Edition 1,
15 February 2021

To the Mary Mackillop College Community, welcome back! I sincerely hope that you have all enjoyed your well earned break. A quick recap on last year, thank you to our Principal, Kath McGuigan, the Leadership Team and Staff for your resolve and the sustained effort to deliver the best possible outcomes for our students during trying and difficult circumstances. Whilst we were all tested, we have learned from the experience and have come back stronger.

The Board of Directors, as stewards of the Sisters of St Joseph, is committed to ensuring that the College is vibrant, progressive and is in the best position to offer girls' education to many generations of young women.

Congratulations to students in all year levels for your learning and developmental achievements, in particular to the graduating Class of 2020 for 100% SACE completion.

As you move around the College you will notice amenity improvements, one of significance is the much anticipated gym air conditioning. You will enjoy the benefits through the many activities and events that will take place in the gym.

Welcome to new and returning families. Conditions permitting, I look forward to meeting you at events throughout the year.

Gess Carbone
Chair of the Board

Welcome to the 2021 School Year!

A very warm welcome to the Year 7 and 8 students, who are attending Mary MacKillop College for the very first time. Some of you may already have connections with the College through sisters or cousins, or even, perhaps, your Mum or Grandmother is an old scholar. Whatever your situation – you are very much welcome and we hope that you enjoy the next few weeks as you settle into life at the College.

You will hear and see the term MacKillop Girl banded around the College. We like to say ‘Once a MacKillop Girl, always a MacKillop Girl’, and that is because you will be come apart of the Mary MacKillop story just by being part of the College community.

The other phrase you will hear is ‘All day every day’. Attendance is very important and research has shown there is a very high correlation between attendance and academic success.

Thank you to our parents for making that commitment, to come to our school. We are in partnership with you and if you have any concerns, I want you to contact us as soon as possible.

I believe that Mary MacKillop College is a unique school, we are a small school where relationships are nurtured, students are cared for and learning is challenging and fun.

For our Year 12 students this is their final year as secondary students, I welcome you back as the College leaders that you all are. One of the tasks I have set myself this year is to have some one-on-one time with each of you. It has often been said Year 12 is a very short year. This term you will have your Retreat and before you know it, you will be doing final exams and assignments and graduating from the College. Enjoy the journey. It will be difficult at times but your teachers and the rest of the College staff are here to support you.

We have a number of new staff at the College.

• Teagan Schmidt, who has returned to the College for Term 1 while Miescha Archibald continues her Maternity Leave.
• Joleen Hall, who will be with us for Term 1 while Louise Tyler takes some Leave.
• Jasmin Eckert, our new Year 9 Pastoral Care Coordinator
• Laura Whalan, who is teaching  Stage 1 and Stage 2 Psychology
• Jasmin Watkins, our new Music Co- Curricula Coordinator
• Melissa Couzner, who is taking on the new role of Future Pathways Coordinator
• Jayne Langley, our new Canteen Coordinator
• Judith Osborne, Learning and Wellbeing Support
• Domenique Violi, our new College Counsellor
• Stephanie Adam (Class of 2019), our new Sports Assistant

A number of key events have already taken place; Swimming Carnival, the SACE Merit Ceremony, which was a little bit different because of COVID restrictions, our Beginning of Year Mass and tonight we will have our Year 11 Formal. Schools are indeed busy places!

On Wednesday 3 February, we held a twilight event to honour our high achievers of 2020. Congratulations to our College DUX, Jasmine Masefield, who received an ATAR of 99.15 and our Proxime Accessit, Mia Carpinelli, who received an ATAR of 96.55. I commend our Merit recipients, Mia Carpinelli (Religious Education and Child Studies), Daniela Corbo (Child Studies), Jasmine Masefield (Research Project) and Julia Principe (Research Project), as well as our students who received an ATAR above 90 - Emily McCormack (96.30), Pia Piotto (96.30), Julia Principe (95.90), Grace Woods (94.90), Gurleen Kaur (94.65), Emily Salvatore (93.15), Isabella Fazzini (93.05) and Olivia Cavuoto (91.50). The recipient of our Mary MacKillop Award was Pia Piotto. Well done to the Class of 2020 for 100% SACE Completion and, of course, your resilience and perseverance during a very challenging year.

Our theme for the year is ‘Courage and Justice’. Both words come from the Values in our Strategic Plan.

• Courage: We are ready to meet challenges and take risks in the service of others
• Justice: We uphold what is fair and right, taking care of those who are vulnerable

We will explore what these two words mean this year and how we have seen examples of these virtues in the past and the present, and how we as people of hope can continue to demonstrate these values.

We look forward to a busy and very exciting Term 1 full of learning and fun.

Kath McGuigan
Principal

On behalf of the staff, I extend a very warm and happy Term One welcome to all in the College community. We are delighted to be back and look forward to working with you as we share your daughter’s learning journey throughout 2021. With a multitude of initiatives on the calendar, our daily calling to care for our students is a priority shared by all. After a smooth beginning, they seem to have settled well into their new Pastoral Care classes, and I thank you in advance for being positive and with your daughter as they acclimated to the New Year.

