From the Principal – Ms Gilda Pussich

Remembrance Day – 11 November

We pause to remember, at the 11 Hour of the 11 Day of the 11 Month, the armistice that ended World War I came into force, bringing to an end four years of hostilities that cost the lives of 62 000 Australians and more than 20 million worldwide. Few Australian families were left untouched by the events of World War I, most had lost a father, son, daughter, brother, sister or friend. As a College, staff and students together stopped and prayed in remembrance of those who fought in wars past and present.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That marks our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely sining, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

by John McCrae

I had the privilege of attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at Cabra-Vale Diggers along with Natalia Sheebo (College Captain 2023) and Mariam Gudady (Arena House Captain 2023) who laid a wreath on behalf of the College. At this ceremony, Chaplain Jeffrey Deuble (Australian Army) reminded us that Australians fought and died not for our land but for our principles and values – Freedom for all people, Compassion for others, Justice, Respect and Honesty. He reminded us of our responsibility to in remember the past to avoid repeating it.

Thank you to our staff and students who attended other local services:

• Smithfield RSL – Mrs Flanagan with Hayley Zappia (College House Captain 2023) and Alyssa Ferreri (Henderson House Captain 2023)
• Fairfield RSL – Mrs Toohey with Josette Grima (College Vice Captain 2023) and Mary Anoya (College Portfolio Captain 2023) 

The Ode

“they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them”

Lest We Forget

From the Assistant Principal – Mrs Christine Harding

It has been a very busy first five weeks of the term. Students have undertaken a variety of extracurricular opportunities and involved themselves in the many facets of College life. The 2022 HSC concluded last week and we congratulate our Year 12 students on their dedication and hard work in undertaking these exams. After all their hard work, there is now an opportunity to celebrate with the Year 12 students at their final Mary MacKillop event – their Year 12 formal.

E-cigarettes / Vapes

E-cigarettes have been an increasing issue with teenagers over the past few years. E-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, are devices which heat a liquid to produce a vapour which is then inhaled by the user. These are harmful to a user’s health as they expose users to chemicals and toxins that are harmful to health.

I would recommend parents who want to know more about vapes and vaping look at the information on this website from NSW Health. It is very comprehensive. There are many health experts who are concerned that the impact of vapes is worse than cigarettes. There are reports of many young people becoming addicted to the nicotine hit from vapes which is often substantially more than a cigarette. There is also increasing evidence of lung damage caused by the vapourised liquid being taken into young people’s lungs.

The key issues from the College’s point of view are that:

• medical authorities are concerned about lung damage caused by vapes, even those without nicotine
• while non-nicotine vapes can be legally purchased, only adults can purchase them. No-one under 18 can purchase them and it is illegal to sell them to anyone under 18.
• vapes containing nicotine are completely illegal in NSW even for adults
• under The Smoke-free Environment Act (2000), it is illegal to smoke in a designated smoke-free zone, including smoking vapes. All schools in NSW are smoke-free zones for all people on that site (adults and students).

Therefore, for health and legal reasons, the consequences for students using them, providing them or being with students using them will be very severe. At Mary MacKillop Catholic College, any student caught smoking, vaping or in possession of any illegal substance will be automatically suspended. If a student is distributing any of these banned substances to other students, the Fairfield police will be notified and a police investigation will follow.

For further information please click on links below:

• vaping-factsheet-parents
• https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/vaping

This is an important topic for you to discuss with your daughters, particularly if you have suspicions that they or their friends may be using e-cigarettes.

Sun Smart 

Students are highly recommended to be sun smart during all outside activities by using sunscreen and wearing the College hat for protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause sunburn, skin damage, and skin cancer. Please remind students to be sun smart.

Compass

Are you on Compass? Does the College have your correct email address? If you require any assistance with Compass, please contact Mrs Grace Labbozzetta at the College on 9725 4322.

If your daughter is absent, an explanation needs to be added by the parent onto the Compass portal.

Staff Development Days for Term 4

A reminder that the staff will undergo professional learning on the following dates this term. There will be no classes at school and if you require supervision for your daughter please contact the College on 9725 4322.

