BULLETIN VOL 29 ISSUE 2 25 FEB 2021

his week we acknowledged and commissioned our 2021 College Leaders. TTwo key themes were evident throughout KEY DATES TERM 1 the Commissioning Assembly - never see a Stay up-to-date with all our events via the College need without seeking to meet it, and having Calendar at www.mackillop.tas.edu.au/events courage and faith when faced with the challenges of leadership. 1-4 March Year 7 Camps

Leadership, at any level, can be difficult, it can be challenging, 11 March Southern SATIS Swimming Carnival it can be confusing, and it can have us questioning who we are 19 March Feast of St Joseph and what it is that we truly stand for. Mostly, this comes about because leaders become unsure as to whom and where they 23 March State SATIS Swimming Carnival should turn to for advice and guidance when it comes to making 1 April End of Term 1 leadership decisions. Many leaders find themselves asking basic questions, such as, “Whose actions should I look to when faced 2 April Good Friday with a particularly difficult or challenging situation?” “Whose wisdom will provide me the clarity of mind I need when faced with the dilemmas of leadership?” COVID-19 safety at MacKillop

This is the great conundrum of leadership that all leaders face. Catholic College In truth, it is what confronts each of us – students, parents, guardians and staff members – every day. This is why we All students, staff and visitors to our College should maintain ‘COVID-safe behaviours’ by sometimes say that is a leader – a leader because everyone • staying away from the College if you or someone is turning to each one of us in times of need, a leader your son/daughter is feeling unwell or is because someone is turning to us for advice, a leader because displaying flu-like symptoms; someone is watching how we respond to certain situations. • practising good personal hygiene when coughing or sneezing; Being part a part of the MacKillop Catholic College community • washing your hands thoroughly with soap means that we are blessed to have been given distinct examples, and water and using hand sanitiser; guidance and support in our leadership and our decision-making. • maintaining physical distancing – keeping We are able to turn to the life of Christ and the words and at least 1.5 metres away from others. actions of St Mary MacKillop and of Blessed Edmund Rice. For Department of Health updates visit We can look to Jesus for examples of wise, loving leadership – HEALTH.TAS.GOV.AU examples that show us how to be leaders who have the strength to speak the truth with love, even when it might be personally costly. Leaders who let their love for humanity and the respect for the dignity of all guide and direct their interactions with all they encounter. Leaders who let compassion, instead of desire to be right, motivate our actions. Leaders who are willing to and can forgive, even before being asked.

Mary MacKillop said, “Never see a need without doing something about it”. Edmund Rice is said to have looked out his window in his Waterford home and when confronted with the inequity he saw, committed himself to act to meet the needs of those around him. The need to be present and to respond to needs of those around us is no different today. You and I and the Student Leaders we commissioned this week need look no further than example and actions of Christ, of Mary MacKillop and of Edmund Rice as models of what exemplary leadership looks like.

I congratulate our 2021 College Captains, Ella Ehrat-Vidakovic and Joshua Hunt, and the Deputy College Captains, Thomas Bryan and Lily Mereszka, for the lived example of leadership they show every day to the students of MacKillop Catholic College, and wish them and all our other Student Leaders the very best for 2021. STEPHEN HILL Acting Principal

FROM DEPUTY PRINCIPAL DONNA BROWN

After-hours supervision of students

Our after-school duty staff members supervise our students every day until 3.45p.m., or until the last bus leaves the College, whichever is the latter. This supervision takes place at the bus lines parallel to Currajong Street and enables our staff to supervise and care for students who are catching buses or being picked up by families during this time.

Our College Library is supervised until 3.30p.m. each day with the exception of Thursdays, when we host After- School Support. (In previous years this was on Tuesdays.) Our College Reception is staffed until 4.00p.m. each day.

We ask that any students requiring pick-up after 3.30p.m. wait at the College Reception. Please arrange for pick-up prior to 4.00p.m.*

* In the event of an emergency, please contact the College before 4.00p.m. so that we can ensure that staff members are on site to provide care and supervision until affected students are collected. These staff members are likely to be members of the College Leadership Team.

Uniform Clarification - Girls’ Socks

We have had some queries regarding which socks the girls can wear with their formal uniform. We confirm that girls may wear College white socks, plain short white socks (no logos or emblems) or navy tights (purchased via the Uniform Shop only). We have amended the Student Code of Personal Appearance and the related Uniform item list on our website, and all Tutor Teachers have been made aware. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

A reminder that boys may wear College grey socks (no logos or emblems) or plain short white socks with their formal uniform.

