Term 2, Week 8, June 20

Upcoming Events

Principal's Update

I would like to begin my first newsletter article by extending a big thank you to the entire MacKillop College community for their well wishes as I embark on the next exciting part of my professional journey. Having been an educator in Saint Agnes’ Parish schools for the past 25 years, I believe that the role of acting principal is a real privilege and honour. I look forward to working closely with our fantastic team of staff, students, and parents as we continue to shape and develop our college into the exceptional educational facility that it is. I have had the pleasure of working with and alongside some outstanding leaders in my career.

I look forward to implementing many of the values and qualities these people have instilled in me as a guide for our college moving forward.

School Community Group Gathering

Last Monday, we welcomed Mrs. Janita Thompson to our college for our first-ever school community group gathering. Our school community group replaces old models, such as P&F forums, which required formal positions and membership. The idea is for any group of parents and staff to meet once a term and discuss key educational issues, receive feedback, and collaborate on how we can continue to make our college a safe and supportive educational facility. 

Research indicates that family-school partnerships are crucial, and where this is evident in schools across the country, those schools have higher academic outcomes, a greater sense of student well-being, and fewer behaviour issues. Research also suggests that the more involved parents are in their child’s education, the more likely the child is to succeed. Parents who show a genuine interest and support learning have a greater impact on outcomes than a child’s IQ, economic status, or school setting. I encourage all parents to attend our next school community group gathering and engage in meaningful conversations about your child and how we can support their growth and success.

Maggie Dent—Help Me, Help My Teen.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of reading a fantastic book on how to support teenagers in the world that they’re living in today, written by Maggie Dent. This book is divided into two case sections. Firstly, what is happening to our teens today, and secondly, how can we help them with a wide range of issues? For each newsletter, I will aim to unpack some key messages from the book that will help our families support and guide their children in a complicated stage of their lives.

This week's focus is on the team brain. I want you to imagine your teenager's brain as a house under construction. The team brain has walls missing, wires exposed, and dust everywhere. Logic and decision-making areas are still in the process of development, while the emotional regulator in the brain is operating at full speed. Having logical discussions is quite tricky, and poor decision-making is common. However, at this stage of a child’s life, their brain is primed for learning. Each day, they make billions of connections and opportunities for learning, and the growth potential is endless. The learning potential becomes more apparent with the onset of adequate sleep. The recommendation is that students should get 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night. This sleep allows for their brain to be pruned, new information to be retained and processed, creating room for learning the following day. Without this rest and pruning process, the brain does not retain or use information at the same rate. 

The biggest inhibitor to sleep, as we all know, is the use of technology. The smaller the screen, the larger the exposure to blue light, which triggers different components of the brain to increase our alertness. If students use their phones whilst lying in bed, their ability to relax and fall into a deep sleep is highly inhibited. Research on positive parenting suggests having a shared space in the household where all devices are placed at an agreed-upon and negotiated time before children go to bed. Not only does the increased use of technology before sleep decrease a student's sleep quality, but we are finding that this is where the highest incidence of social media problems exists. When left alone and in an unsupervised space, students are making increasingly poor choices regarding their engagement with social media and communication with their peers (remember, their brains are still under construction). For this reason, as well as the benefits of adequate sleep on learning, I encourage all families to have a discussion with their child regarding how a simple change in routine can have a positive influence on all.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Andrew Evans, who has been appointed Acting Assistant Principal—Learning and Teaching, and to Jodie Rich, who has been appointed Acting Assistant Principal—Mission; both positions will remain in place until the end of 2025. 

Both Andrew and Jodie have been integral parts of the college leadership for many years, having held a variety of diverse roles.

Both highly respected and calm leaders, Andrew and Jodie are highly valued members of the College Leadership Team. 

ArtWalk 2025 

This year, St. Agnes’ Catholic Parish is participating in ArtWalk, with light installations on the outside of the church as well as projecting historical images from around the parish. More photos from the archives will also be displayed around and inside the church. This is sure to be a fantastic event, so make sure you stop by the parish to see their involvement.

