Edition Ten, 1 November 2024

Mary MacKillop College acknowledges the Kaurna people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and study. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

All Saints and All Souls Day

All Saints' Day, is celebrated on the first of November. On this day, we celebrate all saints who are in heaven. The following day, the second of November, All Souls' Day is celebrated where we pray for all people who have died.

Prayer

Thank you, God, for the gift of the Saints and the example of their holy lives. We ask our patron saints - St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, St Joseph and all saints dear to us - to intercede on our behalf and guide us on our journey.

We also pray for those who have died - our loved ones and all souls around the world whom we may never meet. May God welcome them into the joy of heaven and bring comfort and peace to us here on earth.

Amen.

As we step into November, the final weeks of the year bring us closer to celebrating the many achievements and milestones of 2024. Our Year 12 students have just concluded their formal classes, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. With a beautiful Mass, assembly, and morning tea with families, we celebrated their journeys through Mary MacKillop College. We hold them in our prayers as they head into exams and look forward to seeing them at the upcoming Graduation Dinner.

In late September, we had the privilege of hosting the Old Scholars’ Annual Dinner at the College. This year was particularly special, as we celebrated 80 years of Josephite secondary education in Kensington. Alumnae from many generations came together to reminisce, reconnect and share stories. A highlight of the evening was the tour of the College, including the new Tenison Centre - a wonderful addition to our learning environment. It was heartwarming to witness their delight and nostalgia as they explored both familiar and new spaces, deepening their lifelong connection to the Josephite Charism and our College.

As you know, we are currently running our Community Feedback Survey and we warmly invite all community members to respond and share their perspectives. Your input is invaluable as we continue to reflect and grow together, ensuring that our College remains a place of great learning and shared values. The survey closes this Monday, 4 November, so please take the opportunity to contribute to our future (the survey was emailed to families earlier this week).

With Advent just around the corner, we prepare ourselves spiritually for the joy of Christmas. Advent is a time of anticipation, reminding us of the blessings of family, friendship and faith. May this season be one of peace and reflection for us all as we look forward to the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Enjoy the many activities, events and stories shared in this edition. I wish our College community every blessing as we head into this last part of the year, with much to celebrate together.

Go well and God bless.

Sonia Nelson
Principal

Year 12 Farewell Mass - A Celebration of Faith

Our Year 12 students recently gathered for their Farewell Mass, a tradition filled with prayer, gratitude and celebration. This special Mass marks a significant milestone, commemorating the students’ journey through school and blessing them as they prepare to step forward into the next chapter of their lives. In the spirit of unity, Josephite tradition and reflection, the Year 12 Farewell Mass was a powerful reminder of the values that have shaped their years in our Mary MacKillop College community.

As we farewelled our graduating class, we were filled with pride for all they have achieved and hopeful for all they will accomplish. The Year 12 Farewell Mass is more than a celebration of their academic journey; it is a celebration of faith, love and the support of the community that has nurtured them.

In the words of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, “Never see a need without doing something about it.” We trust that this year’s graduates will continue to live out this call, serving others, seeking justice and sharing Christ’s love with the world. May they leave the College with courage, faith and the blessings of God as they embrace the journey ahead.

“Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” - St Catherine of Siena

Adriana Sotira
Religious Education Coordinator

Each year our English students enthusiastically participate in the annual SAETA Spring Poetry Festival. Complementing their Term 2 poetry studies, the festival provides an exciting opportunity for students to not only showcase their knowledge of poetry form and techniques but to use the medium to express their thoughts, feelings and observations of themselves, others and the world succinctly and powerfully.

This year we proudly celebrate the achievements of eleven talented students from Years 9 and 11 who had their works selected for publication in the festival’s anthology. Our Year 9 students, Allegra, Eliana, Anna-Lisa, Ava and Makayla, along with our Year 11 students, Harleen, Daniella, Sofia, Ava, Asha and Ella, had their poems selected from nearly 400 entries submitted from 50 schools across South Australia and the Northern Territory.

