From the Principal – Ms Pussich

Welcome for Term 2!

In Catholic tradition, the month of May is dedicated to Mary. Chosen by God above all other women, Mary’s faith and obedience paved the way for the Incarnation. Her example teaches us faith, obedience, humility and most of all, how to love. On Sunday 9th May, Mother’s Day, we pause to remember, pray and give thanks for our mothers.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You chose to put yourself, tiny, needy and helpless,
into the nurturing and watchful hands of a human mother.
Since then, every act of mothering, both physical and spiritual,
in every time and every corner of the world recollects Mary’s.
Inspired by this example,
we, too, honour our mothers and mother figures today.
Bless these women,
that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers and nurturers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their children, honour them always with a spirit of profound respect.
We ask this in your holy name.
Amen.

 

 

Mother’s Day Mass & Morning Tea – 5th May

We are inviting all mothers and other significant women in the lives of our students (aunts, grandmothers, Godmothers) to join their daughter(s) at our special Mother’s Day Mass and Morning Tea to be held on Wednesday, 5th May 2021. We will gather for Mass at 9.30am in the College Chapel and at the conclusion of the Mass we will be serving a special morning tea for you and your daughter in the Tenison Building.

If you would like to attend the Mass and Morning Tea, please contact Ms Grace Labbozzetta on 9725-4322. Please RSVP by Monday, 3rd May 2021. We look forward to celebrating together the special role that our mothers and other significant women play in our lives.

 

Mother’s Day Raffle

 

 

Year 12 students are raising money by selling chocolates. They are also selling raffle tickets for the Mother’s Day Raffle. The prizes are the giant chocolates seen in the photo. Tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.

The raffle will be drawn on Wednesday 5th May at the Mother’s Day Morning Tea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to our New Assistant Principal

 

On Monday 19th April, we welcomed Mrs Christine Harding, our new Assistant Principal. Mrs Harding comes with many years of leadership experience in learning, faith and wellbeing. Her most recent experience is as Assistant Principal at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College, Burraneer.

We look forward to the care, commitment and contribution she will give to MMCC.

 

 

 

Archbishop’s Leadership

On Tuesday 20th April, Jane Awad, our College Captain, and Caitlyn Chung, Vice Captain were honoured and grateful to be invited to lunch y by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP at Cathedral House. This was a great opportunity to learn from the Archbishop and connect with student leaders from Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney.

 

 

ANZAC Day

We thank our staff and students who joined in local community ANZAC Day services on Sunday 25th April. We also commemorated this most significant day in Australian history with a College liturgy on Monday 26th 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

 

 

 

Fr (Mac) Patrick McAuliffe – (24th October 1930 – 24th April 2020)

On Saturday 24th April, students and staff of Mary MacKillop Catholic College joined with parishioners of Sacred Heart Cabramatta for a Remembrance Mass for Fr Mac celebrated by Bishop Terence Brady. Fr Mac played a significant role in the formation of Mary MacKillop Catholic College 30 years ago.

His contribution to our College will always be appreciated and never forgotten. May he rest in peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open Evening with the Principal

On Tuesday 25th May, we will host an Open Evening for families interested in enrolling their daughter into our College. The focus of the evening is to take a Principal led tour of the College. We will run two tours, the first commencing at 5.30pm and the second at 7.00pm. Please contact the College to register your interest. Parking should be available onsite.

Open Evening – Principal Led Tours Tuesday 25th May 2021 Tour 1 @ 5.30pm OR Tour 2 @ 7.00pm Bookings are essential Please call 9725 4322 to register or email rosemary.gerardis@syd.catholic.edu.au

 

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews for Year 11 and 12

On Tuesday 25th May, we will hold our Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews (Conferences) for Year 11 and 12. This is a worthwhile opportunity to connect with your daughter’s teachers, get one to one feedback on her progress and the strategies that will help her maximise her Stage 6 studies. The interviews will be held in the College Hall from 4pm until 8.30pm. Information on how to book your conference appointment in Compass has been sent to parents.

