<b>Edition 8,</b><br>26 August 2022

Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival

by Rachel Scott

On Thursday 11 August, 70 students from Years 7 to 11 travelled to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and performed in the Wakakirri Dance-Story Festival among 13 other primary and secondary schools. As courageous and confident young women, MacKillop girls embraced the opportunity to shine.

Year 7 Student, Sienna said "What an experience!... I am grateful to have had this opportunity to represent my school. I am really proud of our performance... Thank you Mrs Scott for making this day possible.”

Months ago, during planning, our students were inspired by and resonated with the theme, 'facing your challenges' and thus chose to tell the story, 'Journey to Oz', which is also our 2022 College production.

MacKillop girls are always striving to be more sustainable. As such, it was important we reuse and recycle costumes and props, such as old College basketball jerseys props.

Wakakirri judge, Alix Kuijpers said “Mary MacKillop College gave a high energy performance that showcased a mirage of invigorating dance styles performed with technical prowess. The performers were technical and captivating!”.

Other Wakakirri judge, Amanda Philips agreed saying, “The production was a high impact spectacle - engaging and energetic in bringing the story to life through strong production standards and a flood of well paced scenes. There was strong and animated characterisation and a cast filled with capable and skilled dancers that can continue to extend their art form and in turn assist in creating choreography that traverses the stage in new ways specific to the characters being portrayed. Keep reaching for the stars and keep on performing everyone. Journey To Oz was a wonderful visual feast ending with a striking finale and tableau. Congratulations to you all!”

Our girls were awarded

Excellent Group Dance,
Excellent Solo Dance,
Excellent Polished Performance,
Best Direction: Choreography and
Excellent Overall Makeup and Hair.

In addition, they were nominated for the National Festival Award for Entertainment Story.

I would like to thank the College and our community for supporting us through our first performance at the festival and Waikikirri for their hard work and dedication to student engagement, emotional and physical wellbeing, community impact and the Arts. I would also like to offer my thanks to staff and Arts Captains, Analissa and Mia, without whom the day would not have run as smoothly. Lastly, thank you to the performers; thank you for your commitment, passion and teamwork, all of which you displayed both on and off stage.

Poetry in Action

by Mini Del Corso

In a world where technology dominates and people are incessantly glued to their screens for entertainment, it was refreshing to expose students to the joys of live performance. On Wednesday 17 August, performing artists, Poetry In Action, entertained Mary MacKillop College students through “bringing poetry to life through performance”.

Students in Year 7 and 8 attended the performance United Nations of Poetry which focussed upon poetry throughout the ages and from around the world. From the love poetry of Ancient Egypt to poems from Japan, Europe, and the Middle East, to modern day verse focussing upon the war in Ukraine, junior students learnt how poetry was a verbalisation of thoughts, emotions, and sensory awareness.

Year 7 Student, Ava thought "it was unique how they presented each of the poems and the whole show."

Josephine agreed saying "It was great how they went through so many different poems in such a creative way."

"I thought it was very entertaining and was really impressed with how well the troupe acted out the scenes. It really made a lot of sense." Sienna added.

Hazel was impressed "how they memorized their lines in such a short amount of time."

Year 9, 10 and 11 students, conversely, attended Riots and Revolutions where they gained an appreciation of how logos, pathos and ethos were employed in appealing to diverse audiences. They also learnt how figurative language and rhetorical devices could be powerful tools to motivate people to demand action and act for change, as well as alter attitudes and perspectives. Through their presentation and analysis of an array of poems and speeches, MacKillop students were enthralled and entertained for 60 minutes. From poems such as The Charge of the Light Brigade by Lord Alfred Tennyson to analysing addresses from modern-day advocates including Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousufzai and Emma Gonzalez, to political songs such as The Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil, MacKillop students were awed in their appreciation of the power of the word.

Year 11 Student, London said "The Poetry In Action performance was not only an incredible rendition of poetry and famous speeches, but it was also an intelligent production encouraging deeper meaning. The performers were talented presenters and entertainers, as well as great educators spreading the message that language was important."

Emily said "I really enjoyed the presentation and learnt a lot about the power of words. There was so much in the presentation to which young people could relate."

As ambassadors of poetry, the troupe also encouraged students to enter its poetry competition where they could possibly find fame and fortune. If their poem were to be selected as the winning entry for 2022, not only would they receive $500 in prize money, but their work would be performed in a production in 2023.

Student entries can be submitted here.

Mason, Rob and Emily enjoyed performing for our MacKillop students and were thrilled by the subsequent Q&A sessions.

A sincere thank you to our community for being an awesome, respectful and attentive audience.

Rosa Matto Regional Italian Cooking Workshop

by Mary Lepore

Earlier this term, Year 9 to 12 Italian students had the opportunity to connect with wider community and participate in a cooking workshop with Rosa Matto.

