Senior School Report

Mr Kris Naiker | Assistant Principal: Teaching & Learning Senior

The quote by philosopher Albert Camus is fitting for the senior school in 2020. He wrote, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” Despite the challenges, both the students and staff persevered, resulting in outstanding academic achievement across Year 7-12.

It was a proud moment for the College as we saw our 7 Year 12 students graduate. It was a privilege to see the first ever Year 12 Mary MacKillop Catholic College graduation ceremony. I really believe as a community, we honoured Nadia, Caitlin, Grace, Holly, Daniel, Josh and Connor. During their final week at the College, the Year 12 students were encouraged to continue to dream of inspiring possibilities and serve humanity with their gifts and talents. These students should be very proud of their contribution and we wait eagerly for their academic results in late December.

Growth is a key word we use when discussing teaching and learning with students and staff. Despite the interruption Covid-19 caused, learning continued and students were supported. We were excited to see that 85% of our vulnerable learners produced more than a year of growth in Mathematics, Reading, Grammar and Punctuation in 2020. These results do not happen by accident. Credit to the senior staff who have worked tirelessly to adjust assessment tasks and differentiate learning in their classrooms.

A key focus for this year for the College was to build partnerships with relevant industries in the community. This year, we have had 10 students undertake traineeships with various companies in Highfields and Toowoomba. Reports from employers highlight the quality of our students. We also had 4 students complete the USQ Head Start Program and a further 2 students completing their course over the Christmas holidays. Three of our students completed their Head Start with a A standard, while the other student achieved a B standard. These are fantastic results considering they are only in Year 10.

The way both students and staff rose to the challenges of 2020 is something we can all be proud of. We look with anticipation to what 2021 will bring. While we cannot predict what challenges we will face, we will continue to provide quality teaching and learning in every classroom, every single day.