Term 4, Week 5, 5 November

Principal's Update

Student Success

Congratulations to Year 11 students who received awards at the Year 11 academic awards yesterday. Unfortunately the presentation had to be held virtually due to our restrictions, however it was still great to recognise the hard work and commitment of the Year 11 students. Details of the award recipients can be found in the Year 11 article of today’s newsletter. 

Year 11 Student Learning Profiles were also uploaded to student's Schoolworx Portal. Parents can access these via their online Parent Portal log in. 

MacKillop College COVID-19 Positive Case Response Plan

As you would be aware COVID-19 response requirements to a positive case in the school community (ie a student or staff member) is quite extensive and could require a school closure. 

Given that local schools have already had to follow these procedures I thought it wise to share with you MacKillop’s Response Plan. Please be assured we have in place a COVID-19 Response team ready to assist NSW Health and the Catholic Schools Office with contact tracing and communications. My hope is we do not have to use it!

 Student Collection Procedure

The College will only respond to advice from the Lismore Catholic Schools Office or NSW Health that we need to close the College due to a positive test result.

If we are notified during school hours, once confirmed, all students and staff remain in their current classrooms. Students will depart the College alphabetically as per the following process:

• Parent contact will be via sms (and email where necessary) to collect their child/ren from a specified location at the College. Parents are asked not to attend the College until they have received the text. This will assist with traffic congestion and an organised sign-out process.
• Approximately 100 students at a time will depart the College in family alphabetical groups.
• Staff and students must wear a mask until they exit the school grounds.
• Students are only permitted to leave with members of their household; no carpooling or intermingling of households is permitted under NSW Health guidelines.
• Parents are requested to text their child when they are in the car park, or if there is permission for their child to walk, ride or drive home. This should only take place once the parent has received the text from the College. Year 11 students will sign out at the senior office and either drive home, or make their way to the statue area on the junior campus for collection. Year 7-10 students travelling with a Year 11 sibling by car will need to sign out at the junior office before making their way to the senior student car park.
• Class teachers are asked to check the text message from the parent before allowing students to leave classrooms.
• If a student does not have a mobile phone, parents are asked to phone the College office on 6583 2632. Office staff will notify classroom teachers that a parent is in the car park ready to collect that particular student (or that they can drive/walk/ride home).
• Students will then be asked to present to staff at the junior campus statue area, show their text message and have their name marked off to enable an accurate record of students leaving to be maintained. Year 11 students who do not drive will be asked to make their way to the junior campus statue area.

Any students unable to be collected during the day will be assembled together in year groups following this student departure process until such time as parents can pick up, as buses will not be operating from the College once a positive case is confirmed.

Close and Casual Contacts of a positive COVID case

Close and Casual Contacts of the positive COVID case will be determined by NSW Health in consultation with the College. 

Self isolation and testing requirements depend on whether close contacts are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Close Contacts who are Fully Vaccinated (14 days after second dose):

Close Contacts who are fully vaccinated must self-isolate for at least until 7 days from the last exposure date.

• Close Contacts who are fully vaccinated must get tested immediately, on day 6 of the self-isolation period and again on day 12.
• Close Contacts who are fully vaccinated may only leave self-isolation after 7 days if they receive a negative result from the test on day 6 and have no COVID-19 symptoms.

Close Contacts who are Not Fully Vaccinated:

• Close Contacts who are not fully vaccinated must self-isolate for at least 14 days from last exposure.
• Close Contacts who are not fully vaccinated must get tested immediately and again on day 12 of the self-isolation period.
• Close Contacts who are not fully vaccinated may only leave self-isolation after 14 days if they receive a negative result from the day 12 test and have no COVID-19 symptoms. They must provide a copy of the negative test results to the school by email prior to attending school.

Casual contacts will be required to have a negative COVID- 19 test result and must provide a copy of the negative test results to the school by email prior to attending school.

• A sibling (or a parent staff member) of a close contact can return to school after receiving a negative COVID test if the family has isolated that sibling from the close contact child. A copy of the negative test results must be provided to the school prior to the school by email prior to attending school. If the sibling is unable to isolate from the close contact child they are under the same restrictions as the close contact child. Should the sibling be fully vaccinated they do not need to be isolated along with the close contact child.