• Friday 18th November (Term 4, Week 6)
• Monday 12th December (Term 4, Week 10)

Term Dates 2023

Planning is well underway for many activities and events for 2023. I would like to remind families that if you are considering taking extended leave next year it is best that this is confined to holiday periods as much as possible. Also, if you are considering taking leave that an application for leave form must be completed and signed by the College Principal. These forms are to be completed well in advance and are available from the Student Services.

The following are the term dates for 2023:

Thank you for your continued support of the College,

Mrs Christine Harding

Vaping Webinar – Paul Dillon

Coming Events @ MMCC

Major Awards

Please find below a list of the Major Awards College Awards. Most of these are awarded to Year 12 students. We encourage your daughters to always work to their best ability and effort to strive towards these awards.

External Awards

Mayor’s Community Spirit Award

This award acknowledges students who are  consistent or outstanding in their displays of kindness and/or service. They can be in service of the school, the Fairfield City community or a local charity. The duration, scale and level of impact of the service will all be taken into consideration when selecting the recipients.

Reuben F Scarf Award

The Reuben F. Scarf Award acknowledges commitment to studies and school. The purpose of this award is to recognise and honour consistent effort and the desire to improve.

ADF Awards

• Australian Defence Force Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award – Year 10 and Year 12

This award recognises students who demonstrate leadership and teamwork within both the school and the broader local community. It recognises those who display strong values, such as doing one’s best, respect for others and “mateship”, characteristics that are integral to Australian society.

• Australian Defence Force Long Tan Future Innovators Award – Year 10 and Year 12

This award recognises recipients’ Science and Mathematics abilities while highlighting the value the Navy, Army and Air Force place on STEM skills and STEM career opportunities within Defence.

CEF Award

Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) Social Justice & Excellence in Learning Award. This award is granted to a student who leads by example, displays empathy and compassion, goes beyond with a community parish or youth group, is actively involved in social justice activities while having a consistent approach to their studies and displays personal learning excellence.

Fairfield RSL Scholarship

This award is presented to students who have studied to the best of their ability. The scholarship enables students to seek higher goals in education such as entry to university or similar.

Fowler Citizenship Award

This award acknowledges civic responsibility and outstanding community service within the school.

Archbishop’s Award for Excellence

The Archbishop’s Award for Excellence acknowledges a student’s commitment to their faith, academic life and social justice both at school and in their parish. This award is offered by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

Hugh McDermott Outstanding Improvement Award

This award acknowledges a student who is consistent with their efforts to improve their academic and extracurricular activities. The student has shown improvement in these areas throughout the year and continues to strive to improve their results.

Hugh McDermott Parliamentary Award

This award acknowledges student leadership and passion for community service and social justice. The student is diligent and is proactive in assisting others within their community.

Additional and School based Awards

Saint Vincent de Paul Award for Community Service

This award acknowledges a student for exhibiting ongoing commitment to community service and for living out the Gospel message in serving those in need.

SOSJ Social Justice Award

The Sister of St Joseph Social Justice Award is awarded to a student who has worked to promote inclusion, compassion and justice in our school and communities.

South-West Connect Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Work Ethic

This award acknowledges a vocational education student who always shows consistent effort and a great attitude to learning.

Mary MacKillop Award for Contribution to the Religious Life of the School

This award is presented to the student who actively seeks out opportunities to be involved in the various faith experiences offered at the College.

Fr Patrick McAuliffe Award

The Patrick McAuliffe Award acknowledges outstanding student contribution to the College in the area of faith based initiatives.

Mary MacKillop Catholic College Sportswoman of the Year

The Mary MacKillop Sportswoman of the Year Award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding application in the sporting field, across their time at Mary MacKillop Catholic College.

Work Placement

Year 11 students were assigned to a job placement this term during Week 4 to complete 35 hours of work experience (70 hours over the course of two years) in order to gain various skills in Vocational Courses studied at the College. During our Year 11 placement, we gained great experiences and a taste of what it’s like to work in the industry of retail, business and hospitality. We learnt how to handle and control stock, organise work areas, prepare and present food, and complete excel spreadsheets. 

Thank you Mrs Fassoulas and South West Connect for organising our work placement. It has been an amazing opportunity to be able to gain valuable experience.    

