From the Principal – Ms Pussich

As we enter this 200 Years of Catholic Education,
it is a timely reminder for us
that the concept of Creator Spirit has been a part of First Nations Peoples,
who have walked upon and cared
for these lands, seas and waterways for many thousands of years. 

We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and
relationship of First Nations Peoples to this place and
commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation. 

We pray and give thanks for these ancient peoples
who have enriched and sustained our continent over all that time. 

We praise God for the people who nurtured the lands, seas and waterways
here in the place that we call home

200 Years of Catholic Education

As you are aware, this year we celebrate 200 years of Catholic education in Australian. As a Catholic school, established within the Josephite Tradition, we marked this milestone with a liturgy on Friday 21 May. We chose this day, firstly because of its proximity to the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians (24 May), secondly because of the significant impact St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the founder of the Josephites, had on Catholic education in Australia, and thirdly because it was the 30th anniversary of a prominent Josephite, Sr Irene McCormack who worked in Catholic education for 25 years as a teacher.

As part of the 200 Years of Catholic Education celebrations a Sydney Catholic Schools’ version of Fr Rob Galea’s Faith in the Future was produced. A small group of MMCC students are in the video. You can view it at: https://youtu.be/It9Lju9iN6U

200th Anniversary of Catholic Education in Australia, St Mary’s Cathedral, NSW. Photos by Giovanni Portelli/Sydney Catholic Schools

On Monday 24 May, Caitlyn Chung, Chantelle Allam, Lynn Awad, Niza De Araujo and Marla Gilyana accompanied me to the National Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral to celebrate the 200 Years of Catholic Education. The National Mass was presided by His Eminence, Archbishop Anthony Fisher and attracted special guests including Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, Governor of NSW, and many significant past and present leaders of Catholic Education. In recognition of this milestone, it began with a video message from Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, and was televised nationally.  It was fitting that this Mass should bring students from both primary and secondary schools together on the feast day of Mary Help of Christians, patroness of Australia.

Debating

Debating is a great opportunity for our students to enhance their public speaking skills, create a sound argument and develop confidence. Students from Year 7 to senior years are currently involved in the CSDA Debating Competition, where they compete against other Catholic schools, including Patrician Brothers Fairfield, Cerdon College Merrylands and Lasalle Bankstown. In addition to this, students learn public speaking skills through Speech Craft offered on Thursday afternoons and in class. We are hoping to have a House Debating Competition as well as a Staff versus Teacher Debating Challenge commencing soon.

Thank you to the students who make up our Debating Squad and those who help out with time keeping and catering for our Home debates. A special thank you to Mrs Pedavoli – Debating Coordinator, coach and adjudicator, Mr Thomas – coach and adjudicator, Mrs Arairo – coach, Miss Ayoub – coach, Mr Zia – adjudicator and Miss Summer Rosewall (ex-student) – adjudicator.

Open Evening

On the evening of 25th May, we welcomed prospective students and their parents for tours of our College. They were very impressed with the range and design of our facilities, the cleanliness of the College and the beautifully maintained outdoor areas. They were also impressed by our Year 10 students Mary Anoya, Natalia Sheebo, Emily Bathis, Kardinia Batti, Josette Grima and Tina Nguyen who accompanied Mrs Harding and me as we took them on their tour.

The Clancy Prize

On Friday 28th May, it was an honour to attend an amazing showcase of artworks created by students in the Archdiocese of Sydney. This year, the religious art exhibition focused on Celebrating 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia. MMCC entered three artworks and received awards for two.

Well done to our students and their teachers.

Congratulations to Damyana Moma (Year 12), who won the ACU School of Arts and Sciences Award for her artwork, The Spirit of Joy. Her painting, created in the Renaissance and old master’s style, shows Mary MacKillop who is a great example of a good shepherd and true teacher.

Congratulations to our Year 8 students for their collaborative artwork, This Is Who We Are”, which won the ACU School of Education Award. The 200 figures represent 200 Years of Catholic Education in a design similar to the idea of artist Antony Gormley

Our students from the Catholic Intensive English Centre also painted Mary MacKillop who our College is named after. The inclusion of a variety of flags demonstrates that MMCC welcomes students from different backgrounds who all share Catholic faith and values.

NESA News – Everyday Maths Hub

From NESA:

The evidence shows that when parents and carers engage with schools on mathematics and numeracy, students’ engagement with and attitude toward maths is enhanced.

The Everyday Maths Hub has been designed to support families to:

• develop and support positive attitudes towards mathematics and numeracy at home
• empower their children to think critically and creatively
• find and solve problems
• notice and wonder about the mathematics in the world around them.

You can visit the Everyday Maths Hub @ https://education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/learning/maths/the-everyday-maths-hub

Parent Advisory Group Meeting

The Parent Advisory Group met last Wednesday 26 May. We shared information about the 10:10 Project,HSC improvement strategies, the Mathematical Expertise and Excellence Project, the MyStrengths Program, the Intensive Learning Support Program, our focus on Collaboration, JJAMM Week, a new option to the uniform – the College Bag on wheels, and the Bathroom upgrade. We discussed some issues regarding homework, Compass, student leadership and blazers.