Adam Kelly
Principal, MacKillop College

Curriculum Corner

The importance of oral language to student reading and writing

Last year I was shared a fantastic podcast entitled "A speech pathologist's view on oral language, phonological awareness, and phonics" from the NSW Department of Education's Literacy and Numeracy resources, and it's something that has stuck with me when I'm planning lessons for my students. The implications it has for learning from an educator's perspective and for assisting with study from a parent's are extremely valuable, making it well worth the listen if you have a chance.

My key learnings from the podcast are;

• Oral language—the ability to use spoken words to communicate ideas, knowledge, and emotions—is essential for effective reading and writing.
• Manipulating sounds and connecting them to written letters (phonological awareness and phonics, respectively) are important in helping students decode words for meaning and support their reading fluency and written expression.
• Activities in the classroom should have a significant speaking component, with students talking about a topic area (with the use of specific vocabulary in context) before moving to written tasks (where the explicit links between what students say and what they write are made).

These key learnings have implications for not just classroom practice but also student study at home. If you ask any senior student, writing summary notes would be very high on their list of important study techniques, as would the completion of examination-style questions to identify their areas of strength and those that require additional attention. But I wonder, how many are verbalising their understanding to a peer, a family member, or even themselves? 

Students sharing their knowledge orally requires them to have a strong understanding of a topic area and the clarity of thought to express their ideas in a way that can be understood. By verbalising their knowledge to a peer or family member, who can check against the student's notes or flashcards (as per the previous Curriculum Corner), students can identify where they have gaps and clarify their understanding when questioned. They could even record themselves talking about a topic area and listen back to themselves while they travel to school or get outdoors. In the process, the ability to communicate clearly is transferred across into their writing. In addition to improving their writing, research studies also suggest that verbalisation has the added benefit of strengthening student memory and retention of their work.

Specific to education, John Hattie's research into the effect sizes of various factors, interventions, and educational approaches (where the average effect has the score of 0.40) states that students articulating their own thinking and reasoning (self-verbalisation) has an effect size of 0.76, and classroom discussion has one of 0.82. It's clear that the use of oral language has a strong positive effect on learning gain. 

So my key parent takeaway is this: anything we can do to develop the oral language skills of students at home (and in the classroom) is worthwhile for their learning. It's also another potential avenue for connection with your child if they are open to it and might even expand their typical teenager mode of communication to you beyond grunts, silence, or emoji-laden texts!

Michael Peck
Leader of Curriculum

Leaders of Wellbeing: Stage 4

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 exploring the grounds, 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.

Year 8 Connect and Belong Day

Year 8 students recently participated in The Character Project's 'Connect & Belong' retreat. This experience is designed to deepen their understanding of themselves, others, and their spirituality. The retreat featured a dynamic blend of activities, reflections, and discussions all grounded in the principles of character development and faith.

The focus of the day was on three key sessions:

• connecting with self and others;
• connecting to the bigger picture;
• Finding belonging in contribution.

This was a wonderful opportunity to come together as a cohort and engage in these life lessons, and it was fantastic to see students connecting in such a positive way. As the term begins to wind down and assessment schedules ease, we hope Year 8 will take these lessons and continue to build on positive connections with each other and staff in the classroom and playground.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Bronze Award for receiving 30 merits:

Harvey Austen, Alexa Bayer, Hannah Bijoy, Harrison Blake, Scarlett Brook, Aryana Chege, Salvador Fairley, Brody Galvin, Madeline Goldie, Maddox Hamlin, Connor Magill, Evie Pattinson, Emma Pelley, Harry Stephens, Norah Thomson, Cohen Tudhope, and Jessie Winter.

