Term 3 Week 1 - Thursday 20 July 2023
News from the Principal
Yesterday we welcomed back to school for Term 3 the Catherine McAuley students. I’m very pleased to let you know that they are keen to return to school for Term 3, and have settled themselves into their work very quickly. We are looking forward to all that the term holds, and we will continue to inform you of the wonderful achievements of our students as they unfold.
Prayer Service and Smoking Ceremony
At Catherine McAuley, we understand the importance of community and inclusivity; these values align with our school values of hospitality and integrity. With this in mind, it was a real joy for us to start the term yesterday with a liturgy to honour NAIDOC Week, which was held last week.
The prayer, with its focus on care and respect for one another, was led by Catherine McAuley students, and the smoking ceremony, with its focus on cleansing and healing, was led by members of the CSPD Jarara Cultural Centre, and members of community, including ex-student Shanaya.
In her opening address, Aunty Julie Clark - Jones asked students to honour their elders and to do something to show this when they arrived home. I do hope that your homes were filled with love and honour for the elders in your family last night (and always), and I thank Aunty Julie for her words to the students.
Staff Professional Learning Days Held This Week
Teachers and staff spent Monday and Tuesday this week in professional learning. With a new curriculum being implemented from the beginning of 2024, many teachers were offsite at events organised by education leaders from CSPD. Those who remained at school will not implement a new curriculum until after 2025. They looked to contemporary educational theories and how we can continue to apply them in our context.
For your information, in 2024 a new curriculum is being implemented for:
- English (Years 7 and 9)
- Maths (Years 7 and 9)
- Languages
- Computing Studies (Years 9 and 10)
- Enterprising Computing and Software Engineering (Year 11)
- Geography (Year 11)
- Health and Movement Science (Year 11)
There will be a further two professional learning days for staff to continue this work at the beginning of Term 4.
Mary Refalo
Principal
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 7 self portraits! Students of Ms Huang and Ms Fernandes were proud to show off their self portraits at the end of last term. These artworks were inspired by artist Del Kathryn Barton.
Need To Know
- Letter From School Principal - Emailing Staff
- Amendments to Assessment Policy
- Recent Student Achievements
- Parents and Carers Term 3 Meeting - Tuesday 25th July 2023
- Watch Our Students Take Part In The FIFA Women’s World Cup Opening Ceremony
- eSafety News: How To Protect Young People From Cyberbullying and Webinars For Parents
- 10 Tips for Role Modelling Positive and Mindful Technology Use
- Member for Parramatta Asking For Parents To Complete Survey On Private Tutoring
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 3 Week 2
- Year 12 Drama HSC Practical Examination
- Year 11 2024 Subject Selection Talks and Parent Information Night
- Years 9 and 10 Music Excursion
- Hosting students from Doshisya Girls School, Japan
Term 3 Week 3
- Year 12 Trial Examinations
- Years 8, 9 & 10 French Cooking Incursion
- International Chemistry Quiz
- Australian Mathematics Competition
- Hosting students from Doshisya Girls School, Japan
