Term 3, Week 8, 8 September

Upcoming Events

Principal's Update

Father’s Day

I hope all our dads had a wonderful day last Sunday. I know chatting to students just how important dads are in our teenagers’ lives. Although they may not show it they most certainly value the time and conversations with their Dads. 

My husband and I were able to head north for the Father’s Day weekend and have a lovely weekend away in Kingscliff. This also meant we were able to spend Sunday with our 20 year old who took the day off work to drive down from the Gold Coast to spend the day with her Dad. Whilst she and I were trying on some clothes in a boutique (I know, we shouldn’t have made him sit out the front of a clothing shop for 40 minutes), the shop assistant asked her “What do you love most about your dad” to which she replied, “he’s gentle and he is always supportive of and there for me.” 

Just last week I met with a MacKillop Dad who asked me how he can do more to support his son. My reply was simple; “Be present, go for drives or walks or rides or anything where there is movement and eyes are on the road (not the teenager), find a common interest or even just have one-on-one time over lunch/dinner or a milkshake. Remind them what is right and what is important, as sometimes their peers and the world of social media don’t always give them the right advice.”

To all our MacKillop dads, thank you for your love and support of your children. 

Prayer for Fathers

Heavenly Father, you give us a model of fatherhood in St. Joseph, who protected and loved Mary and Jesus. He responded quickly and faithfully to your promptings.

We give you thanks for our fathers and for the protection and love they give to us. Grant them the same courage and perseverance you gave to St. Joseph when he faced adversity and uncertainty. Like him, may they live with humility and faithfulness, and be a source of joy and a pillar of strength for their families.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

YEAR 12 CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE

Wednesday 20 September sees the final days of 13 years of schooling for our Class of 2023. Below is the invitation to parents, carers, and grandparents for the Graduation Mass, morning tea and Celebration of Excellence assembly. All members of the MacKillop community are welcome to attend these events. 

All Year 7-11 students will participate in the Guard of Honour and Celebration of Excellence assembly and therefore need to be in full formal uniform for this day. 

TOURNAMENT OF MINDS (TOM) BEST WISHES

Best wishes to our 21 students heading off to UNSW this Sunday to compete in the State Finals of TOM. To have three out of four teams win their respective divisions at the Regional Finals was outstanding. A big thank you to Mandy Palin, the College Enrichment Coordinator, and to Chris Gridley, Richard and Sally McGrath who are supporting the students. 

Be an UPSTANDER, not a Bystander

Sadly there have been a couple of incidents at the College in the past few weeks where students who have made poor choices and behaved in a manner inconsistent with our College and families' values have not been honest about their behaviour. Whilst other students have not been involved in the poor behaviour or mistreatment of peers, they have been aware of the incidents, and who was involved. 

Whilst I know most people don’t want to be involved when wrong is done, it is important for us all to know that we have a responsibility to our communities to not turn a blind eye or to accept poor behaviour. I ask parents to have conversations with their young people about the importance of integrity and honesty, sticking up for who/what is right, even as a bystander. Students' or parents’ information is always treated with confidentiality. 

Support your teen to foster growth and resilience

All parents of tweens and teens in our Catholic schools are encouraged to attend our upcoming parent presentation hosted by an inspiring speaker and youth worker from Melbourne, Nathan Want. We hope to have at least 50 parents attend this event but currently only have 6 registered. Nathan has recently presented in both Ballina and Tweed Heads and parents found his presentation very valuable. If you are keen to learn strategies that will help you to support your young person's resilience, please register now via the attached flyer.

Cath Eichmann
Principal

Assistant Principal - Mission

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Two weeks ago the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference released its Social Justice Statement for 2023-2024. It directly addresses the upcoming ‘The Voice’ Referendum. If you feel the need to be better informed, the following three links will be helpful.

2023-24 Social Justice Statement - Listen Learn Love.pdf

ACBC Social Justice Statement 2023-2024 site

NATSICC resource for The Voice

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Over the past four weeks students have been nominated and elected to the Student Representative Council (SRC) for 2023-2024. We are blessed to have so many worthy leaders in each Year group.

