Term 4 Week 6 - Thursday 17th November 2022

News from the Principal

Mr Whitby retires as CEO of Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta

This week I attended the Honorary Retirement Mass for Mr Greg Whitby, the Executive Director of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Parramatta. I was accompanied by Mr Skinner, teachers and parents of students at the school, Mrs Ekde and Mrs Howlett, and four students, Jasmine and Jacinta, the School Captains from Year 11, and Clio and Johanna from Year 7.

The Mass was hosted by Bishop Vincent, and was a testament to the innovative work Mr Whitby has done in his role as Executive Director of CEDP for the past 14 years. Mr Whitby has been fearless in his leadership of an inclusive and relevant education for the children and young people who attend our schools, and he has paved the way for schools in this system to be at the forefront of contemporary education on the world stage.

I thank Mr Whitby for his leadership, and know that I speak on your behalf in this, too. We have been lucky to have been led in this way, and will reap the benefits of Mr Whitby’s leadership in the years to come. I wish Mr Whitby all the very best in his next phase, both personally and professionally.

This acknowledgement of Mr Whitby’s leadership was printed in the Mass booklet: I hope you enjoy reading it.

Cyber Safety

This week we spoke to students about their use of social media platforms that compromise their safety and the safety of other young people. 

We have recently been made aware that students are using their phones to hotspot wifi access, and then engaging in web platforms for adults over 18. The sites they are accessing allow other users to tune into conversations and images, without the knowledge or consent of the owners of those conversations and images. In short, other users can ‘spy’ on your daughters whilst they are on these sites.

In addition, they may be engaging in conversations with users impersonating someone they purport to be, and developing relationships based on misinformation about the identity of the person they are chatting to.

Our concern is that students may be developing relationships and sharing personal information and their images with members of the public without their knowledge and consent. This leaves them vulnerable to being identified and targeted, and vulnerable to their images being shared and used outside this platform.

Digital profiles are an unavoidable part of modern life, and the digital footprint we create for ourselves remains with us for life. Young people need to develop a positive digital footprint, and this occurs when they are using social media and other internet tools wisely and productively. To learn more about the potential impacts of the wrong types of digital engagement by young people, you may like to watch the documentary Mirror Mirror hosted by Todd Samson and recently aired on Channel 10.

If you have any concerns about public pages or social media activity, you can report them to the E Safety Commissioner, an Australian Government electronic media regulatory body. They take all reports seriously and will respond to your concern. 

At school we follow the guidelines set out in the CEDP’s Student Use of Digital Services and Online Services Policy, also available on the school website. In addition, we regularly speak to students about their online safety and we implement programs to teach students about this.

I ask you, please, to talk to your daughter about her use of social media and developing a positive digital footprint, not a negative one. I also remind all students that their mobile phones are to be placed in their lockers at 8.30am each day and are not to be removed until the end of the day, when they are on their way home from school.

Mary Refalo
Principal

Pray With Us

This link has Pope Francis' Prayer Intention for November.

News Articles

• Launch of Catherine McAuley School Theme for 2023
• Talented McAuley Students Raise Thousands for Jesuit Refugee Service
• Five Things All Parents Should Know About E-cigarettes and Vaping

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:

Welcome To Year 7 2023 Students! The school welcomed the incoming Year 7 2023 students on Friday last week for the Year 7 Orientation Day. The future Year 7 students were engaged in a variety of activities led by the Year 11 and Year 10 Student Leaders.

Students began with an introduction to our patron, Venerable Catherine McAuley, by Ms Banks, Religious Education Coordinator. This followed with an introduction to the Catherine McAuley school uniform (summer, winter and sport), modelled by current Year 7 students. The future Year 7 students did a tour of the school which finished with a fun quiz to see how much they remembered and also had a chance to meet new friends through some get to know you games.

The day concluded at 2pm with some students staying behind to watch the ‘McAuley’s Got Talent’ event. 

It was lovely to see the Year 7 2023 students and the school looks forward to seeing you again soon!

Need To Know

• Vaping - What Do Parents Need To Know. Council of Catholic School Parents Webinar Thursday 17th November 2022 7.00 - 8.30pm
• In The News - Catherine McAuley students feature in Catholic Outlook article 'Staff and Students Stand Up to Domestic Violence and Abuse'

Upcoming Fortnight

Term 4 Week 7

• Year 10 Geography Excursion
• Year 10 History In-School Activity
  
• School Morning Tour

Term 4 Week 8

• Years 9 & 10 French Excursion
• Year 9 STEM Club Excursion
• Year 9 Peer Mentoring Program
• Year 8 Maths Enrichment Day
• Year 7 PDHPE Excursion
  
• 2022 Mini Showcase
• School Morning Tour

Save the Dates