Principal

Dear Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College Community,

House Swimming Carnival

Following last week’s House Swimming Carnival, I would like to congratulate the students who achieved the distinction of Age Group Champion. These students demonstrated outstanding performance, determination, and sportsmanship across the day's events.

Our 2026 Age Group Champions are:

Year 7

Boys:                           Tully Chapman

Girls:                           Mahalia Elford

Girls Multiclass:         Zoe Cox

Year 8

Boys:                           Jordan Gallicchio

Girls:                           Emily Croatto

Year 9

Boys:                           Nathan Jimmy

Girls:                           Nyah Chapman

Girls Multiclass:         Gemma Cook

Year 10

Boys:                           Nate Coffey

Girls:                           Isabel Croatto

Year 11

Boys:                            Ned Sheahan

Girls:                           Claudia Croatto

Year 12

Boys:                           Henri Bott

Girls:                           Heidi Nicholas

These students will be formally recognised and presented with their medals at our End-of-Term Liturgy and Assembly on Wednesday, 1 April.

At that assembly, we will also acknowledge the Athletics Age Group Champions and announce the overall House points from both the Swimming and Athletics Carnivals.

Congratulations to all these students on their achievements and for contributing to the positive spirit of participation and House pride evident throughout the carnival.

Finally, thank you to Ms Jessica Cox for her leadership and organisation and thanks to all who assisted throughout the day.

Achievers’ Assembly – Speech from our 2025 Dux – Anna Rowe

One of the highlights of our Achievers Assembly is hearing the thoughts of the College Dux.  In my experience over the years, the reflections and advice delivered by these very impressive people are invaluable, and the following is the wisdom shared by Anna Rowe:

It is such a genuine privilege to be standing here today, and I would like to begin by thanking the people who helped get me here. 

Thank you to all of my teachers throughout the years for their dedication, patience and constant encouragement. Thank you to my parents for their unwavering support and belief in me. And thank you to all of my peers and friends who shared this journey alongside me and made these years far more enjoyable and memorable than I could have ever imagined. 

Upon reflecting on my time at school, one of the biggest lessons that I learned was that success is rarely the result of one extraordinary moment. More often, it is built through small, consistent choices made over time, and through finding what works best for you. 

Countless times, especially throughout Years 11 and 12, people would quantify a certain number of hours of study or a number of tasks that needed to be completed in order to succeed. And while that advice is often well-intentioned, I quickly realised that there is no single formula that works for everyone. Throughout VCE, we were given many recommended study strategies: mind maps, summary notes and task booklets, and for many of my peers, these worked brilliantly. But if I’m being honest, I never did get the hype around the mindmaps (sorry, Ms Tye).

What did help the most, though, was consistency. Doing the small things well. Keeping up to date, even when motivation was low. Asking questions when I was unsure, and steadily building habits that suited me. 

Of course, even when you do find what works for you, the journey is rarely perfect. A couple of months into year 12, I actually failed my first Methods SAC. At the time this felt defining. It felt like the beginning of everything unravelling. But looking back, this was simply one small setback. By the end of the year, I was genuinely happy with my result, not because it was perfect but because I knew I had worked hard and continued despite this setback. 

What made moments like that manageable was the support I was surrounded by. I was fortunate enough to have some of the most incredible Year 12 teachers who were generous with not only their knowledge but also their time and encouragement. I’d like to thank Ms Hogan in particular for not letting that moment define me and for never giving up on us all. As well as Ms Tye and Mr Cox, who were always there to listen, encourage, and help me keep perspective, especially when that SAC didn’t go as planned,

Another thing I’ve realised since graduating is that an ATAR score is not nearly as significant as it may seem. I’m sure you have all heard teachers say that your ATAR does not define you, and I hate to say it, but they are definitely right on that one. Right now, especially for students in senior years, there is probably this big buildup around this final score and what it can mean for your future, but if I’m being perfectly honest, the whole results thing was pretty anticlimactic. Within a matter of days of them being released, people stopped asking about scores, and everyone moved on. Since that day, each and every one of my peers has found a pathway that works for them, regardless of whether it was one that they had planned all along or not. 

Of course, this is not to say that effort and hard work aren’t important, because they certainly are. What matters most is that you can look back and know you did your best, that you showed up, stayed consistent, and gave your all, and that, in itself, is something to be proud of, regardless of the outcome. 

Looking around this room, I’ve also come to see that success comes in many forms, far beyond what a score can measure. Some of the hardest-working, most talented, and most resilient people I know won’t be recognised by an ATAR. They’re the ones who spent early mornings and late nights at training, long afternoons in rehearsals, hours perfecting a folio or completing a trade placement, showing up consistently in ways that don’t appear on a report. 

This school speaks often about Respect, Wisdom, Responsibility and Courage. Looking back, I realise these are not just words on a wall. Respect is showing up each day and valuing the opportunities in front of you. Responsibility is doing the small things well, even when no one is watching. Courage is continuing after the SAC you wish had gone differently. And wisdom is learning that growth is rarely linear, and that your path does not have to look like anyone else’s. 

To all of today’s award recipients, congratulations. You have been recognised for your dedication, talent, and resilience, and I hope you continue to carry these qualities forward. And to the class of 2026, I wish you the best of luck with the year to come. 

Thank you 

Staff News

Glen McGinley’s final day at the College is Friday, 6 March. We are grateful for Glen’s contribution to the College during his time with us and thank him for his commitment to his students and colleagues. I am working through arrangements to ensure continuity for classes and key responsibilities, and further information will be provided as required. We wish Glen the best of success in his future endeavours.

Sapientia Domini Docet Nos

John M Freeman