Around the College
We love to celebrate our students' achievements - if your student has won something, appeared in something, competed in something, or is proud of achieving something outside of school, send photos and information to their Homeroom teacher for inclusion in our Newsletter.
Recent opportunities and successes outside of school
Victoria's Youth Parliament - Thalia Baker
On the school holidays, I was lucky enough to participate in the Victoria's Youth Parliament program. This program allows young people to form teams of 6 and write bills on state issues they want to address. My team wrote a bill introducing secondary study hubs in rural areas to help bridge the academic gap between rural and metropolitan students. This would also provide students with academic resources they might not otherwise have access to. We then spent a week in Melbourne, going to Parliament House and debating our bill, as well as the bills of other teams using proper parliamentary procedures. On the evening of the second day, we were fortunate enough to go to Government House and meet the governor. Overall, this was an amazing experience, and I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in this program.
Well done, Thalia, on your achievement.
Netball
During the recent school holidays, Year 12 student Gemma attended the Australian Under 19 Squad Camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. Gemma earned selection following her outstanding performances representing Victoria at the National Championships earlier this year.
In addition, Gemma (Year 12), Lacy Fennell (Year 10) and past student Jayde Hall (Class of 2024) were recently recognised in the Herald Sun as being among Victoria's Regional Top 100 Young and Upcoming Netballers.
All three currently compete in the Victorian Netball League, as well as playing for Leongatha.
Gemma – Casey Demons
Lacy – Gippsland Stars
Jayde – Boroondara Express
We congratulate Gemma, Lacy and Jayde on these outstanding achievements
RSL Kokoda Scholarship - Rose Bowler
During the holidays, Year 11 student Rose Bowler completed the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea after being selected as a recipient of the Leongatha RSL Kokoda Scholarship.
Rose was selected through a rigorous application and interview process, recognising her leadership, character and commitment. Completing the Kokoda Track is a remarkable achievement and provided Rose with a unique opportunity to deepen her understanding of Australia's military history, resilience and service.
We congratulate Rose on this outstanding achievement and look forward to sharing her Kokoda journey and reflections with our College community over the coming weeks.
Flying Boomerang Program - Harley Storr
Congratulations to Year 9 student Harley Storr on his selection in the 2026 AFL Flying Boomerangs program, held on the Gold Coast just recently.
The Flying Boomerangs program brings together some of the most promising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers aged 15 and under from across Australia. Throughout the week, participants took part in high-performance training, cultural and wellbeing sessions, and talent showcase matches as part of the AFL Talent Pathway.
This is a wonderful achievement for Harley.
Year 8 Science: Exploring Energy Transfer and Efficiency
This term, our Year 8 students have been investigating how energy moves and changes form in the world around them. Through hands‑on experiments and classroom discussions, they’ve explored energy transfer, transformation, and efficiency, discovering how energy flows from one object or system to another and how much of it is usefully converted.
From testing heat loss in materials to analysing everyday appliances, students have gained a deeper understanding of how science explains the movement of energy in our daily lives. Their curiosity and teamwork have made this topic both engaging and enlightening!
Past Student Spotlight: Eleanor Patterson
Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College is proud to celebrate the continued success of past student Eleanor Patterson, who has recently achieved another significant milestone in her sporting career with selection for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
Since graduating from Mary MacKillop CRC, Eleanor has demonstrated outstanding dedication, perseverance and commitment to excellence. Her journey has been marked by a series of impressive representative honours and selection milestones, reflecting years of hard work and determination at the highest levels of competition.
Eleanor's selection to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games is a remarkable achievement and an inspiration to our current students. Her success highlights the opportunities that can be achieved through passion, resilience and a willingness to continually strive for improvement.
The entire Mary MacKillop CRC community congratulates Eleanor on this outstanding accomplishment and wishes her every success as she proudly represents Australia on the international stage. We look forward to following her journey and cheering her on throughout the Games.