Cath Eichmann
Principal

Evangelisation

Sunday Mass and Gospel Reflection

We were blessed to have The MacKillop Collective, our worship band, play and sing during the 5:00 pm mass last Sunday, 31 October. Thanks to Rob Denham and Cara Stewart along with Georgia Ryan, Jiya Jamu and Olivia Nichols who sang so beautifully.

It’s so wonderful to have singing back in mass –  we are now looking forward to being able to join in ourselves.

It was great to have a MacKillop presence with staff and students reading, serving and acting as Special Minister of Communion as well.

Please check the link for Mass times and COVID-19 precautions for Masses in the St Agnes' Parish; St Agnes' Parish

You may also like to spend some time in reflection on the Gospel for this coming Sunday.

Marg Gobius
Leader of Evangelisation

Year 7

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Lucy Ryan who has received a Silver Principal’s Award.

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award: Audrey Blake, Paxton Blake (x2), Zora Boskovski, Isobel Galvin, Tyler Page, Lucy Ryan, Darwin Tink, Aaron Walsh and Mason White.

Greg Finney
Acting Year 7 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 8

Year 8 Meetings - Respect

At MacKillop we expect all interactions, with peers and staff, to be respectful.  Recently this element has been lacking in some interactions and on Wednesday I addressed some ongoing issues that we find unacceptable and inappropriate in our school community. Below is a summary of what we discussed at the meetings and I encourage you to have a discussion with your child about these points.

Compliance vs Defiance.

If a staff member asks you to do something . . .you do it. There is a culture rising that it is ok to question or challenge an adult’s instructions or directions. This is rude and disrespectful, to talk back, argue or question what a teacher or staff member is asking you to do is not the expectation at MacKillop. If you think that you are being unfairly treated or someone is asking you to do something unsafe then you inform your PC teacher or me. Who do you want to be? Be the respectful, appreciative and humble student.

You are aware of the school uniform . . . wear it correctly. MacKillop College is proud of its uniform and we want every student to wear it correctly. Uniform requirements will extend into your adult life. There is no excuse to wear the incorrect shoes or to put on extra jewellery or makeup. You know what days you can wear the sport uniform. “It’s uncomfortable” or “Everyone else wears it” is no excuse. Focus on yourself and wearing your uniform in a way that shows you are proud to be a MacKillop College student.

Be Kind, Be Very Kind.

There is a nastiness between peers developing within our College. What happened to being a nice person? What happened to saying nice things about someone else and making their day better? I have spoken before about gossip and spreading rumors for the only purpose of making someone else upset. Do not talk negatively about someone behind their back. Stand up for what is right and just.

We want every one of you to feel safe when you are at school. This includes being in class, the yard, the bathrooms, on the bus and at the bus bays. It is not acceptable to put hands on another person. It is not acceptable to tell a teacher that “It’s okay, we were just mucking around”. It is not acceptable to socialise in large groups in the toilets as this situation has been shown to encourage students to break the College’s Codes of Behaviour and Use of Digital Technologies and can create an intimidating environment for others.

Make Better Choices.

No one is forcing you to do the wrong thing. You are old enough and mostly mature enough to make the right decision. If you decide to follow the school rules and do the right things, then you will go home a better person and feel more positive about returning the next day. You fail to build positive relationships when you decide to use your phone, wear the wrong uniform, not do the homework or speak disrespectfully. Be mindful of the choices you make as they can affect both your mental and physical health. Alcohol, drugs, vaping, parties, lying; these things can be detrimental and break down friendships, and school relationships.

Sometimes, we all need reminding about what is right and what is wrong. We are all guilty of making the odd wrong decision and making the odd mistake. What makes us a better person is what we decide to do next time we face the same situation.

Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition

Congratulations to the following students who received Participation Certificates for their entries in the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition. The competition is a unique national project, giving Australia's youth a voice and an opportunity to strive for excellence in literature. Thank you to Mr Lowrey for his organisation of this competition.

