Taking inspiration from famous works!

Our Year 7 Visual Art classes have been busy creating amazing ceramic flowers, inspired by contemporary Japanese Artist, Yayoi Kusama.

Kusama is known for her use of colour and pattern as a way to immerse herself in a world of fantasy and imagination.

Students first developed paper flowers, followed by making slabs, coils and hand-modeled petals in clay to suggest the abstract flower shapes. After a couple of weeks of drying, the clay was fired and then hand-painted with acrylic paint.

And that's a wrap on Year 10!

Our Year 10 students celebrated their final day at MacKillop for 2024 today, with a Celebration of Excellence and their beach day festivities.

Student's enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate their academic and sporting achievements this year amongst their friends and family, before spending some time in the sun and sand.

Enjoy your summer holidays Year 10!

Not even a little bit of rain could stop the fun!

Recently a group of over 70 MacKillop students headed to the Schools Triathlon Challenge in Bellerive. While the poor weather meant the event was changed slightly to a duathlon with a run, ride and run, students took the change in their stride and represented the College with pride as they gave it their all.

Thank you to all staff who helped out on the day.

Kicking goals all around!

Congratulations to the Year 8 Girls Blue AFL team who defeated SACC 37 - 31 on Thursday 28 November.

The team finish the season undefeated and remain undefeated over the last two years. What a fantastic achievement!

In other news, MacKillop alumna Nicole Bresnehan was recently in the 2024 Premiership winning North Melbourne AFLW team after an incredible undefeated season.

Nicole's achievements are an exciting inspiration to our current students, as they strive to do their best on and off the field.

Year Ten Spirituality Unit

During Term 4, Year 10 students in Theology and Spirituality researched and explored spirituality and spiritual practice in the Christian tradition. In particular the five Spiritual Gateways; The Intellectual Gateway, the Contemplative Gateway, the relational Gateway, the Creation Gateway and the Activist Gateway. These Gateways were then a springboard to dialogue and reflective writing about what gives people meaning and purpose in their lives. Students had the opportunity to engage in Christian meditation, creating mandala patterns, experience prayer in the beautiful St Mary's Cathedral and walk the contemporary labyrinth that is in the grounds of St Mary's College. Some students were also engaged in a peer support, buddy program with John Paul II. Students were invited to write reflectively on the range of experiences in the final assessment for 2024. It was wonderful to read the deep thinking and purposeful writing of students in Year 10, discerning and making connections about ideas of faith and life. Thank you to the Year 10 teachers of Theology and Spirituality, Mr. Marsh and Charlotte Davies for their support in running the program. A big thank you to Sharon Lawler at SMC for making the labyrinth available for us and Jane McKeon at St Mary's Cathedral.

Year Nine Servant Leadership Unit

Over Term 4 students in Year 9 have been learning about servant leadership and how we are called to make the world a better place by our own service and positive engagement with others, particularly those in need. Catholic Social Teaching provides clear sign posts to guide us in the direction of love and mercy; respecting the human dignity of all peoples, preferential option for the poor, working towards the Common Good to name a few. The Scriptures offer us inspiration and hope and the example of Jesus Christ provides a profound model of mercy and truth so that we can know how we are to serve one another especially our neighbour in need. This term, Year 9 core classes had the opportunity to experience servant leadership first hand through making sandwich packs for Loui's Van, cleaning the Van until it shone, making sweet slices and gingerbread biscuits for Louis's Van. Students also visited schools in our local area to provide peer support as part of a buddy program supported by Edmund Rice Camps. Over 180 students participated in some way in this curriculum program of service learning. Thank you to Andrew Blackett, the principals, teachers and children of Clarendon Vale Primary, Rokeby Primary and John Paull II Primary School who were involved in the program. A very big thank you to the MacKillop students and staff who participated in and supported the program. A very big thank you to Charlotte Davies for her enthusiasm for the project, even driving the college bus on one occasion.

Catherine Sandric - Coordinator of Religious Education

Staff v Students Cricket

This week the annual Staff v Students Cricket match took place with the help of the MacKillop Beltas. 14 students and 10 staff took to the field with the staff looking to retain their winning streak.

In a thrilling match with plenty of laughs, dramatic dives for the ball and even a few shots over the shed roof, the staff were very pleased to take out the game and achieve back to back wins since the last game in 2021.

A big thank you to all staff and students who participated in this prestigious event, and to the MacKillop Beltas for their support of the event.

Key Dates