From the Principal

Dear members of the Mary MacKillop Catholic College community,

As we move towards our Easter celebrations; the most important time in our liturgical year, I have been reflecting on our role at the College in educating our young women.

Throughout this term I have been seeing our girls continuing with their dedication to improvement and growth in all areas. They have grown in their academic learning through consistent work and there has been a real growth in confidence. This has been obvious in their willingness to give of themselves to after school challenges such as the NAPLAN Boot Camp that was held over the past two weeks and the holiday and evening classes that have been run by dedicated staff for the Year 12 students. I am forever grateful to the staff who generously give of their time to make this a reality. I have also seen them grow in their expression of their faith in liturgies, visits to reconciliation and social justice initiatives; and again I see our dedicated staff valuing this and ensuring there are many chances for our girls to be close to Christ.

We are more fortunate than many other Catholic schools however, in that we are in a position to welcome those who have suffered in war and give them a chance to launch into a new life and create a future in our great country. This is what a Josephite school which is modelled on the example of St Mary of the Cross must do.

Next term we will welcome several young women into our community who have fled atrocities in Iraq and will enter our new Catholic Intensive English Centre. As I have been meeting them I have been overwhelmed by their resilience, energy and excitement at becoming a part of our community. These are hard working young women who understand the gift of our College and I am very confident in what they will contribute in the future.

i know that the students at MMCC are well placed in their understanding to welcome them as they learn from each other. This understanding was exemplified by the recent ACU Award given to Veronica Samano of Year 12 2016 at the Religious Art Exhibition which is highlighted later in this newsletter. On our last assembly of term I showed the students this image of a close up of Veronica’s art work.

This artwork was only made possible by the generosity of the students who supplied the children’s shoes which would decorate the side of the refugee boat; a reference to the deaths of innocent children fleeing war torn countries. To me, this artwork represents the love and care demonstrated by our students. It is MMCC’s young women who are making the world a better place.

I go to the holidays feeling blessed and very privileged to be a part of the MMCC community. I wish you all a blessed Easter with your families and look forward to being with your daughters and our staff once again for the adventures of Term 2 2017.

God Bless,

Narelle Archer

Principal

From the Assistant Principal

Congratulations on Term 1 Achievements

We wanted to congratulate your daughters on the great start to the year.  As Term 1 comes to an end, we would like to thank you for your support in ensuring your daughters have come to school every day in the right uniform and ready to engage in their learning.  At Mary MacKillop Catholic College, our focus this year has been on Growing Together, and this term we have witnessed many examples of students demonstrating a Growth Mindset approach through their achievements in the classroom, on the sporting field, in raising money for charity and out in the community serving others.

ANZAC Day Ceremonies – Wear your Uniform if you are attending with your Family

Mary MacKillop Catholic College has a rich tradition in supporting our local RSL’s with their ANZAC Day Dawn Services. Below is a list of where we will be representing the College. We encourage students to wear their uniform (including blazer) if they are attending an ANZAC Dawn service with their families.

First Day Back of Term 2 – Wednesday 26th April 2017

As per a previous letter sent to families, there are no classes on Monday 24th April 2017 due to a Staff Professional Learning Day (Please contact the College if you have any questions regarding the supervision of your daughter on this day) .  Tuesday 25th April is the Anzac Day public holiday.  Therefore classes for Term 2 resume on Wednesday 26th April 2017.

Uniform Reminders – Term 2 Winter Uniform

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. These are highlighted to ensure that our high expectations continue to be made very clear to all members of our great College community.

As term 1 draws to a close we are writing this letter to firstly congratulate you on the respect your daughters have shown for our College uniform this term.  However it is very important that we continue to remind our students and families of our winter uniform requirements.

The winter uniform has the following Expectations:

–     All students must own a College blazer and MUST wear it to and from the College

–     Regulation grey stockings are to be worn at all times.

–     Any clothing worn under the College shirt must not be seen.  All undergarments should be neutral in colour.