The College theme of the year is Courage and Justice. I would encourage you to take note of John 14:27, 'Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hands be troubled, neither let them be afraid.'

Communication between school and home is of paramount importance. Parents are urged to read the newsletter that comes out three times a term by logging on to SEQTA Engage. For all students, the start of a new academic year brings about a number of changes involving teachers and routines, new subjects and timetables, homework and study commitments, co-curriculum activities and so on. Whist the changeover is usually very smooth, it can take a while for some students to adjust. Should you have any queries or concerns regarding your daughter’s transition into their new year level, please do not hesitate to contact the appropriate Pastoral Care / subject teacher. Staff members are available via telephone, email or direct message. Students in Years 10-12 will from the start of the New Year use SEQTA Learn and will access their eDiary as they do not receive a formal College diary anymore.

The Year 7 Parent Information Evening will be held on Tuesday 8 February in your daughter’s classroom. The evening will start at 7.00pm.

Enjoy the year ahead and please remember that you are very welcome to contact the College at any time should you have a question or a concern

Louis de Jager
Deputy Principal

Welcome back to Mary MacKillop College for 2021, I especially extend a warm welcome to those joining our community for the first time. Ours is a College with a rich tradition, of which you are now a part. The first term is always a busy one in schools and MacKillop is no exception. We have Swimming and Athletics Carnival, Saturday sport, music rehersals, camps and excursions.

Then of course, there are the new subjects, lockers and teachers to remember as well. It is vital then that students are present each day or as we like to say ‘All day every day’ to assist in a smooth transition. By being at school, each day, the girls build new relationships or strengthen existing ones and the sense of belonging grows. This is essential for positive wellbeing and building resilience. Our wellbeing framework is affectionately known as CCROPS, through engaging in Pastoral Care sessions and all that College life has to offer we hope that upon graduating MacKillop Girls have grown in Compassion, Connection, Resilience, Optimism, Perseverance and Self-assurance, helping them take their rightful place in society as confident young leaders. You will hear more about CCROPS as the year unfolds.

I draw your attention to the Year 7-12 Parent Evening on Tuesday 16 February. We are very fortunate to have Bill Hansberry from Hansberry Educational Consulting join us to present ‘Raising Teens with Grit’. Bill will provide practical skills, tips and advice to help parents be the best resilience coach for their daughters to navigate life's ups and downs. This is a wonderful opportunity for all parents and we strongly encourage attending. The evening will also provide families with a chance to meet their daughter’s Pastoral Care Coordinator and teachers. More information will come in the following days.

I wish everyone a ‘calm’ and enjoyable start to the school year and look forward to working in partnership with you to best support your daughters.

Lauren Sutton
Director of Students

Swimming Carnival

Where would you find jars of vegemite, bottles of tomato sauce, icons from Kath & Kim and plenty of team spirit? The annual Mary MacKillop Swimming Carnival is the answer! The Norwood Swimming Pool was inundated with students dressed in all things Australia on Friday 29 January. Many students took to the water to participate in the traditional swimming events and the very popular novelty events. I commend our four House Captains, Amber (Tenison), Ava (Flora), Rosalie (Tappeiner) and Stephanie (Alexander) on their outstanding leadership and enthusiasm displayed throughout the carnival and during the lead up.

On behalf of the Sports Department and the College, we would like to congratulate the following age group Champions and runners up:

• U/13 Runner Up: Sophie
• U/13 Champion: Olivia
• U/14 Runner Up: Keeleigh
• U/14 Champion: Sophia
• U/15 Runners Up: Sienna
• U/15 Champion: Ella
• U/16 Runner Up: Amelia
• U/16 Champion: Arabella
• 16+ Runner Up: Tess
• 16+ Champion: Ava

Our fastest swimmer in the school for 2021, for the second year in a row, was Ella. Congratulations on an outstanding performance Ella.

Tappeiner House, under the guidance and leadership of House Captain, Rosalie, were the Spirit Award winners. They cheered, danced and sang all day long.

This year, Flora won the shield - the first time since 2009! The results were:

• Fourth Position: Tappeiner with 234 points
• Third Position: Alexander with 381 points
• Second Position: Tenison with 461 points
• First Position: Flora with 480 points

Congratulations to all members of Flora and to House Captain, Ava.

We look forward with excitement to the Athletics Carnival on Friday 12 March (Week 7) and cannot wait to see many students participating, dressing up and supporting their house.

Other Sport reminders

• Term 1 Sport commences in Week 3, both training and games
• The training schedule and weekly schedule for Saturday sport can viewed via the Sport Portal page on SEQTA
• Students are reminded to arrive 20 minutes prior to their scheduled game time
• All absences from training and games must be communicated to the College Sport Coordinator Ms Zoe Duffy via 0413 821 699
• Morning Swim squad training commences on Wednesday 10 February
• The SACSSGSA Swimming Carnival will take place on Wednesday 24 March (Week 9) – students will be notified shortly if they have been selected for the swim team
• A number of uniform items for Sport are now available for purchase. An order form can be found on the Sport Portal Page on SEQTA.

