From the Principal – Ms Pussich
All Saints Day
On All Saints Day, 1st November, we pray the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-10). Jesus teaches us that if we live according to the Beatitudes, then we will live a blessed and happy Christian life.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
All Souls Day
On All Souls Day, 2nd November, we pray for those dear to us who are no longer with us.
At Mary MacKillop College, we keep the departed family members of our students and staff in our prayers.
We also pray for MMCC staff members recently deceased, Fr Patrick (Mac) McAuliffe and Mrs Teena Mayer.
We pray that the souls of all the faithful departed be forever in God’s care and may they rest in peace.
Fr Patrick (Mac) McAuliffe (24 October 1930 – 24 April 2020)
Fr Mac served as Parish Priest for over 40 years at Sacred Heart, Cabramatta and was loved by both parishioners and the citizens of Cabramatta. It was wonderful to read a tribute to Fr Mac in the Fairfield Champion, that included the naming of the indoor basketball court at Fairfield-Cabramatta PCYC and a plaque being placed on a bench at Cabravale Memorial Park in his honour.
At Mary MacKillop Catholic College, Fr Mac will always be remembered as our unofficial chaplain. He was inspirational in the founding of the school 30 years ago. From our College’s beginning, Fr Mac answered the call by Bishop Gilroy to minister to us. He regularly visited us, providing us with opportunities for Reconciliation and Mass, inspiring Religious Education classes and speaking with the “Young Ladies” about their aspirations for the future. He always reminded our students and staff that God is always beside them and if they ever needed anything, to call on God. He always enjoyed sharing a yarn and had a wicked sense of humour. As a tribute to Fr Mac, we have named our College Hall after him.
COVID Safe Return to School
It was wonderful to have Year 12 students return in Week 3 and Year 11 (AKA Year 12 2022) students in Week 4. We look forward to the return of Years 7-10 and CIEC students on Monday 1 November.
To support the safe return of our students we will provide them with a MMCC mask, only have fully vaccinated staff onsite, have staff wear masks indoors, provide enhanced cleaning (e.g. toilets, high-touch areas and other hard surfaces, door handles, lockers, light switches and handrails), keep the uniform shop and canteen closed and limit parent and visitor access; only have parents drop off in the tear drop and pick up outside the school.
It is vital that no one attends school if they have COVID-19 symptoms (fever, headache, cough, sore/scratchy throat, difficulty breathing, runny nose, fatigue, loss of taste or sense of smell), however mild, rather they should get tested, self-isolate, inform the school of the result and only return following a negative result or medical clearance.
Please support us by contacting the College immediately if your daughter tests positive for COVID-19 or is deemed a Close Contact.
Unfortunately coronavirus is still in NSW and so the challenge for all schools is to take a safe and measured response. Please follow the NSW Government advice for schools:
- If your daughter tests Positive for COVID-19, she can return to school once she has completed her isolation, has been medically cleared and has been provided with a medical clearance notice by a medical practitioner or a registered nurse. Your daughter should only return to onsite learning if she is well and not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
- If your daughter is deemed a Casual Contact, she can return to school when she leaves isolation after receiving her first negative COVID-19 test. All casual contacts need to follow the NSW Health advice, attend for a day 6 test and only return to school if well.
- If your daughter is deemed a Close Contact and:
- is fully vaccinated and has returned a negative day 6 test, she will generally be able to return to onsite learning after leaving isolation after day 7. She will need to show proof of vaccination upon her return to school. Your daughter will still be required to test on day 12 and should continue to monitor for symptoms during this time and only return to school if well.
- is unvaccinated, she can return to school after she has received a negative day 12 test result and finished her full isolation period.
- I encourage all students to get vaccinated: Years 12-15 Vaccination venues link Years 16+ Vaccination venues link
Parent Advisory Group Meeting
Our Term 4 Parent Advisory Group Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 9 November commencing at 6pm. We welcome back our regular committee members and invite new members to join. Due to COVID restrictions regarding parents and visitors onsite, we will be holding this meeting via Zoom. Please send an email to info@mmcwakeley.catholic.edu.au to register your attendance and receive the Zoom code.