The SRC comprises the following positions

Year 12

Two Captains

Two Vice Captains

Four SRC House Captains

Four SRC members

Year 11

Four SRC members

Year 10

Four SRC House Captains

Four SRC members

Year 9

Four SRC members

Year 8

Four SRC members

Captains and Vice Captains will be announced during a Ceremony of Light during the Year 12 Celebration of Excellence in Week 10. This year’s Captains will symbolically pass on the light of Christ to the incoming Captains.

A commissioning ceremony will be conducted during the whole school assembly in the first week of Term 4. Students will then participate in a planning day during week 3 of term 4.

ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER EDUCATION

First Nations Bedtime Stories is an annual week of storytelling by Common Ground. It brings First Nations Knowledge and stories into homes and classrooms around Australia. Common Ground is a First Nations not-for-profit working to shape a society that centers First Nations people by amplifying knowledge, cultures, and stories.

Stories have played a central role in First Nations cultures since time immemorial. They are the foundations of First Nations ways of thinking, being, and knowing. They carry knowledge and law and teach us how to care for our country.

First Nations Bedtime Stories are a series of five short stories from the Dreamtime. A new set of five stories is created each year. In the coming week, our First Nations students will have the opportunity to view one of these stories each lunchtime (lunch 2) in room 36.

The stories are available free to any organisation, family, or individual wishing to view them.

For more information and to sign up in 2023, please follow this link.

Peter Murphy
Assitant Principal - Mission

Evangelisation

Festa Christi 

For the first week of August Year 8 Students were offered the opportunity to step out in courage to "Walk in someone else's shoes". The boys and girls enjoyed their individual retreats. Their lived experiences speak volumes. 

“My Festa Christi experience:

I had an amazing time attending Festa Christi and would definitely do it again. The faith opportunities allowed me to reflect and learn about my beliefs whilst surrounded by new and old friends. The outdoor activities were both challenging but rewarding and very very fun. I had an absolutely incredible time at Festa Christi and could not recommend it enough.

Thank you”  - Jesse Taylor

Wellbeing

Vaping: Protecting Our Children and Strategies for Parents

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has reported that youth vaping is on the rise. In 2021, 17.6% of 16-17 year olds reported trying e-cigarettes, an increase from 12.2% in 2017. Fears are that this number has continued to rise in the past 12 months.

This trend poses significant risks to young people's health and wellbeing. As responsible parents, the best plan of attack to protect our children is to be informed of the dangers, understand how these devices are accessed, and to be equipped with strategies to protect our children.

Reported risks associated with vaping include respiratory problems, seizures, nicotine addiction, and long-term brain developmental issues in teenagers. Additionally, vaping does serve as a gateway to cigarette smoking and other drugs such as marijuana.

As parents, there are several strategies we can implement to protect our children from the dangers of vaping:

Open communication - Maintain open and non-judgemental communication with your child. Encourage them to ask questions and express any concerns they may have about vaping. Create an environment where they feel comfortable to discuss peer pressure issues

Educate and Inform - share accurate information about the dangers of vaping, Sources such as the Cancer Council Australia and the Australian Government Quitline have useful resources

www.cancer.org.au

www.quitline.gov.au

Lead by Example - be a role model of healthy behaviors. Actions speak louder than words and will have a powerful impact on your child’s decision-making

Monitor and Supervise - keep in touch with your child’s activities and social interactions both online and offline. Monitor their social media activity as this is a strong avenue for access and exposure to vaping products and suppliers

Encourage Healthy Coping Mechanisms - Teach the importance of healthy habits. Encourage healthy sleep patterns, healthy eating, creating positive friendships, and their involvement in sports and extracurricular activities

Seek Professional Help - If you suspect your child is vaping, don’t be embarrassed or downplay the seriousness of the issue, seek professional help from a healthcare provider or a counselor specializing in adolescent addiction.

Both parents and educators have a collective responsibility to protect our children from the harmful effects of vaping. Empower them to make informed decisions about their health. MacKillop College is here to support and should you require assistance or resources in this area, please do not hesitate to make contact.

Warren Lorger
Leader of Wellbeing - Behaviour Support

NSW School Vaccinations

Vaccination Day is Monday 16 October 2023 for all students - YEARS 7 & 10

1. Gardasil (HPV) & Boostrix (dTpa) – Year 7s; including any catch-up/missed doses for students from Yr 8
2. Meningococcal ACWY – years 10s; including any catch-up/missed doses for students from Yr 10 & 11

If your child is in Year 10 this year, you can now provide online consent for their routine school vaccinations. In Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. 

