Term 2 Week 5 - Thursday 26th May 2022

News from the School Captains

Superpowers

In our address to the school at the assembly last Wednesday we talked about the concept of real life superpowers. We are all familiar with the blockbuster superhero films and know that no great hero works alone. While each superhero alone is strong, clever and powerful, when they all unite together they can become unstoppable.

Although super strength or legendary stealth may be far from our capabilities, we can identify and capitalise on our own realistic superpowers. Our real life superpowers don’t have to be obviously groundbreaking, instead of superspeed, think productiveness or rather than magic, creativity. These may seem less impressive but when we think about it - they’re what make us great learners and overall, well rounded people.

We also often find that these real life superpowers are so much more effective when we work together. As individuals, we have specific strengths unique to us and these make us valuable members of a team. In our school community we see this in our talented representative sports teams, House Leaders working together to fundraise, debating teams and (although not often visible to you as parents) collaborative classwork. When working in groups we discover our superpowers and how to use them effectively with those around us.

High school can be a difficult journey at times - we are constantly growing and developing, learning how to be independent whilst also maintaining family connections, making new friends and losing others - but what we want students to remember is that they have a team to support them. Friends, classmates, teachers and all the staff at Catherine McAuley with their own superpowers are always here to offer their support. 

As parents and carers, it is so important that you also remind your daughter that you are always behind her and then be there when she really does need your support. You are the shoulder she can cry on, the person she can call, the sounding board when she’s frustrated. Your superpower might be telepathy (endeavouring to understand her feelings), time travel (helping her see from a new perspective) or teleportation (being there when she needs you). Regardless, your superpower makes a difference.

To link to our Student Leaders’ theme of ‘Grow In Unity’ we encouraged students to identify their own superpower and to look around to appreciate the superpowers surrounding them. When superheroes unite, they do amazing things and we as a school community are more than capable of doing the same.

Do It For Dolly Day

Friday, 13th May was Do It For Dolly Day and we saw the superpowers of the Year 8 SRC team come to life. Their initiative, planning and bravery meant that students and teachers were given the opportunity to show their support for those who are being bullied. We all know however, that it's so important that our action doesn’t end just because we’ve taken our ribbons off. Please use this as an opportunity to converse with your daughter about her experiences at school. Use those superpowers of yours to invite her into these types of conversations.

Zara Zama and Victoria Carr
School Captains 2022

Pray With Us

Common Prayer for the 7th Anniversary of Laudato Si'

News Articles

• Courage and Resilience Shown By Duke of Edinburgh Students As They Complete Their Practise Hike
• Catherine McAuley Students Announced As Finalists For The VET in School Student Of The Year Award
• Year 10 Careers Day
• National Simultaneous Storytime

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 9 Information Software Technology (IST) students of Mr Tjoeng received training and advice from Adobe experts last week during their ‘Adobe Day’. The students were able to interact with the Adobe experts via Zoom as they learnt how to use specific programs in the Adobe Creative Suite. Students looked at Premiere Pro and Animate which they will use in their current unit of work 'Digital Media’.

Need To Know

• Summary of Parents and Friends Meeting Tuesday 3rd May 2022
• The World Of Social Media World From The Teenager Perspective

Upcoming Fortnight

Please see school calendar in sidebar for dates and details.

Term 2 Week 6

• Reconciliation Week
• CSDA Debating Round 5
• Discover Engineering Day
• PDSSSC Years 7-9 Football Gala Day 
• Years 11 and 12 Parent / Student / Teacher Meetings
• Year 11 Business Studies Excursion
• Year 11 VET Business Services Workplacement
• Year 10 Japanese Excursion
• Year 8 Reader / Tutor Program
• Parents Representative Council Meeting

Term 2 Week 7

• CSDA Debating Round 6
  
• Environment Week
• Year 12 Careers Excursion
• Years 9 and 10 Dance Excursion 
• Talented Year 9 Mathematics Workshop
• Year 8 Reader / Tutor Program