PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

There are so many great things that are happening in our school every day. We have students and staff who work hard to get the best out of every day. Sometimes this can be hard, as we all have challenging days. I am grateful this week for students who have stood up and spoken up about an act of racism in our community.

As a community we have expectations, and one of those is to be able to attend school/work and feel safe. There have been an increasing number of occurrences where we have had to manage students who have used inappropriate language that is offensive to students of other cultures. We have dealt with this recent occurrence and will continue to remind our students about respect and dignity. I would appreciate parents and guardians having these conversations at home too and encouraging your child to speak up when they see or hear acts of racism or discrimination.

I would like to congratulate Year 11 student Billy O’Toole on receiving a Colin Sinclair Scholarship to trek the Kokoda Trail later this year. Billy completed an application process and is one of five students from the electorate of Murray Plains who received this amazing opportunity, supported by Swan Hill RSL, Freemasons Foundation Victoria, Moama Bowling Club and Kyabram Club. I look forward to hearing about Billy’s journey.

I don’t usually get involved in public statements about politics, however, announcements made this week by the Allan government have caused me concern. The Allan Labor Government has announced in the 2024-25 State budget that all government school students will receive a $400 School Saving Bonus, however, only holders of Health Care Cards in Catholic schools will be eligible. There is a serious equity issue with this announcement. I know that many of our families work hard to meet the ongoing costs of living pressures. This is a welcome bonus, for those who will receive it, however, I believe that there should be equality for all children in Victoria. 

I will be writing to our local member, Mr Peter Walsh MP. I encourage you to read the Operoo that will be sent to all families, and if you also feel compelled to speak out, please utilise the templates provided.

If you have not provided your Health Care Card details to the school, please do so as soon as possible.

Transitions Days began this week and it was wonderful to welcome the Grade 6 students from Swan Hill Primary School, Swan Hill North Primary School, Swan Hill Christian School, Lake Boga Primary School, Balranald Central School, St Joseph’s Balranald, St Mary’s Primary School, Murrabit Group School, Kerang South Primary School, Nyah District Primary School, Beverford Primary School, Koondrook Primary School, Tooleybuc Central School and Moulamein Public School.  Next week we welcome St Joseph’s Kerang.

This officially opens our 2025 Enrolment applications. Applications should be submitted by Tuesday 16th July. We have had a waiting list for Year 7 for the past two years, so please ensure that if you are considering St Mary MacKillop College for your child, to submit your application by 16th July.

If you are considering an enrolment in Years 8 to 12 in 2025, I also encourage these applications as soon as possible. There may be some places available for 2025, with interviews for these places taking place in August/September.