Catherine McAuley Westmead eNewsletter

News from the Principal

End of Term 1

This week marks the end of the first term of school, and with it has come some wonderful celebrations.

For students in Year 12, the term has concluded with a wonderful retreat opportunity, during which they explored the theme ‘to love and be loved’. The three day retreat, held at the Crusaders Conference Centre, Galston, invited students to dig deep into their own friendships by considering how they love themselves, other people and God. I have referred to some of their learnings in my address to students at yesterday’s assembly.

Year 12 students found the experience an enriching one, and one that they will remember for many years to come.

The House Leaders, Assistant Leaders and House Patrons have also run a series of activities over the past fortnight to raise funds for Caritas Australia and to bring together their Houses in the school spirit we know and love. The highlight will be the House Colour Day being held tomorrow afternoon. We know students will enjoy this event.

Students in the Strong Sisters group attended the annual Murama Youth Ambassador Program at Sydney Olympic Park, a two day conference for First Nations youth. As always, the students attending were excellent ambassadors of their school, and have already started sharing their learnings and ideas with a school totem project that they are implementing. We look forward to being involved in this important work.

I would also like to acknowledge the exceptional standard of work that is continuing in classrooms. You will see throughout this edition of the CMW: Weekly Review that students’ work continues to be of the highest quality.

I would like to warmly thank the Catherine McAuley staff for their work with students throughout the term. We all know that students cannot be successful without excellent teachers, and we are very lucky to have them.

As we reach the end of Term 1, I would like to thank you for your continued support. Together, we have managed COVID infections and responses and kept our students, your daughters, learning and participating in their school. As always, we thank you for your partnership and continued support.

Year 12 Senior Retreat

The celebration of Easter will take place during the break, as you know. As a school, we will participate in Easter liturgies at the beginning of Term 2.

The coming week is the final week of the Lenten season, a time for self reflection and self discipline, leading towards improving our relationships and our participation in our world. Yesterday in my assembly address I referred to this time, inviting students to take the opportunity of some quiet time to reflect on their relationships and actions in this final phase of Lent, and to put some new actions into place where necessary.

Easter is the very special celebration of joyful hope in the Catholic tradition, and is time rightly celebrated by and within the family context. We pray for the blessings of Easter on all of you this year, and the presence of a joyful and hopeful spirit in your families and in all that you do.

Mary Refalo
Principal

Pray With Us

Lenten Moment - Passion Sunday

News Articles

This Week on Social Media

Follow Catherine McAuley Westmead on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for regular updates. One of the posts from this week is shown below:

Year 7 Music students have been working on compositions which they have composed themselves. The students have not only learnt how to read music notes and how to play their instruments but have also been learning about tempo, the dynamics (how quietly or loudly a piece should be played), ostinato (a rhythmic or melodic phrase that is repeated through a work) and unison rhythms (playing their instruments all together at the same time).

Monday in class students were showing their compositions to their teacher Ms Picone.

It has been a busy term for the Year 7 Music students. In addition to writing their own compositions students have learnt about music notes - what they are, what they sound like and how to read them; they have learnt rhythmic dictation - whereby the students need to listen to a piece of music and write it down accurately; and they have started learning the guitar.

Need To Know

$500 voucher for Before and After School Care - Families with children aged 4 to 13 years that attend a primary school in NSW can now receive a $500 voucher per child.

Upcoming Fortnight

Term 2 Week 1

Easter Liturgy
ANZAC Commemoration
CSDA Debating Competition Round 1
Year 12 Geography Overnight Excursion

Week 2

Staff Professional Learning Day - Pupil Free Day
Athletics Carnival
School Tours
CSDA Debating Competition Round 2
Years 11 & 12 Legal Studies Incursion
Year 8 AFL Program