 

Parent Advisory Group Meeting

Our Term 2 Parent Advisory Group Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 26th May commencing at 6pm. We welcome our regular committee members and invite new members to join. We will be holding this meeting both face to face and via Zoom. Please send an email to info@mmcwakeley.catholic.edu.au to register your attendance and receive the Zoom code.

From the Assistant Principal – Mrs Harding

My thoughts about Mary Mackillop as a newcomer….

I have been involved in a variety of schools over my many years of teaching and you generally get a real feel for a place as soon as you walk in the front gate. Immediately upon entering Mary MacKillop Catholic College there is a welcoming and hospitable atmosphere from both staff and students. Students have assisted me to find a classroom, playground or my way around the school. They have offered help in a polite and respectful manner, which is impressive. Assistance from the staff was also common practice in my first couple of days at Mary MacKillop. There is a warmth to the place. This can be seen directly through the relationships between staff and students. There is care and concern not only for academic achievement but more importantly the social, religious and emotional development of the students. Students are encouraged to give 100% effort and work hard to achieve their personal best. I feel privileged to be joining the Mary MacKillop community and look forward to working with our students and families.

Welcome to Term 2.  Students returned looking rested and refreshed for the next ten weeks of learning.

 

Uniform

I appreciate the efforts of parents and carers in ensuring students 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.

The following expectations apply until Friday 7 May: 

• Students can continue to wear the full Summer Uniform that includes the Blazer as an optional item and no stockings.  (The jumper cannot be worn with this uniform, including at school).
• Students can choose to wear 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).

It is important to note that students cannot combine aspects of the Summer and Winter uniform. For example, you cannot wear the jumper if you have chosen to wear the Summer Uniform. In general, if students are not wearing stockings they are not wearing the jumper because they have then chosen to wear the Summer Uniform.

 

From Monday 10 May all students must wear Winter Uniform

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 (I believe baby oil will assist with this). 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.

Important Dates for Term 2

• Friday 30 April – Year 7 Vaccinations; Staff Flu Vaccinations
• Wednesday 5 May – Mother’s Day Mass/Liturgy 9.30am in Chapel followed by Morning Tea in the Tenison Building
• Monday 17 May – Friday 21 May – NAPLAN Online Testing Window
• Friday 21 May – Irene McCormack Day
• Monday 24 May – Our Lady Help of Christians National Mass
• Tuesday 25 May – Years 11 and 12 (Stage 6) – Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews (4.00pm – 8.30pm)
• Wednesday 26 May – Parent Advisory Group Meeting (6.00pm)
• Thursday 27 May – Friday 28 May – Year 10 Camp
• Tuesday 1 June – Year 10 Vaccinations
• Thursday 3 June – Friday 4 June – Year 12 Retreat
• Monday 14 June – Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday
• Wednesday 16 June – Year 11 2022 Subject Information Expo (5.30pm – 7.00pm) and Information Evening (7.00pm – 8.00pm)
• Monday 21 June – World Music Day
• Friday 25 June – Last Day of Classes (TBC)

 

Catholic Life @ MMCC

During Project Compassion 2021 students were called to live out the words of St Oscar Romero, “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Through almsgiving students at MMCC were able to support Caritas Australia and show that as a community we can ‘be more’ by standing in solidarity with millions of people around the world. The MMCC community contributed over $3500 toward Project Compassion to allow Caritas to continue their ongoing work for the vulnerable in the world. The MMCC community answered Jesus invite to “be a light in the world, a light to others” and work together to overcome injustices that exist within society.

 

Lenten – Faith Formation

Year 8

Guided by Miss Ayoub and Mrs Rakecki, Year 8 looked at the Bread of Life. Through looking at the qualities of bread Year 8 were encouraged to be nourished by God during lent through prayer and the sacraments, so that you may share this source of nourishment with others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 9

Guided by Mr Sacca, Year 9s Lenten faith journey helped them to explore the Theme of Water. Students came to understanding that Jesus is the living water, that satisfies and is offered for all who have faith (Ps. 63:1), “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 10

Guided by Mrs Flanagan, Year 10 Lenten faith journey explored how students can be a light to others. Students came to understand that Jesus, as the light of the world, can lead one to a life of holiness and blessings, culminating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer & Liturgical Life @ MMCC

Each week students at MMCC have the opportunity to nourish their faith life through engaging in prayer and the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Students are welcomed attend the following each week in the Chapel:

• Mass – Tuesday, 8:10am
• Divine Mercy Chaplet – Wednesday, 8:30am
• Facetime (quiet prayer) – Wednesday, Lunch 1
• Rosary – Friday 8:30am

 

Regina Coeli

During the Easter Season students at MMCC will be praying the Regina Coeli at midday, in place of the Angelus, each Day.

