From the Principal – Ms Pussich

Heavenly Father,
we give you thanks and praise for your mercy and healing.
May we be open to receive your grace this Lent.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
give us the strength to resist all temptation
and bestow on us every gift
that we need to share in your mission
to bear witness to your Son, Jesus Christ.

Lent

Lent is fast approaching with Ash Wednesday on 2 March. As a College we will provide our staff and students with the opportunity to receive the ashes.

We hope that you will use the season of Lent as a time for conversion, conversion in relation to God through Prayer, conversion in relation to oneself and conversion in relation to others through almsgiving.

Note: In Australia, abstinence from meat, and fasting, must be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. All who have completed their eighteenth year and have not yet begun their sixtieth year are bound to fast. All who have completed their fourteenth year are bound to abstain.

Welcome

We welcome our new students, new parents and new staff to our community and welcome back those who were part of the MMCC community last year.

Our Year 7 students and their parents have been taking part in our Making Connections pastoral care program, designed to create an atmosphere of welcome and a sense of belonging. The major features of this program is connecting both Year 7 students and their parents with the Homeroom Teachers, and the Year 7 Camp which will be held next week. Thank you to the Year 7 students and their families for attending our Zooms on Tuesday 15 February and to the Homeroom Teachers for their presentations.

We welcome to our new staff who join our:

• College Leadership (Executive) Team –
  • Mr Ryan Zammit (Leader of Teaching and Learning)
• Teaching Team –
  • Mr Shivneel Kumar (HSIE)
  • Ms Kristina Kechagias nee Macri (CAPA/RE)
  • Miss Celine Ayoub (HSIE)
  • Miss Katya Floyd (RE)
  • Mr Daniel Viana (RE)
  • Mr Christopher Shelston (PDHPE)
  • Mrs Vanessa Governatori (TAS)
  • Mrs Fiona Malone (English) 
  • Mrs Emma Coluccio (English)
  • Mrs Maria Mezher (ILS)
  • Miss Victoria Kulen (TAS)
• Office Team –
  • Mrs Linda Mudaliar (Bursar)
• Learning Support Team
  • Mrs Nicole Chungue (LSO)
  • Mrs Fumiko Yonao Rutups (LSO)
  • Mrs Catalina Valdivia (LSO)
  • Mrs Lydia Kako (LSO)

HSC 2021 Results

MMCC’s thirtieth year (1991-2021) was marked with our BEST EVER HSC results. The HSC Class of 2021 shone with impressive individual results and collective school and course (class) results. Congratulations to our amazing Year 12 2021 students and to their exceptional teachers. We will shortly share with you our annual HSC Newsletter. Below is a snapshot of our results.

Individual Achievements:

• 99.35 Highest ATAR  – Shirley Nguyen
• 2 students on the NSW All Rounder List – Diane Tran and Amily Aishia
• 1 students on the NSW Top Achievers List – Diane Tran, 5th in the State for Community and Family Studies
• 6 First Places in the Archdiocese of Sydney:
  • Diane Tran – Community and Family Studies
  • Diane Tran – French Beginners
  • Amily Aishia – Food Technology
  • Rita Esho – Arabic Extension
  • Damyana Moma – Arabic Continuers
  • Nadeen Mayoma – Arabic Continuers
• 46 Distinguished Achievers 
• 8 students with an ATAR >95
• 19 students with an ATAR > 90
• 51 students with an ATAR > 80

School and Course Achievements

• MMCC Listed in the Top 150 Schools – Rank 139
• Highly Competitive – 91% of Courses Above State Average
• 102 HSC Marks were a mark of 90 or over (in highest bands Band 6 or E4) 
• 48.5% of all HSC Marks were in the highest Bands (5, 6 & E4)
• Impressive Learning Gain for students

MMCC Enrolling Now 2023 and 2024 

Each year there is a great demand to enrol at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. With our exceptional 2021 HSC results, the demand has increased. To avoid disappointment please contact the College today if you have daughters in Year 5 or Year 6, or have family members or friends keen to enrol their daughters.

Please contact Mrs Rosemary Gerardis, Enrolment Officer – email: rosemary.gerardis@syd.catholic.edu.au OR phone: 9725 4322

Open Day

This year Open Day will be held after school allowing more prospective students and their families to attend. Open Day will include student-led tours of the College, subject room interactive and static displays, and a short presentation by students, a parent and the Principal. Please let family and friends know the details of our Open Day:

Parent Advisory Group

Our Term 1 Parent Advisory Group (PAG) will be held on Tuesday 15 March commencing at 6pm. The PAG meets once a term where they hear, from the Principal, Assistant Principal and other members of the College Leadership Team, about what is happening in the College, provide valuable feedback and offer items for discussion. We invite back our previous members and invite new members. There is no obligation to attend every term.