On Saturday, October 26, our newly published poets attended the Spring Poetry Festival Anthology launch at the University of South Australia’s Magill campus, where they were honoured with the presentation of their published poems. The event featured inspiring presentations from organisations including the English Speaking Union, Writers SA, and Friendly Street Poets who all emphasised the value of poetry in our contemporary world and its contribution to the verse of life. The event was a wonderful opportunity for the young poets, their families, and friends to share their words and witness the appreciation of their words.

We congratulate all students who submitted entries and encourage them to continue to use their words to empower, inspire and challenge the world around them. The annual Spring Poetry Festival is not only a celebration of the creativity of young writers but also highlights the importance of nurturing the next generation of poets, helping them appreciate their words as metaphorical power tools.

Mini Del Corso
English Learning Area Leader

Forgotten memories
Allegra [Year 9]

I can see your eyes reflect my image, however, there are no memories of me behind them
I’m sure they are there somewhere hibernating behind the vague sound of a song that brings you back to your home
Back to the image of your mother in the kitchen cooking at the stove
I’m sure they are there somewhere in the place where you truly remember yourself
Remember the voyage that you took to come here with only the pictures that used to sit on the shelf

I’m sure they are there somewhere in the stories you used to tell
The hilarious ones that allow people to laugh and make them feel truly well
I’m sure they are there somewhere in the pictures you can’t now recall
The ones where you’re laughing and the ones with family that are no longer any more

I’m sure they are there somewhere, built from the smile lines that sit on your face
And when I do see your eyes smile at me
I know somewhere in those memories,
I have my place.

“Beach Whispers.”
Anna-Lisa [Year 9]

In the morning light, the beach awakes, golden sands where the ocean breaks. A great place, big and wide, where blue sky and sea collide.

I see seagulls in their flight, flying laps against the light. Shells and stones in patterns they lay, our nature's art on full display.

I feel the warmth beneath my feet, sunlit sand, and a warm heat. Fresh water splashes against my toes, a cold gentle touch, and sweet wind blows.

I smell the ocean's salty air, a smell so fresh, its beyond compare. Mixed with the smell of sunscreen's glow, a beach day scent we all know.

Children's laughter fills the air, as sandcastles rise with their loving care. Footprints mark our journey's path, waves crash, like a heavy laugh.

Kites fly high on strings so thin, a dance in the wind and its joyful spin. Colours bright against the blue, dreams that fly and hopes to renew.

Sunsets paint the sky with red, and a burst of light that inspires. Days come to end, whispers soft and low, and the promise of tomorrow's glow.

Stars emerge as the daylight fades, a soothing dance in twilight's shades. Waves keep line with the lunar moon, a nighttime symphony that’s calm and smooth.

Moonlight reflects as the day nears its ends, the fun is done, but never truly ends. In these moments, memories are made, through twilight's embrace, they slowly fade.

So here on the beach, where time stands still, we find a peace, a gentle thrill. In the waves embrace, we drift away, into the heart of another perfect day.

“The Cradle of Youth”
Ava [Year 9]

In the cradle of youth, where dreams take flight,
We bask in the glow of the morning light.
In fields of laughter, we run so free,
Unaware of the tides that change the sea.

But seasons turn, as they always do,
And childhood fades like the morning dew.
The winds of change whisper soft and low,
As we learn the things we did not know

When did it change,
From throwing paper planes,
And driving wooden trains,
The games we played, the friends we made,
All shift and blur, then gently fade.

In the mirror a face unknown,
With eyes that see how much we’ve grown

Yet in our hearts, the child remains,
In every joy, in all the pains.
A tender echo of days gone by,
A beacon shining, a light so bright.

In the cradle of youth, where dreams take flight,
We bask in the glow of the morning light.
In fields of laughter, we run so free,
Unaware of the tides that change the sea.

“Lifechanging final shot”
Makayla [Year 9]

15, 14, 13 the crowd roared, 
my heart thundered in my chest, 
beating like wild animals trying to escape.
Noise making my mind distressed, thoughts blurred.  

