Term 2 Week 5 - Thursday 25th May 2023
Notes from the Principal
As we approach the middle of the term, things at Catherine McAuley continue to move along smoothly. Students have completed their Tell Them From Me Surveys this week, and all parents have also been sent the link to the survey. If you have not completed it yet, we would appreciate it if you did; it gives us important feedback about how you see things at Catherine McAuley. The link to the survey is here.
There are also some details I would like to let you know about.
Staffing
We have had some recent changes to staffing this term.
- Mr Hall is on long service leave until the end of the term. During his leave:
- Miss Brincat is the Acting Assistant Principal
- Mrs Howlett is the Acting Director of Studies
- Ms Alison is the acting Leader of Learning History.
- Mrs Greenberry, who taught English at Catherine McAuley and was a case manager, has been employed by CSPD to work with students in the Marist Learning Zone. A new case manager will be appointed in the next few weeks and will begin next term. Meanwhile, Year 9 classes are being supported by Miss Amer.
- Mrs Andrews, a TAS teacher, has resigned from teaching for the time being to spend time with her family. Her classes will be covered by Mr Tjeong from next term.
Pupil Free Days - Curriculum Transformation Development
You may be aware that the curriculum for NSW schools has been under review and the entire curriculum will be rewritten and implemented over the next four years. Information about this has been reported in the media for some time now. The dates have been included in the Need to Know section of this Weekly Review.
Mary Refalo
Principal
News from the School Captains
This week, all students received a bookmark featuring our theme for this year: ‘McAuley Spirit, let us cheer it’. These bookmarks are to remind students of the meaning behind our work this year, as well as being a practical tool for studies.
This year the student leadership team has chosen to focus on the building up and living out of the school spirit. Over the past few years, it has been shown that the McAuley Spirit truly never dies no matter what challenges it faces. Our goal as a community this year has been to enhance and strengthen this spirit. As a token, the bookmarks are a reminder of the importance of teamwork in our studies — pushing each other to reach our full potential.
The logo on the bookmark encompasses a pompom. This represents the spirit cheerleaders have for their team, our team, the McAuley community. It reminds us to be each other’s cheerleaders and hold up a pompom for those around us. Students starting out in the workforce would agree with us that teamwork is extremely important in today’s world. Whether it's working in fast food, retail or elsewhere, the prevalence of collaboration is clearer than ever. Students giving their best in class will be making a huge investment in their future — such skills will make them more attractive to employers, enable them to understand different perspectives and provide them with opportunities for growth. We hoped to encompass this message in the bookmark, as well as the theme as a whole, so that our school community can continue to grow in spirit and strength.
Jasmine and Jacinta
School Captains
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:
Year 8 Parent and Student Learning Event - On Wednesday afternoon, 17th May Year 8 students accompanied their parents around the school. Presentations were prepared by the students for each subject, with games and activities in the classrooms! Thank you to the Year 11 volunteers for the music, hospitality and service!
Need To Know
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 2 Week 6
- Years 11 and 12 Parent / Student / Teacher Meetings
- Year 12 French Speaking Skills Day
- Year 12 Japanese Speaking Skills Day
- Year 10 Career Development Day
- CSDA Debating Round 6
- Parents Representative Council (PRC) Meeting
- Vinnies Winter Sleepout
Term 2 Week 7
- Year 12 Chemistry Excursion
- Year 9 Elective History Excursion
- Year 9 Talented Maths Workshop
- Year 8 Japanese Drumming Workshop
- Duke of Edinburgh Award Adventurous Journey
