Term 3, Week 2, 23 July
Principal's Update
COVID SITUATION
As you are well aware the COVID situation is becoming more prevalent in Regional NSW. I want to assure parents that my priority, if the situation changes, will be communication.
We are currently working on two plans so as to ensure we are prepared if circumstances change for the MacKillop community.
The first plan is an Outbreak Response Plan if a member of our school community was to have a positive test result. This could mean the school would need to be shut for three days for a deep clean, under the orders and directive of NSW Health. If this were to happen whilst students were at school, we would minimise contact amongst the community and would be required to arrange for students to be picked up. This of course is a major operation with nearly 1200 students and we would be requesting parents cooperate with the school exit instruction. Given it would NOT be an emergency situation (e.g. a bushfire) this would be carried out in a staged plan with the following steps;
- Notification text messages sent to parents.
- Students are to be collected in alphabetical order with instructions on when, and pick-up location, utilising both the junior and senior car parks to be sent via text message.
- Parents will be asked to text their child/ren after they arrive at the College, and are to remain in their cars in the car park, not pick-up zones.
- Students would then need to follow sign-out procedures under the direction of school staff.
Notes:
*Buses will not be permitted to transport any student home if the School is closed.
*Under NSW Health guidelines students may only be picked up by a house hold member as car-pooling is not permitted. Therefore students will not be permitted to travel home with another student’s families.
*All decisions around a school closure will only be at the direction of NSW Health and in cooperation with the Lismore Catholic Schools Office. NSW Health would also then be the governing body to determine close and casual contacts and the requirements regarding testing and isolation. Please refer to the email sent 21 July for more information in regards to close and casual contacts.
We will continue to update parents of plans.
NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS
During the week a large number of our indigenous students enjoyed NAIDOC Week celebrations. Unfortunately, the family BBQ could not go ahead as planned but I can let you know the students and a number of staff, including myself, enjoyed the opportunity to try some native Australian food, including BBQ Crocodile and Kangaroo. Thank you to Tristram Morris who cooked and organised the BBQ and other events during the week.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS
As you would have noticed, in the holidays we had some school improvement maintenance work commence at the College. We have made a commitment to have the whole exterior of the College (paintable surfaces) upgraded to a modern colour scheme over the next six months. Following that, we have a commitment to an eight year maintenance cycle, to ensure our beautiful school remains a first class learning environment. We will also continue with an on-going planned interior painting and maintenance plan.
Below is a photo of the original 1995 colour scheme against the new 2021 colours.
UPCOMING PARENT WEBINAR
MEET THE EXPERT
Each week throughout the year I will introduce to you some of the expert staff we are so fortunate to have working with your children here at MacKillop College. This week I would like to introduce Peter Murphy.
Name
Peter Murphy.
What subject(s) do you teach?
Mathematics and Religious Education.
What high school did you attend?
Oakhill College, Castle Hill.
What university did you attend and what course(s) did you do after finishing school?
Australian Catholic University.
What or who inspired you to become a teacher?
Brother Ambrose Payne; a man who seemed to have time for everybody and appeared to judge nobody.
What would be your proudest teaching moment in your career to date?
Proudest moment is seeing a Year 12 group, for which I was the Pastoral Leader, graduate. There were many in this group who, when commencing Year 11, were considered unlikely to make it through to graduation.
What are you reading at the moment?
The Universal Christ (Richard Rohr).
What quote best describes your approach to teaching?
Lead kindly light...
Favourite non-work related hobbie?
I really enjoy being a volunteer in the Surf Life Saving movement. It is full of people who value service to others. It allows me the opportunity for service, friendship, training and competition.
What do you love most about your work?
I love seeing young people learn from a mistake and begin to make better choices.
I love seeing young people just interacting with each other in a gentle, funny and respectful way.
I love seeing the 'Ah Ha' moment when an understanding suddenly (or finally) comes clearly.
I love working with colleagues for whom high ideals are taken as natural and worth imparting on youth.
CATH EICHMANN
PRINCIPAL
Evangelisation
VINNIES WINTER APPEAL
As part of our Vinnes Winter Appeal, we held an early morning Hot Chocolate fundraiser last Thursday.
Thanks to the generous students who turned up early on the day to help set up, and sell the warm treats.
The Hot Chocolate event reminds us that we are very fortunate in all that we have, but some would welcome a nice warm drink or breakfast on these cold mornings.
