Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

Each winter, the AMMA group runs a blanket and jacket drive to collect warm blankets and coats for the people that are experiencing homelessness in our community. Recently, Tony’s Community Kitchen–a local organisation MMCC often supports–has opened up an Op Shop on North Street. So, this winter we are doing things differently so that we are able to support the Op Shop, as well as Rosies–Friends on the Street.

Tony’s Op-Shop sells pre-loved and worn clothing, accessories, household items, toys and furniture and nothing is over $50. All of the profits go directly to Tony’s Community Kitchen. Additionally, each month, a small group of students and staff at MMCC serve at the Rosie’s outreach, providing a hot drink, bbq and a conversation for patrons. Both of these causes are important; as a Catholic community, we are called to recognise the dignity of the human person and to seek out to the people who are vulnerable and in need.

Starting from Week 5 this term, and running until Week 2 of Term 3, AMMA’s Winter Appeal will be calling for donations of:

Tinned soup and canned goods such as Milo, hot chocolate or coffee
Clean, good condition winter coats
New and clean, good condition blankets or sleeping bags
Bamboo forks and spoons (no knives please)
Packs of serviettes

PC groups in the Senior College and classrooms in the Junior College will each be given a laundry basket to keep in their rooms. Families are asked to send donated items to school with their child/ren who will then place their donation into the PC/classroom basket. Please do not take donations to the College Office.

We are fortunate enough that we have socks and shoes on our feet, are able to wear our Oodies and Ugg Boots to keep us warm in the cold winters. We have food in our lunchboxes and on our tables every day. So, let’s get behind these local organisations who support those who are doing it tough, especially the men, women and children experiencing homelessness this winter.

Bella Scrivens on behalf of the AMMA Group.

This term the Your Pathway Team has started the Year 12 Action Plan Meetings. While completing these meetings we ask the Year 12s if their plans have changed for 2024 and what goals they have set to support these plans.

Year 12 students need to be able to critically examine their career goals and have sound knowledge of the requirements for their planned further education, training or employment choices. They need to be aware of alternative pathways to achieve their preferred future and prepare at least one optional career choice.

Students at this stage will need to tailor their career action plan to their needs. For those students choosing to progress to further education, their career action plan will focus on short-term goals that address selection requirements and processes. For those young people who intend to enter the workforce either for employment or training, including those deferring, the focus is on developing the skills and materials to seek employment including updating their résumé and preparing for job interviews.

In developing their career action plan, students will focus on the strategic steps to achieving their pathway plan with emphasis on the academic, financial and individual demands of their goals. And perhaps the most difficult for them they should be able to identify experiences and activities that demonstrate their skills, abilities and attributes.

Here are a few tips that may help our Year 12 child be prepared as the transition into the next phase of their life;

Check in to see if they have updated their resume. They may struggle in being able to identify their strengths and a conversation from the people that know them the best can really help.
Have they asked 2 people to be a referee for them?
Discuss budgeting - what costs are they likely to incur and are they intending on paying for it

For students that are intending on applying for university;

Attend the university open days with them.
Explore accommodation options (if they are moving out of home to study).
Ask if they have started building their 6 preferences for their QTAC applications.
- A parent virtual event with QTAC has been organised for the Monday, 12 June 2023 6:00pm – 6:45pm and an email regarding this will be sent out early in June. This event will assist parents to understand the application process to university.

The Your Pathway Team will support our Year 12 students throughout the rest of the year with transition into full-time employment, rolling their SBA into a full-time apprenticeship, applying of university, scholarships available to them, early entry applications and answer any questions they have. We encourage them to enjoy their last year of secondary education and reflect on their journey and growth here at Mary Mac.