–     High-collared skivvies are NOT to be worn.

–     The College Jumper is not part of the Sports Uniform

–   Scarves must be the College scarf or a plain maroon scarf. Scarves with extra fringing or of another colour will not be permitted.

–     College Skirts, which must cover the bottom of the knee-cap (ie covering the whole knee).  We ask parents to ensure that over the holidays this is rectified before coming back on the first day of Term 2.

If any student is NOT in the correct winter uniform on the first day of Term 2, she will be sent home to have the problem rectified.  Please ensure you refer to the College Dress Code in the College Diary.

A reminder regarding specific uniform regulations that all students must follow throughout the whole year:

Our 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 Mary MacKillop Catholic College. These are expectations that have already existed since the College was first opened.  We thank all parents for your support of our College uniform regulations and welcome you to call us if you are having any difficulties with ensuring your daughter is in the correct uniform.  We will also be happy to assist you with any difficulties where possible.

Meningococcal Vaccinations for Years 11 and 12 Students

NSW will be implementing a meningococcal ACWY school-based vaccination program targeting Year 11 and 12 students in secondary schools from Term 2 2017 that will provide protection against meningococcal serogroups A, C and Y as well as W. This is in response to the emergence of meningococcal W as a significant cause of invasive meningococcal disease in Australia in 2016. Evidence suggests that this strain of the disease is more severe than other types.

Students will be vaccinated on Friday 28^th April 2017. Vaccination packs have been distributed to Year 11 students and these are due back by Wednesday 26^th April 2017. Year 12 students will be given their packs on the first day back at school and will need to return them on Thursday 27^th April 2017.

Chickenpox

We have just been informed of one case of chicken pox in the College. Please read the fact sheet information below:

What is Chickenpox?

• Chickenpox (varicella) is a viral illness caused by the herpes zoster virus (also known as the Varicella-Zoster virus)
• In children it usually causes a relatively mild illness.
• Chickenpox in adults and immunosuppressed people can be severe.
• Infection in pregnancy can cause foetal malformations, skin scarring, and other problems in the baby.
• Before routine vaccination began in November 2005, chickenpox was a very common illness. The incidence of chickenpox appears to have decreased as more people receive the vaccine.

What are the symptoms

• Chickenpox begins with a sudden onset of slight fever, runny nose, feeling generally unwell and a skin rash.
• The rash usually begins as small lumps that turn into blisters and then scabs.
• The rash appears over three to four days. At any one time, the lesions of the rash vary in stages of development.
• Symptoms usually occur two weeks after exposure to the virus.
• Most people recover without complications, but sometimes the infection can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and inflammation of the brain. Rarely, the infection can be fatal.
• Persons who are previously vaccinated can still get chickenpox. If chickenpox occurs in a vaccinated person it is usually mild and less contagious than in an unvaccinated person.

 How is it spread?

• Early in the illness, the virus is spread by coughing.
• Later in the illness, the virus is spread by direct contact with the fluid in the blisters.
• The infection is highly contagious to people who have never had chickenpox or who have not been vaccinated.
• People are infectious from one or two days before the rash appears (that is, during the runny nose phase) and up to five days after (when the blisters have formed crusts or scabs)
• Chickenpox infection triggers an immune response and people rarely get chickenpox twice.

 Who is at risk?

• Anyone who has not had chickenpox or been vaccinated in the past can get chickenpox.
• People with a past history of chickenpox are likely to be immune to the virus. Even adults with no history of chickenpox have a chance of being immune (because of past infection that was mild). Doctors sometimes perform a blood test to see if these people need a vaccination.

 How is it prevented?

