Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

What are you grateful for?

In our fast-paced culture, it’s easy to lose perspective and focus on what others have. Social media bombards us with glimpses of others’ seemingly perfect lives, leading to feelings of envy or inadequacy. So often, we overlook the beauty and magic of our everyday lives.

Gratitude holds a special place in Catholic spirituality, and it’s more than just saying “thank you.” Gratitude, or gratia in Latin, is deeply woven into the fabric of Catholic faith. Living a life rooted in gratitude is essential for spiritual growth.

More than that though, gratitude is seen as a powerful force for mental well-being.

When we express gratitude, our brains release dopamine and serotonin—two neurotransmitters that play a crucial role in regulating our moods and emotions. These are the brain’s happiness boosters.

These chemicals can help us feel happier, more content, and less stressed. So, when you say “thank you” or take a moment to appreciate something, you’re not just being polite; you’re giving your brain a boost. Research has found that gratitude practices have remarkable effects on mental health. They reduce the risk of cardiac diseases, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. In other words, gratitude is like a soothing balm for our brains and hearts.

Imagine if there were a pill that could do all that—improve sleep, mood, immunity, and decrease depression and anxiety. Well, gratitude is like that magical pill, minus the side effects! Gratitude isn’t reserved for grand gestures or extraordinary events. It’s about appreciating the ordinary—the smell of rain, a kind word, a cozy blanket. Those little things add up to a happier, healthier mind.

Gratitude is a special virtue of justice and love. It is not transactional. It goes beyond a simple exchange of favours.

I have felt gratitude for many things this week. As ever, seeing the success of our students in the Eisteddfods as been wonderful! The Year 12 IA3 results are very solid which is pleasing, of course we are still in the afterglow of our College musical which has had a huge impact on the community. I am also very grateful that we officially blessed and opened the Emanuel Solomon Arts Precinct yesterday.

I also have huge gratitude for the Josephite Awards lunch I had with award winners yesterday. The 45 students who have received these awards have regularly and consciously supported the mission of the College by embodying the values and behaviours of St Mary MacKillop. I was proud to thank these students as culture setters in our College. I am looking forward to celebrating and rewarding again at the next Josephite Awards Lunch next term.

Thank you so much for all you do to support our mission as a College.

Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal

"Whatever troubles may be before you, accept them bravely. Do not be afraid. Love one another, bear with one another and let charity guide you all your life." (Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop)

Partnership is so important to our individual and combined success. I am sure, like me, you have been glued to CH9 and the Olympics coverage and the quote above resonates strongly with what we have witnessed. The teams behind the team or the individual are vast and often work without recognition or perceived reward - all striving for the greater good.

A powerful example of this was the pool-side interview with Molly O'Callaghan after her epic 200m Freestyle victory. As the adrenaline wore off and the emotions took over, Molly was at pains to highlight how her victory was as a result of intense and powerful partnerships: Team Australia, her coaches and fitness team, and above all her parents whom she felt were instrumental in getting her to the elevated position of Olympic Champion.

There were other tears; the Women's Rugby 7s Team were devastated by coming fourth as the USA managed to squeeze in a try and conversion in the dying seconds. However, even in the midst of despair, the Captain talked powerfully about the team rebuilding and how they had gone from 5th in Tokyo to 4th in Paris and how proud she was of the 'whole team' efforts. And what about the crazy Matilda's game against Zambia where the team found a way to overcome a 2-5 deficit to win 6-5 - only possible through substitutions (where ego needs to be left at the door) and the coaches working in partnership with one another and the team on the field to change tactics.

There was a great deal of 'love' being spoken about in all of these instances which one would expect. However, in reality we know that there will be differences of opinion, personality clashes, arguments, 'toys thrown out of the pram' at times that have to be resolved for the greater good. This is where ' bear with one another' becomes such an important part of the message to all of us.

Over the last two weeks I have been privileged to witness many outstanding examples of beautiful partnership in the College. The opening of the Emanuel Solomon Arts Precinct really highlighted the partnership between Government and Education; between the Church and Education; between College leadership and teaching staff; between teaching staff and students. As Mr Trevor Watts MP and Mr Garth Hamilton MP acknowledged in their address- what has been achieved with this building is nothing short of extraordinary given the restraints. This truly is an example of partnership at its finest.

I have also seen the 'P' manifested in many other contexts during the last fortnight. The Year 5/6 Touch Football/Netball Carnival and the Eisteddfod ensembles saw a great many individuals become teams in partnership under the Mary Mac banner. Win or lose, they did so together and in great spirit. One of the touch coaches outlined how some of the teams learnt some hard lessons in the early games and through partnership improved greatly during the course of the day. I was lucky enough to see the smiles, camaraderie and pure enjoyment of our young people and staff from simply being together, sharing together, commiserating and celebrating- together.

