Mary MacKillop Catholic College | Mary MacKillop Catholic College

As we approach the end of another successful term, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the dedication of parents and carers to our College community. In Catholic education, we are guided completely by the Canon Law of the Church. Whilst it seldom comes up in meetings, I often acknowledge its importance in the background of the big decisions. Where it is very emphatic is in the role of parents in a Catholic school. Canon 796 is a wonderful statement of what schools are, what they do, and why collaboration between a Principal and parents matters.

Can. 796 §1. Among the means to foster education, the Christian faithful are to hold schools in esteem; schools are the principal assistance to parents in fulfilling the function of education.

§2. Parents must cooperate closely with the teachers of the schools to which they entrust their children to be educated; moreover, teachers in fulfilling their duty are to collaborate very closely with parents, who are to be heard willingly and for whom associations or meetings are to be established and highly esteemed.

Thank you to those parents who found time to attend the Parent Engagement Network AGM last week. This group is the avenue for parents to support the mission of the College either as volunteers, supports for specific curriculum and staff related projects or as members of the Executive. Involvement and encouragement of the College mission is instrumental in creating a nurturing and enriching environment for our students.

I am pleased to announce the recent election of our new Executive Members. Please join me in welcoming them and offering your support as they embark on this important role.

Name	Role	Function
Gary King	Chair	Elected
Chris Gabbett	Principal	Ex officio
Tenille Dyne	Secretary	Elected
Shayne Cleary	Parent involvement in Teaching, Learning and Student Wellbeing	Elected
Gabor Kalotay	Catholic Mission, Liturgy and Community	Elected
Theresa Scrivens	Building, Solar and Income	Elected
Molly Carrigan/ Tammy Fritz	Staff Wellbeing	Elected
Father Brian Noonan	Parish Priest	Ex officio
Joan Conway	Parish Delegate	Ex officio
Elise Scrivens	Alumni President	Ex officio
Catherine Farlow	CSPQ Delegate	Elected

Many thanks - I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal

Dear MMCC Staff, Parents, and Students,

It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce myself as the Chair of the Parent Engagement Network (PEN) Association at MMCC. My name is Gary King, and like many of you, I am deeply invested in our school community, with two children currently attending—one in high school and one in primary school. As a parent, I understand the importance of fostering a supportive and engaged school environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and personally.

Beyond my role as a parent, I am actively involved in the broader Toowoomba community. I manage a training centre in Toowoomba, where I lead a hardworking and dedicated team focused on workforce development and education. I also work closely with local businesses and industry groups, including the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE), helping to strengthen opportunities in our region.

Outside of work, I am passionate about sports and the arts. As a proud dance dad, I have seen firsthand the dedication, creativity, and discipline that the arts instil in young people. I love seeing students express themselves through dance, music, drama, and visual arts, and I firmly believe in the value of fostering artistic talent alongside academic and sporting achievements. I am also heavily involved in sports, particularly rugby and touch football, where I serve as a match official and mentor. I also enjoy taking part in parkrun as a way to stay active and connect with the community.

As Chair of the PEN, my goal is to strengthen the partnership between parents, staff, and students to create a thriving school environment. We have a dedicated and hardworking team committed to supporting initiatives that enhance the student experience. Whether through fundraising, volunteering, or creating new opportunities for connection, we want to ensure that every MMCC student has access to the best possible learning environment.

I encourage every parent and guardian to get involved in the PEN, no matter how big or small the contribution. The strength of our community lies in the collective effort of engaged families and passionate educators working together for the benefit of our students. I look forward to working alongside you all to support the incredible work already being done at MMCC and to explore new ways we can contribute to the school's success.

I am always open to conversations and new ideas, so please feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss ways to get involved or share any thoughts. I look forward to meeting many of you at upcoming events and continuing to build a strong, connected MMCC community.

Mr Gary King
Chair - Parent Engagement Network Mary MacKillop Catholic College

Our hands, like our whole bodies, are amazing gifts from God and they have many daily uses. Think about how your hands have been used: to work, to give, to receive, to hurt, to love, to high-five, to communicate and express, to pray, to heal, to hit, to caress, to eat, to write, to text. There is no visible body part that does quite as much as our hands.

