MacKillop Catholic College, Mount Peter

As a Catholic school, our PURPOSE is inspired by the Gospel of Life. In the spirit of Jesus Christ, and faithful to the example of St Mary MacKillop, our VISION is a school community in which:

• children and their families are welcomed and loved
• students are inquisitive and happily learning
• learners are supported, guided and encouraged.

Our MISSION as a Catholic school is to:

• form confident and creative young people
  who value the ethic of love
• be a safe and welcoming community
  in which relationships are characterised by Gospel values
• offer the best quality pedagogy and curriculum
  for the creation and sharing of knowledge
  which is characterised by the good, the true and the beautiful.

As a community of hope investing in the future, we embrace Christianity as the way of humanity. Desiring our students to experience they are loved and cherished, we VALUE:

• Catholic culture as foundational and formative
• Community which is family-like and inclusive
• Curriculum that innovates and energises
• Pedagogy which individuates and engages
• Staff who love their students
  and who love their own learning
• Leadership that is visionary and at the service of the community
• Facilities that are contemporary and agile.

Learning and Teaching – is the core activity of our school. Quality learning and teaching in Catholic schools is informed by:

• The educational vision, mission, policies and strategic priorities of the Diocese of Cairns
• Contemporary educational research and practices
• The needs and the aspirations of students, their families and the local community
• The knowledge and skills of teachers and support staff
• The requirements of Government educational policies and directions

MacKillop Catholic College is committed to preparing young people for tomorrow’s world by providing an education which is congruent with the values of the gospels and the teachings of the Catholic Church. To realise such a system of education we hold firmly a vision for the kinds of adults our young people need to become and this is clearly articulated in our Diocesan Learning Framework. This document can be accessed on the Catholic Education.

As a member of the network of Catholic schools across Far North Queensland and supported by Cairns Catholic Education Services, MacKillop Catholic College will draw from and contribute to our shared educational resources. With the Diocesan Learning Framework as the foundation document, our College will continually refine our delivery of learning programs and continue to develop school-based curriculum plans designed to meet the needs of our student community, whilst taking into account and being informed by the Australian Curriculum and the requirements of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

In proposing minimum curriculum requirements for Learning Areas within Catholic schools, it is critical to note that every curriculum area has a religious and a social emotional dimension; a capacity to assist students to examine the world of human culture and the world of religion, providing knowledge and skills through an active process, and fostering attitudes and values that are life-giving and that assist young people to search for meaning and truth.

All Queensland children are eligible to attend full-time Prep from the beginning of the school year in which they will reach the age of 5 years by 30 June. Children whose birthday is in July through to December commence Prep at the beginning of the school year after their 5th birthday. Prep is the first year of school and provides the foundation for your child’s education. It is a full-time program held in primary schools. Children attend Monday-Friday for the full school day. Prep teachers use the Foundation Year of the Australian Curriculum—to guide children’s learning. The Foundation Year in the Australian Curriculum refers to the year before Year 1. In Queensland this is called Prep.