We have all heard the phrase, 'we're better together' and it's easy to brush it aside or pay lip-service to it. However, in all of these instances it really is true. Parents, carers, volunteers - do not underestimate the powerful and integral part you play in the collective partnership of Mary Mac College. If we can actively, humbly, and gladly seek to help one another; if we can 'bear with one another' even when we are driving one another crazy; if we can show love for one another, then win or lose we will be victorious.

Thank you for all you do.

Richard Coe
Deputy Principal

Your official role at the College:

I am a Year 1 Teacher.

What does a typical day really look like:

I am usually at school quite early to prepare lessons for the day. I spend my morning printing any resources I will need for lessons that day. I always make sure the visual daily timetable is changed to show our day, which the students check as soon as they enter the room every morning! Once the bell has gone, the students come into the classroom for our daily welcome circle and prayer and then our day is underway! The rest of the day is a whirlwind of learning from English to Mathematics, then Science and some art exploration. No day is ever the same!

Secondary School attended:

I attended Toowoomba Christen College (TCC).

What do you like about working at Mary MacKillop?

As a graduate teacher, one of the highlights about Mary MacKillop is the level of support I have received from others and the welcoming community. As a graduate it can be daunting going into your own classroom, but at Mary MacKillop the transition has been smooth, and I have felt included and supported.

What are your hobbies/Interests?

My main hobby is horse riding and has been for as long as I can remember. On weekends you can usually find me out on my family property practicing for any upcoming showjumping events.

What is the main thing you want your students to learn in the classroom?

In Year 1, everything we do in the classroom involves learning to some capacity. I believe some of the greatest learning moments don’t always occur in an English or Mathematics lesson, but during all parts of the day. Every day I seek to help my Year 1 class navigate relationships with others, themselves and learning.

Every morning, we discuss topics ranging from kindness, respect, friendships, responsibility, emotions and growth mindset… you name it! This learning then underpins everything that we do in the classroom and in life.

How is your work related to the 6 Ps?

As a Junior School teacher, you spend every day, all day, with the same students and so it is very important to build strong trusting partnerships with each student. Incorporated in this is also modelling and assisting the children to also build partnerships with one another and how we should treat each other in the partnerships that we form.

In my classroom, learning is explored through a range of hands-on inquiry learning to spark a passion for learning and show the children the possibilities that learning can bring.

As a staff cohort we have recently commenced a deep dive into the world of character strengths and how understanding this of ourselves and those around us can positively impact our wellbeing. As a College we are utilising the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) for our work in this space.

In this model there are 24 Character Strengths which are further categorised under six virtues: courage (strengths of action), humanity (strengths of the heart), wisdom and knowledge (strengths of the head), justice (strengths of community), temperance (strengths of self-control) and transcendence (strengths of meaning).

In knowing and connecting with your own ‘Signature Strengths’ – that is, the strengths or character traits which come most easily and feel most energising to you – it is more likely that you are able to feel fulfilled across a typical day by doing what aligns most to your values. It is important to remember that everyone has all 24 strengths in their character profile, just in different amounts.

Our profiles, or Signature Strengths, can also change over time as they are not fixed, but rather, are contextually mediated. That is, the strengths that energise us most when used as a high school student might not be the same as those in our top five when we are the parents of a newborn baby.

Research suggests; however, that whatever our age and stage, those who use their strengths in new ways each day for a week were happier, more confident and more resilient six months later (Seligman, Steen, Park & Peterson, 2005). Furthermore, research by Proctor, Maltby and Linley (2011) also found that having an understanding of, and then meaningfully and intentionally using our character strengths positively impacts physical and mental wellbeing.

As parents, providing your children with the understanding of the character strengths they bring to the world, as well as nurturing and celebrating these gifts, is so incredibly important and paves the way to a young person with confidence, positive self-esteem and resiliency in moments of hardship.

Kelly Aluise (n.d.), author within the VIA Institute on Character, suggests the following simple strategies:

Notice and Celebrate Strengths in Action – that is, when your child is asking an astounding amount of questions on the ten-minute drive to school, let them know how much you admire their curiosity about the world around them.
Showcase Similarities – review together with your children your character strength reports and highlight those that you have in common. From here, find hobbies or activities that activate the strengths that you share, such as learning a new sport together (teamwork, love of learning) or engaging in random acts of kindness each weekend (love, kindness).
Explore Unique Strengths – shared strengths often align with moments of connection, but unique or different strengths can provide an opportunity for learning from one another. It can also be helpful to appreciate and reflect on moments of exasperation and how these to connect with differing character strengths - author Kelly Aluise (n.d.) provides an example of “a parent high in perseverance might feel frustrated when their child quits a task” (para. 13) and asks us to consider which other strengths we might need to draw on in these times.

If you are interested in learning more about character strengths and perhaps even completing the free Strengths Survey, we invite you to visit this website:

VIA Character Strengths Survey & Character Reports | VIA Institute