Learning Highlights

Vinnies Food Drive 2025!

Over the past two weeks, students have been collecting non-perishable items in their Pastoral Care Groups to donate to Vinnies Food Drive. These items will give much needed support to Vinnies Food Bank and assist families doing it tough this winter.

What an amazing effort!

Art in Year 10

Year 10 students recently visited the School House Gallery and Rosny Barn to explore the current art exhibitions on display.

With a printmaking unit scheduled for Term 3, the visit to Proof South: The Nowhere Print Collective provided a fantastic introduction to the diverse techniques and creative outcomes printmaking can offer. A highlight was seeing work by Rebecca Coote, mother of Year 10 student Eva, featured in the exhibition, further strengthening our connection to the Arts and the broader MacKillop Catholic College community.

During the visit, students were introduced to the Rosny Barn as a venue, where they discussed the upcoming Year 11 and Year 12 Visual Art exhibition scheduled for November. This gave students a sense of the professional pathways and possibilities ahead, as well as the exciting opportunity they may have to exhibit their own work in a public gallery setting.

MacKillop is alive with the sound of music!

Last night we celebrated our Winter Concert with spectacular performances from the Junior Band, Concert Band, Wind Symphony and Choir. Audiences enjoyed the dazzling tunes of award-winning musicals, pop hits and some timeless classics.

What a wonderful display of the immense musical talent we have here at MacKillop, we cannot wait to see what else is in store!

A big well done to all students who participated and thank you to all staff involved in the success of this evening.

Learning with robots! 

Our Year 8 Digital Technologies classes have been busy using Lego SPIKE Prime Robots, creating codes that allow these robotic creations to solve problems and tackle any obstacle in their path.

Teamwork, coding, and creativity came together as students brought their robots to life!

Welcome to the School of Rock! 

We are excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for MacKillop Catholic College's production of School of Rock.

Our staff and students have been hard at work this year, perfecting their air guitar and best dance moves as they prepare to 'Stick it to the Man' at Horace Green Prep School. Make sure that 'You're in the Band' and join us as we follow along with Dewey Finn on his journey as he teaches the children and their parents the beauty of rock.

The production opens on Thursday 21 August until Saturday 23 August, at the Don Bosco Creative Arts Centre.

Book your tickets here, https://www.trybooking.com/DCYAV, and get ready to rock!

Year 9 Film and Animation: Stop Motion in Action

Our Year 9 Film and Animation students have been busy bringing everyday objects, toys, and plasticine characters to life through the magic of stop motion animation.

Each student has taken full creative control, staging scenes, capturing hundreds of individual frames, and editing their work in Adobe Premiere Pro. With the addition of sound effects, voiceovers, and background music, these animations have truly come to life. Each 30-second animation requires over 700 carefully captured photos to achieve smooth, seamless movement. I am incredibly proud of their creativity, patience, and technical skills!

Sally Tew - Teacher, and Head of Learning: The Arts

Celebrating NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of Indigenous communities.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.

NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities and is a great opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.

This Special Report offers suggestions on how families can celebrate NAIDOC Week together. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Find more resources at SchoolTV here.

Metal Trades Taster Day

On Monday 23 June, Mr Fullarton, Mr Schneider and Ms Gurney took our Year 10 Pathways in Trade classes on a Metal Trades Taster Day.

The day started with splitting into three groups and touring the TasTAFE Metal Trade Campus, Sentinal Boats and Incat, hearing from a number of employees and students from these areas.

Through the tour of Sentinal Boats and Incat, students were able to hear from employees and see world class facilities that sparked interests in a range of career options.

One of the most impressive parts of the day was getting close to the new Buquebus Ferry ‘China Zorrillia’ at the Incat site.

This 130 metre long electric ferry is the largest electric vehicle in the world and showcases the amazing technological advances that are being made in this area.

We were truly so lucky to see this in person – trust us, even the photos do not show just how huge this ship is!

Students enjoyed jumping in some of the boats crafted by Sentinal Boats and learning about the different material that are now being used in boat craft, including strong new plastics that can hold off fire axes.

It was great for our students to see the facilities and offerings at the TasTAFE Metal Trades Campus, where a range of methods are taught, including welding, fabrication, fitting/turning and computer-aided design (CAD).

A tour through the workshops and classrooms allowed students to see a range of teaching methods and equipment that is on offer.

Students mostly enjoyed the welding simulator machines where one student managed to get 96 per cent accuracy!

This was a fantastic day for our students and showcased a range of study and career avenues they had maybe not considered before.

We are excited to continue to take students on even more excursions through the year to showcase what is on offer in the big wide world of work.

Sarah Gurney - Careers and Pathways Planning Advisor

Bell Shakespeare

Year 9 and 10 English classes were treated to performances by Bell Shakespeare last Wednesday. The Players presented two engagingly entertaining educational performances based on students’ current studies of Shakespeare’s classic plays,  Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. 