12, 11, 10 leaning on the edge of their seats,
thousands of people watching in astonishment. 
Every second of training, every game
and every drop of sweat led to this.
How am I even here?  

9, 8, 7 echoing louder and louder. 
Sprinting down the court, 
my legs thumping like elephants.
Rapidly veering towards the goal. 

6, 5, 4 shoot they screamed. 
Without thinking I moved my arms, I released the ball. 
I could feel the blood pumping through every vein
Puffing like a steam train, 
waiting for what felt like a lifetime.  

3, 2, 1… the silence was deafening, 
ball soaring through the air heading to the goal.
The championship on the line 
and the go-ahead shot is… SWISH 

As tired as a sloth, but so in shock I could roar,
sweat flooding out of every pore. 
This is exactly what life is for.

“Weakness”
Eliana [Year 10]

Weakness,
Neither true nor false,
right or wrong.
Neither earned nor deserved,
wanted or unwanted.
Weakness,
It grows beyond our bones.
Leaving the surface broken and bruised.
Buried in the graveyard of feelings,
I try to pretend it isn’t there.
Weakness,
Its resentful voice
Blistering my ears.
Its hidden whispers so shallow,
Yet I drown and lose my breath.
Weakness,
Yet only in acceptance
Is where we find the greatest strength.

“The Mirror I Look Into”
Asha [Year 11]

The mirror I look into
displays someone I don’t know.
A woman, once a child
A mother, once a daughter
My soul, once so wild,
Now tempered by the laughter of the life that I have built.

Each line is etched with stories
Of love, of loss, of lament.
The past now a distant memory,
Reflected through my face,
Hoping that the world will remember me.

The mirror I look into
Shows a future uncharted.
A woman, strong and true
From a girl once started.

My journey long and winding
Through trials and through tears
But also, warmth and kindness
Gathered through the years.

The mirror I look into,
Displays someone I now know,
A woman who had grown
From the seed of long ago.

With wisdom in my eyes
And strength within my soul,
I face each new sunrise
Embracing every role.

“Yearning for Freedom”
Ava [Year 11]

With the morning sun creeping through the curtain’s folds,
Yet my heart resisting its warming hold.
Another day comes, duty’s call,
But reluctant grips me like a shroud’s pall.

In the quietness of dawn, I linger still,
My mind is caught between dreams and reality’s chill.
The clock on the wall ticks with a relentless pace,
Yet my spirit craves for a slower embrace.

Books and periods, desks and chairs,
They weigh heavy on my mind’s affairs.
My routine waves its iron hand,
But my soul seeks freedom, to roam the halls unplanned.

Outside these walls, the world is alive,
With many mysteries to unravel, and many dreams to strive.
Yet here I am, in dark corridors and cold grey,
Longing for the outside, where shadows play.

But my obligation calls, and I must comply,
To face the day with a weary sigh.
Yet within me stirs a quiet plea,
For a world beyond these walls, where I can truly be free.

“My Ripple”
Daniella [Year 11]

Stilled water
Crystal clear
Undisturbed.

As the droplets trickle in,
chaos breaks.
Thousands of droplets,
each with their ripple
but what effect does my ripple have when it’s hidden amongst the chaos?

Like a choir of unsynchronised screams
each droplet begging to create the biggest splash.
but was my ripple loud enough to hear?

No matter how big
no matter how small
my actions and words disturb the still water
rippling out as the water folds in on itself

But…
Does my ripple reach you?
Is my ripple enough for you to notice?

