From the Principal

With the end of the year approaching I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents, staff and students of Mary MacKillop Catholic College for a wonderful 2018. A special thank you to the Parent Advisory Group for their work throughout the year: Mrs Bursic, Mrs Carniato, Mrs Citroni, Mrs Dal Col, Mrs O’Grady, Ms Pomeroy, Mrs Raad and Mrs Toohey.

On Tuesday 4 December we held our annual Awards Night. This was a celebration of the academic, cultural and sports achievements of our students. Thank you to Mr Thomas who coordinated the evening and the staff who assisted: Mrs Labbozzetta, Mrs Gerardis, Mrs Garreffa, Mr Olegasegarem, Mr Reutens, Mr Hardick, Ms Veljanovski, Mrs Webster, Mrs Sedger, Miss Israel, Mr Grana, Ms Newton, Mrs Gomes, Mrs Fassoulas, Mrs Toohey, Ms Boustani, Mrs Orlando, Mrs Flanagan and Ms Pavisic. Congratulations to all our award winners. Please click on link to view a full list of recipients 2018 Award Recipients

The term has provided many wonderful experiences for our College community including:

• Dr Daniel White, Executive Director of SCS visit to MMCC Catholic Intensive English Centre and the Parent Hub. Thank you to Mrs Arapi-Nunez and Mrs Vivian Matti for coordination the event and the CIEC staff.
• Creative and Performing Arts Night, an evening where our talented Drama, Dance, Music and Visual Arts students were showcased. Thank you to Mrs Veljanovski who coordinated the event and the CIEC staff.
• Year 12 2019 retreat to Namaroo Conference Centre in Lane Cove, which focused on seeking God in our lives. Thank you to Mrs Flanagan, Mr Sacca, Ms Boustani, Mr Hennessy, Miss Ayoub, Miss El-Azzi, Mr Reutens, Mrs Rooney and Miss Michael for organising the 3 days.
• The Newman Symposium which is a showcase of the teaching and learning in our selective classes. Thank you to Mrs Verlinden and Mrs Rugg for coordinating the event.
• Being a High School Student for a day where students from our feeder schools enjoyed a day of learning at MMCC. Year 4 focused on Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and Year 5 focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities. Thank you to Mrs Karen Davis who coordinated the event and the Principal, staff and students of: St Gertrudes, Smithfield, Our Lady of the Rosary, Fairfield, Mary Immaculate, Bossley Park, Sacred Heart, Cabramatta and Sacred Heart, Villawood.
• End of schooling events for our outgoing Year 12 cohort including Formal, Graduation Mass and Awards evening. Thank you to Mrs Orlando, Ms Caparrotta and the Year 12 team for their organisation of the many events to celebrate, farewell and thank our Year 12 cohort.

Congratulations to our HSC students:

• Charli Tran whose Major Visual Arts work was nominated and selected for exhibition at Art Express
• Louise Ruggier and Warda Dawood who both had their Major Design and Technology projects nominated for Shape

At this time of the year we farewell our Year 12 students and their families and some of our staff. Thank you and best wishes to: Mrs Rugg, Mrs Penson, Mrs Famularo, Mrs Hennessy, Ms Caparrotta, Mrs O’Neal, Mrs Krahe, Mr Williams, Ms Carroll, Ms Paez, Mrs Keramea, Mrs Tungul, Mrs Canal, Miss Miljak, Miss Krzysik and Mrs Herrmann.

Looking forward to seeing parents at the Parent & Teacher interviews and our Christmas Mass.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

Gilda Pussich

Principal

Executive Director of SCS visits MMCC CIEC

On 26 October we had the pleasure of Dr Daniel White, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools visit our College. Dr White took this opportunity to join our students in the MMCC Intensive English Centre classrooms and our parents and friends in the MMCC Parent Hub. We also welcomed Mrs Sharon Gilbert, Leader of Learning EAL/D from SCS Southern Region.

