Term 2, Week 4, 14th May
Upcoming Events
Week 5, Term 2 | ||
Monday 17 May | Day 1 | |
Tuesday 18 May | Day 2 | Years 7 & 9 NAPLAN |
Wednesday 19 May | Day 3 | Kirra Pendergast: Safe on Social Parent Talk, Lochinvar Centre, 6:00pm - 7:00pm Years 7 & 9 NAPLAN |
Thursday 20 May | Day 4 | |
Friay 21 May | Day 5 | Years 7 & 9 NAPLAN, Catch Ups |
Week 6, Term 2 | ||
Monday 24 May | Day 6 | |
Tuesday 25 May | Day 7 | |
Wednesday 26 May | Day 8 | National Sorry Day University of Newcastle Senior Schools Day, Newcastle Year 10 Big Science Competition |
Thursday 27 May | Day 9 | National Reconciliation Week Reconciliation Mass, College Hall, 9:00am Year 12 Biology Infectious Diseases Presentation, UNSW Port Macquarie Campus SAPSS Drumline Performance, Cassegrain Winery, 6:15pm |
Friday 28 May | Day 10 | Year 8 Maths Incursion Year 12 Excellence & Application Awards, Lochivar Hall, 2:10pm |
Principal's Update
This week, I have enjoyed chatting to many students about how they spoiled their mums and grandmothers last weekend. The sharing of meals and family time spent doing the special things that become part of family rituals seemed to be the highlight for many. I hope all of our MacKillop mums and grandmothers had a wonderful day.
Below is a beautiful Mother's Day prayer shared in last week’s Parish News.
Mother’s Day Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for adopting us into your family
through the miracle of your grace,
and for calling us to be brothers and sisters to each other.
Today loving God, we pray for all women:
who cared for us when we were helpless,
who comforted us when we were hurt,
whose love and care we often took for granted.
Today we pray for: those who are grieving the loss of their mother,
those who never knew their biological mother,
those who have experienced the wonder of an adopted mother’s love,
the families separated by war or conflict.
Lord, give them special blessings. Keep us united with you and with each other,
so that we can become all that we are meant to be. Amen.
CELEBRATING 200 YEARS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION
This year we celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia. On Monday, 24 May the College Captains and I will have the privilege of representing the MacKillop community at the 200 Year celebration Mass being held in St Carthage’s Cathedral Lismore.
You too will have the opportunity to be a part of the nationwide Mass live streamed from St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. Below is a short extract on the history of the Catholic education in Australia, which can be found on the 200 years website.
October 1820 – First Catholic School in Australia
The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820, by Irish Catholic priest John Therry. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students – seven of whom were Protestants. An Irish Catholic convict, sent to the colony being convicted of embezzlement, named George Marley opened the school for Father Therry and ran it for three years. This school was transferred to the site of the present Parramatta Marist School junior in 1837. Parramatta Marist High School, now located in Westmead NSW, traces its origins back to this first school. It seems at least two other Catholic schools were established in New South Wales before the school opened by George Marley. One school is thought to have opened between 1803 and 1806, the second early in 1817. However, both schools were closed by 1818.
You may also like to pray the National prayer for 200 years as shared in by students from Clontarf Aboriginal College.
PARENT PARTNERSHIP
Each week I receive a newsletter titled VITAL; focussing on student and staff wellbeing. A few weeks ago, the newsletter had the wonderful article below on the lessons we learn from others. I wanted to share it with you and also encourage parents to have those conversations with their young people about the best lesson they have learned from parents, grandparents, teachers or other significant adults in their life.
WHO TAUGHT YOU THAT?
by Michael Herbert
“We don’t have to waste our time learning how to make pastry when we can use grandma’s recipes.”
- Orson De WiA, Earth Won't Miss You.
Susan Cain is a best selling author who is well known for her work on Introversion. In the hours after his death earlier this year, she wrote an article titled 7 Things My Father Taught Me. It is a reminder to us to continually take away life lessons from those we admire, respect and love.
