after school (3:05pm - 3:35pm).

One of our consistent themes in relation to the 'Inspire Maths Program' this year is collaboration. We hope to encourage students to be more confident in communicating their ideas to each other, often using the whiteboards spread about our classrooms. Collaboration isn't necessarily about sharing the right answer, it's about communicating different approaches to solve any given problem.

We are looking forward to a productive 2022.

Jared Nielsen
Curriculum Middle Leader: Science and Technology

MUSICAL START THIS WEEK!

Our first meeting will be held this THURSDAY from 3-4.30PM with auditions held on the 24th February.

There are lots of ways to be involved- backstage, hair and makeup, art props and designs as well as actors, dancers and singers. There is something for everyone!

WHAT ELSE IS ON THIS YEAR?

Other major events this year….

• Hampton Arts Festival- 14- 15 May
• Eisteddfod 28 July- 7 Aug (music)
• Wakakirri 8-12 August (primary Arts)
• Creative Generations- September (Visual Arts)
• Carnival of Flowers 17 September (Marching Band, Dancers and Arts students)
• Arts in the Park- end of term 3 (TBA)

DANCE AND DRAMA

*The closing date for registration for the Toowoomba Eisteddfod for Dance and Drama is the end of this term.

Please let me (or Miss Lauverjon and Mrs Duncan) know if you are interested in these areas and are keen to enter.

DANCE IS ON EVERY TUESDAY MORNING FROM 7.30AM. This rehearsal is for Eisteddfod, comps, Carnival of Flowers and Arts in the Park. Musical will be additional to this.

We have had a HUGE interest in the Primary school for dance.... looking at opinions to cater for this later in the term.

And finally, here are the Arts staff for 2022! We welcome Mrs Duncan and Miss Lauverjon into our team.

• Mrs Burke- Middle Leader, Secondary Music Teacher
• Mrs Duncan- Secondary Drama Teacher
• Miss Lauverjon- Primary Arts Teacher (Dance and Drama)
• Mr Chivers- Secondary Art Teacher
• Mrs Puhakka- Primary and Secondary Art Teacher

Jess Burke 
Middle Leader Arts & Student Engagement

We Have Moved!!

The Your Pathway team has a new office. You can now find us at the back of the Senior Administration building, where the IT department was located in 2021. This will allow students have better access to us during breaks to answer questions.

For those new to Mary MacKillop Catholic College the Your Pathway Team's main role is to support students to build their capacity to create a successful post school pathway. We encourage students to explore a variety of avenues that will allow them to achieve their desired career goals.

In 2022 we have commenced Year 7 and 8 careers education classes. If you have a student in years 7 or 8 they have been exploring the difference between a job and career, and how interests can become careers. With the use of their Careers Onenote page and the MMCC Careers Portal, students have been exploring the Career Bulls eyes to investigate pathways they are interested in and pathways they have never heard of. We hope this has instigated some interesting conversations with your children at home.

Year 10 students have already heard from us quite a bit too. During week 10 this term all year 10 students will complete 5 days of work experience. At a recent meeting with the year 10 students, we discussed the expectations and process of work experience. All students have been sent an extensive list of possible placements and we encourage them to send us an email or drop into the office if they have any questions. If any parents have any questions regarding work experience please call the College or drop us an email at Your Pathway Email.

Jennifer Stevenson and Christie Richardson
Your Pathway Team

What do AI Engineers do?

Artificial intelligence (AI) Engineers are responsible for developing and programming new applications and systems for use in smart software and machines. AI uses algorithms, such as logic and probability, as well as other processes such as speech- and face-recognition, to operate and problem-solve without the assistance of people.

If you love technology and science, have a great knack for problem-solving, and want a career in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, becoming an AI Engineer could be perfect for you.