Dr White and Mrs Gilbert were able to observe students engaged in different subject areas including English where they were studying Shakespeare, and Science where they were carrying out an experiment in one of our laboratories. They were impressed with the language development and confidence of our students. Eevet Arabo presented an oral and Google Slides presentation about Shakespeare with a focus on Romeo and Juliet.

Dr White was interested in hearing directly from students and parents. He enquired about what they were learning and what they would like to study once they finish their studies at MMCC. The parents spoke about their background and how the school is supporting them.

Dr White and Mrs Gilbert provided very positive feedback about the organisation of the CIEC program, the visible and outstanding progression of students and additionally the support MMCC is providing to the extended community by running lessons in English and Australian culture.

Thank you to the CIEC staff for their dedication and diligence – Mr Deo Narayan, Mrs Kim Cook, Mrs Vivian Matti, Mrs Meslon Matti, Mr Rhys Williams, Mrs Irina Ghougassian and Mrs Jaklin Asad.

Mrs Flavia Arapi-Nunez, CIEC Coordinator

From the Assistant Principal

BYOD Laptop Program for 2019

A letter has been sent to the whole College community regarding our BYOD Laptop program for 2019. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the College Office on 97254322.

MMCC BYOD Specification Guidelines 2019 – Years 8-11

End of Term Learning Expectations for our HSC Class of 2019

As per our College’s expectations of our new HSC group, this term is regarded as Term 1 of their HSC year, therefore each day of learning time is critical to their success in the HSC. Below is an outline of our expectations for our Year 12 2019 HSC group.

Timeline for the end of the School Year

Thursday 13^th December Final Day of lessons Years 7-10 and Year 12 2019 HSC students.

 Friday 14^th December – Christmas Mass and Christmas Fair (Compulsory Attendance)

 Christmas Mass and Fair – Friday 14^th December 2018

 This year the College Community will celebrate Christmas and the end of the 2018 School Year with a Christmas Mass and a Christmas Fair on Friday 14th December 2018.

This is a compulsory school day so all students are expected to attend from 8.50am to 3.15pm.

As part of these celebrations the students will attend in our Christmas Mass starting at 9.50am in the hall, where all parents are invited to join us. All students are required to attend on the day and arrive in full College Summer uniform, including their blazer. At end of the Mass, there will be recess, then Year Meetings and an opportunity to change into appropriate mufti clothing before the Christmas Fair starts at 12.30pm.

From 12.30pm onwards, the entire College Community will celebrate with food vans and carnival rides. Students can purchase food and drinks or bring their own lunch. All students will also need to bring their own food for recess on this day as the Canteen will be closed.

Students wishing to access the carnival rides can choose from these 3 options:

1. Purchasing a prepaid bracelet at a discounted cost of $25 before Wednesday 12th December by completing the form on the attached flyer and paying via the College Office.
2. Purchasing a ride bracelet on the day at a cost of $30
3. Purchasing a single ride ticket on the day at a cost of $6 per ride.

Please note that the prices are set by the carnival ride operator and are not negotiable.

Patrician Brothers College students have also been invited to attend after 3.15pm (with school ID only) where the celebrations will end at 6.00pm.

MMCC students are able to leave at the normal school finishing time of 3.15pm and buses will operate as normal. However, any student leaving at 3.15pm or between 3.15pm and 6.00pm will not be allowed to re-enter the College grounds.  No other members of the public will be permitted to enter the College grounds at any time. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs and chewing gum are not permitted.

All students remaining after 3.15pm and remaining for the entire Fair will be dismissed at 6.00pm.

The attached Letters and Order Form were sent out via your daughters CLC class and also via Compass.

MMCC Christmas Fair and Ticket Order Form

2018 Christmas Mass and Fair Letter to Parents

Preparing for 2019

 Term 1 2019 Summer Uniform Reminder

It is very important that we continue to remind our students and families of our summer uniform requirements for the 2019.

The summer uniform has the following Expectations:

–       Regulation College white ankle socks are to be worn at all times.