• A free varicella containing vaccine (MMRV) is now recommended for all children at 18 months of age.
• Students in their first year of high school who have not previously received varicella vaccine and who have not had chickenpox are offered a varicella vaccine.
• Varicella vaccine is recommended for all non immune adolescents (>14 years ) and adults. This involves two doses at least 1month apart. It is especially recommended for people at high risk, for example, health care workers, people living with or working with small children, women planning a pregnancy, and household contact of persons who are immunosuppressed.
• People with chickenpox should avoid others (and not attend childcare or school) until at least five days after onset of the rash and all the blisters have dried.
• People with chickenpox should cover the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, dispose of soiled tissues, wash their hands well and not share eating utensils, food or drinking cups.
• Pregnant women should avoid anyone with chickenpox or shingles and should see their doctor if they have been around someone with these illnesses.
• Children with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or who are receiving chemotherapy should avoid anyone with chickenpox or shingles as the infection can be especially severe.

How is it diagnosed?

Most cases can be diagnosed based on the symptoms and by appearance of the rash. Sometimes the diagnosis is confirmed by testing samples taken from the rash or from blood.

How is chickenpox treated?

Chickenpox infection usually resolves without treatment.

This week I leave you with an important message as we prepare for the gift that the Easter season brings us all.

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

From the Leader of Student Learning

We have come to the end of a very busy term. Our students have adjusted to a new timetable structure, been asked to check and action documents online, sit for and complete assessment tasks and Year 12 have navigated their Half Yearly examinations.

Term 2 sees NAPLAN in Week 3 for Year 7 and Year 9 and you should have received information about this via your daughter. Week 3 also has Stage 6 Parent/Teacher/Student interviews. The link for the information flyer (which has already been placed on the student’s google classroom, Skoolbag and the website) is below. Online bookings will be open from 9am on Monday 24^th April. We are trialling this form of bookings and would appreciate some feedback on the night. As always, if you are unable to make the evening, please send a note to your daughter’s Coordinator of Learning – Year before the evening. These times are very important to talk to the teacher’s about your daughter and see how she is going, and how she can improve.

School Interviews Online for 10th May 2017

Year 11, then will attempt their Half Yearly Examinations in Week 5 and part of Week 6. To assist with this we are offering some study sessions in the IMC on Monday-Thursday of Week 4. Mrs Orlando will provide more details shortly.

REMINDER: All information regarding Assessment including the Assessment handbook, the Assessment Calendar and the appeals process can be found on the website and is also on Skoolbag. It is vital that all students have read this material and they (and you) are familiar with the processes if for any legitimate reason there is an issue in completing or sitting for an Assessment Task.

As we wrap up Term 2, Year 10 will also begin the process of subject selection for Year 11, 2018. Begin the conversation with them know about Stage 6 and completing a Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Please continue to support your daughter’s and the staff by monitoring homework through the diary as well as using it as a tool for communication.

Enjoy your time together this Easter.

Michelle Israel, Leader of Learning Student Learning

Community Engagement News

As Term 1 draws to a close, I would like to thank all our Community Service providers for their ongoing support. Our students and parents have enjoyed the programs presented to them.

Strong Minds and Catholic Care ran a very successful workshop, “Tuning into Teens”. Parents have learned tips in emotional coaching, becoming detectives of their adolescents’ emotions. When I dropped in for a visit last Thursday, the parents were deep in conversation, sharing their personal experiences and parenting skills. This was even before the workshop started!

Thank you to Jessica and Jacqui for providing this valuable opportunity to our parents and to Mrs Vivian Matti for her interpreting skills.

Below are a few photos of the participants and presenters getting ready for the workshop.

A reminder to all students and families about the Bring it On! festival at Fairfield Showground this weekend, organized by Fairfield City Council. The girls have received flyers earlier in the week advertising the event.

There are so many opportunities for our students to take part in both at the College and those in the wider community. We are very fortunate to have them.

I wish everyone a joyous Easter, a safe and enjoyable holiday and look forward to sharing other community engagement news with you all next term.

Mrs Gesson, Leader of Learning, Community Engagement

Careers News

MACQUARIE IN A DAY

Uni life doesn’t have to be a mystery. That’s why we’re opening our doors on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 April to your Year 11 and Year 12 students (they only attend on one day). Students will have the chance to taste what a day in the life of a Macquarie student is really like.

