Term 2 Week 3 - Thursday 16th May 2024
Note From The Principal
Earlier this week the Parents and Carers Group met for our Term 2 meeting. As always, it was a great night for meeting new people and sharing information.
I invite all parents to join us for these meetings, which are held on the Tuesday evening of Week 3 each term. They are excellent forums for meeting other parents, meeting members of the school’s Leadership Team, and capturing a summary of what is happening at Catherine McAuley during the term. The main agenda is generally my report, which covers a description of what is happening regarding our Catholic ethos, academic profile and achievements, school culture, communication to families, enrolments, staffing and the school environment. Parents will ask questions and clarify any areas they are unsure about. This sort of information, although conveyed in this Weekly Review, is difficult to convey in writing, and those who attend appreciate the opportunity to hear it in a different format.
Our tag line for the Parents and Carers Group is ‘bring a friend’, so please add the date for next term’s meeting to be held on Tuesday, 6th August and come along with a friend; I very much look forward to seeing you there.
In other news, Year 12 students will receive their Semester 1 reports next week. I commend them on their diligent approach to their work so far this year, which is reflected in their semester report. I also remind them to continue to apply their best efforts to their studies as they approach each deadline between now and October, when they sit their final HSC exams.
Finally, I would like to remind you and your daughters that tutors continue to be available in the library. There are two tutors available all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays for senior students to pop in to see during their study lessons, and also after school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is no need to book to see a tutor, there is no cost, and all students are welcome.
I wish you all well for a lovely week and a sunny weekend.
Mary Refalo
Principal
News From The Assistant Principal
Parent/Student/Teacher Meetings
This term you will have the opportunity to meet with your daughter’s teachers. By the time these take place you will have received their Semester 1 reports.
The meetings are an opportunity for your daughter to show ownership of her learning by being part of the meeting and possibly starting the meeting off by sharing with you and her teacher where she believes she is at as a learner in this particular course. Your daughter should be able to talk about a piece of work that she is proud of and how it shows her capabilities. Your daughter should also be able to identify any challenges she has and how she intends to meet these.
The meetings will take place on the following dates:
Years 11 and 12: Wednesday (on site) 5th June, 3:45pm - 7pm
Years 7 - 10: Thursday (on site) 4th July, 1pm - 7pm
Years 7 - 10: Friday (on line) 5th July, 9am - 2pm
Michael Hall
Assistant Principal
From The School Counsellor
The Importance of Self-Care
Self-care is the most important thing for keeping our physical and mental health in check. It is the first thing that gets sacrificed when life is busy and stressful as we often think that taking time for us seems an indulgence and we feel guilty for doing so.
A good self-care plan helps you to get through challenging times, to lower your stress level, to be more relaxed, mindful of things around you, avoid procrastination, become more assertive and build healthy habits. This applies to both parents and children.
What we are talking about is the ability to operate at full capacity to take care of self and loved ones.
Practising self-care daily helps you to keep your mind and body fit and healthy. This means getting enough sleep, eating the right foods, maintaining personal hygiene, communicating with your loved ones and regular physical exercise, goal setting and prioritising, practising gratitude, and staying connected.
The Department of Health Western Area Adolescent Team (WAAT) is running a workshop called ‘Music for You’ at 32 Buran Close, Mount Druitt, every Monday from 4.00 - 6.00pm. Feel free to encourage your daughter to join as part of their self-care. Information available here.
If you have any concerns about your daughter’s mental health, feel free to contact the School Counsellors; Mrs Suzan Boulattouf (Mon-Fri) or Mrs Kathryn Rogers (Wed-Fri) on 02 9849 9100 during school hours.
Susan Boulattouf
School Counsellor
Pray With Us
Need To Know
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 2 Week 4
- School Tour Morning
- Year 12 Music Excursion
- Year 9 Reflection Day
- CSDA Debating Round 4
Term 2 Week 5
- Year 12 PDHPE Excursion
- Year 10 Career Development Incursion
- Indigenous Veterans Service
- CSDA Debating Round 5
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:
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS - Is the Force With You? Year 7 Science students of Miss Raja have recently started a new unit called ‘Is The Force With You?’ As part of this the students have been learning about different types of forces.
In class last Friday the students modelled crash test dummies and described their motion in different types of collisions. The students explained their observations with reference to inertia, which is the tendency of an object to resist change in motion and is something we experience everyday in a car, bus or train. Through this, students reinforced the importance of wearing seat belts in moving vehicles to slow down with the vehicle and prevent passengers from continuing their forward motion due to inertia.