Term 1, Week 6, March 8

What's On @ MacKillop

Principal's Update

Over the last week, I have had the privilege of spending three days in Coffs Harbour with all the principals and priests from the Lismore Diocese. During that time we reflected on our mission as Catholic educators and how we respond to that mission. At MacKillop we are dedicated to embodying our six core values in every aspect of our endeavors and I find myself marveling at the remarkable achievements of both our dedicated staff and enthusiastic students in such a brief period.

Highlighting our value of Faith, we've joyously marked significant occasions such as our inaugural Mass and Ash Wednesday. This week, our Year 7 students experienced a narrated Mass, deepening their understanding of this celebration.

Year 7 Mass & Belonging Day

The values of community and compassion form the heart of our connections, fostering a positive sense of belonging. Currently, we are in the process of refining our Pastoral Care structure. To ensure all voices are heard, parents and students have been emailed a survey and I encourage all to respond as we value your input in our decision making.

The value of Excellence was highlighted at our recent assembly, where Mrs. Palin, Mr Jones, Mr Peck and Mrs Grey outlined the myriad enrichment opportunities awaiting our students at MacKillop. Mrs Denham also celebrated this value acknowledging everyones efforts from the swimming carnival. A special congratulations to those students who earned age champion or runner-up titles, and to the triumphant Flinders House.

Our staff has also actively participated in professional development, delving into areas such as data analysis, and fostering a sense of belonging. These endeavors reflect our unwavering commitment to embedding our core values and continuous improvement.

On another note, here are a few reminders: Learning Conversations for Years 7 - 12 can now be booked through Compass. I encourage all parents to attend with their child. Details are in this newsletter. 

We have noted over the past few weeks that some students are messaging their parents to come and collect them if they are feeling unwell. Our procedure is that students are asked to let their teacher know and report to the front office,  not to text or email their parents directly. We seek your support in this, as our process is designed to minimise disruption to the lesson and is in line with our phone policy.

Christine Harmer
Acting Principal

Attendance - Compass

Currently, we have a high volume of parents and carers using the Compass app to successfully submit attendance notes and respond to SMS requests when your students are absent. We ask that for any partial absences (late arrivals, early departures) that you know of ahead of time, you call the front office to notify our friendly staff and not enter them into Compass before the partial absence occurs. 

Similarly, please do not alter attendance notes' start and finish times sent via SMS for unexplained absences. The attendance note you are completing and submitting is for the duration of the absence, not the time you are submitting the note. Compass automatically has the school day times or the late arrival auto-filled. 

If you want to submit any attendance information or notifications and are unsure how to access these actions in the Compass App, please ensure you email pmac-attendance@lism.catholic.edu.au, and we will do our best to assist you. 

Assistant Principal - Mission

We pray for all the people who make things. We thank God for their skills. May our support of Project Compassion help people worldwide find the opportunity to use their talents to support their families and communities. Lord, hear us.  

Change can certainly be frightening. It can also be an occasion of great hope. Jesus seems to have understood this. Nicodemus comes across as a character looking for change in his life, but he is nervous about it, so he comes to see Jesus under the cover of darkness. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus uses the image of being born again of starting all over again. It is a dramatic description of change.  

Jesus says that the light has come into the world and that people prefer the same old darkness. They are set in their ways.  

Every Lent, through Project Compassion, Caritas Australia asks us to help bring light into the world and to make positive change. An example is presented to us this week in the story of Memory, a young woman from rural Malawi, the eldest child in a family living at the level of subsistence farming.  

Today, the letter to the Ephesians reminds us that every person is ‘God’s work of art.’ God is the artist who never signs off on a painting but is always trying to make it better. Perhaps we can see the world in the same way. 

Peter Murphy
Assistant Principal Mission

Years 7-12 Learning Conversations

On Monday, March 11 (Week 7) and Wednesday, March 20 (Week 8), we will hold Learning Conversations in the College Hall on the junior site from 3.30pm–7.00pm for families with children in Years 7-12. 

This is an opportunity for parents and carers to put a face to the name of their child’s teachers and share any knowledge they feel would strengthen our partnership. 

As per all conversations about our students’ learning, we encourage your child to attend the evening. These interviews are part of the critical process of our students gaining the most from their schooling. They allow parents and teachers to meet to ensure open and collaborative communication, which assists students in their learning and growth as young men and women. 

Daniel Blackman, Leader of Inclusion and Diversity, will be available for families with students in Years 7–10 if you wish to book an appointment (20-minute timeslots). He can discuss any diagnosis your child may have and the options for in-class adjustments, intervention programmes, or co-curricular activities. Chantelle Seears, Inclusion and Diversity Team will also be available for families with students in Years 10–12 (10-minute timeslots from 6.00pm-7.00pm). 

In addition to class teachers, Jo Pilgrim, our Leader of Careers and Pathways, will be available for career discussions with students in Years 9–12 only (10-minute timeslots). 

Please note that we will use COMPASS again this year as our platform to make bookings. 

Once bookings open in Compass on the afternoon of Friday, March 1, please use the following instructions on how to use the Conference Booking section on either a desktop or phone:

Conferences - Making a Booking

Conferences - Making a Booking on the Mobile App

Bookings will close on Friday, March 8 at 5pm, for Monday, March 11, and Monday, March 18 at 3pm, for Wednesday, March 20. No bookings can be made after the closure time. 

