Principal

Dear Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College Community,

Welcome to Term 4. It has already been a very busy first two weeks.

Student Leadership 2026

I am pleased to announce that the following students have been selected as our Justice Leaders for 2026:

They will join Gabriella Davidson and Henri Bott, our College Captains, and Erin Dell and Neon Jijo Cherian, our Vice-Captains, as members of the 2026 Student Mission Team.

 Congratulations to you all.

Finally, thank you to Nicole Dudman and Scott Blencowe for their work in leading the selection process.

Positions of Leadership 2026 to 2028

We are currently undertaking the process of interviewing and appointing teaching Positions of Leadership for the next three years.

Whilst that process is still in progress, I am pleased to advise the following senior appointments:

• Jasmine Jones, POL 4 Years 7 to 9 Wellbeing Team Leader.              
• Cade Maskell,  POL 4 Years 10 to 12 Wellbeing Team Leader. 

I want to thank all applicants for the positions, both internal and external, for their consideration and thorough applications, as well as for the preparation they undertook for the interviews.

Thank you as well to the other members of the interview panel:

John Ryan                   Deputy Principal Wellbeing – Students and Staff

Chris Spencer           Deputy Principal -Culture, Excellence and Growth

Bekk Anthony             Director of College Organisation

I have no doubt Jasmine and Cade will receive your congratulations and support in working together to serve all members of the College community in this vital area.

Celebrating 15 Years Since the Canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

The 17th of October marks the 15th anniversary of the canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop — Australia’s first saint and a woman whose life continues to inspire faith, courage, and compassion. In 2010, before thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Mary MacKillop a saint of the universal Church. It was a moment of great pride and joy for Australians and for all who her story has touched.

Mary MacKillop devoted her life to serving those most in need, particularly in rural and struggling communities. With courage and determination, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, establishing schools and places of care throughout Australia and New Zealand so that every child no matter their circumstance could receive an education and experience God’s love.

Fifteen years on, her legacy lives strongly in Catholic schools, including Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College, parishes, and communities that follow her example of faith in action. Her words, “Never see a need without doing something about it,” remain a guiding light for us all. As we celebrate this milestone, may we continue to live with the same spirit of hope, generosity, and trust in God that St Mary of the Cross embodied.

Farewell, Class of 2025

Wednesday, 15 October, was the final day of formal classes for our Year 12 students, and on Thursday, 16 October, they attended their last College Assembly. To celebrate the Class of 2024’s time at Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College, we have had several events. 

These included “Anything but a bag” day on Monday, “Crazy Hair” day, and a Dodgeball game on Tuesday between the Year 12 and the Year 11 students. 

On Monday, the Class of 2025 planted their Graduation Tree on the driveway, leading up to the school. This is a relatively new tradition that commenced in 2019, and each tree is marked by a plaque that includes the College's annual theme, which for this year is “Keep your mind in peace...for you have done your best.” Mary MacKillop – 1890 & 1898."

Thursday, 16 October, the students commenced at 7.30 a.m. with a breakfast prepared by staff, which was followed by the cohort gathering together to share memories, open the time capsules they made in Year 7, and acknowledge each other. A moving and joyous whole-school assembly followed this activity. The Year 12s entered Pioneer Hall, dancing and celebrating on the stage to the applause of the staff and Years 7 to 11 students. The highlight of the assembly was each student being called individually to be acknowledged by the community and to receive a commemorative gift.

That night, the students gathered for the last time, first at the Graduation Mass at St Joseph’s, Wonthaggi, and then at the Silverwater Resort in San Remo for dinner.

Below is an edited version of my address to the students at the College assembly on Thursday:

To the graduating class of 2025, I say on behalf of all of the Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College community, we are proud of you. We want you to know that you have done exceptionally well this year. We are proud of your achievements, and we hope you are proud of yourselves for what you have accomplished over the last 13 years of primary and secondary education.

You have faced challenges, taken up opportunities, been of great support to each other, and are genuine role models with a strong sense of community. 

It may be trite to say this, because everyone does, but it remains true that you have left the College a better place for having been here. 

So, we have two hopes for you.

First, we hope that you continue in your life to be the epitome of the key elements of our College Vision, Mission, and Strategic intent as you journey into the wider world, and these are:

• Be a person who is welcoming to others.
• Strive to keep learning throughout your life.
• Be guided by the inspiration of St Mary of the Cross, MacKillop, and the Josephite charism, particularly that challenge to “Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It”; and to
• Live out our motto Sapientia Domini Docet Nos, The Wisdom of the Lord Teaches Us, by remembering the past, honouring the present, and inspiring the future of all those you love and work with throughout life’s journey.

Second, consider that there is a big difference between being happy and merely comfortable. Yet, we often seek comfort, believing it will fully satisfy us.

As Brené Brown reminds us, “You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot have both.” And in the words of T.S. Eliot, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

Comfort offers safety, security, and the assurance that all your basic needs — and often more — are met. It is a privilege and, in many ways, a luxury. But comfort does not necessarily bring happiness. It invites rest, not growth. A life of comfort can become a sheltered one — lacking the spark of enthusiasm, creativity, and adventure that makes us feel fully alive.

Happiness, on the other hand, demands risk. It asks us to stretch ourselves, set goals, fail, and try again. Failure is not defeat but a teacher — an opportunity to learn, improve, and become who we are meant to be.

Comfort keeps us where we are; happiness pulls us toward what we could be. To appreciate joy, we must accept struggle; to understand light, we must know shadow.

So, I am not asking you to seek unhappiness — only to resist the temptation to settle. Because the greater risk in life is not failure or discomfort but living safely and never discovering how far you could have gone.

So, what do you want — to be happy, or just comfortable?

Well, as graduates of Mary Mackillop Catholic Regional College, I hope that you choose to be happy.

Before concluding, I want to point out to all present, if it has not dawned on you yet, this is the last time we will see this group of fine young people gathered with us. 

Furthermore, this is the second last time that they will all be gathered together – the last time will be this evening at our Valedictory Mass and Dinner. So, can I ask that we all show our acknowledgment of the Class of 2025?

Finally, I again congratulate you, our Graduands of 2025, and thank you most sincerely for your contribution to our school.  We all wish you every blessing and the best of success. Please remember that you are always welcome here, and we will be delighted to hear about your future successes.

God bless and go well, Class of 2025.                           

Staffing News 

This term, we welcome:

Millie Ellen as a Learning Support Officer: and 

Bec Carmody as a Student Health Officer.

We also welcome back Tracey Bugbird from Long Service Leave.

At the end of the term break, we farewelled Sharon Kraehenbuhl, our Finance Officer, and wished her the best of success.

Finally, Nia Robinson and Sienna Falkingham both commenced maternity leave from Monday, 20 October.  We wish Nia and her husband David, as well as Sienna and her husband Nathan, well as they prepare for the birth of their children.

 Sapientia Domini Docet Nos