All students may wear College white socks or plain short white socks or plain black sports socks with their Sports uniform. They must also wear sports shoes appropriate for physical exercise (i.e. no skate shoes).

The College Uniform Shop is now located at 43 Currajong Street (at the eastern end of our College oval). Opening hours can be found on our website, at www.mackillop.tas.edu.au/utility/uniform. Phone the shop on 6240 4420.

Student Personal Appearance

We are delighted that the vast majority of our students are wearing their uniform with pride, both whilst on College grounds and travelling to and from the College. We have had some feedback from members of the public that some of our students are not wearing their blazers to and from the College – I ask that families support us in requiring their child/children to wear the blazer during these important times of transition to and from the school. Our students are ambassadors for the College when they are in public, and this ambassadorship extends to both their conduct and their appearance. We have asked our students to be on board with this in our messaging to them over the past week. Thank you for your support with this.

We are having conversations still with some students and families in relation to a few issues – in particular, hair (both cut and style, mainly boys), jewellery (facial piercings and additional ear piercings) and non-MacKillop-issued uniform items. We again ask for the support of all families. I, Mr Davey and our Year Level Co-ordinators are all very happy to address any questions or concerns. Please go to www.mackillop.tas.edu.au/utility/uniform if you require clarification on the Code itself.

A reminder that all students are expected to wear formal uniform each day at the College, except those days when they are involved in HPE practical classes, Outdoor Education, Athlete Development, Dance, or as directed by staff. Chewing Gum and Energy Drinks

Students should be aware that chewing gum is not permitted at MacKillop Catholic College. It is commonly not disposed of thoughtfully, and we spend a lot of money and time each year extracting gum from carpets and from under desks and chairs. Energy drinks are also not permitted. Energy drinks are known to contribute to a range of health problems because they contain very large amounts of caffeine and sugar. Drinking too much caffeine can raise your blood pressure and heart rate and can contribute to anxiety, poor impulse control and insomnia (inability to sleep). Drinking them over the long term can raise risks for heart disease and other health issues. We have asked our students not to bring chewing gum or energy drinks in to their school environment. We appreciate the co-operation of our families in this matter.

Canteen ordering

A reminder that the College Canteen is open at Recess from 10:35a.m.–11.00a.m. and at Lunch from 12:45p.m.–1:25p.m. The Canteen menu can be found using the ‘Qkr!’ mobile app. The Canteen is run in partnership with Custom Catering and all orders need to be placed using Qkr!

ALL FAMILIES wishing to make purchases from our Canteen in 2021 via Qkr! need to log on to www.mackillop.tas.edu.au/utility/canteen and register your child/children’s details. This applies to all new families and also to families who have used Qkr! in the past. Updating these details on Qkr! will ensure that your child’s/children’s new class information can be captured. This will enable our Canteen staff to easily distribute purchased items to our students in bulk. Thank you, everyone, for your ongoing support!

School attendance and impacts on learning

Attendance at school has a significant impact on your child’s success not only during school years but later in life. Research shows that attending school and completing Year 12 will help a child establish firm friendships, enjoy better health, better job opportunities and higher income across their life. It will also help them develop:

* important skills and knowledge to help them learn *

* social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and teamwork. *

If your son or daughter is absent from school, please let the College know as early as possible on 6244 0099 or email [email protected]. It is important that your son or daughter does not fall behind in their schoolwork due to prolonged absence. Just two days of absence per month equals four weeks in a year, which amounts to a year of lost learning from Kindergarten to Year 12. If your child is likely to experience an absence from school for more than a few days, please contact the College to discuss how we can help them keep up with their schoolwork.

If your son or daughter has an appointment during the school day, please contact the College Office and provide a note detailing the reason for the appointment and the proposed pick-up time. Please note that we do not use the College PA system to call students to the Office during lesson time, as this disturbs learning for all students. Students will be called to the Office prior to Recess, Lunch and the end of the day to receive messages from parents/guardians.

Tasmania’s laws around school attendance have recently changed. The law now stipulates that young people need to stay in education or training until they finish Year 12, or receive a Certificate III, or reach the new minimum leaving age of 18. For more about the changes around school attendance and reasons your son/daughter can be authorised to be absent from school, read this fact sheet on the Department of Education website.

