From the Principal – Ms Gilda Pussich

On 1st May we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. Please take a moment to pray:

St. Joseph,
by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow,
you supported Jesus and Mary, and had the Son of God as your fellow worker.
Teach me to work as you did, with patience and perseverance,
for God and for those whom God has given me to support.

Teach me to see in my fellow workers the Christ who desires to be in them,
that I may always be charitable and forbearing towards all.
Grant me to look upon work with the eyes of faith,
so that I shall recognise in it my share in God’s own creative activity
and in Christ’s work of our redemption, and so take pride in it.

When it is pleasant and productive,
remind me to give thanks to God for it.
And when it is burdensome,
teach me to offer it to God, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world.
O good father St. Joseph!
I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows and joys, to obtain for me what I ask. 

Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers,
everything that is useful to them in the plan of God.
Be near to me in my last moments
that I may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Amen.

ANZAC Day

We thank our staff and students who joined in local community ANZAC Day services on Monday 25th April. A special thank you to Miss Katya Floyd and Miss Andrea Fernandes. We also commemorated this most significant day in Australian history with a liturgies, prepared by Miss Josephine Ayoub, in Homeroom on Wednesday 27th April. As a College, we are grateful to the past and present service women and men for their years of dedication, sacrifice and commitment for our country.

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

Enrolling Now

Sydney Catholic Schools have moved to an online enrolment process. We know that some families are experiencing difficulty completing the forms online. Don’t let this perturb you from enrolling. You are welcome to complete a paper version and bring it into MMCC. We will then enter your information for you.

Please be aware that applications for Year 7 2024 closed on Friday 8 April 2022. Please inform students in Year 5 who you know intend to enrol at Mary MacKillop of this deadline and encourage them to get their enrolment forms completed as soon as possible or call the College.

Limited places are available for enrolment into Year 7 2023.

Please contact our Enrolment Officer, Rosemary Gerardis by email rosemary.gerardis@syd.catholic.edu.au or phone 9725 4322 for information.

Parent Advisory Group Meeting

Our Term 2 Parent Advisory Group Meeting will be held on Wednesday, Ist June commencing at 6pm. We welcome our regular committee members and invite new members to join. We will let you know if this meeting will be face to face or via Zoom. Please send an email to info@mmcwakeley.catholic.edu.au to register your attendance.

COVID Update

Year 7-11 students were issued with additional Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) Kits during the week. Year 12 students should receive their kits on Monday. Please use these RAT Kits if your daughter has symptoms or needs to test daily because she is a household contact.

To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 we need your support. If your daughter has any COVID symptoms (sore throat, sneezing, etc) keep her at home and get her to do a PCR Test or RAT. If your daughter tests negative she needs to remain at home until her symptoms are gone. She should do another RAT on the morning of her return and only come to school if it is negative again.

If your daughter tests positive please ensure that:

• She remains at home until her symptoms are gone 
• The school is notified – her Year Coordinator is the best person to contact 
• Service NSW is notified if she undertook a RAT
• Send documentation from Service NSW (not a photo of the RAT) to school showing your daughter’s name and dates of isolation.

If a member of your household tests positive please ensure that:

• If your daughter stays at home if she is unwell and gets tested for COVID
• The school is notified – her Year Coordinator is the best person to contact 
• Send documentation from Service NSW (not a photo of the RAT) to school showing the dates of isolation.
• If your daughter is well and tests negative she should attend school. Your daughter must:
  • Do a daily morning RAT for 5 school days and come to school following obtaining a negative result
  • She must wear a mask
  • She must be mindful of others when in crowds – she may be asked to withdraw from some activities

The College continues its processes for minimising the risk of transmission of COVID-19:

• Distribution of extra RATs to students and staff
• No one who has COVID symptoms is allowed onsite
• Encourage vaccination
• Visitors (not parents or students) must be vaccinated
• Maximise ventilation – keep windows and doors open
• Maintain COVID safe practices e.g. regular hand washing, not attending if sick 
• Continued enhanced cleaning of high touch areas
• Risk assessments of school activities and events

Kind regards
Gilda Pussich

Enrolling Now

Year 7 2024

Limited Spaces Year 7 2023

Please click on link for more information: Enrol Now

From the Assistant Principal – Mrs Christine Harding

Welcome back to Term 2. Students have returned looking rested and refreshed and all staff are looking forward to a term of learning.

Winter Uniform

I appreciate the efforts of parents and carers in ensuring that their daughters have returned wearing their uniform with pride. To ensure the year continues to be a successful one for both your daughter and the whole school community, below are reminders regarding our College uniform and grooming regulations.

Students are to wear full winter uniform from Monday 9 May: 

• The full Winter Uniform that includes the Blazer and Stockings as compulsory items
• The jumper can be worn with this uniform as long as the Blazer is the outer garment when coming to school and leaving school.

