Principal

Student Leadership for 2024

Last Newsletter I advised the community of our College Captains, Vice Captains and Justice Captains for 2024.  This week I am pleased to advise the successful candidates for the following roles:

House Captains and Vice-Captains for 2024:

Tenison

Captains                      Anissa Condoluci and Harry Hoekstra

Vice Captains              Tadgh Gannon and Stella McGannon

Cameron

Captains                      Phoebe Dell and Noah Furness 

Vice Captains              Ruby Cannizzo and Lillyca White

MacDonald

Captains                      Sophie Kreutzberger and Tahlia Seymour

Vice Captains              Gretchen Clarke, Lincoln Hamilton and Rory Nettle

Chisholm

Captains                      Alice Evans and Jake Fowles

Vice Captains              Jemayar Grabham and Amber Walker

Additionally, our Student Engagement Liaisons will be:

For Year 7        Sarah Ellery-Burke and Tayla Gollop

For Year 8        Emily Glasgow and Bella Liccardello

For Year 9        Keely Oliver and Eileen Tanaka-Morrison

For Year 10      Brad Buttigieg and Skylah Pedley      

Congratulations to all of these students and I am sure they will make very worthwhile contributions to our community and be of great support to our College Captains, Vice Captains, and Justice Leaders next year.

Thank you to Nicole Dudman, Scott Blencowe, Jay Baker, and Ruby Adkins for their work in selecting these leaders for 2024.

VCE Exams 

Most of our students undertaking VCE exams will have completed all their exams by now, but we still have a few students who are continuing to prepare for exams, which conclude next week on 15 November. Therefore, can I please ask that you keep them in your prayers.

Thank you to all the staff who have supported our Year 12 students, not just during this examination period, but for the last six years. 

Also thank you to Laura Higgins for the oversight of the examinations and all other staff who supported her during this time including Adrienne Layton, Georgia Townley, Cade Maskell, Zac Cox, and Jodie Connell for their work. 

Results and ATARs will be released to students by the VCAA and VTAC respectively on Monday 11 December 2023. On that day key staff will be available from 10.30 am, including our Careers Team – Kate Dwyer, Melissa Fuller, and Cassie Raschle as well as Jo Knox – to meet with students and families to provide career advice.

Also, on that day we will be holding a morning tea for all Year 12 students to return and celebrate results. An invitation has been sent to Year 12's by Melissa Fuller last Monday, 30 October. Year 12 students are asked to RSVP by Friday 9th December to mfuller@mmcrc.catholic.edu.au .

Careers Speed Event

Thank you to Kate Dwyer, Melissa Fuller and Cassie Raschle for their work in organising the Careers Speed Event with our Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) for our Years 9 and 10 students yesterday. Students were able to meet with a variety of employers and educational providers, including some of our parents, to talk about the career opportunities available locally and further afield. 

No doubt they received invaluable advice that will assist them in finding focus in their studies as they prepare for their futures.

If you wish to know more please see the details in the Carerrs@MMCRC in this Newsletter.

Thank you to all other staff who supported this opportunity.

Bushfire at Risk Register 2023/2024 Bushfire Season 

As advised in our last Newsletter, the Department of Education and Training (DET) has recently advised the Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL) of the revised Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). 

As a consequence of this review, Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College has been rated on the BARR as Category 4. This means that our school must close on days forecast as Catastrophic by the Bureau of Meteorology within our designated fire district. 

Schools are categorised based on their risk of bushfire and grassfire in line with the Victorian Education Facility Bushfire Risk Methodology. A review of this classification is completed annually.

I ask that all families take note of this information.

College Advisory Committee

We have had keen interest from members of our community to join our Advisory Committee and I am pleased to advise that the following people will join our committee: Michelle Jorgensen and Jacinta Johnston as our parent representatives and Sam Wright as a parishioner representative nominated by Fr Stanly Devasia.

Kate Lindsay will remain on the Committee as one of my nominees, as her longstanding experience as a member of this group over the last six years and as Chairperson from the start of term 2 2023 is highly valued.

They will join with other members - Marianne O’Rourke (DOSCEL representative), Fr Stanly (Parish Priest), Fr Darren (Parish Priest), Michael Croatto (Parent representative), Matthew Hams (Parent representative), Ruth Rogan (Parent representative), Nicholas Green (Principal nominee) – to form our Committee next year.

I also would like to thank Jodie Connell for her work on the committee. Jodie will conclude her role as the staff representative as this position is not a role that forms part of the composition of the committee as prescribed by the Charter.

Sapientia Domini Docet Nos

John M Freeman