It’s worth reflecting on how we use the gift of our hands as we interact with our world and to carry out our vocation.

Have you ever just looked at your hands?

How do you hope for your hands to act as God’s hands?

How can you better serve and hold others with your hands?

How can you use your hands to fight for justice in your community and in our world?

How can you help others to experience God’s radically unconditional love?

How might your hands help others to peer into the eyes of God?

The motto given to this Holy Year 2025 by Pope Francis is “Pilgrims of Hope,” in the belief that the year “can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire” after years of pandemic and suffering.

Hope begins with our actions – the small and perhaps seemingly insignificant ones. In time, these actions have the capacity to multiply, as we live out the kind of discipleship modelled to us by Jesus.

Our Prep students are good examples of this. During Lent, they learn how to be "Bucket fillers", that is doing acts of kindness. This is a way to bring hope. When I visited a Prep room recently, they shared how some of the students had been bucket fillers at home. Things like 'helped unpack the dishwasher', 'said "I love you to mum when she picked me up"', and 'helped mum and dad with jobs around the house', were said as examples.

These are small acts of kindness that help someone else or say kind / loving words to make someone's day, are how we bring hope also. Everyone's bucket (our hearts) need filling everyday. How can you be a bucket filler for someone else? How do you bring hope for others?

In Colossians (3:12-14, 23-24), St Paul writes:

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.

Even though St Paul wrote this a very long time ago, it is still relevant today. We can show kindness, compassion, love, humility, and patience to others in our actions and particularly with our hands.

This week, we also celebrated the Feast of St Patrick and St Joseph. These two saints have brought hope the world by their simple actions.

St Patrick taught people about the Trinity using a shamrock leaf as well as healed people with his hands, travelling around baptising and confirming many believers. St Patrick brought hope to many.

St Joseph was a man of action and worked with his hands as a carpenter. Joseph taught Jesus his trade, and protected Mary and Jesus by fleeing Bethleham to Egypt. Joseph is a man of action with no recorded spoken parts in the bible but he brings hope with his actions.

This Lent I invite you to use your hands for small simple acts that enable others to experience hope, in a world that is increasingly becoming hope-less. Be a 'bucket filler'!

I would like to finish with a prayer from Saint Teresa of Avila:

Christ has no body but ours,

no hands, no feet on earth but ours,

ours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.

Ours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

ours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Ours are the hands,

ours are the feet,

ours are the eyes,

we are his body.

Christ has no body now but ours, no hands, no feet on earth but ours.

Ours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

Amen.

Mrs Paula O'Rourke
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity

Understanding how students learn is key to helping them succeed. Research highlights four important areas that guide effective learning:

Learning is about building long-term knowledge
Students use two types of memory: working memory (for active learning) and long-term memory (to store knowledge). By connecting new information to what they already know, students create complex mental models that support deeper understanding.
Small steps help with big learning
Working memory can only handle so much at once! Breaking new information into manageable chunks, offering guidance, and providing opportunities for practice help students absorb and retain knowledge. Some learners may need extra support based on their background or skills, and that’s okay—everyone learns at their own pace.
Mastery takes time and effort
With guidance, meaningful tasks, and plenty of practice, students can strengthen their knowledge and confidently apply it to solve problems. This foundation of connected knowledge helps foster critical thinking and creativity.
Engagement is essential for learning
For learning to stick, students need to focus on the material and be actively involved. A positive and supportive classroom environment, where teachers respond to individual needs, helps students feel engaged and ready to thrive.
Here are some practical tips for parents to support their child’s learning journey:

1. Create a Consistent Routine

- Encourage regular study times in a quiet, well-lit space.

- Set bedtime routines to ensure your child gets plenty of rest—sleep is crucial for memory and focus.

2. Foster Curiosity and a Love of Learning

- Encourage questions and exploration—learning isn’t limited to the classroom!

- Share books, puzzles, or educational games that match their interests.

3. Break Tasks into Manageable Chunks

- Help your child divide larger assignments into smaller steps.

- Praise their progress as they tackle each step to keep them motivated.

4. Be a Cheerleader for Effort, Not Perfection

- Celebrate hard work and perseverance, not just results.

