Principal
Enterprise Bargaining Update – Planning for 2027
As we continue planning for 2027, I would like to provide families with an update on the enterprise bargaining negotiations currently underway across Victorian Catholic schools.
The Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA), on behalf of 34 Catholic education employers, has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement with the Independent Education Union since early 2025. The negotiations aim to improve wages and conditions for teachers and other staff in Catholic education.
Catholic schools have committed to maintaining pay parity with Victorian Government schools by matching the total percentage wage increases ultimately provided to staff in the government sector. Based on the Victorian Government's agreement, this is expected to result in wage increases of at least 28.3 per cent over four years.
I welcome the commitment to improved remuneration for our staff. We are fortunate at Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College to have dedicated teachers and support staff who bring considerable expertise, professionalism and care to their work with our students each day. Their contribution deserves appropriate recognition.
There is, however, an important difference between the government and Catholic school sectors in how these increases will be funded. While the cost of the new agreement will be funded by the State Government in government schools, Catholic schools will need to accommodate much of the additional cost through their normal budgeting and planning processes.
This represents a significant financial consideration for Catholic schools and will take some time to work through carefully.
Accordingly, we are currently undertaking our 2027 budget, staffing and operational planning to ensure the College remains financially sustainable while continuing to provide the breadth and quality of educational opportunities our students and families rightly expect.
As we undertake this work, our priorities remain clear: supporting our staff, maintaining a strong and sustainable College, and continuing to provide a high-quality Catholic education for every student.
EBA negotiations are continuing, and I will share further information with our community once the new agreement is finalised. Further information about the negotiations is also available from the VCEA.
Arts Amplified – Come Along and Support Our Students!
A reminder that Arts Amplified – our Arts and Technology Showcase – is happening next Thursday, 27 August, from 6.00 pm at the College.
This promises to be a wonderful evening celebrating the creativity, talent and hard work of our students across the Arts and Technology learning areas.
Come along and enjoy live musical performances, drama monologues and our student Art Show, while also sampling some of the wonderful food and coffee prepared by our Technology students.
We would love to see as many families and friends as possible join us for the evening. It is a great opportunity to support our students, celebrate their achievements and experience the breadth of creativity taking place across our College.
Thursday, 27 August | From 6.00 pm | Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College
Bring your family and friends – and come along to Arts Amplified!
My Leave
From 10 September to 29 September, I will take Enrichment Leave to participate in the PAVCSS Footsteps of St Paul pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage will follow significant parts of St Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, visiting places associated with Paul and his companions and the early Christian communities described in the Acts of the Apostles. It will provide an opportunity to deepen my understanding of the historical, cultural and religious context in which these communities developed and in which St Paul’s writings emerged.
As well as being an important opportunity for personal faith formation, I hope the pilgrimage will broaden my understanding of the Greek Orthodox tradition and Islam and provide insights that I can bring back to my role as Principal, particularly in supporting the Catholic identity and mission of our College.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to undertake this pilgrimage and look forward to sharing some of the experience with our community on my return.
During my absence, Chris Spencer will serve as Acting Principal. I know that Chris will have the full support of our staff, students and families, and I leave confident that the College will be in very good hands.
Around the College
Amid the many opportunities for our students to extend themselves beyond the classroom, it has been wonderful to see them representing the College through music, retreat experiences and student leadership.
Yarram Eisteddfod
Our students achieved some outstanding results at the recent Yarram Eisteddfod, including our Guitar Ensemble and Phil Schuhmann, which not only won its section but was also awarded the Most Outstanding Performance of the entire eisteddfod– a wonderful achievement.
Congratulations to all of the students who participated and represented the College so well. In particular, I thank Beth Winterhalter for her leadership in preparing and supporting our students. Beth was assisted across the different days by Jayde Trappett, Meg Doherty, Phil Schumann and Chris Spencer, and I thank them for their work in preparing, transporting and supporting our students.
You can read more about the Eisteddfod and our students' achievements in Music@MMCRC later in this Newsletter.
Year 11 Retreat
Another important part of our co-curricular and faith formation program was the Year 11 Retreat, held last week from Wednesday to Friday at the Don Bosco Camp in Dromana.
Led by Tom from the Passionist Ministry Team, together with Nicole Dudman, our Director of Catholic Identity and Mission, the Retreat was once again a very positive experience for our students. It provided them with valuable time away from their normal routines to reflect, strengthen relationships and grow together as a year level as they look towards their final year at the College.
My thanks to Nicole Dudman and Aliesha Wriggley for organising and leading the Retreat. Bekk Anthony, Scott Blencowe, Sam Florence, Gerard Gordon, Edson Letendrie, Rachel Rosse, Mary Tye and Rahne Widarsito supported them. I was also pleased to be able to participate for most of the Retreat and spend this important time with our Year 11 students.
Student Leaders Meet with Bishop Greg Bennet DD
Our student leaders also recently had the opportunity to travel to Warragul to meet with Bishop Greg Bennet DD. Opportunities such as this enable our young people to engage with the wider Church of the Diocese of Sale and to reflect on leadership, faith and service.
Thank you to Chris Spencer and Claire Cassidy for accompanying and supporting our students on the day.
Oral History Project – Our Stories, Our History
As part of our 40th Anniversary celebrations, our Oral History Project is helping to preserve the stories and experiences of the people who have shaped Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College over the past four decades.
Led by John Ryan and supported by Edson Letendrie, the project goes beyond dates, buildings and milestones. Through personal interviews, it captures the voices, memories and reflections that bring our College's history to life and provide an important record for future generations.
We are pleased to share the first three professionally edited interviews:
- Jenny Shea – who commenced at the College in its foundation year, 1986, and continues to serve our community today: Watch Jenny's interview
- Jill Carmody – offering another important perspective on the people and experiences that have contributed to our story: Watch Jill's interview
Each interview offers a different window into our past and reminds us that a school's history is ultimately the story of its people.
Further interviews will be released as the project continues, building a valuable archive of the people, experiences and stories that have made our College the community it is today.
Staff News
Next week we welcome back Nia Robinson from maternity leave.
Sapientia Domini Docet Nos
John M Freeman