Interviews are strictly 5 minutes, and spaces are limited. If you require more time, don't hesitate to contact teachers directly to make alternative arrangements.

If these dates do not suit you or your child’s teacher is unavailable, I encourage you to contact your child's teacher (by phone or email).

Adam Kelly
Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

NAPLAN

In Weeks 7 and 8 of this term, all Year 7 and Year 9 students will sit NAPLAN. These tests assess the literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the format of the tests before the NAPLAN test window. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is not about passing or failing but about assessing learning progress. The best approach to preparing your child for NAPLAN is encouraging them to do their best on the day.

For your planning and to ensure all students attend school and arrive on time, please see the times below for our tests.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact Michael Peck (Acting Leader of Curriculum and NAPLAN Coordinator) via email michael.peck@lism.catholic.edu.au or by phone via the College Office 6583 2632.

Michael Peck
Leader of Curriculum

NSW School Vaccination Program 2024

UPCOMING VACCINATIONS

Term 1—Thursday, April 4 

• Year 10 Nimenrix (meningococcal ACWY)
• Year 11 Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY) (catch up)
• Year 8 HPV and Boostrx (catch up)

Term 2: Year 7 Monday, June 17, and Tuesday, June 18.

If your child is in Year 7 or Year 10 this year, you can now provide online consent for their routine school vaccinations. 

In Year 7, students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV). In Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine. 

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.

HOW TO PROVIDE CONSENT

1.    Visit: https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage
2.    Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver's licence. If you don't have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
3.    Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
4.    Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:

a)  Enter your child's personal details
b)  Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
c)  Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement. Translations are available in 27 languages
d)  Provide consent

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper­based consent form directly from your child's school. 

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination. 

If you require information in your language, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/imrnunisation/Pages/school vaccination language.aspx

Collection Notice for parents/guardians 2024 Student Residential Address and Other Information

The Australian Government requires schools to provide information about students and residential addresses each year. 

Attached is a letter from the Australian Government which provides more information about the purpose of the collection and how the information will be used. You are not required to do anything; however, if your address has changed and you have not notified us, be sure to get in touch with us urgently to update these details. 

For more information, please visit the SchoolsHUB Address Collection help and support page.

Busways Notices

School Bus and Route Service Changes

Due to the upcoming closure of Emerald Dr at Ocean Dr, Port Macquarie, multiple School Bus and Route Service changes will be commencing Monday, March 4 2024. Detailed information regarding how these changes will impact students' travel to and from your School is noted in the letters below.

The attached letters will be distributed to students on the affected Busways service.

PLEASE NOTE: the completion of these works is weather dependent however, when completed a traffic switch will occur resulting in the closure of Matthew Flinders Dr at Ocean Dr, therefore additional changes to services may be required of which Busways will provide further notification for students, parents, and School administrators.

For additional information, please refer to your school timetabled services at https://www.busways.com.au/nsw/school-services/school-timetables and select the link adjacent to your school’s name; “New timetable | 04 March 2024”, we have also attached a copy for your convenience. 

Alternatively, you can contact Busways Customer Service on 1300 692 929 or infoline@busways.com.au.

BE BUS AWARE

Our school bus operator, Busways, is reminding all road users, parents, and students to ‘be bus aware’ as part of Transport for NSW’s Bus Safety Week campaign, running February 19–25.

Bus Safety Week, part of the ‘Be Bus Aware’ campaign, sees governments, bus operators, and emergency services raise awareness about the importance of being safe in and around buses and spread the message to ‘Be Bus Aware’.

The initiative provides a timely reminder to parents to have a talk with their children about bus safety; to motorists when giving way to buses; to pedestrians to make sure they are aware of their surroundings; and to cyclists to ensure they can see where buses are. We all have a part to play in bus safety.

The ‘Be Bus Aware’ campaign has been developed with input from Bus NSW, NSW Police, and Transport for NSW. 

For more information on bus safety or to learn about Transport for NSW’s ‘Be Bus Aware’ campaign, visit https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/be-bus-aware/ or visit the Busways website at https://www.busways.com.au/. 

Wellbeing

Beyond Blue publishes a variety of data in regard to the incidence and prevalence of mental health issues among the Australian population on their website and in publications. Most of us are aware of the alarming trends in mental health, particularly among our young people.

As a result of the ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020–21), Beyond Blue reported that almost one-fifth (19.9%) of all young people aged 11–17 experience high or very high levels of psychological distress—emotional suffering characterised by symptoms of depression (e.g., loss of interest, unhappiness, desperateness) and anxiety (e.g., restlessness, feeling tense).

Young people can exhibit a variety of behaviours when they experience these types of symptoms, while some are able to “mask” or hide the symptoms they are experiencing. As teachers, adults, and carers, we are charged with a responsibility to communicate, recognise, and support our young people, and this is vital when mental health concerns are evident. Open communication, access to health services, and exercise programmes are all great support strategies, while education and self-support are just as valuable. Strategies to empower young people to support themselves when they experience psychological distress are crucial.

A colleague of mine recently introduced to me a great little resource called Mindfulness Cards by Journey to Wellness: https://www.journeytowellness.online. A collection of simple self-help strategies young people can practice that focus on breathing, grounding, and soothing. Providing young people access to these strategies when they are in distress may allow them to find a simple tool to manage their emotions. The more we can educate and upskill our young people in this space, the more confident and empowered they will be in managing their behaviour and emotions.