As part of our Vinnies Winter Appeal, we encourage everyone to think about sorting through their clothes and decide what you could give to others (please ensure that they are clean and do not have any stains or tears).
When we give clothes to Vinnies, some go directly to people who need assistance with clothes, while the rest go into the Vinnies Shop, and the money made from their sale goes to assisting people with vouchers for electricity, rent and food.
We will also collect warm blankets if anyone has those to share.
This ministry is a really important one and so we ask everyone to carefully think how YOU can make a difference.
MARG GOBIUS
LEADER OF EVANGELISATION
Year 7
WELL DONE
Congratulations go to the following medalists in Science 5 and Science 8 who impressed their teacher, Robert Mahon, with outstanding results in their latest class test. A great effort and some happy award winners!
ENGLISH TREAT
On Wednesday, Year 7 and Year 11 students were lucky to have an audience with renowned Australian poet and author, Stephen Herrick. As the author of 25 children and young adult books, Stephen has twice won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award and has been shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year award on multiple occasions. He presented engaging and relatable characters and stories to the students, who all seemed to enjoy his yarns and the way he could take them on an imaginary, yet true to life, journey.
UNIFORM REMINDER
As we have returned in winter uniform, many students have been arriving without their school tie. A reminder to parents and students, that the College tie remains a part of the school formal uniform for the remainder of the term; there is no requirement for students to wear a tie from the commencement of Term 4.
Please note that due to some growth spurts over the break, some skirts now appear too short. It is expected to be worn to the knee as per College Code of Presentation. Unfortunately, some students have also been asked to address the following as well: extreme hairstyles, false nails and nail polish, excessive jewellery and wearing the sport uniform when required to wear formal uniform. Students are asked to address these issues, but parents may be contacted by teachers if these details are not corrected. Please refer to the Student Diary if you are unsure about the College Code of Presentation.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Austin Pettitt who has received a Silver Principal’s Award.
Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award: Abbie Brennan, Paige Clancy, Jaesan Edmund, Phoebe Hagenbach, Lucy Hope, Chloe Kapila, Spencer Lee, Austin Pettitt, Ume Ryan, Amelia Southwell, Kiara Tattersall and Pippa Wilson.
ELLEN MCKELL
YEAR 7 LEADER OF PASTROAL CARE
Year 9
As a father of three daughters, I actively search for movies and books featuring strong, compassionate and brave female characters. Exposure to the lives and stories of these women, both real life and fictional, will, hopefully, influence the type of young woman that each of my girls is becoming. One of our most recent viewings, On the Basis of Sex, is a film based on the life and early cases of American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I thoroughly recommend it for the values and positive humanity it portrays. A good viewing for daughters and sons.
Adolescence is a period of asking many questions. One important question to consider might appear along the lines of, ‘What does it mean to be a good man/woman?’ or, ‘What kind of person do I choose to be?’ If you are interested in finding movies to inspire your daughter (and son), simply do an internet search of empowering movies for girls.
Coincidentally, I happened across a reflection on Mary Magdalene this week. Her feast was celebrated on Thursday (22 July). Mary Magdalene is a prominent figure in the Gospels. That her Gospel presence has been retained through iterations of the Gospels is testament to how much of a significant woman Mary was.
Mary Magdalene was one of the original Galilean disciples of Jesus and the most eminent among the many women who followed his itinerant ministry. Little can be said about her origins; she is characterised simply as “a woman from whom seven demons had gone out’’. St Gregory the Great wrongly identified Mary with the woman, “a sinner”, who sought Jesus out in the home of a Pharisee to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. This error, now rejected by the church, led the popular representation of Mary Magdalene as a premier sinner or prostitute.
This image of Mary has appealed to artists and dramatists throughout history, and it has doubtless been a comfort to many. In attaining such a stereotypically female image of Mary Magdalene, however, the Western Fathers helped to efface the memory of the leadership and prominence of women in the early Jesus movement. This amnesia was already well under way by the time the Gospels were written, in the late first century. One of the most distinctive features of Jesus’ movement was the presence of women among his intimate disciples. And yet the story and even identity of many of these women was effectively erased.
It is, therefore, all the more significant when women such as Mary of Bethany, and her sister Martha are named. It is a sign of just how vital a place they still occupied in the church’s living memory. Mary Magdalene, in particular, was firmly associated with two vital facts: that she was a witness to the crucifixion and that she was the first witness of the Risen Lord.
