Learning Highlights

What a fun day out at the MacKillop Swimming Carnival!

Recently, students enjoyed the chance to swim their heart out at the Doone Kennedy Aquatic Centre. Cheering on their peers and showing their strong House Spirit, there were even a few novelty races to provide fun for all abilities.

Congratulations to Sion, who took out the Overall Winning House Shield. 

A special mention to Alex Stephens (Year 10) and Indi Page (Year 8) who took out King and Queen of the pool respectively. Well done to Alex for breaking several College records throughout the day. 

A big well done to all students who participated today and thank you to all staff who supported the success of this event.

Back-to-back Year 9/10 Division 1 AFL Premiers

A huge congratulations to our Year 9/10 Division 1 Boys, who produced an incredible comeback at Geilston Bay last night to claim a 2‑point Grand Final win over Hutchins with a score of 44-42.

After three quarters of tightly contested football, Hutchins broke away in the final term to lead by 16 points. Even with four minutes to go, the margin remained at 16, but the boys refused to give in. Goals to Luca (Year 10) and Hugo (Year 9) brought the game back to just 4 points with a minute left on the clock.

A brilliant centre clearance combination from Dexter and Angus (Year 10) set up a set shot from 50m out with just seconds remaining, and Angus calmly delivered the match‑winner to secure the premiership.

Congratulations to every player involved in the Grand Final and throughout the season. We now look ahead to a qualifier against Clarence High School for a chance to progress to the Tassie Hawks Cup.

Thank you to all students, families, and friends who came out to support the team. The atmosphere was outstanding. Thank you to the staff for coaching the team and Year 11 students Tom and Riley for their help as assistant coaches.

We’re incredibly proud of the football culture continuing to grow here at MacKillop, with back‑to‑back premierships in both our Year 9/10 and Year 7/8 Division 1 Boys programs, alongside strong results in the girls programs and the development of our First Grade boys' team.

Science Week fun!

Last week, the College celebrated Science Week with plenty of engaging activities for students to enjoy. With paper plane competitions, sun printing and some hot/cold science demonstrations, there was certainly something for everyone. 

Our Science Fair featured some amazing displays, including extracting DNA from fruits, which soft drink has the most caffeine and microplastics on the move. Students had the opportunity to hear from our budding scientists and vote on which creative display was their favourite.

A big thank you to the Science department for their efforts in making this week such a success. We look forward to many more scientific endeavours at MacKillop.

Book Week fun!

From 22-28 August, schools and libraries across Australia celebrated CBCA Book Week, an annual event that highlights the vital role of books, reading and storytelling in young people's lives. This year's theme, Symphony of Stories, celebrated the powerful connection between stories, creativity and imagination.

Throughout the week, MacKillop students participated in a range of book and music-themed activities hosted by the library, including performances by some of our talented student musicians and daily library scavenger hunts. 

A key focus of Book Week is the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, which recognise and celebrate outstanding Australian books for young people. The shortlisted and winning titles showcase the very best in Australian children's literature and provide students with opportunities to discover high-quality books across a range of genres and age groups.

The week culminated in our annual Book Week dress-up day, with both students and staff enthusiastically embracing the spirit of the event through an array of creative and imaginative costumes. Students who participate in our weekly Book Club also enjoyed a special afternoon tea, where they discussed several of the CBCA Book of the Year shortlisted titles and shared their thoughts on this year's outstanding books.

Marissa Allen, Library Manager

Vinnies Food Drive

Thank you to all the families who supported our Vinnies food drive this term. Vinnies is beyond grateful for the supportive Mackillop college community!

Certificate I Hospitality Transition to Citywide

As part of extending the skills developed in Certificate I Hospitality, one group of students have had the opportunity to transition into the Citywide program each Thursday. This experience provides a valuable real-world environment where students can further develop their hospitality knowledge and workplace capabilities through practical, hands-on learning.

At Citywide, students build on the skills learned in the classroom by participating in food packaging, cash handling, customer service, food preparation, and packdown. With approximately 60 members of the Timeout Group attending each week, students gain regular experience interacting with customers, processing transactions, and working as part of a hospitality team in a busy community setting supplying takehome packs and snacks. 

The program also provides important opportunities for students to develop social and communication skills. Through their ongoing involvement, students have formed meaningful connections with members of the Timeout Group and the wider community. The students have grown significantly in confidence, independence, and professionalism. Regular weekly participation has allowed them to build rapport with patrons, improve their interpersonal skills, and develop a strong contribution within the community. Citywide has become an important extension of the Certificate I Hospitality program, allowing students to apply their skills in an authentic environment while making a positive impact on others.

Kylie-Jane Chapple, Teacher - VET Hospitality

LawFest

LawFest 2026 was held at the University of Tasmania on Friday 28th August. Our Year 11 and 12 Legal Studies students travelled to the event to explore topical legal issues and to discover pathways into university and legal careers. 

Our students had the opportunity to not only listen to but meet His Honour Justice Beech-Jones, first Tasmanian High Court Justice. 

As part of the day, we attended a session about the Prospects for the International Legal Order Post-Trump with key speakers including Dr Matt Killingsworth, a Senior Lecturer in International Relations in the School of Social Sciences, and Julia Flint, who is Crown Counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Chair of the Tasmanian International Humanitarian Law Advisory Committee of Australian Red Cross. 

It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many like-minded students from around the State and for students to get a taste of what life could be like studying Law at UTAS.