Warren Lorger
Leader of Wellbeing: Behaviour Support

Year 7

YEAR 7 SAUSAGE SIZZLE

The Year 7 Sausage Sizzle was a pleasant afternoon, with parents, students, and teachers coming together to connect and continue building a sense of belonging and community. Thank you to all our families who were able to attend.

YEAR 7 MASS AND BELONGING DAY

The Year 7 Mass and Belonging Day was a great success, with students, their families, and staff coming together to ensure everyone in the cohort recognised and valued every person’s need to belong. Students participated in a narrated Mass at St Agnes’ Parish Church before returning to MacKillop, where they spent some time in their PC, immersed in various activities focusing on belonging. Year 7 students are to be congratulated on their participation on the day. It was great to see everyone getting involved in the day.

EVENTS COMING UP

Easter Egg Raffle

We hold an Easter Egg Raffle each year, with proceeds from the raffle going to Caritas. Caritas is an Australian charity working worldwide to end poverty and injustice. We kindly ask Year 7 students and families to donate Easter eggs for this raffle. These Easter eggs can be brought into PC each morning in the lead-up to the raffle that will be held in Week 8. Thank you to those who have already brought in Easter eggs for this. 

Learning Conversations

Learning Conversations are on Monday, March 11 (Week 7) and Wednesday, March 20 (Week 8). These are an opportunity for parents to put a face to the name of their child’s teachers and share any knowledge that they feel would strengthen that partnership. 

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is fast approaching in Weeks 7 and 8. In the lead-up to the tests, we would appreciate your support in ensuring that your child:

• Completely shut down and restart their device the night before to allow for any updates to take place on their device;
• Bring their earphones to listen to the audio aspects of the tests. (preferably corded, not wireless);
• make sure they have downloaded and installed the NAPLAN lockdown browser, 
• fully charge their device and potentially bring a charger to top up power if needed.

TIPS FOR PARENTS OF YEAR 7

Here are the final instalments in a series of Year 7 parent flyers with information that will help you ensure a successful transition for your child into secondary school.

Starting Secondary School: Attendance

Parental advice: posting images

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award:

LoPC Awards: Tom Abell, Adrienne Arce, Harry Attwells, Maja Baker, Stephanie Banham, Harrison Bemmann, Ellis Bibel, Harrison Blackman, Patrick Blackman, Mia Bringans, Grace Broderick, Christopher Bullock, Judd Charet, Stella Clark, Erika Collins-Jones, George Conway, Madeleine Cooley, Sonny Cowan, Liam Cox, Bronte Cross, Tahney Cross (x2), Piper Cross, Xavier Dare, Johnny Davidson, Amelia Dekker, Alice Eakin, William Ebbs, Drew Evans, Salvador Fairley, Jack Fennell, Hugh Francis Borja, Callum Galleghan, Hayden Gardner, Elliott Geddes, Julian Geddes, Harvey Gosling, Stephanie Gould, Elise Grein, Hamish Guihot, Maddox Hamlin, Angus Hawkes, Paige Heery, Chelsea Hodges, Declan Jones, Charley Kaddatz, Nathan Keane, Airlie Kearns, Reuben Lucey, Maria Mariott Mariucci, Bethany Martin, Eliana Martino, Julius  McNee, Lily Meredith, Keira Moore, Sonny Nasso, Alina O'Brien, Milly Osborne, Levi Pees, Flynn Pociask, Nikita Poltorasky, Jacob Pope, Grace Pulham, Thomas Robb, Hannah Ryan, Benjamin Ryan, Akshara Sanaw, Isla Scaysbrook, Max Schneider, Macey Singh, Shylah Tattersall, Charles Trotter, Amelia Varcoe, Layla Ward & Edith White.

Ryan Adams
Year 7 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 8

Finding Happiness in Making Others Happy

Our Year 8 theme asks our students to consider the Golden Rule of treating others how they would like to be treated. We unlock the door to a harmonious and supportive learning environment by embracing this age-old principle. By adopting this philosophy, we nurture a culture where respect, compassion, and consideration become the cornerstones of our interactions.

It is clear that many students are already on this path, and, as a PC team, we strive to continue this journey with them. 

We are into our LENT season, and as a school community, we support Project Compassion.

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s main annual fundraising campaign. It mobilises Australians to raise much-needed funds to help alleviate poverty, promote justice, and uphold dignity in the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in the world. Project Compassion is an extraordinary demonstration of the faith, empathy, and generosity of its supporters.

During Week 7, Year 8 will participate in our next PC challenge, a coin line! Please encourage your young person to bring in coins in an effort to raise money for this great cause.