Jason McRae – Stage 4 Leader of Wellbeing at St. Agnes House
Adam O’Brien – Stage 4 Leader of Wellbeing at St. Joseph’s House
Tracey Bewicke – Stage 4 Leader of Wellbeing at St. Paul’s House

Leaders of Wellbeing: Stage 5

There have been/will continue to be various opportunities for Stage 5 to REFLECT ON and CHOOSE TO ACT on working together.

The analogy below:

When we see geese in a V formation, we might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation, the whole flock has at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

• People who share a common direction and sense of purpose can get where they are going quickly and easily because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose flies out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

• It is much harder to do something alone. We miss out on the unity, friendship, and humour, as well as the personal and professional creativity of our colleagues.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation, and another goose flies point at the head.

• It is a sign of leadership to be able to delegate tasks and responsibilities. Shared leadership and interdependence give us a chance to lead as well as opportunities to rest.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

• What do we say when we honk from behind? Every time we honk, we send a message. We need to make sure our honking is encouraging and not discouraging.

Finally, and importantly, when a goose gets sick or wounded and falls out of formation, two other geese will fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their flock.

• A genuine community will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when things are going well.

“Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.”

- Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha, Nigerian author

Year 9 Mass

Last Thursday, we shared in a beautiful celebration of Mass in which Year 9 students truly demonstrated, “We have much for which to be thankful.” It was wonderful to witness so many in Year 9 volunteer in ministry roles to lead us in communal prayer. 

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Congratulations

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Bronze Award for receiving 30 Merits:

Ellah Armitage and Lucy Ford.

Glen Littler – Stage 5 Leader of Wellbeing at Joseph’s House
Nicole O’Connell – Stage 5 Leader of Wellbeing, St. Agnes House
Tom Salter – Stage 5 Leader of Wellbeing, St. Paul’s House

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

Rehearsal Attendance

The music ensemble at MacKillop College is currently working hard in rehearsal to put together a repertoire for the annual showcase concert taking place in week 2 of term 3.

With this in mind, it is essential that students and families inform ensemble directors of attendance in rehearsal (in advance if possible). It is difficult for rehearsals to be successful when directors have planned for a certain number of students only to discover on the day of the rehearsal that key members are absent. We understand that there will always be circumstances when notifying ensemble directors early is not possible. 

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Ensemble Rehearsals

• Concert Band (directed by Ms Stewart) Monday - 7:45am - 8:30am, J16 Music Room 
• Pop Choir (directed by Mrs Adams) Tuesday - 7:45am - 8:30am, Theatre 
• Senior Vocal Ensemble (directed by Mr Josh Salter) Monday - 3:15pm - 4:00pm, Theatre
  
• SAPSS Jazz Workshop (directed by Mr Horne) Tuesday - 7:45am - 8:30am, Theatre
  
• SAPSS Junior Drumline (directed by Mark Spence) Tuesday 3:30pm - 5:30pm, College Hall 
• Collective Praise Band & Singers (directed by Mr Denham) Wednesday - 7:45am - 8:30am, Chapel 
• Junior Percussion Ensemble (directed by Mark Spence) Wednesday - 7:45am - 8:30am, J16 Music Room 
• SAPSS Senior Drumline (directed by Mark Spence) Wednesday 3:30pm - 5:30pm, College Hall 
• Senior Percussion Ensemble (directed by Mark Spence) Thursday - 7:45am - 8:30am, J16 Music Room 
• String Ensemble (directed by Michaeli Witney) Friday - 7:45am - 8:30am, J16 Music Room 
• Stage Band (directed by Mr Denham) Friday - 7:45am - 8:30am, Theatre 
  