Below are a few quotes from Cain of things her father taught her:
- Do beautiful things, just for the sake of it. If you love orchids, build a greenhouse full of them in the basement. If you love the sound of French, learn to speak it fluently, even though you rarely have time to visit France. If you love organic chemistry, spend your Sundays reading “orgo” textbooks.
- Find work you love and work that matters, and do it as excellently as you can.
- If you want to live a quiet life, live a quiet life. If you’re a humble person who has no use for the spotlight, be a humble person who has no use for the spotlight. No big deal.
- If you’re a husband, take care of your wife - really take care of her, even when she has Alzheimers and can’t walk and ask you the same question again and again and again and again and again and again...
- If you’re a parent, teach your children the things you love, like music and poetry, so that one day they’ll love them too.
It is a great exercise to spend some time reflecting upon the valuable lessons we have learned from others. In our world of education, there are many and varied things we can learn from colleagues, students and their parents - some examples might include, how to communicate well, how to appear professional, how to motivate others, how to diffuse situations, how to demonstrate empathy, kindness and compassion.
There is so much we can improve - personally and professionally - if we put into practice the things we learn when we open our eyes to the beauty and talents of others.”
CATH EICHMANN
PRINCIPAL
Year 7
WELL DONE
It's great to see so many smiles, showing how happy students were with their efforts in achieving success in their latest Science topic test. They did such a great job, that they were awarded with a Merit Certificate and a medal! Well done on the hard work and effort everyone. Who will it be next time?
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to the following students who have received a Silver Principal’s Award: Chloe Kapila, Ciarran McCallum and Ruby Menin.
Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award: Hailie Attwells, Marli Connerty, Jarrod Dingle, Chloe Kapila, Ciarran McCallum, Ruby Menin, Audrey Woolnough.
ELLEN MCKELL
YEAR 7 LEADER OF PASTORAL CARE
Year 8
I am a big believer in “Doing little things well is a step towards doing big things better”. For students, this relates to completing the tasks that they might regard as pointless, silly or unimportant. Each time I speak with a student, with a PC or Year group, I remind them about ticking all the boxes and ensuring that they are completing the little tasks.
Ask your child this weekend, “Are you ticking all the boxes?”
- Bag packed with required equipment – pens/pencils, books, diary, device etc.
- Diary – signed by parents/carers, subjects written out for week ahead.
- Device (iPad/Laptop) - charged ready for the day’s lessons.
- Uniform – correct for that day, shirt, tie, hat, shoes, socks - all correct.
- Homework/Assessments completed and ready to hand in.
- Arrive to class on time.
- Be respectful.
Completing these tasks, as simple as they are, sets you up for success for the rest of the day.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award: Emily Kirkpatrick, Kimberley Manns and Alexander Toth.
DANIEL O'DELL
YEAR 8 ACTING LEADER OF PASTORAL CARE
Year 9
PARENTING ADOLESCENTS
The ‘best’ parents in the world are those who have no children. They know exactly how children should be brought up and disciplined. Such people may sometimes be referred to as armchair experts. For real parents, raising children is far more ambiguous. In real life things are not so easy, nor are all answers self-evident.
Year 9 and the ages 15 and 16 can be a testing experience for both the young person and their parents.
As a Catholic College, MacKillop has a mission to build a Christian community. The most intimate unit of such community is the family. In my role, I meet many parents, good people, who are struggling to ensure the Christian growth and development of their sons and daughters. Sometimes freedoms have been allowed too early and parents face a long uphill battle reining this in and re-establishing authority. Other parents are most uncertain when to ‘let go’ and have faith that the values lived at home have now been internalised by their child. Still others, apparently succeeding wonderfully well, face self-doubt when told again and again by their adolescent, that no other parent is so restrictive or unrealistic.
Below is some simple advice to parents that was provided in a previous newsletter and hope it provides some useful rules of thumb and reminders:
- Remember that you are a parent and a friend.
- Establish and maintain dependable time together.
