It is with great excitement that we bid farewell to our staff, students and parents embarking on our College’s very first trip to Europe. This journey marks a significant milestone in our history, as we expand our horizons beyond the shores of Australia.

Over some pretty intense weeks, travellers will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich cultural tapestry of Europe, visiting iconic landmarks, experiencing diverse traditions, and gaining educational insights. This is not just about seeing new places; it's about broadening perspectives, fostering independence, and creating memories.

It is also about seeing the universality and appreciating the history of our Church. In London, they will see the historic Westminster Cathedral, a beacon of Catholic faith in the heart of the city. They will also see the site of Tyburn Tree and see the many relics of the English Martyrs who gave their lives in the time of persecution. Rome, the eternal city, will offer them the chance to marvel at the Vatican, the spiritual and administrative centre of the Roman Catholic Church. Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral, with its stunning Gothic architecture, will be another highlight, showcasing the deep-rooted Catholic heritage of the region.

Munich has the Baroque beauty of the Asam Church, while Normandy will be a quick stop in the Basilica of Sainte-Thérèse in Lisieux. They will be in Paris just before the re-opening of the majestic Notre-Dame Cathedral, an icon of French Gothic architecture. Also in Paris, they will visit the beautiful Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Rue de Bac.

They will also follow in the footsteps of Saint Mary MacKillop, who travelled to Europe in 1873 to seek Papal approval for the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Her journey took her to Rome, where she met with Pope Pius IX and visited many significant churches and shrines, deepening her faith and commitment to her mission.

To all our travellers – staff, students and parents, I wish you a safe and inspiring journey. To our students: embrace every moment, enjoy the opportunity to have some freedom, learn with an open heart, and return with stories that will inspire your peers and enrich our College community.

Mr Chris Gabbett

College Principal

Graduation is an awesome time of the year! Embarking into the world as an adult with goals and aspirations for the future is a defining moment. Graduating with your work already being recognised, appreciated, and applauded by a community is even better. Receiving compliments from complete strangers who recognise your gift validates that decision to be an artist, to pursue that dream. Well done, Rachel!

Rachels work is currently on display at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery and her prints are selling well. Garth Hamilton MP has additionally showcased her work on his Facebook page. Check it out!

Matthew Chivers

Senior Art Teacher

Perseverance, Partnership, Practical Action, Prayer, Possibilities and Passion

These 6 principles, by which we work towards each and every day, are highlighted at our annual Awards celebrations. Last week, the College celebrated the Year 5 – 12 Awards and next week, we join as a Junior College to celebrate the achievements of Prep – Year 4.

Throughout the ceremonies, students are recognised for their continued perseverance, passion and practical action throughout the year. Acknowledging the dedication, improvement and genuine hard work of our students is a highlight of the College year.

Staff have had the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of their students and have conveyed the following:

• possesses an intrinsic dedication to developing their knowledge across all learning areas;
• displays a positive mindset when facing challenging tasks, actively using persistence to solve problems;
• committed to reflecting on and improving their learning, demonstrating excellence in all that they achieve;
• resilient and flexible during their learning journey;
• measured, calm and good-humoured demeanour sit alongside a passion for the College community and a dedication to be a contributor to its success;
• stands confidently with the marginalised, helping them to be seen and heard in the classroom as well as through their active participation in College advocacy events;
• demonstrating a solid commitment to academic excellence and community support;
• their dedication to serving others, even in the absence of companionship, speaks volumes about their character.

The students at Mary MacKillop Catholic College are encouraged each and every day to model the principles of Mary MacKillop. It is evident that our students are striving to achieve their best and we as a College are very proud of all of the achievements of our students.

Kate Carroll

Acting Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning

Rugby 7s

The Rugby 7s season came to a stormy conclusion this week. All of our teams have recorded some fantastic wins and developed their skills along the way. Season highlights included both the 15 Boys and 17 Boys making the semifinals of the Cup competition. This is a fantastic effort, finishing above some of the more traditional rugby schools in the area. Our 17s were unable to compete on finals night due to the Year 12 formal which was a shame as they were undefeated and looked very likely to win the entire competition. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of this season has been the support our players have shown for each other. Year 12 students Tayla, Oscar, and Will shared the coaching this season and the younger students responded favourably to their older peers showing interest in their development as players. Many thanks to Mr Faessler, Miss Nicholson, Mr Brunner, and Mr Thomas for their efforts in coaching and managing teams this season.