Links & Forms

Music Ensemble Sign Up Form 2025

Music Tuition Request Form 2025

Instrument Rental Agreement 2025

Upcoming Events

• Pirates Gala Day - (Stuart Park, Port Macquarie) Week 8, Term 2 - Saturday June 21, times TBC, SAPSS Senior & Junior Drumlines.
• Assembly Performance - (College Hall) Week 9, Term 2 - Wednesday June 25, period 1, Senior Percussion Ensemble
• Elective Music Lunch Concert - (COLA) Week 9, Term 2 - Thursday June 26, Lunch 2, 8 9 10 Elective Music
• Artwalk Performance - (Town Green) Week 10, Term 2 - Friday July 4th, time TBC, Senior & Junior Drumline
• Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Gala Ball - (Panthers Auditorium) Week 1, Term 3 - Friday July 25th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm Senior Drumline
• Co-Curricular Music Showcase - (THEATRE) Week 2, Term 3 - Thursday July 31, Matinee Performance, L1 - P4, ALL MACKILLOP ENSEMBLES (Excluding year 12 students)(THEATRE) Week 2, Term 3 - Thursday July 31, Evening Performance, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, ALL

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

Robert Denham
Leader of Co-Curricular Music

School Sport

We will be running our pre-events for our athletics carnival at the senior oval on the following dates:

• Week 9: Monday, 23 June—400m
• Week 10: Monday, 30 June—800m & Tuesday, 1 July—1500m

All students who have registered have been sent the amended event schedule and should check it carefully to ensure they turn up to their event at the right time.

Sport Selections Year 10

Term 3 sport selections will take place next week.

Year 10 selections will be open to the students on Monday morning, June 23rd, during PC and will close Wednesday, June 25th, at 3pm. Students will receive a web code in order to make their choices. Students and parents are asked to look through the options and discuss the costs before the student selects their sport. Once selections have been made and a sport is allocated, a Compass event requiring consent and payment will be sent to parents. All sports have a payment plan; please consent ASAP so that numbers and bookings can be finalised with our external providers.

Sport Selections Year 9

Term 3 sport selections will take place next week. All parents/guardians will receive an email on Monday, alerting them of the process. Please chat with your children about the options outlined below. Students and parents should decide on a number of preferences; however, they should ONLY SELECT 1. 

The selection process works in the following way.

On Tuesday, 24th June, at 7.40am the events will be published. This happens in a rolling fashion, so it is best to have your Compass event open in the “Opt In” tab. It will be a matter of first in, best dressed for the available spaces.

Once a selection has been made, you are expected to pay and consent that night. All events have a payment plan available. If consent and payment are not received, the spot will be made available to other students.

Andrea Huxley (Leader of School Sport)

Representative Sport

Representative Reports

NSW All Schools Australian Football—NSWCCC Representatives

After two tough days of competition in Albury at the NSW All Schools 15 Years & Under Australian Football Championships, Oto Ryan was selected for the NSW All Schools team to compete at the School Sport Australia Australian Football Championships in Moreton Bay, Queensland, from 26 July to 2 August.

This is a first for MacKillop College, with Oto being the first student to ever make it through to this level in AFL. Oto, this is a great reflection of your skill and tenacity—we wish you all the best as you proudly represent the NSW All Schools team. Congratulations.

Diocesan Junior Soccer Championships—Winners are grinners!

Junior Boys 

The boys travelled to Coffs Harbour for the South Football Gala Day. Our first game was against St. John Paul College, and we knew it would be our biggest test. The boys came out firing on all cylinders and dominated possession, playing nice triangles around the opposition. We had several early chances but couldn't capitalise on them. The deadlock was broken in the second half when Will Clark scored a worldly goal from outside the box. Thomas Allen (the one in year 8) then put his head where it hurts and won a penalty after the keeper caught him. He dusted himself off to take the penalty but tamely hit it, and the keeper saved it. SJPC tried for an equaliser and nearly got one when a long shot cannoned off the bar. Noah Posciak in the goals said he had it covered, but we weren’t sure from the sidelines.

Our second game was against St. Joseph’s Regional, and bragging rights were on the line, especially as we were sharing the bus on the way home. We started well and were on the front foot from the first whistle. After a few chances, Will Clark scored the opening goal with a good finish. Regional tried to force an equaliser, but our defence was very strong, and they could not find a way through. Charlie Cameron arrowed a shot into the top corner, and it proved too much for Regional to get back into the game.