How to provide consent:

1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations visit: https://nswhealth.service-now.com/school
2. Click the login with the ‘Service NSW Account’ button and log in using your Service NSW details. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a Service NSW account, refer to Service NSW to create one. 
3. Update or confirm your personal details in Service NSW as required. 
4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:  
   1. Enter your child’s personal details 
   2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child  
   3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
   4. Provide consent  

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school.

Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online. Translated guides are available in Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese.

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination.

Translated information about school vaccination is available in 27 languages, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx 

Attendance

Creative Arts Nest

Ignite Your Creativity at The Wednesday Nest - Creative Workshops 

Starting Next Term, Week 1, Term 4: Wednesday, October 11th 

Are you ready to unleash your inner artist, actor, musician, or filmmaker? The Creative Arts Nest proudly presents a fantastic lineup of Creative Workshops, and your opportunity to dive into the world of creativity is just around the corner!

Workshops Include: 

• Watercolour: Express yourself through the beauty of watercolors.

• Drama Improv: Explore your acting talents and quick thinking.

• Intro to Film & the Photographic Darkroom: Discover the magic of black and white photography.

• Group Vocal Lessons: Learn the fundamentals of singing and let your voice shine.

• Beginner Jazz Dance: Get moving and work on the fundamentals of dance.

• Beginner Ukulele: One of the easiest instruments to learn, and it is fun!

• Foundations of Makeup: Master the art of makeup.

• Short Films 101: Learn the art of storytelling through film.

• Surf, Skate & Create: Discover how to upcycle surf and skateboards.

These workshops are open to all MacKillop, Regional, and Newman College students. Plus, here's the exciting part – ANY student from ANY of the above schools can attend ANY workshop at ANY location! 

Starts: Week 1, Term 4: Wednesday, October 11th 

When: Every Wednesday from 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm (90 minutes per week).

Duration: Running for 8 weeks 

Experience Needed: No previous experience is required for any class.

Each workshop is led by a leading industry professional in their respective field, ensuring you receive top-notch guidance and inspiration.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to nurture your creativity and expand your horizons. Whether you're a budding artist, actor, musician, or filmmaker, there's a workshop just for you.

For more information and to register, visit our website at www.artsnest.com.au/nest-workshops/. 

Join us in igniting your creativity and making Term 4 truly exceptional!

Year 7

Congratulations to the following award winners this week;

Silver Principal Awards: Jasmine Anastas, Charlton Arrighi, Grace Ashton, Aaron Cotovich, Harry Creighton, Evie Hall, Indy Lorger, Alexander Madeley, Jake Riches, Zali Santos, Ruby Winters

Pastoral Coordinator’s Awards:  Samrina Adhikari, James Allen, Jasmine Anastas, Mira Arnold, Charlton Arrighi, Grace Ashton, Charlie Bryant, Georgie Carlton, Sonnie Chippendale, Emily Cook, Aaron Cotovich, Harry Creighton, Shuo Fang, Amy Fitzgerald, Indie Gardoll-Marjoribanks, Sienna Goldie, Maddyx Gray, Evie Hall, Mia Hodge, Wilson Huang, Siena King, Elijah Kyan, Astrid Livingston, Indy Lorger, Alexander Madeley, Abby Moloney, Digby Pearce, Livia Pelley, Nathaniel Pohlmann, Maya Pryce-Boylan, Jake Riches, Addison Rolfe, Tobias Rowlatt, Fallon Ryan, Zali Santos, Tilly Sinclair, Nickson Vatalidis, Isabella White, Ruby Winters

Adam O'Brien
Leader of Pastoral Care - Year 7

Year 8

Year 8 Mass and Catch the Wave Day

Today Year 8 had the opportunity to come together to celebrate a liturgy focused on our theme for 2023 - find happiness in making others happy.  

During our prayer service and Catch the Wave Day, students were invited to think about how they have grown as individuals and built relationships with those around us over the course of this year. It was a time to reflect on how our actions can make a difference in the lives of others, and how they have made others happy in their day-to-day interactions. 

Students were encouraged to: be a friend who supports, advises, and stands by others, just as they would hope others would do for them; embrace the love that Jesus has for them and share it with others, and let God’s love be the guiding force in their friendships and in their life.