For information about the PAG or to accept our invitation to attend, please contact Pina Varano, Principal’s Assistant via email at info@mmcwakeley.catholic.edu.au or by phone on 9725 4322.

Master of Secondary Teaching

The University of Notre Dame is offering a Master of Secondary Teaching that might be of interest to parents or relatives. Teaching is an honourable and enjoyable vocation where you can make a difference.

The Master of Secondary Teaching course may be useful for someone who is unable to use their university qualifications because they have not been working recently or are a refugee or immigrant. This course can be completed in as little as 18 months. Graduates of this course will be added to the pool of applicants for teaching positions at Sydney Catholic Schools.

There is an online Zoom information session at 7pm on Monday 21 February If you are interested please email jennifer.lawn@nd.edu.au to register your interest in attending this session.

The course details and Zoom information are included in this newsletter: Master of Secondary Teaching

 Year 11 Information Evening

Thank you to the Year 11 students and their families who joined us for an informative Zoom on 8 February.  The evening providing important assessment information and advice for senior study. Thank you to Mrs Lowe, Mr Reutens and Mrs Harding for their presentations.

HSC Tips From the Class of 2021

Diane Tran HSC 2021

ATAR 99.10

Top Achiever – 5th in NSW out of 9015 students for Community and Family Studies

NSW All Rounder

First in the Archdiocese of Sydney for Community and Family Studies and
French Beginners

NSW Distinguished Achiever

My name’s Diane and I graduated in 2021. Indisputably, the spectacle of 2021 threw many unprecedented challenges towards our year group. However, despite all of this uncertainty, I can say with certainty that the teaching strategies used at MMCC genuinely pushed me to perform a lot better than I thought I would.

I think what kept me motivated even when I was burning out (which was almost for half of the year) was the fact that the teachers would always come to class with a distinct lesson plan that built on the previous lesson. Lessons would range from the modelling of responses to constructive feedback from peers — with this same range continuing throughout the entirety of remote learning. Lessons would be adjusted towards the classes needs, and teachers were even willing to devote their extra time to explain content, past paper questions and solutions. The effort that the teachers put in towards teaching the content – whether it was on a PowerPoint or the whiteboard – never died down, even when everything felt incredibly overwhelming.

Personally, the individual feedback that I received from my teachers is what guided me the most. I can vividly remember scrolling through dozens of comments from my teachers leading up to the HSC on each of my documents and feeling a sense of panic because I felt that there was so much to work on. However, I came to realise that all feedback is good feedback, regardless of how daunting it seems.

Additionally, before each assessment, teachers would unpack the criteria, ensuring that the entire class knew what was expected. Despite our stress and tears, our teachers instructed us through the vast syllabi and helped us to overcome each of the many challenges thrown by NESA, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it!

Ultimately, the connection and dynamic in each classroom at MMCC is what truly pushed us all to do so well. Cheers to the Class of 2021 and all of our incredible teachers!

From the Assistant Principal – Mrs Harding

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all students and families to a year of learning at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. I would especially like to welcome our new families and students to the MMCC community.

Welcome to our New Year 7 Students

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.

On the first day our new Year 7 students 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
• 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 College community began the year on 1 February with the afternoon in lessons and the morning on administration, ensuring students were presented with very important aspects of MMCC 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.

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. Please do not give your daughter your password.

Please access 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/

Mobile Phone Policy Reminder

The purpose of the Mobile Phone Policy is to ensure the safety of students, promote appropriate and safe use of mobile phones within College grounds, and encourage interaction and communication without distractions.

Below are the key elements of the policy:

• All mobile phones are to be out of sight (stored in the student’s 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 may 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 need to contact their parents/carers they are to go to Student Services and request to use a phone.
• If parents/carers need to contact their daughters they can call the College reception on 9725-4322 and a message will be passed on to their daughter.

We appreciate the support of parents in having their daughter’s adhere to this policy and ask that you please do not text or call your daughter throughout the day.

College Dress Code

The students began the year in a tremendous way when it comes to their uniform. 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:

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

COVID-19 Reminders from NSW Health and Sydney Catholic Schools

As per the latest COVID-19 advice and guidelines, here are a few important reminders for all members of our College community.