Jen Stevenson and Christie Mastin-Richardson
The Your Pathway Team

Our grade 11 camp was a great way to get away from assessments for the week and reset as a cohort. Apex Camp Twin Waters provided the opportunity to gain experience surfing, hand-reel fishing and stand-up paddleboarding with friends. Leadership activities allowed us to make new relationships with different people and understand how we can grow as future leaders of the school. The second day saw a mud pit that required the teamwork we had learned throughout, and by the end, everyone was grateful to have made it through with the help of friends. During the afternoon, we had the opportunity to swim at the beach, a five minutes walk from the campgrounds. That night’s bonfire, and the high ropes course the next day, was a good way to end the experience on a high note, and by the end, had set the standard of being the best camp of the senior years.

Lucy Hutchison, Katelyn Burton and Kaylea McConnell
Year 11 Students

Last Wednesday night, Mr Ryan Cavanough along with College Captain, Jezziah Berry; Formation Captain, Elise Scrivens; and Year 11 students, Rachel Williams and Chelsea Rieck, stood in solidarity with the Toowoomba community at the Domestic & Family Violence Remembrance Day March & Candle Lighting Ceremony. Below are the reflections of the four Senior students who attended the event:

Chelsea Rieck: On Wednesday night Jezziah, Rachel, Elise and I all had the privilege of standing in solidarity with the Toowoomba community about the concerning issue of Domestic Violence. May is the month of raising awareness of domestic and family violence. We arrived on the green near City Hall where we got to engage in activities such as poster painting for the march and the making of our own badges that had quotes raising awareness of the issue of domestic violence. We got to speak to many of the other students there who shared our passion of saying no to domestic violence.

Rachel Williams: At around 5:30pm, we all gathered on Ruthven Street where we marched alongside police officers, community members and survivors saying no to domestic violence. Once we finished the march we met back on the green where we heard a survivor speak about her experience and heard shocking statistics from a policeman stating that everyday police respond to 270 domestic violence calls across Queensland.

Jezziah Berry: I have never really gone to an event like this, but it was something I won’t regret. I was one of the few teenage males who were there, and it really opened my eyes to the realities of violence at home, and the stress of it all. It truly is daunting to see so many people have their own experiences with something so unnecessary. Domestic violence makes people’s lives a living hell, and the taking of an innocent woman’s life truly makes me reflect on the whole of society. As followers of Mary MacKillop, we must stand up for things like this, follow in her ways and become a living advocate for domestic violence, and many other problems in our world.

Elise Scrivens: When I sat in the audience and listened to the survivor state the characteristics of her of abuser, I struggled to hold back my tears like many of the people there. The reality is 23% of women experience domestic violence from their loved ones. For me my eyes were opened when a man had a collection of shoes lined up behind him and on a table in front of him. At first, I thought he might have been selling them to raise money for D VAC, the organisation that support women of domestic violence. But I later found out the 140 pairs of shoes laid out were the 140 women’s lives lost to domestic violence in Queensland this year. I encourage you all to keep the victims of domestic violence in your prayers throughout the month of May.

As a Catholic College in the Josephite tradition, it is important that our students do as Mary MacKillop did and seek out “the poorest and most neglected parts of God’s vineyard.” By standing in solidarity with students from other schools and the Toowoomba community to say "No!" to domestic violence, Elise, Jezziah, Rachel and Chelsea have promoted the dignity of the human person. To raise awareness of this issue with the MMCC community, these students spoke on Senior assembly on Friday to share their experience.

Elise Scrivens, Jezziah Berry, Chelsea Rieck and Rachel Williams.
Year 11 & 12 Students

The month of May marks Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in Queensland. Every year this promotion serves to remind our communities that Domestic and Family Violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The theme for 2023 is “It’s in our control to end coercive control – Love ≠ Control (Love does not equal control)”. Part of the initiative this year sees ten exceptionally brave Queenslanders share their stories as survivors of Domestic and Family Violence (coercive control among the strategies used), and how they were able to access supports to leave. Whilst these videos are confronting and viewer discretion is advised, they are also incredibly powerful and serve as a sobering reminder of the importance of us all to look out for each other, and to seek help if we are worried about friends or neighbours.