Zoe Duffy
Sports Coordinator

Hello, my name is Melissa Couzner and I am the Future Pathways Coordinator at Mary McKillop College.  I have many great activities planned for all the girls at the College from Years 7-12, planting career seeds through to growing and guiding the students on their career pathway.

A bit about me… I have been working as a private careers consultant for the past 10 years, working with individuals ranging from school students through to executives across all industries. My experience also includes over 15 years' experience in Recruitment, Training and Management, where I have developed extensive recruitment, career consulting and career coaching experience with a wealth of knowledge and experience in career pathways. I have a strong desire and commitment to assist young people in achieving their goals through providing career advice, guidance and support and am so excited to be working with all of the Mary MacKillop girls.

During Term 1, I will be working closely with the Year 12 students and later in the year, the Year 10 and 11 students. For all interested Year 12 students, the College will fund an in-depth careers assessment for each student, which will include:

• The Career Interests Profiler: assesses a student’s interest in a variety of activities, industries and occupations to identify potential career paths and areas of study. It is designed to help them discover the type of work they are most likely to enjoy.
• Career Personality Profiler: The Career Personality Profiler is based on the theory of psychological types described by Swiss psychiatrist C.G Jung and Isabel Myers. It assesses four aspects of a student’s personality based on the following scales: Informer-Reflector, Producer-Creator, Analyser-Helper and Planner-Adapter.

I will then meet with each student to discuss in detail the industries and occupations identified in the assessments focussing on potential career paths and areas of study for each student. Outside of school hours, sessions can be arranged for Year 12s, or even during their free lessons. All students and parents will be provided with more information over the coming weeks.

I would love to speak with any parents and their daughters about future pathways and can be contacted via phone (08) 8333 6300 or email mcouzner@marymackillop.sa.edu.au.  I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Casual/Part-time Job Opportunity - Alma Tavern

Alma Tavern is looking to hiring two junior food runners. They are looking for candidates who have good availability on weekends. Hours they are looking to fill are for after school during the week on their busier nights, Saturday nights and some dayshifts during the school holidays.

If you are interested, please send your resume to Sarah Leaney (Functions Manager) functions@almatavern.com.au 

Sarah has said that she is also happy for any interested students to drop their resume into her after school. If you are keen, this is a great opportunity and you can go in your school uniform.

If you are planning to apply, please let me know, and if you need any assistance with your job application, please don’t hesitate to pop into my office or send me an email.

VET Courses at Queensford

Queensford College based in Adelaide’s CBD have some vacancies in the following VET courses commencing this term in mid-late February.

• Certificate III in Micro Business Operations
• Certificate in Early Childhood Education & Care
• Certificate III in Hospitality
• Certificate III in Individual Support – Ageing
• Certificate III in Fitness

If any students are interested in any of the above courses, please contact me as soon as possible.

Melissa Couzner
Future Pathways Coordinator

The holidays have provided us all with a much-needed break from classes, school work, extracurriculars and much more. While some of us can switch from laying around watching TV to producing assignments with no problem, others might have a difficult time focusing or getting back into the swing of their academic routines. To help you get back on track, I have come up with some tips on balancing study, a part-time job and sport while staying motivated.

1. Establish a dedicated study space: There are so many things to do at home, from watching TV to snap chatting, it’s easy to get distracted. You need a quiet space where you can hide away and focus solely on your studies. Whether it’s a whole room or a corner in your bedroom, fill your study space with inspiration, such as quotes and images that remind you of your goals. Keep all of your study materials in this space, so you don’t waste time searching for things.
2. Get creative to carve out more study time: There are many ways you can schedule study into your day around part time work and sport. If you catch public transport to work, consider doing some study on your commute. If you drive to and from work, audiobooks could be a good option. If you have Free lessons find a quiet space to squeeze in 45-mins of study. Think creatively to find those opportunities outside of traditional study time.
3. Set a study goal: Know what you’d like to achieve in each study session and use your allocated time to work towards that goal. Prioritise your tasks and start bigger assignments in plenty of time. To keep our brains performing at their peak, some experts recommend studying for 50 minutes, then taking a 10-minute break. Having short study sessions every day, or every few days, ensures the material remains fresh in your mind, and gives you time in between to digest what you are learning.
4. Keep healthy: When we’re busy, it’s easy to stop exercising and eat more fast food, but at these times it’s more essential than ever to stay healthy. To make sure you can stay on top of your work and study, stick to a healthy eating plan and get some exercise each day. Exercise boosts the chemicals in our brains that help us deal with stress. It also releases endorphins, which make us happy and reduce anxiety. Cardiovascular workouts can even help create new brain cells and improve overall brain performance!
5. Reward yourself: It’s important to reward yourself when you meet your study goals. This keeps you motivated and gives you something to look forward to. So, treat yourself, go out with friends or buy that dress you’ve been eyeing off. You deserve it!

Melissa Couzner
Future Pathways Coordinator