John, Mariska and Olivia, 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.

Triumph, Tenacity, and Trivia: The 2025 MegaMind Cup Shines Bright

The 2025 MegaMind Cup was nothing short of electrifying—a whirlwind of intellect, creativity, and fierce competition that brought together some of the brightest young minds from across the College. Open to students from Year 7 - Year 12, this year’s event was packed with high-stakes trivia rounds and dynamic hands-on challenges that tested not only knowledge but also teamwork, strategy, and innovation.

From the very first round, the atmosphere was charged with excitement. Teams battled through a gauntlet of brain-bending questions, logic puzzles, and real-world problem-solving tasks. The competition was intense, with every point hard-earned and every round pushing the limits of what these students could achieve.

But the most unforgettable moment came at the grand finale, where a team of Year 7 girls stunned with a breathtaking victory—clinching the championship by a single point! Their poise under pressure, quick thinking, and seamless collaboration made them the undeniable stars of the tournament. Their win wasn’t just a triumph of knowledge; it was a celebration of determination, resilience, and the power of young minds to rise to any challenge.

The 2025 MegaMind Cup has once again proven that brilliance knows no age—and that the future is in very capable hands. Here's to the champions, the challengers, and the spirit of learning that lit up every round! Bring on the 2026 MegaMind Cup! 🌟

Term 3 Competitions & Programs: A Season of Challenge and Growth!

Get ready for an action-packed Term 3 filled with exciting opportunities for students to stretch their minds, showcase their talents, and explore new frontiers of learning!

A wide range of prestigious competitions will be running throughout the term, offering something for everyone:

ICAS Competitions: Students can test their skills across multiple disciplines with the renowned ICAS Competition series, including:

• ICAS Writing
• ICAS Digital Technologies (DigiTech)
• ICAS English
• ICAS Science
• ICAS Spelling Bee
• ICAS Mathematics

International Chemistry Quiz: 

A fantastic opportunity for budding scientists to demonstrate their chemistry knowledge on an international stage.

Australian Mathematics Competition:

One of the largest and most respected maths competitions in the country—perfect for students who love a numerical challenge.

The National History Challenge:

For those passionate about the past, this competition encourages students to think critically and creatively about historical topics and themes. This year’s theme is Conflict and Resolution. Projects can be in multiple forms, such as an essay, website, museum exhibit, PowerPoint or documentary! 

 Kaleidoscope Program: DigiTech & Robotics Focus:

In addition to competitions, Term 3 will also feature the Kaleidoscope Program, which will dive deep into the exciting worlds of DigiTech and Robotics. This is a hands-on, future-focused experience designed to inspire innovation and problem-solving!

With so many enriching opportunities on offer, Term 3 promises to be a season of growth, discovery, and achievement. Whether you're a writer, coder, scientist, historian, or mathematician—there’s something here for you!

Interested in participating?

Email Learning Extension to express your interest in a specific competition, or to find out more about how to get involved, at learningext@mackillop.tas.edu.au

Let’s make Term 3 unforgettable—step up, take the challenge, and shine!

Lilly Bellgrove and Cam Quinn

The Year of Jubilee & Year Eight Pilgrimage

In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.

In Advent in 2024 Pope Francis invited Catholics to renew their hope through the year ahead and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone". We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world. The theme for the year of Pilgrimage is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. When faced with the complexity of our fast-paced modern lifestyle and current world events being ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ is the challenge for our time. We are all called to be people of hope to see light when there is darkness and bring joy where there is despair, clarity where there is confusion. This is not easy but possible through power of the Holy Spirit who animates us with love going out to our neighbour. 

A pilgrimage is a journey to a place of deep significance in the company of fellow pilgrims.  In this year of Jubilee, a pilgrimage becomes an opportunity to enter a personal journey where students and staff can take the opportunity to think about what is important in my life, a walk with friends then becomes a spiritual journey to the heart. 

As part of the Year of Jubilee, students in Year 8 have participated in a mini walking pilgrimage at Richmond. Starting at St Luke’s Anglican Church, students have then walked together stopping at certain points to reflect on key themes such as the need for healing and forgiveness in our lives, in particular the need for greater understanding and healing with First Nations Peoples. On the walk students also reflected on those who support them and encourage them to grow in fullness of life to be the best people they can be, treading gently on the earth, graced by creation. We are all invited by God to be people of justice and peace. The Pilgrimage Walk meandered along the river, under the bridge and then up the hill to an ancient cross where students placed down stones as a symbol of letting go of burdens.

Then students entered the oldest Catholic church in continuous use in Australia, St John’s Catholic church, to take a moment to give thanks in prayer. Students will continue their exploration of the theme of pilgrimage through their studies of Theology and Spirituality in Term 3 and 4. 

Thank you to the students and staff involved in the Pilgrimages. 

Catherine Sandric, Head of Learning: Religious Education