Clairvaux MacKillop College
Welcome to Clairvaux MacKillop College
Clairvaux MacKillop College is a Catholic Co-educational Secondary College.
Our College is a great place to learn and grow. Generous hospitality and welcome are hallmarks of our thriving learning community. Ours is a friendly place built on a deep respect for each person – their innate goodness, their learning potential, their unique capacity to be good for the world.
We have high expectations of the students of Clairvaux MacKillop College. We value their diversity – their stories, their hopes and dreams, their interests and aspirations. We seek to open their minds and hearts to new horizons, new perspectives, new possibilities, embraced with determination and focus, imagination and purpose.
The College enrols students from year 8-12 and has a student population of around 1200 students. The spirit of Clairvaux MacKillop College is a reflection of its aims and heritage. There is a strong system of Pastoral Care which seeks to implement the aims of the college.
Clairvaux MacKillop College strives to educate the whole person, spiritually, intellectually, socially, and morally. We believe in the importance of a broad curriculum suited to the needs, abilities, and interests of our students. The College offers a broad range of subjects, catering to many ability levels. In the junior school, curriculum is offered in a vertical structure over 6 semesters. The senior school offers both academic and vocational pathways.
Curriculum
Clairvaux MacKillop College offers a broad range of subject offerings to cater for the needs and interests of its students.
Junior School Curriculum at Clairvaux MacKillop College
The Junior School curriculum operates using a vertical curriculum system, which is being modified in response to current curriculum intiatives. Students study a range of subjects based upon Queensland Studies Authority syllabi. These subjects are structured within the college along core units of work that must be studied, as well as a number of elective units that students, in consultation with the Vertical Curriculum Co-ordinator and parents choose according to their interests and needs in various subjects. Within particular guidelines, students are able to have some input into what they study and the degree to which they explore a given discipline within the Junior School.
Senior School Curriculum at Clairvaux MacKillop College
Students have the opportunity to study a range of Authority and Authority Registered subjects that contribute towards the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). Students are able to study subjects used for entry into a University course using the OP system, or a combination of subjects with a range of TAFE accredited Certificate courses run internally at the college. The opportunity also exists for students to study subjects at a University level in Year 12 following an assessment of their capabilities at the end of Year 11.
Our Industry Pathway course aims to prepare students for entry into the workforce through traineeships, apprenticeships and work experience. Students can undertake to study Certificate I, II or III level courses that feed into further TAFE qualifications upon completion of Year 12. Students are therefore able to begin their tertiary education as part of their secondary schooling in Years 11 and 12.
Mission and Charism
The Catholic ethos of Clairvaux MacKillop College is framed within the charism of our founding orders the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of St. Joseph.
The motto “by effort and faith” shows our emphasis on spirituality as the basis of our many educational pursuits.
Our Mission Statement refers to the Gospel image of Jesus teaching the people of his times. By stating the importance of faith alongside effort, we adopt this example for our own community.
College Co-curricular Life
The co-curricular life of Clairvaux MacKillop College is active and varied. We aim to provide a broad range of co-curricular opportunities and actively encourage student participation.
PERFORMING ARTS
• Choir - "CMC Singers"
• Vocal Group
• Concert Band
• Stage Band
• String Orchestra
• Musical / Theatre Restaurant
• Cultural Evening
• Debating Programme
VISUAL ARTS
• Folio Development Course
• After School Art Workshops
• Art Competitions
• Commercial Promotional Projects
• Special In-School Projects
SPORTS
• Rugby League
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Touch Football
• Swimming
• Athletics
• Netball
• Badminton
• Cricket
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Cross Country
Pastoral Care
Clairvaux MacKillop College is an open and welcoming place. This is evident in all aspects of daily life and, in particular, the pastoral care program. Each year level has twelve pastoral care groups, two from each of the College’s six houses. These groups meet once a day, and undertake a ‘lifeskills’ lesson, once a week. Pastoral Care in the college forms a framework in which students are supported and nurtured.
Community
As a community Clairvaux MacKillop College welcomes, and encourages, parental involvement. We have a number of information evenings held during the year where parents are invited to take part in a wide variety of activities involving their sons and daughters.
The College has a number of forums in which parents can actively participate in the life of the school. These include:
• Parents, Staff and Friends Association
• Mothers’ Club
• College Pastoral Board