About you:

• Excellent problem solver
• Great analytical skills
• Fantastic with technology
• Proficient in coding
• Good attention to detail
• Can work independently and in teams
• Great communicator
• Critical thinker

The job:

• Managing the AI development process
• Building and coding AI models
• Testing models and reporting on results
• Implementing AI models within a business or organisation
• Gathering and interpreting data
• Using data to guide business decisions
• Explaining why businesses should use AI
• Working with other team members

AI Engineers are most in demand in these locations:

As this is a fairly new job, there isn’t much information out there on numbers. However, roles in AI are becoming increasingly popular world-wide, especially with large tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM and Google. Within Australia, you will most likely have better luck finding roles in capital cities, or within government.

AI Engineers are also in demand across many industries, as there are thousands of ways AI can be used to improve our lives. Some examples include:

• Aviation & Transport – developing self-driving cars and drones.
• Agriculture – using AI to predict weather patterns and crop growth.
• Manufacturing – AI-driven robots can increase efficiency and production.
• Health – AI machines can automatically scan medical images, provide correct medication dosages, and perhaps one day even perform surgery.
• Marketing – AI is commonly used to predict user behaviour and provide tailored suggestions and advertisements.
• Sports – AI machines can use predictive technology to forecast the outcome of games.

How to become an AI Engineer in Australia

You will need to complete a minimum undergraduate level qualification in order to work as an AI Engineer in Australia.

Step 1 – Complete Year 12 with a focus on English, Maths, STEM, and IT.

Step 2 – Find a relevant undergraduate degree you would like to study. You can choose from a variety of degrees, including computer science, engineering, IT, mathematics, or even finance.

Step 3 – Consider undertaking a postgraduate qualification in data science, mathematics, or AI to boost your knowledge and employability. You can even look for online courses and certificates.

Step 4 – Make sure you have proficient knowledge in other essential areas, such as programming and coding, Big Data, cloud services, and machine learning.

Step 5 – Find roles in AI or software development, and start working as an AI Engineer.

Find out more here.

What are 3 things I can do right now to help me become an AI Engineer?

If you’re in high school and you’d like to find out if a career as an AI Engineer is right for you, here’s a few things you could do right now:

• Take classes to start learning how to code, ideally in a few different coding languages. You could also take online short courses in AI, data science, or other relevant fields.
• See if you can find work experience in an IT or STEM-related setting, to get a feel for what a day in the life might be like.
• Consider undertaking an internship or cadetship while or after you finish your studies. This can help you get a foot in the door with many big employers, as well as boosting your skills and employability.

Jen Stevenson & Christie Richardson
Your Pathway Team

The first day of Prep had finally arrived… albeit a little late. On Monday, 7 February our Prep children entered the College full of excitement. Memories from our transition mornings were apparent as children remembered teachers names, some routines and where to find classrooms. A few nervous giggles and plenty of hidden tears from Mums and Dads and our day began! 

The prep children had a fabulous first week making new friends and exploring our College. Our independence skills have been developing each day since then. We are confidently taking care of our belongings and having a go at learning lots of new things. The first trip to the Library was a highlight and meeting siblings in the playground was amazing! This week we will begin our Pastoral Program with our first Buddy Meeting. 

We are looking forward to embarking on this journey with our Prep families as we have a productive and happy year, creating lots of memories together. Please check out some of our bright and bubbly faces in our photos.

In 2021, the College Pastoral Plan came to life with all students in P-6, participating in Formation days. The plan is designed to provide your child with opportunite,is to develop full integration and support for their behaviour, emotions, thoughts, learnings, social relationships and catholic identity. The Plan is underpinned by the PERMA model, integrated through our College where we are called to ‘engage minds’ (head), ‘ignite hearts’ (heart) and ‘serve others’ (hands). It is guided by three catholic values that every human is born with and cannot be given nor taken away.

• Entitlement to a fullness of life
• Human dignity
• Unlimited potential

The above 'Pastoral Wheel' is a visual to help explain the plan.

Formation Experiences

P-3: This Semester, children will participate in weekly Wellbeing lessons. These lessons will focus on one quality from the Pastoral Plan each term. In term 1, the focus in 'KINDNESS'.

