Term 2 Week 1 - Thursday 2nd May 2024
News From The Principal
We wish you all a very warm welcome back to Term 2. As always, it was wonderful to see students arrive at school refreshed and motivated to begin the school term after some time away.
Whilst the break offers some well deserved rest for all, the start of the term invites students to reset their approach to their studies, and to commit to doing their best everyday. We encourage them to be active learners, taking opportunities presented by their teachers to take risks in their learning; making mistakes is an important part of the process and helps us to learn more deeply and to solve problems and apply new solutions.
This week we received preliminary NAPLAN results for students in Years 7 and 9. The results were excellent again this year, with the average student achievement straddling across the ‘STRONG’ and ‘EXCEEDING’ domains. The early publication of student results allows us to work with students’ needs early in the year. Teachers will have access to this data to enable them to identify learning needs and work with your daughter to further improve her learning.
This week in form assemblies Leaders of Learning Wellbeing reminded students of the importance of remaining safe in their online activities. We know that a positive digital footprint is important for students in the modern world, but young people don’t always realise how a negative digital footprint impacts their own and others’ safety, and how it will remain with them for life.
We encourage strategies from the eSafety Commission, including monitoring your daughter’s use of her devices, asking her to use them in a shared space in the house, ensuring that devices are not kept in her bedroom overnight, and talking to her about her online activity. The eSafety Commissioner has an excellent website that includes an information section for parents and a place to report online misbehaviour.
The social justice focus for Ryan, Mercedes and Clare Houses this term is the Parramatta Women’s Shelter. We have supported the shelter since its inception in 2019, and are proud to continue to do so this year. With the necessary focus on the issue of safety for women in the media and politics at this time, our support of the shelter is even more poignant. You will hear about our efforts to raise awareness about the shelter and its work, as well as the contribution we will make to it, throughout the term. I thank you in anticipation for your support of our efforts in this area.
We are looking forward to an exciting term full of great learning and participation in extra curricular activities, and the achievements these will bring.
Mary Refalo
Principal
Pray With Us
Need To Know
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 2 Week 2
- Kids' Lit Competition
- Big Science Competition
- PDSSSC Cross Country
- CSDA Debating Round 2
Term 2 Week 3
- Year 10 Geography Excursion
- Year 10 History Incursion
- Year 11 French Study Skills
- PDSSSC Football Gala Day
- CSDA Debating Round 3
- Parents and Carers Group Meeting
News Articles
Our School on Social Media
Follow Catherine McAuley Westmead on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for regular updates. A recent post is shown below:
On Wednesday the school commemorated ANZAC Day which fell during the school holidays. Mrs Howlett, History Leader of Learning, along with a small group of Year 11 Modern History students, prepared a service which was broadcast over the PA system with students listening in class.
Students and staff were asked to remember the sacrifice of the first ANZACs and the generations of men, women and children who have died in the cause of liberty and peace. The Last Post was played followed with a one minute silence.
Thank you also to Year 12 students Naydeen P. and Veronica F. who represented Catherine McAuley at the Parramatta RSL ANZAC Day Dawn Service. Naydeen and Veronica laid a wreath on the school’s behalf.
We will remember them. Lest we forget.