We have passed the half way mark of the term and the College is a very busy place. As well as our classroom learning, we have had visits from our 2022 Year 7 students at their first Transition Day of the year. Mary MacKillop College has three transition days. Research tells us that the more students visit their prospective secondary schools the better experience they have when they finally move to a secondary school setting.
Many girls have already registered to attend our next Come 'n' Try Day in August. Come 'n' Try Days are a wonderful opportunity for your Year 5 or 6 daughter/s to spend the day with us as a MacKillop girl. They will meet our staff and students while being involved in a range of interactive lessons and meeting new friends. To register your daughter for our next Come 'n' Try Day, please visit our website.
Final preparations are underway for the Year 10 Retreat. Staff and students will travel to Penola, visit the Mary MacKillop Centre and meet up with the students from Mary MacKillop Memorial School. This retreat is an opportunity for our students to revisit the story of Mary MacKillop in the small town of Penola where it all started.
Last week, we celebrated 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia. Mrs Sotira and our College Captains attended the Mass at St Francis Xavier Cathedral. I was struck by the reflection from Dr Neil McGoran, which highlighted the history and achievements of Catholic Education.
Without doubt, while Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Father Tenison-Woods inspire us in many ways, their achievements remind us of the importance of partnership and collaboration.
And, perhaps, too, of the vitality of Saint Mary’s audacity and courage, to which we all still aspire.
The nearly 250,000 staff and volunteers- clergy, religious and lay, who across this vast period have ministered in schools, institutions, and offices; on committees; in associations; as advocates; or as dear friends. Many for almost a lifetime.
During this period, it is likely that close to 800,000 students have been educated in one of our schools or institutions, at least for a time.
At our recent assembly, all members of our College community received their Commemorative pin celebrating the 200 years.
National Sorry Day was held last week on 26 May. The first National Sorry Day was in 1998 and its purpose was to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of Australia’s indigenous population. It is 13 years since Kevin Rudd moved a motion of Apology to Australia's Indigenous people. It was a very moving speech and this formal apology was made on behalf of successive parliaments and governments whose policies and laws, “inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss."
Sr Margaret Lamb, past Principal of Mary MacKillop College, passed away peacefully on 7 May 2021. Her funeral mass was held at St Ignatius Church on 13 May. She was a feisty woman and a strong advocate for social justice, particularly refugees. We laughed at the stories of her driving skills and the wonderful image of a young sister of St Joseph in full habit sitting in the front bar of a country pub. Margaret was Principal from 1990 until 2000 and was instrumental in ensuring that we were able to have our wonderful gymnasium.
Kath McGuigan
Principal
Social