PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

On Tuesday, 11th November, the school community held a Remembrance Day service to honour those who have lost their lives in service to protect our freedom. Mr. Jimmy McGovern supported the Year 11 History class in leading the school ceremony. Concurrently, school captains Athena, Mitchell, and Willow attended the Swan Hill RSL service at the town's cenotaph, where they paid their respects on behalf of our community by laying a wreath. Despite inclement weather and the noise from nearby traffic and pedestrians, the group reflected on the sacrifices made to support others, the loss of lives in wars and conflicts, and the ongoing commitment to peace.

Our Year 9 students returned from their camp in Canberra today. During their visit, they had the opportunity to explore several significant sites in the ACT, including the Australian War Memorial and both the Old and New Parliament Houses. Additionally, the group participated in a Remembrance Day service during their morning tea break on their way to Canberra on Tuesday.

Today marks the conclusion of formal classes for our Year 11 students for the year. They will commence their examinations on Tuesday, and the following week will begin their Orientation Program in preparation for Year 12. We invite parents of Year 11 students to attend interviews with the Pathways and Teaching & Learning teams next week. This is an important opportunity for students entering Year 12 in 2026 and their families to finalise their program and discuss any concerns prior to their final year of secondary education. I would like to acknowledge and thank the staff who dedicate their time and efforts to supporting our students and their families.

At the end of this year, we will be bidding farewell to Mr. Jimmy McGovern, Mrs. Fiona McGovern, Ms. Casey Frame, and Mrs. Mandy McCallum. They will be greatly missed as they move on to new opportunities, locations, or transitions beyond teaching.

In light of these staff departures and our increasing student enrolment, I am pleased to announce the following appointments for 2026:

- Mr. Sean Kenny – Visual Arts Teacher

- Ms. Ruby Mazzarella – Health and Physical Education Teacher

- Mrs. Rochelle Sevenster – English Teacher

- Mr. Ruan Sevenster – Science, Humanities, and Religious Education Teacher

- Mrs. Nella Sharp – Head of Penola Campus (new school site) and Mathematics Teacher

- Mr. Tiaan van de Bank – Mathematics and Humanities Teacher

We are also in the process of finalising four additional teaching positions, which will be announced in upcoming newsletters.

Over the past few years, enrolment numbers at St Mary MacKillop College have continued to grow. We are in the initial stages of implementing Stage 1 development on our new school site on Gray Street. Due to the increased student population, we are pleased to be able to expand our homeroom structure from five to six groups per House. House Leaders and Homeroom Teachers have collaborated to establish this additional homeroom. It has been a challenging process, as none of the Homeroom Teachers wish to lose students to others. It has been decided that Year 11 students currently in their current homerooms will remain there in 2026, so the new sixth homeroom will accommodate Year 7 to 11 students in that year. More information about this change will be circulated to students once the changes are confirmed.

As the end of the year approaches swiftly, there remains much to be accomplished. Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Presentation Night on Monday, 8th December.

Michelle Haeusler

Principal