All four Gospels name Mary among the women who followed Jesus to Golgotha and there witnessed his passion and death. While all the male disciples fled, it was these women who remained faithful to the end. It was also they, including Mary Magdalene, who went to the tomb on the day after the Sabbath hoping to anoint his body.
Instead they found the empty tomb, guarded by an angel who revealed the astonishing news that Jesus was risen. The women were charged to tell the disciples to meet the Lord back in Galilee. In the Gospels of John and Matthew, Mary actually sees the Risen Lord. John provides a particularly poignant account, reflecting most clearly the special relationship that existed between Mary and Jesus.
Nothing else is known of Mary Magdalene. Her deeds are not recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, nor does she figure in the writings of Paul. But the name of Mary Magdalene deserves a special honour, particularly in this time when women are struggling to be heard in the church and society. It was she, the faithful disciple who first proclaimed the good news to the twelve. Thus she has often been called the “Apostle to the Apostles.”
(adapted from All Saints, Robert Ellsberg)
God Bless.
PETER MURPHY
YEAR 9 LEADER OF PASTORAL CARE
Year 10
Retreat
After some careful consideration Retreat has been rescheduled for Week 7 Term 3. Year 10 Retreat Week will be held from Monday 23 August to Friday 27 August (Term 3, Week 7). Retreat Week is one of the most important compulsory events in the Year 10 calendar, and is always a highlight for the cohort; where friendships are strengthened, reflection and growth occur and positive memories are made.
Students will be split into four groups of approximately 55 students, allowing for a more personal two-day retreat experience, and will either attend the Francis Retreat or Stuarts Point Convention Centre on Monday and Tuesday OR Wednesday and Thursday during this week.
Students have been advised of the days and venues that they will be attending.
This is a compulsory event that students will thoroughly enjoy however if students are unable to attend they will need to email our Principal, Cath Eichmann, explaining why your child is unable to attend.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask your child's PC teacher, Marg Gobius or myself.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 3
Week 3
Monday, MacKillop Subject Information Day (All day).
Thursday, Students out of class individually for subject interviews.
Week 7
Monday - Friday, Retreat.
GLEN LITTLER
YEAR 10 LEADER OF PASTROAL CARE
Wellbeing
Our character strength focus for Term 3 is BRAVERY.
We want our young people to develop a healthy confidence. Confidence comes from believing we can do it; bravery is giving it a go despite our fear. Without bravery, we may never develop confidence.
With the added stressors of the current COVID climate to the everyday pressures facing teens, it can be challenging to develop a healthy confidence - but it is worthwhile to consider effective role models such as Ash Barty to see what bravery and healthy confidence looks like and encourage these traits in our young people.
Ash Barty demonstrates healthy confidence through the following traits:
- resilience in the face of adversity and setbacks;
- recognition of the need to take time out to achieve a better balance in her life and master self-management (she spent 18 months playing state-level cricket);
- respect for tennis opponents, officials and fans (a trait that is widely acknowledged and appreciated);
- empathy and compassion for others;
- authenticity and humility;
- amazing capacity to focus and sustain her concentration; and
- valuing and publicly recognising her support team.
Ash Barty readily acknowledges the profound contribution of her mentor and mindset coach, Ben Crowe, in shaping her outstanding success. Ben observed that, in addition to the abovementioned traits, Ash demonstrates the following characteristics:
- Acknowledges that there is strength in vulnerability, rather than needing to claim or pursue perfection.
- Recognises that she can “write her own story”, not accept habituated, negative self-talk.
- Has the ability to let go of the things she cannot control while maintaining focus on what is under her control.
- Does not let tennis define who she is, but pursues her true self and values depth of character.
- is prepared to put in the hard work to achieve continuous self-improvement and excellence.
Click here to listen to his insightful and revealing explanation of the secret to a strong mindset and healthy confidence.
NICOLE O'CONNELL
LEADER OF WELLBEING
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
ROBERT DENHAM
LEADER OF MUSIC
Sport News
TERM 3 SPORT PROGRAMS
Please see below each year group sport program for this term. After this week these can be found underneath 'Sporting Information' on the side panel of each newsletter, or on our college website.
