Principal

Dear Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College Community,

Lent

In our last edition of the Newsletter, I shared information and reflections on Ash Wednesday and Lent, and will provide more this week and also in the final edition for this term.

Below are some reflections by Sr Joan Chittester I have edited from this article https://joanchittister.org/articles/space-time-change-reflection-lent-it-should-be

Lent is meant to be a time out of time — a piece of life dedicated to rethinking all of it. It's time to ask where we were last year at this time and where we are now. Or, most of all, where we want to be. And what do we need to do to get there?

It's the moment to ask myself: Who am I? Who am I becoming? Have I become the person who walks right by someone I know wants my time and my understanding? Or worse, am I avoiding someone I'm afraid is looking for my help?

Lent has also always been, at base, time given to us to straighten things up a bit: our relationships, our outpourings of charity, our concentration on the things that really matter in life. It underscores the presence of the Spirit of Jesus, whose crucifixion calls us always to become more of the best of ourselves, to live forever to the depths of our souls. It is Lent that shows us what's under the superficialities of life and prods us to face them. 

Lent is not about giving up our candy or immersing ourselves in pain. Lent is about being honest with ourselves, changing what needs to change in our lives, making our world a better place, and growing into the Light. It is not about making up strange and useless penances, important as these may be to train us in self-control. It is about doing what needs to be done in these circumstances with a generous heart and an open soul.

From where I stand, Lent calls us to take the space and time we need to make the changes of life we need. It's about plotting our own renewal into a more placid, a more regular, a less hectic self. It's about sinking into the kind of personal reflection that brings us to confront the self for which we seek.

Lent is not a spiritual competition, a kind of "no pain, no gain" exercise of the soul. Lent is the time to renew the best in us. 

2026 Enrolments

It may seem a long way off, but we are already in the planning process for Year 7 enrolments for 2026.

This year, we have 116 students in Year 7, which is twenty more than the number in the last three years. Whilst this is highly pleasing and we were not at full capacity in terms of class sizes, we did have pressure placed on seating on our bus network, particularly from families coming from the western and southern ends of our catchment areas. West includes Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Loch, Bena, Poowong, Nyora. The South is areas from Cowes, San Remo, Wonthaggi and Inverloch. 

We were able to accommodate the additional students from these areas by working closely with our bus contractor, Westernport Buses which is part of the Dineen Group. However, this can only be done with enough time to make plans to adjust routes, and size of buses and as was the case for 2024 to add another bus to the routes. 

Therefore, I encourage all families looking to enrol their child at our College next year to commence the enrolment process now and have it completed by the closing date of 31 May 2025. We will always work with applications after that date, but as a matter of justice priority will be given to completed applications submitted on or before 31 May and according to our policy, which can be found here. However, for your information and convenience please see below the criteria applied to our enrolment process:

Enrolment in Catholic secondary schools is prioritised as follows:

I. Children baptised as Catholics and siblings of children already attending the school.

II. Catholic children who attend a Catholic school in the designated enrolment

catchment area.

III. Catholic children from non-Catholic schools whose families are active members of

the local parish.

IV. Children who have been enrolled in a Catholic school in the designated enrolment

catchment area.

V. Catholic children who attend a Catholic school but reside outside the designated

enrolment catchment area.

VI. Catholic children from non-Catholic schools who reside outside the designated

enrolment catchment area, who:

(a) cannot obtain a place in their designated secondary school; or

(b) can obtain a place in their designated secondary school, but choose not to

accept such a place.

VII. Children who have been enrolled in a Catholic school outside the designated

enrolment catchment area.

VIII. Catholic children who reside in other parishes and who could have gained enrolment

in their parish secondary school.

IX. Children from families who belong to any Orthodox Church.

X. Non-Catholic families seeking a Catholic education for their child/children.

Project Rockit

Thanks to John Ryan, Chris Spencer, and the Wellbeing Leaders – Jessica Stein, Stephen Ross-Bryant, and Ben Stein - for organising the Project Rockit presentations on Friday, 14 March to our Years 7 to 9 students. Thanks to all staff who attended.

Thanks as well to Anna Patterson and Rachel Collins as well as Maintenance Team on logistics and set-up.

NAPLAN

Thank you to Di Malloy, assisted by Laura Higgins and other all other staff scheduled to supervise or assist students in the successful NAPLAN testing for our Year 7 and 9 students. Thanks as well to Anna Patterson and Rachel Collins as well as Maintenance Team on logistics and set-up.

Year 7 Welcome Mass

It was great on last Wednesday night to see so many of our Year 7 families at our Year 7 Welcome Mass which was celebrated by Fr Darren Howie, from the Wonthaggi and Inverloch Parish.

Thanks to Nicole Dudman, Scott Blencowe, Jessica Stein, the Year 7 Homeroom Team - Julia Leslie, Jackie Van Dillen, Hannah Collocott, Nicole Buccilli, Travis Newton - and all other staff assisting in the preparation and celebration. Thanks as well to Kara Schwennesen and Amanda Campbell for their preparation of the supper afterward. Thanks as well to John Ryan, Chris Spencer, Cate Kavanagh, and Gerard Gordon for their participation.

Thank you to Beth Winterhalter and Meg Doherty who along with the choir as always provided wonderful voice to our hymns.

We also had several of our senior student leaders – Pat Wilson, Maeve Sutherland, Pheobe Cleveland, and Campbell Reid - which added to the sense of community.

Elevate

Thanks to Laura Higgins, Anna Patterson, and Rachel Collins for the organisation of rooms and staffing for the Elevate presentations this week. Thanks to all staff who supervised.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

Thanks to Edson Letendrie and Anna Patterson for all their work in preparation for Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews this week and next week.

I look forward to meeting with you during this time, as I have always found these opportunities to speak with families to be affirming and informative. So, please do not hesitate to come up and say hello.

Staff News

Congratulations to Sienna Falkingham and Nathan Denbrok who were married on the 1st of March 2025. It was a beautiful afternoon ceremony at Fern Valley in Mirboo North, surrounded by friends and family.

Congratulations to Nicole Dudman and Scott Blencowe who were elected as the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson respectively for the St Joseph’s and St Lawrence O’Tooles’s Joint Parishes Pastoral Council.

Sapientia Domini Docet Nos

John M Freeman