Thank you to the parents who attended: Eptessam Mekho (mother of Mariam Elisha, Year 12), Meagan O’Grady (mother of Erin, Year 12 & Hannah, Year 8), Jenny Williams (mother of Abigail, Year 9), Annette Silva (mother of Cerise, Year 7), Sana Yonan (mother of Isabella Omar, Year 9), Anas Kahak and Manar Al-Qrew (parents of Kermeena, Year 7). Thank you also to Mrs Harding.

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey

We would like to invite parents and carers to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. So far only a small number of parents have completed the survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. 

The parent survey is open for you to provide feedback and will close on Friday 18 June. Your responses are anonymous. You can access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL: http://tellthemfromme.com/5b44b The survey is available in multiple languages.

SCS Family Forum: Part of Something Bigger

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews

On Tuesday 25 May, we held Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews for Year 11 and 12. This is an important opportunity for us to reflect together on each student’s learning and plan forward. Thank you to the many parents and students who took the time to attend the Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews.

From the Assistant Principal – Mrs Harding

Reconciliation Week – 27 May – 3 June 2021

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

27 May 1967: On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the Census.

3 June 1992: On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.

As a College community we recognise that Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of us all. Throughout this week, as a College we have reflected on the true meaning of “Reconciliation”.

St Joseph Trade Skills Centre

Student Attendance

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.

From Monday 6 June, if your daughter is absent, an explanation needs to be added by the parent onto the compass portal.

If your daughter is sick with ​any​ cold or flu-like symptoms?

• It is imperative that ​any student​ with ​any​ cold or flu-like symptoms: sniffle, scratchy throat, etc, stay at home and is required to get a COVID test and submit the results to the College

• Any student who is unwell at school will be ​isolated​ in the school sick bay until they can be collected by a parent or carer.

Thank you for your continued support of the College,

St Joseph Trade Skills Centre Invitation

Around the Grounds

Religious Education News – Mrs Flanagan

Australian Catholics Young Voices Awards

Year 8 and 9 Newman classes have submitted entries for this year’s Young Voices Awards, run by Australian Catholics. The Australian Catholics Young Voices Awards is an opportunity for Mary MacKillop Catholic College students to have a voice. Drawn from their ability to dream of a better world, and the passion to inspire change, Year 8 and 9 Newman Students have undertaken research to develop responses in order to make a difference in the world.

Below is a poem created by Fuatino Luamanuvea, Natasha Del Rio, Rita Jebo and Sophie Nguyen from Year 9.

Marginalisation in Australia
What is happening in our country?
Do you even care?
Well let me educate you!
So you can be aware!
The indigenous in our country are currently being violated
Basic human rights, decent treatment are totally not protected!
97% experiencing racism,
Is this what you want for our country’s first inhabitants?
So what can you do,
To put this to a stop?
Well first of all,
Watch out for the way you talk!
Educate yourself,
Then the ones around you
Being inclusive and understanding,
Is all you need to do!
1 Corinthians 12:12: “We are one body, with many members”
Is what we need to think about, keep in mind and remember
Including our indigenous, to learn about their gifts,
Which can help us to understand, what being human really is.
With our gifts brought together,
We can be united as one.
Working towards an inclusive future,
Where discrimination is done.

Y-Factor (Annual Archdiocesan Youth Camp at Benedict XVI Retreat Centre) on 5th – 8th July:

This is a great opportunity open to ALL STUDENTS (Years 7-12) where you can participate in prayer, games, activities, talks and discussion. It is a fantastic opportunity to grow in your faith and relationship with God.

A reminder that this is organised by Sydney Catholic Youth, and is NOT a School Excursion. You will need parental consent to attend this Event.

Please see the posters and Mr Samuel for further details.

Our Lady of the Rosary Event – Fatima

Letter from the Archbishop of Sydney – Pentecost

Sport Update – Mr Carosi

St Gertrude’s Athletics Carnival

St Gertrude’s Catholic Primary School held their annual Athletics Carnival on Thursday 20th May at Makepeace Oval in Fairfield.  A group of twenty Year 10 students who are currently studying Physical Activity and Sport Studies attended the carnival and helped coordinate various events such as high jump, shot put and discus.

It was a fantastic community day that was thoroughly enjoyed by both staff and students. Thank you to our Year 10 PASS students and Miss Phetrasi who accompanied them.

2021 Athletics Carnival

The College Athletics Carnival is fast approaching and will be held at Rosford Street Reserve on Wednesday 23rd June. A friendly reminder to all parents to complete the “consent” form on your Compass portal for the event. Completing this online form reduces paper usage and is a quick and easy way for parents to give their permission.

