Term 1 Week 4 - Thursday 27th February 2025
Note from the Principal
We were thrilled to host Year 7 parents, carers and students at the Year 7 Welcome Afternoon yesterday. It was lovely to see the Year 7 students, now well and truly Catherine McAuley girls, proudly and confidently introduce their parents and families to their teachers and show them around the school. It was also a joy to hear parents commend the school, the teachers and the Year 7 Transition Program, and to hear them say how happy their daughters are to be part of this community.
The afternoon was made more enjoyable by the hospitality and service shown by Year 11 students who greeted and fed our guests, the music students who entertained us and members of the Parents & Carers Group who welcomed new parents.
Tomorrow we look forward to the annual swimming carnival taking place at Parramatta Aquatic Centre. This will be the great event it always is. I commend the large number of students who have nominated themselves for both competitive and novelty events, and I look forward to seeing the colour, camaraderie and competition on the day.
Both building projects taking place at school are progressing well. We have had some noise of late, but most of the ground works are now complete and we expect the noise to subside somewhat. The car park project is still scheduled for completion by the end of April, and in Term 2 we hope to make functional a new kiss and drop area for students in both high schools, and to re-open the usual access to the school’s reception area.
Finally, I would like to congratulate students on the settled approach they have taken in these first few weeks of the term. On the whole, students are focussed on their work and on getting involved in school activities. As always, we are very proud of them.
Mary Refalo
Principal
News from the Assistant Principal
This year, Catherine McAuley’s Learning Goal is for each and every student to make at least one year’s learning growth.
This goal will be achieved by ensuring that teaching is explicit and incorporates all elements of the Gradual Release of Responsibility. Explicit Teaching is the main pedagogical approach by both NSW Education Standards Authority and Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese.
Explicit teaching is a purposeful and direct method of instruction that clearly shows students what to do and how to do it. This approach involves:
- Clearly stating learning objectives
- Breaking information into manageable chunks
- Providing clear explanations with modeling
- Verbalizing thought processes
- Offering plenty of practice opportunities
- Giving regular feedback
Explicit Teaching incorporates The Gradual Release of Responsibility. The Gradual Release of Responsibility model is a phased approach to teaching and learning. There are three phases: ‘I do’, ‘We do’ and ‘You do’ or ‘modelled, guided, independent practice’. The third phase can be split between ‘You do together’ and ‘You do alone’. This approach ensures that students receive the right level of support as they progress towards mastery of new skills and concepts.
Gradual release of responsibility is not linear. Teachers move between modelling, guided and independent practice throughout lessons. Teachers make decisions based on student understanding and readiness. Students may move 'forwards' and 'backwards' in this process.
By implementing explicit teaching strategies, we aim to provide your daughter with the best possible learning experiences and outcomes.
We encourage you to discuss this approach with your daughter and support their learning journey. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher.
Together, we can ensure that every student reaches her full potential!
Michael Hall
Assistant Principal
Pray With Us
Need To Know
- NAPLAN Timetable
- Assessment Handbooks
- Online Ordering For The School Canteen Now Available
- School Photos - Friday 7th March 2025
- Important Updates on Vehicle and Pedestrian Access for the Westmead Catholic Community Site
- Minutes from the Term 1 Parents & Carers Meeting
- A Free Webinar for Parents: Inspiring Curiosity About Careers in Your Child
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 1 Week 5
- Ash Wednesday
- School Photos
- PDSSSC Swimming Carnival
- School Morning Tour
- International Women's Day
Term 1 Week 6
- Year 12 Food Technology Excursion
- Year 12 Hospitality Excursion
- Year 8 Geography Excursion
- Year 8 History Incursion
- Year 7 Activity Day
- School Morning Tour
- International Women's Day Year 11 Parent Event
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:
YEARS 11 & 12 ANCIENT HISTORY - On Monday the Years 11 and 12 Ancient History students travelled to Canberra to visit the National Museum of Australia and its current exhibition on Pompeii.
This excursion provided the students with an immersive experience learning about the core study for the HSC syllabus. Mr Fraser, HSIE Teacher, said that the excursion went well and the students enjoyed learning about and seeing artefacts from the ancient city of Pompeii. “Through this experience, they further developed their understanding of daily life, leisure, and death in the ancient city, which was covered by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79,” Mr Fraser said.
This is the first, and potentially only time, that this exhibition will be coming to Australia so it was a wonderful opportunity for the students.
