I trust that our website opens a window into the rich and vibrant life of Mary MacKillop College. Many people have suggested to me that our College is a “hidden gem”, tucked away behind Portrush Road in a quiet leafy street.  

Our College is small in terms of student numbers and that enables strong and enduring relationships to be developed quickly between staff and students. These quality relationships go hand in hand with quality teaching and learning. Our girls feel at home and very much part of the College community.

The College has a strong connection with the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and we honour these historical connections and look to the future with hope and a sense of purpose to continually develop a faith filled community inspired by the service of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first saint.

I thought I would share with you a little of my history and how it has shaped the pathway that I have travelled for most of my working life. At age 13, in Year 8, my Science Teacher opened up a whole new world. Donning a pristine, starched white lab coat and goggles and almost salivating at the prospect of playing with bunsen burners, chemicals, Vander Graff generator, dead frogs and rats, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up – a scientist.

Mary MacKillop College is excited to announce that as part of our teaching and learning program, all Year 8 students in 2014 will each be given an iPad. This is an exciting new initiative that will transform the teaching and learning at the College.

Education has changed dramatically in recent times and the use of personal mobile devices as a learning tool is becoming the norm for students. They use their smart phones for almost all forms of communication and to get immediate answers for their questions. They are the true digital generation and it is imperative that we as a school provide students with the opportunities to understand the use, application and potential of these types of devices.

Tuesday 18 March will be a night to remember. "1st place, Mary MacKillop College!", the announcer’s words still fresh in the mind of the girls who swam their heart out at the SACSSGSA Swimming Carnival at the Marion Aquatic and Leisure Centre. With tremendous squeals of delight from the swimming team and their supporters, our representatives eagerly accepted their victory plaque.

I’m sincerely honoured to be standing here today speaking to you as the 2012 Dux of Mary MacKillop College.

Every time I reminisce on my years at this school, I can’t help but think of my first day as a Mary MacKillop girl. It was especially daunting because I was the only girl from my primary school. But everyone; my teachers, the staff and my peers, were all so friendly and welcoming and I felt a part of the school community straight away.

It isn’t surprising that such great people are associated with a school that holds the values “know more, do more, be more” so closely to its heart. These values have been instilled in me for as long as I can remember and I’m truly appreciative of these words because they challenged me not only to know more academically, but as a person in my community who makes a conscious effort to do more to make a difference.

Mary MacKillop College is an intricate tapestry woven by our past, present and future. As we take a close look at this tapestry we see all the people who make up the narrative known as Mary MacKillop College.

One part of our story is shared in this image, as mother and daughter embrace both the first and last chapter of their MacKillop College tale. Staff members Jo Cirocco and Lina Polisena wish their daughters, Chiara (Year 8) and Elise (Year 12) success as they start the 2013 school year.