DONNA BROWN Deputy Principal - Organisation, Student Development & Pastoral Care

You’re invited to join your P&F

The MacKillop Catholic College Parents & Friends Association is back in action, and we are looking for new faces! Come along to our first meeting for 2021, on Monday, 1 March in the D2 (demountable classroom on Goondi St) from 4:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. It’s a great opportunity to help shape College policies, speak directly with College Leadership and connect with your community. All are welcome. If you are interested in attending, please email Tania Burgess at [email protected] FROM DEPUTY PRINCIPAL ALISON STONE

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

2021 is MacKillop Catholic College’s Year of Excellence. Our Vision Statement and traditions inspire us to pursue excellence, not only in this year but every year, as we all grow into the people we aspire to be.

In the previous Bulletin, I introduced you to the MacKillop Catholic College Learning and Teaching Framework.

I would specifically like to write to one of the charter intentions – ENABLE EXCELLENCE. We enable excellence through high expectations and equity.

We pursue excellence, in the fullest sense of the word ‘educate’. We have established curricula and continue to develop programs, learning experiences, opportunities, processes and physical spaces that ensure a safe and transformative learning environment.

We often find in Scripture the call to abound or excel in Christian character, especially in the various ways we can express love to one another. In MATTHEW 22:37-38 Jesus said to a Pharisee, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’ Again, St Paul in his letters to the people of ancient Corinth speaks distinctly about the goodness of Christian character when he writes in 2 CORINTHIANS 8:7: But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you—make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too. We find evidence and encouragement in many scripture verses, and it should be clear that God wants all people to abound or excel in what they are, that is inward character, and in what they do, behaviour or good deeds.

As an educational institution we work to assist staff and students into greater levels of maturity – academic, professional and spiritual maturity. Academic maturity means performing to the best of your ability. Spiritual maturity is as important to us as a Catholic College, for it is a quest for character for which there will be little progress without the pursuit of excellence.

Without pursuing excellence, life will remain bland, very vanilla, lukewarm at best (see REV. 3:15-16). The quest for excellence fuels our fire and keeps us from just drifting downstream, gathering debris. Mary MacKillop is quoted as saying, “No duty is too little to be done well” and “God will provide for the future”. Her written words of encouragement empower all in our College to “work with constancy and courage” (Mary MacKillop 1876).

However, there is one distinction that needs to be stressed up front. As the author, educator and entrepreneur Edwin C. Bliss said, “The pursuit of excellence is gratifying and healthy. The pursuit of perfection is frustrating, neurotic, and a terrible waste of time.” As finite human beings, none of us ever arrive, as they say, and there will always be room for growth and improvement (see PHIL. 3:12-14). While this reality should never promote negligence or apathy or laziness, and while we should seek to grow, mature, and do our best, understanding this reality should help us all relax and lean more on God (Mary MacKillop 1877). It is important to remember that every student should keep the goal in mind. Academic excellence, in whatever pathway a student chooses, happens over the entire MacKillop lifetime. That is an important point for many of our newer families. It does not just happen in Year 10 or in Year 12. It is true that the final year of school is where external scrutiny escalates and scores or rankings are allocated. Yet it is crucial to realise that any outcome or achievement comes over time. It is the end product of years of work and, for many, there are more years to come. Some of it is exciting and motivating, at other times there will be research, examinations and common assessment tasks that simply do not appeal. The priority in education and for young people is to keep the goal in mind. Start with a clear end, and know what you are working towards.

The year has begun well and it is now zooming along. Congratulations to all students and staff who have a clear goal in mind and have so boldly committed themselves to the task ahead.

Towards 2023 and Intention Survey

MacKillop Catholic College continues towards 2023 when our College will progressively deliver Years 11 and 12 for the first time at our current site.*. We trust all families continue to enrol their students at MacKillop. There are curriculum maps in the pipeline and future building plans about to become reality.

In order to plan accurately for the future, the College needs indicative data. To that end, all families of current students should have received a communique from Mr Hill this week requesting that families complete a Destination Survey for every child in their family by Tuesday, 9 March, 2021. The College will be asking all families to provide information regarding their son’s or daughter’s intention to continue at the College and indicate their possible study pathway.

*Subject to approval THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NEW HOUSE CRESTS

In 2020 MacKillop Catholic College witnessed a historical milestone when six Houses were established. Now every student and staff member is allocated to one of the following Houses: Fitzroy, Penola, Rice, Tenison, Sion or Waterford.

Over the past few months there has been a collaborative process between students, a working party and our graphic design agency Red Jelly to create new MacKillop Catholic College House crests for the 2021 school year and beyond. These crests take their shape from the MacKillop crest and need to reflect the principles and values of the College. We asked for two areas for the House colour and for the creation of two symbols based on student feedback during a recent workshop. One symbol was to be based on an animal unique to and the other symbol based on hands that are often found in the Gospels and Catholic stories. The following concepts represent this feedback and input.

