From the Principal

Dear members of the Mary MacKillop Catholic College community,

We commenced the term with a very successful Professional Learning Day focusing on our Strategic Renewal Year. Teachers reviewed our College Mission and Vision and revisted the Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools.

The morning session focused on Looking Back at our impact on student learning by considering Where are we now on our learning improvement journey, and how did we arrive here? The middle of the day was spent reading and interpreting the data from the surveys completed by parents, students and staff in Term 4. The afternoon session focused on Looking Forward by considering What are some future directions for improvement, and how might we get there?

Thank you to Mr Grana, Mrs Flanagan, Miss Israel, Mr Thomas, Mrs Gagliano, Mrs Veljanovski, Ms Carroll and Mrs Waugh for leading the day.

NAPLAN

Last week our Years 7 and 9 students completed their NAPLAN tests. The girls are commended for the maturity, confidence and commitment that they displayed.

In the lead up to NAPLAN, the College ran several after school optional workshops, the NAPLAN Bootcamp, is preparation. These workshops were well attended. I am very appreciative of the staff who gave of their time for the NAPLAN Bootcamp; Mrs Thomson, Mrs Rakecki, Mrs Waugh, Mrs Caparrotta, Miss Israel, Mrs Rooney and Mrs Verlinden.

Enrolments 2019

On Tuesday, 22 May we held Year 7 2019 new enrolments interviews. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet our new students and their parents.

Thank you to the team of staff who supported the evening; Mr Grana, Mrs Boustani, Miss Carroll, Mrs Toohey, Mr Thomas, Mrs Wastie, Mrs Fassoulas, Mrs Messina, Mr Rooney, Miss Israel, Mr Andrejev, Mrs Gagliano, Mrs Arapi-Nunez, Mrs Hamama, Mrs V Matti, Mrs M Matti and Ms Toon. A special thank you to one of our parents, Mrs Rania Bursic who interpreted.

Just a reminder that there are now only limited spaces for 2019 so if you have a daughter in Year 6 or know of someone who wants to enrol their daughter, please enquire immediately.

Enrolments 2020

We are currently enrolling for Year 7 2020, and will be begin interviewing shortly. If you have a daughter in Year 5 or know of someone who wants to enrol their daughter please enquire through our College office.

Enrolments 2021

We have also begun enrolling for Year 7 2021. If you have a daughter in Year 4 or know of someone who wants to enrol their daughter please enquire through our College office.

Ms Gilda Pussich

Principal

ANZAC Day 2018

Thank you to the many students and staff, Mr Grana, Mrs Flanagan, Miss Miljak, Mr Tomich and Mr Reutens who represented Mary MacKillop Catholic College at the ANZAC Day services held at Cabra-Vale Diggers, Fairfield RSL, and Smithfield RSL.

A special thank you to our College Choir, conducted by Mr Reutens, who led the music at the Cabra-Vale Diggers service. See below a lovely letter of thanks that we received from Cabra-Vale Diggers Club.

Ms Gilda Pussich, Principal

From the Assistant Principal

Welcome Back to Term 2

The term has started off very well and I thank all of the students and parents for the smooth transition to the Winter Uniform.  This is a very busy term for all students in all year groups and I encourage parents to continue their conversations with their daughters on how they continue to prograss and grow at school.

Meningococcal ACYW Vaccinations for Years 10 and 11 Students – Friday 25^th May 2018

Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program.

In 2018 the following vaccine will be offered:

This vaccination will take place on Friday 25^th May 2018 at our College.

Parent Information Kits that include an information sheet, consent form and privacy statement have already been sent home to parents/carers.

Contacting your Daughters Whilst at School – Further Reminder

A reminder to parents that if you need to contact your daughters for any reason whilst they are at school, please phone the College office on 9725 4322.  The message will be passed on as soon as possible.  Please do not contact them on their mobile phone. As per our College policy, their phone will be confiscated if they are using it during school time.

College Dress Code Reminders – The blazer is ALWAYS the outer Garment to and from the College

A quick reminder that although the jumper is allowed to be worn during the Winter terms, the blazer remains the outside garment that your daughters must wear to the College and when they leave the College.  The jumper is an OPTIONAL item and can only be worn, under the blazer when coming to and from the College.