- Parent actively and appropriately.
- Try to either be there after school or have scheduled accountable activities in place.
- Keep your standards high.
- Make it a high priority to eat meals together.
- Ensure time together to keep lines of communication alive and active.
- Establish or continue family meetings.
- Keep kids connected to the family by ensuring digital devices are kept in a common space.
- Don’t push your teen into independence before they are ready.
- Make agreements and teach your child how to repair and restore relationships.
- Speak about and live by a personal rule of RESPECT – respect for self, respect for family, respect for all other persons, property and the environment.
- Make prayer a part of everyday family life.
- Discuss the dangers of drugs or alcohol abuse.
- Ensure that parties that they attend are supervised.
- Get to know your child’s friends and, if possible, their parents.
- Always check with host parents when your son or daughter attends a sleepover.
- Encourage involvement in healthy sports, interests and community activities.
- Encourage and build children up by frequently praising them, even if the achievements are relatively minor.
- Maintain interest in their schoolwork and other activities.
- Use discretion when leaving teenagers unsupervised.
- Seek advice from the experience of other parents whose opinions you value.
- Persevere with what you know to be right, even when it is not popular.
The moment one enters into real life, one also discovers the difference between theory and practice. This does not mean that basic Christian principles are to be compromised. It does mean that in the reality of the situation we are far less self-assured and there are fewer easy answers. We must seek advice from those we consider wise and pray to God for guidance
In the real situation we have to live by faith.
NAPLAN
Year 9 are now at the end of their first week of NAPLAN testing. Behaviour has been excellent. I suspect that there will be a collective sigh of relief at the end of the coming week.
God bless.
PETER MURPHY
YEAR 9 LEADER OF PASTORAL CARE
Year 11
HOSPITALITY TERM 2
Year 11 Hospitality students have begun the work placement program in the St Agnes' Food Services Production Kitchen. This is a mandatory part of the Hospitality course where students experience working in the Hospitality industry and are able to practice skills working alongside qualified chefs.
Students assisted with the catering for the 260 plus meals a day for the Catholic Care of the Aged patrons.
Thank you to Ken Selway, Food Services Manager for providing our students with such an opportunity. In particular, a huge thank you to the Production Kitchen Chefs, Michele Border and Michael Erdelyi for taking students under their wing during the placement. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful collaboration where students can learn directly from experiences in the work place.
GEORGINA PENDER
HOSPITALITY TEACHER and VET COORDINATOR
It's not all work and no play!
Yoga...
Boys at lunch...
Ping Pong…
ANDREA HUXLEY
YEAR 11 LEADER OF PASTORAL CARE
Year 12
An exciting week in the lives of Australians and MacKillop Economists as the Federal Budget was released. The excitement around the school yard was palpable (or that could have just been me!). It was hard to concentrate on anything else but there is one important occurrence that is important to note, Trial and HSC timetables have been released. With the release of the dates it has put definite parameters on our students’ Year 12 journey, with a clear end date in sight. This has been met with mixed emotions from excitement, fear, enthusiasm, nervousness and just plain old dread. All emotions that are understandable and valid.
We are all in this experience together - families, teachers and students - this is not a goal that can be reached by a student in isolation. Whilst your child will probably disagree, the HSC year is a very difficult journey for parents, knowing when to push, how hard to push and when to pull back. You know your child better than anyone, the decisions you make are the right ones at the time.
Parents, it is the final push to the end, at times it may actually feel like it is too hard but you can do it! When the last exam is sat and the pens are put down you can breathe a sigh of relief that one of the hardest parenting jobs that we have to do is done. In the words of Mary MacKillop "Be calm and full of hope".
Many parents have been asking about when early entry opens, when the trials start etc. Please click on the link below to view a document that outlines all our key dates, thank you Mrs Karen Faichney for putting this together. An important date coming up is our Semester One Awards Ceremony at 2:15pm on Friday, 28 May. An invitation will be emailed to you.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXCURSION
Did you know that sections of the Port Macquarie coastline are considered so geologically significant that they have been listed as a Geotrail by Geological Survey of NSW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service?