Hygiene

Students are reminded of the following hygiene advice:

• Use the hand sanitiser stations throughout the College before, during and after school
• Bring their own hand sanitiser if they wish to use it throughout the day
• Continue to wash their hands before eating, after eating and after using the bathroom at all times
• Follow the correct hand washing procedures and advice from NSW Health
• Avoid sharing food or drinks
• Cough or sneeze into their elbow, or a tissue which should be discarded immediately

Other Guidelines

• Maintain, where possible, 1.5m distancing
• Avoid, where possible, mixing with other cohorts
• Take a Rapid Antigen Test (distributed by the College) twice a week, Monday and Thursday, and if it is positive
  • Contact NSW Health and isolate for the time period specified
  • Contact the College (ASAP) and provide documentation regarding the period of isolation
  • Only return if you are symptom-free

Feeling Unwell with COVID-19 Symptoms

Please remember that students are not to attend school if they are unwell, even if they only have the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms. Those who have been unwell, are required to return a negative COVID-19 test, be symptom-free and send their test result to the school via info@mmcwakeley.catholic.edu.au before returning to school.

Masks

The NSW Government requires the wearing of masks to help reduce community transmission of COVID-19. Currently it is mandatory for those over 12 years of age to wear masks in certain settings including on public/shared transport and waiting areas for public/shared transport (e.g. bus stops and train stations) and places of worship. Students over 12 years of age must comply with the Public Health (COVID-19 Mandatory Face Coverings) Order 2021 when travelling to and from school and during transport for school excursions, sport, carnivals etc. Masks are mandatory for all secondary students while indoors at school. 

Masks can be purchased from Student Services for $1.

More Information related to COVID-19

For more information, please visit:

• NSW Health
• Sydney Catholic Schools Coronavirus Updates

College Photo Day – Monday 21st February

By now you would have received the photo ordering envelopes for our upcoming College Photo Day on Monday 21st February. 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). No incorrect hair styles, including balayage, ombre or other banned hairstyles or cuts.
• No eyelash extensions
• No tattoos including henna
• 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.
• Year 11 and 12 leaders and Year 10 Homeroom leaders must bring their blazers with them for the leadership photos.

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

A letter was recently sent via Compass to parents outlining the College Photo Day.

Open Day 2022

SAVE THE DATE

OPEN DAY

TUESDAY 22 MARCH 2022

4.00PM – 7.30PM

2022 New Staff

Ryan Zammit Leader of Teaching and Learning	Kristina Kechagias Music Teacher
Shivneel Kumar HSIE Teacher	Catalina Valdivia Learning Support Officer
Katya Floyd Religious Education Teacher	Celine Ayoub HSIE Teacher
Daniel Viana Religious Education Teacher	Emma Coluccio English Teacher
Fiona Malone English Teacher	Fumiko Yonao Rutups Learning Support Officer
Victoria Kulen TAS Teacher	Christopher Shelston TAS Teacher
Linda Mudaliar Bursar	Vanessa Governatori TAS Teacher

Positions of Responsibility – Staff

Leaders of Learning (College Leadership Team)

Coordinators of Learning (College Middle Leaders)

Assistant Coordinators of Learning

House Coordinators

Other Positions of Responsibility

Office/Support Staff:

Upcoming Events

Important Dates for Term 1

Catholic Life @ MMCC – Mrs Flanagan

From the Archdiocese: Reclaiming Evangelisation Series Continues

Following on from the launch of Reclaiming Evangelisation in November with Bishop Robert Barron, the series continued with Dr Mary Healy, professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, as well as an accomplished author and international speaker.

Those who joined her live online on Saturday 12 February watched Dr Healy present on the topic ‘Why Make Disciples? What Scripture tells us about calling and forming disciples.’

Next in the series, Fr Jacques Philippe will speak on ‘Can we make disciples? The Holy Spirit and evangelisation.’ Wednesday 23 March, 7 – 8:30pm.

Places are limited. Registrations essential via www.gomakedisciples.org.au.

Enquiries: parishrenewal@sydneycatholic.org.

Lent is Coming…

 What is lent?

• The Purpose of lent
• How to live Lent this year
• Lent in 3 minutes
• Entering the Desert of Lent

Lenten Companion

The Parish Renewal’s 2022 Lenten Companion, COME BACK TO ME: Mercy and Healing Await, is now available for download on the GMD website.

Project Compassion & Caritas

The theme for this year’s appeal is “For all Future Generations,” which reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.

Parish Events @ Our Lady of the Rosary, Fairfield

Around the Grounds with Year 7 – Ms Messina

MMCC Swimming Carnival

It has been an eventful start to Term 1, 2022 with our annual College Swimming Carnival being held on Monday 14 February at Prairiewood Leisure Centre. We had fantastic weather and fun was had by all staff and students who attended the event. Students had the opportunity to gain house points by participating in both main pool events as well as novelty races.