Students were able to learn about the influences on regional Italian cuisine before choosing a dish to prepare in small groups. The dishes to prepare were reflective of the diverse regional influences and included making spaghetti using an instrument in Italian called la chitarra (guitar). The students were particularly keen to try this technique of making pasta by strumming on la chitarra. Other dishes included gluten free gnocchi, chicken schnitzel, beans and potatoes and cauliflower fritters. These dishes were followed by two wonderful desserts including a chocolate salami and torta caprese. A highlight for the students was enjoying the fruits of their labour in a shared meal together.

Students were very appreciative of this practical opportunity to experience the Italian culture and we thank Rosa and her helper, Nancy, for sharing their knowledge and passion about regional Italian food.

Below is some feedback from students:

"We really enjoyed the opportunity to meet Rosa Matto and learn from her years of experience. Many of us never knew about the differences between regions, and our perspective of what we considered Italian food has changed. Making pasta was a highlight, and the torta caprese that our group made was certainly a hit. It was also a lovely experience to have a sit-down meal together and taste everything we had made. For some of us, we had never experienced the rich cultural traditions that accompany an Italian meal, such as saying a prayer and ‘Buon Appetito!’

Overall, the session was fun-filled, and we learnt a lot from Rosa. But the best part, of course, was the delicious food we tried!" - Kahlea, Olivia and Olivia

"We enjoyed learning about the history behind regional Italian foods. Something new that we learnt was about the ancient pasta tool that originated in Abruzzo. It is used to make spaghetti and is a very intelligent creation that has been passed down through generations. This workshop was a brilliant opportunity, and it was interesting to learn from Rosa and Nancy, two very talented women." - Laila and Alessia

"We are delighted to have participated in this for the second year in a row. Aside from learning to cook some delicious recipes, we have had the opportunity to further our learning. The past two years, we have learnt lots about traditional recipes and the regions of Italy which they came from and for this, we are very grateful. We would like to give a huge thank you to Rosa Matto and Nancy for taking time out of their days to come and teach us." - Alexandra, Olivia and Alessia

"Our group made the two sauces of pumpkin and seeds and a simple tomato and basil sauce. We also helped with rolling the gnocchi with the gnocchi board and cooking the pasta and gnocchi. At the end of the day, we sat down and enjoyed the three-course meal we had prepared. We really enjoyed this experience with Rosa as we learnt how to make new dishes, which some of us have never made." - Lucy, Olivia and Alicia

"We really enjoyed the Italian cooking with Rosa Matto and Nancy. It was interesting learning how to make hand-made pasta with a device called a chitarra. Trying the foods from the different Italian regions at the end was a unique experience. Overall, we applied our culinary skills in a way we had not before, broadened our understanding of regional Italian foods and had lots of fun." - Zarah, Jennifer and Kelsey

"I enjoyed making Spaghetti alla Chitarra as it is from my family’s region in Italy. It was also my first time using the chitarra which I found to be really fun." - Jessie

Science Week

by Josie Spizzo

2022 has been declared by the UN as the International Year of Glass in recognition of a material that has been described as one of the most important, versatile and transformative materials of history.

Glass is at the heart of global transformation in communication, space exploration, technology, transport and global sustainability.

We cannot live the way we do without glass. Glass touches virtually every aspect of our lives. From fibre optics, the internet, mobile phones, medicine, energy production and a huge array of other everyday uses, glass plays an indispensable role in improving everyone’s quality of life.

This humble material made from sand holds countless possibilities for the future and will continue to play a huge role in helping us live more sustainably.

On Monday 14 to Friday 18 August, students from Years 7 to 12 celebrated National Science Week and explored the theme, "Glass: More than Meets the Eye".

In Science lessons students in Years 7 and 8 learned about the manufacture and sustainability of glass as well as the different types of glass and their current and future uses.

The Year 7 and 8s also participated in a livestream performance titled “Window to the World”, which reinforced and extended their understanding of the everyday impact of glass, how it helps global communications and health and how it is driving a sustainable future.

Year 9 students explored the interaction of light with lenses and fibre optics. They also attended the Micro-X National Science Week event, "Seeing Things Differently” at Tonsley Park.

Year 9 student, Jenna said “My favourite part of visiting Flinders University was going to the stalls, especially the one where I received my pipette licence.” Gemma said “My favourite part of this excursion was the virtual reality as it was really enjoyable and fun."

Angel enjoyed “learning about how sustainable our houses are and what percentage of sustainability we have in our households.”

Science Club planned and designed a display for the breezeway. Throughout the week, posters and decorative stained-glass ornaments were added.

A number of Year 11 and 12 students attended a Q&A Session via Zoom with Old Scholar, Professor Doctor Jessica Dempsey. During the session, Jessica gave students an insight into her post-secondary studies and career journey. She also answered questions about science, astronomy, careers in science and the challenges of being a woman in science.

Students were inspired, one Year 11 student saying “I think that Prof Dr Jessica Dempsey is an extremely inspirational woman that had a lot of experience to share. Her ideas about women in STEM careers was moving and encouraged my thought process about where I want to go beyond high school. I also found that her journey from high school to where she is today was really cool to learn about and definitely provided some motivation to work towards the bigger picture”.