Our last game was against St. Paul’s Kempsey, and the plan of attack was another clean sheet. Again, we started well, and the pressure paid off with two quick goals from Jack Robb and Thomas Allen. Unfortunately, our defence was breached by a fantastic run from their forward, and they scored a good goal. Will Clark put the game beyond doubt with another classy finish for us to run out 3-1 winners. The boys will go on to play the winners of the Northern Gala Day in the next round. MVP: Thomas Allen.  

Dave Pugh (Coach)

Junior Girls

The junior girls' soccer team travelled to Coffs Harbour to participate in the Diocesan Football Southern Gala Day, with the winner advancing to play the winner from the North. After a rushed start on arrival, the girls had 5 minutes to get changed and take the field, not the ideal start to our campaign. Game one was against St. John Paul College, Coffs. They are always a formidable team, and we knew that we had our work cut out for us. The first half saw us down 5-0, making the second half an uphill battle. To the girls' credit, we only conceded two goals in the second half. 

• 3- Hannah Ryan, 2- Kaylie Dawson, 1- Kayla Button. We decided in game two that the only way was up. We played cross-town rivals St. Joseph’s College, which had many attacking options early on. We scored late in the second half but could not keep Regional out in the second half, with them levelling the score 1 all 5 minutes before full time. 
• 3 - Siena Button, 2 - Olive Tait, 1 - Ingrid Maher. Going with our goal of improving in each game, we finished the day with a 3-nil win against St. Paul’s Kempsey. The girls found their passing game and were very dominant in attack, scoring three unanswered goals. 
• 3 - Jagga Smith, 2 - Kayla Button, 1 - Hannah Ryan. We always knew this year would be a rebuilding phase.

I was extremely proud of our new Year 7 students (Daisy, Jagga, Grace, and Elodie), who held their own against predominantly Year 9 girls. To our older newcomers to the team, Evie, Indy, and Tahlia, you made a positive impact. To our team leaders, Kayla, Amelia, Sienna, Kaylie, Frankie, Ingrid, and Hannah, you led the team admirably throughout the day. A special mention to our goalkeeper, Olive Tait. You had an extremely tough task at the start of the day but put that behind you for the other games that followed. Thank you to Lucy Sales for your assistance on the day. MVP: Kayla Button.

Erin Denham (Coach)

Diocesan Senior Soccer Championships—Runners Up!

Senior Boys

The boys travelled to Coffs Harbour to play in the South Gala Day. The first game was against St. John Paul College, and we started well, passing the ball around nicely. However, SJPC scored a good goal from the edge of the box and then dominated possession. A highly dubious penalty was then awarded to SJPC, and they had a 2-0 lead at halftime. Our boys fought hard in the second half, and a through ball from Tyler Morris set Max Robb up to smash the ball into the top corner. Despite pressing for an equaliser, SJPC held out and won 2-1.

Our second game was against St. Paul’s Kempsey, and we had an early setback when we conceded another penalty. Despite this, we went on the offensive and scored several goals. Jarvis Lineham made amends for the two penalties and scored from outside the box, Dan Mercer put a banger in the top corner, Will Clark poached a goal, and Ethan Hatch miskicked a ball into the back of the net for a 4-1 victory.

Our third game was against Newman College, and the plan was an all-out attack to try to increase our goal difference. This paid off with goals from Caleb Sajko, who went on a fantastic run and finished from outside the area, and a thunderbolt from Scott Qurusa.

Newman gave us a warning with a well-taken goal, but it wasn’t enough as we ran out convincing winners after goals from Will Clark and Dan Mercer.

