Welcome to our New Year 7’s

A big Mary MacKillop Catholic College Welcome to our new Year 7 students who had the special opportunity to spend their first day on their own before the rest of the school came back to start the year. Our College community is very happy to welcome you and we hope the next six years are full of life long learning.

Our New Year 7’s had an opportunity to meet with Ms Pussich and I who went through an intensive induction session that covered topics such as:

• Catholic Life
• Respect
• Receiving Communion
• Learning Culture
• Bullying
• Kindness
• College Diary
• Classroom behaviour
• Acceptable use of ICT Devices
• Attendance
• Uniform and Grooming
• Being Inclusive

 

 

Important Reminders to Begin the Year

Our whole College community began the year with an Administration based day ensuring students were presented with very important aspects of their expectations before they started their classes. The presentations were centred around:

• Learning Management: All students were reminded of their rights and responsibilities of being a member of the Mary MacKillop Catholic College Learning Community.
• Attendance: Ensuring all students are clear on the expectations of attendance for academic success.
• Diary: Clear understanding of the importance of the diary being the central form of communication and organisation between school and home.
• Uniform: Clear guidelines regarding grooming, jewellery and expectations for their school and sports uniform.

A huge thank you to the Homeroom Teachers who have worked very closely with your daughters in ensuring they began the year well informed and ready for learning.

 

Swimming Carnival – Postponed until Monday 9th March

Due to inclement weather conditions, a decision was made to postpone the College Swimming Carnival. As a result, the carnival will now be held on Monday 9th March, 2020. 

The College Swimming Carnival is a normal school day and attendance is compulsory. Students will be taken to and from the venue via bus, and no student is permitted to be dropped off or picked up from the venue. In the event that a student is required to leave early due to medical reasons, they should have already returned an explanation note to their Homeroom Teacher.

All students will participate in a variety of pool and land events within their year group.  These activities will cater for all levels of swimming. The details of the event are:

• Venue: Prairiewood Leisure Centre (Prairie Vale Rd & Moonlight Road, Prairiewood) 
• Date: Monday 9th March, 2020
• Transportation: Students will be transported to and from the venue via bus
• Assembly Point: Mary MacKillop Catholic College
• Assembly Time: 8.30am
• Return Point: Mary MacKillop Catholic College
• Return Time: 3.05pm
• Dress Requirements:   Full College sports uniform and swimming equipment, sunscreen and hat
• Food: Students should bring their own food for the day

 

Compass App

Compass is our Student Information System where parents can communicate and receive communication from the College. Compass can be accessed on your mobile phone or computer. It is essential that every parent has access and keeps their password private.

Don’t forget to ensure you are accessing Compass regularly to update absences for your daughter, access reports and receive messages from the school. Here are some helpful links below:

1. The app store: gl/9FHGg6
2. Google play: gl/iSmC64
3. Browser: https://mmcwakeley-nsw.compass.education/

 

College Diary Enhancements and the Merit System

Your daughter’s diary has been improved once again. All enhancements were the product of student feedback. The daily organisation page has been updated to student specifications and allows students to have a list of tasks to complete over the weekend.

As always, parents are asked to check their daughter’s diary each week and sign in two places, both the weekly page and Commendations and Matters of Concern page which is located in the communications section (as seen below):

Commendations and Matters of Concern

The College is committed to communicating with parents on a constant basis. Parents have faster access to information on how your daughters are progressing on a week-by-week basis. Teachers will be giving students Commendations or Matters of Concern and recording these at the back of the diary (Communications TAB) at the back of the diary. Parents are required to sign this page on a weekly basis.

Commendations: Students can earn a commendation at any time, both in and out of class, based on the listed criteria. Once your daughter has reached six (6) commendations, she will receive a merit card from her Homeroom Teacher. These merit cards form part of our overall merit system (please refer to the diary for more information).

Matters of Concern: Students can receive these at any time, in and out of class and indicate that a change of behaviour or attitude are required. When students receive 5 matters of concern, a phone call will be made to the parent by the CoL (Year) or CoL (KLA) to alert you of the fact that if they receive any further matters of concern will result in a Thursday Afternoon RAP detention.

6 Commendations = 1 Merit Card

6 Matters of Concern = Thursday Afternoon RAP – 3:00pm – 3:50pm

 

Mobile Phone Policy Reminder

To ensure continued safety for students in regards to mobile phones during the school day, we remind parents and students that the purpose of this policy is to promote appropriate and safe use of mobile phones within College grounds and encourage interaction and communication without distractions. Below are the highlights of the policy:

• All mobile phones are to be out of sight (in the school bag or locker), switched off or on silent as soon as the student enters the College front doors of a morning.  
• Mobile phones can only be used on College grounds once students have been dismissed out of their classroom by their teacher after the end-of–school-day bell rings.  
• If a mobile phone is sighted on school grounds from the moment the student walks into the College front doors, for any reason, they will have it confiscated immediately by staff. 
• Refusal to give a confiscated phone to a teacher will automatically result in a Thursday Afternoon RAP detention.
• Continued abuse of this policy or ICT policy can result in further consequences.
• The school accepts no responsibility for replacing mobile phones that are lost, stolen or damaged whilst on school premises.
• If students require to contact their parents/carers they are to go to student services and request to use a phone.
• If parents/carers require to contact their daughters they are to call the College reception on 9725-4322 and a message will be passed on to their daughter.

 

College Dress Code

The students began the year in a tremendous way when it comes to their uniform and grooming. We thank parents for their support in ensuring that your daughters started the year excellently dressed and groomed, respecting the College’s high expectations. To continue our commitment to high standards in presentation, a reminder of the dress code related to jumpers:

• The College Jumper cannot be worn during Terms 1 and 4. If the weather is cool, students wear the College Blazer.

I thank you for your continued support of our College uniform and grooming policies.

 

College Photo Day – Friday 27th March 2020

By now you would have received the photo ordering envelopes for our upcoming College Photo Day on Friday 27th March 2020.  We take this opportunity to remind parents to ensure that your daughters adhere to our daily uniform and grooming expectations.  We ask that you take note of the following specific reminders:

• makeup of any kind is not allowed (including eyeliner, eye-shadow, mascara, foundation)
• necklaces – only Christian cross, inside their blouse may be worn
• other than a simple pair of studs or sleepers (Gold or Silver), one per ear in the lower lobe, there is to be no other jewellery present
• Hair tied back for all hair below shoulder length (i.e. a ponytail or similar. NOT to the side, no bows/flowers or clips). Students with incorrect hair (balayage, ombre or other banned hairstyles or cuts) will not be allowed to take their photo.
• Simple elastics in College colours
• Blouse pockets must be empty
• Year 12 students must bring their blazers with them for the Year 12 group photo.

If your daughter is not following the above regulations (which are the daily expectations of any student), then we will not allow the photo to be taken.

More information has been provided through Compass by Mr Thomas.