From the Principal – Ms Pussich

The Liturgical Season of Advent begins this Sunday 28 November. During Advent, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus. As a family, take time to pray together through this Advent season so that your family will be more prepared to receive Jesus when he comes again.

God of Love,
Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us.
He is a sign of your love.
Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent,
As we wait and prepare for his coming.
We pray in the name of Jesus, our Saviour.
Amen.

CIEC Closure

With the Australian borders being closed to stop the spread of COVID-19, no refugees have been able to come to Australia. This has impacted our enrolments into the Catholic Intensive English Centre and sadly resulted in its closure at the end of this year. We have had close to 150 students graduate from the CIEC since its opening in April of 2017. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the CIEC, led by their coordinator, Mrs Flavia Arapi-Nunez, and am pleased to report that Sydney Catholic Schools is assisting them with redeployment.

Parent Advisory Group Meeting

The Parent Advisory Group met last Tuesday 9 November via Zoom. 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),  Sana Yonan (mother of Isabella Omar, Year 9) and Mrs Magy Silva-Giuliano (mother of Sara, Year 10). Thank you also to Mrs Harding.

Capture Fairfield Visual Arts & Photography Competition 

Congratulations Lauren Alzamora in Year 11, who was awarded Second Prize in the Secondary Visual Arts section with her ‘Saturday Morning Memories’ digital artwork.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award has been part of the College for many years but has not been offered to students for a long time. In 2022, Mary MacKillop Catholic College is proud to deliver the The Duke Of Edinburgh Award. This opportunity is being offered to Year 8 students in 2021 in preparation for 2022. Please refer to the article in this newsletter for more information.

COVID Update

Some of the local schools have had students with positive results to COVID-19. I thought it would be helpful to provide information about testing and returning to school. The following rules apply to students at MMCC:

If your daughter is a Close Contact:

• and is fully vaccinated, she:
  • must self-isolate for 7 days
  • must get tested straight away (Day 1) and again on Day 6 and send the results
  • can leave self-isolation after 7 days if the test on Day 6 is negative, she feels well and she has had no further contact with a COVID-19 positive person
  • must get tested again on Day 12 and send the result
• and is unvaccinated, she:
  • must self-isolate for 14 days
  • must get tested straight away (Day 1) and again on Day 6 and Day 12, and send the results
  • can leave self-isolation after 14 days if the test on Day 12 is negative, she feels well and she has had no further contact with a COVID-19 positive person

If your daughter is a Casual Contact, she:

• must get tested straight away​ and send the results
• can return to school if she receives a negative result

Please be aware that if a household member such as a parent, sister or brother is a Close or Casual Contact, the same rules apply for your daughter if they cannot fully separate.

Rapid Antigen Home Test (RAHT)

If there is a positive case at MMCC, an alternative method should be available for close contacts to reduce the time away from face to face learning involving Rapid Antigen Home Testing. The method involves using RAHTs distributed by the school which have been provided NSW Government and uploading the results daily. Only this RAHT can be used for a student to return to school on Day 3. The process is more complex and so is an optional alternative. The process is as follows:

• Day 1:   Student must self-isolate and get a COVID Test (PCR)
• Day 2:   Student must self-isolate and parent collects NSW Government supplied RAHTs. Only this  RAHT can be used for a student to return to school on Day 3
• Day 3-9: Student may return to face to face learning at school but must undertake a RAHT everyday and upload their negative results.
• Day 6:   Student must self-isolate and get a COVID Test (PCR)
• Day 12:  Student must self-isolate and get a COVID Test (PCR)

Please contact the College via email info@mmcwakeley.catholic.edu.au or by phone on 97254322 if you have any questions or require any assistance. Also no student should attend school if unwell, even with mild symptoms.

