Term 1 Week 2 - Thursday 2nd February 2023
News from the Principal
I wish you all a very warm welcome to the 2023 school year. In the last few days all students have had their first day of the year at school, and they have started to settle themselves into the academic year. We were excited to welcome the newest members of our school community, students in Year 7, some new students in Years 8 - 11, and some new staff, including Mr Hall, Assistant Principal.
Year 11 students participated in a transition day on Tuesday during which they were privileged to hear the experiences of an ex-student, Bianca, from the Class of 2017.
Bianca’s address was one of the most inspiring I have ever enjoyed. She spoke about her success at life after school, which includes simultaneously studying Arts at the University of Sydney, as well as International Studies at a French university. She moved to France when she was 18, studying there without knowing much of the language, but applying herself to become fluent in French. In recent years, Bianca applied to further her studies in a course in which she was one of only 14 students in the world accepted into it. When she is not at university, Bianca works as a volunteer in a number of charities. All this, and she is only 22 years of age.
Bianca spoke lovingly of her school, and about how it taught her many things, the most important of which was that she would always strive for higher things. I think we can all agree, Bianca strives for, and achieves, higher things.
As we embark on a new year for learning and growth, I would like to remind all students of our school motto, strive for higher things, and I look forward to celebrating with them when they achieve their goals.
Opening School Mass
Tomorrow we look forward to our Opening School Mass at 12.00 noon in the Morley Centre. It will be a beautiful celebration of our community as we come together to start our year in prayer. Year 7 students will be welcomed into the Circle of Mercy, a special ritual that brings them into our community.
Many parents have replied that they can attend, and we are looking forward to seeing you there tomorrow. Parents who cannot attend may like to watch via the live link: https://youtu.be/cjhGx1Xvqec
Homeroom Prayer Spaces
At Catherine McAuley our day will always begin with prayer. In this way we commit to our faith and to being the best person we can be, under the guidance of our God.
This morning during homeroom each class set up their prayer space in a way that represents the young women who share it, under the guidance of their homeroom teacher. The Director of Formation and Mission, Mrs Banks, has prepared special House cloths to form part of this space. The prayer spaces invite everyone to participate in prayer together.
School Communication
Clear communication is important to us. The Compass Parent Portal is used to communicate with you; you will receive a notification when we have sent you some correspondence. At Catherine McAuley you can expect to receive this publication, The Weekly Review, each Thursday afternoon. You will also receive written correspondence when your daughter is involved in a school activity that differs from her usual routine.
The school has an official Instagram and Facebook page. We will post photos of the exciting things that are happening at school, and post about significant achievements of our students. We do not convey information about school activities or routines through our social pages. There may be in existence some other social media pages that are not school-sanctioned; information that comes through these pages is not delivered or approved by the school.
Each student also has a student planner, and this can be used to communicate between yourself and your daughter’s teachers. In addition, we welcome you to call the school or your daughter’s teacher if something is unclear.
Attending the School Reception or Uniform Shop
There will be times when you need to attend School Reception or the Uniform Shop. We ask that you do both via the front of the school, through the Gate 2 entry. In this way we remain aware of who is on the school site and can ensure we exclude intruders from the school grounds.
If you need to purchase uniforms, please enter through the School Reception office, rather than go directly there. Again, this is so that we are aware of who is onsite, in the interests of keeping all students safe.
School Uniforms
I am aware that some families found the process of purchasing uniforms for their daughters a difficult one this year. I apologise if this was the case for you. Our intention is always to make you feel welcomed and supported.
We are working with The School Locker, our uniform supplier, on the processes used to provide school uniforms at the start of each year.
Mary Refalo
Principal
School Photo Date Change
School photos will now take place on Tuesday, 7th February 2023.
Further details in 'Need To Know'.
Pray With Us
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:
How are Year 7 students feeling on their first day? The answer from these students is a mixture of both nervous and excited.
Need To Know
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 1 Week 3
- School Photos
- School Swimming Carnival
Term 1 Week 4
- Academic Assembly
- Long Distance Swimming Carnival
- Year 11 WSU Academy U Orientation