–       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  1 2019.

–     The College jumper is NOT a part of the Term 1 and 4 uniform

–     Pink/Blue Blouse.

–       Undershirts are to be neutral in colour and must not be showing otherwise these will have to be removed if they are brought to school.

–       The College Blazer can be worn in cooler weather and CAN be worn as the outer garment when coming to and leaving the College.

If any student is NOT in the correct summer uniform on the first day of Term 1 2019, she will be sent home to have the problem rectified.  Please ensure you refer to the College Dress Code in the College Diary.

First Day of Term 1 2019 for Years 8 – 12 – Thursday 31st January 2019

We look forward to the return of all students across Years 8 to 12 on Thursday 31st January 2019.  CLC teachers will be contacting parents of any student who is absent on this day. Students must attend in full summer uniform (not sports uniform).

Please note that our new Year 7 students for 2019 begin classes on Wednesday 30th January 2019.  Year 10 2019 CLC Leaders will also be required to attend school on this day, starting at 8:30am in their summer school uniform (including blazer) to greet and assist with the new Year 7 students until lunch time.

Swimming Carnival – Friday 8th February 2019

Please note our College Swimming Carnival is at Prariewood Leisure Centre and will be held on Friday 8th February 2019.  Students are to wear their summer sports uniform on this day.  This is a normal school day and as such attendance is compulsory.  Parents of any absent students will be contacted on this day.

As with the previous years, ALL students will be travelling by bus to and from the venue.  Parents are reminded that students cannot be dropped off at the venue. If being picked up early a note must be pre-delivered to the College before the end of the 2018 school year and given to your daughter’s CLC teacher(s).

Protecting your daughters online during the School Holidays

The use of internet enabled devices such as mobile phones and iPads has taken over everyone’s lives. It is important to have a good balance, particularly during the school holidays. Below are great websites for parents to explore particular topics of interest to ensure you are able to provide safe experiences online for your daughters.

Student Wellbeing Hub (Parents Guide to Being Safe Online)

Office of the eSafety Commissioner – iParent Site

Motivational Quote of the Week

Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of understanding this liturgical season.

Mr Grana

Assistant Principal

Newman Symposium

On Tuesday 30th October 2018, Mary MacKillop Catholic College held its annual Newman Symposium. This event was facilitated by our Newman students who aimed to celebrate the successes, achievements and growth in learning for all Years 7-10 gifted and talented students who participate in the Sydney Catholic Schools Newman Selective Gifted Education Program.

During the Newman Symposium many of our Year 7-10 Newman students showcased and celebrated with our school community their experience as students in a Newman class, along with many other learning experiences they have engaged in as part of this Newman Program at our College. Families and friends of our community who attended this evening had the opportunity to speak to our Newman students and staff to discover more about the Newman program and to see first hand what our students are learning in class. Students exhibited highly engaging presentations to the school community that were representative of all subject areas.

In true Mary MacKillop style, students at our College are encouraged to challenge themselves daily and to take academic risks. Our Newman classes foster an environment for energised learners in order to build their confidence in asking questions, making connections and to be resilient independent, motivated learners. Through the College’s learning and teaching program we strive to strengthen our students’ love for lifelong learning. The showcase encompassed student work that demonstrated 21st century skills of communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, design and innovation.

I would like to thank our parent community, colleagues from Sydney Catholic Schools, staff and students for their support and attendance to this evening that helped celebrate our student success. Lastly, I would also like to thank Mrs Chiquita Rugg, our College Newman Facilitator for her organisation of the evening and dedication towards continually extending our Newman students. We look forward to another successful Symposium in 2019.

Ms Jacqueline Verlinden, Leader of Teaching and Learning   

Mary MacKillop Merit Award Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who received their awards at assembly:

Year 12 Retreat

This term Year 12 took part in a 3 day retreat program at the Namaroo Conference Centre. The central theme was “Seek God“ which aimed at inviting God’s manifest, trusted presence into our lives. This entailed students exploring scripture readings pertaining to God’s presence, as well as analysing the beatitudes and exploring how they are a fundamental instrument in seeking God.

