STRATEGIC PLAN
2021 - 2024
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
OUR FOUNDER
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop can be best understood by looking at her ministry through 6 ‘Ps’. She had Passion. It was a deep passion for God and a passion for supporting people made in His image. Out of these, she believed in Possibilities. In her local and wider community, she saw suffering, injustice, struggles and pain and she wanted to alleviate these things. This led her to Practical Action – a willingness to get her hands dirty and to walk alongside those who suffered. In this, she was never alone – she embraced Partnership as a means of securing the Common Good. She did not let differences of faith, opinion or class be a barrier to her mission. She Persevered – facing barriers that were systemic, institutional and at times personal. Lastly, she was immersed in and believed in Prayer as a means towards transformation, and communion with God.
Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
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Contents 2
Our Founder
FOREWORD
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Our Values Bold Ambitions
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Our Mission & Identity
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Our Learning, Teaching &
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Our Wellbeing
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Our Resources
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Our Relationships
Curriculum
The Strategic Plan is the central leadership and management document of our College. Its purpose is to provide the means to animate our mission, and to establish a clear direction for the actions and goals for the next stage of our growth. It is the touchstone upon which our progress is measured. We are committed as a College to enlivening our distinct Charism. This means that we will develop and consolidate ways for our students, staff and community to recognise the voice of our patron, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, in our endeavours at the College and beyond. We will do this in five focus areas; • Mission and Identity • Teaching, Learning and Curriculum • Wellbeing • Resources • Relationships We have worked with staff, parents and the College Board to develop this plan, cognisant of our role as a school within the Diocese of Toowoomba.
MR CHRIS GABBETT
MR SHAYNE CLEARY
PRINCIPAL
BOARD CHAIR
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
OUR VALUES St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was: A woman of faith and courage who committed to
engaging minds igniting hearts
A woman of strength and perseverance who believed in
A woman of compassion and unfailing love who devoted herself to
serving others
Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
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College Motto Celebrate God in all things
What We Seek We seek to form young people who are active in all areas of learning. We see a world with complexity that necessitates a focus on the wellbeing and emotional resilience of young people. We seek to consciously support our students to navigate this world through the development of the 21st Century skills of critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and social skills. We want them to be empathetic and committed to a deep sense of service to the community, particularly the vulnerable, inspired by the Gospel and Josephite tradition.
Our Vision To be a Catholic school that cultivates a standard of excellence in holistic education through the development of people who take ownership of their learning and contribute to the wellbeing of the College community.
Our Mission St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was a courageous pioneer and visionary leader. She established a new religious order of sisters and led a radical new approach to education in Australia. While embracing the poorest and most marginalised, she also displayed extraordinary courage and strength of character. Following her example and continuing her legacy, We are a community that welcomes all in the name of Jesus Christ, strives to develop the potential of each individual, responds to the needs of others, has a simplicity of lifestyle and has a special concern for and response to those most in need.
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
Inspired by the life and witness of St Mary MacKillop;
PASSION
We strive for excellence, to secure the life and dignity of those we teach.
POSSIBILITIES
We seek to make a positive difference to the lives of our students, particularly the poor and the vulnerable.
PRACTICAL ACTION
We encourage hard work and personal responsibility to participate fully in society.
PARTNERSHIP
We do nothing alone; we work in solidarity with our community.
PERSEVERANCE
We seek to develop strong character and resilience, balanced moral conscience and solid values.
PRAYER
We consciously bring a Josephite dimension to prayer, imitating St Mary MacKillop’s tenderness, strength and constancy of faith.
Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
BOLD AMBITIONS By the end of 2024 we will; 
1.
Have progress in external assessments above the average of similar schools, as evidenced by NAPLAN results, literacy and numeracy scores, VET achievements and ATAR scores.
2. 3. 4.
Have completed the P-12 Master Plan. Have 1000 students across P-12. Be the school of choice for communities between Crows Nest, Toowoomba, Murphy’s Creek and Oakey.
5.
Be recognised nationally as a beacon for a lived, recontextualised and vibrant Catholic identity, tradition.
based
firmly
in
the
Josephite
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
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OUR MISSION & IDENTITY
“Seek first the poorest and most neglected of God’s vineyard” St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was a leading pioneer whose life was inspired by a faith in action. We aim to be a strong community enlivened by the Josephite charism, committed to social justice and service to our local and wider community. By the end of 2024 we will have:
1.1
Renewed and developed our knowledge and understanding of the Charism of the Sisters of St Joseph and the work of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
1.2
Celebrated the diversity of the College community through symbol, prayer and liturgy, in a way that consciously engages with the Giabal and Jarowair people of the greater Wakka Wakka nation as first custodians.