Tips  for Parents to Encourage your Daughters to Read

• Take your daughters to the community library and encourage them to take self-selected reading materials home
• Don’t stop reading aloud to young people at secondary level — this practice is enjoyed by teens, too
• Explicitly teach strategies for choosing books – don’t assume that this has been learned in primary school
• Be a model – read and show an interest in reading
• Find out what your daughter likes to read so that you can connect them with books of interest to them
• Talk about books at home
• Communicate the value of the practice by putting aside time at home for reading books for pleasure

Online Safety – Parent Guide – Office of the eSafety Commissioner

 Covering a number of key online safety issues, the Parent’s guide to online safety offers practical, issues focused information and advice for parents of children of all ages including older students.  This booklet is a must read for all parents and is available in many languages, below are links to the booklet in some of the languages.

It is essential that parents are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to their own daughters safety online. 

Topics covered include:

• Cyberbullying
• Social networking
• Unwanted contact
• Sexting
• Inappropriate content; and
• Online safeguards

Please download a copy of the booklet, in your preferred language below:

English   Arabic  Greek  Italian  Spanish  Vietnamese

For further information visit the Office of the eSafety Commissioner site, setup by the Australian Government. https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Compass Update – Thank you to those parents who have attended the Parent Portal Information Sessions

We had approximately 500 families attend the six sessions that were offered on the 8^th and 9^th May.  I thank you for taking the time to come and learn how to use this very important system for parents.

There are still a number of parents who did not attend and therefore do not have access to Compass.

Please click on link below on how to access your secure username and password.

https://www.thebuzz.net.au/mmcwakeley/article/compass-parent-account-packages-important-notice/

I also take this opportunity to thank the members of the Parent Advisory Group who supported myself and the team during those parent sessions; Mrs Pomeroy, Mrs Bursic, Mr Carniato and Mrs O’Grady.

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

Compass Parent Account Packages – Important Notice

In previous correspondence we indicated that Compass is the College’s new Student Information System and has the following features:

• A tool you will use to access data about your daughter, announcements, the College calendar, information letters, reports, timetables and student information
• A tool you will use to monitor attendance and record/approve absences for your daughter
• A pathway to update family details.

Without access to Compass, parents/carers will not be able to book Parent-Teacher-Student interviews that are coming up both for Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) and Stages 4 and 5 (Years 7-10). Also as of Week 9 Term 2, the College will no longer be using SKOOLBAG as our instant messaging tool; this will also be taken over by Compass. Amongst other features, academic reports will be only delivered via Compass and not through our traditional paper method as of Semester 2 this year. Therefore it is imperative that you have activated your Compass Account.

On the evening, parents were provided with the Compass Parent Account Package which contains a secure username and password that is for parents/carers ONLY to access Compass. A parent/carer is required to visit the College Reception Office between the hours of 8:30am and 4:00pm to come and pick up their package from 23rd May to 15th June 2018. Your daughters are not permitted to pick up the package on your behalf.

Once you have picked up your package from the College, it is critical that you do not share your username and password with your daughter(s). All students at the College have their own access to Compass. The access we provide parents is for parents ONLY. Please treat this username and password as you would your banking and other delicate identification details.

If you require any help in setting up Compass, the package contains an instruction booklet for parents to navigate both the app and browser versions. If you require further assistance please contact the College on 9725 4322 where a member of the IT support staff will try to assist you.

If you would like to bookmark the required page or download the app before picking up the package, please go to;

1. The app store: gl/9FHGg6
2. Google play: gl/iSmC64
3. Browser: https://mmcwakeley-nsw.compass.education/

Mr Pablo Grana, Assistant Principal

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.

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 preventing 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 – 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 also 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.

Mr Pablo Grana, Assistant Principal

New Bus Timetable effective 4 June 2018

A major timetable change is being introduced across the Transit Systems bus network, effective Monday 4 June 2018.

Nearly every public bus trip will change which will likely impact on all students travelling.

All students travelling via public transport are encouraged to visit the TfNSW Trip Planner to confirm your new trip times Monday 4 June 2018.

The Flipside Presentation

The Flipside presentation on Tuesday, May 15th​ was both an entertaining and informative performance for Year 8 during their Pastoral Care lesson. ​

​It taught​ students about cyber safety whilst keeping the atmosphere lighthearted.

Sports Update

Term 1, 2018 has been filled with many sporting activities and achievements here at Mary MacKillop Catholic College (MMCC).