From the Assistant Principal – Mrs Harding

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you for your continued support of the College. We are continuing to ensure the safety of our staff and students and abide by NSW Health guidelines for schools. As per NSW Health guidelines, the following will has been put into place:

• Students are expected to wear a mask (compulsory) indoors at school and on public transport
• It is recommended that students wear a mask outdoors
• Students are required to physically distance, 1.5m apart where possible and keep desks in single file
• The canteen will be closed to minimise the mixing of year groups
• Teachers will keep a class seating plan for contract tracing purposes
• Teachers will keep doors and windows open to improve ventilation
• If a student attends sick bay, they are required to wear a mask and sanitise before entering
• Morning Homeroom will be conducted in House classes to minimise the mixing of year groups
• The library will be open to Year 11 only during lunch and recess to minimise the mixing of year groups
• Playgrounds will be in year groups to minimise the mixing. The playgrounds are:
  • Year 7 – Netball Courts
  • Year 8 – the seating and grass area near the Netball Courts
  • Year 9 – bottom end of the Central Courtyard (near Front Foyer)
  • Year 10 – top end of the Central Courtyard (near Chapel)
  • Year 11 – CIEC tennis court
  • CIEC students – CIEC tennis court
• Students are expected to practice COVID safe hygiene including regularly washing /sanitising hands, not sharing food, no hugging

Uniform

All students are expected to wear the summer uniform with pride and a reminder of the following expectations:

College Blazer and Jumper

• The blazer is worn in Terms 1 and 4 if the weather is cool
• The College jumper is an optional garment that may only be worn under the College blazer during Terms 2 and 3
• The College jumper cannot be worn during Terms 1 and 4
• The College blazer is always the outer garment to and from school
• Year 11 students may wear their jacket on Thursdays

Skirt

• The College skirt is to be covering the knees or below at all times

Eyebrows and Eyelashes

• Eyebrows and eyelashes are to be kept natural
• False eyelashes, eyelash extensions or eyebrow tattoos are not permitted

Many parents will be purchasing new school shoes for their daughter prior to the start of 2022. A reminder that College school shoes are required to be hard, black, leather lace up. Ballet or soft leather shoes do not comply with WHS requirements.

End of Term 4, Awards Assembly, 1pm Finish 10 December

Final day of classes for Years 7-11 will be on Friday 10 December followed by Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews on Monday 13 December.

Staff Professional Development Days will be held from Tuesday 14 December. Supervision of students is available until Wednesday 15 December. Please contact the College if supervision is required.

Due to NSW Health restrictions of visitors coming onsite, the College will celebrate the End of Year Award Assembly with each year group only. Details are as follows:

Wednesday 8 December

• Period 1 – Year 7 Awards Assembly
• Period 3  – Year 8 Awards Assembly
• Period 5 – Year 9 Awards Assembly

Friday 10 December

• Period 3  – Year 10 Awards Assembly
• Period 4 – Year 11 Awards Assembly

On Friday 10 December, Years 7-11 students will undertake lessons, celebrate a Christmas Liturgy and farewell our outgoing staff on this day. The day will conclude at 1pm. Students will be dismissed at 1pm. Unfortunately we could not arrange buses for 1pm, however, they will arrive at the normal time of 3.15pm and there will be supervision for students between 1pm and the arrival of buses.

Term Dates 2022

Planning is well underway for many activities and events for 2022. 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 2022:

Please contact the College if you require any assistance.

Mrs Christine Harding

Upcoming Events

Term 4, 2021

Term 1, 2022

Enrolling Now Year 7 2023

From the Leader of Religious Education – Mrs Flanagan

Indigenous Garden Rock Installation

As part of Reconciliation Week and Naidoc Week students at MMCC have been painting rocks in readiness for the rock installation in the Indigenous Garden. The rocks are being used to create a river installation, representative of life giving water, for the land and all of God’s creation.

World Youth Day – Lisbon

“Mary rose and left in haste” – (Lk 1, 39)

August 1 – 6, 2023

Year 8 and 9 students from MMCC will be invited to attend World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon. During Term 4 2021 Year 8 and 9 Students will take part in faith formation exploring past WYD events and engaging in the Launch of WYD 2023 in Lisbon.

World Youth Day (WYD) is a worldwide encounter with the Pope celebrated about every three years in a different country. The most recent WYD was celebrated in Panama City, Panamá from January 22-27, 2019 and the next World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2023.

