HSC NEWS & EVENTS
Date Claimers
June 2025
| 3-5 | Year 11 Indigenous Leadership Camp |
| 6 | Feast Day |
| 9 | Year 7 in 2026 Interviews - Round 1 |
| 16 | Year 7 in 2026 Interviews - Round 2 |
| 17 | Athletics Carnival - Minor Day |
| 18 | Athletics Carnival - Major Day |
| 19 | Mackay Show Holiday |
| 23 | Year 12 UQ Experience Trip |
| 25 | P&F Association and College Board Meeting |
| 27 | Term 2 Concludes |
| 27 | Staff Learning & Development Day - Student Free Day |
Creative Arts @ HSC
The busy term in the Creative Arts Department continues…
Rock Pop Mime – 41 Years of Community Celebration!
The much-loved Mackay community event, Rock Pop Mime, now in its 41st year, will take place on Thursday, 5 June at the MECC. Our incredible cast has been rehearsing with dedication since early Term 1, preparing our College’s vibrant entry titled “Pilgrims of Hope.”We are so proud of the hard work and commitment our students have shown, and we wish them all the very best for their performance on Thursday evening!A heartfelt thank you to:- Mrs Tori Pilcher for her inspiring choreography,
- Mrs Kerri Allen for her stunning costume designs, and
- Mrs Janet Oliver and the ArtOfficials team for their creative and eye-catching props.
Digital DJs at Feast Day
We’re excited to have our talented Digital DJs entertaining the College community this Friday during our annual Feast Day celebrations at the Harbour. It’s sure to be a fun and festive day for all!Twilight Night Performance – A Celebration of Creativity
We’re excited to invite you to our Twilight Night on Thursday, 26 June, starting at 5:00 pm here at the College. This special evening will feature performances and creative displays from our talented Creative Arts Extra-Curricular groups. It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the creative talents of our students in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. The evening will kick off with entertainment from our Digital DJs, hands-on art activities with the ArtOfficials, and a delicious BBQ to enjoy.? Performances will commence at 5:30 pm, featuring a variety of music, drama, dance and choral performances that highlight the vibrant creative spirit of our College community. We warmly welcome all families to come along, enjoy the atmosphere, and support our students. Mark your calendars—we’d love to see you there!
Debating News
Our Interschool Debating teams have continued to impress, delivering passionate arguments in both prepared and impromptu rounds. Students have grown in confidence and are thriving under pressure. A big thank you to Mrs Meredith Farquhar, Mrs Lynn Wainwright, and Mrs Melissa Barnes for their dedicated coaching. As the competition wraps up, we look forward to sharing the final results soon!
Eisteddfod Excitement Builds!
We’re looking forward to the Annual Mackay Eisteddfod this August—an event that brings together schools and performers from across the region. Our College Choir, Concert Band, Drum Corps, and Drama group will proudly represent the College at the MECC. Dates for your diary:
- Choir – Thursday, 14 August | 4:00 pm & 6:30 pm
- Concert Band – Monday, 18 August | 5:00 pm
- Drum Corps – Tuesday, 19 August | 5:00 pm
- Drama – Details coming soon!
Come along and support our talented students as they perform on the big stage!
Music Ministry
Our Music Ministry Group, led by Mrs Cecilia Hyde, will once again lead the congregation in song at the 6 pm Mass at St Joseph’s Church, North Mackay next Saturday. We look forward to another beautiful contribution to the celebration—everyone is welcome to attend! The group sings every third Saturday of the month at St Joseph’s. Rehearsals are held each Wednesday during Recess 1 in the PAC. All are welcome to be part of this uplifting ministry!
If your student would like to be a part of the fun of Creative Arts groups, it's never too late to join! Our groups welcome everyone, no previous experience required, just a keen interest and enthusiasm. See the Creative Arts Timetable below and let’s make this year a creative adventure for all!
Creative Arts Schedule
| Group | Day | Time | Venue | Tutor/Teacher |
| Band | Monday | 7:20 - 8:20 am | PAC | Mr Bauer |
| Choir | Tuesday | 7:20 - 8:20 am | PAC | Ms Illguth and Mrs Abell |
| Art Officials | Tuesday | Recess 1 | Room 17 | Mrs Oliver |
| Dance Troupe | Wednesday | 7:20 - 8:20 am | PAC | Mrs Skipper |
| Debate Club | Wednesday | Recess 1 | Room 43 | Mrs Farquhar and Ms Wainwright |
| Music Ministry | Wednesday | Recess 1 | PAC | Mrs Hyde |
| Art Therapy | Wednesday | 3:00 - 4:00 pm | Art Room | Mrs Oliver |
| Drama Club | Thursday | 7:20 - 8:20 am | PAC | Ms Robinson and Ms Wainwright |
| Creative Arts Committee |
Thursday | Recess 2 | Music Room | Mrs Abell and Creative Arts Chair |
| Drum Corps | Friday | 7:20 - 8:20 am | PAC | Mr McClelland and Mr Watson |
| Digital DJs | As required | PAC |
Bernadetta Abell - Creative Arts Program Leader
Sports @ HSC
HSC Athletics Carnival – Get Ready to Run, Cheer & Dress Up
Excitement is building for this year’s Athletics Carnival, set to take place over two action-packed days in Week 9 of Term 2. With the theme “Iconic Characters and Groups,” students are encouraged to show their house pride and creativity through vibrant costumes, fun props, and enthusiastic team spirit!