In keeping with a focus on excellence and the way in which girls wear the uniform, it is important for all students to know that eyelash extensions are not a part of the uniform. Students wearing obviously extended eyelashes will be sent home and are required to remove these. Any unnatural addition: Hair colour, eyelash extension, fake nails are not acceptable and not part of the College uniform.

The College uniform is something we are all proud of as a community. It reflects our values as a Catholic school and demonstrates our high expectations of all of our students at MMCC. We thank all parents for your support of our College uniform regulations.

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.

Harding Hot Tips Study Skills – Thinking ahead

Term 2 is often filled with a number of assessment tasks. Here are some tips to reduce anxiety and stress and help you to plan for any upcoming assessment tasks.

1. STUDY NOTES: If you know that you have a test at the end of each topic or examinations approaching, then on the nights you do not have much homework start working on your study notes and summaries. Have a good filing system online for easy access.
2. ASSESSMENT TASKS: Always start the assessment the day it is given to you, even if it is just a little bit. Make sure you understand the requirements and if you don’t ask your teacher straight away the next day. Brainstorm the steps the first night and do a rough plan of when you will do each step.
3. ASK FOR HELP EARLY: There is nothing more frustrating than a student who says ‘I haven’t understood anything we did in the last 3 weeks’. Ask for help as soon as you have a problem. Keep a list of questions for your teacher on a post-it in your textbook or sticky notes on your computer or a list in your phone. Don’t let problems or issues build up, ask for help early and often.
4. THINK ABOUT WHO YOU SIT NEXT TO: Choose wisely who you will sit with in class. This can make a world of difference to your results. If you sit with someone where it is a productive relationship, you encourage and help each other and stay on task in the classroom you will understand your work better and have less to do at home.
5. CONSIDER YOUR WEEK: Plan ahead for busy times. If you know you have nights where you can’t do much work or a busy weekend, plan ahead and get things done early. Always look ahead for possible times where you could be caught short of time and make plans to avoid problems.

Thank you for your continued support. If you require any assistance please do not hesitate to contact the College.

Mrs Christine Harding

Important Dates for Term 2

Around the Grounds @ MMCC

Catholic Life @ MMCC

JJAMM Experience

Niza (College Captain) and Natalia (College Portfolio Vice Captain) attended the 2022 JJAMM Experience for Student leaders of Josephite school from across Australia and New Zealand. This year seven schools attended, including schools from Emu Plains, Milperra, East Gosford, Bellambi, Warnervale and Broadmeadow (Victoria).

The student leaders took the time to explore the Josephite Charism of St Joseph, Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods. They also heard from those living out the Josephite Charism as Sisters of St Joseph and lay people, learning how they too can live out the Josephite tradition. Niza & Natalia immersed themselves in the experience and reflected on our own school Charism, looking at ways to further bring the Josephite Charism alive and active in our community.

St Joseph the Worker, Feast Day – 1st May

Litany of St Joseph

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Illustrious son of David, pray for us.

Light of patriarchs, pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.

Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.

Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.

Watchful defender of Christ, pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Joseph most just, pray for us.

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.

Joseph most prudent, pray for us.

Joseph most valiant, pray for us.

Joseph most obedient, pray for us.

Joseph most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of patience, pray for us.

Lover of poverty, pray for us.

Model of workmen, pray for us.

Glory of home life, pray for us.

Guardian of virgins, pray for us.

Pillar of families, pray for us.

Solace of the afflicted, pray for us.

Hope of the sick, pray for us.

Patron of the dying, pray for us.

Terror of demons, pray for us.

Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us!

He made him the lord of His household, And prince over all His possessions.

Let Us Pray

O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant, we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Catholic Social Teachings – Sisters of St Joseph

Word of the Week – Miss Mokdassi

Literacy is a key focus at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. As a way to support students in the effective development of their vocabulary skills, all students of the College are partaking in the literacy initiative, Word of the Week (WOW). By exposing students to new vocabulary, students will be able to increase their understanding of challenging words, which will support their reading and writing skills.

Miss Mokdassi, the College’s Literacy Coordinator, worked together with the student learning team and College leaders to launch this initiative in Term 2. Word of the Week focuses on releasing one word each week, which students must use correctly in a sentence within their classes to earn a point for their house. This is a fun and creative initiative which was introduced with the intention of encouraging students to expand their vocabulary, and boost confidence when faced with unfamiliar words. It is also designed for teachers to offer support to students by providing guidance in its correct uses within class discussions and written work.

In order to make this an enriching program, the words chosen align directly with NAPLAN, in the hope to encourage their uses in their writing. Throughout the term, students will be completing Word of the Week activities by exploring different variations of the word, definitions and origins, for the purpose of understanding how to use it in various contexts.

By participating in this initiative, students will be supporting their reading and writing skills as well as supporting their house.