YEAR 7
Students are participating in an intensive Tennis Program this term at Westport Tennis Club under the expert guidance of Goodwin Tennis. It is an opportunity for students to learn new skills or if an experienced Tennis player be guided by their coaches to further develop their Tennis ability. All equipment is provided; we look forward to unearthing the next Ash Barty or Lleyton Hewitt.
Students in Year 7 have sport every even week (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10).
YEAR 8
Year 8 students are participating in a team based Sport program here at School this term including Touch Football, Indoor Games, Netball, Soccer and Basketball. We hope that the variety of options will allow all students to engage with the activities.
Students in Year 8 have Sport every odd week (Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9).
YEAR 9 and 10 TERM 3 SPORT
We were blessed with a beautiful day for our first Tuesday of Sport for Term 3. From all reports students had a great time being physically active and having fun.
COVID RESTRICTIONS – SPORT
We have started the term with COVID Restrictions in place. Please see the correspondence below from the Catholic Schools Office, Lismore regarding Sport for both Representative Sport and also our Years 7-10 Sport Program.
Please note where a cancellation or postponement occurs for a Sport that was scheduled to go out we will notify both Parents and students via email.
- Sport within school grounds: may continue, providing mingling of students is minimised until further notice.
- Mask wearing - indoor public sporting facilities: students and staff are required to wear masks at any indoor public facility until further notice. Masks may be removed when participating in sporting activity, however, they must be worn immediately before and after the sport activity. This means that if students are travelling to an indoor sporting facility, they must wear masks while travelling. They must wear masks while they are waiting to participate. They must wear masks entering and leaving the facility.
- Mask wearing - outdoor public sporting facilities: students and staff travelling to outdoor public sporting facilities must wear masks while travelling on buses however they may remove masks once they step off the bus until further notice.
- Travelling for sport: travel for sport can only occur within the schools Local Government Area until further notice. This is determined by the Local Council boundary (i.e. Ballina Shire, Tweed Shire, Nambucca Shire etc.).
- QR signing in: all adults must sign in using the Service NSW COVID Safe Sign in at all indoor public sporting facilities until further notice. A staff member must be responsible for maintaining a list of all students attending the sporting activity. You are not required to sign into outdoor sporting facilities unless requested to do so by the operator (i.e. sports fields).
- Interschool sport: can only occur with schools within the schools Local Government Area until further notice. This means that both schools must be located in the same Local Government Area (same Local Council boundary)
- Rebooking for events: please be aware that all schools in Regional NSW are currently operating under Level 2 COVID restrictions UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. We do not have dates for when these restrictions may be eased.
MACKILLOP COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
If your child registers for a Representative Sport at any level (School, Diocesan, NSWCCC) and can no longer attend can you please notify the relevant person so our attendance records are accurate.
- MacKillop College – Erin Denham (Leader of Sport) erin.denham@lism.catholic.edu.au
- Diocesan Team - John Coociola (Leader of Sport Lismore Diocese john.cocciola@lism.catholic.edu.au
- NSWCCC Trial or Team – Robert Rush or Ann-Marie Miranda (CSNSW Sport) Robert.rush@csnsw.catholic.edu.au
HOW TO REGISTER FOR A MACKILLOP COLLEGE SPORT TEAM
To register to trial for a MacKillop College sport team follow the steps below.
- Log into the school Moodle page.
- Click on the Student Links tab on the left hand side.
- Click on the Representative Sports Registrations link.
- Click on the relevant sport and fill out the google form.
- Listen to notices and check your emails for relevant trial information.
Click on this link to register for current sport programs available.
NSWCCC Sport Registrations 2021 for Pathway Sports
Registrations are via the CSNSW.sport portal.
For instructions on how to register go to – Guide For Parents – Sport Registrations >>
For further information, go to the CSNSW Sport Website Sport pages.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sport | Event | Date/Status |
Touch Football | NSW All Schools Touch Football | Postponed |
Rugby League | Katrina Fanning Cup | not attending |
Rugby League | Under 14 Cochrane Cup | Postponed |
Hockey | NSW CCC Boys Hockey | Cancelled |
Basketball | Diocesan Basketball | Postponed |
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 26 July
Paul Atkins and Patrick Corr
Tuesday 27 July
Jane Keegan, Katrina Bates and Elizabeth Jardine
Wednesday 28 July
Kaylene Monckton and Verena Grandy
Thursday 29 July
Chris Jourdant and Heather Sheers
Friday 30 July
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 Coordinator Maxine on 0432 179 365.
Help is needed from 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