FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome to the first official online Newsletter for Mary MacKillop Catholic College. It has taken us a little time to build the site and to cement our processes for this newsletter, but you will find a variety of news events shared and celebrated on this page every fortnight. You will also receive an alert via Skoolbag when a newsletter is posted.

There have been many rich events over recent weeks, which you will have been aware of from the latest news that has been uploaded on our home page. This newsletter serves to give a focus to particular events as we write about the richness of our College community.

Student Leadership

Over these last few weeks the College has seen the inauguration of the new senior student leadership team; a group of impressive young women who have been voted for by their peers and were then required to undergo a stringent interview process with executive members of myself prior to being invested into particular positions of responsibility.

The Student leadership team will share their gifts through leadership of House or Portfolios. They are led by an executive team of students who will work closely with the College Executive staff to assist us in our work of making the College a place where students can grow in leadership, confidence and resilience.

Congratulations to Katerina Ferkula Cohen for being named College Captain and Erin Zappia who is College Vice Captain for 2017.

The tables below indicate the successful students in the various leadership positions. There has been such an interest in leadership that many more students have nominated to be committee members for the portfolios. I look forward to seeing more of our students take the step towards building their leadership around the College as we travel through 2017.

The first leadership role the team undertook was to work with the visiting Year 4 and Year 5 students from our feeder schools as they visited last week. Mr Grana has shared the success of this in this newsletter. This was quickly followed by the students accompanying various teachers to Remembrance Day ceremonies last Friday.

I am very proud of these young ambassadors for the College and look forward to working closely with them.

God Bless

Narelle Archer

Principal

FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

NSW Health – Year 7 Vaccination Program 2016

HPV and Varicella Vaccinations 3^rd Visit – Wednesday 30^th November

Our 3^rd and final date for vaccinations has been scheduled for Wednesday 30^th November 2016. Please ensure your daughter is at school on this day, otherwise if this vaccination is missed you will not receive an official letter from NSW Health confirming the completion of this vaccination schedule.

 Perfect Attendance Term 3 – 2016

Congratulations to these students who have already received their awards. Looking forward to the students who receive them for this Term.

Be a High School Student for a Day

In a joint venture with Patrician Brothers College, we are hosting our six feeder parish students from Years 4 and 5 over two days. Our first visit was last Monday 7^th November, years 4 and 5 students from Sacred Heart Cabramatta, Sacred Heart Villawood and Mary Immaculate Bossley Park visited our College and spent a great day experiencing the sights and sounds of our great College.

The students experienced high school life and were given a timetable with three different classes to visit during the day. Congratulations goes out to Mrs Valeri who organised and coordinated the day. She was supported by our Leader of Learning Mrs Spaccavento who ensured any logistical issue was being resolved on the spot. A huge thank you to our newly appointed Senior Leaders who had some adoring fans by the end of the day. They were superb ambassadors of the College! Below are some images of the day that include the large numbers of students from across Years 7 – 11 who also provided support in each of the classes, guiding students and being exceptional role models of what our great College represents.

Safety Tips during the Summer

As the summer heat begins to increase a few reminders:

• Bring your sunscreen and put it on
• Use the shaded areas provided
• Wear a hat in the sun, particularly during sport

Students have been reminded that shaded areas are to be shared. No student or group of students has ownership over any area of the College.

Canteen Reminders

Students have been reminded that the Canteen facilities are a privilege and not a right. Therefore they must respect the use of the canteen facilities by ensuring everyone is respectful and cooperative and ensures that they stay in the correct place in the line. Also, students were reminded to continue to be polite and respectful to the canteen staff.

OPAL Cards on School Buses Compulsory

I remind parents to ensure they ask their daughters to have their OPAL card with them at all times. Not having an OPAL card whilst using a bus service is against the law and carries heavy penalties including exclusion from the bus service.

Bus drivers and bus company’s reserve the right to not allow a person on the bus if they cannot produce an OPAL card.