Congratulations

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award:

LoPC Awards: Mikayla Adams, Samrina Adhikari, Mira Arnold, Charlton Arrighi, Grace Ashton, Liam Ayres, Kayla Bayer, Connor Bridle, Millie Byrne, Lily Castiglioni, Sonnie Chippendale, Callum Clancy, Ruby Comer, William Coombes, Ruby Cramp, London Curtis, Tyler Dickson, Harrison Ebbs, Aidan Esson, Talani Fuller, Riley Garel, Ashton Gillespie, Lucy Giudicelli, Sienna Goldie, Bailey Haste (x2), Leela Hill, Josette Hoffman, Wilson Huang, Gia Hudson, James Hunt, Tia Judge, Maxwell Karam, Milla Kelly (x2), Evie Kuchling, Oliver Laundry, Tobi Lawler, Willow Lewis, Joshua Lloyd, Gene Lucas, Nicholas Maetzig, Dominic Mamo, Rocky Mann, Isla McNeil, Aidan Miles, Jeremy Mills, Georgie Mulder, Taylor Munday, Amelie Obeid, Maya Perry, Edie Porter, Taj Ramsey (x2), Remi Rooney, Liam Ryals, Zali Santos, Jakob Schmidt, Nikki Seears, Tom Sharman (x2), Tilly Sinclair, Andrew Slavin, Maxine Smith, Lenny Spitzer, Kalani Taylor, Mark Temple, Tyler Temporale, Tahlia Thompson, Evie Thomson, Zoe Townsend, Mackenzie Trimmer, Nathaniel Walsh, Jaysen Wei, Isabella White, Maya Williams, Cody Williams & Locke Williamson.

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

Best wishes.

Adam O’Brien
Year 8 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 9

As we’re approaching the halfway mark in Term 1, I wanted to check in and ask how your child has found their first few weeks back. The reason I ask is because I know that for some, this is when the overwhelm starts to set in. 

The novelty of a new school year fades quickly, and in its place come homework and assessment tasks. And if they don’t have the right routines or habits in place, it starts to get on top of them. 

Having a goal and having a system: 

Having a goal for each subject is a good way to focus attention on the things that are important. It allows us to create a vision of how we would like our lives to be. When we have a goal, we tend to increase the amount of time and effort we spend on an activity and develop effective strategies to achieve that goal. 

Having a system can help streamline processes to meet our specific goals. 

Systems help students keep on top of their tasks and may include:

A visual record of events and tasks shows what is coming up and when.

A plan of tasks to do, when these need to be done, and how long it will take. 

Year 9 students have been asked to record homework and assessment tasks on their dashboard in Compass-My Tasks or write them in a diary. Parents and carers should be able to see the tasks and help them plan their time to work towards completing them. 

I would be lost without my diary that maps out my tasks each week, and it is satisfying to tick off when these tasks are done. I am sure parents and carers also appreciate your systems at work and feel a sense of accomplishment. Likewise, we need to teach our young people how to stay organised and manage their lives and schoolwork.

Attached here is a copy of a weekly planner students can print out and use to map out their week.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Programme for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.

As students progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing, and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents and carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities, and governments with information about how education programmes are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

Your child will do the NAPLAN tests online in the Junior College Hall.

Please refer to the slides your child has been informed about for preparation:

UPCOMING Year 9 Assessment

Details of assessments are located on the College Moodle site.

Week 7

• English IC Monday, 11 March Periods 1-2 College Hall
• Visual Arts: Evidence of Learning
• NAPLAN IC (Wednesday–Friday) College Hall

Week 8

• NAPLAN IC Monday, College Hall

Wed-Fri Catch-ups

• Elective History: IC P5 Wednesday, 20 March
• Dance IC P5 Thursday, 21 March

Week 9

• Religious Education IC EOL Scheduled Lesson During the Week
• Child Studies HI Tuesday, March 26
• Commerce HI Wednesday, March 27
• Easter Service P1 Thursday, March 28
• Good Friday, March 29

Week 10

• Easter Monday, April 1
• PDHPE IC: Scheduled lesson during the week
• Science IC Thursday, April 4
• Mathematics IC Fri, 5 April

Although looking ahead, it is also worthwhile to remember and celebrate the good times, such as the spirit Year 9 demonstrated at the swimming carnival.

Congratulations

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award:

LoPC Awards: Isaac Archer, Eliana Ballard, Diarmuid Barltrop, Lucas Boath, Scarlet Brooke, Samuel Browne, Oliver Bryant, Evie Bullen, Ethan Carey, Meela Castle, Max Choi, William Clark, Leeann Clint, Blaze Colthorpe, Dasha Cressida Bayot, Saoirse Crinion, Ayla Cross, Grace Dahlenburg, Flynn Daly, Preston Davis, Xavier Dunn, Jesse Gluyas, Patrick Green, Abigail Heal, Amelia Heery, Julia Helena Streegan, Gracie Huxley, Caitlyn Inman, Madeline Innes, Dylan Keane, Jake Keegan, Eleanor Letters, Poppi Maltman, Poppy Mason, Ewan McAllister, Rocco McCallum, Jack McGrath, Tahlia-Lucy Merrett-Sivell, Darcy Middleton, Jessica Moore, Arliah Morris, Ruby Napier, Neave O'Brien, Eli O'Bryan, Maici O'Keefe, James Owen, Keegan Pope, Mylee Roach, Lillian Robertson, Bailey Rowlatt, Lacey Ryan, Noah Sanders, Aiden Scarff, Benjamin Spencer, Ashleigh Strong, Jesse Taylor, Kate Thompson & Nyah Villagran-Eichmann.

