Our theme for this year is ‘Peace for our common home’ aligned with a quote from Mary MacKillop, ‘Remember, we are but travelers here’ circa 1866.
Our College is unashamedly Catholic and has grown out of the charism of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. As a community we strive to encourage all individuals to reach their full potential as lifelong learners by providing and innovative, challenging and collaborative learning and teaching environment. The College vision statement ‘Celebrating all life, Challenging all people, Dreaming the new day’ captures the spirit of the College. We are a community where people are important and valued. A place where all can dare to be the best they can be. A community firmly in the here and now yet with an eye to the opportunities and challenges that the future might bring us.
Established in 1970 with an initial enrolment of 102 girls, MacKillop is a Catholic Co-educational Secondary College named after Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, co-founder of the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Since then, the College has educated a large portion of the Catholic Community and is proud of its current status. Principal, Rory Kennedy, says the College is committed to each student’s intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical and psychological growth by fostering leadership and empowering them as faith filled, discerning citizens of its school community.
Our College features outstanding facilities that are complimented by beautifully maintained gardens, sporting fields and recreational areas. Our emphasis on contemporary learning strategies is supported by up-to-date and extensive digital infrastructure. This includes a comprehensive network in all classrooms throughout the College and a dedicated ICCT centre which provides students and staff with specialised video and podcasting studios including green-screen animation workspace.
MacKillop boasts innovative and technologically rich state-of-the-art learning areas including a unique Science wing, a 400 seat Auditorium, an outstanding Sports Centre with gymnasium and an exceptional Creative Arts Centre. MacKillop College offers a broad and comprehensive curriculum, including a Gifted and Talented program and support to students who experience learning difficulties. We have established successful policies that support student wellbeing.
The pathways available are diverse with MacKillop offering VCE, VCAL and VET subjects as well as the SEDA Sport Development Partnership Program. The College introduced the Trade Training Development Program Certificate II in Engineering Studies Mechanical and Fabrication Streams as another opportunity for our senior students. From Years 7 – 10 a strong core and elective program establishes good learning and study practices. Stimulated by innovative, challenging and collaborative lessons, students from Year 7 to 10 study subjects across all learning areas including, Religious Education, Creative and Performing Arts, Design and Technology, English, Health and Physical Education, Humanities, Digital Technologies, Languages, Mathematics and Science.
MacKillop promotes excellence in the programs offered which include our unique and dedicated Year 9 Campus providing experiences that have been designed to foster close links with the local community and to raise awareness of local, national and international citizenship and responsibility.
“With a comprehensive and well-balanced curriculum, programs have been designed to prepare students with the tools and skills needed to effectively problem solve, research and channel inner creation,” continues Mr Kennedy. Our curriculum incorporates intensive learning within a positive, dynamic and adaptive learning and teaching environment. This promotes a culture of enquiry and the creative exploration of ideas.
In addition to our new Chapel, our College recently opened a new building, named after Sr. La Merci, which boasts an innovative and contemporary learning environment with multiple learning spaces. These digitally rich General Purpose Learning Areas (GPLAs) will support our students with appropriate learning to assist them in becoming ICT proficient and productive community members in this 21st Century.
MacKillop College is continuing to display its pride in the arena of Academia and the Arts and with recent achievements of Andrew Montalto and Elias Anton. Firstly, we acknowledge the success of Andrew Montalto who received a perfect study score of ‘50’ in Further Mathematics and was Dux of the College. Andrew was recently awarded at the Premier’s VCE Awards 2017. We congratulate Andrew on this prestigious award, being presented by the Minister for Education, the Hon. James Merlino MP and wish Andrew every success with his studies and future endeavours. We also celebrate Elias Anton as a standout actor in the title role of ‘Barracuda’, who made a striking television debut in the lead role as Danny Kelly. He has been described as a gifted actor, completing his final year of VCE as a student of MacKillop’s Theatre and Media Studies in 2016 he thrived in the Australian film and television industry. Earlier this year Elias Anton deservedly was nominated for a Logie Award in the category of ‘Best New Talent’. Elias’ success has since been realised with the announcement at the recent Logies as the recipient and award winner of the Graham Kennedy Award for ‘Most Outstanding New Comer.’
MacKillop College would like to congratulate Elias Anton for his outstanding achievements and wish him all the very best in his future endeavours and look forward to seeing him on the big screen.
MacKillop endeavors to provide an outstanding education that integrates faith, life and culture. We are a community that strives to follow in the footsteps of Mary MacKillop and in her words (1867) “teach more by example than by word”.
Visit MacKillop College during its Open Day on Sunday
23 July between 10.00am and 1.00pm with a final tour commencing at 12.15pm or simply call the College Registrar for further information.