They will be able to:

• get a feel for our campus
• sit in on lectures and demos
• experience practicals and tutorials
• choose their own subjects and plan their own day
• ask lecturers and current students questions about uni life at Macquarie.

Of course, lunch and some freebies are included.

Find out more and register
If you have any questions email mqinaday@mq.edu.au or call (02) 9850 7257.

Tristan Tulloch
Recruitment Coordinator (Undergraduate)
T: (02) 9850 1890   E: tristan.tulloch@mq.edu.au

UMAT COURSES

UMAT preparation courses: if you are thinking of applying for medicine or other areas in health that require UMAT testing.

MEET THE BUSINESS LEADER 2017

WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

MMCC Term 1 Sports Report

Term 1, 2017 has been filled with many sporting activities and achievements here at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. This term we had 5 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 Junior Volleyball team make it through to the Semi Finals undefeated. They were unfortunately beaten by Saint Charbel’s College in a close match; MMCC only going down by 6 points in the first game (19-25) and only 3 points in the second (22-25). Congratulations to the Junior Volleyball team and their Coach 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:

MMCC to SCC

Earlier in the term 19 students went to Homebush to compete in the SCC Swimming Carnival. We won 5th place on the night, Karoline Fasavalu and Danielle Heim were awarded age champions and along with Faith Misa made it through to the NSWCCC Swimming Carnival. This was held on Friday 31st March at Sydney Aquatics Centre at Homebush. Congratulations to our three MMCC students who represented the college proudly and swam their best!

See Photos and results below:

Term 2 will bring about more representative SCC sport, including Senior Soccer, Cross Country, 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 have fun!

Rebecca Brown, Sports Coordinator

CAPA News

 We have had a fantastic start to the year with the CAPA Showcase highlighting all the fantastic talent we have at MMCC.

Those who attended were treated to fantastic music and performances from Year 7 to Year 12, a preview of the 2017 HSC monologues and a mini exhibition of 2016 HSC Visual Arts. Not only did we have a succession of brilliant talent on stage; we were also very lucky to have an amazing backstage team of students and staff without whom we would not have been able to put on such a great event. Special thanks goes to Ms Penson, Ms Giorgiutti, and Ms Bugge’s amazing musical talents and their fantastic class and ensemble performances, Ms Brook’s captivating drama class, Ms Henry’s accomplished dancers and Ms Newton and Ms Kozakiewicz’ artistic eye documenting the evening.

Veronica Samano wins Clancy Prize

Visual Arts was also very excited to have three students represent us in The Clancy Prize. The theme this year was ‘Mercy’ and Amy Toma of Year 12 submitted a striking portrait, Cherlin Fernandez from 2016 submitted a collection of delicate papercuts but the greatest surprise was from Veronica Samano who’s sculpture of a white boat covered in children’s shoes representing the Syrian refugee crisis won the ACU School of Art Award and won the hearts of many. Veronica was also lucky to be featured in the Fairfield Advance, which you can read here.

Sandra Veljanovski, CAPA Coordinator

Year 7 Geography Blue Mountains Excursion

On Friday the 31st of March Year 7 Geography travelled to the Blue Mountains. The students who attended could all agree; it was breathtaking. The spectacular and vast landscapes, viewed from different angles as we rode in the railway, cableway and trekked across the boardwalk, were stunning. The Cableway is the steepest and largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere but is completely safe! From it, we received a spectacular view of the scenery; the 510-metre journey provided an absolutely stunning view of the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock, Mt Solitary and Katoomba Falls.

Then there was The Railway, where each seat had three settings: catering for the range of laid back to thrill seeking students! Both the boardwalk and the excursion itself invited us to experience the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains and to appreciate nature in the flesh. We admired the different landscapes and landforms of the world, the different ecosystems, habitats of the rainforests, valleys and escarpment and how both flora and fauna have adapted in different areas of the plateaus in order to suit their needs, which goes hand-in-hand with our term 2 unit: Place and Liveability.