Nicole O’Connell
Year 9 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 10

RETREAT

As we hit the midway point of the term, our attention turns to the Year 10 Retreat organisation. This is a reminder that we have four retreats across two fantastic venues. The dates are as follows, and attendance is compulsory:

• Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 March; OR 
• Wednesday, March 27; Thursday, March 28.

If students cannot attend, this must be approved by the acting Principal, Christine Harmer. Please note that your child is not required to be at school during the alternate retreat. 

This week, students will be getting organised into groups, and the retreat they will attend will be allocated. 

REMINDERS

A few areas continue to raise concerns and, in some cases, fall short of the college's expectations. 

Firstly, please ensure that hairstyles meet the Code of Presentation. For boys, this usually relates to the sudden and distinct changes in length of hair. Particular hairstyles that need to be avoided (not limited to) are mullets and skin fades.

Aerosol usage and spraying on deodorant are not permitted at school. This presents a range of health risks and triggers for other students. It is recommended that students use an antiperspirant or roll-on deodorant so that continual application is not required at school.

Mobile phones: Please ensure that all contact is made through the appropriate channels, which is by calling the administration office at 6583 2632. Contacting your child directly should not occur and should be avoided; they should not have access to their phones at school. 

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the following students who received a Leader of Pastoral Care award:

LoPC Awards: Daniel Allen, Jesse Andrews, Luke Arnold, Hailie Attwells, Myles Baker, Tane Bartlett, Riley Bates, Audrey Blake, Zora Boskovski, Zayne Cloake, Eli Collins, Marli Connerty, Corbin Day, Poppy Finch, Sophie Gallagher, Lenni Gosling, James Gunn, Jasper Hall, Cohen Harris, Angelina Harrison-Park, Jack Healey, Lucy Hope, Gabriella Horan Juzenas, Lane Jordan, Connor McAusland, Ellen McManus, Leandre Menelet, Ruby Menin, Micaela Mitchell, Marley Nasso, Noah Nelson, Angus Oakeshott, Tully Paterson, Amelia Queripel, Lucy Randall, Ume Ryan, Janaye Singh, Savannah Sivell, Kye Smith, Jorja Smith, Catalina Toth, Austin Watson, Maddison Whitton-Howell, Estelle Williams, Pippa Wilson, Lara Woolfe, Audrey Woolnough, Oliver Wootton & Annalise Wright.

Tom Salter
Year 10 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 11

Elevate: Time Management

Last week, Year 11 had a study seminar presented to them by Elevate Education. The focus was on time management, which will address the second most common question: “Once I know what to do, how do I find the time to do it?” Students have busy lives, and, for most, the challenge is simply finding time to get the work done.

Some points and skills covered: 

• Elements of time management.
• Finding Time: Creating a Weekly Planner.
• Prioritising: Zone of Demand vs. Zone of Marks. What kind of work do I just need to do to get by, and what kind of work do I need to do to increase my marks?
• Creating a study group.
• Reasons for Procrastination: Possible Solutions.

Respectful Relationships: Your Choicez

Year 11 was also privileged to have Katie and David Kobler from Your Choicez speak to them about respectful relationships. The year group was split into boys and girls’ seminars, where they were able to explore in a more comfortable environment what a happy, healthy, and safe relationship looks like.

“Every young person should know what makes a happy, healthy, respectful relationship. Every young person should have the opportunity to consider their choices around relationships, dating, sexting, pornography, and sex. Our hope is that we can provide an opportunity for every young person to do this.”

David and Katie Kobler, Your Choicez

You Choose: Youth Road Safety

With thanks to Coastline Credit Union, we have Melissa McGuinness, from YOU CHOOSE—Youth Road Safety, coming to speak to our Year 11 and 12 students about Australia’s youth-led mission to change driving culture.

In 2012, YOU CHOOSE founders Melissa and Peter McGuinness's 18-year-old son, Jordan, made driving choices that caused the loss of four innocent young lives. Jordan also died in the crash. Since 2017, the programme has been facilitated for approximately 200,000 teens. The McGuinness’ are recipients of numerous industry and civic awards, including Melissa's 2 x Qld Australian of the Year runner-ups (2021 and 2022) and Peter's Emerging Leader of the Year Award for Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits (2022).

We acknowledge that some students may find aspects of the content confronting; however, we believe that it is important to introduce students to real-life lessons and to a mission for change that they can take immediate personal accountability for.

The talk will take place on Thursday, March 14, from 9:00 –11.00am in the Lochinvar Centre. Students are required to wear the correct uniform for that day and bring the required equipment for classes in Periods 3-5.

For more information, please visit www.youchooseyrs.org.au.

ANCIENT HISTORY FUN

Year 11 has been learning about the ancient past by examining sites and sources, and today, to initiate their Ancient Human Remains unit, they engaged in a hands-on historical enquiry activity looking at a range of 'remains' including Otzi the Iceman, the Siberian Ice Maiden, Tollund Man, Windeby II, Tutankhamun, and Huldremose Woman. In pairs, students had to examine the' remains', complete a profile on each body, and use the evidence of clues to create their report. They reported on the circumstances of each body's discovery, excavation, preservation, and forensic analysis, and then students had to theorise possible causes and motives for death. Excellent historical enquiry skills were displayed, and all students found the activity engaging and fun. 

A special big thank you to Jess Inglis and Gabriella Domin for creating the 'remains' and putting in hours of preparation for this engaging and unique activity. 

