“MacKillop College is a Catholic faith community dedicated to excellence in the education of young women.”

GOALS/OBJECTIVES STATEMENT

Goal: That the students, staff and parents form a genuine Christian community in the Catholic tradition, so that students may grow towards their full potential, intellectually and physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially.

Objectives: That there will be:

• A prayerful community of students, staff and parents who have a genuine Christian concern and respect for one another.
• A sense of ‘belonging’ to this community by students, staff and parents, evidenced by a general atmosphere of happiness in the College.
• A knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic faith leading towards an acceptance and ‘living out’ our Christian values.
• A development of skills and attitudes for positive, critical, creative and evaluative thinking and the ability to use these skills effectively.

The College

MacKillop College strives to be a community in which Christ’s way of thinking and acting is lived out in the attitudes and actions of teachers and students. At the same time, the College is an institution in which planned instruction and learning take place. Both aspects of College life play a part in education in faith, involving:

• the nurturing and deepening of personal faith and
• a systematic and gradual study of the Catholic faith.

Teachers under the leadership of the Principal and Religious Education Coordinator, work to provide an education in faith that is based on sound educational principles. All teachers in a Catholic College contribute to the education in faith curriculum by the manner of their lives, their professionalism, and by bringing to their subjects the light of the Gospel.

As a Catholic College, sharing Wiradjuri land, we believe that Jesus Christ is the foundation and focus of our life and with the help of Mary, His mother, we can be a light to the world.

The Mercy charism of ‘Mercy in Action’ as inspired by the life and example of Venerable Catherine McAuley and the Josephite charism of ‘Humility of the Heart’ as inspired by the life and example of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop are the foundations of our College spirit.

• The faith life of the College based on the Gospel values and Catholic teachings permeates both our formal and informal curriculum.
• The College Community: Staff, Students, Parents, Catholic Education Office and Parish share the responsibility for developing the College as a Catholic faith community.
• The religious dimension of the College underpins the curriculum, Liturgical celebrations and prayer life, which supports, nourishes and develops this Catholic community as part of the Parish of St Michael and St John.
• The promotion of excellence in education is fundamental in enabling each student to realise her potential and to develop into an independent resilient woman who is inspired and encouraged to engage with a culturally diverse world.

We acknowledge our responsibility to:

• Empower each student to realise her potential - spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and socially in an inclusive, nurturing environment.
• Motivate, challenge and affirm each student to give of her best.
• Value each student for her dignity, talents and contribution.
• Provide skills, knowledge and values necessary to embrace the changing world, incorporate relevant technologies in their lives and respect the natural environment.

Thus, the young MacKillop woman will endeavour to have a strong community spirit, a deep sense of social justice - faith in action, an appreciation of cultural diversity and moral environmental responsibility focused on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Thus, the task of the Catholic school is “fundamentally a synthesis of culture and faith, and a synthesis of faith and life: the first is reached by integrating all different aspects of human knowledge through the subjects taught, in the light of the Gospel; the second in the growth of the virtues characteristic of the Christian." (Congregational for the Catholic Education, The Catholic School, 1977).