It was a truly amazing experience for the Geography classes of Year 7.

Lauren Alzamora- Year 7

JJAMM Week

Last month, teenagers from all over Australia and New Zealand were transformed from simple strangers to the leaders of tomorrow’s world. Our first stop for JJAMM week was Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney, the resting place of Australia’s first Saint.. It was here that we explored the footsteps that St Joseph, Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop already set out before us. This allowed student leaders from Josephite schools all over to better discover the ideals of Josephite leadership, embodied by Mary. We were asked to think about our hopes and dreams for our schools and to hold them close in our minds and hearts as we continued our journey together.

Then we travelled to Kincumber where we were surrounded not only by a beautiful landscape but also the Home for Boys that was established by Mary MacKillop herself. The spirit of Mary MacKillop and the children she educated on this site was alive and well. It was at Kincumber where the barriers of being strangers was completely broken. We presented our school spirits, shared and created ideas to implement into our communities. Every day a new idea was brought to life. We were taught about issues facing the world today, such as climate change, refugee and asylum seekers, poverty and Aboriginal rights and freedoms. From learning about these issues we came together and explored the possibilities of raising awareness within our school communities. Coming up with ideas such as a refugee wall, tree planting competitions, an old clothes donation boxes and so much more. While investigating these issues we created our own art statement pieces. Using a cutout of Mary MacKillop as the blank canvas and inspiration we created 10 different artworks. By the end we had an “army of Mary’s” that were standing against the issues that was most important to us.

During this experience we were also challenged to raise as much awareness within our school and local communities as possible. This included using social media to our advantages. We were given the #BringThemHere as a starting point on helping the refugee and asylum seeker issues facing Australia. We have been encouraged to share our projects with this hashtag on every social media platform we have to raise the greatest amount of awareness possible. On the final days of our JJAMM adventure we came back to the hopes and dreams that were created at the start. We looked seriously on the hundreds of ideas that were gathered and translated to our school communities and the tools that we had at home. Compiling these into a list and working out an agender, we were given a chance to practise pitching our ideas to our principal. This gave us the confidence for when we faced the real thing. During the busyness of the days we often came together as community to reflect on the journey so far. We did this by letting silence fall and joining together in prayer. On the last night we held a ritual to celebrate JJAMM. To mark our contributions to JJAMM 2017, each student planted a plant to symbolise to the growing of ideas, friendships and most importantly the spirit of St Joseph, Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop that was within us all.

The JJAMM experience wasn’t all leadership talk and changing the world. During the day we made connections and each night we were able to showcase our talents in so many different ways. It brought together a group of people who started off as strangers and ended as close friends. Connections that otherwise would never have been made and won’t be broken even if seas separate us. Along with memories made and stories to cherish, a fire was ignited on those 5 glorious days. A fire that will spread throughout not only our school communities but also through the lives of people we know now and people that we have yet to meet. This fire will continue to burn until the end of our lives and will influence our future decisions. This experience would not have been possible without the contributions of Karen Oxley and Sister Jan and of course our teachers. A special thanks to them.

Upon returning back to school, Mr Ndaira, Erin, Katarina and myself met to discuss how we can best implement our ideas into the school community, better enriching the great activities we are already doing here at the College.

Last but not least JJAMM can be summed up in this quote: “If we stand together, we can change the world.” This was clearly evident during JJAMM and continues to be evident as the leaders of the schools communicate with each other over emails and social media. JJAMM was the start of us continuing the footsteps of St Joseph, Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop to make this world a better place. One step at a time.

Casey Martin (Vice Portfolio Leader)

Study Skills Handbook

CARROT OR STICK?

Are you a ‘carrot’ or a ‘stick’ person?

Knowing whether you are motivated by avoiding pain and the pressure of consequences or by achieving pleasure and rewards can help you (and your parents) work out the best way for you to be motivated to do your work for school.