Daniel O’Dell
Year 11 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 12

Elevate Education

The team from Elevate Education recently guided our students through some study skills tips to help them stay on top of their hectic schedules. Included among the wonderful pointers were a few gems:

• Start preparing at least three weeks out from an assessment task:
  • Week 1: Finish your notes;
  • Week 2: Memorise everything you need to:
  • Week 3: Practice papers only;
• Have a goal for each assessment and a plan.
• Use your teachers to help you identify where you lost marks in the past.
• Learn from the people who are better than you.
• Get an exam routine.
• Manage your pre-exam stress with breathing exercises.
• Ration your time well for the exam.

All students have notes from this activity and hopefully have added some of these tips to their repertoire of habits.

You Choose: Youth Road Safety

Thanks to Coastline Credit Union, Melissa McGuinness from YOU CHOOSE—Youth Road Safety will speak to our Year 11 and 12 students about Australia’s youth-led mission to change driving culture.

In 2012, YOU CHOOSE founders Melissa and Peter McGuinness's 18-year-old son, Jordan, made driving choices that caused the loss of four innocent young lives. Jordan also died in the crash. Since 2017, the programme has been facilitated for approximately 200,000 teens. The McGuinness’ are recipients of numerous industry and civic awards, including Melissa's 2 x Qld Australian of the Year runner-ups (2021 and 2022) and Peter's Emerging Leader of the Year Award for Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits (2022).

We acknowledge that some students may find aspects of the content confronting; however, we believe that it is important to introduce students to real-life lessons and to a mission for change that they can take immediate personal accountability for.

The talk will take place on Thursday, March 14, from 9.00 – 11.00am in the Lochinvar Centre. Students are required to wear the correct uniform for that day and bring the required equipment for classes in Periods 3-5.

For more information, please visit www.youchooseyrs.org.au.

Lions Club Youth of the Year

Congratulations to Jiya Jamu, who was named the Port Macquarie Lions Club Youth of the Year this week.

All Port Macquarie schools are invited to nominate an admirable representative for young Australia, and MacKillop College nominated Jiya.

Jiya underwent a 40-minute interview with a panel of Lions Club members and was then asked to prepare a five-minute speech to present to the entire club on Wednesday night. Jiya was inspired by her advanced English lessons to speak to humankind about the importance of storytelling, which the judges loved. Jiya was then asked to speak on two impromptu (and therefore previously unseen) topics, which she did very well.

The Lions Club was highly impressed with Jiya's speeches, social awareness, upstanding values, and ability to communicate effectively with adults. 

Not only did the Lions Club honour Jiya with the local Youth of the Year Award, but it has put her through to the next round to compete against students from across the Mid-North Coast.

Well done, Jiya; you have made MacKillop College very proud.

Good luck in the next round, Jiya.

Bruce Smith
Year 12 Leader of Pastoral Care

Sport News

SWIMMING CARNIVALS WRAP UP

The swimming carnivals are always a great way to start the year, allowing us to come together as a school, foster house spirit, embrace a healthy camaraderie between houses, and showcase the extraordinary abilities of our many talented swimmers.

We kicked off with the senior carnival on Wednesday with an outstanding balance between competition and fun, with the grandstand resembling a sea of colour. Attendance was fantastic, with students readily leaving the grandstand to swim in the competitive races and master the famous belly-flop competition. The Junior Carnival on Thursday saw some excellent swimming, with some very tight finishes in the 16 boys, and the relay races with the teacher’s teams were a highlight. 

Credit goes to Oxley, who dug themselves out of the 4th-place graveyard and came in second place.

Also, hot off the press, Bianca Harrison is less than 1 second off qualifying for the Australian Age Championships in the 50 free, 50 breast, and 100 breast. Watch this space!

Thank you to the House Captains, SRC, Year 10 and Year 12 students who led by example and generated a great vibe. To all of the staff that ensured the carnivals ran smoothly, your efforts are appreciated. Having our Year 12 House Captains at each carnival fostered outstanding leadership and house culture.

Congratulations to Jarvis Lineham and Benjamin Hamel, who led their respective houses to victory. 

WINNING JUNIOR HOUSE INNES

WINNING SENIOR HOUSE INNES

OVERALL WINNING HOUSE FLINDERS - Congratulations to Jesse Fisher and Willis Jensen on leading Flinders to victory

Congratulations to the following students who swam exceptionally well and were awarded Age Champion or Runner Up.

JUNIOR CARNIVAL

SENIOR CARNIVAL

Swimming Age Champions 2024

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YEAR 7

Year 7 students will participate in their sport double once a fortnight. Students must come to school in their sport uniform when their timetable indicates a double sport lesson. 

Students will need to bring to school their swimmers, towel, rash shirt, and shorts (bike pants are acceptable) to participate in the Swim & Survive course at either the Wauchope or Port Macquarie pools.

Parents have received a permission note for students to participate in the course. This should have been returned.

YEAR 9

Please ensure your child has a towel, hat, rash shirt, singlet, swimmers, and shorts (bike pants are acceptable) for their swimming lessons. If your child has a wetsuit, it is recommended that the students bring it each week. 

If your child cannot participate in sports, please provide a note to your child’s sports teacher explaining why your child cannot participate. Parents received a permission note for students to participate in the course. This should have been returned.