WYD is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter centred on Jesus Christ together with their peers. This event is an opportunity to personally experience the universality of the Catholic Church and to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who are committing their lives to Christ and His Church. World Youth Day is a unique way to deepen your faith and grow closer to Christ, through prayer and the sacraments, together with hundreds of thousands of other young people who share your interests and ambitions.https://worldyouthday.com/lisbon-2023

WYD Launch @ St Mary’s Cathedral

MMCC students, along with Miss Brown and Ms L’Aiguille attended the Archdiocese of Sydney Mass for the launch of WYD 2023.

WYD will be held in Lisbon in 2023 and students currently in Year 8 & 9 across Sydney Catholic Schools will have an opportunity to attend.

Thank you to the following students who attended the Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday 21st November; Josette Grima , Margaret Kanoon, Daniella Louis, Rita Alsamani, Ashley Shimon, Mierlle Talo  and Rihanna Abbu.

The Fortnightly Newsletter Brought To You By The Mission & Identity Directorate, Sydney Catholic Schools

Spiritual Wellbeing- Advent Edition

From the Leader of Learning – Ms Genovese

 Learning Catchphrase for Year 9

The development of the Learning Catchphrases is well underway. Last week at the Year 9 Year assembly, students were presented with the catchphrase for their cohort – a quote inspired by Sir Winston Churchill:

Last week, Year 8 and 9 also discussed the importance of consistent effort and continual reflection in relation to the level of application towards their learning. The key message for students was that continuous effort will influence the growth in their learning and achievement, but it must be continuous and not sporadic.

I posed a series of questions to them in relation to their goals for the year and how they are applying themselves in the classroom:

Students rated themselves against this ‘Effort Metre’. The vibe by both Year groups was positive, especially when the theme of continuous effort was applied to various meaningful life contexts. Years 7, 10 and 11 will also engage in this theme in their year assemblies to come. 

From the Coordinator of Learning Year 12 2022 – Mrs Toohey

It has been wonderful to have the Year 12 (2022) students back at school. They have settled into the routine very well and are already working hard for their HSC in 2022.

Bronze Awards

The following students received their Bronze Awards at our assembly. Congratulations goes to:Mina Abdulwahid,  Niza De Arujo, Karoline Fasavalu, Valnteen Jankeel, Mary Jerjis, Mariana Poless and Silva Raphael.

Uniform

During the COVID Lockdown, many of the girls have grown taller and their skirts have become too short. If the skirt cannot be taken down as there is no hem left, please contact Mrs Toohey at school as we do have some second hand skirts available. Mrs Toohey and Miss Krasic will begin to contact parents of students who need to attend to uniform issues.

Year 12 Formal 2022

The Year 12 Formal has been booked for next year. At this stage the date is 18 November 2022 at Dockside Cockle Bay.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any issues regarding your daughter.

From the Leader of Technological and Applied Studies – Mrs Ryan

The Solo Chef

As we have returned to school under new circumstances the students in Year 8 Technology have modified their food preparation methods. The workload is no longer shared in pairs, rather the measuring, preparation and cleaning is all a one woman show.

Our students have impressed their teachers and themselves with their solo production of some delicious scones and banana smoothies in a quick review of hygiene and work practices that must be adhered to in the food technology lab.

The benefit of working independently is that the students get to appreciate the rewards all to themselves, all of them agreeing that a scone for morning tea was the best feature of their return to school.

Year 9 Thursday Sport – Ms Gagliano

It has been a while since sport was back on the list,  due of course, to lockdown.

Last week, Year 9 had the privilege of reconnecting with their friends in a friendly game of bowling last week. They had returned onsite last week and thanks to Mr Carosi, Sports Coordinator, the girls enjoyed a  fun time at Bowlarama, Wetherill Park. Masks on and bowling balls rolling, it was great to see the competitive streak of our students being revived!

Let us continue to thrive, as the MMCC community enjoys the simple things in life again.

Ms Gagliano, Coordinator of Learning Year 9 

Dance Coaching Clinic: CAPA-CASPA – Mrs Jeffrey

During our recent lockdown in Term 3, Mary Mackillop Catholic College was provided with an opportunity by CASPA to nominate students for a Dance Coaching Clinic via Zoom, with the hope of being able to deliver the program to our local Catholic Primary Schools in Term 4. The students involved in this invaluable experience were Kardinia in Year 10, and Sienna and Alisha in Year 9.