This term we had 4 teams compete in the Sydney Catholic Colleges (SCC) competitions; these were Senior Touch football, Year 7- 9 AFL, and Junior and Intermediate Volleyball. This commitment involves numerous trials, training sessions and challenging games for both coaches and players. This term we had our Intermediate Volleyball team make it through to the Grand Final. They were unfortunately beaten by Holy Spirit College in a close match. Congratulations to the Intermediate Volleyball team and their Coaches Miss Ana Miljack and Mrs Pauline Jeffery for their tremendous efforts and successful term of SCC. Also, a big thank you to all SCC coaches and teams that competed this term.

See photos and results below:

SCC Junior Volleyball (6th Place) Coach: Mrs Tungul

SCC Senior Touch Football (6th Place) Coach: Miss Jennings

SCCIntermediate Volleyball (Grand Finalists – Runners Up) 

Coaches: Miss Miljack and Mrs Jeffrey

SCC 7-9 AFL (6th Place) Coach: Mr Tomich

2018 NSWCCC Swimming Championships

Earlier in the term a team of MMCC students went to Homebush to compete in the Sydney Catholic Colleges Swimming Carnival. Danielle Heim was successful in her respective events and made it through to the NSWCCC Swimming Championships. This was held on Friday 6th April at Sydney Aquatics Centre at Homebush. Congratulations to Danielle who represented the college proudly and swam her best!

Danielle Heim – SCC Representative

MMCC 2018 Swim Team

2018 Sydney Catholic Schools (SCC) Cross Country Carnival

It was a long trip to and from Waverley on Friday the 4th of May and a big day had by all students and coaches. The team took it all in their stride and represented our College with pride. There were 39 students from MMCC who ran 3 – 6km depending on their age group. Well done to all students who were a part of this great team! A big thank you to both Mr Whiley and Mrs Crossley who have working with the team to prepare for the carnival; as well as Miss Miljack who accompanied the team on the day. Congratulations to Danielle Heim and Cecilia Ruiz Davilla for winning their respective age groups and Stephanie Knafelc for coming in 5th in her event. All 3 students have since been selected to progress to the Combined Catholic Colleges Cross Country carnival on the 15th June.

The remainder of Term 2 will bring about more representative SCC sport, including Senior Soccer, Dance, and Junior, Intermediate and Senior Netball.

We will also have our annual Athletics Carnival and there are always other great opportunities such as Thursday afternoon school sport and Gala days coming up in the school year. It’s good to see all staff and students getting involved and having fun!

Rebecca Brown, Sports Coordinator

Year 10 HSC 2020

Dear Year 10 Parents,

Please click on link below to view important information for all students sitting for the HSC from 2020.

Year 10 2020 HSC

Maria Thomson, Co-ordinator of Literacy

Years 7 -10 Target Reading 2018

What is Target Reading 2018?  

It is a MMCC reading initiative focusing on improving reading and developing a regular reading habit for all students.

Students are asked to reflect on their current reading practice and, in consultation with their English teacher, set an improved reading target, which will be their Personal Best.

They are asked to also consider what they are reading and other genres and texts they can explore.

When is it happening?

Target Reading 2018 will run throughout Terms 2 and 3

For Students – What do I have to do?

• You will be required to borrow books from the IMC and your local library, or bring books that you own from home.
• You need to develop a good reading habit. This requires you to read regularly, each day.
• In Wide Reading lessons each fortnight you will record what you are reading in the Target Reading Journal/Log
• You will also create a journal entry about the current book you are reading in your Target Reading Journal/Log.
• Teachers will distribute and recollect these Reading Journals each Wide Reading Lesson.
• They will be evidence of your effort towards achieving your Personal Best. They will also be shown to parents at Parent/Teacher Interviews to discuss your efforts and achievement in improving your reading skills.

Rewards & Prizes

• Academic Merit Awards will be given to students who are making a solid effort to achieve their Personal Best in Week 8/9, Term 2 and Week 4/5, Term 3.
• Certificates of Achievement and Merit Awards will be given to students who achieve their Personal Best.
• ONE student from each English class in Years 7 to 10, nominated by their teacher, will receive an award for Class Best Achievement, and attend a special Pizza Lunch as a reward for their outstanding effort in Week 1, Term 4.

Why is Reading Important?

