Term 3 Week 5 - Thursday 21st August 2025
Note From the Principal
This week we announced the new School Captains for 2025 - 2026, and we are pleased to announce that Talia and Lara will take on this important role in the next year. Following this announcement, the remainder of the school leadership team will be elected into portfolio and assistant portfolio positions over the next few days.
The election of school leaders is always a significant event for us at Catherine McAuley. Throughout the process, we meet and talk with a great number of students who have the skills and dispositions to take on the roles of leadership. Listening to students talk with humility about their understanding of service and servant leadership, and what it means to lead with integrity and justice, is truly inspiring. For all students nominating for leadership, and certainly for those who accept the roles of School Captains and Portfolio and Assistant Portfolio Leaders, there is a very clear sense of their identity as Catholic women in the Mercy tradition. Your daughters are impressive and inspiring, and I congratulate each of them for all they bring to the Catherine McAuley community.
Lara and Talia, the new School Captains for 2025/2026
On Monday, all students in Year 10 spent time choosing their senior subject package. They were very well prepared for this process, and demonstrated clear thinking about their aspirations and their needs. They are to be congratulated on this early thinking about their senior studies.
Over the past week and into the next few weeks we will also see all of the Year 12 major works due to NESA for assessment. A highlight of the major work program was the HSC Creative and Performing Arts night last night, where students’ drama and music performances were on display, as well as HSC art works. Congratulations to all those who performed or exhibited, and to those who attended to support this event. And congratulations to all students who have submitted, or will submit, their major work in any HSC subject.
I remind you that Mercy Day is coming up on 5th September. As usual, we will begin the celebrations with Mass in the Morley Centre at 9.30am. The new School Leadership Team will be commissioned at this Mass. All parents and carers are very welcome to join us for Mass on 5th September, and for morning tea following Mass. More details about Mercy Day follow in this Weekly Review.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Mary Refalo
Principal
News From the School Captains
Hello McAuley community,
It's your School Captains here, but not for long… we would like to give the warmest congratulations to the upcoming captains for 2025-2026, Lara Z. and Talia K. This year has been truly incredible, and we feel so grateful to have shared it as part of the McAuley community. We are confident that the new captains will lead with mercy and compassion, and we place our full trust in their ability to serve our community.
Mercy Day is also approaching, which is a day full of community and unity. The blessings of the new leaders during the Mass marks the start of McAuley’s 2026 student leadership team and we can not wait to see what they achieve. A reminder that the Mercy Day theme is, 'The year you were born', allowing students and staff to dress up as famous book or movie characters, iconic celebrities and events from that year. We would like to encourage thrifting, reusing and swapping of outfits to promote sustainability. Around the school, students are working hard to organise stalls that will make the day fun while raising funds to donate to Mercy Works. We look forward to seeing the school community come together on this special day.
With trials now behind us, the Year 12s are starting our countdown until graduation. These next few months will be filled with excitement and hard work, as we celebrate our journey at Catherine McAuley and prepare for the HSC. To our Year 12 grade, we encourage you to remember that we are all in this together, and that the McAuley community is cheering you on! Cherish the last memories of high school and be proud of everything you have achieved so far.
We wish Year 12 the best of luck, and thank the McAuley community for their support this year!
Kaitlin and Emily
School Captains
Pray With Us
Need To Know
- Mercy Day Mass Invitation - All Parents Invited!
- Mercy Day 2025 Parent Letter
- Parent & Carer Volunteers Wanted for Mercy Day
- Parents Invited To A Presentation With Parenting Expert Dr Justin Coulson
- Summary of the Year 12 Study Skills Session - ‘The HSC Countdown’
- Help Shape Wiser Screen Habits – Parent/Carer & Student Survey
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 3 Week 6
- Book Week
- School Morning Tour
- Mercy Junior 5 Forum
- Year 9 Japanese Immersion Day
- Year 8 Geography Excursion
- Year 8 Medieval History Day Incursion
- Years 7 - 10 Religion Incursions
Term 3 Week 7
- Arts Factor Dance Eisteddfod
- PDSSSC Athletics Carnival
- Bishop of Parramatta Award for Student Excellence
- Mercy Day & Mercy Day Mass - Friday 5th September
News Articles
- School Captains for 2026 Announced
- Term 3 Social Justice Cause
- Catherine McAuley Partners With University Of Sydney In STEM Program
- Year 8 Students Selected To Have Stories Published In Parramatta Youth Book
- Year 10 Students Learn How To Drive Safely
- Year 7 Students Strive To Do Ordinary Things Extraordinarily Well
Our School on Social Media
Follow Catherine McAuley Westmead on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for regular updates. A recent post is shown below:
YEAR 9 COMMERCE MARKET DAY 💵 At lunchtime on Monday in Mercy Square, Year 9 Commerce students ran a Market Day as part of their program for the 'Running a Business' unit. Students worked together in small groups to experience the process of running a small business from market research through to selling and business reporting.
From churros and loaded cookies 🍪, acai bowls 🍨 and lolly cups 🍭 to tabouleh salad 🥗 and mini Lebanese pizzas 🍕, the rain didn't stop their drive. The market day stalls will be running again on Friday this week with a new batch of stalls!