Our final game against St. Joseph’s Regional was for the silver medal, as SJPC went unbeaten. It was an open game with both sides going for the win. In a tight game, it looked like it was going to come down to a mistake. We threw everything at Regional in the last five, but despite chance after chance, numerous corners, fantastic saves, and pinball in the area, we just could not get the ball over the line. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, and we came second for the day. MVP: James Owen.

Dave Pugh (Coach)

Senior Girls

After arriving late at the stadium, the girls had only 5 minutes to get into the change rooms and onto the fields—it was déjà vu, as they had faced the same issue the week prior with the junior competition. 

The conditions were favourable for a great day of soccer. We encountered St. John Paul College, Coffs, again in game one. We expected them to be a strong outfit based on our battle with them last year. Coffs posted two early goals, putting us on the back foot quickly. 

The girls rallied, but unfortunately, another goal against the run of play sent us into halftime 3-0 down. The girls were determined to start fresh in the second half, with Charlotte finding the back of the net 10 minutes into the second half. Unfortunately, Coffs scored two more goals in quick succession and truly put the game out of reach. 

• 3 - Hannah Gresswell, 2 - Ziva Balkin, 1 - Abby Buttsworth. Determined not to have another defeat, the girls bounced back, posting a 5-2 win against St. Paul’s Kempsey. Amarlie, Abby, Frieda, and Hannah(2) all scored goals in a dominating performance. 
• 3 - Hannah Gresswell, 2 - Charlotte Taylor, 1 - Frieda Dudfield. The girls put on an absolute performance in the third game against Newman College, winning 10-0. Admittedly, the opposition were not throwing much at us—it was nice to see the girls relax and have some fun. This gave us the flexibility to adjust our positions, with our backline moving to the front. The goal scores were Abby (2), Freya (2), and Ziva (2). Special mention to Hannah, who bagged a hat trick, and to Kyla Roach, who scored a goal in her final high school soccer outing. 
• 3 - Freya Briggs, 2 - Kyla Roach, 1 - Abby Buttsworth. Our final game was against St. Joseph’s Regional College. The girls wanted to finish the day on a high and set themselves the task of a win. It was a tight tussle early on, with neither score breaking the scoreline until 15 minutes into the first half. Claire put us in the lead going into halftime.
• Our back line is to be commended for their scrambling defence. At times, our line was threatened; however, the girls often relinquished possession. Hannah scored a goal early in the second half to put us two ahead. Regional struck back within a matter of minutes, scoring against the run of play. This rattled the girls momentarily, but not enough to regain their composure, with Gracie tapping a goal in to take the pressure off. The goal of the day went to Abby Buttsworth with an absolute screamer off her left boot 30 metres out and 20 metres to the left of the goal. Once the ball left the boot, it was never missing, with the ball sailing past the face of the goalie and punching into the top right-hand corner. 
• 3 - Abby Buttsworth, 2 - Claire Morris, 1 - Jasmine Lacey. Three wins from four games had the girls finish the day as diocesan runners-up (south). As always, I was super proud of the girls and their willingness to play as a team, demonstrate exceptional skill, and, most importantly, have fun.

A special shout-out to Kyla Roach and Jasmine Lacey—the girls are in Year 12 and have represented MacKillop College since Year 8. Both ladies have always represented MacKillop with pride, have always been super reliable, and have always respected their fellow players and opposition. It has been a pleasure coaching you over the years, girls. 

Thank you to Anna Gleeson for your assistance on the day. MVP: Hannah Gresswell.

Erin Denham (Coach)

NSW AFL Schools Cup - U15 Girls

The junior girls outdid themselves on the gala day on Friday. For many, it was their first taste of AFL, but you wouldn’t know it. Their natural athletic skills were evident from the start, and with every halftime chat and new game plan, they applied their new knowledge to the game. There wasn’t a single instruction given that the girls didn’t take and immediately implement into their play. The way they worked as a team and moved the ball around the field improved significantly as the day progressed. Their sportsmanship was outstanding, and they remained calm under pressure at all times. 

