Mrs Leisa Radley

Director of Formation & College Culture (7-12)

Leisa began her teaching career in 2005 at St Thomas More's College, Sunnybank. From here, she has taught Religious Education, Physical Education, English and Study of Religion at Iona College, Lota; St. Mary's College, Toowoomba and St Joseph's College, Toowoomba, where she was Middle Leader for Religious Education.

Leisa has a Certificate IV in Foundations of Christian Theology and successfully completed the NESLI Women in Leadership course. Having completed a Catholic primary and secondary education and having only taught in Catholic schools, Leisa is passionate about Catholic education and building staff and students' appreciation of the uniqueness of belonging to a Catholic school.

Importantly, Leisa believes that RE in Catholic schools should be a combination of meaningful and rigorous curriculum, along with opportunities for faith in action. For staff, parents and students, an understanding of how MMCC's Catholic history and Josephite mission can be applied in the contemporary world is important.

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Mrs Claire Clapham

Director of Pedagogy

Claire began her teaching career at St Mary's College, Maryborough. She has always loved learning, mainly Physics and Mathematics. She has passionately taught both subjects at Padua College and St. Mary's College, Toowoomba and was head of Curriculum: Science and Curriculum Leader Mathematics, respectively. After completing her Master's in Education (Educational Innovation and Futures), she developed and taught the Gifted and Talented program for St Patrick's College.

Fostering quality teaching is a passion that has developed throughout her career. As Director of Pedagogy, Claire believes schools must develop innovative curricula delivered through engaging, explicit and purposeful pedagogy. Student success relies on the consistency of pedagogical practices, curriculum development and behaviour standards across the school. Underpinned by the Gospel values captured by the Josephite Charism to empower our students with faith and wisdom.

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Mr Chris Bracken

Dean of Senior Studies

Chris began his teaching career on the Isle of Man in 2009, having completed a Bachelor of Religious Education and English at Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin and an MPhil in Literatures of the Americas at Trinity College Dublin.

In 2011, he moved to Australia and has worked at Marist College Emerald and Brigidine College Indooroopilly before moving to MMCC in 2018. Since then, he has acted as Middle Leader Curriculum, Director of English and Literacy P-12 and now Dean of Senior studies.

Chris is passionate about curriculum development and developing 21st Century learners. He believes no subject should be taught in isolation, but that it is part of a curriculum that enables students to enhance their capacity to participate in a contemporary society.

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Mr Brad Griffiths

Middle Leader: Sport & Student Engagement

Brad began his teaching career at Canberra Girls' Grammar School after completing studies in Applied Science and Education (Physical Education). Since then Brad has held Director of Sport positions at Wenona School (Sydney) and the Glennie School (Toowoomba). He has also managed Tallong Campus, the Outdoor Education facility owned by Santa Sabina College (Sydney).

Brad is a strong believer in the benefits of being physically active and the role exercise and sport play in the holistic development of young people.

Brad's vision for sport at the College is that all students have the opportunity to participate in activities that are of interest to them and that they may challenge themselves to achieve their own personal best.

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Mrs Jessica Burke

Middle Leader: The Arts & Student Engagement

Jessica has been teaching for 21 years in directorial and classroom positions across QLD in Catholic and Anglican Colleges in the Arts and Humanities departments. Her passion is to allow students to experience a wholistic education with practical involvements in the Arts - such as marching bands, drumlines, stage and rock bands, musicals, visual art exhibits and dance productions such as Rock Eisteddfods and Wakkakirri. Jessica believes that by giving individuals a chance to encounter the arts, that it may lead into a lifelong love and appreciation.

Jessica also enjoys athletics and hockey and has represented QLD in both. Her dream is to one day learn how to play the bagpipes!

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Mr Timothy Connolly

Middle Leader: English

Tim has worked in Catholic Education for over twenty-eight years.

This time has seen him work in schools from Far North Queensland to Southern New South Wales.

Classroom teaching, middle leadership and various levels of sport coaching have seen him participate in education and extra-curricular aspects of education at the school, district, regional, state and national levels.

Tim is passionate about the importance of literacy achieved via student-centred means and is keen to enhance the extent of literature and self-expression, that is accessible for all students at our College.

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Mr Piers Dudin

Middle Leader: Mathematics

Piers started maths teaching straight out of University in the UK in 2000 and worked in a large comprehensive school not far from London for a couple of years. He then switched careers between racing sailing yachts and maths teaching for a few years until 2016 when he moved to Warwick, with his family, and started full time teaching again. He has been very happy to settle in Southern Queensland, and he considers himself lucky to have found such a great school to be part of and such a great department to lead.

Mathematics and the use of technology has always been a central part of his career and he enjoys encouraging students to find maths in their interests.

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Mr Jared Nielsen

Middle Leader: Science & Technology

Jared has a passion for all areas of Science and Technology, matched only by his love of helping others to share this passion. He is a highly engaging leader and educator who loves to 'learn by doing'. Jared is an experienced middle leader and has held previous leadership roles across both individual school departments (Science) and across entire schools (Enhanced Learning & Senior Schooling).

Jared's ambition to take on this role comes from a desire to be a key component in the College’s future and to ensure that as Mary MacKillop Catholic College grows, it can be numbered among the best educational facilities in the region.

Though Jared is one of the least-credentialed middle leaders at the College, he more than makes up for it with his deep knowledge of Star Wars related trivia.

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Mrs Liz Frame

Middle Leader: Humanities

This is Liz's thirty fourth year of teaching. She started her career in Sydney, and has taught in Mt Isa, Lismore and Toowoomba. Liz and her husband settled in Toowoomba in 2000, and have previously taught at St Ursula's College and St Mary's College before joining Mary Mackillop Catholic College this year. She happily admits to being a history nerd and collects artefacts from WW1 and WW2. She has travelled to many places which we teach about in the curriculum, and loves that she can bring that experience and knowledge to share with her classes. Liz has 2 very spoilt dachshunds and a naughty cat. In her younger years she played soccer and cricket at representative levels. She still enjoys coaching and being involved with sporting teams at school. Liz is very excited to be a part of Mary Mackillop Catholic College and growing the Humanities Department.

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Miss Kate Carroll

Year 3-6 Coordinator / Year 5 teacher

Kate has been teaching for more than 20 years in Catholic Education. She has taught Preschool, Year 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Most of her teaching has been in the areas of Year 5 through 9 and she thoroughly enjoys teaching young adolescents. She has a passion for creating a safe and welcoming environment that challenges adolescents to strive to achieve their potential. She is also really passionate about the wellbeing of students and she has worked in a number of different roles focused in this area. She enjoys coaching netball and loves most sports.

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Mrs Chrissy Carter

Prep-Year 2 Coordinator / Prep teacher

Chrissy has worked in Catholic Education for the past 20 years, most of those years at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. She is passionate about Early Years Education and believes that the road to success is established in the learning behaviours of students, as they begin their educational journey. She possesses a Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, a Bachelor Of Education (Early Years), a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education and a Women's Leadership Degree.

She strives to provide a positive, supportive and caring environment where students are able to develop socially and emotionally. She believes that this security within the classroom allows the students to concentrate on their academic journey. Chrissy encourages families to build a connection between the college and home to assist in providing a foundation for effective learning for their future.

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