The Catch the Wave Day operated as an introduction and invitation to the work of student discipleship. Young adults, working in our secondary colleges as Youth Ministry Officers, facilitated the sessions. They played games, gave personal testimonies of their faith journey, and spoke of the opportunities and commitments involved in joining a ministry-focused Religious Education class. The metaphor of catching a wave was used for students to consider where they are currently in terms of their own faith and where they might wish to be.

Thank you to all the student and teacher helpers that made the day so special.

Congratulations to the following award winners this week;

Silver Principal Awards: Jonathan Choi

Pastoral Coordinator’s Awards: Freya Briggs, Scarlet Brooke, Samuel Browne, James Bugler, Jonathan Choi, Hunter Clark, Toreno Crepaz, Grace Dahlenburg, Frieda Dudfield, Charlotte Fitzpatrick, Darcie Gleeson, Jesse Gluyas, Amarlie Gregory, Leah Hanson, Evie Hewens, Owen Hilkemeijer, Tallulah Jones, Rhys Kendal, Annabelle Kerr, Layley Lewis, Charley McGuigan, Maici O'Keefe, Ella Oliver, James Owen, Charlie Power, Nate Radford, Ava Ribot De Bressac, Hayley Rickard, Mylee Roach, Emily Ryan, Arthur Schmude, Charlotte Taylor, Jude Vasilescu, Nyah Villagran-Eichmann, Sebastian Wyllie

Nicole O'Connell
Leader of Pastoral Care - Year 8

Year 9

Congratulations to the following award winners this week;

Pastoral Coordinator’s Awards: Sam Ayton, Alexandra Bransdon, Oscar Conway, Meredith Davies, Suki Fraser, Harrison Gray, Charlee Lawlor, Cruz Lewis, Zeilei Lynn, Jackson Mayne, Xanthia Petrou, Bella Riches, Jack Ryan

Tom Salter
Leader of Pastoral Care - Year 9

Year 10

Congratulations to the following award winners this week;

Pastoral Coordinator’s Awards: Max Brockhouse, Emily Butt, Samantha Carlton, Charlotte Carr, Reuben Eichorn, Georgie Healey, Ava Hughes, Gabbi MacCullagh, Abigael Murfitt, Riley Pope

Daniel O'Dell
Leader of Pastoral Care - Year 10

Year 11

Year 11 end of  preliminary course exams start today. I know that many, many students have been working hard in preparation for these exams, and are giving themselves a wonderful platform on which to build their HSC course. My hope is that every person who has put in extra effort, extra study time, extra sacrifices is rewarded when the results come back. 

Good Luck Year 11.

Bruce Smith
Leader of Pastoral Care- Year 11

Year 12

Year 12 Graduation- Thursday, 9 November 6pm Start

The Year 12 Graduation will take place at Panthers Club on Thursday 9 November 2023. Families would have received an email last week with the instructions on how to purchase Graduation tickets. Each student has been allocated 3 tickets for the Celebration. Tickets will be available from today (Friday) to purchase. Families will be able to select a table number when purchasing tickets which will be made up of 12 or 18 people. Students are encouraged to discuss with their friends table arrangements prior to purchasing their tickets. 

Students will be required to start arriving at Panthers from 4:45pm for a 6pm start.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at the College if you have any questions regarding the Graduation.

Weeks 9 and 10 for Year 12

Week 9 will be the last week of formal classes for the Year 12 students. Activities will also take place during PC time each morning for the students. On Friday of Week 9 students may come to school in dress-up. The theme will be “What I want to be when I grow up!”. We will also have lunch together on Friday for the last time as a Year Group. Students are asked to bring a plate of food or drink to share for Lunch 1.

Week 10- Monday will involve the students putting their painted handprints and names on the wall of the tunnel as a memento of their time at Mackillop College. Classes will be held Periods 1 and 2, then the “The last roll call” during Period 3 in the PAC followed by PC lunches off-site. Each PC class has arranged their own venue for lunch which will require the students to drive to the venue. All students will need to let their PC students know how they are going to travel to the venue. Students are required to wear their formal school uniform to lunch. No alcohol will be allowed to be consumed during the lunch even if the student is 18 years old. Students will make their own way home after lunch.