The girls were great fun and excellent representatives of MacKillop College and should be extremely proud of their runners-up title. They lost the final to Camden Haven, a tight-knit unit with considerable experience among their team. Our team was ably led by our captain, Momiji Ryan, and she was well supported by the only other regular AFL player, Amelia Williams. Both girls gave strong direction in each game and utilised their experience to have an impact on the opposition. 

The Players' Player award went to Momiji Ryan, and the Most Improved awards went to Mikayla Adams and Bianca Harrison, who both stood out with their skills and confidence. Sophie Donohue played her first game and should seriously consider leaving the netball courts for a career in AFL. MVP: Momiji Ryan.

Andrea Huxley (Coach)

U15 Boys

With the rains finally cleared and the ground finally dry enough to play, the U15 Boys stepped onto the grass of Wayne Richards Park full of enthusiasm and hunger. Having trained exclusively in the college halls before competition day, it took the first few minutes to settle into a rhythm and burst out into open space, but their class soon showed through. 

The boys were dominant throughout the day, winning all their matches, including the grand final, by over fifty points and only conceding one goal and two behinds all day. Admirably led by their captain, Manni McGrath, in the ruck, the boys played with heart and finesse, showcasing their skills and sportsmanship. Rocky Mann was indomitable at full forward, bagging a handful of goals each game, and was ably supported by his other forwards. 

Oto Ryan was pure silk in midfield, able to find the ball at will, thanks to the tough tackling of Tom Spencer. However, one of the highlights of the day was the inspirational half-field chase down by Jameson Smith, who saved a specific goal. A big thank you, too, to Riley Garel, who was injured, for running the waters for the team. Our very own Big O. A great day in the sun for all involved. Bring on the next round!!! MVP: Rocky Mann. PLAYER’S PLAYER: Oto Ryan.

Angus Crowley (Coach)

Diocesan Cross Country

On Thursday, June 5th, students from MacKillop College travelled to Woolgoolga to compete in the Diocesan Cross Country. After so much wet weather, students were eager to get out and run on the new course. The course consisted of 4+ laps of a concrete loop, depending on age group distance, challenging not only their physical endurance but also their mental endurance. The top 6 athletes were offered the opportunity to compete at the NSW CCC Cross Country. We had many successful athletes reach the top 6, as well as some awesome personal bests. The students loved being able to stand on the side of the course, cheering on their friends, creating an energetic and positive atmosphere. MVP: Indigo Duncan—1st place in the 14s girls and Johnny Davidson—2nd place in the 14s boys. 

Erinn Smith, Stewart Smith, Michelle Marino (Coaches)

NSWCCC Cross Country

Our successful Diocesan Cross Country runners competed at the NSWCCC Cross Country event on Wednesday. With such a short turnaround between the two events, the students were given limited time to prepare. The Equestrian Centre in Sydney is a challenging track, dodging gates, barrels, and muddy holes. There are some brutal hills to test the athletes' endurance, and a fantastic finish line up the centre of the arena. Each of our MacKillop athletes came away from the experience with fast times. Congratulations and best of luck to Indigo Duncan, who placed 8th in the under-14 girls category and has progressed to the NSW All Schools Cross Country. 

Special mention to Johnny Davidson and Amaya Davis for placing 14th in their race. Congratulations to the following athletes for their incredible run against some tough competition—Cadence Foley, Tori McGrath, Diarmuid Baltrop, Preston Davis, Myles Esson, Matthew Mizzi, Felix Plowright, and Noah Pociask. MVP: Indigo Duncan.

Erinn Smith (Diocesan Manager)

Country Cup Rugby League 13’s Boys

The MacKillop College Under 13 Boys Rugby League team gave a commendable effort, showing determination and resilience, and developed as a cohesive team unit in the Country Cup gala day. The boys came away with two solid wins against Regional and St. Paul’s. Kempsey. We lost a close match against Hastings Secondary in the semifinals; it was a fascinating game to watch and could have gone either way. 