If you have any difficulty in accessing Compass or completing the consent form, please contact Ms Labbozzetta on 9725 4322 or via email at grace.labbozzetta@syd.catholic.edu.au.

PDHPE Update – Mr Carosi

Year 11 PDHPE

The Year 11 PDHPE class, led by Ms Genovese, have been busy learning about the skeletal system as part of “The Body in Motion” unit. Last week they took part in a practical task where they were required to label a cow’s bone. Congratulations to all girls, who did a fantastic job in identifying the key parts of each bone. We are looking forward to the next practical task which will be dissecting the heart of a cow to learn about the circulatory system.

How To Revise for a Maths Exam – Mr O’Brien

The Archibull Prize Competition

Mary MacKillop Catholic College has been selected to compete in the Archibull Prize Competition. This is an initiative by ‘Picture You in Agriculture’ to encourage young people to develop their knowledge of the agricultural industry and the wide array of jobs within the industry.

Sixteen girls in Years 7 – 10 from the Newman Selective Gifted Education Program are meeting each week to discuss our ideas and develop an initiative to highlight the importance of the agricultural industry. Based on our initiative and research, we will design an art installation incorporating a life-size fibreglass bull – which in our case is actually a cow. We will also have the opportunity to meet with a Young Farming Champion from rural Australia to learn more about how they have explored opportunities and found success through agriculture.

So far in the Archibull Prize, we have selected our Sustainable Development Goal to focus on, Gender Equity, and brainstormed ideas about Gender Equity and the agricultural industry. We have developed our preliminary research ideas for the school to take part in, including surveys for all the Newman Classes. We have delved into gender stereotypes, lack of female representation, lack of awareness and initiatives already available for women.

Our next steps are to analyse the data from the surveys and begin our formal proposal for an initiative at school for all to participate in. We look forward in sharing our journey with you.

Bianca Coates, Emily Lu and Cerise Silva

Study Skills Handbook

Multi-tasking – myth or reality?

Ask any student and they will tell you they can multi-task with ease. Do homework, watch TV, listen to music and check their phone all at the same time, no problem. Ask the academic researchers though and a different story emerges.

Dr Larry Rosen, Professor of Psychology at California State University, explains that what is actually occurring in this ‘multi-tasking’ is ‘task switching’. Instead of doing two things at once, students are actually switching their focus from one task to another and back again, in a parallel fashion, at high speed, resulting in them staying on task for an average of only 65% of the time period and for a maximum of only 3-5 minutes at a time. Constant task-switching results in it taking much longer to complete the individual tasks not just due to the interruptions, but also because there are delays as the brain switches between tasks and refocuses.  This brief bottleneck in the prefrontal cortex delays the start of the next task and the more intense the distraction, the longer it will take the brain to react.

A study conducted by Dr Rosen’s team sent varying numbers of text messages to students in a lecture and then tested the students on the content of the lecture. The results were surprising, it was not the number of interruptions that negatively impacted results, it was the time taken by the students to react to the interruptions. Students who responded immediately performed worst on the tests. Those who considered when to check the message and respond (i.e. in a part of a lecture they deemed less relevant) performed significantly better.

What we can learn from this is that students need to become more aware of their ‘task-switching’ and make conscious decisions as to when they choose to shift their focus – instead of being enslaved by their technology and at its constant beck and call. We need to teach students that this constant mental task shifting (even thinking about the technology has the same effect as actually checking the technology) takes oxygen and brain activity away from what they are learning. We need to convince our students that it is ok and even necessary to wait, that they don’t have to respond immediately and do have the ability to delay their check-in with the cyber world. It is all about learning that we can control our selective attention and choose to ignore distractions.

We need to train the brain to stop thinking constantly about technology. However, resistance for too long can create anxiety and a fear of missing out, creating ‘continuous partial attention’ in students as oxygen is diverted to activate and maintain thoughts about social media at the expense of classroom material.

Dr Rosen’s team has determined the best approach for students who find it difficult to pull back from their technology devices is to set an alarm on their phone for short regular ‘tech breaks’. They may start with 15 minutes and gradually increase this amount over time to around 30 minutes. The phone will be face down on their desk on silent mode or off, and when the alarm rings they let themselves check messages and status updates for a minute or two, then set the alarm again. Dr Rosen’s studies found that knowing they can check in 15 minutes creates less anxiety, whereas depriving them of the phone completely did not stop them thinking or obsessing about possible e-communications which took away from their ability to focus fully on their homework. It all comes back to teaching the concept of focus.

Finally, Dr Rosen argues that we cannot simply remove technology and other distractions; they are too intricately woven into students’ daily lives. Instead students should learn metacognitive skills to help them understand when and how to switch their attention between multiple tasks or technologies.

Visit the Dealing with Distractions unit at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au to learn more about managing your distractions and tools and Apps that can help.

Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au  – our school’s access details are:

Username: mmcwakeley

Password: 16success

Tell Them from Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning Survey

Career Pathways and Employment Information Free Morning Tea