Reem Georges, Sasha Yousif and Mary Anoya (Yr 11)

Archibull Program 2022

During the course of Term 3, selected students from the Year 8 and 9 Newman classes engaged in the Archibull prize program, which uses art, design, creativity, teamwork and project development to engage students in agricultural and environmental awareness, comprehension and action.

The theme of the 2022 Archibull Prize is “Connect, Collaborate and Communicate.” It reflects the research by Corteva Agriscience in the “Future of Farming”. To further emphasise the 2022 Archibull Theme, MMCC have chosen a fragment of what it means to connect, collaborate and communicate through the theme of “Women in Agriculture”, which exhibits the inequity role that women consequently play in agriculture. The reason behind our artwork is to serve as a reminder of the value of protecting the environment and acknowledges the work of women in agriculture.

Through our school’s vision, we hope to call women to life and empower women in agriculture to be able to make a difference in the world and through the mission of our school, we hope to encourage those who are unrecognised in the world of agriculture, to be inspired by the example of Mary MacKillop by seeking encouragement.

Ashley Duong Year 9

Recycling Week – Mrs Flanagan

The MMCC Young Josephite group are raising their voices in support of the Sisters of St Josephite during recycling Week to be stewards of the earth. Students are encouraged to recycle, reuse and reduce their use of single use products in order to reduce the impact of waste on the environment.

As a Josephite school we are called to continue the work of Mary MacKillop in support of the the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart and to continue God’s mission by empowering others and bringing hope. During Recycling Week we are called to be stewards of God’s creation and care for this world God created. The Sisters of St Joseph also encourage us to ‘Explore, Embrace and Embody’ the Laudato Si’ Action Plan as our response to the ‘Cry of Earth and its Peoples’.

Recycling Messages for the MMCC Young Josephite Group

2022 Christmas Hampers – Mrs Flanagan

MMCC is dedicated to supporting those in need in our local community through supporting the local St Vincent De Paul chapter at Cabramatta with Christmas hampers. The Christmas hampers donated to SVDP Cabramatta support families in our local community during Christmas and throughout the year.

Students at MMCC, through their homerooms, are invited to take part in donating. Each student’s donation is a practical way they can help those in need and to answer the call to bring God’s love to others. Christmas hampers will be finalised in Homeroom during Week 9 to present at End of Year Christmas Mass on Friday 9th December.

Students are encourage to donate the following items.

Library Update – Mrs Devine

Book Reviews

This term students have been encouraged to write their own reviews of books in our collection that they have found to be engaging and entertaining. These reviews are then displayed on the corresponding shelf in the Reading Zone to encourage reading amongst their peers. The reviews have been a great addition to the collection and have enticed students into trying books they may not have normally chosen for themselves.

We look forward to updating the reviews regularly. All students are welcome to write a review and the review slips are easily accessed at the circulation desk in the IMC.

Spooky Book Month

November is Spooky Book Month in the IMC. Our wonderful new entry display (created by Ms Krahe) has generated lots of conversation and interest in the horror and thriller genres we stock in the Reading Zone.

We have recently taken delivery of many new titles in these genres including:

The House with a Clock in its Walls  by John Bellairs was originally published in 1973. It is the first in a series of twelve novels which features the central character Lewis Barnavelt.

Lewis is an orphan who is introduced to a world of magic by his uncle Jonathan and good friend and neighbour Florence. The novel has made a comeback thanks to the film adaptation starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett.

Don’t Turn Out The Lights is an anthology curated by Jonathan Maberry and contains stories from some of the best horror writers including R.L Stine and Madeleine Roux.

These authors hold strong appeal for adolescent readers, so will be a must read for any fan of the genre.

Readers’ Club 

Our wonderful Readers’ Club have also joined in Spooky Book Month festivities by creating their own spooky masks. It was wonderful to see such creativity on display!

Keeping in line with the theme of spooky stories, Stage 4 students have been working on developing their entries for the Little Stories. Big Ideas writing competition in their Wide Reading lessons. This competition is for secondary students and challenges them to create a story in any form they choose but only using 100 words. This year’s theme of ‘FEAR’ has provided the students with a great opportunity to explore a range of topics and emotions.

Study Skills Handbook

Our Lady Of The Rosary Fairfield Parish Movie Night

OLR Youth Presents Advent Adventures