Earlier in the week our HSC Earth & Environmental Science class joined with St Paul’s Kempsey to explore the geologic history of the Port Macquarie Geotrail.
The Port Macquarie Coastal Geotrail is a 4 km walk along the coast from Shelly Beach to Rocky Beach that tells the story of plate tectonics and how Earth’s crust was formed.
The geotrail features rocks formed by volcanoes, microscopic marine animals, ocean currents, and extreme temperatures and pressures up to 100 km below Earth’s surface.
“If you learn to interpret how the rocks formed, you can begin to read the landscape like a book and you will never look at the world in the same way.”
ROB MAHON
SCIENCE TEACHER
As always, all the best for the weekend.
LISA KABLE
YEAR 12 LEADER OF PASTORAL CARE
Music News
“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”- Martin Luther
TERM 2 REHEARSAL REMINDERS
Please note the following with regard to rehearsals in Term 2:
Saxophone Ensemble - Monday morning.
Junior Percussion Ensemble - Tuesday morning.
Senior Percussion Ensemble - Thursday morning.
Senior Band - Friday morning.
Week 5 Ensemble Rehearsal Schedule
MUSIC AND DANCE SHOWCASE
The music and dance showcase concert is scheduled for Thursday, 15th July (Week 1, Term 3). This is the major performance event for the year. All ensembles will be working hard in Term 2 to prepare repertoire for this concert. It is therefore important for students to commit to rehearsal, practice and attendance throughout the term.
SAPSS MARCHING BAND AT YOUR EVENT!
Composed of students from across the St Agnes’ Parish Secondary Schools, the Marching Band and Drumline (Port Macquarie Vanguard) can provide the perfect high energy performance for your event!
The Marching Band combines the raw drumming power of the Port Macquarie Vanguard with brass & woodwinds to create an American-style marching band that performed a show featuring music and movement as well as numerous pop and pep band tunes. They are an impressive sight to behold and always a crowd favourite, and look most at home on a large field in front of a lively audience in the mood for some noise and entertainment!
If you would like to enquire about the availability of these ensembles performing at your event please contact the college for more information.
RIDE THE WAVE FESTIVAL Battle of Bands Competition
There is a wonderful opportunity for local amatuer bands to enter the Ride the Wave Festival Battle of the Bands competition. Prize packs from local music stores and the opportunity to perform a set live at the event available to winners. If you are a solo acoustic musician, DJ or member of a rock band follow the details below to enter the competition. Don’t miss out!
UPCOMING EVENTS
RECONCILIATION MASS
- Week 6: Thursday 27 May, Period 1, MPC - Collective & Choir.
COLA CONCERT (Junior)
- Week 7: Wednesday 2 June, Lunch 2, COLA - Junior Campus, auditioned and invited ensembles and soloists.
HSC LUNCH CONCERT
- Week 8: Thursday 10 June, Lunch 2, Lochinvar Courtyard - Senior Campus, HSC music students.
Please contact Mr Denham with any questions relating to the co-curricular music program at MacKillop College.
ROB DENHAM
LEADER OF MUSIC
Sport News
TERM 2 SPORT 2021
To view the Sport Programs for Year 7-10 Term 2 Sport, please visit the link below located on our website.
MACKILLOP COLLEGE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Our Annual College Athletics Carnival is on Friday, 11th June. This carnival is a compulsory day for all students in Years 7-12 and is a real highlight of our sporting calendar. It is an opportunity for students to embrace their House spirit by dressing up in house colours and getting involved in all events whether it be the competitive or novelty events.
If students are unable to participate due to injury or illness a note outlining this needs to be handed to Mrs Erin Denham. Often these students can still positively enjoy the carnival by offering assistance at the events.
We welcome all parents and guardians of our students to come along and support their children at this event and also welcome any parents that can give any assistance on the day. Please email Erin Denham if you are able to assist on the day.