Aidan Archer, Macey Arkinstall, Sophie Bryant, Belinda Bugler, Samantha Carlton, Matilda Creighton, Miya Freeman, Grace Hartley, Judson Insall, Emily Kirkpatrick, Cooper Lorger, Isabelle Lucey, Libby Matthews, Olivia McGahon, Milly McGrath, Jamali Middlebrook, Harmony Mitchell, Abigael Murfitt, Liam Poppleton, Charlotte Porteous, Lincoln Saunders, Sophia Speers, Cory Thiele, Layla Stewart and Tobias Toohey.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Alexander Toth who has received a Silver Principal’s Award.

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Leader of Pastoral Care Award: Matilda Creighton, Siena Crisafi (x2), Riley Hollis, Matilda Jones, William Oliver, Sophia Speers and Alexander Toth.

Daniel O'Dell
Year 8 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 11

This week we launched Movember at MacKillop. Movember is global initiative fighting against poor mental health and suicide with special emphasis on men who are overrepresented in the suicide statistics around the world. The students and teachers were offered three ways to show their support for Movember. They could sign up to:

• Grow a Mo
• Sponsor a Mo
• Move for Movember

The move for Movember involves walking or running 60km over the month of November. If you break it down this is a completely achievable goal - 2km per day. The 60 represents the 60 men that die from suicide every hour across the globe. I have encouraged Year 11 to take a friend or a family member with them on their 2km walk each day and I have promised that their relationship with them will benefit as well as their fitness and their mental health.

Our SRC helped to launch Movember with some Australian statistics which support the fact that this issue affects all of us in some way:

• Nine Australians die every day by suicide. That’s more than double the road toll.
• 75% of those who take their own life are male.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44.
• The suicide rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is twice that of their non-Indigenous counterparts.
• LGBTI+ community members experience significantly higher rates of suicide than the rest of the population.
• For each life lost to suicide, the impacts are felt by up to 135 people, including family members, work colleagues, friends, and first responders at the time of death.

Melbourne Cup Day

Year 11 also enjoyed a fancy dress day for Melbourne Cup. Many of the students dressed in their finest outfits and enjoyed cheering each other on at the Fashions on the Field event at lunchtime. It's always lots of fun to find an occasion to dress up and this group did not disappoint.

Year 11 Awards

This week we celebrated the academic success of our students at the end of their preliminary course. Unfortunately, parents were not able to attend and we also had to conduct the ceremony via Zoom. However, we did manage to recognise the many students who have worked well and were able to achieve success in many forms. Students were awarded for First Place in a subject; for Outstanding Achievement across many subjects; Outstanding Application across a number of subjects as well as Application, High Achievement and Excellence in their individual subjects. We also recognised the importance of Community Service Awards and outstanding attendance.

Parents can access Student learning Profiles via the Schoolworx Parent Portal.

Congratulations to all Year 11 students.

Andrea Huxley
Year 11 Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 12

Finally, HSC Eve (almost)! Game day is around the corner and I am so thankful that we have arrived. I have seen many of the students over the last two weeks and have been so impressed by the efforts they are putting in to get themselves ready for their first exam on Tuesday.

Students need to make sure that they are reading all the correspondence that is being sent to them around HSC procedures to ensure they understand where they need to be, what they need to do or what steps to follow in the event they cannot make the exam. Any emails from myself, Christine Harmer or Sarah Warby should be read with care. COVID rules regulating our community, schools and specifically your HSC child are dynamic, which adds to an already highly stressful event. The best way to alleviate stress is to be informed. Parents please check your emails for some correspondence from Sarah Warby which contains the information that has been sent to your son or daughter outlining all of the rules, please note that this is a live document and will be updated as things change.

It is important for students to minimise the risk to themselves and others, especially before and after exams and the way to do this is:

• Mask wearing at all times
• Sanitising of hands
• Social distancing - don't mingle closely before and after exams
• No carpooling

We have a HSC prayer and assembly this coming Monday, 8 November at 4:30pm.  Students have been sent a zoom invitation by Cath Eichmann and we are expecting them all to attend. It will be nice to gather together before the English exam on Tuesday, even just to reiterate the message that the HSC is a team event and the best way to face it is to 'be calm and full of hope'.

Enjoy the weekend, we are almost there!