Through daily prayer, the Rosary, Adoration and Mass, students were given an opportunity to experience God, ever present for those who seek him. Students were also challenged to allow God’s love to live through them by partaking in writing affirmations for their peers. This presented the opportunity for students to rekindle relationships and collectively strengthen a year group bond.

On behalf of all of Year 12, I would like to express our gratitude to Mrs Flanagan for her preparation and organisation of this retreat, Ms Boustani for her continued support as our Year Coordinator. Thank you Ms Pussich, Mr Sacca, Mr Hennessy, Ms Ayoub, Ms El-Azzi, Mr Reutens, Ms Michael and Mr Rooney who took the time to journey with us. We were all able to take something from this experience and make fond memories which we will undoubtedly cherish for a lifetime.

Lauren Sleiman, Year 12

Year 12 English Studies Excursion to The Rocks

As part of the English Studies unit on ‘What Makes An Australian’ we went to The Rocks for an excursion with Ms Donaldson and Mrs Andrews. We walked through The Rocks and were told about the history of the area by Ms Donaldson.

After a quick morning tea at The Rocks Markets, we went to a shop and watched candy being made from scratch. The men making the candy showed us every step of the process and then gave us some free candy to try.

After the candy shop we visited The Rocks Discovery Museum.  Inside we watched videos about The Rocks, played some of the games and looked at the artefacts on display.

Jenny Sonn said, “The Rock’s Discovery Museum was an engaging way to learn about the past, and the candy making was very interesting to watch how they made the candy”, Stephanie Ablahad said she “enjoyed watching the two guys making candy” and Kareen Nada found the excursion “fun and enjoyable”.

We all enjoyed having lunch in the sun at Circular Quay. We watched the ferries come in and saw The Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Many of us enjoyed this time, including  Zaina Aealesha and Tijan Denford.

Year 12 English Studies Class

Archbishop Anthony Fisher’s Leadership Forum

On 20th November, girls from the 2019 Student Leadership team attended the Archbishop’s Leadership forum amongst 50+ other Catholic schools within the Sydney region. The purpose of the day was to gather insights from the youth and how to get youth involvement to grow within the Catholic community. By engaging in conversation with the senior leaders from other schools, we were able to respond to questions relative to our own school communities and were able to form new ideas of projects that could be implemented within our own school communities.

Many of the Catholic School Leaders gave us insight into ideas they had for their own School communities such as highlighting Senior/Junior relationships and ways to connect with our faith. Archbishop Anthony Fisher emphasised leadership in Catholic Schools as a vocation and that serving God and the community was not limited to sainthood, sisterhood, brotherhood or priesthood.

As leaders, we discovered the importance of having faith in our own leadership abilities and above all, faith in God, and to focus on our strengths, and work on our weaknesses. Overall, we learnt that to be true Leaders of Service we must have faith that God is on our side.

Jassamyn Reyes Vega, Ranya Sutto, Mary Khousho, Malinda Markho and Maya Tvedsborg-Vega

Australian Mathematics Competition

Sports Update

Term 3 

The College would like to recognise our Term 3 MMCC representative teams. These consisted of Junior, Intermediate and Senior Basketball, Junior and intermediate Soccer, and Senior Softball. All players and coaches dedicated a lot of time and effort last term to do their best in the Sydney Catholic Colleges Competition.

A special congratulations to the Junior Basketball team and Senior Softball teams who made it all the way through to the semi finals this term.

Rebecca Brown, Sports Coordinator

2018 SCC Athletics

On 31st August, 42 students and 4 staff traveled to Sydney Olympic Park Main Track to compete in the Annual SCC Athletics Championships. Even though our students were not successful in progressing to NSWCCC this year, their efforts on the day were commendable as they represented the College with pride.