The College does not control OPAL cards or applications for them. These are handled by the NSW Government. Please visit the website below for further information:

https://www.opal.com.au/en/about-opal/opal-for-school-students/

Term 4 Uniform Reminders

The vast majority of students are always excellently dressed and groomed. However a small minority of students need to be reminded of simple uniform and grooming responsibilities and expectations. We ask parents to ensure they check that their daughters are in correct uniform and are appropriately groomed on a daily basis. If you are unsure of any uniform or grooming policy, check the College diary or contact your daughter’s CLC teacher.

Unfortunately, a small minority of students come to school out of uniform and do not bring a note. In some cases we have sent students home to rectify the issue. Please ensure your daughter removes any excess earrings or jewellery when they come to school. Teachers have been confiscating jewellery or in some cases parents have been asked to come and pick up the incorrect jewellery from the school.

 Mobile Phones

The majority of our students understand the distraction that mobile phones have on the learning environment. Since the introduction of our new College Policy, students have been less stressed and more focused on their learning and engaged in meaningful conversations. However, a few students have begun the use of speakers or headphones or other devices during recess or lunch.A reminder that this is NOT permitted as per the mobile phone policy.  Confiscation and a phone call to parents to come and pick up any equipment will be made, regardless of whether it is their first time or not.

Annual Awards Night Date and Final Day of Classes for Years 7-11 2016

Please note that the College’s annual Awards Night has moved to Tuesday 29th November.   This affects any student and their families, who will be receiving an end of year academic or school based award.

Also the final day of classes for all students in Years 7 to 11 is Tuesday 13th December.  Teachers will continue to deliver vital curriculum content to ALL students.

In regards to our Year 12 2017 classes, throughout these last two days, teachers will be delivering new HSC content and be preparing students for the required holiday work in preparation for them to start their second term of the HSC courses in February of 2017.

We therefore stress to all parents the importance of your daughter’s attendance at school on these final days.  Please refer to the Compulsory School Attendance Requirements set out by the NSW and Federal Governments.  These can be found in your daughter’s College Diary or on our College Website (in the policies section).  It is an expectation of the College that all students are present at school on these days.  No leave can be granted to any student on these two dates.   We ask parents not to book any trips away until after the 13th December 2016.

If you have any questions regarding these dates, please do not hesitate to contact the College and the relevant staff member will be able to assist you with your enquiry.  Shortly you will receive a Term 4 2016 Dates to Remember letter for specific dates of other events at the College that require parental engagement.

Absences – Bring Your Notes In

Please ensure you bring any outstanding absence notes to school.  Failure to bring your notes means your permanent absence record shows an UNEXPLAINED/UNJUSTIFIED absence.  This has serious effects on future job prospects.

Reminder: Use of Aerosol/Spray based Deodorants are Banned

As per the letter at the end of Term 2, The use of aerosol cans/sprays of deodorant are prohibited in the College.  Spraying of deodorants is a health hazard.  Only roll-on deodorants are permitted and encouraged.  Any student found spraying deodorant will have it confiscated and further action taken.

I leave you this week with an inspirational quote that relates to the Growth Mindset Approach that Mrs Archer introduced the College community to at the last College Assembly:

May we continue in our partnership of “Forming young women called to life to make a difference in the world.”

Mr Pablo Grana, Assistant Principal

YEAR 9 NEWMAN STUDENTS

Our Year 9 Newman girls won 1st & 2nd places respectively in the Scientific Thinking and Research Skills (STARS) Southern Region 3-day program, beating other schools from the region.

• The top team was won by Gabriela Perovic, Allyn Puente and Alana G. They researched and made an Imovie to suggest: How does car to car communication between driverless cars provide a safe experience for drivers and bystanders?.

• Second place was won by Sarah Pham, Rand Amanouil and Amy Ho. Their research was: How could the use of hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles be sustainable through the use of solar panels.