“Changing and growing; the search history of a high school girl”
Ella [Year 11]

How to make new friends
How to find poetic techniques
How to braid my hair
How to make your teachers like you
How to convince your parents to let you go out

How to design your schoolbooks
How to write an email
How to grow taller
How to create your Instagram username
How to find your spirit animal

How to fit in
How to stop fighting with friends
How to earn money
How to deal with periods
How to find your bra size
How to lose weight quickly

How to sneak out at night
How to buy a vape
How to pass maths
How to fall in love
How to hide messages on my phone
How to stop crying

How to pick your elective subjects
How to keep friendships
How to deal with anxiety
How to get your driver’s license
How to cram the night before an exam
How to improve my mental health
How to dye my hair

How to know if you need therapy
How to find your study technique
How to buy concert tickets
How to decide your future career
How to plan your 18th birthday party.
How to vote...

“Death’s Journey”
Harleen [Year 11]

In the silence of the lonely darkness,
Those in the shadows let out wails of sadness.
The thick fog, heavy with their unseen fate,
An endless destiny of indescribable pain.

Crushed by the walls of endless abyss,
Monsters within tear them to bits.
Every breath, a battle fought for life,
Trapped within the clasp of the afterlife.

Bony hands reach for their fleeting mortality,
But come face to face with looming calamity.
The soul bound to the depths of night,
Yearns for nothing but a taste of sunlight.

When encountering the man with a scythe,
The slow beating heart must give up its tithe.
What once glowed as bright as fireflies,
Becomes nothing but one’s demise.

Reluctant to give into death,
One must let go of the final breath.
When the final bond begins to tear,
The soul must give in to Death’s care.

As the journey slowly begins to fade,
The old soul must no longer be afraid.
For even in the darkest of nights,
There is a star that shines bright.

“We Can’t Be Gratitude’s Thieves”
Sofia [Year 11]

As the innocent child mourns her baby brother in a frontline of destruction,
We rest in the silent room with our own, face lit up from the piercingly white screen.

We are gratitude’s thieves.

As the peeling skin on her fingers turns crimson from the exhausted sewing needle,
We throw our disregarded clothing on a mounting landfill in the corner of our bedrooms.

We are gratitude’s thieves.

As her precocious eyes beam for the plain bowl of corn on her lap,
We continuously feast on a gluttonous display of poison.

We are gratitude’s thieves.

As she lays listening to the trickling rain above her bed,
We are swallowed by our bedsheets, peeling our wearied eyes for a notification on a screen.

We are gratitude’s thieves.

And as we wake to mornings of tranquillity,
The peeling skin on her fingers was already turning a deeper shade of crimson.
We can’t be gratitude’s thieves.

The Year 12 students gathered for their penultimate day of schooling last Thursday. Following a rehearsal for the Mass and Farewell Assembly, they returned to the College to spend their last Recess in the Common Room. The cohort was then treated to a farewell message from Chanel 7 newsreader, Rosanna Mangiarelli and words of advice from their subject teachers.

Opening the Time Capsules, prepared while they were in Year 8, brought back many happy memories. It was wonderful that the Pastoral Care Teachers and Pastoral Care Coordinator from 2020 were able to join us for this trip down memory lane. Much laughter was heard when students remembered, found and then watched the challenge videos they made back in 2020.

A shared liturgy with their Year 8 Sisters marked their final gathering. Gifts were exchanged along with many kind words and smiles. Junior students forming a Guard of Honour, others looking through classroom windows and the sounds of Mary’s Vision made for a fitting exit from the College grounds. Thank you to the many families who greeted the students on the Phillips Street lawns for making this such a special occasion.

The Farewell Assembly on Friday was a joyous occasion. The College Captains reminisced about their six years at the College – the first cohort to begin their secondary schooling as Year 7s. I reflected on three things to make a happy life: something to love, something to do and something to look forward to.

Finally, we wish all students well as they complete their final examinations. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2024 at the Graduation Dinner in November.

Jeanene Corbo
Senior Years and SACE Coordinator.

As we head onto Week 4 of Term 4, here are just a few curriculum updates in the Arts.

Our Music Performance Choir are learning Christmas songs ‘Carols of the Bells’ and ‘Mary Did You Know’ and we look forward to listening to these at our final assembly.