Well done to the whole team! Please see attached list of all 43 representative students- 2018 MMCC Athletics Team

2018 NSWCCC Netball Gala Day

On  21st August, 10 students and 2 coaches traveled to Penrith to compete in the 2018 NSWCCC Netball Competition. It was a difficult competition with the team playing against other schools from all over the State. Congratulations to all the girls and their coaches Miss Ashlee Jennings and Miss Melissa El Azzi for their tremendous efforts!

Tennis Gala Day

On Monday 3rd December, Miss Ana Miljack and Mrs Rebecca Sedger travelled with 11 students to Concord to partake in the SCC Tennis Gala Day. The girls competed in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior divisions. Well done to the whole team who represented the College with pride on the day!

Cricket Gala Day

On Monday 25th November, 18 students from years 7- 10 travelled to Gannons Park in Peakhurst to partake in the annual SCC Cricket Gala Day. Both teams did very well throughout the day! Congratulations to MMCC Team #1 who made it to the Finals against Rosebank College. A big thank you to their coaches Mrs Carol Cox, Mr Stuart Whiley and Mr Rhys Williams.

See photos and team list below:

2018 SCC Cricket Gala Day Team (7-10)

Term 4 SCC Sport Wrap Up

Future Leaders Program

RAD Justice Conference

With welcoming hands, some of our Year 10 students visited the RAD Justice Conference held at Christian Brothers High School in Lewisham on the 20th and 21st September.

A school full of spirit, welcomed us with an indigenous smoke ceremony and with smiles all around. We shared personal experience stories about how each person helped to stand for Justice, how each of us are different and equal and what a single helping hand can do. We really enjoyed the play about young and new refugee students in Australia who put us in their shoes to really find out how life is as a refugee.

We were fortunate to meet 3 Australian politicians, Jenny Leong MP, Jonathan O’Dea MP and Jihad Dib Shadow Minister for Education, that answered our burning questions. There was a lot of courage and faith displayed from different people from different catholic schools. It was an amazing learning experience.

Sandra Qaqos, Year 10

Year 9 Faith Formation with Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield

On Friday 16th November Year 9 students were invited to Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield to participate in a Faith Formation Workshop. The guest speaker on the day was Melinda Tankard, an author, speaker, media commentator, blogger and advocate for women and girls.

Ms Tankard addressed and informed both girls and boys about sexualisation, objectification, harms of pornography, sexual exploitation, trafficking and violence against women. As a result, we we all agreed that women are not objects, we are more than just our bodies, we should be treated equally to men, “No” means “No” and if you don’t accept it, you’ll regret it. She informed us about the ongoing issues relating to women and how we can react and defend ourselves.

Both schools were then asked to share messages with each other, girl to boy and express how we feel when a man takes advantage of a woman, how the media portrays men and women and what is expected of us.

We were then lucky enough to enjoy pizza, take a break and communicate with the boys of Patrician Brothers’.

At the end of the day we all took part in a Liturgy, living out the Faith of our Catholic communities. The day was informative, enjoyable and faithful. We thank Ms Messina and teachers who accompanied us on the day.

Elissa All, Year 9

Year 9 students with Ms Melinda Tankard

St Vincent De Paul Sandwich Making

Throughout 2018 senior students have been making sandwiches for St Vincent De Paul Liverpool Night Patrol on a monthly basis. Students donate all the items to make the sandwiches – bread, tomatoes, lettuce, ham, chicken and eggs. They gather after school on a Friday afternoon each month and make over 80 sandwiches.

With the support of Miss Ayoub and Miss Carroll students have been able to engage in this outreach activity. Term 4 saw the responsibility of Vinnies sandwich making being passed onto Year 11 after being done by Year 12 through Terms 1, 2 and 3.

Mrs Flanagan, Religious Education Coordinator

National Apology to Abuse Survivors

CaSPA 2019

Open Day 2019

2018 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection Notice

Our Lady of the Rosary Christmas Eve Family Mass

Coming Events

Mass Times