SPORT REPORTS

NSW All Schools Triathalon

MacKillop College triathletes ventured south to the Sydney Olympic Regatta Centre in Penrith for the NSW All Schools Triathlon event. With last-minute changes to the structure of the races and the omission of the swimming leg, MacKillop students ran and rode in warm conditions with determination and grit during Wednesday's events. Jack McGrath ran through the finishing chute in 40th place out of 76 intermediate boys, closely followed by James Cockshutt in 55th place, both in their first year in this competitive category. Matilda Medlin finished in the top twenty overall in the Intermediate Girls' division, taking 18th place. Peter Field represented the college in the junior boy's division, coming in 62nd. 

The event saw team relays on the second day of competition, with the college fielding a boys intermediate team and a senior girls trio. The intermediate boys team of Jack McGrath, James Cockshutt, and Noah Pociask finished 6th out of 18 teams in the CCC category. The senior girls team of Andie McGrath, Sally Temple, and Maeve Kinchington finished the day 5th out of 13 teams in the CCC category and 14th overall.

A special thanks to Mel Cockshutt for assisting our athletes on Wednesday. 

Lee Hancock

Diocesan Touch Football Selections

U15 Diocesan Boys Touch Trials

Many MacKillop U15 boys have recently been able to represent the college at these trials. In hot and humid conditions, all boys gave 100% and played to the best of their ability in a combination of skills, drills, and games. After a rigorous programme, a possibles/probables match was arranged with many of our students involved.

Congratulations to Tobias Rowlatt, Lachlan Waters, Rafferty Gordon, Eli Hudson, Jack Franklin, and Rocky Mann on their selection into the U15 Dioceasan touch team. These boys now represent Lismore at the NSWCCC Touch Championships on the Central Coast later this term.

Congratulations to all the students involved!

Warren Lorger
Coach

On February 27, a group of dedicated students from MacKillop College participated in the trials for the Lismore Diocesan touch football teams held in Coffs Harbour. Despite the challenging weather conditions characterised by scorching heat, our students demonstrated resilience, skill, and determination throughout the trials.

We extend our congratulations to the following students who exhibited outstanding performance during the trials and have been selected to represent the Lismore Diocese at the upcoming CCC Touch Carnival scheduled for April:

• Open Girls Team: Jenna Bryan, Milla Swain, and Charlee Bailey.
• Open Boys Team: Cooper Lorger, Cruz Lewis.
• U15 Girls Team: Tilly Sinclair, Darcie Gleeson, Matilda Medlin, and Claire Morris.
• U15 Boys Team: Rafferty Gordon, Lachlan Walters, Tobias Rowlatt, Eli Hudson, Jack Franklin, and Rocky Mann.

We commend all the students who participated in the trials for their commitment and sportsmanship. Your dedication to representing MacKillop College at such a competitive level is truly commendable.

We are proud of the achievements of our students, who have been selected to represent the Lismore Diocese at the CCC Touch Carnival. Your hard work, perseverance, and passion for the sport have been duly recognised, and we have full confidence that you will represent MacKillop College with distinction at the upcoming tournament.

I wish you all the best in your preparations and endeavours ahead.

Michelle Marino
Coach

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT AND UPCOMING EVENTS

MACKILLOP COLLEGE EVENTS AND REGISTRATION

Students will complete all registrations for MacKillop College sports teams by logging into the school Moodle page. Go to the Student Links tab on the left side and click on the Representative Sports Registrations link. Click on the relevant sport and complete the Google form.

Students will be notified through the morning notices of when to sign up and when trials will occur. 

The following sports are open to all Boys and Girls in each sport to register for trial;

• Cross Country
• 11/12 Mixed Touch Football
• Hockey 
• Open’s Soccer
• Open’s Basketball
• Futsal
• Year 7-9 Soccer (Bill Turner)
• Rugby Union 10s 
• Year 11 & 12 Netball
• Year 10-12 AFL
• Netball Umpires
• Under 15s AFL

Login to Moodle. Scroll to the Student links on the left-hand side. Click on the Representative Sport link to register. Please read the Daily Notices for Trial dates and times over the next week. 

If you have any questions please see Erin Denham. 

Click on this link to register: http://moodle.pmaclism.catholic.edu.au/course/view.php?id=650

LISMORE DIOCESAN EVENTS AND REGISTRATION

Please note that the following sports are currently open for students to sign up for or register their interest in. These sports have been advertised to students through morning notices over the past week.  

Diocesan Netball Trials: The expression of Interest form is open for any girl who wishes to trial for the Under 15 or 18 Girls Diocesan Netball trials. This is a new selection process.

Students invited to the trial will travel by bus to Coffs Harbour on Friday, April 5. If successful, you will then travel to Sydney to represent the Lismore Diocese at the NSWCCC Selection trials. 

Registration link
Entries close on the 20 March.

NSWCCC & NSW All Schools Events and Registration

NSWCCC CALENDAR 2024

All individual sports registrations are completed on the CSNSW.SPORT website. The parent must have an account and add their child to have access. (Sport Registration HELP available on sport info page) SEE BELOW sports open for registration.

For further information, go to the CSNSW Sport website Sport pages. https://csnsw.sport

Students MUST be registered for the event with parent and Principal or Leader of Sport approval.