FITZROY HOUSE Inspired by the Josephite tradition.

Fitzroy House motto: generosity and spirit.

Fitzroy House spirit: Fitzroy House members build community with devotion, outreach and solidarity.

Fitzroy House symbols: the Tasmanian quoll and hand of generosity (see crest). The quoll is unique to our country. It is an animal of action, devoted to community and shouts, “Do it now and do it for others!” The heart in hand is symbolic of charity and generosity given freely from the heart.

PENOLA HOUSE Inspired by the Josephite tradition.

Penola House motto: empathy and community.

Penola House spirit: Penola House members are friends to everyone. They serve God in the poor and value education. When members see a need, they do something about it. At the heart of the House is empathy where resilience and compassion are nurtured.

Penola House symbols: the Tasmanian Little Penguin and hand of empathy (see crest). The Tasmanian Little Penguin is unique to our waters. Its strength comes in numbers. It is a determined, self-disciplined and purposeful animal. Master of the waters, it gives up much for the sake of others. It takes pride in its own appearance. The penguin inspires every member of Penola House to be proud, have self-confidence and to sacrifice much in order to become better people. The hand within the hand represents the compassionate side of Penola House. Members are responsive to the needs of others, always providing a hand up. We are resilient, proud and, with the strength of numbers, together support everyone in the community.

RICE HOUSE Inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice.

Rice House motto: courage and witness.

Rice House spirit: Rice House members are strong witnesses to our Catholic faith traditions, to the educational journey and to the pursuit of excellence in learning and teaching. Rice House members advocate for equal access to quality education globally.

Rice House symbols: the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle and hands of witness (see crest).

The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle can be seen flying high in the Australian skies. It is a powerful creature that soars over obstacles. It encourages every member of Rice House to see in an open-minded way, respecting ourselves and the world around us. It has the strength to be seen clearly by others. The wedge-tailed eagle teaches us the value of strong structures and Rice House will witness to them. The handshake is symbolic of Rice’s core values of courage and witness. This illustration embodies the idea of taking the courage to reach out to others, to welcome, to see ourselves and others clearly, and to work together in order to have a shared experience. We are strong, courageous witnesses of truth. cont’d SION HOUSE Inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice.

Sion House motto: equality and solidarity.

Sion House spirit: Sion House fosters a culture of unity where sisters and brothers are one. Sion House celebrates and connects especially with those on the margins within our own College community. It is through a shared journey of compassion, welcome and connection that everyone can participate in the fullness of life.

Sion House symbols: the platypus and hands of unity. The platypus is an ancient creature and unique to Australia. It carries the features of many different animals, therefore symbolising that “every one of us has something that makes us distinctive in our own very special way”. It teaches Sion House members to take pride in their own uniqueness, to seek solitude when needed and to learn new and nourishing lessons from time spent with the spirit of God. Many hands come together to form the symbol for equality and unity. We respect ourselves and connect easily with others as we work to build a world where everyone is welcome and acknowledged for who they are.

TENISON HOUSE Inspired by the Josephite tradition.

Tenison House motto: kinship and dedication.

Tenison House spirit: Tenison House members are dedicated to learning, science, the arts, beauty and the care of creation. They have a tenacious spirit, are good at connecting people and never giving up even when the going gets tough.

Tenison House symbols: the Tasmanian Devil and hands of dedication. The Tasmanian Devil is unique to our island state. It is an animal of brutal honesty, has endurance and wow “what a potential for growth!” It has a tenacious spirit and never gives up when the going gets tough. The heart in two hands is symbolic of our devotion to others and all that is good. We have a heart for others and all of creation, seeing everything as our kin. We care deeply about our blue planet and protect the environment, especially in our College. We see beauty and goodness all around us and acknowledge the interconnectedness of all of creation.

WATERFORD HOUSE Inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice.

Waterford House motto: unity and strength

Waterford House spirit: Waterford House motivates every person in our community to ‘write their own story’ and to work collaboratively for the betterment of all. The spirit of Waterford House empowers members to find success by being part of a unified team that can achieve far more than the individual members.

Waterford House symbols: the Australian wombat and hands of unity. Wombats can be found all over our island state. They are intelligent yet playful, surprisingly fast, agile and industrious creatures. The wombat teaches inner trust and faith in oneself. The curved hands around the student body are an expression of unity and strength. This is encapsulated by an ellipse, exemplifying the strength of Waterford as a unified team working for the betterment of all.

