Around the College
Walkathon 2025
Mary MacKillop Feast Day Walkathon – Colour Run Component
Friday 8 August 2025
As part of our Walkathon celebrations on the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College will introduce a Colour Run component in 2025. This activity is designed to add joy, vibrancy, and community spirit to the day.
The Colour Run will occur at designated locations early along the Walkathon route. At these stations, a light dusting of coloured powder will be applied to students who have chosen to participate. The powder used is made from corn starch and food-grade colouring. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and commonly used in Colour Run events across Australia. That said, we ask all students and families to read the following details carefully.
To indicate their willingness to participate, students are required to wear a plain white t-shirt for the Colour Run. This shirt should be worn underneath the school PE uniform in the morning and changed into after the morning Mass. Students who do not wear a white shirt will not be included in the Colour Run component.
We recommend that students wear older clothing for the Colour Run itself. Students may change into plain black bike shorts, old trackpants, or other suitable clothing. Sunglasses or protective eyewear are encouraged, and students with light or blonde hair may wish to wear a hat or apply leave-in conditioner to reduce the chance of temporary colour retention.
Following the walk and Colour Run, students must change out of all coloured clothing and shoes before boarding buses or re-entering the school buildings. Bags will be provided for students to store their coloured gear, or items may be disposed of using bins on arrival at school. Towels are recommended to remove any excess powder before travelling home. These steps are necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the school grounds, buses, and parent vehicles.
Significantly, the throwing of coloured powder will be strictly limited to designated staff and selected senior students. Powder will not be thrown at anyone who has not clearly opted into the activity. Supervision will be provided at each station to ensure the process is safe and respectful.
- Students must arrive at school wearing full PE uniform.
- Those who wish to participate in the Colour Run must wear a plain white shirt under their PE top, to change into after Mass.
- Students may bring plain black bike shorts or old pants for use during the Colour Run.
- Following the walk, students must change out of all coloured clothing and shoes before returning to school buildings or boarding buses.
- Bags for storage will be provided; towels are recommended to remove remaining powder.
- Students not wearing a white shirt will not have colour powder thrown on them.
We look forward to this being a joyful and memorable addition to our Feast Day. Should you have any questions or concerns about participation, please contact your child’s Homeroom Teacher. Scott Blencowe, Learning and Teaching Leader - Religious Education, Student Leadership and Social Justice Animator
Year 11 Retreat
Year 11 Retreat | "Walking the Road Together"
A heartfelt thank you to our fantastic staff and to Tom and Patrick from The Passionate Retreat Team for guiding our students through such a memorable experience.
“You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.” – Ephesians 4:4
Our Year 11 students recently returned from a powerful and reflective 3-day retreat exploring the theme Walking the Road Together.
From team-building games like Rope House and “I’ve Got a Letter” to deep small group discussions about trust, emotions, and identity, students were encouraged to connect, reflect, and grow together.
Day 3, the final day of the retreat, wrapped up with meaningful sessions on love, self-worth, and affirmation – and of course, some fun with the Heel & Toe Polka!
A heartfelt thank you to our fantastic staff and to Tom and Patrick from The Passionate Retreat Team for guiding our students through such a memorable experience.
The retreat concluded with a beautiful evening liturgy and time around the campfire – a legacy of trust, friendship, and shared growth.
Sleep Lab
On Thursday 24 July, the Unit 4 Psychology classes had the opportunity to visit the Turner Sleep Institute operated by Monash University in Notting Hill. Over 100 researchers are actively exploring questions related to sleep and the human psychological and physiological experience at the laboratory. First, students heard a lecture by a PhD candidate at the laboratory that revised much of the content for Unit 4 Area of Study 1, which should certainly help with this week’s assessment on that content. Then, they had the opportunity to tour the lab and to hear about some of the research being conducted there by professors and the graduate student research teams. For example, one research team is testing a new pair of blue-light filtering glasses, and another research team is exploring the impact of intrusive thoughts on sleep quality. After lunch at an onsite café, one brave volunteer, Taine Lowe, was connected to a range of monitoring devices and asked to fall asleep in one of the exceptionally dark research suites. Meanwhile, the other students were able to monitor Taine’s movements via an infrared camera and his brain waves (EEG), eye movements (EOG), heart (ECG) and muscle tone (EMG) in real time back in the lecture theatre. The day was a great opportunity for students to see the topics they have been learning in action and to visualise some potential career paths in Psychology for the future.
Footloose - Lyric Theatre
We were delighted to see so many talented faces in the recent production of Footloose! Past and present MMCRC students and staff lit up the stage over the past couple of weeks with a truly showstopping performance.
Congratulations to the entire cast and crew for your incredible effort, energy, and dedication — what a performance!
Pictured left to right: A. Peters, C. Fowles, N. Vitetta, T. Lowe, M. Doherty, T. Hyland, L. Muranty, C. Cocks, J. Lawrie, A. Beach, K. Muranty, Z. Gannon