Rugby Presentation

Year 12 Student Will has been a passionate member of our Mary Mac Rugby teams since he commenced at the College in 2020. He has been a leader on the field and his leadership has been evident over the last two years as he has stepped into coaching roles and been a wonderful mentor to our younger players.

Will initiated some end of seasons awards this year, with our Best and Fairest for each team collecting shields named after influential members of the MMCC Rugby community. Congratulations to all award winners. Our Best and Fairest recipients were Will Logan (Under 13s), Jonas Vanderzee (Under 15s), and Oscar Spies (Opens).

Australasian Champions of Champions Futsal (Champions)!

A huge congratulations to our Under 12 Girls Futsal Team who recently contested the Australasian Champions of Champions tournament in Brisbane. Played over three days, the girls went through the tournament undefeated, despite playing in a mixed 12/13 year age group. The girls displayed particularly high levels of resilience given the standard of competition and the very high temperatures and humidity.

Many thanks to Coach, Mr Watt and the parents who made this tournament a possibility for the girls.

MS Super Splash

Last Saturday, our College had 38 students, staff and parents participate in 8 hours of relay style swimming at the MS Super Splash at the Highfields pool. We raised $1408, with Mary Mac Gold swimming 652 laps and Mary Mac White swam 579 laps. An incredible effort by all.

Brad Griffiths

Middle Leader Sports and Student Engagement

A reminder to any families who may be moving or relocating from Highfields, please note our Cancellation Policy. Any families intending to withdraw their child's enrolment at the end of Term 4, 2024, must notify the College by no later than 4:00pm, Friday, 6 December 2024 to avoid billing of Term 1 2025 fees. 

Should your circumstances change and your child/ren will not be continuing at the College, we ask for the earliest notice possible. For the purposes of planning and resourcing, we require notification by the final day of the end of the current term. Notification is defined as the date of the receipt of the Notification of Transfer form. 

Invoices for fees are sent in the first few weeks of Term 1, and failure to provide this notice will result in one terms’ fee being invoiced to you. Exceptions to this Policy are at the discretion of the Principal. 

A Notification of Transfer form must be completed to initiate the cancellation of your child’s enrolment at the College. Please contact me to discuss your intentions via email or phone 07 4698 7777.

Phoebe Politch
Enrolments Officer

Walking the Josephite Way (Prep – Year 2)

Walking the Josephite Way (Year 3 – Year 6)

Walking the Josephite Way (Year 7 – Year 11)

Our Christmas Vacation Care Program has now been released! We have six weeks planned of many exciting experiences such as Christmas activities, excursions, water-play days, wheels' days, craft activities, cooking activities, and many more! Email us at TCKC - OSHC to secure your spot now.

Please see our Christmas Vacation Care Program below.

Garth Rochford

Coordinator

Mass Times

Every Sunday, St Mary MacKillop Catholic Parish gathers in the MacKillop Centre to celebrate together. You are invited to be part of this celebration. Sunday Mass starts at 8:00am (unless otherwise advised) and is led by Fr Brian Noonan.

Christmas Mass Times

Will be printed in the Church Bulletin next week.

Parish Pastoral Council

Meeting this Monday, 25 November at Parish Centre, 422 Meringandan Road, Kleinton at 6:00pm.

Thank you - Trivia Night

A big thank you to everyone who made our Annual Parish Trivia Night a success! It was a wonderful night, and we couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, volunteers and participants. Congratulations to our Parish winning team “Risky Quizness".

Memories

This Sunday, 24 November during our usual mass, we will be remembering all our departed loved ones. If there is a past loved one that we would like our parish to remember, we are welcome to select a flower, to place into a water bowl as a symbol of that memory. A very beautiful ceremony.

Christmas Raffle

We have purchased our Wheelbarrow, and it will be on display in the foyer on Sunday. Now is the time to bring along your donated goodies to fill it. Some lucky person will win this great prize. Books of tickets and single tickets are available. You can buy a book of 12 tickets for $20, 3 tickets for $5 or 1 ticket for $2.

Columban Calendars

Columban Calendars for 2025 are now on sale and are priced at $10.00 each. You will find these calendars on the desk in the foyer. These calendars are beautifully illustrated and have all feast days recorded for the year.

For Sale - Vinnies Religious Christmas Cards

5 cards in a pack at $5 per pack – cash only please. All proceedings go to help the poor in our community through St. Vincent de Paul. Please purchase generously and collect your cards at the back of the church. Any questions see Greg Bowdler at the desk in the foyer on Sundays.