Did I mention that we beat the Regional Team? Regional ultimately won the final against Hastings Secondary, which is a real credit to MacKillop, considering we were in intense competition. Overall, the team played well together for their first time, and it was great to see their progression over the day. The boys showed great sportsmanship and should be very proud of their efforts and of representing our school in such a positive way.

MVP: Tom Spencer—Tom showed true strength in his attacking and defending ability, scoring multiple tries on the day, one being a 70+ metre breakaway, which was a highlight. Tom’s versatility and adaptability in various positions made him a valuable asset to our team.

Sam Carney, Geoff Leary & Macca Murray (Coaches)

Country Cup Rugby League Boys U15’s

The sun was shining over the beautiful Woods Street fields, setting the scene for a great day of rugby league. Our team competed in four matches throughout the day, displaying skill, determination, and teamwork.

We started strong with two round games, securing dominant wins: 8–0 In our first match, we were 30–0 in the second. These results propelled us into the semi-final, where we faced Wauchope High School. In a tough contest, the team demonstrated great grit and determination to secure a well-deserved 22–8 victory. 

Our final game was the grand final against St. Joseph’s Regional College. With several players sidelined due to injury, the team was down in numbers but continued to show incredible heart. We opened the scoring with the first try, but fatigue set in, and, despite a valiant effort, we narrowly went down in the end.

Standout players across the day included Rocky Mann, Jack Lacey, and Tobias Rowlatt, who all made significant contributions to the team’s success. Congratulations to all players on a fantastic effort and a great day of rugby league. MVP: Rocky Mann.

Glen Littler (Coach)

Representative Sport, Upcoming Events and Registration 2025

All registrations for MacKillop College Representative Sport teams are completed by;

1. Logging into COMPASS (Chrome browser).
2. Click on the Star button 
3. Click on the Sport - Representative link
4. Click on the relevant sport and fill out the google form.

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

Sports currently open for registration are;

• Junior & Intermediate Basketball teams (Boys & Girls)

** NOTE: To register for the Diocesan Trials students need to complete the forms that can be found on the Lismore Diocesan Sport page. Click on the REGISTRATION tab.

 Upcoming MacKillop College Events 2025

Lismore Diocesan Events and Registration - 2025

NSWCCC & NSW All Schools Sporting Representation

Families with students who wish to nominate for trialling in a sport at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) level should make themselves familiar with the Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW) Sport website https://csnsw.sport/.  Parents/carers will need to create an account to be able to register their child.  Once a parent registers their child to attend an event on the CSNSW Sport portal it will send the registration to me for College approval to attend the event. 

Some sports allow students to register directly through the CSNSW Sport portal without having to go through the Diocesan Pathway. E.g. Individual Triathlon. In other instances, students will be required to travel to a Diocesan trial and if selected continue to the NSWCCC selection trials and communications for these teams will be sent through our Sports Desk.  

Please be prepared to travel if your child is accepted.  Parents have the responsibility to register their child on the NSWCCC portal, please make note of the registration closing dates based on the calendar on the CSNSW Sport website.

NSWCCC CALENDAR 2025

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.

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 Representative Sport)

Canteen

ATTENTION ALL QKR USERS

The cut-off time is 8.00am SHARP. Any orders placed after 8.00am will default to the next day.

If you miss the cut-off or make a mistake with your order, you MUST call the school immediately or have your child go directly to see the canteen managers.

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.

Attention all QKR users!

Cut-off time is 8.00 am.

Any orders placed after 8.00 am default to the following day. It is very time-consuming for canteen staff to have to check all late orders every day and then contact parents about their order. 

If you make a mistake, please call the office or send your child to the canteen.

There have also been new gluten-free items added to the menu.

Need Some Study Help?

Community News

Information Links for School Bus Services 2025

1. Timetable information - busways.com.au or transportnsw.info
2. School bus travel pass - School Student Travel Scheme