The Queensland Government, as part of their campaign, shares some useful information about what exactly coercive control is and why it has no place in a healthy relationship. They share that in a healthy relationship the partnership is equal; both people are free to share their opinions, make decisions and there is a strong sense of trust and belonging. For a perpetrator of Domestic and Family Violence; however, the relationship is about exerting their power and control over the other person. Coercive control “is a pattern of behaviour, which can be both physical and non-physical, perpetrated against a person to create the environment of fear, isolation, intimidation and humiliation”.

Domestic and Family Violence is not always overtly obvious; it can be subtle to an outsider amongst the business of today’s world, though devastating to those living in the experience. As a community, it is so important to not only acknowledge and participate in the yearly campaign events, but to make small but powerful changes in this space. Therefore, we are challenged to:

Learn more about the different forms of domestic and family violence to help us notice any warning signs in relationships around us.

Talk about it to take away any stigma around the topic.

Promote attitudes that respect and equality between the genders.

Model appropriate behaviours and challenge those who seek to dismiss violent behaviours or blame the victim.

Finally, there are lots of resources and contacts for support in this area and it is important that we can share this information with those who may need it. Some are listed below, all of which are free and confidential:

Emergency (Police or Ambulance) – 000

Women’s 24 Hour Helpline (DV Connect) – 1800 811 811

Men’s 24 Hour Helpline (DV Connect) – 1800 600 636

Family and Child Connect – 13 32 64

Immigrant Women’s Support Service – 07 3846 3490

For more information go to DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE Prevention Council

Leah Moffett
Guidance Counsellor - Senior School

Please see below week 4, 5 and 6 Positive learning behaviours.

Touch base with your child and see how they are going with each behaviour. E.g.,

"What did you discuss in science today?"

"How did you use the feedback you were given to improve your writing?"

"When it got hard in reading today, what did you do?"

"What strategies did you use when you were in the learning pit?"

"Did you see any rubbish in the playground today? What did you do?"

"Did you lose any of your belongings at school today? How could you ensure it doesn't happen again?

Week	Prep - 2	Year 3 - 6
4	HEART - Contribute to ideas and discussion	HEAD - Use Feedback
5	HEART - Show Persistence	HEAD - Use growth mindset
6	HANDS - Show respect for belongings at school	HEAD - Use a growth mindset

It is important to engage in these topics with your children. It shows that you value them and are interested in their learning.

Mrs Natalie Adler
Acting Assistant Principal Wellbeing

This year MMMC have 4 teams participating in the Kokoda Challenge 18km school teams event. On Saturday, June 3rd, 16 students and 4 team leaders, will trek 18km through the Brookfield Recreation Reserve to raise funds for the Kokoda Youth Foundation’s life changing Youth Programs.

Kokoda challenges are focused on getting young Australians to engage with the Kokoda values of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. The Kokoda Youth Foundation (KYF) supports Australians by inspiring them to do extraordinary things. Through hiking endurance events, students challenge themselves both physically and mentally, which works towards building a growth mindset.

This is a team event requiring all team members to stay together, or the team will be disqualified. We have been training hard on Sunday afternoons at various places locally including Highfields Falls and Jubilee Park.

You can support our team in The Kokoda Challenge and Kokoda Youth Foundation in their mission to change lives by making a tax-deductible donation. Simply visit Kokoda Challenge. Search for one of our teams and donate.

Team 1 - Mary Mac Silver	Team 2 - Mary Mac Blue	Team 3 - Mary Mac Senior	Team 4 - Mary Mac Gold
Drew Davies	Steve Thomas	Emma Farrow	Carmen Campbell
Piper York	Ashley Williams	Sarah Mattocks	Jarrah Sunatwanitkul
Susannah Bullock	Connor Murphy	Bridie Mattocks	John Condon
Beckie Peters	Edward Ehrlich	Riley Cuthbert	Jayden Sunatwakitkul
May Davies	William Ehrlich	Lucy Hutchinson	Ben Chappell