Mission and Wellbeing (AP)

Athletics Carnival 

The 2025 Athletics Carnival will be held at Barnier Park, Junction Hill. This is a typical school day, and all students are expected to be present. Non–attendance on the day will need to be explained. This may be done via the Compass App, a note or a phone call to the College office.

Date: Friday, 20 June 2025 

Location: Barnier Park - Terry West Athletics Field, Junction Hill

Departure Time: 8:45am from MCC Clarenza by Bus to Barnier Park

Return Time: 2:45pm from Barnier Park to MCC Clarenza

Exit passes must be presented to the students’ House Leader when their name is marked off. Notes need to state the time of departure, who is collecting the student and a contact number of the Parent/Carer.

Dress: Students may wear house-coloured clothing, appropriate for competing, or their sports uniform. Covered footwear is to be worn at all times.

Hats & Sunscreen: Students are expected to wear a hat during the day and use sunscreen (which will be provided). 

Food: Students are to bring their own lunch and snacks.

Attendance 

Regular school attendance is essential for every student to achieve their full potential and expand their career and life options. Student non-attendance at school places the student’s learning, social and emotional growth at risk. Schools, in partnership with families, are responsible for promoting students' regular attendance and ensuring that non-attendance is addressed effectively. 

While families are legally responsible for ensuring their children's regular attendance, school staff, as part of their duty of care, record and monitor both partial and whole-day absences. The school has legal obligations to follow up with the family when non-attendance becomes a concern. 

In Week 9, emails will be sent again advising if your child's attendance is below 90%. These emails are an important way to communicate with families and begin conversations regarding the reasons for non-attendance. We aim to identify and connect the family with the school as early as possible to engage the student in support that motivates them to attend school and address challenging barriers. 

Uniform 

The cooler weather is upon us, and families are asked to order uniform items. The new uniform offers winter options; seeing students wearing long dress pants is great and provides a warm alternative. Please contact the Uniform Shop: https://mccuniformshop.com.au/ 

Yr 10 Love Bites 

On Wednesday, July 2nd, Year 10 students will participate in the Love Bites program. The program, developed by NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), is a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people. It aims to provide young people with a safe environment in which to examine, discuss, and explore respectful relationships. Love Bites programs take a strength-based approach, viewing young people as active participants who can make choices for themselves and their relationships when supported with information and opportunities for skill development. 

The overall aims of the program are to equip young people with the knowledge needed to maintain respectful relationships, encourage and develop their skills in critical thinking, and assist them in problem-solving and communicating effectively. 

The students will work through the types of abuse in relationships and warning signs of abusive relationships, navigating sexual relationships, and consent. They will be able to communicate behaviours that are acceptable and what behaviour ‘crosses the line’. These conversations will give students an understanding of how we respect each other's boundaries. 

Year 9 Reflection Day 

Our Year 9 students will undertake their Reflection Day this year with Dave Jorna from Project Hatch. Dave has a passion for working with young people and provides a balance of learning and fun that works effectively for all students involved. The program, ‘The Real Gift,’ will challenge students in a fun and safe way to explore their faith and what is important to them.

We look forward to this affirming experience and opportunity for spiritual reflection while building community. 

The reflection day will be held in the College Hall on Monday, 30th June. Students are encouraged to wear their sports uniform, and lunch and morning tea are provided. 

Street Retreat

Next week, Year 11 students Becket Albert, Mason Cone, Raimi Mortimer, and Felicity Higgins will join students from each of the other parish secondary schools to attend the Street Retreat experience in Brisbane. This experience will form, equip, and empower students to return to their parish communities with a passion for social justice and a deeper sense of the call of Jesus Christ to serve the poor.

The students will spend from Thursday, 26th to Sunday, 29th June, working on a range of social justice initiatives in Brisbane. Their participation may make a small contribution to those being served, but the event is first and foremost an exercise in discipleship formation.  

The students will find the activities on the street retreat challenging and possibly confronting. Many activities run either very late at night or very early in the morning. While at Street Retreat, students will be moving around Brisbane visiting a range of placements, including drop-in centres, sorting warehouses, nursing homes, people with disabilities, food prep for the homeless, and Emmanuel City Mission, to name just a few.  The retreat will culminate in a celebration of Sunday Eucharist. 

We wish our students all the best for a great experience and look forward to hearing how our Social Justice programs can be developed based on their feedback. 

SHINE

SHINE unites Youth Ministry (CSYMA) students in Catholic secondary schools of the Diocese of Lismore. The Youth Ministry program is offered to Year 9 and 10 students in the Ministry classes, allowing those with a willingness to nurture their faith an opportunity for Christian fellowship and spiritual formation.

With a continued focus on peer-to-peer ministry, the two-day event combines elements of praise and worship, inspiring keynote speakers, student testimonies, interactive workshops, prayer, Eucharistic Adoration and Mass. Senior Ministry Team members are also invited to apply to share testimonies and assist in facilitating Breakout Sessions.

The cost this year will be $70 per student. This contributes towards food and materials at the event.

Information has been shared through Compass and within the Ministry classes. Parents are asked to consent via Compass by Friday, 20th June.