Learning Highlights
All Schools Cross Country fun!
Congratulations to all MacKillop students who travelled to the All Schools Cross Country Championship recently. It was wonderful to see students cheering each other on and representing the College with pride.
Some standout results include:
U20 Men - Ashton 3rd place time of 22.23 6km
U17 Boys - Jett 1st place time of 23.21 6km
U18 Women - Isabella 10th place time of 20.29 4km
U16 Girls - Charlie 21st place time of 19.47 4km
U16 Boys - Billy 18th place time of 16.14 4km
U15 Boys - Harry 22nd place time of 17.14 4km
U15 Girls - Indi 23rd place time of 19.53 4km
U14 Boys - Jasper 11th place 3km, Henry 13th time of 12.18 3km
U14 Girls - Mia 5th place time of 13.11 3km
Well done to all who participated and a big thank you to all staff who supported them on the day.
Staff v Students Soccer!
Recently, the College held a game of staff vs students soccer, with a crowd of hundreds of students watching on. Some of our favourite teachers put on their boots to take on our student team, made up of players from all age groups!
The game was tightly contested with plenty of highlight plays — although Mr Gill’s penalty was definitely more of a lowlight. Mr Andrews, the self‑proclaimed best keeper in the world, finished with about a 10% save ratio.
The students got out to an early lead, but the staff struck back late with moments like Mr Francis’ header. With regulation ending at 2–2, we headed to an epic penalty shootout, where the students ultimately prevailed 4–3.
Year 10 Child Studies Foundation
Our Year 10 Child Studies Foundation Class recently had the exciting opportunity to chat with new mother and MKC teacher Jemima Robertson on her journey to motherhood and everything she has learned in the past few months.
Little baby Romy popped in for a visit to the College, much to the delight of students.
With her gorgeous smile and inquisitive nature, this was certainly an enjoyable lesson for our Child Studies students.
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
Year 9 and 10 English classes were treated to performances by Bell Shakespeare last Tuesday 16 June. The Players presented two engagingly entertaining educational performances based on two of Shakespeare’s classic plays, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
Amos, Sophie and Jess, performers from the highly regarded Sydney theatre company, built on students’ understanding of character motivations, themes and plot in the stories, through their action-packed, informative and interactive presentations of Such Sweet Sorrow for Year 9 classes and Macbeth: The Rehearsal for the Year 10 group.
Connecting generations through Allied Health
Our Year 11/12 Allied Health students recently travelled to Uniting AgeWell Mornington Community, Lillian Martin, to spend time with the residents as students are learning skills and knowledge to support individuals in their health and care requirements.
Students enjoyed chatting with the residents and testing their motor skills with an energetic ball game, guessing an object through descriptive words and listening to plenty of stories.
It is wonderful to see students exploring this potential career pathway and utilising the opportunities on offer at MacKillop.
Sporting Fun!
Despite the colder weather, MacKillop is heating up on and off the pitch. Students have been busy playing a range of sports, representing the College with pride as they put their best foot forward.
Some notable achievements include the Year 7 Futsal Team advancing to the Semi-Finals at the Southern Futsal Championships, the Year 10 Futsal Team should be very proud of their efforts against some tough competition and the Year 11/12 Futsal Team advancing to the Semi-Finals at the Southern Futsal Championships.
Create your future at MacKillop
Students in Year 10 and Year 11 recently attended a Course Advising Interview to learn how MacKillop can support their future pathway and effectively plan their subjects across Year 11 and Year 12.
Chatting with specialist staff who provided expert advice and guidance, this initiative is part of a wider range of support systems in place to ensure a smooth transition to Senior Secondary study and beyond.
The full range of courses available at MacKillop can be found in the 2027 Course Guide here, https://bit.ly/3SHYp5U
Time for exams!
Students from Years 11/12 began their mid-year examinations recently. It was wonderful to see several Year 11 students studying together and utilising the Julian Building as a Senior Study Space yesterday.
A few exam tips and tricks to help:
- Read every question carefully
- Get plenty of sleep
- Have a fulfilling breakfast the morning of your exam
Arrive at the College 30 minutes before your exam start time
Wishing all students completing exams the best of luck, and a big thank you to all staff who have supported students in their preparations.
Hockey superstars!
Congratulations to the Year 9/10 Boys Hockey team, who were victorious in their Grand Final recently with a score of 14-0.
2026 marks the fourth year in a row that our Year 9/10 Boys Hockey Team has taken out the Grand Final. An impressive feat that shows the strength of our Hockey teams here at MacKillop.
Well done to the team and a big thank you to Mr Pritchard for coaching the team and supporting them throughout the season.
Duke of Edinburgh skills!
Recently, our Year 9 students have enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about a skill of their choice in Duke of Edinburgh classes. Specialising in AFL umpiring, animal care, cake decorating, arts and crafts, using a Trangia to cook masterchef-worthy meals or a different skill of the students' choosing.
We can't wait to see how their learning progresses over the next few weeks.
Will Kostakis Author Workshop
A number of keen writers from Years 7-10 had the privilege of participating in an author workshop with Will Kostakis on Monday 15th June. Will is one of Australia’s most renowned authors for kids and young adults and his latest novel, We Could Be Something, is a moving family epic that won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature.
Will shared his wisdom on writing, talking to students about marrying structure around the character (character + action + place + sensory imagery), leaving students with lots of great ideas. Will's books are available to borrow from the Library or to purchase from local bookstores.
Marree Webster, Head of Learning - English
Kayaking fun in Year 9 Outdoor Ed
This week, two of our Year 9 classes got the opportunity to take out our new fleet of sea kayaks. The groups paddled about 3km from Geilston bay to Shag bay, taking in the beautiful scenery of the Derwent and even spotting some seals in the water! They learnt some stories of the area including Indigenous history and the rise and fall of the Shag Bay fertiliser plant of the early 1900’s.
Once at their destination, the groups stopped for some snacks and hot chocolates to warm us up after a wet paddle! We in Outdoor Ed are very excited for our future trips with these great new boats!!
Grace Holligan, Teacher Assistant - Outdoor Education
Wayanka Makara Project
As part of our Wayanka Makara Project, we were fortunate to welcome Djuker Hart to MacKillop. Djuker worked with our First Nations students, sharing the importance and history of cultural dances and their significance within Aboriginal culture.
Djuker also spent time with the students telling Creation stories, providing valuable cultural knowledge and fostering a deeper understanding of First Nations traditions and perspectives.
Students had the opportunity to learn and practise the dances themselves, developing both confidence and cultural understanding.
They will now use these newly acquired skills to teach and share the dances with students from Corpus Christi and St John's as part of the ongoing Wayanka Makara Project, strengthening connections between our school communities and promoting cultural learning.
Zac Doran, Teacher Assistant
