From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students,
Year 12
Year 12 students have returned from their Trial Examinations and are now finishing off courses, revising, and preparing for their Graduation at the end of the term. This is also a time for students to nominate themselves and their peers for special awards, including the prestigious McAuley Medal. Term 3 is an important period for Year 12 to consolidate their learning and complete their schooling journey.
Year 11
Year 11 students are also approaching a significant milestone, with their Preliminary Assessment Week scheduled for Week 9. Since returning from their Retreat (Week 4), students from Year 11 have been invited to participate in the Student Leadership process. Nominations are now closed, and interviews, speeches, and voting will occur over the coming weeks. I thank all Year 11 students who have accepted nominations for a College leadership role. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve others in our community. Annabelle Hourigan and Xavier Cassidy-Thomasen have written an article about their Year 11 Retreat experience for this fortnight’s newsletter.
Year 10 Future Pathways and RYDA
Year 10 students and their parents are currently participating in Future Pathways conversations, coordinated by Mrs Di McGowan and Mrs Tiffany Lee. These important discussions support subject selections and opportunities for students both within and beyond the College in 2026. We will continue these conversations with families as students finalise their selections.
On Friday, 22nd August, Year 10 students attended RYDA, an engaging one-day workshop delivered with the support of local Rotary Clubs. This program equips young people with the essential knowledge and strategies they need for road safety. RYDA features a highly engaging and memorable one-day workshop that front-loads students’ understanding of road safety, giving them the tools, habits, and motivation to take action and stay safe on our roads as both drivers and passengers throughout their lives.
Shine - Year 9 & 10 CSYMA
Students from years 9 & 10 recently represented the College at the diocesan Shine Gathering, celebrating youth faith, music, and community. Will Hartley has written an article about his Shine experience.
Safe on Social Parent Evening
We were delighted to welcome back Kirra Prendergast from CTRL SHIFT (formally Safe on Social) for her talk on all things related to AI, Deep Fakes, Sexual Extortion, Online Abuse and the Implementation of age restrictions for Social Media. This evening was co-sponsored by Parent Assembly and the College and provided parents with valuable insights into online safety and wellbeing for young people. Kirra started the evening by stating that we need to prepare parents for when things go wrong for their children online (not if) and how to handle this when it happens. I strongly encourage all parents and carers to access the resources we promote through our school subscription to CTRL SHIFT (Safe on Social), and be informed so you can recognise unsafe situations. The website https://www.safeonsocial.com/ gives you access to Blogs, Podcasts, Webinars and urgent contact if needed.
Book Week
The College community has joined in the celebrations of Book Week, highlighting the importance of reading and storytelling in learning and life. The theme this year is Book an Adventure. I thank Linda Gleeson and her team for the Book Week activities - we will be sharing photos in the next edition.
Staff Development Day, School Improvement and Data
Monday 18 August, was a pupil-free day for staff professional development with the focus on School Improvement and the development of our next Strategic Plan. Our theme was "Listening to our Community. Shaping our Future". We examined a significant amount of data on this day, covering Catholic Mission, Learning and Teaching, Student and Staff Wellbeing, and Engaged Communities. The data came from various sources, including Tell Them From Me surveys ( parents, students, and staff), NAPLAN, attendance records, behaviour reports, awards, and HSC results, to name a few. We are now processing the feedback we have received to identify themes and priority areas for focus over the next four years. We will share with you the development of the Strategic Plan, as well as various data sets compiled from the sources mentioned above. Kathy Warby has included some data on bullying in her article that was collected through the student TTFM survey.
Boys’ Symposium
In terms of data, it was noticeable in our Week 2 Special Awards Assembly that the number of boys receiving awards was remarkably low and did not reflect our school population. I have been asked by staff and some parents Where are the boys? What’s happening? I posed this question to the school assembly last Thursday, using some visuals from the presentation day. We are in the process of implementing an inquiry project to answer and address these questions, aiming to improve boys' engagement in learning, achievement, and acknowledgement. This project will be led by male staff and will begin with conversations and surveys. We will keep you posted!
Staffing Changes
Alex Montford has been on leave throughout most of terms 2 and 3, and has now tendered his resignation. I thank Alex for his service to the College and his many contributions as a teacher and a leader. We wish him well as he explores future ventures and adventures. For the remainder of this term, the following staffing arrangements will continue: Nikita Robinson as Acting Leader of Pastoral Care, Brendan Smith as Acting Year 11 Coordinator, and Sean Gallagher as a replacement teacher.
Coming events promoted in the Newsletter
HSC Showcase - Wednesday 3rd September - A celebration of our Year 12 students’ major projects and performances across a range of subjects
Father’s Day Breakfast - Thursday 4th September
We warmly invite all fathers, grandfathers and father-figures to join us for this special morning with their children.
McAuley Fest - Thursday 11th September
A night of entertainment for the whole College community, showcasing talent across our students and staff. Tickets are now available via CompassTix.
McAuley Day - Friday 12th September
Our College Feast Day honours our Mercy history and traditions while raising funds for Mercy Works. Homerooms are busily preparing activities, and we look forward to a wonderful day of faith, fun, and service.
All the best for the fortnight ahead,
Kate
Kate Thomson
Principal
“We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.”
Catherine McAuley