On 13 September, our 3 students along with their dance teacher, engaged in a zoom dance workshop which was conducted by commercial dancer and runner up of So You Think You Can Dance, Lauren Kate Seymour. They experienced a contemporary workshop which strengthened their composition and performance skills as well as building capacity to teach dance and contribute to a wider school community dance network. The final part of the process involved adjusting the choreography to suit primary school students from Years 4 – 6, filming the work back in the dance studio and then sequencing the final product in order to be showcased to interested Catholic Primary Schools.

We would like to thank Kardinia, Sienna and Alisha for all their hard work and dedication throughout the remote learning process and the time spent back at school in order to get this resource created.

Mrs Jeffrey

Year 7 Technology – Mrs Donnelly

After returning from remote learning Year 7 Technology class completed an extension activity where they designed a promotional advertisement and labels to sell organic lip balm (ingredients: beeswax, coconut oil and peppermint oil). They came up with some very creative ideas.

Careers Update – Mrs Pedavoli

Australian Tax File Number

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Miss Martino

In 2022, Mary MacKillop Catholic College is proud to deliver the “The Duke Of Edinburgh’s, International Award”. This very exciting opportunity has been offered to Year 8 students in 2021 in preparation for 2022.

What is the Duke of Edinburgh Award?

This program is Internationally recognised with more than 130 countries worldwide offering this Award.

This program enables students aged 14-25 to be empowered through physical activity, voluntary service, new skills and adventurous journeys.

Why is this such an exciting opportunity for Participants?

• MMCC students will join 14,500 young people in Australia in completing this award in 2022.
• Students experience a sense of adventure and learn outside the classroom.
• Students are able to give back to the community through voluntary service.
• Be part of an Internationally accredited youth program.
• Students get to develop skills in activities they’re passionate about.

What will Participants be doing?

Duke of Ed Participants will be completing the Bronze Award. This Award requires students to engage in 4 Award sections.

1. Voluntary service – This section allows students to give back to the community. Some examples include sports coaching, youth leadership, tutoring, animal care.
2. Skills – This section requires students to develop a skill of their choice. Some examples include; learning a language, learning an instrument.
3. Physical recreation – This section is about improving physical health and fitness. Some examples include; dance, martial arts, gym training.
4. Adventurous Journeys – Staff at MMCC are facilitating the adventurous journeys with the minimum requirements being 2 days and 1 night.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is such a rewarding experience and the students and I are looking forward to sharing our experiences with the MMCC community.

Miss Joanna Martino

IMC Library News – Mrs Devine

Wide Reading and New Books!

Now that we have finally been able to return to face to face teaching it is wonderful to see the Year 7- 10 English classes return to the library for their wide reading lessons.

In their first wide reading lesson, students have been introduced to the changes made to the collections and reading spaces during lockdown.

Vibrant signs and a dedicated area for new texts have been created

Displays showcasing award winning books and a range of reading material creates a great atmosphere in the Reading Room

A dedicated Careers section provides seniors with access to vital information as they prepare for life outside of school

Winter Reading Challenge

During wide reading lessons, students have also had the opportunity to finalise their Winter Reading Challenge tallies. Merits will be awarded to those students who met their reading targets and these will be issued during upcoming Year Assemblies. 

We are also excited to announce the addition of great new titles to the library collections. These new books are flying off the shelves, so students are encouraged to take advantage of borrowing time during their wide reading lessons. 

Here are just a few of the new titles on offer: 

From the best-selling author of One of Us is Lying comes an explosive new thriller. The Storys are the envy of their neighbours: owners of the largest property on their East Coast island. They are rich, beautiful, and close. Until it all falls apart. The four children are suddenly dropped by their mother with a single sentence:You know what you did.

This novel by Ayana Gray is predicted to be the next big thing in YA Fantasy. Fate binds two teenagers as they strike a dangerous alliance to hunt down the ancient creature terrorising their home. Magic doesn’t exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome and mythical creatures, but when her loved ones’ safety is threatened, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand . . .

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a fairy tale gone wrong? Celebrated author Sarah Kuhn explores the highs and lows of love and loss in this funny and poignant story of a girl who never thought happy endings were for people like her.

Statement of Attainment in Retail Skills for Beauty