The concept comes from the idea that to make a donkey move forward you can either tempt it with a carrot (a reward) or threaten it with a stick (a punishment).

Now we are not saying that you are a donkey! But we are saying that different things motivate different people.

You are likely to be more of a ‘carrot’ person if you:

• tend to be focused on achieving goals
• make lots of plans and lists for yourself
• find the concepts of rewards and prizes very motivating
• often have a clear picture of what you want to achieve

You are likely to be more of a ‘stick’ person if you:

• tend to leave things to the last minute
• put off unpleasant tasks
• prefer to do things when you ‘feel’ like it rather than when you plan it
• like the idea of rewards but aren’t keen on doing the work to achieve them

If you are a ‘carrot’ person, you can get yourself motivated to do the work by breaking down the task, setting targets and goals and making plans. The thought of getting a good mark or achieving a prize is very motivating for you. Your parents can motivate you further by offering rewards for achievements!

If you are a ‘stick’ person, you find it harder to get yourself motivated to do the work. You are more likely to work when you focus on the consequences of NOT working. When you are putting things off, spend a minute or so brainstorming all of the outcomes if you do not get started on the work. Then decide the first 3 most important things for you to do. Don’t worry about the rest at this stage, just focus on the top 3.

For parents of ‘stick’ children, these students may often require more micro-management. Students may need help in determining what they are going to work on, and parents may need to then check in every half hour or so to ensure students are staying on task. These students will be more motivated by negative consequences such as removal of technology or other privileges if outlined working conditions are not met. However it is a good idea to always balance the introduction of consequences for not doing the work with rewards for doing it! This may not be the driving force for their motivation, but positive reinforcement for doing the right thing can lead to really good outcomes.

For students who get frustrated with themselves being ‘stick’ people and leaving things until the last minute, you can start to move towards becoming more of a ‘carrot’ person. Identify some of your ‘carrot’ friends, and start to model their behaviour. Ask if you can plan the work together and check in regularly with each so you stay on track. It is possible to switch from one modality to another! However no-one can make you do it, you need to want to change and then you need to work towards switching your mindset.

You can learn more about how to get motivated at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with the details below and working through some of the units, particularly the unit on MOTIVATION. On the Things to Print page are some useful handouts for parents and students about how to build motivation.

Username: mmcwakeley

Password: 16success

Coming Events

Mass Times

Smithfield:

Saturday Vigil 6.00pm;

8.00 am (Italian); 10.30 am; 6.00pm

Fairfield West:

Saturday Vigil 5pm (Vietnamese); 7 pm (Spanish); 7.30am & 9.00am; 11am (Spanish); 6pm (Arabic)

Smithfield 9.15 am. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday;  6pm Wednesday 

Fairfield West Monday – Friday 7am Saturday 8am

Fr Jarek Zan

Vigil: 6:00pm Sat   

Sunday 7.30am (Polish) 9.00am 10.30am 4.30pm (Vietnamese) 6pm

Fr Michael de Stoop, Fr Francisco Regala

Saturday Vigil English: 6pm Vietnamese: 7.30pm

Sunday English 8.30am, 10am & 6pm Vietnamese 6.30am, 4pm, 7.15pm Polish11.30am

Monday – Friday 7.00am, Wednesday 7.30pm Saturday 9.00am Vietnamese – Tuesday & Thursday 7pm

Fr Liem Duong, Fr Nen Dang

Monday 7.00am  Tuesday 8.00am Thursday & Friday 8.00am Wednesday 7.00pm Saturday 8.00am

Saturday Vigil 6.00pm Sunday 9:00am

Fr Jerry Prindiville

Monday-Friday:  8.30am Saturday Vigil: 5.30pm Sunday: First Mass 8.30am  

Solemn Mass 10.30am English Mass: 5.30pm

Monday-Friday: 5.30pm Saturday Vigil: 5.30pm Sunday: Solemn Mass 9.00am Arabic Mass: 5.30pm

Saturday English Mass: 5.30pm Sunday Mass: 9.00am