Tuesday morning will involve a practice for the Celebration of Excellence and Graduation Mass in the College hall, then off to Stoney Aqua Park for the rest of the day.

Wednesday will be the final day for Year 12. An invitation for the day's celebrations has been emailed to all parents.

Tracey Bewicke
Leader of Pastoral Care- Year 12

Careers Corner

Up for a life changing challenge? Maybe this is for youThe Young Endeavour Program.See the link below to find out more.
https://youngendeavour.gov.au/

HSC TAS Timber Major Projects

Congratulations to the Year 12 Timber students who had their projects marked last week. 

Music News

MacKillop College Music News

“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”- Martin Luther

JUNIOR MUSIC RECITAL

Held on Thursday, 24 August, the annual Junior Instrumental Recital is a performance opportunity offered to students who engage in peripatetic lessons. Presenting on trumpet, flute, piano, saxophone, and percussion, the students demonstrated their skills and development on their respective instruments during the calendar year. The audience was entertained by repertoire mostly from Film and television music, with a mix of live accompaniment and backing tracks. Thanks to tutors Frank Rugers, Mark Spence, and Cara Stewart for their tutelage, and to Mr Denham for support and being Master of Ceremonies.

THE VOICE MACKILLOP: A Musical Theatre Song Contest

The Voice returns in 2023! The Voice MacKillop 2023 will take place on Thursday, 23 November in the college theatre. In this concert, the college choir and vocal ensemble will perform musical theatre repertoire from stage and film musicals. In addition, five competition finalists will sing their winning entries to a backing track in front of a live audience who will vote for a winner on the night! (A gold coin donation will be required for audience members to vote).

Students interested in taking part in the competition are to complete the linked entry form, submit their video performance, and provide a $10 entry fee to the office by Friday, 10 November. All details are provided on the linked entry form.

PC groups can enter the PC VIDEO competition by completing the linked entry form. This competition is separate from the main vocal competition with finalist videos being screened and voted for on the night.

All proceeds raised from entries and from the concert will be contributed to the college Mary MacKillop Fund.

If you have any further questions or concerns please contact Mr Denham.

Links & Forms

Music Ensemble Sign Up Form 2023

Music Ensemble Shirt Order Form 2023

Music Tuition Request Form 2023

Instrument Rental Agreement 2023

Co-curricular Music Google Classroom

Please contact Rob Denham with any questions relating to the co-curricular music program at MacKillop College.

Upcoming Events

HSC Music Examination

• Thursday 14 September - MacKillop College Theatre, throughout the day (8am - 3pm), Senior Percussion Ensemble and Vocal Ensemble

Youth and Family Mass

• Sunday 17 September - St Agnes Parish Church, 4:15pm - 6:15pm, Collective Praise band & Singers.

YEAR 12 GRADUATION MASS

• Wednesday 20 September - St Agnes Parish Church, Period 1, Year 11 Students

YEAR 12 CEREMONY OF EXCELLENCE

• Wednesday 20 September - St Agnes Parish Church, Lunch 1 through period 3, Selected drummers from the senior percussion ensemble and Choir

YEAR 9 MASS

• Week 3 - Wednesday, October 25, period 1, Collective Praise Band & Singers

ASSEMBLY PERFORMANCE

• (College Theatre) Week 5 - Wednesday, November 8, period 1, Pop Choir - The Voice Preview

THE VOICE - SONG CONTEST

• (College Theatre) Week 7 - Wednesday, November 22 (Tech Rehearsal - periods 3 and 4), Thursday, November 23 (6:00pm - 8:00pm).

SUMMER SESSIONS LUNCH CONCERTS

• (Junior Campus COLA & Senior Campus Lochinvar Courtyard) Week 8 - Friday, December 1, selected ensembles and HSC soloists.

Robert Denham
Leader of Co-Curricular Music

Sport Update

Year 7 & 8 Sport Term 3

Year 9 & 10 Sport Term 3

The pinnacle of Representative Sport

Our MacKillop students were in fine form the past week bringing home some ‘bling’ as one athlete referred to it otherwise known as a medal.

2023 Under 16 Australian National Championships – Silver Medal

Congratulations to Sam Blain (Year 11) who traveled to Perth last week to represent the NSW Under 16 Boys Basketball Team at the Under 16 Australian National Basketball Championships. Sam and his team had an extremely successful week starting with an 11-point win over SA on Sunday and a 100-point win over ACT on Monday.

