About the College

Welcome to the Irene McCormack Catholic College website. Our website aims to present just a snippet of the exciting and engaging opportunities available at our fantastic school. After exploring our website, we extend an invitation to all families and carers to visit the College to speak to our wonderful staff and, perhaps, take a tour of our magnificent facilities.

While tours can be arranged at any time, visitors are welcome to attend our Open Mornings and Twilight Tours held at various times during the year. Tour dates and times will be published on the main page of the College website and listed in the College Calendar.

Irene McCormack Catholic College is a co-educational Year 7 to Year 12 secondary school that is Christ Centred – Student Focused within the Catholic tradition and is a member of the Catholic System of schools in Western Australia. First and foremost, we take our guidance from Jesus Christ and the values illuminated in the Holy Gospels. We believe that Jesus is our greatest role model and teacher.

We also believe that parents are the first educators of their children. Parents have an enormous impact on their children’s beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviour and work ethic. We believe that teachers are the second most influential educators in a child’s life. Therefore, it is vital that there are strong and enduring partnerships between parents and teachers, and our students. The College provides numerous opportunities in which parents can engage and we strongly encourage parents to participate and get involved.

Irene McCormack Catholic College seeks to develop self-motivated, passionate, entrepreneurial, and innovative young people ready to embrace and conquer an ever-changing world with confidence and grit. We aim to instil a sense of faith that is actively lived through prayer, service and justice. In a contemporary world, we believe that place, space and technology have the power to enrich and enliven the learning experience. The environment is often referred to as the third teacher and, as such, the College seeks to continually improve the facilities and grounds.

We believe that to succeed, students must have a keen sense of self and others and a firm feeling of acceptance and belonging. Additionally, students must know that the people most important to them truly believe in them and believe that they have the capacity to become whatever they dream to be. We believe in the dignity of every human person and that everyone has the capacity to learn. Student mental health and wellbeing is supported by a strong pastoral care system that includes Care Group Teachers, House System, Peer Support Program and professional counselling staff.

The College offers a holistic education program with courses that lead to university, TAFE and work. Pedagogical practices, that is, teaching methodologies, aim to embrace current research and thinking that fosters the essential skills for life valued by employers and industry, some of which include critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, character and citizenship. Teaching and learning is embellished by numerous extracurricular opportunities and specialist programs such as Australian Rules Football, Soccer, Basketball, Dance, Cheer Leading, Performing and Visual Arts, Music, intra and inter school Swimming Athletics and Cross Country.

In life, we often look to other people as role models for guidance and wisdom. Sister Irene McCormack, our College namesake, patron and fellow Western Australian, provides an ideal model of faith, tenacity, courage, and hard work for our students to emulate. She used her gifts and talents to help many people in need throughout Western Australia and Peru. Our House patrons too, offer distinctly Australian role models of how we can make the most of our skills and abilities to create a more just and equal society.

I am blessed and privileged to be Principal of Irene McCormack Catholic College and look forward to honouring the legacy of Sr Irene, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, the McCormack family and the students and community of this great school. Furthermore, I look forward to welcoming new families and students to our school while getting to know our existing students and families.

God Bless

Peter Collins

Principal

Irene's Story

Irene McCormack grew up as a fairly typical West Australian country girl. Born on the 21st of August 1938 she was raised on a farm at Trayning near New Norcia and very early on emerged as a vibrant, determined and fun-loving girl.

She was sent to boarding school at Santa Maria College and it soon became evident that she had two great loves - to serve God and to educate young people.

After joining the Sisters of St. Joseph she spent many years teaching in schools in country areas. She constantly challenged the Bishops to act more justly in providing resources for country children - for her it was an issue of justice.

In the mid-1980's, Irene experienced a real dilemma with her vocation. She continually proclaimed about mission in the Church - to be an active part of the Global church - and felt she had to volunteer to work with the most needy in order to be true to herself.

Irene arrived in Peru in 1987 and was appointed to the Huasahuasi District in 1989. She took up the challenge of ministering to the impoverished.

"I have come to understand that effective action is a way of loving."

For political reasons Communist rebels, the Shining Path, did not welcome missionaries and despite recognising the danger Irene and her fellow sisters continued to work with and for the village people.

"I really believe and have experienced that the more committed you are the freer you are."

On the 21st of May 1991 Irene's fears were realised when she and five others were dragged to the village square by the rebels, told to lie face down and executed by a shot to the back of the head. Irene's 'crime' in the eyes of her murderers was caring for, working with and handing out Caritas food parcels to the impoverished villagers.

Sr Irene McCormack RSJ - A Family Memoir

Resurrected Irene II Booklet

College Crest

College History

Irene McCormack Catholic College was established in 2000 by the Catholic Education Commission of Western Australia in response to an increased demand for Catholic education in the rapidly growing north western corridor of Perth, Western Australia.

The College is owned by the Archbishop of Perth who, together with the other WA Bishops authorised the Catholic Education Commission lead Catholic schools as a means through which the Church proclaims the Gospel of Jesus and to support parents as the first educators of their children.

The College was named in honour of Sr Irene McCormack. The College started with 30 students in 2002, in small, temporary premises close to the planned school site on Bradman Drive, Butler.

As the suburb of Butler and surrounds continued to develop, the College has grown in 2017 to student enrolment of almost 1,000 students, with 100 staff.

The College motto ‘Prayer Service Justice’ is strongly exemplified in the person and life of our patron, Sr. Irene McCormack.

College Vision and Mission. Strategic Plan 2016-2020

VISION

To liberate young people to become life-long learners and to live meaningful, selfless and spiritual lives.

MISSION

We recognise each person as a unique creation of God and nurture students to live the Gospel values.
Our College provides a holistic learning environment where each student feels safe, valued and learns respect for self, care for others and skills for life.
The essential consideration of all we do at Irene McCormack College is the dignity of the individual.

Reflect in our mission are three core values:

Respect for Self

A spiritual understanding of individual worth as taught by Jesus Christ. The challenge is for each person to:

- Explore, recognise and share their strengths and talents.
- Arrive at an appreciation of their own uniqueness.
- Develop confidence and a resilience to embrace the challenges in life.

Care for Others

A sense of the Christian purpose to care for all people. This is developed through the:

- Pastoral Care program that supports each students’ personal and educational development.
- Christian Service Learning program which enables each student to experience the value of service to others.
- Leadership opportunities to serve others by College representation, Parish participation, peer-support mentoring, tutoring, mediation and public relations.

Skills for Life

For students to graduate from the College and live each day by the College motto ‘Prayer Service Justice’, our focus centres on young people to:

- Develop their own relationship with Jesus and sense of faith practice.
- Seek social interaction and accept social responsibility.
- Appreciate creation and value environmental sustainability.
- Develop a sense of connection to family, friends, society and the global community.
- Be energetic and enterprising learners who become inquisitive, independent and collaborative learners.
- Access technology as a productive tool to seek and utilise knowledge.

Strategic Plan 2016-2020

Strategic Plan 2016-2020.pdf

Evangelisation Plan 2015-2017

Evangelisation Plan 2018-2020

About the College

Principal’s Message