4-6: This year, all students will participate in two formations half days (depending on their year level). Prior to your child participating, you will receive information about the day, along with parental tips and ideas to support your child to thrive, provided by our College Counsellors. The focus quality (from our pastoral wheel) for term 1 is KINDNESS.

COLLEGE MERIT SYSTEM

In P-6 all students work towards earning Joey Points. Each week, students focus on one 'Positive Learning Behaviour'. These learning behaviours support both academic achievement and developing a strong sense of self. When a student shows growth in these learning behaviours, they can earn a Joey Point. As Joey points accumulate, students are rewarded as follows:

15 Joey points = certificate presented in class

20 Joey points = ribbon presented in class (Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 only)

25 Joey points = badge presented at the first assembly of each term (bronze, silver, gold)

• P 2 Positive Learning Behaviours
• 3 6 Positive Learning Behaviours

SMART PHONES/WATCHES/DEVICES

Current Australian research tells us that up to 46% of children between the ages of 6 to 13 use/have access to a mobile phone. The College Smart Devices Policy, acknowledges that for personal safety and security purposes, parents give their children mobile phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal security and safety. There is also increasing concern about children travelling alone on public transport or commuting long distances to school. It is acknowledged that providing a child with a mobile phone gives parents reassurance that they can contact their child if they need to speak to them urgently.

However, students are discouraged from bringing Smart Devices/ mobile phones to the College. If they choose to do so it is on the understanding that parents/guardians and the student agree with the following limitations on its use:

• Student mobile phones/smartwatches must be switched off when on the College site. It is not acceptable for phones merely to be put on silent or flight mode. Phones/watches can be left at the Junior Office.
• Parents are reminded that in cases of emergency, the College office remains the appropriate point of contact and can ensure your child is reached quickly and assisted in an appropriate way. Please do not contact your child directly during the school via mobile phone or smart watch.

The College Smart Devices Policy is located on our College website.

Bridget Rillie
Assistant Principal Wellbeing: Junior

Welcome back for 2022!

Whilst the extended break over the Christmas period is a great opportunity to slow down and take a break from the morning rush to get prepared and ready for school on time, it can also take us a little time to get back into the swing of it. Whilst some families may easily pick up where they left off, others might be taking a little longer to re-establish the morning routine. It can be difficult at first to get to school on time without forgetting a hat or homelinks, and some mornings might go to plan, while others can at times become a little stressful!

We know that children benefit and thrive from predictability, structure and routine, and involving your children in this process can develop their own independence and sense of mastery that will reinforce motivation. We have developed a daily checklist template to support the morning routine process and we have found it to be quite effective with our own children! Some suggested inclusions, and obviously this depends on their age, can include:

• Pack lunch box and water bottle;
• Brush teeth;
• Sunscreen;
• Morning chores; and
• Reminders about homework, sport uniform, and library returns.

Feel free to print and even laminate the checklist and encourage your children to tick off each box!

Jasmin & Khara 
College Guidance Counsellors

This would be a great opportunity to engage with parents and carers who may experience the same day-to-day successes or barriers as you or your child. It is so important to have clear communication lines between home and school and this workshop may provide some handy hints on how to make the communication more successful.

2 Day Autism Workshop for Parents and Carers

Charden Ruge
Learning Support Teacher Junior School

It has been wonderful meeting the many new students we have at the College this year. I've had some great conversations with students from a variety of sporting backgrounds. I look forward to sharing their stories with the community as the year progresses.

Junior College Sports Trials - I mentioned Futsal trials for Year 3-6 students in the assembly in Week 1. I will forward information about this opportunity to parents in the next week or so. All students born in 2013 and earlier will be eligible to trial. There will be both boys and girls teams.

Senior College Sports Trials - a number of sports trials will be held in the coming weeks for sports such as Futsal, Oz-Tag, Touch, and Netball. Students need to keep an eye on daily announcements and their email for details.