The team had a day off and was treated to a tour of Optus Stadium. The team defeated QLD by 2 and played VIC in the semi-final with a point to make after going down by 6 in the round game. The team rallied with an impressive 60-point win in the semi to take them into the Grand Final. Unfortunately, the boys went down in the final against QLD 90-82 but not without a fight coming away with a National Silver Medal.

Sam, we are all extremely proud of your achievements. To represent NSW at 16 years of age is impressive and is very well deserved given your skill, dedication to training, and commitment to Basketball. You are a fine ambassador not only for your school, Diocese, and State but also for the sport of Basketball. Congratulations on a fine effort.

2023 Australian National Cross Country Championships – Gold Medal

Congratulations to Grace Morris who travelled to Canberra last week to compete at the 2023 Australian National Cross Country Championships. Grace ran really well on the National stage finishing 22 out of 89 runners in her division which is an outstanding result for Grace.

Grace also competed in the Teams Relay event where each runner ran a 1500m leg. Grace and her team finished first earning themselves a National Gold Medal.

Grace we are all very proud of your running success and look forward to seeing you perform in years to come.

Both Grace and Sam play multiple sports and are to be congratulated on their commitment, determination, and ability to balance school work and competing at such a high level. Well done Champions!!!

Diocesan Athletics

Last week 83 MacKillop students travelled to Coffs Harbour to compete at the Lismore Diocese Secondary Athletics Championships. It was one of the largest teams we have taken to the event in the past few years with many students giving it everything to compete well in their respective events throughout the day.

The students are to be commended on their willingness to support fellow MacKillop athletes and other competitors in the events they participated in.

Once again MacKillop was crowned Champion School with many great results (see below). Best wishes to the students who have taken up the opportunity to represent the Lismore Diocese at the NSWCCC Athletics Championships to be held at Homebush.

RESULTS

DIOCESAN ATHLETES

Knox Blake
Noah Pociask
Flynn Daly
Matilda Medlin
Ingrid Maher
Cara McIlroy
Elliot Worner
Grace Morris
Claire Pieran
Freycin Hostettler

NSWCCC Girls Football Finals Sydney

Our Junior Girls Soccer team was back on the road again last week travelling to Sydney to play in the NSWCCC Football Semi Final against Marist College Penshurst. When we arrived, we were fortunate enough to see the Young Matildas training which was great to see how our future stars of the game are being trained.

Unfortunately, Marist College started the game on fire and found the back of the net within the first minute. Our girls were very much overawed at the sheer speed, agility, and superior passing game of the opposition. We went into halftime down 7 nil.

While the girl's spirit was down we were able to regroup for the second half and focus on some positives in the second half with Meredith Davies making some great saves in goals. The MVP was awarded to both Ziva Balkin and Claire Morris for their positive attitude and always giving their best regardless of the score. Marist went on the play the final against Stella Maris College going down 3-0.

I am so proud of what the girls have achieved as a team this year. To finish in the Round of 16 in the Bill Turner State wide knockout competition and to finish in the top 4 of the NSWCCC competition is absolutely worth celebrating. Not to mention the constant need to reshuffle positions due to injuries throughout the past three terms. The girls have been so much fun to coach and I truly hope they stay together and keep kicking goals…go the Mack – ildas. Our Soccer future is in good hands with these talented young ladies.

Thank you to the parents who have supported the girl's journey and to Susie Coster and Peter Farrugia for assisting with the team.

Erin Denham - Coach

Netball NSW North Coast Regional Finals - Port Macquarie

9/10 Girls Team

Claire Pieren, Lily Dunshea, Makayla Mott, Emily Ryals, Emma Burge, Caitlin Davis, Kira Lewis, Evie Barnaby and Lane Jordan.

We started off the day really strong against SJPC Coffs Harbour, with a loss of just one point. Our next game was against SCAS and again a small loss of just 4 points!

Such a disappointing start for our girls, but we managed to keep it as close as we could.

We ended up coming third in our pool with a total overall placement of ⅝ teams!

I told my girls at the start of the day how much of a pleasure they are to coach! With keeping spirits high and a pre-game chant that I'm sure most of PMQ could hear! We ended our games with lots of laughs and fun to be had!