Selected students will represent Mary MacKillop Catholic College as a team in the Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Swimming Competition on Wednesday 9 March. The carnival results will be announced at the next assembly.

We congratulate the following students on their wonderful achievement.

Miss Martino

Year Group Champion

Thank you to Miss Martino (Sports Coordinator), our House Captains and Vice Captains, our House Coordinators – Miss O’Regan, Miss Krasic, Miss Phetrasi, Mr Hennessy, Ms L’Aiguille (replacing Mr McLean), Mr Pham (replacing Ms Ecarma), the PDHPE Team and Mrs Harding for their organisation of our Swimming Carnival.

Ms Pussich

Year 12 HSC Legal Studies visit from Senior Constable Clark

Mr Anthony Moore
College Instructional Specialist
HSC Legal Studies Teacher

IMC Library – Mrs Devine

It has been wonderful to welcome all of our staff and students back to the IMC as we commence another exciting year of learning. In particular, it has been lovely getting to know our new Year 7 students as they begin their high school journey at MMCC.

Technology Bootcamp

All of our Year 7 students have participated in a technology session in the IMC with the IT Staff and Library Staff. This session was provided to ensure students had connectivity with their devices and to introduce them to the management systems that we use as MMCC such as Compass, Google Drive/ Classroom and Box of Books.

Box of Books

Box of Books is the platform that we use at MMCC to store the digital versions of  textbooks used across our subject areas. All students have access to their virtual bookshelf through the Box of Books link on Compass Favourites.

Lunar New Year

Many authors, stories and characters from across Asia are the focus of our Lunar New Year celebration in the IMC.

The display has proven to be very popular, with many of the titles being borrowed by students.

Valentine’s Day

As you can see from our beautiful decorations, LOVE IS IN THE AIR in the IMC. One of our favourite activities – Blind Date with a Book –  is back and will be the focus of our Valentine Celebrations this year. Students have the opportunity to borrow a book that is wrapped in plain paper and only identifiable by short descriptions and cryptic images. This is a great activity that provides students with the opportunity to read texts they may not normally choose for themselves.

New Books

We are very excited to share some of the new books that are on offer this month.

Luminous by Mara Rutherford

A fabulous new fantasy novel set in the Magical land of Antalla.

The central character has been hiding the true strength of her power and risks losing everything she loves to keep her secret.

At The End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp

Set in a juvenile detention centre, things start to escalate when the staff disappear due to a pandemic.

A book about survival and strength which presents a message of hope, kindness and friendship under trying conditions.

Study Skills Handbook

Traffic Safety in and Around the College

Please read below some very important reminders regarding traffic safety to ensure your daughter and all members of our community are kept safe:

Speed Limit

A reminder that during the times listed on the school zone signs, 40km/h speed limits apply.  We ask all parents to ensure you are vigilant with your speed and stick to the speed limit within our school zone all times. Within the College the speed limit is 10km/h.

Safe drop off 

Please observe the road and parking rules to ensure you are dropping off or picking up your daughter in the correctly marked zones. Parents are not permitted to park or stop at any time in a No Stopping Zone, particularly in Carnarvon Street as this blocks buses from entering of an afternoon which prevents our students from getting home at a reasonable time.

Pickup and Drop Off Zones 

A reminder that these zones can only be used for a quick pick up or drop off only. The following applies:

• maximum stop time is two (2) minutes
• driver must remain in or within a vehicle
• vehicle must not be left unattended
• zone applies only during hours of operation

Morning Drop Off inside the College 

The morning drop off facility is designed to provide our students with a safe and quick drop off and so we ask that the drop off is done swiftly and no one leaves their car unattended. We ask parents to move their car to the furthest point of the drop off zone to ensure as many cars as possible can come into the College ensuring traffic flow is not stopped or interrupted. When parents park their cars nearest the gates this causes traffic jams on Hamilton and Bulls Roads. Please check your mirrors when leaving to prevent any collisions and stick to the 10km/h speed limit within College grounds.

Police and Council Rangers regularly patrol the area around our College. Please ensure you observe all road and parking rules. These reminders are in place to ensure the safety of all members of our College community. We thank all parents for your continued support and care of our students. Please contact the College if you have any questions or concerns.

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Statement of Attainment in Retail Skills for Beauty (Apply Nail Art)

Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield Open Day

Parent Online Clay Jewellery Making Course