Lisa Kable
Year 12 Leader of Pastoral Care

Major Projects 2021

Year 12 HSC Industrial Technology – Timber Products and Furniture Technologies

Congratulations to the following boys for completing their HSC Major Projects:

Daniel O'Dell
Industrial Technology - Timber Teacher

Wellbeing

Student Representative Council

Thank you to all parents who encouraged their child to support last Friday’s Out of Uniform day as a visible sign of demonstrating Gratitude for Health - our own health and the health of women and men in our lives. Almost $900.00 was donated by students towards the Mary MacKillop Fund which helps struggling families.

Grateful people are happy people - gratitude has the strongest relationship to life satisfaction.

Evidence suggests that grateful young adolescents (ages 11-13), compared to their less grateful counterparts, are happier and more optimistic, have better social support, are more satisfied with their school, family, community, friends, and themselves, and give more emotional support to others. Grateful teens (ages 14-19) are more satisfied with their lives, use their strengths to better their community, are more engaged in their schoolwork and hobbies, have higher grades, and are less envious, depressed, and materialistic.

Knowing the benefits that practicing gratitude bestows on kids begs the question: How can we foster more gratitude in children? See 3 family gratitude practices

• Model and teach gratitude: Our children want to be like us. We provide the blueprint for what to say and what to do and in what contexts. Expressing gratitude through words, writing, and small gifts or acts of reciprocity are all ways to teach children how to become grateful.
• Spend time with your kids and be mindful when with them: Adolescents do like being with their parents even if they do not say so. Giving a child quality time with you will give them a heightened appreciation for the things both of you love and for your relationship and it teaches them how to empathise and love others.
• Support your child’s autonomy: Using a firm, yet flexible, parenting style supports children’s autonomy. By taking ownership over their skills and talents and being responsible for developing them, children gain things to appreciate in life and make it easier to attract support from others, thus inviting gratitude into their daily life. 
• Use kids’ strengths to fuel gratitude: Knowing and encouraging your child to use those strengths whenever possible opens up opportunities that enable them to strengthen their ability to be helpful and cooperative toward others, which will make them more grateful. To directly promote gratitude, encourage and help your children to use their strengths to thank and be kind to others.
• Help focus and support kids to achieve intrinsic goals: It’s very easy for people, especially youth, to pursue extrinsic—or materialistic - goals such as desiring or having possessions that show wealth, status, or convey a certain image. If we steer them toward pursuing intrinsic goals, not only will successfully achieving these goals fulfil children’s fundamental human needs of competency, belongingness, and autonomy, but their personal development, happiness, success, and gratitude depend on it. 
• Encourage helping others and nurturing relationships: Helping others and being generous are two key ingredients for making grateful kids. A great way to do this is by teaching them through your actions that other people matter and that tending to relationships should be a priority. To help children strengthen their relationships, you should encourage them to be thoughtful of others, to thank others regularly, and to be cooperative, helpful, and giving.
• Help kids find what matters to them: Having a sense of purpose in life gives youth a compass for creating a meaningful life. As adults, it’s our job to help kids discover their passions and to find a path to purpose that resonates with them— with their values, interests, and dreams. This starts with feeding their interests in the issues they care about and pushing them to discover ways they can make a difference. The deepest sense of gratitude in life comes from connecting to a bigger picture, to an issue that matters to others and doing things that contribute to society down the road.

Trying to make grateful young people isn’t just an issue for families; it’s an issue for society as well. As our world becomes more culturally diverse and digitally connected, and as complex societal problems mount, gratitude may help catalyse the motivation and skills youth need to succeed not just academically but in the “life test” too. 

While there’s no quick fix for cultivating gratitude in young people, the more we remain committed to it, the more rewards we’ll reap. Indeed, by bringing out the best in our kids, we can only imagine what blessings Generation Grateful could bring. 

Nicole O'Connell
Leader of Wellbeing 

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

More Percussion Eisteddfod News

The Senior Percussion Ensemble have continued to rehearse within health guidelines throughout the term to put together an entry for the National Percussion Eisteddfod.

Good luck to Callum Pender-Buchan, Zachary Tay and Nicholas Horder. The video recording entry of ‘Sixes & Sevens’ is provided below.

In addition, Callum Pender-Buchan was also awarded first place in the snare solo section with his rendition of ‘Water Hammer’. Both pieces were composed by the Percussion Ensemble director Mark Spence.