Make sure your house is in it to win it!

NAPLAN 2022

IMC Library – Mrs Devine

Winter Reading Challenge

The start of Term 2 heralds the return of this wonderful MMCC tradition. The Winter Reading Challenge is offered to all core classes in Years 7 -10 and runs for the duration of Terms 2 and 3.

This challenge begins with students identifying their reading goals and conferencing with their class teacher to ensure that their goals are not only challenging but also achievable. Once they begin reading the titles they have selected, students then log these titles into their individual challenge booklets. Students will update these booklets in their scheduled wide reading lessons.

Students who meet or exceed their identified reading goals, work consistently and maintain motivation during the Winter Reading Challenge will be invited to a pizza lunch in the IMC in Term 4.

MMCC students love SORA

SORA is a digital platform which provides free access to ebooks and audiobooks for students in the diocese. This is a valuable resource that allows students to access books that aren’t readily available in the library or to read when they are not able to borrow a physical copy from the library (ie, during the holidays).

The borrowing statistics supplied by Sydney Catholic Schools show that the students at MMCC are amongst the most consistent users of this platform and as a result have placed in the top three highest borrowers amongst 7-12 secondary schools across the diocese for January – March. It is really wonderful to see that our students are taking advantage of this great resource to explore different texts and read in their own time.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) was launched last term for all Newman classes in Years 7 – 9.

This year’s challenge will run until 19th August. Students must complete their online reading records by this date in order to have their reading records validated and be eligible for a PRC certificate.

Any students who are in Year 10 and were unable to complete their PRC challenge last year due to the pandemic are able to participate in 2022.

Gold and platinum certificates will be issued in Term 4 to students who successfully complete the challenge.

The new reading list for the 2022 challenge has been updated with 230 new titles.

Visit the booklists page in the PRC website: https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

Study Skills Handbook – Managing Perfectionism

HSC Hot Tips 2021

Mariam Elisha

ATAR – 94.55

University of NSW

Bachelor of Commerce Finance

Bachelor of Science Immunology

Motivate each other in class – Class-time is extremely important and shouldn’t be wasted. Your teachers emphasise this because they do not want you going home swamped in a pile of work. Use class time to the best of your ability so that you can have time at home to take a healthy break; additionally, allowing you to work on your summary notes or potentially any concepts you have learnt in class that you feel you need to work on. I understand there are some times, we go into class extremely tired from a long day, especially during Period 6; but don’t disrupt each other. Motivate each other to get some work done by simply doing your own thing. You can all catch up after class.

Tip for tackling SOR II booklets – There is no doubt that SOR II is a content heavy subject. However, it is a subject you can easily excel at if you study smarter, not harder. Find a partner you can rely on so you can work on those 20 page worksheets. Divide the work up fairly and equally, so that you can efficiently finish the worksheet. This is so that both you and your partner can both go home without homework and instead, simply read through the completed worksheet; summarising them into key notes for your trials and external exams. 

Motivate each other outside of the classroom – I know there will be those days where you’re at home on a Saturday; not bothered to get started on your work. However, what you can do to potentially tackle this overwhelming procrastination feeling, is to organise a hangout later that day with your friends. Something as simple as going to a mate’s house later that day, can motivate you into doing your work (as you will see hanging out with your friends as a reward). For you introverts who don’t feel like being social, something as simple as saying “Once I hand in my Google Classroom assignment for English, I can spend time watching my favourite TV show or play the keyboard”; Ultimately, whatever your hobby is, try to use it as a reward system (and make sure to be kind to yourself with this reward system! You are entitled to a break, whether big or small. Just be fair with your break times; don’t get too greedy!). 

For Year 11 students: Prelims is your time to understand how senior study works. Trust me, I learnt it the hard way when I was in Year 11. I always left my class work to “later” and didn’t even know what summary notes were! When the preliminary exams came along (final exams), I was an absolute mess and I wish no one experiences what I experienced! I suggest that this is your time to test out new study routines so that you will have no academic consequence (i.e. it will not affect your overall HSC mark). Finish as much classwork as you can so you don’t have extra homework. I say this so that you can spend more time on your summary notes. Summary notes are one of the keys to ensuring you ace your exams and  consolidate all the information you have learnt from your classes. When the preliminary exams come around (Term 3), I guarantee you; you will not remember concepts you once were great at in Term 1. You need to write notes under each syllabus dot point that you learn in each day of class. This is so that when the final exams come around, you have all these summarised notes that were made when the concept was FRESH in your memory. Thus, helping you to reinforce your knowledge and feel prepared for the final exams; only focusing on looking at past papers.  

Important Information from NSW Police regarding E-Bikes and E-Scooters

Parent Evening with Dr Wayne Warburton

The Links Between Social Media Use, Brain Development and Emotional Regulation (hosted by Marist Catholic College North Shore)