Registration is through the CSNSW.sport portal. Details on how to register – Guide For Parents – Sport Registrations >>. 

Please note all close dates are firm dates. No registrations will be permitted after the close dates.

Swimming and Touch Football registrations are through the Diocesan/Association pathways.

For further information, go to the CSNSW Sport website Sport pages. https://csnsw.sport/

NSW ALL SCHOOLS – EVENTS 

The selection for these events are a result of the NSWCCC events.

COMMUNITY SPORT 

If your child has achieved outstanding sporting results in their community sport, we would love to hear about it. Please email myself, or your child’s respective Leader of Pastoral Care, so we can acknowledge these achievements.  

If you have any questions regarding sport at MacKillop College, please do not hesitate to contact me either by email or phone at the College.

ERIN DENHAM
LEADER OF SPORT

Music News

“Music, great music, relaxes the mind, awakens profound sentiments, and is, as it were, a natural invitation to raise one’s mind and heart to God in every situation of human existence, both joyful and sad. Music can become prayer.” Pope Benedict XVI

Ensemble Attendance

Ensemble members must attend all rehearsals, performances, workshops, and special events throughout the year. As a courtesy, students are required to inform their ensemble director of any planned absences prior to a rehearsal or event. It is important that students arrive at rehearsal five minutes before the scheduled start time to ensure that time is not lost to setting up instruments. 

Understandably, there will be times when students are late to rehearsals or performances for a wide range of valid reasons. Ensemble directors and the leader of co-curricular music will always keep this in mind when discussing absences with students and parents.

Rehearsal times for all ensembles are set out in the MacKillop College Rehearsal Schedule provided. For students already enrolled in an ensemble, this information will appear in Compass.

As a courtesy, students are required to inform their ensemble director and the leader of co-curricular music in writing via email if they are no longer able to commit to membership in an ensemble. This information will assist with future planning.

Concert Band and Choir Parent Helpers

We are currently looking for parent/grandparent volunteers to provide support for the ensemble program. It might be that you currently play or sing in a local ensemble or have had previous experience at any level. Help is needed within the ensemble rehearsal to play or sing alongside other students and assist with note-taking.

If you are interested and available, could I please ask that you contact Robert Denham (Leader of Co-curricular Music) for more information.

Ensemble Rehearsal Timetable

MONDAY (Day 1/6)

TUESDAY (Day 2/7)

WEDNESDAY (Day 3/8)

THURSDAY (Day 4/9)

FRIDAY (Day 5/10)

LINKS & FORMS

Music Ensemble Sign Up Form 2024

Music Tuition Request Form 2024

Instrument Rental Agreement 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS

Youth and Family Mass

(St Agnes Church) Week 7: Sunday, March 17, 5.00pm, Collective Praise Band & Singers

CARITAS (HARMONY DAY) LUNCH CONCERT

(COLA) Week 8: Thursday, March 21, lunch 2, selected students, and ensembles

Ride the Sound Wave (Kids Concert)

(Town Beach, Port Macquarie) Week 10: Saturday, April 7, 10.00am - 12.00pm, SAPSS DRUMLINE

Please contact Rob Denham with any questions relating to the co-curricular music programme at MacKillop College.

Robert Denham
Leader of Co-Curricular Music

Canteen Update

Monday 11 March
Vanessa Aird & Michael Richards

Tuesday 12 March
Jenny Murray, Julie Tipper & Chris Pees

Wednesday 13 March
Danielle Sen Gupta, Roz Brockhurst

Thursday 14 March
Jo Sexton

Friday 15 March
Christine Brumby, Jane Keegan & Sam Harrison

Monday 18 March
Mayo Brumby
Amada lorger (Lunch 2) 

Tuesday 19 March
Vanessa Wilson & Louise Moore

Wednesday 20 March
Elizabeth Wotton  (Lunch 1)
Sarah Dahalenberg  (Lunch 2)

Thursday 21 March
Noeline Rooney
Help Please

Friday 22 March
Priscilla Turnbull, Mel Collins
Help Please

To order from the canteen:

1. Orders can be written out at the canteen (bags supplied free of charge).

2. Orders can be written out at home and handed in at the canteen.

3. Download the Qkr! app and order online.

All orders are to be in by 8:00am, please.

Please ensure when ordering online that your child year group is correct.

There is hot food available over the counter to purchase, however, to avoid disappointment it is best to order.

Please remind your child/children if you have ordered for them, and what their order is. 

If your child is sick and you have ordered, please phone the canteen (6583 2632) to arrange credit. 

Please note to change your child's year group when using the QKR! app to order lunch for 2022.

Now available: Gluten-free pies $5.00 and gluten-free sausage rolls $4.00; these items must be ordered.

Canteen Help Needed

The canteen is desperately seeking volunteers for one hour per month. No cooking, cleaning or stocking is needed, just serving our lovely students. Even if you can only do one half-hour shift it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to all of our current volunteers, we appreciate your help.

Sign up and receive a Welcome Pack (coffee voucher, chocolates, voucher for your child to use at the canteen).
Please contact Maxine at the College 6583 2632 or via email at maxine.stone@lism.catholic.edu.au 

Homework Hub

Maths Tutorials

Friday 7.45am-8.30am

Room 12 Main College with Elizabeth Robertson

Anzac Challange Program

Community News