Mrs Chiquita Mathieu, Newman Coordinator

INFORMATION COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

iPad Checkup Years 7 & 8

At the beginning of Term 4, 2016 an iPad Check Up was conducted with all Year 7 and 8 students. The aim of the Check Up was to ensure that all students had their own iPad in good working condition and were able to use this device for learning in the classroom. In particular, devices were checked for the following:

• Connectivity to school Wi-Fi
• CENet password current (needed to sign in to their College Google account)
• Amount of storage on device
• Storage used
• Storage available
• Quantity of games apps
• Quantity of social media apps
• Protective case
• Condition of iPad

It was a great opportunity to talk to the students about management of their devices, and in particular ensuring that they had enough available storage for their school work. It was also a timely reminder for some students about their responsibilities in regards to the use of technology in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)  Program outlined in the Student Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement 2016 (Point 3.0) which all students and parents/carers have signed in the College Diary.

College Google Account Password Reset

The vast majority of students in Years 7 and 8 had iPads in good working condition and were able to connect to the College Wi- Fi.  Some students needed to be reminded that it is their responsibility to check their school emails regularly and reset the password on their College Google Account when requested. If this has expired they can request a reset at the College ICT Office.

Areas of Concern for Parents

Please be aware that there are a variety of apps that appear to be calculators but are actually secret vaults that hide documents and photos, and can only be activated by typing in the correct code. If you type in ‘secret calculator’ or ‘photo vault’ in the App Store you will find a number of these apps. Some of these are:

• Ky Calc
• Calculator +
• Calculator %
• HiCalculator

Other apps that also can be used to hide documents and photos are:

• Piano Pass
• Photo Vault
• Keepsafe Photo Vault
• iVault

Parents need to regularly check the Apps loaded on their daughter’s device for suitability and to be aware that you must be over the age of 13 to have an Apple ID, which is required to download apps.

I also advise students not to load Social Media apps such as Snapchat, Instagram and Skype, which use up valuable storage, on their iPads. These apps are not used for learning at the College and can be a distraction when students are using their devices for schoolwork.

Finally, if students have problems with their iPads that require repairs, or if iPads cannot be repaired, please be aware that after the relevant forms are signed by parents a replacement device can be arranged through the Irene McCormack Centre for 3 weeks. All students in Years 7 to 9 in 2017 will be required to have an iPad as an essential tool for research, collaboration and product creation.

We are continuing to refine our Bring Your Own Designated Device Program to ensure that students have the necessary tools for learning in a contemporary learning environment. Working in partnership with parents, the College can provide a safe, creative and productive learning space for our students.

Mrs Maria Thomson, Coordinator of Learning – Innovative Technologies & Information Literacy

YEARS 7-10 READING INITIATIVES

High Achievers in 7 to 10 Reading Initiatives 2016

In Term 3 all students in Years 7 to 10 English participated in Target Reading (7 & 8) and Aim High (9 & 10) Reading Initiatives designed to develop a good reading habit and to encourage them to read more, thus improving their literacy levels. Evidence suggests that reading for pleasure leads to increased success at school and in tertiary study. Students who read more are also better readers. (Department for Education, United Kingdom,. Research Evidence On Reading For Pleasure. 1st ed. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.)

I would like to congratulate the following students who achieved their reading girls and were nominated by their English teachers for their outstanding efforts in the Reading Initiatives. These students enjoyed a special Pizza Lunch with the Principal, Mrs Archer, and their English teachers and will be presented with a special Certificate of Achievement at the next College Assembly.

Mrs Maria Thomson – Coordinator of Innovative Technologies & Information Literacy

Certificate of Achievement Recipients

BOOK REVIEW

Colin Singleton is a child prodigy who experiences 19 breakups, all with girls named Katherine. The past girls he has dated have all broken Colin’s heart, but his nineteenth breakup has set him on a road adventure with his overweight best friend Hassan. He is determined to prove a mathematical theorem he believes will determine the future of any relationship. As they journey further with $10,000 cash, Colin realises that he is not over Katherine number 19. But with the help of Hassan and his Gutshot friends he will soon realise that there are better things in front of him and decides to take notice of the adventure he is on.

The novel is mainly situated in Gutshot, Tennessee a town where Colin and Hassan went to view the grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. They come across a girl named Lindsey who is coincidentally dating a guy named Colin. Lindsey eventually becomes a close friend of Colin while Hassan’s attention is drawn to a hot girl named Katrina. The boys bunk with Lindsey at her house where her mum, Hollis, even gives them jobs. As they both embark on an unusual, yet strangely interesting, adventure they experience and achieve great and wild things.

