Term 4 Week 4 - Thursday 7th November 2024
Note from the Principal
This week the HSC remains a priority in our school. Year 12 students will conclude their HSC exams tomorrow with the Geography exam taking place. Students have been most impressive in their approach to these final, important exams, and all students, both non-ATAR and ATAR students, have been diligent in their preparation. HSC results will be published on 18th December 2024, and students are invited to morning tea on that day to celebrate their successes with us.
In addition to this, students in Year 11 last night had their HSC Information Evening, during which they were briefed on the rules of the HSC and how to be successful in their final year of school. The evening covered topics such as eligibility for the HSC, non-ATAR and ATAR pathways, application to university and other destinations, approaches and rules pertaining to assessment programs, and making decisions that give balance in the academic, social, emotional and faith lives of students. It was a successful evening, setting up Year 11 students for success as they enter their HSC year.
We also held a school tour yesterday morning for prospective students wishing to attend Catherine McAuley, and their parents. Again, this was a very successful event. The tours, scheduled throughout the year, are generally attended by 70 - 90 people, and Year 10 students act as tour guides taking families to each area of the school. During these tours we show our school exactly as it is on a normal school day, and our visitors are always impressed by the physical environment, the learning taking place in classrooms, and the friendliness and competence of the Year 10 student tour guides.
This week I held a Parent Focus Feedback Group of parents whose daughters are in Years 9 and 10. Mrs Kempys and Ms Dae, as well as Mrs Hamilton, the School Development Officer, joined our conversation. This was an excellent opportunity to hear from parents what we are doing well and what needs work. Parents agreed that their daughters were very happy at school, and that things generally were working very well. They commented that students were friendly and welcoming, and their daughters found school a safe place to be. They commented on the success of the tutoring program, the nursing home visits currently being undertaken by some Year 9 students, and the Year 10 to Year 11 Subject Selection process.
One area we have had feedback on in the past has been our communication with you, and we have worked to improve it. The Parent Focus Feedback Group indicated that they felt our communication with you was strong, clear and appropriate. I was pleased to hear that our efforts in this area were rewarded.
There were also some areas of improvement discussed at the meeting. In particular, parents asked about the weight of students’ bags and whether they could be lighter. They also inquired about how students could approach their learning following assessment tasks, and whether there could be further opportunities for additional extra curricular activities. The Leaders of Learning Wellbeing, Mrs Kempys and Ms Dae, will work with both Years 9 and 10 on what students can do to alleviate stress in these areas.
I would like to thank the parents who attended the Parent Focus Feedback Group for their open conversation. Together we can continue to improve Catherine McAuley Westmead to make it a more vibrant school where the Mercy values of excellence, integrity, courage, hospitality and justice are evident in all that we do.
Mary Refalo
Principal
News from the Director of Catholic Identity and Mission
Last week as a family you might have placed decorations for Halloween around your front entrance to welcome children dressed in costumes who were trick or treating in your neighbourhood and joined in the festivities. Halloween, like so many major celebrations, for many is solely a secular event. Once in the supermarket during Lent, I heard a young person comment about the chocolate eggs that were on display. Sadly there was no connection to Jesus as Easter eggs symbolise Jesus’ rising from the dead on Easter Sunday morning, the Church’s most important liturgical celebration.
Halloween always takes place on 31st October which is All Hallows’ Eve also known as All Saints’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day. For Catholics, Halloween takes on greater significance as the month of November is traditionally a time when the Church community remembers those who have died. While the new calendar year will not be celebrated until 1st January, this year the Church’s Liturgical Year will begin on 1st December with the Season of Advent. In this four-week period of preparation before Christmas, the Church uses this end of the year period as a time to reflect upon death and the great hope that our earthly death is the beginning of a new life in heaven with God. We give thanks for those who have gone before us and we look with prayer and hope to their new life in heaven and our desire to join them there one day.
If your daughter has not already done so, she is most welcome to write the names of family members or close friends who have died in the last year in the Book of Remembrance which is located in the Mercy Chapel. Throughout the month of November, the clergy will especially remember to pray for our loved ones who have died at the Wednesday morning Masses.
Our clergy are ordained ministers who act in the person of Jesus Christ, carrying out the sacred duties of teaching, preaching, and celebrating the sacraments and throughout 2024, the clergy have generously given their time to Catherine McAuley Westmead. We have been very blessed by the ministries of Fr Janu Pintos OCarm and Fr Alby Dos Santos OCarm from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Wentworthville and Fr Robert Riedling and Fr Tom Green from St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.
At Catherine McAuley Westmead we continuously strive to build better relationships including our relationship with Jesus. Last week Fr Janu reminded us that faith requires effort, it is not easy to enter through “the narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13). This week Fr Robert addressed how we can achieve peace of heart and mind, and that happens when we put Jesus first, something that was very much the centre of Venerable Catherine McAuley’s life. Sometimes, things may seem overwhelming but we only need to recall The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matt 13:31-32), “the smallest seed becomes a tree”. At Catherine McAuley, we are planting seeds. Every Friday a dedicated group meets in Mary’s Garden to pray the Rosary and join with Pope Francis in praying for peace for all. May the branches of peace spread throughout our world.
Pray With Us
Need To Know
There are no items this week.
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 4 Week 5
- Year 9 Academy U Innovation and Investigation Day
- Year 9 Global Connections Excursion
- PDSSSC Badminton Gala Day
- Remembrance Day
Term 4 Week 6
- Arts Factor Dance Festival
- Year 7 Reflection Day
- PDSSSC AFL Gala Day
- Year 7 2025 Orientation Day
- School Tour Morning
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:
YEAR 7 - Recently the Year 7 students came together with Mr Chris Doyle, from Karis Ministries, for their Pastoral Care Morning. The students explored their theme for this year which is ‘Friendship and Respecting Others’.