We get to do it all again in 2 days at the local Dio competition. MVP: Joint winner- Caitlin Davis- So strong and consistent all day. Lily Dunshea. I cannot count how many intercepts Lily made during our 5 games! Well done girls.

Amy Ryals - Coach

9/10 Boys Team

The Schools Cup competition is open to schools in all sectors and progression to the next level is limited only to the winner of these regional finals. A big thank you goes out to our umpires for the day. Molly Kirk, Emily Butt, Milly McGrath, and Lane Jordan. They not only did a great job but without them, our teams are unable to compete. 

The 9/10 boys had a tough day, realising after their first couple of games how hard their day was looking. To their credit though they maintained team spirit and continued to the end in a positive manner. All students represented the school with great sportsmanship and we are very proud of them. 

The boys in this team are Cooper Lorger (Captain), Tobias Toohey, Blake Romer, Blake Collins, Malachy Kelleher, Kaden Lawler, Matt Firkin, Jack Ryan, Cruz Lewis, and Lucas Scott. MVP: Matt Firkin.

Michelle Marino - Coach

Katrina Fanning Cup Northern Finals       

On Thursday 31st August, the U14 girl’s rugby league team travelled to Tamworth to compete in the next level of the Katrina Fanning Cup. The girls have now played in Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbor and won all 6 games leading into this competition.

Game 1 – Mackillop College played against St Cathtravelederine’s Singleton. This was a low-scoring game and Singleton scored first. London scored next close to the uprights with Lily converting creating a 6-4 lead. They were able to hold out with tight defense and they got their first win.

Game 2 – Mackillop versed Kyogle High School. The ladies showed their skills and forward strength with London, Evie, Shannon, and Riley making huge meters down the middle of the field. Four superb tries from Tilly, Darcy (a double!) and Evie. Lily converted all 4 tries, the final score was 24-4.

Game 3 – Mackillop had their final game against Oxley High School Tamworth. They needed a tie or a win to secure first place. London scored early to take the lead and Lily converted. Darcy was next to score with Lily converting successfully. At half-time, it was 12-0. The girls dug deep across the field in defense throughout the remaining 9 minutes. Oxley had a late surge however Darcy held strong in the fullback position. Darcy saved two tries and both times the ball carrier was carried out of the field.

Congratulations to all the girls on Winning the Katrina Fanning Northern NSW Finals. The girls now qualify for the statewide event featuring secondary schools from across NSW/ACT who have progressed through the local, regional, and zone carnivals to earn their spot in the state finals. All 8 zones will be represented at this carnival which will occur on 21st September at Elderslie.

Team: Lily Moseley, Gemirah Fernando, Darcie Gleeson, Evie Hewens, London Curtis, Shannon Lusung, Millie Byrne, Ella Oliver, Matilda Medlin, Leah Hanson, Emily Cook, Riley Dailey. MVP: Darcie Gleeson

Kate Cowan - Coach

Northern NSW AFL Junior Schools Cup – Boys

It was a beautiful day for fast football in Wauchope with our Intermediate Boys facing off against some quality opposition. Our boys competed really well but the explosiveness of some of our opposition was just too much for us to handle. We had a lot of really great moments of link-up play leading to strong contested marks and goal-scoring opportunities, but we weren't able to use our endurance to run our opposition ragged on the narrow ground.

Our first match saw us go down to St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour 68-29 and our second to Hunter Sports High School 62-23. Each of these schools has invested in specialized AFL programs where players are extremely familiar with each other and their game plans (and also suffered defeats to eventual winners on the day, St Peter's Catholic College, Tuggerah), so our boys should be congratulated for the way in which they continued to work for each other and play out the games in a competitive fashion. MVPs: Frecyin Hostettler and Nate Sheldon.

Michael Peck - Coach

Representative Sport, Upcoming Events and Registration

All registrations for MacKillop College Representative Sport teams are completed by;

1. Logging into the school Moodle page (Chrome browser).
2. Click on the Student Links tab on the left-hand side
3. Click on the Representative Sports registrations link
4. Click on the relevant sport and fill out the google form.

Students will be notified through the morning notices of when to sign up and when trials will occur.