Representative Sports Trials - all families of students in Years 3-12 should have received an email about representative sports trials earlier this year. Responding to this email is crucial for us as it serves as a way to monitor those students who are interested in Inner Downs and Darling Downs sports trials. We have already had a number of students attend trials which is wonderful to see. A number of students have successfully progressed to DD trial level and we wish them well.

Swimming Carnivals - the Senior Carnival has been won and run. Our Junior College carnival is next Thursday. A recap of both events will be available in the next newsletter.

Brad Griffiths
Middle Leader: Sports & Student Engagement

Calling Year 10 and 11 students who want to be compassionate and effective leaders in their community. Applications are opening soon for the St Vincent de Paul Society, Ozanam Leadership Program.

The Ozanam Leadership Program is a value and skills-based initiative of the St Vincent de Paul Society. It is designed to develop and equip participants with the knowledge and skills to become leaders within their own community. This program is underpinned by the Society’s values, mission and call to put faith into action, allowing us to carry out our ‘good works’ of supporting people with a ‘hand up’.

The Ozanam Leadership Program runs across Terms 2 and 3. Notably, there are elements of the program which will occur during school holidays.

There are four components to the program:

• three-day outdoor retreat
• Leadership Development sessions
• Advocacy evening
• Holiday Program

Positions for the program are limited. As such, participants are asked to carefully consider their application to ensure they can commit to attending throughout the whole program.

On successful completion of the Ozanam Leadership Program, participants will have developed:

• a sound knowledge of social justice issues
• an understanding of how they can advocate and support social justice initiatives
• an awareness of volunteering opportunities through Vinnies Youth programs
• a strong skill-set based on increased confidence in their interpersonal, communication and leadership skills.

After completing the Ozanam Leadership Program, participants will receive a certificate of achievement and a letter of reference at a graduation ceremony.

Year 10 and 11 students who are interested in finding out more or who would like to obtain an Application Pack and Form can email or see Mrs Radley.

Students are also encouraged to speak with Year 12 students, Abigail Brooks and Isabelle Preston, who successfully completed the Ozanam Leadership Program in 2021.

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

To assist schools/district or zone representatives attending regional trials the following advice will be followed:

• a mask – when it is mandatory to do so and when you cannot physically distance
• stay home if unwell
• use the Check in Qld App
• your distance (1.5m) – shaking hands and hugging hello are still not COVID safe
• good hand hygiene

To follow this advice please ensure the following occurs at each regional trial:

• Convenors will be conducting a COVID Safe Event checklist at each trial.
• ALL spectators and school sport staff are to follow the current Chief Health Officer directions at the time of the trial.
• If a staff member, student or spectator falls unwell during the trial and showing signs of illness, they are to leave immediately.

Venues: Preferred option is an outdoor venue where possible

Spectators: 

• School Site - No Spectators allowed
• Non School Site Indoors - No spectators allowed
• Outdoors - Limited spectators depending on the venue. Maximum 1 adult / competitor
• Spectators to sit in a separate area to the students

Brad Griffiths
Middle Leader: Sport and Student Engagement and Teacher

ENSEMBLE TIMES

• Monday 7.30am - Drumline (BURKE)
• Monday first break - Rock Band (Hartley)
• Tuesday 7.30am - Senior dance (LAUVERJON)
• Wednesday 7.45am - Guitar ensemble (CHALMERS)
• Wednesday first break - Concert band (BURKE)
• Thursday after school - Musical rehearsal and Glee (BURKE, LAUVERJON AND DUNCAN)
• Friday- 7.30am - Marching Band (BURKE)

All students are welcome to come and join… Drumline, Glee and Dance troupe will be auditioned or made into 2 groups.

BRISBANE COMMEMORATIVE ANZAC DAY MARCH

This year we have been invited to participate in the Queensland commemorative march for Anzac Day (Saturday, 25 April) which is held through Brisbane City.

Any student who plays and instrument, drums or interested in flags are to come along to Marching band rehearsals on a Friday morning 7:30am.

STATE HONOURS ENSEMBLE PROGRAM

If you child is of an AMEB (or equiv) level of grade 2 or above, we would love to know about them! Nominations are now open for the Qld State Honours Program held at the Conservatorium of Music.