1.3
Reviewed and enriched social justice and retreat activities so that they fully align with our Josephite identity and our Wellbeing Strategy.
1.4
Fostered an intentional Religious Education programme that prioritises the spiritual formation of faith leaders within the College – engaging the parish, staff and students.
1.5
Fostered greater engagement, participation and leadership of College-based cultural activities and liturgical celebrations.
Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
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Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
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OUR LEARNING, TEACHING, & CURRICULUM
“We must teach more by example than word” St Mary of the Cross MacKillop saw beyond poverty or disadvantage to the heart of the human being, filled with unique gifts and talents. She is an example of education expressed as social justice – a fulfilment of the Common Good. By the end of 2024 we will have:
2.1
Developed a commitment to excellence in education, collaborative learning, high quality pedagogy, the intentional development of resilience, a growth mindset and intrinsic motivation.
2.2
Secured a variety of high-quality P-12 pathways for all students, ensuring that sporting, cultural, academic, and service activities are equally valued and accessible.
2.3
Provided significant leadership opportunities and professional learning for staff.
2.4
Consolidated enhanced digital literacy in all classrooms to ensure we form learners who can problem solve in a real-world context to navigate the intensity of an ever-changing digital world.
2.5
Provided opportunities for students to explore a range of postschooling pathways through the introduction of a careers development program.
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
3.
OUR WELLBEING
“All will be right with time and a little patience” An authentic Catholic community cannot separate itself from the wellbeing of students – this must be the heart of who we are. We strive to educate everyone to be the best they can be. This means creating a structure where our students, parents and staff can consciously and completely engage in discussing their own wellbeing, and have the language, tools and skills to be the best they can be. By the end of 2024 we will have:
3.1
Reviewed, designed and implemented a Pastoral Care Program that reflects our Catholic identity, is purposeful, relevant and self-sustaining, and is identified as exemplary practice by the MMCC community and other Queensland schools.
3.2
Developed Professional Learning pathways that enable all staff to engage fully with a mission to be a resilient College, focused on teacher wellbeing and youth mental health and wellbeing.
3.3
Reviewed, designed, and implemented Parent Workshops that support our families as they care for their children in an increasingly challenging time.
3.4
At all levels, we will have clear processes and a culture of self-renewal and improvement to promote the operation and advancement of the College.
4.
Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
OUR RESOURCES
“Do all you can with the means at your disposal and calmly leave the rest to God” As stewards of the property and resources of the College we commit to caring for our environment and developing our resources. Our assets are tools for the provision of excellent educational opportunities within flexible and creative learning spaces. By the end of 2024 we will have:
4.1
Designed, implemented, and reviewed the new master plan and committed to one major and one minor project in each alternate year.
4.2
Undertaken annual ICT planning ensuring that the best possible educational ICT resources are in place within the College, and that these are linked to renewed pedagogical practice.
4.3
Instituted processes, including a focus on the cross-curricular priority of sustainability, to ensure our College is environmentally aware and consciously working toward a zero-waste model.
4.4
Maintained enrolments at a level that secures outstanding provision and resourcing for our students.
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Mary MacKillop Catholic College
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Strategic Plan | 2021 - 2024
OUR RELATIONSHIPS
“Remember we are all but travellers here” As a Josephite school we seek to be people of mission by engaging with the wider community and outside organisations. Like St Mary MacKillop, we must be prepared to understand and relate with all aspects of the world. We educate our students to be politically, socially and economically aware so that they can take part and contribute to all aspects of building a socially just world. By the end of 2024 we will have:
5.1
Strengthened our relationships with fellow Josephite schools, to best energise our own mission in a way that is self-sustaining.
5.2
Developed knowledge of alternative pathways and created strategic partnerships with a range of tertiary institutions – re pathways, information, and opportunities for senior students.
5.3
Actively sought out deeper engagement with parents and alumni through a targeted communication plan and series of related activities.
5.4
A published leadership succession plan within the College that is the fruit of conscious formation in the Josephite tradition.
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