- Normalize mistakes as part of learning and encourage them to try again.

5. Stay Engaged

- Show interest in their schoolwork—ask about what they’re learning and their favourite subjects.

- Attend school events, parent-teacher meetings, and communicate regularly with their teachers.

6. Model Healthy Habits

- Set an example by showing your own love for learning, like reading, trying new hobbies, or solving problems.

- Encourage healthy eating, exercise, and screen-time limits to support focus and energy.

7. Teach Time Management

- Help your child prioritize tasks and plan their week.

- Use calendars, student diary or checklists to keep track of homework, projects, and activities.

8. Support Their Emotional Wellbeing

- Build their confidence by reminding them of their strengths.

- Ensure they feel safe to express their worries or frustrations, and offer reassurance when things feel tough.
These steps can empower parents to be active partners in their child’s education while fostering a positive and supportive learning environment at home.

Mrs Natalie Adler
Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning P-12/ P-2 Phase Leader

Work Experience

If your student has not completed a work experience agreement you will, as parents along with students, have received an email reminder. Agreements need to be in and contact with employees should have been made. Please email or return the agreement once completed to higyourpathway@twb.catholic.edu.au or the Pathways office.

Please remember that there is NO school for Year 10 in Week 10 Term 1 due to students attending Work Experience, even if they are attending Work Experience on the holidays.

Year 11 and 12 students interested in an SBA please keep an eye out for emails regarding opportunities from Your Pathway team.

Thinking about University or further education?

There are a number of ways to access scholarships.

Scholarships can be for Academic Achievement, All-rounder achievement, Community Service, Disability, Entrepreneurship, Family/Domestic Violence, Financial Hardship, First in Family, First Nations, Leadership, LGBTQIA+, Neurodiverse, Refugee, Rural and Regional, Sporting Ability, Women and Youth.

Here are 7 tips for maximising your scholarship chances.

Start early

Some scholarship applications can be quite involved and need a lot of information, so it’s best to ensure you give yourself enough time to get all your documents together and can craft a quality application. Plus, the earlier you start the less likely it is you’ll miss the closing date!

Use examples

There are lots of scholarships that will probably ask you to demonstrate your skills or experience – so think of situations you’ve been in and how they might specifically apply to the scholarship you’re applying for. A great way of doing this is by using the STAR method:

Situation: Describe the situation and when it took place.
Task: Explain the task, the goal and your role.
Action: Provide details about the action you took.
Result: Talk about the results of your actions, try and use concrete numbers or evidence if possible.

Read the criteria carefully

While it might seem like a good idea to cast a wide net, you should still make sure you’re eligible for any scholarships you apply for. At the end of the day, you’ll not only be wasting the assessor’s time but your own as well.

Do some research

If the scholarship is offered or sponsored by a donor, do some research on them. Think of ways you can tie your skills and experience together with the donor’s mission or goals, and use this to your advantage. It shows you’ve gone that one step further and can make your application stand out.

Make it personal

A lot of the time, institutions will want to know a bit more about you and your motivations. It’s important to answer any questions honestly and not just say what you think they’ll want to hear. And if your personality and interests tie in with the scholarship criteria, even better – use that as a way to show why you’re most deserving of the scholarship.

Keep it relevant

Building on the point above, it’s also important to make sure you don’t spend lots of time waffling on about things that aren’t relevant to the scholarship. Addressing any eligibility criteria in a way that’s both concise and relevant is a great way to maximise your application (plus a lot of applications will have word limits you need to stick to as well).

Don’t limit yourself

There are literally thousands of scholarships out there – so give yourself the best chance of winning one and apply for as many as you can. Lots of scholarships go unawarded every year simply because people don’t apply! Don’t forget to keep point three in mind though, and make sure you’re eligible before applying.

Interested in applying for a scholarship? You can search through hundreds on our database here.

Brisbane University Tour – Griffith, UQ and QUT

Year 11 students please sign up for the Brisbane University tour on Thursday, 27 March if you are interested. Places are limited. If you cannot find the permission slip, please email higyourpathway@twb.catholic.edu.au and we will resend this to you.