Click on this link to register.  Sports currently open for registration are;

• Girls and Boys Cricket (Berg, Downie & Catholic Cup)
• Girls and Boys Waterpolo
• Diocesan Golf

MacKillop College Events

Lismore Diocesan Events

The following sports are currently open for students to be able to sign up to or register their interest to trial. These sports have been advertised to students through morning notices over the past week.

Please click on the link below to register for the sports.

NSWCCC & NSW All Schools Events and Registration

Students MUST be registered for the event with parent and Principal or Leader of Sport approval.

Registration is through the CSNSW.sport portal. Details on how to register – Guide For Parents – Sport Registrations >>

Please note that the NSWCCC Sport registrations for individual nominations for 2023 selections are open for the following trials:

For further information, go to the CSNSW Sport website Sport pages. https://csnsw.sport/

RUOK Day Cardio Tennis

If you would like to have a FREE go of Cardio Tennis run by the legends at Goodwin Tennis in promoting RUOK? Day on the 14th September here at school please register by completing this form. 

REGISTER HERE

We all know the great benefits being physically active can have on our positive mindset. 

No equipment is needed - just your sports uniform and a positive attitude.

So what are you waiting for - grab a friend and sign up. 

Thursday 14 September RUOK Day

Staff 7-8am

Students 11-11.30am

Venue: Double courts

Community Sport

Exciting News

Congratulations to Charlotte McEntyre who was recently selected to attend the NSW Netball Talls Camp. This opportunity is for athletes who have demonstrated potential and possess a distinct advantage on the netball court, as evidenced at the recent Junior State Titles. Well done Charlotte – we hope you enjoy this experience.

If your child has achieved outstanding sporting results in their community sport, we would love to hear about it. Please email myself, or your child’s respective Leader of Pastoral Care, so we can acknowledge these achievements. 

If you have any questions regarding sport at MacKillop College, please do not hesitate to contact me either by email or phone at the College.

Erin Denham
Leader of Sport

Canteen Update

To all QKR users please be vigilant when ordering. Cut off time is 8am. Orders placed after 8am are processed for the following day.
Many orders are placed for the wrong day ensuing valuable serving time is lost looking for the order.
If your child is not at school and has ordered online please contact the school to cancel the order.

Monday 11 September
Vanessa Aird & Trish Carr (Lunch 1)
Kim Goldie  (Lunch 2)
Tuesday 12 September
Julie Tipper & Jenny Murray

Wednesday 13 September
Danielle Sen Gupta

Thursday 14 September
Jo Sexton & Chris Jourdant

Friday 15 September
Sam Harrison, Hannah Temple, Christine Brumby & Jane Keegan

Monday 18 September
Lunch 1 Help Please
Trish Carr & Amanda Lorger (Lunch 2)

Tuesday 19 September
Vanessa Wilson & Louise Moore

Wednesday 20 September
Bec Eakin & Sarah Dahalenberg

Thursday 21 September
Noeline Rooney & Amanda Ayres

Friday 22 September
Jen Wickham, Priscilla Turnbull & Mel Collins

To order from the canteen:

1. Orders can be written out at the canteen (bags supplied free of charge).

2. Orders can be written out at home and handed in at the canteen.

3. Download the Qkr! app and order online.

All orders are to be in by 8.00 am, please.

Please ensure when ordering online that your child year group is correct

There is hot food available over the counter to purchase, however, to avoid disappointment it is best to order.

Please remind your child/children if you have ordered for them, and what their order is. 

If your child is sick and you have ordered, please phone the canteen (6583 2632) to arrange credit. 

Please note to change your child's year group when using the QKR! app to order lunch for 2022.

Now available: Gluten-free pies $5.00 and gluten-free sausage rolls $4.00; these items must be ordered.

Canteen Help Needed

The canteen is desperately seeking volunteers for one hour per month. No cooking, cleaning or stocking is needed, just serving our lovely students. Even if you can only do one half-hour shift it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to all of our current volunteers, we appreciate your help.

Sign up and receive a Welcome Pack (coffee voucher, chocolates, voucher for your child to use at the canteen).
Please contact Maxine at the College 6583 2632 or via email at maxine.stone@lism.catholic.edu.au 

Maths Tutorials

Tuesday 7.45am-8.30am and  Friday 7.45am-8.30am

Room 12 Main College with Elizabeth Robertson

Community Events