Jess Burke
Middle Leader: The Arts & Student Engagement

Hello from the PPF! Welcome back to Mary Mac! It is so wonderful to see all the familiar smiles around the College and to see many new smiles as well! Welcome to the new families who have joined the Mary MacKillop College community this year. We hope that everyone has had a great start to the school year. We also wish to welcome back Mr Chris Gabbett, our great teaching staff, new teachers, College leadership, all administration and grounds staff. We wish everyone the very best for the year ahead. Let’s all make it a great one!

Due to the current COVID restrictions, returning to the school has looked a bit different this year. As adults we no doubt have been feeling the pressure of everything, and its ok to feel this way. We are all doing our very best, and our children have taken the start of the year in their stride. The children have adapted so well to wearing masks and social distancing. It shows great respect and acknowledgement of the current situation. Well done kids, keep up the great work! We are all in this together and we will navigate our way and support each other through it.

This being a new year we welcome the College community to attend the upcoming Parent Partnership Forum (PPF) Annual General Meeting. This will be scheduled for early to mid-March. As soon as we have a date confirmed, we will let you all know.

The new PPF structure was adopted at the beginning of 2021 and has enabled parent interaction and meaningful engagement. It has reinvigorated the community culture within the College. This journey for the PPF has been an exciting and new endeavour for us all.

Being a part of the Parent Partnership Forum allows you the opportunity to support the College in obtaining the best educational outcomes for all students here at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. We come together as College Leadership and teaching staff, and parents and meet at least once a term to discuss educational requirements focused on student growth and results to best support the College and student needs.

Mary MacKillop Catholic College is committed to promoting and nurturing active partnerships with families and the wider community so that all have authentic opportunities to participate in the life and activities of the school. Student learning is enriched through positive and reciprocal partnerships with parents.

The Parent Partnership Forum is to enable a deeper and more meaningful engagement of parents in the College mission and to align with the Strategic plan. This will enable us all to be focused as a cohesive group.

We wish the College students the very best in the upcoming College Swimming Carnivals and to those students who are competing at the upcoming Darling Downs representative trials across many sporting codes. We have great representation across many sports from Mary MacKillop Catholic College. Let’s go Team Mary Mac!

We are looking forward to another successful year at the College jam-packed with success and growth across all academic, arts, cultural and sporting codes!

If at any time you have any questions or topics for discussion which you might like to raise, please contact the PPF at higppf@twb.catholic.edu.au and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as practicable.

Our first meeting/AGM date will be notified once restrictions ease in early to Mid-March.

Take care and stay safe.

Shayne Cleary and Rowena Voll
Co-Chairs PPF MMCC

Read more about how to support the development of a child who is a lifelong learner who thrive on challenges here.

The annual Peak2Park event will run again on March 6. Peak2Park’s vision is to deliver an event that encourages people to move more and in doing so, create a ripple effect of wellbeing throughout our wider community.

There is the option of completing a 4km or 10km run/jog/walk and we have registered the College as a participating school group. All members of the MMCC community are encouraged and welcome to register and represent the College as we come together to support not only our own individual wellbeing, but the collective wellbeing of our larger community.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We have moved! Our OSHC service is longer in Prep Koalas. We are now located in the Grevillea room of the Trees building. The Trees building is the first building down from the Prep buildings, and Grevillea is the last room in this building.

And in keeping with the trees theme, the children and educators have built our own little tree using paper chains!

We hope you can come and join us in our new space.

The Mary MacKillop OSHC Team

Our parish celebrates mass every Sunday at 8:00am in the MacKillop Centre. You are welcome to join this community. QLD Government Health guidelines have been relaxed so it is not a requirement to wear a mask, however, you are more than welcome to continue to do so. You are also still welcome if not vaccinated. 

Our Youth Gathering originally planned for Saturday, 19 March has been postponed to Term 2. This celebration is organised by the College and supported by the students and their families. What this space for more information.