DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - COMMUNITY & CULTURE

Conscious Compassion in Action 

Recently, as I stood poolside at our school swimming carnival, I was struck by how powerfully this annual event reflects the life of our community. A swimming carnival is never simply about races and ribbons. It is a living picture of who we are and how we choose to care for one another. 

Not every student approaches the starting blocks with the same confidence. Some dive in eagerly, ready to test their limits, while others step forward with visible nerves, unsure of the water ahead. Yet each student is called to participate, supported by the cheers, encouragement, and steady presence of peers and staff. In that moment, the pool becomes more than a venue, it becomes a place where courage is practised, compassion is visible, and belonging is affirmed. 

This image resonates deeply with the legacy of St Mary MacKillop. Mary understood that courage does not always look bold or loud. Often, it is found in quiet perseverance, in choosing to show up even when the task feels daunting. Her life reminds us that compassion is not passive kindness, but an active decision to notice, to include, and to stand alongside others, especially when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. 

At St Mary MacKillop College, community and culture are built in these everyday moments. We see courageous compassion when a student slows their pace to support a friend, when staff create spaces where students feel safe to try, fail, and try again, and when families partner with us in nurturing not just academic growth, but the formation of the whole person. 

St Mary MacKillop famously urged us to “never see a need without doing something about it.” At the swimming carnival, that call is lived out in simple but powerful ways: encouragement offered to a hesitant swimmer, applause for effort rather than outcome, and respect shown to every participant regardless of ability. These moments matter, because they teach our young people that their worth is not measured by comparison, but by their willingness to engage, to persevere, and to care for others. 

In family life, as in school life, we know that not everyone moves at the same pace. There are seasons when some are strong and confident, and others need extra reassurance and support. Our role, as educators, parents, and carers, is not to focus on who finishes first, but to ensure no one is left behind, overlooked, or unheard. This is the heart of a culture grounded in courageous compassion. 

As a college community, we are called to continue building environments where students feel known, valued, and supported. This means celebrating effort, modelling empathy, and encouraging our young people to step beyond themselves in service of others. It means reminding them, as St Mary MacKillop did through her life, that faith is lived through action, and love is shown through courage. 

May we continue to be a community that cheers loudly, supports generously, and walks alongside one another, both in moments of triumph and in times of challenge. In doing so, we honour the spirit of St Mary MacKillop and nurture a culture where compassion is not only taught but lived. 

Kath Jones

Deputy Principal Community & Culture