The Regina Coeli is a Marian prayer synonymous with the Easter Season. This prayer dates back to the sixth century, when Pope St Gregory was leading a procession through Rome, carrying an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reportedly created by St Luke. The procession, imploring relief from the Plague that was afflicting Europe, ended with Pope St Gregory seeing a vision of an Angel atop Castel Sant’Angelo,  singing the first three lines of what is now the Regina Coeli Prayer. History tells us that Pope St Gregory replied with the fourth line, completing the prayer. This also signalled the end of the Justinian Plague.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JJAMM Experience 2021

St Joseph’s conference Centre, Kincumber

 

Caitlyn’s Reflection This JJAMM retreat was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am extremely grateful that I was able to experience it. I was fortunate enough to be accompanied by Tracie Duong, Justice Portfolio Captain, who looked after me throughout the journey. During the retreat, there were so many activities that opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of what I could do for my school, and what our team could bring. I realised that being a leader isn’t about what i could do by myself, but about how i could use the people around me to assist in making my school a better place. We also had night activities involving the showcasing of our gifts, talents and beliefs through dance, jingles, talent shows and protests. Personally, all these little activities composed a better mindset and a better attitude towards leadership. Additionally, I can wholeheartedly say I have never met a better group of people who mesh so well together. The group of 20 or so people grew close within the span of a day and to the relationships that flourished truly inspired and amazed me. Seeing all their gifts and talents, how different yet how similar we could be despite being from different schools and backgrounds was truly magnificent. Upon arriving at the retreat, i was almost certain i would leave the same way i arrived, with no open mindset and just as myself. I felt pressured to accept this retreat offer as a Vice Captain. However, I left with a completely new mindset and a group of amazing friends. Sister Jan, Karen and Nick gave us a lot of time to reflect as people and as leaders. They taught us how to lead as leaders, and not as a boss. I would like to express my gratitude to: Mrs Pussich; for allowing me this opportunity, Sister Jan, Karen, Nick and Sister Ellen; for taking such good care of us during our time there, Tracie Duong; for her constant support and sisterhood, and Mrs Flanagan for accompanying us and organising the whole trip.

Tracie’s Reflection JJAMM has been a life-changing experience for me. As a timid person I was not one to approach people, but in a place where there were so many like minded people, I was easily able to break out of my shell and make lifelong friends. A notable event was listening to Guest speakers such as Sister Susan Conelly (a Sister of St Joseph’s) who has been advocating for government transparency, especially in the area of the Timor-Leste incident. Hearing such enduring stories has led me to realise my true passion in seeking justice. It was this retreat that has made me appreciate and understand Mary MacKillop’s words of “Never see a need without doing something about it.” Finally, I can not stress enough the importance of learning about social justice initiatives. For the students reading this, the biggest lesson I’ve learnt during this experience is that it’s not about breaking a limb to do something alone, but it’s about lifting your chin up and working with others to achieve the impossible. For as Father Julian Tennison Woods had taught, “Whether we search in earth, or sky, or sea, we are everywhere met by the visions of the illimitable.“

The Whiz-zards of Wakeley

 

On Thursday 22 April, Newman students from Years 7 – 10 were fortunate enough to have Jan Robinson and Bernadette Bentley from Sydney Catholic Schools come in to deliver a workshop about Giftedness and Perfectionism. The workshop was a safe and comfortable environment which permitted students to realise that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them, bounce back and continue to strive for our personal best rather than perfection.