The Collective

Thank you to the MacKillop College Collective who have shown enthusiasm, commitment and resilience amongst the complications of dealing with making music with so many restrictions in place for such a long period of time. In particular, thank you to Georgia Ryan, Jiya Jamu, Olivia Nichols and Mrs Cara Stewart for assisting with music at Youth Mass on Sunday.

What is the Collective?

The MacKillop College Collective meet every Wednesday morning in the music rooms. Here we bring together any student with an interest in music and the ability to play an instrument or sing. Sometimes we rehearse in smaller groups, sometimes we rehearse all together as one.

The Collective have been painstakingly recording each individual part for hymns that were to be used at the Year 12 Graduation Mass, only for that to be cancelled. The group has now moved on to record hymns for the College Christmas Mass and learn new music for Inaugural Mass scheduled for the beginning of the year that will hopefully include congregational singing!

The goal is to enjoy making music with a positive message and to provide a music ministry service to our college and parish community.

If you are interested in making music with the Collective please contact Rob Denham for more information.

Ensemble Recordings

Whilst Level 3 restrictions are in place most music ensembles will be focusing on recording repertoire with assistance from their ensemble directors. These recordings will adhere to Level 3 health advice with regard to safe practices and distancing. The goal is to keep making music and hopefully put together something tangible before the end of the year.

All ensemble members are to contact their ensemble directors to confirm recording times and repertoire details. This can be done by checking the ensemble google classroom or emailing ensemble directors directly (details are provided below).

Please note that face to face full ensemble rehearsals cannot recommence until Level 3 restrictions are lifted.

Ensemble Director Emails

Saxophone Ensemble - cara.stewart@lism.catholic.edu.au

Choir - samantha.adams@lism.catholic.edu.au

Percussion Ensembles & Drumline - mark.spence@lism.catholic.edu.au

String Ensemble - lynda.young@lism.catholic.edu.au

Junior Band, Senior Band, Collective & Senior Vocal - robert.denham@lism.catholic.edu.au

Links & Forms

MacKillop College Music Tuition Request Form

Saxophone Ensemble Google Classroom

Choir Google Classroom

Junior Percussion Ensemble Google Classroom

Senior Percussion Ensemble Google Classroom

String Ensemble Google Classroom

Collective Pop & Praise Band Google Classroom

SAPSS Drumline Google Classroom

Senior Vocal Ensemble Google Classroom

Junior Band Google Classroom

Senior Band Google Classroom

Upcoming Events

Youth Mass

• Week 10: Sunday 5 December, 4:15pm - 6:00pm, St Agnes Parish Church, Collective Praise Band (singers only).

• Week 11: Wednesday 15 December, Period 1, College Hall, Collective Praise Band (Recordings).

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

Rob Denham
Leader of Music

Careers Conversations

There may be some interesting links and information nights coming up here in Port Macquarie.

Defence Force

We have an information session coming up in November in Port Macquarie. To register please click on the link below.

Port Macquarie: Women in Defence Information Session, Monday 8 November at 6:00pm

Black Box Pizza

Are now hiring for part time jobs. If you are interested, please drop your resume in store to their friendly staff!

Charles Sturt University Resources for Year 10 

It’s an exciting time for Year 10 students and we’ve got their back when it comes to making decisions around subjects, career prospects and further study. Our resources include a Year 10 hub, a prospective student blog and a Year 10 guide available for download. Find resources here.

Joanna Pilgrim
Years 7-10 Careers Co-Ordinator

Canteen

Monday 8 November 
Robyn Hunt, Nicole Galea and Vanessa Aird

Tuesday 9 November
Debs Hallan and Chris Pees 

Wednesday 10 November
Hahn Le, Danielle Sen Gupta and Rox Brockhurst 

Thursday 11 November
Jo Sexton and Chris Jourdant 

Friday 12 November
Allie Tamati and Caroline Hiram.

All visitors must please check in at the front office before proceeding through to the canteen.

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 on line.

ALL ORDERS TO BE IN BY 8:30AM PLEASE

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 a credit. 

From the Mathematics Vault

Welcome to our weekly Maths Vault! 

We will provide a mathematics problem for solving, with the answer published the week after underneath a new problem. Good luck!

Parent News