The evidence on reading for pleasure

Benefits of reading for pleasure

Studies show that promoting reading can have a major impact on children and adults and their future. Several main areas of the benefits to reading for pleasure include:

• Reading attainment and writing ability;
• Text comprehension and grammar;
• Breadth of vocabulary;
• Positive reading attitudes;
• Greater self-confidence as a reader;
• Pleasure in reading in later life;
• General knowledge;
• A better understanding of other cultures;
• Community participation; and
• A greater insight into human nature and decision-making.

Evidence suggests that reading for pleasure leads to increased attainment. Pupils who read more are also better readers. A large scale survey of over 18,000 young people found that those who reported enjoying reading very much were six times more likely than those who did not enjoy reading to read above the expected level for their age. Evidence from OECD (2002) found that reading enjoyment is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status. Clark and Rumbold (2006) argue that reading for pleasure could be one important way to help combat social exclusion and raise educational standards. (Department for Education, United Kingdom,. Research Evidence On Reading For Pleasure. 1st ed. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.)

Maria Thomson, Co-ordinator of Literacy

Study Skills Handbook

What do you do when you get a disappointing assignment mark?
We all have times when we think we have done brilliantly then get an assignment back and are really disappointed instead. You could just feel really bad, or you could try these steps:

1. REVIEW AND UNDERSTAND

The first step is to work through the feedback and work out what went wrong.

Did you not meet the criteria?
What feedback were you given from the teacher?
Do you understand the feedback?
Can you work out why you got the mark you did?
If you don’t understand why you got the mark you did, it is ESSENTIAL you ask your teacher for further clarification. Otherwise you will keep making the same mistakes.

2. CHALLENGE OR ACCEPT

Once you understand what the issue was, you can either accept it, or challenge it.

ACCEPT: If you feel now that the mark was actually fair enough, then it is time to move on. There is no point beating yourself up anymore about your disappointing mark.

Instead you need to treat this as a learning process, the people who are most successful in life don’t let their mistakes get them down, they see them as a learning opportunity where they can improve and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

However, if you really think your mark was unfair and you had met all of the criteria, you can talk to your teacher and politely explain your point of view and ask if they would reconsider your mark.

3. LEARN AND CHANGE

The only way to improve, is to work out what you did wrong, then try and fix it.

It is actually a really good idea to re-do part of the work and re-submit. Not everyone has the commitment to do this, but if you do – then wow – you will really see the benefit in your results. It might just be a case of re-doing a section of the assignment and asking your teacher to review it.

But if you don’t have another go, you won’t know whether or not you have really taken the feedback on board. Some students let a bad mark get them down and start to think they are not capable of succeeding, so they don’t try to address the issue, make similar mistakes again and just feel worse. Don’t be that sort of person! Learn from what you have done and have another try.

Another good thing you can do is to ask to see other students’ work who received top grades for their assignments – to evaluate what was missing in yours or how you could improve yours next time.

It would also be a great idea for your next assignment to show your teacher a plan, or a draft early on, explaining how you think you’ve met the criteria, and seek feedback well BEFORE handing it in.

You might also like to visit the Assignment Skills unit at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au for some more ideas on approaching assignments.

Our school’s subscription details are –
Username:
mmcwakeley
Password: 16success

Maria Thomson, Coordinator of Literacy

Macquarie University Co-op Programs

Notre Dame Early Offer Program

Applications for Notre Dame’s Early Offer Program are now open.

The Early Offer Program allows your high-achieving students to secure a place at the #1 university in NSW for overall quality of educational experience before sitting their Year 12 exams.

Students can qualify under two categories:

• Academic Achievement
• Extra-Curricular Achievement and Leadership

We’ll soon be distributing information about the Early Offer application process. In the meantime, we’d appreciate your assistance in promoting this excellent opportunity to your students. Below you’ll find sample text for a newsletter or email to students and their parents which you are welcome to distribute.

The University of Notre Dame’s Early Offer Program opens today

The Early Offer Program recognises students who’ve excelled in one or both of the following categories: Academic Achievement, and Extra-Curricular Achievement and Leadership. Successful applicants will secure a place at university before undertaking their final exams and be eligible for Notre Dame’s Leadership Program.

Applications close Tuesday 31 July 2018. Early Offer applicants must be in Year 12.

More information is available at www.notredame.edu.au/early-offer.

If you’d like to know more about the Early Offer Program or the University of Notre Dame, please contact us on 02 8204 4404 or at sydney@nd.edu.au or visit our website at notredame.edu.au.

Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield Enrolling Now

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