Mrs Andrea Goddard (Career Development Practitioner) and Mrs Christie Richardson (Career Support Officer)

Last Friday at Senior assembly, members of our AMMA group spoke to students about three ways we want the Senior School to support Project Compassion this Lent. Our theme for our Lenten activities revolves around water, which is closely linked to the Project Compassion story of Toefuata'iga, a 13-year-old student in Samoa, who faced severe challenges and disruptions to her learning due to water scarcity.

While it might seem ironic to be focusing on water, given much of our state has had too much of it this last week, people in countries such as Samoa, Tonga and many African nations struggle to access fresh water every day.

Three Actions for Senior Students:

Fill up the Project Compassion box: Senior students have been asked to count how many taps they have in and outside of their home. For every tap, times this by 20c and bring that amount of money in next Monday, to donate the PC’s box.
Take Practical Action: All PCs have been given a laminated water droplet. On this droplet, they have been asked to write an action they will take for the environment this Lent. These actions will be displayed at the Cafe, dripping from a large image of a tap. Some of the actions PCs have committed to include: cleaning up Penola's gardens each Wednesday; turning off all electricity in the classroom when the class leaves; planting a tree and bringing in re-usable water bottles for the Containers for Change bins.
Join the MMCC team: Lastly, students were asked to consider joining the MMCC team for the "Big Walk for Water". See the information below to join. Parents are welcome too! We currently have some parents, staff and students in this team. Help us get to our goal of $1,000!

The Big Walk for Water

There are two ways for Senior students to support Project Compassion's "Big Walk for Water":

* Join the MMCC team (parents are welcome to join as well–thank you to the parents who have joined up so far!). Follow the instructions in the email sent to families in Week 7. Any student who is planning to walk or run Cross Country in Week 9 can join, share their fundraising link and earn money for Project Compassion.

* Join in and have some fun in the PC Challenges on Cross Country Day (Week 9). From 2:00-3:00pm on the afternoon of Cross Country, the AMMA group will be leading some fun water-based activities to support Project Compassion. These include:

A PC Water Bucket Relay; and
A PC Amazing Water Trivia Race

Thank you for your family's support for Project Compassion this Lent.

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

In today's digital age, mobile phones and online interactions are an integral part of our children's lives. While these technologies offer numerous benefits, they also come with challenges that parents need to navigate. If your child has social media (snapchat, facebook, instagram etc) and they are under 16 you are exposing them to risks that they are not prepared to deal with. It is safe until it isn't. This may be unpopular with your child, but we have to remember that we are their shield and sometimes need to make some decisions that they do not like. Here are some tips to help you guide your children towards responsible online behaviors and mobile phone use.

Understanding the Digital Landscape

Children today are digital natives, growing up with technology at their fingertips. It's essential to understand the platforms they use, such as social media, messaging apps, and online games. Familiarise yourself with these platforms to better guide your children.

Setting Boundaries and Expectations

Establish clear rules regarding mobile phone use. Set limits on screen time, especially during school nights and family time. Encourage your children to use their devices in common areas of the house where you can monitor their activities.

Promoting Positive Online Behaviour

Teach your children the importance of kindness and respect online. Remind them that their digital footprint is permanent and that they should think before they post or share anything. Encourage them to report any inappropriate behavior or content they encounter.

Ensuring Privacy and Security

Discuss the importance of privacy settings on social media and other online platforms. Teach your children not to share personal information, such as their address or phone number, with strangers. Use parental controls to monitor and restrict access to inappropriate content.

Encouraging Open Communication

Create an environment where your children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences with you. Encourage them to come to you if they encounter any issues or feel uncomfortable about something they see online.

Leading by Example

Model good online behavior yourself. Show your children how to use technology responsibly by limiting your own screen time and being mindful of what you share online.

Resources for Parents

There are many resources available to help parents navigate the digital world. The College has an online safety hub that we subscribe to each year, please use this resource to familiarise yourself with different platforms and access a device management tool 'Qustodio' which has a free component for all members of our community. MMCC Online Safety Hub

By staying informed and involved, you can help your children develop healthy online habits and use their mobile phones responsibly. Together, we can create a safe and positive digital environment for our children.