PRE-EVENTS MACKILLOP COLLEGE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
The schedule for the pre-events leading into the Athletics Carnival is below
If you have signed up please ensure that you attend the event as per the program. If you are yet to sign up please do so ASAP via the Moodle page à Representative Sport.
The form will close Friday, 14th May at 5:00pm.
Pre – events will take place Lunch 2.
WEEK 5
MONDAY 17 May | TUESDAY 18 May | WEDNESDAY 19 May | THURSDAY 20 May | FRIDAY 21 May |
400m Senior Oval | 800m Senior Oval | 1500m Senior Oval Open’s Basketball | High Jump U12-13 BOYS College MPC | Diocesan Cross Country |
WEEK 6
MONDAY 24 May | TUESDAY 25 May | WEDNESDAY 26 May | THURSDAY 27 May | FRIDAY 28 May |
High Jump U14-15 BOYS College MPC | Country Cup Rugby League | High Jump U14-15 GIRLS College MPC | High Jump U16-18 GIRLS College MPC | High Jump U16-18 BOYS College MPC |
WEEK 7
MONDAY 31 May | TUESDAY 1 June | WEDNESDAY 2 June | THURSDAY 3 June | FRIDAY 4 June |
High Jump U12-13 GIRLS College MPC | 7/8 All Schools Touch Football 7-10 Soccer | 9/10 All Schools Touch Football | 400m Catch up Senior Oval |
WEEK 8
MONDAY 7 June | TUESDAY 8 June | WEDNESDAY 9 June | THURSDAY 10 June | FRIDAY 11 June |
800m Catch up Senior Oval | SPORT ATHLETICS PRACTICE Year 9 and 10 | 1500m Catch up Senior Oval | ATHLETICS CARNIVAL |
HIGH JUMP
- If students wish to do the fosbury flop in the HIGH JUMP parents MUST fill out the parental permission form (found at the Sports notice boards) and hand it back to Mrs Erin Denham.
MacKillop College Representative Sport - LINKS & REGISTRATIONS
NSW GIRLS RUGBY UNION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Briana Anderson, Darcy Hickey and Tess McWilliams who recently represented the Under 16 MNC Tomahawks at the NSW Country Rugby Union Championships at Kiama. The girl’s finished third in the State with special mention to Tess McWilliams who has made the NSW Country Rugby Union Team as a shadow.
It is fantastic to see the girls competing at a high level in their Sport, I know they are very passionate about their Rugby. We wish them all the best for the season. Well done girls.
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
Canteen
Monday, 17 May
Jodie Burge, HELP PLEASE
Tuesday, 18 May
Vanessa Wilson, Sandy Green and Anthea Romer
Wednesday, 19 May
Heather Sheers, HELP PLEASE
Thursday, 20 May
Sonya Perrin, and Judith Lacey
Friday, 21 May
Deborah Ward, HELP PLEASE
PLEASE HELP
If you can spare one hour once a month to help at the canteen it would be greatly appreciated, please follow the link below, or ring Canteen Co-ordinator Maxine on 0432 179 365.
Help is needed from 11:00am to 2:00pm or for service from 11:00am till 11:30am or 1:35pm until 2:00pm.
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 put in at the canteen
3. Download the QKR! app and order on line.
ALL ORDERS TO BE IN BY 8:30AM PLEASE
Please remind your child/children if you have ordered for them, and what their order is. We are currently having our volunteers spend quite a bit of time searching for students who have not collected their lunch orders.
If your child is sick and you have ordered, please phone the canteen (6583 2632) to arrange a credit.
School ties are available to purchase from the canteen for $20.00
Homework Hubs
Homework Hub - Senior Campus
From the Mathematics Vault
Welcome to our weekly Maths Vault!
We will provide a mathematics problem for solving, with the answer published the week after underneath a new problem. Good luck!
Maths Tutorials
Tuesday's and Thursday's
7:45am - 8:30am
Room 12 Main College with Mrs Elizabeth Robertson