We trust that everyone likes the individual designs of the crests. Together they are clean and powerful.

I trust that every MacKillop family is excited to join the community on the journey towards 2023. As we continue to pursue excellence, we ask God to light our way.

ALISON STONE Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching, Staff Development and Transition FROM THE DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

Year 7 Meet the Tutor/SEQTA Engage Evening

Thank you to all parents, guardians, staff and students for taking time to come along to Meet the Tutor/SEQTA Engage Evening. Feedback on the night seemed quite positive, but please feel free to email me any suggestions for ways to improve this event ([email protected]). I hope all attendees found it informative and helpful.

SEQTA Engage

SEQTA Engage is one of the ways we give ongoing feedback about tasks, assessments, classwork and behaviour. This may be in the form of a comment, a rubric (a table of achievement standards), a rating (DEV – Developing, CONS – Consolidating, EXT – Extending) or a mark or percentage. A, B, C, D, E ratings are only used at the end of each semester. More information about assessment will be available as Heads of Department update subject cover pages. Parents and guardians are encouraged to discuss this feedback with their son or daughter throughout the year.

SEQTA Engage also provides parents with much more – SEQTA Notices inform students, parents and guardians about what is happening from day to day, as well as timetables, protocols, teacher names and emails, course outlines and lessons, upcoming assessments and homework. We are still learning to use SEQTA and wish to provide the best service for you, so please let us know if there is anything you find confusing or incorrect, as it may provide a training moment for staff or students.

Reporting

At the end of Term 1 we will release, via SEQTA Engage, an interim report which provides a summary of Personal Management Skills demonstrated throughout the term. These include how the student has engaged in class work, punctuality, and respect for others, amongst other things. More information will be provided as this report format is finalised throughout the term. At the end of Term 2, which we call the end of Semester 1, you will receive, via SEQTA Engage, a summary of academic achievement for each subject.

As communication of this important information about your son or daughter is mostly through SEQTA Engage, please ensure your contact details with us remain up-to-date and that you are logged in to SEQTA Engage. Any difficulties with this, please contact the College for support. DEBBIE ARNETT Director of Learning and Teaching

STUDENT and OLD SCHOLAR ACHIEVEMENTS

SOCCER Well done to our Year 7/8 Soccer Girls’ team, who have started their SSATIS roster strongly with a 2-1 win over Fahan School on 18 February.

CRICKET Congratulations to Old Scholar Riley Meredith from the Hurricanes, who has just landed at the in the . Good luck, Riley!

DRAMA We are thrilled to see so many of our talented alumni appearing in upcoming theatre productions, Shane Warne The Musical – The Cabaret Club: Josh Scott (2013), Sophie Williams (2018); Charlotte’s Web - Hobart Repertory Theatre: Daniel Pendlebury (2019); Bethany Denholm (2019); Ami McElle (2018); Matilda The Musical for St Mary’s College: Bethany Denholm (2019). We congratulate them all.

Pi Day Celebrations 2021

Pi Day is celebrated globally on March 14 (3/14). Pi (Greek letter π) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant – the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter – which is approximately 3.14159.

The world record for reciting the most digits of Pi was achieved by Rajveer Meena in India in 2015. He was able to recite 70,000 decimal places. The Mackillop College student record stands at 500 places, achieved in 2020 by Jode Brewster Jones in Year 10.

This year various activities will be organised by the Mathematics staff. These will be run in classes and during the lunch break the week prior to 14 March. Get memorising digits, as there are great prizes for those that get involved.

• Class Pi Chain or bunting • Reciting Pi – Class and House competitions • Pie eating – to be ordered through the Qkr! app • Pi Quiz.

BEC PRENTER Head of Mathematics

Discover HASS

In line with the Australian Curriculum, the subject Studies of Society and the Environment (SoSE) has had a name change and is now known as Humanities and Social Sciences, or HASS.

At MacKillop Catholic College, HASS incorporates studies in History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Business and Economics, Asian Studies and Sociology and Psychology.

In Term 1, Year 7 students have commenced studying History with a focus on the role of historians and archaeologists in discovering and recording the ancient past. In learning about primary and secondary information sources, students recently undertook a practical hands- on activity examining and classifying a range of Australian historical artefacts and written documentation kindly brought in by Mr Steven Bennett (HASS Teacher).

SARAH STURT Head of HASS

MacKillop Catholic College 2 Goondi Street, Mornington, Tasmania 7018 Postal address: PO Box 1068, Rosny Park, Tasmania 7018 Phone: (03) 6245 0099 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mackillop.tas.edu.au