As we enter this 200 Years of Catholic Education,
it is a timely reminder for us
that the concept of Creator Spirit has been a part of First Nations Peoples,
who have walked upon and cared
for these lands, seas and waterways for many thousands of years. 

We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and
relationship of First Nations Peoples to this place and
commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation. 

We pray and give thanks for these ancient peoples
who have enriched and sustained our continent over all that time. 

We praise God for the people who nurtured the lands, seas and waterways
here in the place that we call home

200 Years of Catholic Education

As you are aware, this year we celebrate 200 years of Catholic education in Australian. As a Catholic school, established within the Josephite Tradition, we marked this milestone with a liturgy on Friday 21 May. We chose this day, firstly because of its proximity to the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians (24 May), secondly because of the significant impact St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the founder of the Josephites, had on Catholic education in Australia, and thirdly because it was the 30th anniversary of a prominent Josephite, Sr Irene McCormack who worked in Catholic education for 25 years as a teacher.

As part of the 200 Years of Catholic Education celebrations a Sydney Catholic Schools’ version of Fr Rob Galea’s Faith in the Future was produced. A small group of MMCC students are in the video. You can view it at: https://youtu.be/It9Lju9iN6U

200th Anniversary of Catholic Education in Australia, St Mary’s Cathedral, NSW. Photos by Giovanni Portelli/Sydney Catholic Schools

On Monday 24 May, Caitlyn Chung, Chantelle Allam, Lynn Awad, Niza De Araujo and Marla Gilyana accompanied me to the National Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral to celebrate the 200 Years of Catholic Education. The National Mass was presided by His Eminence, Archbishop Anthony Fisher and attracted special guests including Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, Governor of NSW, and many significant past and present leaders of Catholic Education. In recognition of this milestone, it began with a video message from Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, and was televised nationally.  It was fitting that this Mass should bring students from both primary and secondary schools together on the feast day of Mary Help of Christians, patroness of Australia.

Debating

Debating is a great opportunity for our students to enhance their public speaking skills, create a sound argument and develop confidence. Students from Year 7 to senior years are currently involved in the CSDA Debating Competition, where they compete against other Catholic schools, including Patrician Brothers Fairfield, Cerdon College Merrylands and Lasalle Bankstown. In addition to this, students learn public speaking skills through Speech Craft offered on Thursday afternoons and in class. We are hoping to have a House Debating Competition as well as a Staff versus Teacher Debating Challenge commencing soon.

Thank you to the students who make up our Debating Squad and those who help out with time keeping and catering for our Home debates. A special thank you to Mrs Pedavoli – Debating Coordinator, coach and adjudicator, Mr Thomas – coach and adjudicator, Mrs Arairo – coach, Miss Ayoub – coach, Mr Zia – adjudicator and Miss Summer Rosewall (ex-student) – adjudicator.

Open Evening

On the evening of 25th May, we welcomed prospective students and their parents for tours of our College. They were very impressed with the range and design of our facilities, the cleanliness of the College and the beautifully maintained outdoor areas. They were also impressed by our Year 10 students Mary Anoya, Natalia Sheebo, Emily Bathis, Kardinia Batti, Josette Grima and Tina Nguyen who accompanied Mrs Harding and me as we took them on their tour.

The Clancy Prize

On Friday 28th May, it was an honour to attend an amazing showcase of artworks created by students in the Archdiocese of Sydney. This year, the religious art exhibition focused on Celebrating 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia. MMCC entered three artworks and received awards for two.

Well done to our students and their teachers.

Congratulations to Damyana Moma (Year 12), who won the ACU School of Arts and Sciences Award for her artwork, The Spirit of Joy. Her painting, created in the Renaissance and old master’s style, shows Mary MacKillop who is a great example of a good shepherd and true teacher.

Congratulations to our Year 8 students for their collaborative artwork, This Is Who We Are”, which won the ACU School of Education Award. The 200 figures represent 200 Years of Catholic Education in a design similar to the idea of artist Antony Gormley

Our students from the Catholic Intensive English Centre also painted Mary MacKillop who our College is named after. The inclusion of a variety of flags demonstrates that MMCC welcomes students from different backgrounds who all share Catholic faith and values.

NESA News – Everyday Maths Hub

From NESA:

The evidence shows that when parents and carers engage with schools on mathematics and numeracy, students’ engagement with and attitude toward maths is enhanced.

The Everyday Maths Hub has been designed to support families to:

• develop and support positive attitudes towards mathematics and numeracy at home
• empower their children to think critically and creatively
• find and solve problems
• notice and wonder about the mathematics in the world around them.

You can visit the Everyday Maths Hub @ https://education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/learning/maths/the-everyday-maths-hub

Parent Advisory Group Meeting

The Parent Advisory Group met last Wednesday 26 May. We shared information about the 10:10 Project,HSC improvement strategies, the Mathematical Expertise and Excellence Project, the MyStrengths Program, the Intensive Learning Support Program, our focus on Collaboration, JJAMM Week, a new option to the uniform – the College Bag on wheels, and the Bathroom upgrade. We discussed some issues regarding homework, Compass, student leadership and blazers.

Thank you to the parents who attended: Eptessam Mekho (mother of Mariam Elisha, Year 12), Meagan O’Grady (mother of Erin, Year 12 & Hannah, Year 8), Jenny Williams (mother of Abigail, Year 9), Annette Silva (mother of Cerise, Year 7), Sana Yonan (mother of Isabella Omar, Year 9), Anas Kahak and Manar Al-Qrew (parents of Kermeena, Year 7). Thank you also to Mrs Harding.

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey

We would like to invite parents and carers to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. So far only a small number of parents have completed the survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. 

The parent survey is open for you to provide feedback and will close on Friday 18 June. Your responses are anonymous. You can access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL: http://tellthemfromme.com/5b44b The survey is available in multiple languages.

SCS Family Forum: Part of Something Bigger

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews

On Tuesday 25 May, we held Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews for Year 11 and 12. This is an important opportunity for us to reflect together on each student’s learning and plan forward. Thank you to the many parents and students who took the time to attend the Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews.