Term 4 Week 1 - Thursday 17th October 2024
News from the Principal
For students in Year 12, the HSC examinations are finally underway. Students sat for their examinations in English Advanced and English Standard on both Tuesday and yesterday, Music students had their exam yesterday afternoon, and today’s exams were Dance and Engineering. I commend students on their settled approach to these important assessments, and encourage them to continue to prepare for and complete them diligently.
This week we were thrilled to take possession of our brand new Performing Arts spaces, beautifully rendered and accessible to all students. The build includes a large dance space with sprung floors, a separate drama space, two music classrooms, ten music practice rooms, places for storing instruments, and a lovely staff area. Needless to say, both staff and students are overjoyed to finally have a fabulous space to enjoy and learn in. The demountables, whilst perfectly serviceable for the time we used them, had really come to their end of life, and the current building project necessitated their removal. Whilst they did the job, we are pleased to have finally replaced them with new, purpose-built learning spaces.
The term has started well for all of us. The staff professional learning day gave teachers an opportunity to review many of our wellbeing practices, including those related to classroom routines. Much of the day was also spent on new curriculum development in preparation for implementation over the coming terms.
It has been good to see students return to school for Term 4 fresh and enthusiastic about what this final quarter of the year holds for them. There are a range of excursions planned for a variety of classes, and teachers have prepared engaging and rigorous lessons to promote excellence in learning. Students have returned to school dressed appropriately in their school uniforms and with good attendance. I encourage them to maintain a strong focus on keeping the small things in order so that the big things happen well, and to remain diligent in ‘striving for higher things’ in their learning. As always, if you would like to discuss an aspect of your daughter’s education with her teacher, please send a note in her Student Planner so that appropriate communication can be made.
Mary Refalo
Principal
Pray With Us
Need To Know
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 4 Week 2
- Year 11 HSC Presentation
- Year 7 Pastoral Care Seminar
- Year 7 2025 Transition Interviews
- PAT-R Testing for Years 7 - 10 Students
Term 4 Week 3
- Year 10 Geography Excursion
- Year 10 History Incursion
- Year 8 Pastoral Care Seminar
- Year 7 Science Excursion
- 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:
TO THE CLASS OF 2024 - The HSC began this week and we wish our students all the best over the next few weeks. Here are some messages recorded by Year 12 students in their last week of school as they farewelled their fellow classmates.