Carnival Dates & Details:
Minor Events Day – Tuesday, 17 June: This will be a whole school day where all students participate in a variety of field events. The schedule will include:
- Javelin
- Discus
- Shot Put
- Long Jump
- Triple Jump
Students will also compete in novelty events throughout the day, with valuable spirit points up for grabs for their House. It’s a great chance for everyone to get involved and have fun, whether competing for points or cheering on their teammates.
Canteen will be available.
Normal recess bell times will apply
Major Events Day – Wednesday, 18 June: The main event of the carnival, where the track will come alive with energy, competition, and colour. This is the only day students are to dress up in costume to reflect our exciting theme: Iconic Characters and Groups.
Events on the day will include:
- High Jump
- 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m
- 4x100m relay
Once again, novelty events will be run alongside the main program, giving Houses more opportunities to earn spirit points through participation, creativity, and energy!
Canteen will be available.
Lunch time break time will be different from a normal day.
Early Morning Distance Events: In addition to the carnival days, two longer-distance events will be held before school:
- 1500m – Friday, 13 June at 7:00 am
- 3000m – Monday, 16 June at 7:00 am
Nominations are required to participate in these events. Students must register in advance to secure their place at the HPE staffroom or email Christopher_Newton@rok.catholic.edu.au
Carnival Theme – Iconic Characters and Groups
Whether you're channelling The Incredibles, Marvel superheroes, Toy Story, Mario Kart, or even pop culture legends, we want to see it all. Prizes will be awarded for best-dressed individuals and House groups, so bring your costume A-game and help your House stand out!
Spirit and Competition
Throughout both days, students can earn points not just through their performance in athletic events, but also through participation, cheering, dressing up, and involvement in novelty activities. These spirit points are crucial and often make the difference in the final standings, so bring the energy and show your house pride! We can’t wait to see our students embrace the challenge, the costumes, and the camaraderie. Let the best house win — and most importantly, let’s celebrate the HSC spirit together!
Chris Newton - Sports Program Leader
AFL Q Schools Gala Days 2025
Holy Spirit College entered teams in all 3 age divisions in the Statewide AFL Q Schools Cup competition, playing in the Mackay Regional Gala Days, with a junior boys' team, youth boys' team and senior boys' and girls' teams; with over 100 HSC students participating across the 3 days in Terms 1 and 2. In Term 1, the amount of rain in the local region caused the youth gala day to be moved to Bakers Creek AFL grounds. We started the day strong against Moranbah, however, our inexperience cost us a victory in the first game against eventual regional winners. In the game against Mirani, we came back and had a resounding victory, which secured a 2nd-place finish in our pool on the day, resulting in an overall 3rd-place finish.
Our Juniors played early in Term 2. We had a tough start against Mackay State High School and were edged out in that game. We came home strong, beat Moranbah and finished the day in 2nd place, with a small loss to eventual winners Mackay State High.
Our Seniors, after a washout in Term 1, played in Week 5 of Term 2. With both a boys' and girls' team, we had a large group travel to Magpies AFC to compete for a full day. The games were short and sharp, so starting the games well was crucial for success. Our boys team started the day early, kicking off the dew from the ground against Mackay State High, which boasted a lot of talent. We claimed victory by 3 points to start the day. This proved an omen for the remaining games with tight finishes all day to keep us on the edge of our seats. With a victory over St Pat's, we stayed in the hunt. Losses to strong AFL schools, Proserpine and Moranbah, kept us off the winners' podium, and we finished equal second for the day with Mackay State High, with Moranbah victors again. Our girls played strongly, with mostly netball and rugby players filling the ranks. We had a tough loss to eventual winners Moranbah, but a victory against St Pats allowed us to finish on a high, with the girls showing us they can do anything with a dominant finish.
With a large number of first-time players in the AFL space at HSC, a great time was had by all. The students represented themselves and the school extremely well, and AFL looks to grow in strength over the coming seasons.
Outstanding Effort at the NRL Trophy Cup
On Tuesday, 27 May, our Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 boys proudly represented Holy Spirit College at the NRL Trophy Cup. Both teams played exceptionally well and went through the day undefeated!
A huge thank you to our dedicated staff who supported and coached the teams throughout the day — your time and effort are truly appreciated.
Congratulations to all involved! Well done, HSC!
Karen Murphy Cup
Our Year 7/8 girls did an amazing job at the Karen Murphy Cup on Tuesday, 3 May! They played with heart, teamwork, and determination—coming away with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.
We’re so proud of how they supported each other and represented our College with pride and sportsmanship.
Big thanks to our wonderful staff for taking and supporting the team!
Well done, girls!
Jonnet Craig-Hutchinson - Rugby League Coordinator
Mackay Marina Run 2025
Last Sunday, HSC had an incredible 80 runners representing the College in the Mackay Marina Run Corporate Challenge 5km! There were 122 teams competing in the event! Everyone did the school proud, and a special mention should go to the HSC Perpetual Motion Team 1 members Toby R (15:43), Ayla M (18:53), Lachlan J (18:13), Kiara J (21:54), Brayden M, Tayah M, John T, Aiden M and Artaya R, who actually WON the teams event!
A number of staff and students also competed in the 21.1km and 10km races, achieving some amazing results! Great work, HSC!
Sport Partners 2025
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