During the workshop, students were taught about healthy and unhealthy perfectionist behaviours through engaging stories and activities, as well as how to become a healthy perfectionist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the session students:

• Listened to realistic and eye-opening stories that changed our view on perfectionism and how it manifested a parent’s perspective on their child’s failures
• Engaged in discussions on the shocking behaviours of perfectionists
• Experienced a range of activities that highlighted perfectionism in everyone’s lives
• Learned about what type of perfectionism to avoid in order to achieve excellence 

We hope to implement the lessons taught during this workshop into our mindset and our everyday lives. We as Newman students, hope to become more resilient and to achieve excellence and our personal best in all that we set out to do rather than focusing on achieving perfectionism.

Daniella Louis and Emily Bathis, Year 10 Newman Students

SCC Representative Sport: Term 1

The Junior Volleyball team were successful in their attempt to win the 2021 SCC Junior Volleyball championship with an impressive 2-0 victory against Holy Spirit. Congratulations to all students involved in the team and Ms Martino who coached the team.

 

 

The Intermediate Volleyball team have narrowly lost their final against Marist College Penshurst, going down 2-1. Congratulations to Mr Nguyen and the intermediate team on reaching the final and for having a fantastic season.

 

 

Congratulations to our Year 7 NRL OzTag team who competed in the 2021 PCYC Super Cup in Cabramatta. The team, which consisted of students from Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield and Mary MacKillop Catholic College won two out of three games including a victory against Westfield Sports High School.

 

Year 7 Geography Blue Mountains Excursion

On Friday 23rd April, an exhilarating excursion was led by teachers for the Year 7 Geography students from 7A, 7M and 7N.  We headed off to the Blue Mountains, Katoomba and saw the Three Sisters close up. We also sighted art  sculptures, relics of the coal mines of many years ago and observed the complex rocky formations found all around the Scenic World boardwalk, deep in the temperate forest.

Year 7 students also got to experience the fun of two Scenic World rides – the Scenic Railway and the Scenic Cableway. The Scenic Railway was a little cart, with windows all around, which travelled down a steep, rocky track. All that could be heard were the screams and squeals of excitement from terrified students. The Scenic Cableway, in contrast, was a much calmer encounter. We were able to watch as the spacious cart slowly travelled up the cable, spotting fascinating views of the famous three sisters. After lunch, we stopped by the famous Echo Point Lookout and it was a perfect day to see the views of the entire mountain range.

The Year 7 Geography classes and their teachers had a memorable experience and a fun time together on this unforgettable trip. We thank our College for this wonderful learning opportunity.

Odelia Salim, Noor Kaki and Mary Tawadros

 

Year 12 Food Technology Easter Show Excursion

On Thursday 1st April, Year 12 Food Technology visited the Royal Easter Show, with Mrs Webster and Miss Brown. You could say that our class was very happy with this outcome and surprised that it wasn’t an April Fools joke!  We started the day at the Woolworths Pavilion which showed us all the different agricultural districts and farming practices that provide us with a lot of our food products. Next stop was a tour led by Woolworths staff that looked into environmentally sustainable practices currently employed to limit food wastage from paddock to plate. For example, “The Odd Bunch” campaign, whereby Woolworths sell imperfectly shaped food products, such as apples or carrots, that do not meet retail specifications at a lower retail price. We had the opportunity to try produce from both categories and were challenged to identify which was the perceived inferior product.

After the tour, we explored (and taste tested) some of the Easter Show’s new top 10 show foods including Biscoff Waffles on a stick, Pizza Burgers, Vegan/Gluten/Dairy-free Dole Whip and Milo Macarons. By talking to the vendors we were able to appreciate the food product development steps required in developing a new food product and also understand marketing strategies employed to advertise these products. We also visited the V2 stand and learnt about the emerging technologies involved in making more meat for the growing population without farming more animals. After watching the live cooking demonstration, we were able to try the new V2 plant based meatballs and look at the recipe development.

At one point, our class delved into the agricultural side of the Australian Food Industry as we completed the Animal Walk. We were able to see a variety of animals including the sheep which we had the opportunity to feed! I’m pretty sure Ms Webster can agree that our class are experts in this field! To end off the already captivating day, we were able to purchase showbags to fulfil the traditional visit to the Easter Show and learn so much about the Australian Food Industry.

Than you to our teachers and the College for this unique learning experience.

Mariam Elisha (Year 12 Food Technology)

 

Dangers of Vaping Information Evening