Principal

Dear Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College Community,

Welcome back to the 2025 academic year.

Welcome back to 2025, and to all our new families, welcome to Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College. It has been great seeing students return, and we are enthusiastically looking forward to what will unfold in 2025.

At Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College, we refer to ourselves as a community.  One that welcomes all who we encounter, ensures everyone is safe, and works together —students, parents, and staff— for the common good. 

Success for students is achieved when their parents, guardians, or carers are actively engaged in their child’s learning, supported by a school that fosters collaboration. 

We are committed to creating in collaboration with you a learning environment where students can be safe, achieve their best, and develop into people who can make wise choices for themselves. 

Once again, welcome—we look forward to sharing this year’s journey with you.

Year 12 Retreat

On Monday, 3 Feb until Wednesday 5 February our Year 12s were on retreat at Waratah Beach Camp. This was a great experience for all who attended and a valuable opportunity for the students to connect with peers and teachers as well as reflect on their relationship with family, friends, and our loving God.

They have now returned to school after the three intensive days, and it is clear that they will be a cohesive cohort who will strive to make the most of the opportunities presented to them this year.

Thanks to all the staff - Nicole Dudman, Cade Maskell, Zac Cox, Hamish Duckmanton Gerard Gordon, Michelle Hackett, Sarah Roscoe-Smith, and Mary Tye, participating in the Year 12 Retreat.

Thank you to Nicole Dudman for all her preparation and thanks to Cade Maskell for his support.

Year 8 Camp

Following the Year 12s our Year 8s also spent time at Waratah Beach Camp, from Wednesday 5 February to Friday 7 February. The focus of this opportunity was for our students to form deeper friendships, challenge themselves, and to develop leadership skills.

Thank you to Steve Ross Bryant and all the staff – Nicole Dudman, Sienna Falkingham, Gerard Gordon, Carly Johnson, Michael McManamon, Sally Newton, Peter Preston, Sally Scouller, Rachel Rosse, Chris Spencer, and Aliesha Wrigley -for attending the Year 8 Camp.

Year 7 Laptop Rollout

Thank you to Edson Letendrie, Jess Stein, our IT Team, our Admin Team, Anna Patterson and Laura Higgins for their work in getting the laptops into the hands of our Year 7s in the first week. Edson also led the induction of the students in the fundamentals last week.

Student Leadership – Parish School Partnerships

Thanks to Scott Blencowe, who was assisted by Laura Kew, with organising and taking our student leaders to participate in liturgies at St Laurence O’Toole’s Primary School in Leongatha and St Joseph’s Primary School in Korumburra on Friday, 7 February.

College Photographs

Thank you to Anna Patterson, assisted by Rachel Collins, Adrienne Layton, Kaila Hutchinson, and all our office staff in organising the College Photographs on Monday 10 February.

The process ran smoothly and it was great to see our students present so resplendently in their Summer Uniform. Thanks to all families for their support.

House Swimming Carnival

Thank you, Travis Newton, and everyone who has supported him in the preparation for the House Swimming Carnival this Thursday, 13 February, at the Korumburra Pool.

This will be a great community event and all families are welcome to come and support your children.

Diocesan Assembly

This Friday and Saturday Nicole Dudman and I will be attending the Diocesan Assembly, which will be held at Federation University, Churchill.

The Diocesan Assembly process will aim: 

1. to acknowledge and affirm the strengths and best practices of our Diocese that we wish to continue to build on. 
2. to identify the significant challenges we face in our Diocese as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. 
3. to gain a clear picture of which pastoral goals and actions need to be given priority over the next five years, for our Diocese to develop towards becoming more Christ-centred, synodal, and missionary. 

I ask on behalf of Bishop Greg Bennet that we as a school community, pray to the Holy Spirit that:

"May we develop the courage to be people of mission, 

alert to opportunities,

always on the move,

bringing Good News to our needy world. 

Wind and Fire for one another.

Amen."

Achievers Assembly and 2024 Results 

We will hold our Achievers Assembly next Monday, February 17th, to recognise our top-performing VCE and VET students from 2024. Families are welcome to attend.

While we did celebrate our students' success last year, I have included some highlights from the Class of 2024 below.

Number of students presenting for VCE exams 52

Number with satisfactory completion 52

Top Five:

Sandra Dyke 98.55 and Dux

Noah Furness 97.1

Stella McGannon 92.8

Lillyca White 92.35

Jaime Little 90.5

• Median Study Score of 28
• Overall Study Scores of 40 or above 6.5%
• 15.38% of our individual students achieved at least one study score of 40 or above
• 9.62% of ATAR scores above 90
• 25.0% of ATAR scores above 80
• 28.3% of ATAR are in the top quarter
• 38.46% of ATAR scores above 70

Thank you to the teachers who have worked so well to get the most out of their students over the last six years. This comes from strong, effective teaching across a number of years.

There are several classes where multiple students have a study score of 40 or more – this only happens when the teacher really knows her or his business and has worked hard for their students.

Our Vocational Major learners have also done very well. 14 students were pursuing applied pathways and with notable success – of the 14:

• 4 have secured places in their preferred TAFE courses 
• 1 has gained a traineeship 
• 6 have begun employment 
• 3 are seeking TAFE / Employment

Congratulations to all students, as well as our staff, on the results for 2024. Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College is proud of you and of your achievements.

Year 7s 2025

Our 115 new Year 7s have started well and have already begun forming strong bonds with each other. Thanks to our Year 7 Wellbeing Team Jessica Stein, Jackie Van Dillen, Nicole Buccilli, Hannah Collocott, Julia Leslie, and Travis Newton for their work, and thank you to all the teachers who have taught the students for assisting in making the students feel welcome.  

Staff News

Welcome to New and Returning Staff:

New Staff

* New Role, Marie was here last year in the SSV Coordinator role, but this is an ongoing internal position.

^ Anna is the Acting Director of College Organisation for Term 1.

Returning from Extended Leave

Replacement

Tara Cox for Term 1

Sapientia Domini Docet Nos

John M Freeman