Around the College

Year 7 Food Technology

The Year 7 Food Technology class has been cooking up a storm with these delicious and healthy Mexican Taco Boats.

VCE VM Bake Sale - A sweet success!

Our recent VCE VM Bake Sale was an incredible success, with overwhelming support shown by students, staff, and families across the school community. 

From the moment the tables were set, the generosity and enthusiasm of everyone involved created a warm, buzzing atmosphere that truly reflected the spirit of giving.

This bake sale also marked the launch of our VCE VM Home Away from Home Fund. 

All proceeds from this initiative will go directly towards supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities. This organisation provides essential care and accommodation for families during some of their most challenging times.

A very special thank you goes to Lily, Maia, Curi, Bel, Jade, and Charlotte, who gave up their time to organise and run the stall. Their effort and commitment ensured the day ran smoothly and made the bake sale the success it was.

Moving forward, students will now be designing and creating their own products, which will be available for purchase at upcoming events in the first weeks of next term. This is an exciting opportunity for them to apply their learning in real-world ways while raising money for a cause close to our hearts.

Maths Extension - Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad 

The Maths Extension students completed a four-hour Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad. The test conditions are four hours without any devices, including no calculators. There are only ten questions, but they are tough questions. It is hard to complete all ten questions in the four-hour time allowance. 

Congratulations to the nine students who signed up for this challenging activity. The following Year 9 Students attempted this Year 10 level challenge:

• Amelia Hams
• Lily Rylance
• Lincoln Newton
• Andrew Binnichen
• Aaron Kelly 

The following Year 10 students also attempted the questions:

• Tony Bals
• Ned Sheahan
• Patrick Frayne
• Matthew Patton 

We look forward to receiving their results in a few weeks. Thank you to Lisa Hogan for providing food for the students to keep their brains fresh, which the students greatly appreciated.

Year 9 - Textiles

Year 9 Textiles students are creating felt toys, macrame wall hangings, knitting scarves, and crocheting socks for their ‘Fibre to Fabric’ projects. 

VCE VM - Amber Creek Sawmill Visit

A group of our VCE VM students recently had the unique opportunity to visit Amber Creek Sawmill in Fish Creek as part of their work through the $20 Boss Program. This excursion provided valuable hands-on learning, with students gaining insight into the workings of the mill as well as developing an understanding of the qualities and uses of different timbers.

The experience not only broadened students’ knowledge of sustainable timber production but also gave them inspiration for their own project ideas. In a generous show of support, Amber Creek kindly donated timber to the group at the conclusion of the excursion to help them get started on their products.

Our students are now busily planning and creating, with Amber Creek staff eager to see the finished results of the timber-based projects in the weeks ahead. We thank Amber Creek for their generosity and for providing such an engaging and practical learning opportunity for our students. 

Year 11 - Biology Fieldwork to Inverloch

On Tuesday,16th September, our Year 11 Biology students took part in a fieldwork excursion to the Inverloch rockpool platform and The Bluff at Screw Creek. Despite some wet weather, the day ran very smoothly and students displayed excellent behaviour, curiosity, and observation skills.

Throughout the day, students investigated dynamic intertidal ecosystems, recording abiotic conditions such as temperature and salinity, surveying biodiversity in the rock pools, and observing a wide range of plant and animal adaptations. They also compared species diversity and abundance across high and low tidal zones. Students explored the important role of mangroves in supporting local ecosystems. 

Further adaptations of animals and plants, as well as inter-relationships between different species within the ecosystem, were observed and discussed throughout a walk around The Bluff, Screw Creek.

This hands-on experience provided valuable data for students’ scientific reports and offered authentic insight into how organisms survive and interact in changing environments. Staff were particularly impressed by the thoughtful questions asked and the careful way students engaged with the environment.

Another highlight of the day was the opportunity to observe local palaeontologist Mike Cleeland, who was working on the rock face at Flat Rocks with a small team searching for fossils. Mike generously gave our students an impromptu and informative short talk about fossil formation and local fossil sites, sharing his expertise and sparking interest among the group with upcoming events:

• Upcoming Dinosaur Dreaming digs, organised by Museum Victoria and Monash University.
• School holiday opportunities, organised by the Bunurong Environment Centre such as Rockpool ramble and Dinosaur Discovery at locations between Flat Rocks and Eagles Nest. (see website to purchase tickets if interested).

We are very proud of how our students represented the school and look forward to seeing their fieldwork reports build on the knowledge and skills developed during this excursion.

Tournament of the Minds - State Final

After five weeks of after-school sessions, on Saturday, 23rd August, 11 students in two teams represented Mary Mackillop CRC at the Regional final at Federation University, Churchill. They worked well on the day, with the Literature team receiving an honourable mention and the Arts team winning first place. The Arts was invited to compete in the state final held at Latrobe University, Bundoora, on 14th September. Big thanks to Dr. Tye as team mentor for the Literature team. All of the students should be congratulated for their work and for how they represented the college. 

ATSI Graduation Dinner

We were proud to celebrate one of our students, Max Sheahan, at the VCEA Year 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Graduation Recognition Dinner, where his parents, Daniel and Jo, along with John Freeman and Hannah Collocott, were privileged to attend in support of him. The evening brought together Elders, families, and education leaders to recognise the achievements of the 204 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who completed Year 12 in Victorian Catholic schools in 2025. The night highlighted Catholic education’s commitment to walking alongside families and celebrating not only academic success, but also cultural identity, resilience, and strength.

Grade 5 Discovery Days 

Grade 5 students from Government Schools and St John’s Koo Wee Rup can now book via this link: CLICK HEREPlaces are limited to 50, and any registrations received after this will be placed on a waitlist.

Parent tours will be available on the morning of Thursday, 23rd October, for students of St John’s Koo Wee Rup and Government Schools.

Families at DOSCEL primary schools will receive information directly from their school.

We look forward to welcoming the students in October!

If you have any questions, please contact our Enrolments Team at enrolments@mmcrc.catholic.edu.au