After an eventful Term 3 with both the Dance Showcase and Arts Night, Dance students have been reflecting on their improvement over the year in both skill development and performance quality. Year 8 students have been learning about the importance of dance in a variety of cultures, while Dance Academy classes are refining their compositional skills by working on choreography in relation to a variety of themes.

Drawing on the inspiration of Arts Night, Year 7 Drama students are devising and presenting their own fractured fairytales, learning first-hand the skills of script writing and stage direction to tell the altered tales of Aladdin and a Tale of Princesses.

In the Visual Arts, Years 7 and 8 students are working on clay this term. Year 8s are designing vases and creatures and are looking forward to creating their final designs in clay. Year 7s have been researching angels in art, ready to design their own ceramic angels.

We are looking forward to our Year 12 Art and Design Show this year. The Year 12 students have worked incredibly hard on their Visual Studies, Folios and final pieces. Join us in celebrating their achievements and viewing the amazing artwork on Friday November 8, between 5.00pm and 7.00pm, upstairs in the Tenison Centre. Information is on the QR code on the invitation (pictured above) as well as the email which was sent to parents.

Linda Di Blasio
The Arts Leader of Learning

Our 2024 Sports Assembly was held in Week 1, where we celebrated all things Sport at the College. It was wonderful to come together as a College community and reflect on all that has been achieved throughout 2024. We were thrilled to present our premiership winning teams with their premiership medals.

Congratulations to the following students: 

Year 9 MMC 1 Netball  
Ava, Zara, Daniella, Sienna, Grace, Cara, Siena, Adriana, Chloe 

Middle MMC 1 Volleyball: 
Ava, Zara, Ela, Alexia, Emma, Daniella, Siena 

Our Sport Program prides itself on three core values from our Sports Charter; Commitment, Perseverance and Respect. Throughout our Saturday Sports program, we hope that all our students representing the College in Sport consistently demonstrate these three values towards their teammates, coaches, opposition and officials. During the Sport Assembly we recognized students that displayed outstanding Sport Values in their respective teams throughout 2024. 

Congratulations to the following students: 

Middle Volleyball:  
Siena, Chloe, Siena, Lally, Sebi, Shanaya 
Senior Volleyball: 
Jayme, Jennifer, Chloe 
Touch Football: 
Olivia, Amelia  
Basketball: 
Grace 
Year 7 Netball: 
Sienna, Samantha, Kenolee 
Year 8 Netball:  
Caitlin, Lally, Hannah 
Year 9 Netball: 
Chloe, Chiara, Violet 
Year 10 Netball: 
Kathrain 
Open Netball: 
Ava, Sophie, Jessie 
Soccer: 
Emma 
Badminton: 
Anja, Bianca 

The College community also welcomed Chelsea Randall, AFLW Superstar, back to the College to share some stories from her incredible career. Chelsea spoke of how she has applied courage to aspects of her life that encouraged her to take big risks, and with these risks came great reward. It was lovely hearing our school’s mantra being applied in real-life situations and hearing of the huge successes attributed to having the courage to lead, hopefully giving students and families something to aspire to. 

In Week 2 our Boccia team, consisting of Alana, Amelia, Lila, Lally and Caitlin, competed in the School Sport SA Boccia State Championships for students with a disability. For the second year in a row, this team finished in second place! We are so proud of our team and can’t wait to see if they can come back with the state championships next year! 

Join our Principal, Sonia Nelson, for a tour of the College.

Principal’s Tours are a great opportunity for prospective MacKillop girls and families to visit the College and to meet our Principal. You will meet senior staff and students on an intimate tour of the school and experience our warm hospitality.

Term 4 Tour:
Wednesday 6 November 9.30am

Book Now

Mary MacKillop College warmly invites girls in Years 4, 5 and 6 to spend a day with us as a MacKillop girl.

Come 'n' Try MacKillop Days are a wonderful opportunity for your daughter to meet our staff and students while being involved in a range of interactive lessons and meeting new friends.

Click here to book a Come 'n' Try MacKillop Day.