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of the novel An Abundance of Katherines. It captures a relatable and truthful essence, similar to the events in the life of the average teenager. The book had content that both males and females could enjoy, involving a touch of humour and was structured very cleverly, which captured my attention right to the ending. An Abundance of Katherines is a quick read and a great novel which I strongly recommend.

Carmelina Alvaro (Year 10)

TAS NEWS

Outstanding major projects in Industrial Technology Multimedia.

Two students have successfully been nominated for possible inclusion in InTech, the annual exhibition of outstanding Projects by HSC Industrial Technology students.

If they are selected they will be shown at the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo and later at the Showground in Homebush. Congratulations Nadja Zuza and Veronica Taleski, Year 12, 2016.

A short film called ‘Sprout’ by Nadja Zuza

One of our hard working students, Veronica Taleski in Year 12 may be the new Quentin Tarantino. Veronica this year has made several remarkable achievements. She has a job as a production assistant on a feature film shooting next year, and is also starting a 3 month full time job programming for Foxtel.

Veronica also produced, in her own time, a one minute film ‘Gunpoint’. This also won best short film at the Robin Anderson Film Awards. She is in the running for a scholarship to the Sydney Film School.

Below is a picture of her poster that went with her movie and website.

A short film called ‘The Story With No Name’ by Veronica Taleski

Mr Hennessy, Industrial Technology Teacher

COMING EVENTS

MASS TIMES

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY PARISH FAIRFIELD

OLR Parish’s Vision for Youth Ministry

Nothing makes a parish come alive more than the vibrant contribution of youth, for their enthusiasm is so contagious. For this reason, Fr Michael de Stoop, the Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Rosary (OLR) Parish, Fairfield, has been busy planning what they can do to enthuse the youth become more active in their faith. Accordingly, Fr Michael invites you to consider two important aspects of his plan in this following message of his:

Firstly, young people like to be part of something popular. If young people come to the church and do not find a good number of youth present, they will not feel part of something special. For this reason, I am convinced that we should not be a welcoming church, for welcoming implies that we passively sit on our hands while we wait for people to come to the church before we take steps to make them feel welcome. Rather, I believe we need to be an invitational church. So, OLR Parish has invited the Couples for Christ (CFC) community to run camps throughout each year for the youth in our Parish Hall, Youth Room, and our 5 classrooms above the Parish Hall. We will then be in an excellent position to invite young people to attend a variety of these camps, each for different age groups, for the CFC run camps that are very well attended, as they are appealing and provide outstanding faith-formation.

A second factor pertaining to the importance of invitation is Mary Mackillop Catholic College (MMCC), for they are keen to build on the connection they have with OLR Parish. So, I have interviewed some students from MMCC to become Youth Ministry Coordinators (YMCs) for 10 hours per week each. As these students have just completed the HSC, they will be able to make valuable connections between OLR Parish and PBCF, as their faces are familiar to their fellow students.

What saddens me, however, is that OLR Parish has some obstacles that threaten this vision for our youth. Specifically, OLR Parish still has to fulfil our commitments to repay its loan for having extended our church. Therefore, to achieve these new initiatives for the vision of our youth, we need to develop a long-term financial plan for OLR Parish. So, I invite you to consider making donations through recurring direct debit or debit/credit card transactions by contacting the OLR Parish Secretary: (02) 9724 5997, or admin@olrparish.org.au<mailto:admin@olrparish.org.au>  The advantage of this method is that it is the best way of being able to forecast whether or not we will have enough funds to make the vision for our youth possible.

Regards,

Father Michael de Stoop

Parish Priest

Our Lady of the Rosary Church | 18 Vine Street, Fairfield
Parish Office: 2 Weston Street, Fairfield  NSW  2165 | t 9724 5997 | f 9754 1439 | e pp@olrfairfield.org.au<mailto:pp@olrfairfield.org.au>