Welcome to our website and into our community of learners.
Our name “Clairvaux MacKillop” reflects our very proud history. Two separate Colleges – Clairvaux, a Christian Brothers College for Boys (named after St Bernard of Clairvaux) and MacKillop College for girls, established by the Sisters of St Joseph, were unified in the mid 1980s. We are a Secondary College of almost 1200 students from Years 8 to 12.
As an Archdiocesan College we operate with the authority of the Brisbane Catholic Education Centre. A dynamic learning community, we offer a unitised curriculum from Year 8 through to Year 10. At Year 10 students consider entering the senior phase of schooling and elect a study pathway relevant to their abilities and future plans.
The academic pathway prepares students for tertiary studies after Year 12. The industrial pathway prepares students for work in industry and offers apprenticeships or part-time industry placements worked into their school timetable. Each pathway requires students to be self directed and highly committed to their studies.
As well as having a strong work-ethic, students and staff are required to be supportive of the College Mission and live out the values articulated in it.
Last week we had a very meaningful and very successful Mass to begin the academic year and the commissioning of Student Leaders. It was a wonderful opportunity for the whole College community - students, staff, parents, friends and the Parish Priest - to gather around the Table of the Lord to celebrate the togetherness of the Clairvaux MacKillop College family. Our special thanks to Father Wren, and to all who made the liturgical celebration so special. Congratulations to Mr Robinson, Ms Stadhams and all our Student Leaders.
This term a new procedure for applying for Special Provisions was introduced into the College. This procedure incorporates the QSA policy directive for Special Provisions, and documents what specific provision was implemented with each task a student completes. This not only applies to exams, but also assignments in the event of illness for example.
We share our world with other people: Students in school, families at home, people on the street, at the shopping centre, on the bus. Everyone has this experience - having to make a real effort to control yourself when other people are getting in your way, keeping you from what you want.
With the high number of teenagers frequenting Garden City of a morning and afternoon, too often there are some inappropriate behaviours. While our students may not be a party to this, they can easily be caught up in the tensions. It is therefore timely that we remind all students about our rules regarding Garden City, both before and after school.
Clairvaux MacKillop College is located in a heavily congested traffic area. Over these last few wet days it is a timely reminder for our College community, especially our student population, that serious injury due to silly, reckless and sometimes thoughtless behaviour can result if we are not road safety conscious. Logan Road and Klumpp Road as well as the intersection of Kessels Road and Cremin Street are just some of the nearby heavily congested traffic areas where our students must be alert and careful.
Over the course of this year I would like to highlight this important issue. With technology seemingly updated each day, the likelihood that it will be exploited either by students or by those beyond our gates becomes more reality than possibility.
I will reference sections of the Federal Government’s ‘Cybersmart’ website - a great source of practical and up to date information for all students and their families: www.cybersmart.gov.au
