Term 4 Week 2 - Thursday 19th October 2023
Notes from the Principal
On Tuesday evening we held the final Parents and Carers meeting for the year. As always, it was a vibrant evening, with parents and carers representing all grades in attendance; this enabled dynamic conversation and questions about what is happening at school. It is an excellent forum for remaining in touch with school achievements, events and directions.
The Annual General Meeting took place on Tuesday evening as well. At this time we farewelled the Chair, Elisabeth Majnaric, and Second Chair, Laila Nagawkar, for their service to the school and the Parents and Carers Group. Their daughters are now in Year 12, and their association with Catherine McAuley finishes this year. However, we were very happy to welcome the newly elected Parents and Carers Group team, which includes Michelle McCann as Chair, Shauna Gavin as Second Chair, Vinko Laus as Secretary and Penny Wallace as the Parent Representative Council candidate. I would like to thank them for their leadership of this team and I look forward to working with them into 2024.
Yesterday morning at our school assembly I noted that there has been a significant improvement in the ways in which students are wearing their uniforms this term. I thanked students for their efforts in this area, and I also thank you for ensuring that this small thing is taken care of so that the big things happen seamlessly. I also spoke to them about other small things that, when given attention, make big things happen with less effort. You may wish to ask your daughter about what they heard and how it impacted her. A copy of my address is available here.
Mary Refalo
Principal
News from the Assistant Principal
Learning
A significant part of teaching is assessment. Assessment can be ongoing (formative) or at the end of a unit of work or topic (summative).
The purpose of formative assessment is to eventually bring the student to the point that they own their learning. They know what they are learning and why, they know how they are performing and they know how to reach the next level of achievement.
Here at Catherine McAuley formative assessment is used in all Years but in Years 7 - 9 it is the main way of assessing a student.
Formative assessment is all about students receiving feedback that will move their learning forward . It should move the student towards them:
- being purposeful in their learning
- being motivated by their personal interests or passions
- pushing themselves to learn
- setting high standards for themselves
- actively seeking out and engaging with others to discuss their progress
- seeking feedback on and critique of their work
- building and sustaining networks of other individuals and groups with common interests
- exercising their sceptical and critical faculties to judge the inputs of others
- exhibiting persistence in their pursuit of knowledge and skills, continuously refining their abilities
- embracing innovation and experimentation
- testing new ideas and methods to expand their understanding
- being prepared to risk reputation and performance to try out the new
- disregarding convention in the interest of learning
- appreciating that knowledge and knowhow is context dependent
- being sought after for their expertise and willingness to mentor the learning of others
- getting satisfaction from good performances and are only satisfied once they have achieved a level of performance that they think is acceptable.
Summative assessment can also be used in a formative way. This is when the student has a number of opportunities to plan their response, receive feedback/feedforward and then have another opportunity to present their understanding. Both summative and formative sssessment can lead to learning growth.
You might wish to discuss with your daughter the feedback that they are receiving and how they make use of it in their learning, going forward.
Michael Hall
Assistant Principal
From the School Counsellor
Mental Health Month
Mental Health Month is celebrated each year in the month of October. It reminds us of the importance of looking after our mental health and wellbeing in our day-to-day lives. It's also a great opportunity to openly discuss and deepen our understanding of mental health, promote empathy for those affected by mental illness, and increase awareness of the tools and services available to help you care for yourself and others.
This year's theme of Mental Health Month is ‘We All Have A Role To Play’. Whether we need to take some time to look after our own wellbeing, care for someone close to us, or learn when and where to seek professional help, or being a mental health ally, we all have a part to play in working towards a world free from mental illness stigma.
Additional support services and resources:
- WayAhead: mentalhealthmonth.wayahead.org.au
- Beyond Blue: beyondblue.org.au
- Black Dog Institute: blackdoginstitute.org.au
- Headspace: headspace.org.au
- Head to Health: headtohealth.gov.au
- Lifeline (24 hours): lifeline.org.au or 13 11 14
- R U OK? ruok.org.au
- This Way Up: thiswayup.org.au
If you have any concerns about your daughter’s mental health, feel free to contact the School Counsellors; Mrs Suzan Boulattouf (Mon-Fri) or Mrs Kathryn Rogers (Wed-Fri) on 9849 9100 during school hours.
Susan Boulattouf
School Counsellor
Pray With Us
Need To Know
Upcoming Fortnight
Term 4 Week 3
- Year 7 Science Excursion
- PDSSSC Golf Championships
Term 4 Week 4
- Year 10 Exam Block
- STEM Day Activity
- School Morning Tour
News Articles
- School Theme for 2024 Announced - ‘Embrace, Excel, Empower’
- Over $11,000 Raised For The Mercy Works Chicken and Egg Appeal
- Student Leaders Attend Morning Tea With The Parramatta Sisters of Mercy Leadership Team
- Dance Eisteddfod Awards
- Year 11 Students Attend UBS Young Women's Leadership Academy
- McAuley Students Display Their Talents During the Heats for the McAuley’s Got Talent Competition
- Recent Student Achievements
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:
The McAuley Team are Futsal Champions! Congratulations to the team, consisting of students in Years 7 - 10, who played on Tuesday at the PDSSSC Futsal Gala Day at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre. The McAuley Team were the grand final winners on the day. Congratulations!!
Futsal is an indoor football-based game played on a hardcourt like a basketball court. It is played between two teams of five players. The McAuley Team is shown with coach Ms Robson.