The College celebrated its 25-year anniversary with a special Silver Jubilee Assembly on Friday 8 September.

The event was held in conjunction with MacKillop Day, with the assembly replacing the traditional Feast Day Mass for the special occasion.

Held at the Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium, the Silver Jubilee Assembly included reflections on the first 25 years of MacKillop, a short liturgy, and a range of presentations and performances.

While students and guests entered the stadium, images from the College’s history played on the screen, along with messages of congratulations from alumni and members of the community.

The assembly itself opened with a hymn specially commissioned for the occasion, A Jubilant Song, which was performed by the College Choir. This was followed by the Welcome to Country by Ngunnawal woman and MacKillop parent Selina Walker, the National Anthem, and a short liturgy.

The Acting Principal, Mr Lachlan McNicol, addressed the audience and also welcomed Mr Michael Lee to the stage, who took time from his secondment in Melbourne to take part in the jubilee celebrations. 

Special presentations included The Brendan Marsh Teacher of Excellence Award, which was presented to Mrs Kate Goolagong, a video interview with past principals of the College, a short address from Sr Noelene Quinane, and the launch of the Reconciliation Action Plan.

The assembly also featured the presentation of Silver Status Awards, an SRC Report, and English in Two Minutes – an adaptation of the popular agenda item which doubled in length due to the presence of both English Coordinators.

Throughout the event, the audience was treated to two brilliant performances. The first piece was by a Senior Campus band known as Nevermind (NVM), who performed Feel So Young, an original song written by Will Edwards. The second performance was an energetic dance number, performed by seven students from across the school.

The assembly concluded with a video presentation by alumni of the College, who spoke of their time at school, their memories, and what has stayed with them from their time at MacKillop. 

In the afternoon, students went back to the St Peter’s Campus for the annual MacKillop Day celebrations, with activities like the obstacle course, horizontal bungee, face painting, sumo wrestling, carnival games, upbeat music, and a wide range of food and drink. The winners of the College-wide INSPIRE Art Competition were also announced at the exhibition in F Block. Following the activities, students went back into their PC classes and took part in a digital auction to raise money for the Tegan Blunt Memorial Gift. 

Congratulations to the students for bringing such a positive energy to the occasion, as well as the many staff who planned and prepared for the day.

We hope this very special occasion was an enjoyable day for everyone!